Beyond restaurant + lounge Century Plaza Hotel
1015 Burrard Street
map 604-684-3474
Whenever I step into Beyond, I expect to hear Madness’ ska tunes like One Step Beyond cranked on the sound system. It would plaster smiles on faces and put a happy wiggle into everyone’s walk. But this is a hotel restaurant, and hence it must dance to that tough beat of pleasing both hotel guests and Joe Public. The game plan seems be to to divide and conquer --- the venue space anyway.
Beyond is a big restaurant (300 seats) with clearly identifiable zones: one by the kitchen for breakfasts where the cooks in action behind large windows are early-morning eye-openers; another on the left is a happy hour lounge where flat screen TVs glow on every wall; and an expansive, elevated area in the back serves more sedate lunches and dinners.
Furnishings are sleek and elegant. The problematic intricate lighting and sounds systems have been tamed; the service has smoothed out. A menu with ambitions manages to chart a path that works on most levels, offering choices for adventurous and not-so-adventurous palates.
Some things we’ve liked so far include: the Burger Bites, four tasty mini salmon, beef, chicken and veggie (chickpea and gruyere) burgers; the mirin and sake marinated skate wing with soba noodles (only in need of a wee spark of citrus for flavour and colour to elevate this spa dish to the ethereal); grilled asparagus spears with pea shoots, which is an elegant green-on-green dish; a sensational seasonal dish called ‘vine ripe & petit tomato’ equals a quartet of individual tastes of tomato consommé, a tomato and micro greens salad, tomato and mozzarella salad, and simple salted tomatoes.
A rack of lamb was perfectly cooked but lacked seasoning, but the mac & cheese with goat cheese, Parmesan and aged cheddar was cheesy and rich. Halibut cheeks, a personal fave, came with cippolini onions, clams in a light carrot foam and arugula tarted up with gremolatta.
Chef Jeffery Young’s ( Four Seasons Vancouver and Toronto) makes a bouillabaisse that I’m looking forward to trying, also his lamb and veal osso buco with white, fava and soy bean stew. Interesting combinations like this will get us back a time or two, but please, no offense intended to the chef, but can we have salt and pepper on the table?
The wine list is a great romp with plenty of interesting choices from around the globe.
FILED BY: Judith Lane
DATE: October 15, 2006
PHOTOS BY: Delainy Mackie
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ALL THE FACTS
Cuisine: Fine Dining
Price:
Hours:
Credit Cards:
Opened: September, 2006
Owners: Wendy Lisogar
Chef: Jeffery Young
Specialties:
The Must Try Dish: the Skate
Other Features:
Dress: business/stylish.
Seats: 300
Noise level: moderate
Categories: Downtown, Fine Dining, Lounge,
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OTHER OPINIONS
