Dine Out Vancouver 2008: Rex Rotisserie & Grill reviewed
3 Comments
Karen Hamilton
January 30, 2009
This is an atypical Dine Out experience from my pre-Tiny Bites days, republished for your convenience here. Since Rex is participating with a $28 menu in 2009, you may still find these photos and comments helpful while sorting out your reservations for the last weekend of Dine Out Vancouver 2009.
One more thing – my wish to dine at Rex for lunch still hasn’t been fulfilled. Let me know if you’re in.
The SFU MIS Association decided to fuse this year’s InfoTech Night with the $15 Dine Out Vancouver experience at Rex Rotisserie & Grill. As a MISA alumnus and foodie, how could I refuse? Donned some business attire, slung my camera over the shoulder, and met with fellow alumni Bruce and Honto for the short trek over to Rex.
First Impressions
Rex was difficult to locate despite having Google Maps on hand. It’s in that S-shaped curve of Dunsmuir with the Canada Trust and BMO towers looming overhead. The three of us stood directly across from the restaurant in puzzlement until we spotted its neon lights, which were partially obscured by the bus stop in front. I imagine this doesn’t make for great walk-in traffic. Its placement in the financial district, which is dead in the evenings and weekends, could also explain why we hadn’t heard of this restaurant before.
The restaurant was closed for this private function, and as befits young downtown professionals, we arrived so fashionably late that we missed the appetizers and the first couple of keynote speakers. Oops. The restaurant staff were on their A-game tonight: they took our orders and whipped up an extra booth table on the mezzanine so that we could sit together. We assured them that it was alright to seat us anywhere in the main area even if that would split us up. They found us 3 free spots at the same long table by the wine cellar before we could say another word. Service: one check.
The Food
Dinner came not long after, with surreptitious pours of free-flowing red and white wine throughout. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the house red–an easy sipping wine that stood its own against the dishes. Typical house selections are not that far off from vinegar. Rex got another checkmark under the Wine column from me.
Honto and I had the prime rib while Bruce tried the lamb shank. Both dishes met with much approval and were rated as re-orderable. The prime rib was cut a half-inch thinner than I am used to, but they did warn us on the description that it would be an “English Cut”. It did not detract, however. The beef was perfectly pink, evenly marbled, mouthwateringly juicy, and oh so tender going down. It satisfied my prime rib craving quite well. Despite the alfredo-sauce consistency of the horseradish, it was sufficiently piquant and I only wish that there was more of it on my plate.
The ones who had the lamb exclaimed at how tender it was. It was literally falling off the bone. The couscous it came with was rated as excellent by several people at our table. Bruce tells me today that he can still clearly recall his enjoyment of the dish, and it’s been over 2 weeks.
So it looks like this segment gets another check. In fact, for a networking event, there was more a lot more chewing than talking during the main course. A good thing for the restaurant, but probably not for the event!
The third keynote speaker heralded the arrival of dessert. My reflex at any restaurant is to order the crème brulée, but since Honto already got that covered, I opted for the apple tart tatin. You should know that I have never been a fan of puff pastry. Also not big on tarts. But the apple tatin won me over…it was probably the flood of creme fraiche and the gooseberry that did it. Bruce found it overly sweet and docked points for that, but to be fair, he’d just as equally find black coffee to be too sweet. I thought it was just right. Big chunks of apple, a good ratio of fruit : pastry : sauces, and enough of it to satisfy my sweet tooth. To this day, I have been craving apple pie, and I suspect it is because of how much I appreciated this dessert.
Honto and fellow table member Rosy enjoyed the creme brulée, but neither seemed significantly impressed by it. Rosy reported that it was not as warm as she would have liked it to be, but chalked it up to the large crowd that the staff had to cater to.
The Bar
Rex stayed open past the main InfoTech speaker series, so many guests stayed to network and imbibe further at the bar on the mezzanine. My friends stuck with hard liquor but being the snobby gal I am, I asked the bartender for their wine list. He did that and much much more. He guided me through his top picks and gave me four 2-oz samples of each. Once I chose the wine I wanted (a lovely 2004 Kenwood Cabernet Sauvignon), he poured an enormous helping of it. It was probably 2 glasses’ worth. Since the bottle was nearly empty, he gave the rest of it to Bruce, on the house. I was so impressed by this impromptu seminar and the quality of the wine we had that I gave him a large tip for his generosity.
Thus for wine and service: many more checkmarks for each.
The Stats (if you just have to have ratings)
In General
- Location / Ambiance: 7/10 (elegant interior and spacious, but hard to find)
- Service: 9.5/10
- Value: 10/10 (I still can’t believe this evening was only $15!)
At the Table
- 6 oz. English Cut “AAA” Alberta rotisserie prime rib with horseradish & jus: 8/10
- Honey roasted lamb shank with Israeli couscous & spice jus: 8.5/10
- Vanilla bean scented crème brulée with housemade biscotti: 7/10
- Apple tart tatin with drizzled crème fraiche: 7.25/10 (the average my 8 and Bruce’s 6.5)
- Sandhill Vineyards Syrah & Red Rooster Riesling: 7/10, considering they’re the house wines
The Verdict
Overall, Rex was a great find. A wonderful place to hold InfoTech Night. Above-average food, good wine selection, and amazing general service and responsiveness from the staff. It’s just too bad that it’s in the financial district, where most people don’t think of going for dinner. When we spoke with the restaurant manager near the end of the night, he explained that they are mostly known for private functions in the evening and public lunch service.
If you are looking for a place downtown for a private booking, please consider Rex. On my part, I can’t wait to round up some downtown colleagues for a lunch there very soon.
Rex Rotisserie & Grill
1055 Dunsmuir Street | Downtown
(604) 683-7390
rexgrill.com
Categories: Food, Restaurants
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Wow that looks scrumptious and what great value!
Small world, I used to be in MISA too
Bruce found it overly sweet and docked points for that, but to be fair, he’d just as equally find black coffee to be too sweet
I say if you have to add sweetener to your coffee, you’re probably better off buying better coffee.
Sadly, I haven’t been back to Rex’s either, but they’re not open on weekends. We’ll definitely have a work-lunch there next I’m in town on a weekday.
[...] known for an inherent lack of a sweet tooth, but that’s not quite accurate. My sweet tooth is just long lasting. And after this, I was good [...]