138 Victory Ship Way, North Vancouver, BC
604-986-7437
We don't venture out to North Shore too often, but being a budget-conscious couple, we made our way over the bridge after Buddha Girl purchased a deal voucher on Travelzoo for The Lobby Restaurant & Lounge located inside Pinnacle Hotel at the Pier in North Vancouver. The deal entitled us to any two appetizers, any two entrees and a shared dessert. What I liked about this deal was it had very minimal restrictions.
We made a reservation for 6:15pm but arrived early at around 5:30pm. Just like its name, the restaurant is located at the lobby-level of the hotel. We were greeted then seated by the window.
Bread basket arrived promptly after we ordered. There's nothing special about the bread, however, we were pleased that the butter balls were at room temperature.
Being the big boy, I order two appetizers. First was the Local BC Crab Cakes. These were well formed and well seasoned. The only downside was these were a bit too crisp. My preference would be a simple pan-fry crab cake where the outer texture is less "hard". I didn't quite like the citrus dressing, just a personal preference.
My second starter was the Alberta AAA Beef Carpaccio. The fried onions and truffle-scented rocket greens (arugula) worked well with the dish. This was a well presented dish and I would order it again.
Buddha Girl started with a Tiger Prawn Cocktail. A simple dish that was, well, simple. The prawns weren't the best quality, they kind of reminded us of Costco prawns. While it's not as good as Trader Joe's, the cocktail sauce provided was still quite enjoyable.
Next came my pan-seared Haida Gwaii Halibut served with Yukon potatoes, vegetables and saffron sauce. The fish was cooked perfectly. It was moist and tender with a nice crust on top. The sauce was mild and it did not overpower any part of the dish.
Buddha Girl had the Duo of Wild Salmon, a dish we both loved. The dish presented two different techniques using two different but similar fishes, coho salmon and sockeye salmon. While both were cooked a bit past perfect, neither was overcooked and neither overpowered the other. The chorizo was a bit on the saltier side. The orzo was not quite al-dente but it was still good. The truffled gnocchi was firm and nicely flavored.
For dessert, Buddha Girl opted for Citrus Mascarpone Doughnut Rounds. This was served with warm Belgian chocolate sauce, blueberries, strawberries and a scoop of ice cream. I'm not a dessert person so not much to comment about this dish.
My wife and I enjoyed our experience. Our server was courteous and attentive. The ambiance was comforting. We look forward to our future visits.
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