r.tl regional tasting lounge (web site, map, 1130 Mainland Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-638-1550) is a recent (and notable!) addition to the upscale Yaletown restaurant and shopping district of downtown Vancouver.

Late on a Saturday night, a friend and I were wandering the misty streets of this former warehouse district, and poked our heads into a bunch of nice looking restaurants such as Capones Jazz Club (which has live jazz every night), George Lounge (a cocktail bar), and Milestones (a chain restaurant with upscale decor). After a glass of wine and a chicken salad at Milestones, we were looking to go some place “cooler” and chill out the rest of the evening.

We meandered over to Mainland Street and were intrigued by the mysterious looking sign that simply said “r.tl”, like some kind of secret code for a fabulous New York hideaway that only a few locals know about. This may be closer to reality than one may think – Vancouver’s food scene is getting to be well known on the international stage, offering some dining experiences that are as every bit exciting and substantial as the most prized eateries in New York and Paris.

While making trips around the world to try new restaurants may be a pastime of the privileged few, r.tl has a new concept that lets the ingredients, recipes, and traditions of fine regional cuisines of the world appear in the easily accessed (and perhaps more affordable) realm of its sleek, laid-back dining room. r.tl is called a “regional tasting lounge” for a reason, as the restaurant rotates its menu every quarter through different culinary locales, choosing two complimentary world regions to accompany the local fare of Coastal British Columbia.

Currently r.tl is featuring Portugal and France along with the BC region. My friend and I were really amazed by the taste of the Pacific mussels we ordered, which were served in a kind of corn-chowder sauce with some chorizo sausage (around $11). The drinks list at r.tl is extensive, including a selection of hand-picked, rare wines and cocktails from around the world.

I was fortunate to visit another time to try some of their Canapes (pictured below) which are miniature versions of some of their larger dishes.

Check out the restaurant’s web site for their menu and more info.

Negroni (drink) - A bitter drink that's great preparation for a meal and an Apertif. Tanqueray gin, Campari, Cinzano Rosso on the rocks.

Nicoise Salad - fresh micro greens, quail eggs, haricot vert nicoise olives, fingerling potato and seared albacore tuna

Prawns Piri Piri - pan seared wild sea tiger prawns with traditional Portuguese chili sauce

Pate au Foie Gras de Canard - Duck liver pate with pickled red torpedo onions

The bar at r.tl regional tasting lounge in Yaletown, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Dining room at r.tl regional tasting lounge restaurant in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Crab cakes from r.tl restaurant in Yaletown.

Duck Liver Pâté and baguette

r.tl regional tasting lounge

The entree sized version of the salad, La Petite Salad Niçoise, with fresh micro greens, quail eggs, haricot vert niçoise olives, fingerling potato, seared albacore tuna

Kirin Restaurant (map, web site, Vancouver West at City Square Mall,
201 City Square, 555 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, phone: 604-879-8038) is a fancy Cantonese restaurant that serves delectable Chinese seafood dishes and dim sum in an upscale atmosphere.

We enjoyed a banquet meal at the Kirin on New Years Day 2009, and I took a video of the dishes (you can view it using the player below). The food was really amazing, although a foodie friend commented that the Kirin is a bit pricy to visit just for a casual dinner (save it for a special occasion!).

The menu included the following dishes:

crab meat and fish maw thick soup
sauteed scallop, prawn and chicken
deep fried crab claw wrapped with minced prawn
Peking duck skin with crepe
minced duck with lettuce wrap
live lobster in two kinds of flavor
sauteed beef tenderloin
bok choy and abalone mushroom
lo hon vegetable
stewed e fu noodle
Yang Chow Fried Rice
two kinds of dim sum dessert (cookies and coconut jello)
sweet tapioca soup (dessert)

Still image from the video (Lobster) from the Kirin Chinese Restaurant in Vancouver (City Square).

I made another visit to the Yaletown Brew Pub (web site, map, 1111 Mainland St., Vancouver BC Canada, phone: 604-681-2739) and enjoyed their Mac and Cheese lunch entree (pictured below) which was served with Chorizo sausage and lots of premium cheese. The accompanying salad had goat cheese crumbled on it. Yum! It was around $14 for the lunch.

For more info on the Yaletown Brewing Company, please view Part 2 and Part 1. The restaurant is offering a special 3 course meal during Dine Out Vancouver 2009.

Macaroni and Cheese with Chorizo sausage (around $14) with lots of premium cheese. Salad had goat cheese crumbled on it. From Yaletown Brew Pub in Vancouver, BC, Canada.