The Teahouse: First DineOutVancouver EVER! =D

Super excited about this! I feel like I can finally be a true foodie ^-^ Anyways, after many tough decisions, decided upon a double date at The Teahouse! (Also because most of the other options were fully booked hehe)

Restaurant: The Teahouse @ Stanley Park(visit their website here)

Location: Ferguson Point (past 3rd beach), Stanley Park, Vancouver
Cuisine: Pacific Northwest, Seafood
Price range: $30+





Date of visit: January 24, 2014
Atmosphere: 4/5
Staff/service: 5/5
Food variety: 4/5
Food quality: 4.5/5
Buck worthy? 4.5/5

We lucked out because parking was free after 6, and lo and behold, our booking was for 6! Pure luck or perfectly planned? Who knows ;) Traffic here was horrid at this time though =( Either way! We were greeted by friendly hosts and led to a nice table. Our guest appearance, and star of the night, was BMO, proudly owned by Donutmon =)

Of course we chose the dine out option ($28), but their actual menu doesn't look too scary *surprised* For appies, Adorables ordered the Tuscan Salad, which was packed full of greens and nuts, but in the end, just a salad with pieces that weren't bite-sized (too big!).

I ordered the Roasted Roma Tomato Soup (with Goat Cheese) and it was surprisingly creamy! Besides having some texture to it, it was still smooth and rich. Very tomato-y =) (the other two also ordered the soup, so nothing much worth noting besides they enjoyed it too, and we had a mini soup-spooning-etiquette lesson)

Oh! Complimentary bread with very milky butter (creamy?). Anyways, everyone enjoyed lots of butter on their bread-- of course this weirdo stayed away cuz uh. BREAD. *meep* Not saying it's bad. I just don't prefer bread.

Onto the mains!!! I ordered a Slow Roasted Lamb Shanks. It was GIGANTIC. Honestly the best deal for the price, and everyone agreed. The flavors were infused into the meat but not so overwhelming that I couldn't taste the lamb. Still had the lamby flavor! Texture was nice, wasn't falling apart, but not too tough either! The mash that came along with it was great too, wasn't just potatoes, so it felt light.

Adorables ordered the Brome Lake Duck Confit, which was nice and tender. The portion looked tiny compared to my gigantic lamb, but the skin was crispy and the meat was moist and tender. Reminded me of Chinese BBQ duck! Very rich duck flavor.

Donutmon ordered their Sablefish ($38 option), and said it was the most amazing fish she's had. It looked really juicy and flaky-- fell apart easily and melts in your mouth. Very fresh!

Yipster ordered a 7oz Tenderloin ($38 option) after much indecision (we were trying to figure out how big 7oz would be xD) It came with two giant onion rings and pomme frites, which was pretty nice! The meat itself was pretty bloody, but he said it wasn't bad. Maybe not amazing but it wasn't unsatisfactory.

On the side, Adorables also ordered Pomme Frites with Truffle Aioli ($6 + $2), I had a few and they were great! Fluffy potato on the inside and crispy on the outside, with flavors enhanced by the truffle oil. I felt it was a bit expensive for $8 though =/

Onto desserts!! Everyone ordered a Shortbread Lemon Bar, which was beautiful. Super tangy and light, I loved it! The strawberry puree was enjoyed very much by Yipster especially. The coconut macaroon was chewy and had coconut bits in it, quite nice.

I was the lone person venturing a Raspberry Sorbet, a decision I didn't regret. Although for pictures, it couldn't last very long (started melting) but we had good times. I felt it was very rich in raspberry flavor, I think it was high in raspberry puree content. Delish. None of that fake waxy flavor from fake raspberry flavoring! Mint was a bit odd with it though, perhaps I just don't know how to enjoy it.

Alongside the desserts were drinks, Yipster with his Mocha ($3.95)-- couldn't get a good photo of it, but it was nice and fancy, and Donutmon's Tea ($2.95). Rather personal preferences, so nothing much to say about them, besides the fact that they exist ;)

A most enjoyable evening indeed, with great company, food, and service. Stanley park is still too touristy for my liking though. Until my next DineOut adventure, toodles!