Circa Restaurant & Lounge aimed to surpass expectations by leeks and bounds. And man, were there ever a lot of leeks.

Circa is located at 1050 Granville Street and lies in the heart of Vancouver’s downtown core. With a 192-person capacity and 6,500 square feet, it’s a versatile space sporting everything from a fully functional bar, to private dining rooms and upstairs seating, to widescreen HDTVs to watch the game from. With plenty of hidden lighting also hinting at nightclub capabilities, one almost wonders if Circa is trying to do too much with one space.

Of the hors d’oeuvres we were served, the duck and onion tart stood out significantly. Pleasantly fatty without being cloying and balanced finely with caramelized onions, it’s dishes like these that the word umami was invented for. The vichyssoise also deserves an honourable mention, appropriately creamy with only a hint of leek, and strong broth-like flavours that bring comfort food to mind. However, the cured salmon appetizer was lacklustre, allowing the large chunk of leek the salmon rested on to overpower the delicate flavours in the tarragon mayonnaise and salmon itself.

Regardless, it’s exciting to see such a spacious and versatile venue open up in Vancouver, and we look forward to what they have to offer when they open for regular service.

For more photos of Circa Restaurant and Lounge, visit us on Flickr.

It’s been a long time coming, but ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Yum! Vancouver, the blog dedicated to reviewing the best food in Vancouver.

With me on the inaugural meal was the ever-talented Ami Sanyal from Ami Sanyal Photography. Looking for some post-photo grub, we stopped at the large sign reading “the best sushi in Kerrisdale” centred atop Shota’s doors.

Inside, we found a warm dining hall with strong nods to traditional Japanese decor. Greeted curtly, we were guided to the back of the room to a private section divided from the main by fusuma.

The menu, though a little pricey, promised a wide range of Japanese favourites, as well as a handful of delicacies exclusive to Shota, such as the Yew Street Roll (tamago, unagi and cucumber topped with avocado and sesame). Following the recommendation of our waitress, I settled for the restaurant-favourite Dragon Roll and one of the daily specials, the BC Tower.

The Dragon Roll (seven pieces for $10.95) was the first to arrive; the blend of prawn tempura and cucumber topped with grilled eel, avocado, masago and lightly drizzled unagi sauce meshed incredibly well together. The mellow flavours from the tempura and the avocado were lifted by sweet and salty accents from the garnish. Extremely well balanced and understandably one of the more popular dishes at Shota.

The BC Tower (two pieces for $4.95) was the more curious of the two entrees, but shared similarities to the Dragon Roll in both taste and quality. At the centre of each tower was an ultra-rich slice of fried salmon skin rolled with fresh cucumber, organic baby greens and avocado. To top it off, tobiko, unagi sauce, and mayonaise were swirled on the dish and each tower was crowned with a plume of katsuobushi. A delectable concoction; again incredibly well-balanced, with salty and sweet undertones lifting the more dominant mellow flavours.

In closing, it was an honour to kick off this blog at Shota Sushi & Grill. Though a bit on the expensive side, I left Shota sated and eager to return. With premium ingredients, gorgeous presentation, and a taste to match, I’d be hard pressed not to recommend this restaurant. A special thank you to Maggie Hon, Shota’s director, for helping me clear up the ingredients in the BC Tower for this review; quick and kind, if Maggie’s in the room, I’m confident your experience will be that much better.