Restaurant review: The Acorn - Vancouver
Vancouver is a breathtaking city - I've never visited such a populated area so in-tune and respectful of its surrounding natural beauty and wildlife. Whilst it may be more famous for it's seafood than vegan fayre, I think I may have stumbled upon one of its best restaurants, The Acorn - an intimate fine-dining vegetarian establishment.
Whilst this isn't a fully-vegan restaurant, the majority of its menu is and the couple of items that aren't are easily made vegan. The waiting staff we spoke to were all vegan and incredibly knowledgable of the menu and the provenance of all of its ingredients.
Determined to make the most of my visit, I ordered the chef's menu - designed for sharing we got through 6 courses of amazing food - my omni guest was as blown away by the quality as I was.
The Starters
Za’atar Roasted Carrot + Cashew Paté, Hazelnut Dukka, Plum Dusted Carrot Chips, Preserved Apricot Purée, Taro Crisps
Kelp Salt Roasted King Oyster Mushrooms, Confit Wild Garlic, Smoked Onion Kelp Sauce, Leeks, Sea Asparagus
You're supposed to save the best until last, however The Acorn did decidedly the opposite. The paté was to die for, the cashews made for a very creamy texture complimented by beautifully sweet carrot and a slightly tart apricot purée. Spread it all over the chips and it's dangerously moreish, my only complaint would be it was good and plentiful I found myself pretty full just from these.
The king oyster mushroom dish was on another level. I've had the pleasure of eating in a few michelin-starred restaurants and this was on a par with anything I'd been served in them. The salty mushrooms were reminiscent of a sublime scallop dish whilst maintaining their own distinct flavour and the accompanying veg and sauce created a taste of the seaside perfectly. If you go, you have to order this.
The Mains
The Acorn Late Spring Harvest - Seasonal Vegetables, Herbs & Goodies From Local Farms + Dijon Mustard sauce
Sautéed Morel Mushrooms + Cauliflower Leaves, Cauliflower Panisse, Red Wine Jus, Pickled Morels, Lovage Cashew Cream, Fried Cauliflower, Spruce Vinegar, Wild Greens
The late spring harvest was the only dull note of the night. The array of veg was perfectly cooked, fresh tasting and complimentary of one another however they were overpowered by the strength of the dijon mustard sauce they were drenched in. I am not a big mustard fan, however, so those with a higher tolerance would probably find it a highlight.
Fortunately my taste-buds were saved by the morel mushrooms dish, this is clearly a restaurant that knows its mushrooms. I've never had a panisse before but it made a perfect centerpiece for the dish, complimented by an excellent red wine jus. This was truly a dish where every element had been picked with real purpose - everything complimented the dish and added a new, distinct flavour. A real 10/10 main.
The Desserts
Nootka Rose Macerated Green + Ripe Strawberries, Cultured Cashew Cream, Lovage Granité
Blackberry + Dark Chocolate Almond Brownie, Salted Walnut Caramel, Candied Lichen, Rhubarb Purée
By the time we made it to our dessert I was struggling a little having so enthusiastically tucked away the rest of the dishes (my date was probably a little relieved to be allowed more than a quarter of the plate before I'd demolished it on this course) but it was nonetheless delicious. The brownie was rich without being sickly and the sharpness of the blackberries along with the sweet lichen was divine. The strawberry dish was a decent light option at the end of a heavy night's eating. The cream was impressively creamy despite its lack of dairy and the strawberries pleasingly ripe.
The Verdict
The Acorn is everything I've been craving since going vegan. Whilst I love some deep-fried mock-meat as much as the next fat guy, it gets a bit boring after a while when Toronto's vegan food scene is essentially a Big Mac 10 different ways (seriously, I even had a big mac vegan pizza last week). The Acorn gave me what I enjoyed before I stopped having animals murdered for me - an amazing fine-dining experience with dishes that both taste and look beautiful. I would definitely put this place in my top 5 restaurant experiences, alongside some of London's best michelin-starred places. Bravo!
