Dine-Out Vancouver: Five Sails

Walls of glass opens up the restaurant to one of Vancouver's most iconic landscapes. Tables were adorned with candles and a petite vase carrying a single rose. It was warm. It was inviting. It was like a scene straight out of the movies.

After settling down and spending a few minutes gazing into each other eyes (I'm joking), we ordered. From the several options in the set menu, I ordered the Lobster Bisque "Cappucino" to start, the Grilled "Prime" New York Steak as the main, and the fresh fruit Pavlova to finish. Likewise, B started with the Lobster Bisque but then chose the Duo of Butter Poached 1/2 Lobster and the Phyllo Pastry with Lemon Cream as the dessert.

Before our appetizers arrived we were pleasantly surprised to receive a complimentary pre-appetizer of not only two kinds of bread (a fruit loaf and ciabatta), but Beef Carpaccio! The Carpaccio was delicious. Absolutely delicious. Buttery and soft, it melted right in my mouth. Not too long after they whisked our plates away, our appetizers arrived. The soup was good. It had a good amount, as well as reasonably sized, chunks of lobster and full of flavour. It was just a bit too rich and heavy for me for an appetizer, though.

When our entree's came, I was kind of shocked at the small portion size of B's main. It was really just a lobster claw and one piece of pork belly and a few vegetables. And for that reason, I didn't try too much of B's entree, but he did say it was really good. My entree however, was a more decent portion and quite delicious. The steak was a perfect medium rare. Tender and juicy. The seasonable vegetables, which included asparagus, carrots and something I couldn't figure out, were served on top of a bed of pureed potatoes. The onion rings were beautifully golden brown, crisp on the outside and sweet on the inside. What I loved most about this dish was how nicely it was composed with all the different textures. It made it so appetizing.

Several minutes later, our empty entree plates were exchanged for our desserts. My Pavlova looked impressive. It was covered neatly with fresh fruits as well as a dollop of whip cream. It was crisp on the outside but once you get past that first bite, it becomes chewy - almost like a marshmallow with a crispy outer-shell. The meringue by itself was way too sweet for me, but the tart fruits helped cut through some of the sweetness for me. It was quite big, and I wasn't able to finish my dessert. B, however, devoured his. His pastry was layered with a delicious cold lemon cream and roasted pear and figs. Once again, the textures of the components of his dessert really complimented each other. Oh, and we also received complimentary chocolate truffles to accompany the dessert.

Overall, I really enjoyed Five Sails. Out of all of the dine-outs I have been to this year, Five Sails was definitely my favourite - hands down.