#42 dineout vancouver #3

so it was the last week of dine out vancouver 2011 and i couldn’t believe i haven’t been to any restaurants yet due to my hectic schedule at school and work. midterms and quizzes held on a weekly basis since the 3rd week of school. assignments due one after another that i can hardly breathe. since theresa wanted to have a dine out dinner together, i decided to organize it and invited janet, halim and anabel along ! janet recommended cincin and baru latino but we decided on baru latino at the end since it sounds more exotic and unique.

baru latino
2535 Alma Street
Vancouver, BC V6R 3R8
(604) 222-9171

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i made a reservation for 9pm for 5 people a day before our dinner itself. anabel, theresa and halim got there first and i was a little late. the servers there were overly hospitable and attentive. they kept joking with us, making us laugh and were so willing to take photos of us. the restaurant’s policy for dine out isnot as strict as mistral bistro and did not mind that janet and i were late. i like how the background music is not too loud like 100 days and we can still hold proper conversations. i totally forgot to snap shots of the restaurants because i was enjoying myself but the interior design of the restaurant is pretty cool.

before i go on talking about the food, i would like to comment on the cocktails we had. i was too busy talking that i forgot to take pictures of the drinks as well. i got a glass of marguerita (CAN$9), which comprised of tequila and triple sec blended with frozen strawberries. i had the choice to choose between strawberries, banana and lime and between frozen strawberries and fresh strawberries. of course, frozen strawberries was my choice since i’m such a strawberry lover. my drink was very refreshing but the amount of alcohol is the highest compared to the rest of my friends’ cocktails. i could tolerate it though since it’s only cocktail. janet and halim got a glass of sangria (CAN$7) of their own. it is really sweet since it consists of red wine, brandy, triple sec and fruit juices topped with soda and fresh fruit. theresa got the mojito (CAN$9), which composed of rum, fresh muddled mint, lemon and lime juice and simple syrup topped with soda.  comparing the mojito of baru latino to las margaritas, the mint is more subtle and the lime totally threw me off. anabel got the baru ceasar, which constituted of vodka, clamato juice, baru’s house made hot sauce, celery salted rim and house made pickled bean. i did not try it so i have no comments on it.

now onto, the gastronomic food !

1) APPETIZERS

A. BARU CEVICHE
” Shrimp and halibut, with fresh lemon juice, avocado, tomatoes, onions and cilantro “

anabel, halim and i chose this as our appetizer. anabel got it without the cilantro though. i am totally fine with cilantros. in fact, i love cilantros but this dish has way too much cilantros for my liking. it has an overly citrus-like taste. the additional tomatoes, onions and lemon juice does not compliment the dish as it makes the dish have diverse tastes. i really enjoy the soft and fresh shrimps and halibut though. it was the only thing that made me finish the appetizer.

ratings: 2.8/5★

B. LATIN EMPENADAS
” 2 Corn turnovers filled with your choice of either mozzarella cheese “

theresa had the latin empenadas and i only got a bite of it but i love how the turnover melt in my mouth. really enjoy the mouth-feel. theresa also commented that she did not regret getting her appetizer compared to ours.

C. CHILI PRAWNS
” Tossed in our house made hot sauce “

janet came late and since we did not order this, she wanted to try this. i did not get a taste of this so i have no comments on it.

2) ENTREE
A. PAELLA BARU
” Spanish chorizo, chicken, mussels, prawns, scallops and halibut, tossed with rice, fresh cilantro and smoky salsa served with homemade flatbread “

i had the paella baru, which had a decent amount of cilantro but the dish is overly moist. the seafood are fresh and the flatbread is toasted well though. overall, the dish has a peppery taste due to the smoky salsa and i like how the spanish chorizo and chicken complements.

ratings: 3.5/5★

B. CARTAGENA CRUSTED HALIBUT
” Plantain crusted Halibut with grilled asparagus and roasted tomatoes, served on cilantro rice and finished with a tamarind rum soy glaze, topped with crispy yam hay “

anabel was the only one having the crusted halibut and she gave some of it to me. i cannot remember her comments for this but i will add it in this entry as soon as she gives me her review of the meal.

C. COSTILLAS DE RES
” Slow braised beef short ribs on mash potato, finished with guava mojo “

theresa really love the short ribs she ordered. she did her research and told me that food reviewers were saying that the short ribs or the paella baru is good. you know how you go for dine out and all the food you ordered is not to your liking ? that happened to me when i went to mistral bistro but everything theresa enjoyed everything she ordered that day. i will add her review to this entry when she updates me with it.

3) DESSERTS
LATIN FLAN
” Orange blossom with caramel “

the flan is jello like in terms of texture. it is topped with fresh mixed berries, caramel, icing sugar and mango sauce. it is not overly saccharine but the fruity flavors bring emphasis to the flan.

ratings: 4.5/5★

RECEIPT

the bill came up to a total of CAN$202.72 so we paid a total of CAN$225 (CAN$45/person).

ANABEL’S RATINGS OF THE RESTAURANT:
* food is 6.5/10
* ambiance is 8/10
* service is 9/10

her overall rating is:  7.83/10★

PAYMENT METHODS: DEBIT/CREDIT/CASH
OPEN TILL 1AM !

my overall ratings are as follows:

ambiance: 7.5/10
service: 10/10
food (taste & appearance): 7.2/10
value: 7.5/10 (appropriate for CAN$28)

total: 8.05/10★

in conclusion, baru latino is a great place for drinking but it is only above average for fine dining. nonetheless, i enjoyed every bit of the dining experience there due to the awesome company, meticulous service and cool ambiance !

swisscheese*

Tags: BARU CEVICHE, baru latino, CARTAGENA CRUSTED HALIBUT, CHILI PRAWNS, COSTILLAS DE RES, LATIN EMPENADAS, latin flan, PAELLA BARU