Suyo

It goes without saying that Vancouver is well-known for its diverse eats...  in Asian cuisine.  Yep, we got all the Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Indian eats that you want including a spattering Thai, Singaporean and Indonesian.  However, when you want something that is Eastern European and South American, well you might have to look real hard.  Well, we have a newish addition to that in Suyo, that dishes up modern Peruvian cuisine.  It has gotten a lot of positive praise, so Eileen and I decided to hit it up for dinner.

After starting with a few cocktails, we moved onto our first dish - Steelhead Trout Tartare.  This was nicely plated and served with nori-dusted tapioca crisps.  I found the tartare to be buttery due to the trout mixed with creamy avocado.  Naturally, the crisps provided not only a vessel, but also textural contrast.  Nice pops of brininess was provided by the ikura on top.  On the plate we found an aji amarillo sauce that provided a creamy spiciness.  The drops of avocado mousse added even more creaminess.  The only thing I would add to this is a bit more acidity.

We moved onto another raw dish with the Beef Tartare with capers, cornichons and salsa anticuchera.  This was rather saucy and was even more so after mixing the beef with the egg yolk.  It got even more wet when we added a dollop of huancaína.  Despite this, it ate quite well with plenty of tanginess, spice, sharpness and the butteriness of the beef.  Again, the tapioca crisps were the perfect vessel.

One of the best dishes of the meal had to be the Dungeness Crab Croquette Causa.  The croquette itself was practically all crab that was fluffy and light.  There was enough acidity to keep things bright and the outside was light and crispy.  It was topped with spicy aji amarillo aioli.  There was some avocado mousse for extra creaminess while the potato was smooth and extra tangy.  We also found grape tomatoes and quail's egg on the plate.

Also featuring aji amarillo, the Pork Chicharron was accompanied by polenta tamal, yam puree and rocoto emulsion.  Each chunk of pork belly was tender and fatty with some crackling on the top.  It was well-seasoned and tasted great by itself with roasted pork essence.  However, the spicy emulsion helped liven things up.  I found the polenta tamal squares to be delicate and mild-tasting, but some tapenade on top added the necessary saltiness.

Onto the bigger plates, we had the beautifully-plated Haida Gwaii Halibut Sudado with charred broccoli, peppers and onions in an aji amarillo shellfish broth.  Loved the tangy aromatic broth as it complimented the fish well without being overwhelming.  The charred broccoli was off the hook with a firm crunch, noted smokiness and a buttery exterior.  The side of chocio rice (with garlic and corn) was excellent.  It was chewy and fluffy at the same time while completely flavoured with aromatics and butteriness.  As for the halibut, it was a considerable portion, but it was not moist.  It wasn't completely dry, but it was dense.

By the time we got around to the Arroz con Pato, we were completely stuffed.  However we needed to at least try this dish.  It featured a seared duck breast atop cilantro-beer rice with a fried duck egg, huancaína and Peruvian salsa.  The duck was cooked perfectly being barely medium.  It was tender and moist with enough seasoning.  The skin was a bit tough though.  That cilantro-beer rice was delicate and flavourful while the addition of the egg added a rich silkiness.

For dessert, we shared the Chocolate Tres Leches with whipped toasted honey and berries.  This was a fine finish to the meal as it was super moist due to being soaked with condensed milk.  However, the cake itself was excellent with plenty of chocolaty goodness complimented by balanced sweetness.  As a whole, the meal at Suyo was quite good and well-portioned.  Suyo reminds me a little of Andina in Portland, but with even more modern touches.

The Good:
- Nice vibe, modern and inviting
- Overall good food
- Excellent service

The Bad:
- Food is good, but could use a few touch-ups