Elem

The fine dining scene in Vancouver is ever-changing and slowly catching up to the rest of the world.  You can't really compare with places that have lower operating costs, so in Vancouver, it is always a challenge to invest so much in decor.  One of the newest spots, Elem on Main, takes you to New York with its modern, yet simple design.  Top Chef alum Chef Vish Mayekar is at the helm and offers up a global menu that incorporates sustainability.  My visit here was only 5 days into their full operations, so keep that in mind when reading this blog post.

Now food is one thing, but their cocktail program run by Beverage Director Winnie Sun receives equal billing at Elem with a beautiful and spacious bar that conveniently faces the kitchen from the other side of the restaurant.  There are 4 distinct sections to the restaurant that represent the elements including Earth, Water, Air and Fire.  They have a commitment to no-waste as all the trimmings go into the mother stock and any other scraps goes into fermentation. Even the copper that frames the kitchen will change organically over time.  

We began out meal with some Prosecco with elderflower, peppercorn and cardamom.  This was served with a side of Winnie's Szechuan Peanuts.  As for our first round of cocktails, we had the Best Tacos Pepe and Butternut Squash first.  Topped with candy lego bricks, the BTP was smooth with an almost vanilla finish (from the evaporated & condensed milk).  As for the second cocktail, it was a take on an old-fashioned with smokiness and the mysterious woodsiness of the shiitake mushrooms.

To start our dinner, we had the Bread & Butter featuring brioche Parker rolls with truffle honey butter.  Elevating this even further was the addition of fresh shaved black truffles.  These buns were soft and fluffy but still had a bit of density.  The truffle was impactful while not being overwhelming.  We went for 2 more cocktails during this time in the Mango Rasmalai and Mumbai Biryani.  Wow, that mango rasmalai was so delicious.  I could've easily downed this in gulp.  By virtue of it being gin-based, it was a bit light to begin with and with the addition of fresh mango, cardamom and clarified saffron milk, it went down real easy.  Some saffron white chocolate paint on the side provided some sweet aromatics.  As for the Mumbai biryani, this really did drink like a meal.  Furthermore, the spiced tequila made this a stronger drink.  This consisted of lacto-fermented grape, kewra, rosewater, salted ghee-caramel foam and fried onion.  If you can imagine, this made for a spice-laced concoction that had some real savoury elements.

Taking elements of Indian cuisine with the classic Behl Puri, we find the Yellowfin Tuna Behl served with semolina crackers.  This really did have all of the elements of the dish with cilantro mint chutney, puffed rice, onions and tomato.  However with the addition of tuna and avocado, it made the whole thing more hearty and gave it some ceviche vibes.  In fact, the whole thing was possibly too acidic for some (okay for me personally), which totally made for a bright and ceviche-type experience, especially with the light and crispy crackers.

Loaded with fluffy crab on top, the Dungeness Crab Toast was a real hit.  It sat in a lemongrass ginger foam that had not only SE Asian aromatics, the essence of crab shells was prominent.  The well-toasted milk bread had enough integrity to stand up to the sauce, yet at the same time, not be too firm that it would overwhelm the delicate texture of the crab meat.  About that crab, it was naturally sweet and barely cooked through.  The contrast in textures between the crab and toast was perfect.

One of our favourite dishes was the Grilled Lamb Skewers in a medjool date glaze.  The caramelization and char were evident visually and totally confirmed tastewise.  The flavours were super intense with a nutty sweetness.  The lamb belly was super fatty and totally melted in our mouths.  As gamy as lamb can be, especially with so much fat, this was quite mild due to the perfect char and seasoning. The sweetness was balanced off well by the ginger labneh underneath and the pickles on top.  The crunch from the buckwheat added the necessary texture as well.

The hits kept coming with the beautifully-plated Squash Caramelle.  These precious little pasta pockets shaped like candy wrappers featured the ideal texture for freshly-made pasta.  It was firm and chewy while still giving way to the soft and sweet squash filling.  Love the fall flavours including the background nutmeg.  The miso buerre blanc was rich and smooth while not being too heavy.  It had the classic fermented saltiness of miso complimented by the sweetness of the squash.  We also found chanterelles and pumpkin seeds finishing off the dish.

The other pasta on the menu was equally fantastic in the Rabbit and Chestnut Cavatelli.  First and foremost, the pasta was next level (just like the previous dish) where it had a firm resistance upon first chew, but then transitioned to a pleasant denseness inside.  The ridges on the pasta held the white sauce well and we could taste the sweetness of the rabbit.  Normally, the lean meat can be dry, but it wasn't the case here.  So tender and well-incorporated into the sauce.  Little nuggets of chestnut and thin slices of matsutake mushrooms added texture and mushroominess to the dish.  To top it off, aged toma added nuttiness and tang to the pasta.

As if the pastas weren't blowing us away already, but the Honey Mussels Curry was so on point.  First of all, the use of honey mussels was already a bonus as they are some of the most plump mussels available.  Unlike Kiwi mussels, honey mussels are delicate and more flavourful.  This was further enhanced by the tomato-based curry which was spiked by the tanginess of tamarind and sweetness from all the cooked down onions.  The addition of crispy rice balls provided not only texture, it also helped soak up the delicious curry.

Probably the best dish we had all night was the Duck Fried Rice.  The aroma and umaminess emanating from this dish was intoxicating.  We had the duck fat really coming through with a luxurious silkiness while the caramelization of the rice added to the nuttiness already present.  Some chili crunch added texture and spice while the house-made kimchi provided acidity and another layer of spice.  To top it off literally and figuratively, we found fresh mint and cilantro to give the dish some brightness. 

We finally made it to a vegetable dish in the Barbecued Carrots with mandarin kosho, smoked yogurt and bubu arare.  I found this dish to be just alright.  The carrots were a bit too firm but not hard.  There was a natural sweetness to them which was contrasted by the sourness of the kosho.  Underneath, the smoked yogurt was pleasant and not overwhelming.  The addition of rice crackers provided that crunch that was needed in the dish.

Onto more cocktails, we had Chef's Negroni and Duck Fried Rice.  Consisting of dark chocolate gin, spent mulberry campari, Stoney Paradise tomato vine vermouth and applewood + cedar smoke, this was rich and smoky.  Definitely a full-bodied drink with lots of strong flavours.  As for the duck fried rice, it was mirroring the menu dish in some ways.  With duck fat washed gin, we could definitely get the essence of duck, while the kimchi maraschino provided a tangy sweet spice. The rice milk gave a lightly milky nuttiness and the thyme provided some earthiness.   Something a bit more refreshing, the Tokyo featured matcha vodka, banana, shiro shoyu, tonic water and a side of yuzu mochi.  The brightness of the tonic water hit me first then the bitterness of the matcha vodka next.  Mid drink, I got the essence of real banana while the shiro shoyu came at the end in the mildest manner.

Onto the showstopper main dish in the Loong Kong Chicken with a maple espresso glaze and farm side vegetables.  This free-range chicken with everything attached (including the foot) was lean and appealingly chewy.  It was still moist and tender though with properly rendered skin.  The chicken was well-seasoned with the glaze being sweet and savoury with a hint of bitterness.  The buttery sunchoke puree added some moisture and an extra layer of nuttiness to the dish.  The side of veggies were bordering on salty, but was just right adding more flavour to the dish.

So dining with Mijune means we have to get all of the desserts...  Yes we did...  The first was the Banana Ice Cream cradled in a mochi donut with buckwheat granola and toffee sauce.  Loved the creaminess of the ice cream and the aromatics of real banana.  The donut was perfect with a crunchy exterior and a chewy interior.  Next, the Masala Chai Kulfi was presented as a popsicle.  I definitely got the earthy spices combined with the black tea as well as the sweetness.  This was accented by the some crunchy and sweet pistachio brittle as well as the creamy and light brioche Chantilly.  Some spruce oil finished the dish adding a bright woodiness.

Our last 2 desserts consisted of the Japanese Pudding and the Sweet Potato Churro.  Oh that pudding was so perfect.  Super smooth and creamy with a consistent texture.  It was lightly sweet with burnt caramel notes.  A little addition of Vecchio Amaro tableside provided some bitter-sweetness.  Lastly, the churro was crispy and intensely sweet.  It was topped with some sticky quince marmalade and cereal crumb.  The miso vanilla ice cream afforded some rich salty sweetness.

We ended off with one more cocktail in the Build Your Own Chai featuring Elem chai liqueur and tea biscuit milk.  We could adjust the mix to our own preference and that we did with more milk!  This was aromatic and creamy with a touch of booziness.  Nice finish to our dinner.  In fact, we actually ended off the meal with some Dark Chocolates.  Oh and what a meal it was!  The food was so on point and especially impressive since this was only the 5th day of operation!   Such a beautiful room (or rooms) with Chef Vish Mayekar's finely crafted global cuisine complimented by inventive cocktails by Winnie Sun.  I'm planning to come back.  In fact, I've got reservations already!

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Genuinely delicious food

- Stunning room

- Such creative cocktails

The Bad:

- Cocktails and food are competing against each other sometimes