For awhile, I knew that Skye Avenue had replaced the long-standing Central City Brewing at Surrey Central. However, I just never made it out there to see what it was all about. It wasn't until Executive Chef Bal (of Desi Lounge in Downtown Vancouver) raved about the burger at Skye Avenue, that piqued my interest. So when Nikita and Bluebeard wanted to meet up for some eats and they suggested that Skye Avenue be one of the options, I totally agreed to meet them there.
We arrived in time for their Happy Hour and in addition to getting some drink specials, we also started with a few food specials as well. Instead of the usual ball shape, the Mushroom Arancini arrived as a rectangle slab. I thought it was nicely crispy, but the inside was rather mushy. It did have good flavour in the earthiness of mushroom and smokiness of eggplant puree. In actual balls, the Smoked Salmon Croquettes were also a bit mushy inside too. Yet, most croquettes are made with potato, so that was to be expected. There was a smoky saltines to them and there was a bit of tartar sauce in the middle.
We got 2 more specials in the Wagyu Carpaccio and Prime Rib Slider. We found the carpaccio to be a competent plate with thinly sliced and tender beef. It was topped with flaked salt, aged pecorino, truffle aioli, arugula and some aged balsamic. Again, it as pleasant enough but the focaccia that came with it was horrible. It was hard and very dense. As for the slider, it was excellent with a soft toasted bun, horseradish aioli, fontina cheese, crispy onions and au jus. The beef itself was super tender and there was no absence of flavour and texture. Should've gotten a few of these!
Onto the mains, Bluebeard and I shared the Lobster Cobb Salad as well as the burger. As you can see with the salad, there was no absence of lobster meat. It was at its bouncy and springy best with natural sweetness and brininess. It featured tender butter lettuce, ripe avocado, cherry tomatoes, custardy soft-boiled egg and gorgonzola cheese. I thought this was a very good salad with excellent components.
Now for the Chef's Burger, it was comprised of an 8oz organic grass fed house-ground patty. That way, it could be prepared so it wasn't cooked to a crisp. It was super juicy, meaty in flavour and of course tender. It was topped with fontina, truffle aioli and crunchy onions all on a brioche bun. Chef Bal was right, this burger had it all, a juicy patty, texture from the onions and a soft brioche bun. Even the side of fries were really good being crispy with lots of creamy potatoness inside.
Viv wasn't very creative and also ordered a burger in the Fresh Sockeye Burger. This featured a 5oz chermoula-marinated salmon patty with mango salsa, pickled coleslaw and tartare sauce on a charred leek bun. So with all those tasty ingredients, the flavours were impactful. We had sweetness, tanginess and brightness on the crispy and smoky bun. However, the main ingredient, which was the salmon, was rather dry. Being sockeye, I wasn't surprised as the meat is leaner and would dry out easier. It did taste good though.
Lastly, Nikita had the Gluten-Free Margherita Flat Bread. For a gluten-free crust, it was pretty good being crispy and not too dense. The tomato sauce was bright and tangy while there was more than enough fior di latte on top for impact. We also found some fresh basil, but would've preferred it added after the fact. Overall, Skye Avenue is a competent restaurant with some real highlights. The decor is quite nice and the service is top-notch. I do believe a few refinements are here and there.
The Good:
- That burger!
- Nice decor
- Great service
The Bad:
- A few refinements needed
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