Ancora Waterfront Dining & Patio (Dine Out 2024)

It has been quite some time since I've been back to the False Creek location of Ancora.  Hey, it wasn't because I didn't like the place, in fact, it was pretty good.  With all of the new restaurants I need to try and also being out-of-town on many occasions, doing a revisit just never happened.  This time around, I was invited to sample their Dine Out Vancouver menus (for lunch & dinner) including some cocktails and wine pairings.  3-course for lunch is $45.00 and for dinner it is $59.00.

For the lunch menu, there are 2 choices for starters, and for me, I was served the Chicharron Sushi Roll consisting of sous-vide and fried pork belly, miso sauce and black pepper.  This ate really well with chewy and seasoned sushi rice.  The pork belly was aromatic and had a nice crunch.  Nice textural contrast from the ripe avocado.  Appealingly offering up a fermented saltiness, the miso provided the savouriness while the slice of jalapeno on top added some spice.

The next course also had 2 options including a Shrimp Risotto or a Sushi Pizza.  As you can see, I was served the pizza and it was very good.  The "crust" was fried sushi rice and I found it to be perfect.  It was uniformly crispy on the outside while the rice was warm, chewy and moist on the inside.  On top, there was dungeness crab, avocado cream, unagi sauce, tuna and sockeye salmon.  I found the fish to be good quality and exhibiting a fresh sheen.  They were buttery and soft with a natural sweetness.

For dinner, we find 3 options for starters including the Soft Shell Crab Tacos with ikura and mango salsa.  This was a fairly large appetizer with a gigantic soft shell crab.  It was delicate and creamy as expected, but the batter was just a touch thick.  This was still good though as it had a nice crunch and the accompanying salsa provided some sweetness.  There was also some nice spice from the mayo as well as the spice-rubbed lime.

There are also 3 choices for mains and in this case, I was served 2 of them.  The first was the Solterito Salad with red and white organic quinoa, queso fresco, chulpi corn, edamame, huacatay & seasonal vegetables.  Sure, a salad may not be the most filling option, but believe me, this was pretty delicious and surprisingly satisfying.  The 3 large prawns were crispy on the outside while exhibiting a meaty snap on the inside.  The combination of ingredients including some root veggies and the quinoa made this more than just a salad.

The other main dish was the Beef Stir Fry featuring sautéed striploin, red onions, scallions, saltado sauce and 

a rice.  I really enjoyed this dish even though I was skeptical at first.  The beef was far more tender than I would've imagined and it was cooked perfectly.  Just into the medium-rare zone, the meat was juicy and nicely caramelized on the outside.  There was some really good flavours going on with saltiness, tang and sweetness.  The al dente rice was well-seasoned and nutty while being an excellent compliment to the stir-fry.

For both lunch and dinner, the Picarones are an option for dessert.  These little squash & yam donuts came with pecans, spiced syrup and lucuma ice-cream.  Absolutely loved them as the outside was lightly crispy while the inside had a pleasant chewiness.  They were not dense while still having some robustness.  Although sweet, the syrup was not overly so, rather being aromatic and smoky. 

Of course a meal isn't complete (for some people that is) without cocktails and/or wine pairings.  Naturally, being a Peruvian-Japanese restaurant, there is also selection of Sake.  I tried their most popular cocktail in the Pisco Sour and it was well-balanced with the classic sweet and sour elements.  Since I was driving, I stuck with the mocktails in the Pineapple Soda and Inca Elixr for my other drinks.  Particularly enjoyed the refreshing fruitiness of both.  Wine pairings are available at $29.00 for lunch and $39.00 for dinner.  Overall, the Dine Out offerings at Ancora feature quality ingredients that are well-prepared.  Pricing is fair for the food as well as the wine pairings.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this post*

The Good:

- Quality ingreidents

- Well-prepared

- Lovely location

The Bad:

- Batter on the soft-shell crab could've been lighter

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

San Fernando Roasted Chicken

Ever since I spotted it on the internet, I wanted to the the Pho Challenge at Dong Thap in Seattle.  No, I didn't have the urge to finish the 16lb monstrosity, but it was more of curiosity and let's be real here - it would make a great IG Story and associated pictures!  I've done something like this before in San Francisco at Pho Garden (which is not closed).  However, that was nowhere as big as the one found at Dong Thap.  Alas, we arrived at the place and it was closed!  Costanza and I decided to do a random food adventure at the nearby San Fernando Roasted Chicken instead.

We stared with the Peruvian Tamal made with masa, egg and pork.  Unlike the Mexican version, this was flat and a bit less wet.  It could've also been due to the light amount of lard (yes, they use that to make tamales!).  Nevertheless, it was still smooth and tasty with a big piece of tender pork hidden within.  Onto the Half Roast Chicken, the skin was nicely rendered and slightly crispy.  The chicken was mildly seasoned where the meat was fairly tender, but hardly juicy.  We found the breast meat to be a bit dry on the surface but more moist on the inside (as it can be). The side of fries were fried up golden and crispy.

Lastly, we had the Tripe Stew which was our favorite dish.  The ample amount of tender and buttery tripe was not gamy at all.  It had been properly cleaned and rinsed.  We found the flavours to be slightly sweet and with a background meatiness. This went really well with the scoop of rice on the side.  Very hearty and comforting (if you like tripe that is).  So we ended up with a random food adventure where it turned out to be pretty decent.  Definitely something different and not hard on the wallet either.

The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Something different
- Decent

The Bad:
- Place is a little run-down (but has charm)
- Chicken could've been juicier

Ancora

For what seemed like a really long time (the only way I can describe it), C Restaurant occupied some prime real estate right by False Creek.  Overlooking Granville Island and out into English Bay, the place had the location down pat.  Food was good too with Chef Robert Clarke at the helm.  However, the place just didn't quite make it with questionable service.  Finally, it bit the dust much the other Harry Kambolis establishments such as Nu and Raincity Grill.  Taking its place is Ancora featuring Japanese Peruvian cuisine.  We finally had some time to check it out.

Prior to our actual appies, we were presented with an Amuse Bouche of butternut squash soup with kale powder and olive oil.  Although this was only a small taste (as it should be), it was impactful. It was silky and rich where it went down smooth.  The flavours were super intense being sweet with an equal amount of saltiness.  I could have had a large bowl of this, but hey, we needed to save our appetites for the rest of the dishes!

For my starter, I had the Barely Cooked Steelhead Trout which was neatly rolled atop skin chicharron, avocado puree and topped with lemon crème fraiche and herring caviar.  Probably better described as raw (which I prefer anyways), the trout was buttery, sweet and soft.  I thought the thick crème fraiche was tart enough for impact while the caviar on top was lightly briny.  The most noticeable ingredient on the plate was the bright and herbaceous creamy avocado.  Viv went for the prix fixe menu and began with the Tempura Prawn Roll with masago, cucumber and spicy mayo.  This was a pretty substantial appie featuring chewy sushi rice that was a bit dense.  Inside, the crispy prawn was meaty and nicely prepared.  Despite the large amount of spicy mayo, the flavours were actually quite mild.

Costanza was intrigued by the Peruvian-inspired Spicy Prawn Causa sporting tender spiced Yukon potatoes.  Sandwiched in between them were crispy and meaty prawns that were beautifully cooked.  Flavours were impactful and robust due to the combination of avocado mousse, kale chips, rocoto-harissa and escabeche sauce.  There was this creamy and spicy initial hit that gave way to a variety of herbs and brightness.  Costanza thought this was the best of the appies.  I agreed mostly with that statement, but Elaine's Lobster Bisque was a real treat too.  It was super rich yet wasn't heavy as they showed restraint with the cream.  There was the classic aroma of lobster shells that was deeply impactful without being super salty.  This was poured table side onto a crispy black cod croquette and chive crème fraiche.

For my main, I had the Grilled Big Eye Tuna served rare.  As much as I had difficulty cutting into the slices of tuna, they ate very well.  With a light taste of the sea, the tuna was buttery soft while retaining a bit of firmness.  The real star of the plate was the fantastic Romesco sauce that was nutty, sweet and ever-so-lightly tart.  It complimented the fish without killing its natural flavour.  Underneath, the acidic kale salad added the necessary brightness to the dish.  I found the salt cod croquette to be crispy with a mildly salty and dense filling.  Costanza also ordered fish in the Aji Panca Glazed Sablefish with yam & oregano pavé, roasted fennel, wakame chimichurri and ocopa sauce.  Compared to my relatively mild-tasting tuna, this was outright a slap in the face with a deeply savoury glaze that was slightly sweet.  The fish itself was buttery and flaky, yet exhibited caramelized flavours.

Viv and Elaine both had the Pacific Ling Cod atop forbidden rice chorizo paella with shrimp, baby squid and Peruvian corn.  The fish itself was nicely seared on the outside while mildly seasoned.  It was a bit on the firmer side though.  I really enjoyed the chewy rice as it was flavourful and the amount of ingredients was generous. The pimenton emulsion was predictably cheesy and salty, which was certainly interesting.  It was powerful enough to give the mild fish a kick start.  Viv and Elaine picked the same desserts as well in the Yuzu-Passionfruit Tart with coconut sorbet, rum caramel and black sesame gel.  This was a refreshing way to end the meal where the flavours were tangy, lightly sweet and aromatic.  We thought the thick rum caramel really worked when combined with the more subtle-tasting ingredients.

We also got the Chocolate Cake to share for variety purposes.  The cake was not as sweet as it appeared which was appealing while being definitely chocolatey.  The crispy wafer and soft cake was encased in firm mousse and finished with a velvety ganache.  To provide balance and brightness, the passion fruit sorbet and curd did just that with a sweet tanginess.  Last but not least, we were presented with a plate of Petite Fours consisting of shortbread filled with dulce de leche and raspberry macarons filled with chocolate.  Ultimately, we thought our meal was pretty solid and of course the location can't be beat.  Sure, the menu is rather pricey, but the rent can't be cheap.  So if you are willing to splurge a little...

The Good:
- Awesome location, especially in the daytime
- On point service
- Carefully crafted food

The Bad:
- Pricey but you are paying for the location too
- Maki sushi was okay, but was the weakest dish