Restaurant Review: Glowbal

Glowbal is a trendy, upscale fine-dining restaurant familiar to most Vancouverites. Part of the Glowbal Group, Glowbal’s sister restaurants include Black+Blue, Coast, Italian Kitchen, Trattoria, The Roof and Nosh. Although Glowbal’s lunch and dinner menu is exquisite, today I’ll be discussing their brunch menu and why it’s my go-to brunch spot with friends and family.

To begin, each table is served a generous portion of cinnamon sugar mini donuts in a dimsum steamer. There are also complimentary smoothies of the day in shot glasses. If you have a sweet tooth, this is a perfect start to the day.

A good deal on the menu is the $10 Bennys. You can choose from Original, Florentine or West Coast. If you’re hoping to up the luxury scale on the bennys, the Lobster & Smoked Salmon Benedict is a fitting choice.

Click here for the full brunch menu.

Unlike many upscale dining restaurants, the noise level is moderately loud. Be prepared to hear lots of chatter.

Price range: $$$

Slightly pricey but still within reasonable price range, especially for brunch

Ambience: Trendy

As mentioned earlier, it can get a little loud, but nothing too overwhelming during brunch hours.

Location: 590 West Georgia, TELUS Garden, Vancouver BC

Food ordered:

I ordered the Avocado Toast while my friend got the Smoked Salmon Waffle. The prosciutto in my avocado toast was a nice touch and the portion size was decent, although I wished that there were more sauce to go with my food.

Overall impression: this restaurant has been my go-to brunch spot for years. The interior design is elegant and stylish, and gives off a sleek, contemporary feel. Although their patio area is heated in winter, I would highly suggest sitting there during summer for great lighting and fresh air. One thing to keep in mind is that they don’t have straws for beverages as part of their “eco-friendly” motto. I would suggest bringing your own straws if you plan on ordering beverages.

Until next time,

CV

Restaurant Review: Honey Salt

Located in the prestigious Parq Vancouver hotel in Yaletown, Honey Salt is a contemporary and upscale restaurant that’s newly opened. It serves breakfast, brunch, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner.

I visited Honey Salt with my friends in December 2017 for dinner. We were seated in the lounge area towards the front as the dining area was full. The interior was unexpected but nevertheless very aesthetically pleasing. I personally really loved the accents of chartreuse green.

Price range: $$$

It is a bit on the pricey side, but nothing too unreasonable compared to the other fine dining restaurants in the city

Ambience: Trendy

One thing to be honest about– it is quite loud in there. There is a lot of chatter going on, especially since we’re in the lounge.

Location: 39 Smithe St, Vancouver BC (Yaletown, right next to BC Place)

It took us awhile to find the hotel, since we had to walk around BC place. Transportation is relatively easy– just take the Canada Line to Yaletown-Roundhouse station and it’s roughly a 6-8 min walk from there.

Food ordered:

I had the Tree River Arctic Char and a passion fruit iced tea. While the char was delicious, the portion is quite small and I was still hungry after finishing it. The iced tea was the perfect amount of sweet and tangy, but not worth the price ($6 for a small glass).

Overall impression: the menu is certainly well-thought out and the food is delicious. I enjoyed everything except for the portion size and the price of the iced tea. Side note, the bathroom is located outside the restaurant in the hotel, which I find a tiny bit inconvenient. Other than that, I look forward to returning here.