the acorn

2nd review: take 2. after the growing pains during their opening, was finally able to make 2 trips back to the acorn.

the last 2 times unlike the first were quite enjoyable dining experiences.

the bar remains their weakest element. the frenchman at the bar has a bad attitude, and gets easily offended which is funny, considering he

a) doesn't know how to pour a beer into a glass.
b) takes 9 hrs to make a cocktail
c) acts like they have something resembling a wine list.

the food is a different story. unlike a lot of wannabe veg restaurants, here you'll get the dining experience you want. seasoned food, balanced plates with protein/veg/startch, and restaurant quality presentation.

there's still a ways to go. some of the dishes are a little bit one note (lack a bit of acid or spice), but all in all very enjoyable.

sorry to hear that some vegans had dairy in their food. i go here with vegans all the time and have not had a problem, they're generally very good about making vegan subsitutions where possible.

desserts are a bit lacking. i had a date tart that was frozen and hard as a rock but they have some new items so hopefully this has much improved.

overall, solid place, check it out.


-----07 jul, 2012-----

tough to properly judge the food when it
doesnt leave the kitchen!

itsvegetarianvegan ... why is everything so slow!!! prices are reasonable
... quality seems ok ... stoner hippie run... dont expect a professional operation

thoughtfulvegetariandining in vancouver

located at 24th and main, the acorn is open for dinner only and you will want to make a reservation. although the small restaurant was fully occupied (according to the rules) and seemed a little bit crowded, we felt safe as they are as serious about social distancing as any place that we have been in recent history. the acorn offers a three coarse dinner for $49 per person which as you will see, is very reasonable considering what they put together. we still opted for a sharable starter in addition. this was essentially pumpkin with lobster mushroom 'fish sauce' vinaigrette, hazelnuts and a taste of cayenne. it was our first amazing moment of many. delicious! the menu lists the ingredients for each dish in exhaustive detail which felt a little annoying and confusing at first but as we got into our meal, we found ourselves referring back to the menu as "oh my god, that was amazing! what was that exactly?" moments came. mharie's first course was called romanesco. it was cauliflower in 5 forms with a goat gouda fonduta (her meal wasvegetarianbut not vegan) and a lemon leaf vinaigrette. i didn't even realize there were 5 kinds of cauliflower (including the romanesco) nor 5 ways to prepare it. grilled, pureed, pickled etc., the result was that each bite was different and needed to be savoured and appreciated. i started with the shitake. if i understood the menu, 2 types of shitake mushrooms prepared 3 ways (including a house-made x.o. sauce) with leeks, kelp and lemongrass! the surprising combination of textures and flavours made us very happy. the kitchen likes to use pickling which cuts through the richness of other elements to provide a balance. mharie's main course was called corn and featured house-made pasta. the pasta was not surprisingly very good and was supported (or the other way around) by radicchio, garlic, chanterelles, preserved corn, buffalo ricotta and something called crosnes. this is also known as japanese artichoke and the root was pickled for this dish. we did not isolate this ingredient at the time but we're convinced that everything contributes to the whole. by ordering the brassica, i did not initially realize that i was ordering the barbeque plate! buttermilk ranch slaw, burdock molasses-baked navy beans. maple syrup collard greens and sour pickles were the give away (and all a step above the usual and perfectly fine barbeque sides) but the savoy cabbage and quince were the stars here. brined, rubbed and smoked, and served with kumbuccha barbeque sauce (which was more than a little piquant), we would never have expected the cabbage (which in no way mimics brisket or any other barbequed meat) to be such a perfect 'viande'. for dessert, i had peach. peach and a sort of peach tuile over gin and peach sorbet and served with sorghum popcorn. another dish where each detail was an enjoyable surprise. mharie had one of the day's specials, western larch tip and squash ice cream topped with squash pearls, oat crumble and candied jelly tooth mushrooms. wow! as you probably have been able to tell, the creativity in the kitchen here is on a different plane from our usual forms of sustenance. they have proven once and for all, that a big old slab of meat is not necessary. small, romantic and dimly lit (made photography challenging and i came close to walking into plexiglass) this is a very nice space. service is very good and our servers were quick to answer our many questions. the acorn should definitely be on your bucket list whether you are vegan or not.

this restaurant exceeded my expectations, offering truly delicious and inventivevegetarianfood, a lovely atmosphere and brilliant service. we had the mushroom appetizer, “harvest” special and battered halloumi for entrees and brownie for dessert and each dish was complex and packed with flavor. our server was so genuinely kind and made the whole experience even better. in my opinion, for the quality of food, the price is very reasonable. would definitely go back and would highly recommend (even if you aren’t vegetarian)!

excellentvegetarianfood in a very tight space. often had a wait out the door that was aggravating and we don't go as much because of it. i really like the halloumi dish and they have a decent selection of whiskies.

the acorn is one unique restaurant in vancouver where you can indulge in a vegetarian-style gastronomic adventure.  even cnn named them as one of the world’s 11 bestvegetariandestinations.  their menu caters to vegans and gluten-free diners but still delivers uncompromising flavour and unadulterated pleasure.

a refreshing twist on raw &vegetarianfood. every bite was packed with flavour. the kale salad was a delicious take on a caesar salad. the cabbage dish was very well composed, with all the flavours coming together nicely. the panna cotta was tasty but the sauce needed to be a bit thicker.

great service: quick and friendly. complimentary sparkling water is always nice too.

my friend wanted to eat dinner here and i wasn't to enthusiastic but figured why not try something new. i was in the mood for meat and it's avegetarianplace...

our mushroom starter was beautifully presented and for the most part had good flavor but i wouldn't have called it mind blowing. i'd stick more with good.

for our main i ordered the deep fried halloumi cheese plate and and my friend ordered the brassica. as a lactose intolerant i know i'm safe with halloumi but sadly no where on the menu did it mention the cream they added to my peas. it just says "smashed peas". it was silly i should have asked or mentioned my intolerance but in a place so specific about what's in the dish to miss the cream i thought was misleading. thank goodness i had my lactose pills in my purse or that would have ended worse than it did.

i was also dissapointed when the waitress brought out the wrong main for my friend. it was an honest mistake and she was friendly but it never makes for a great experience.

the halloumi cheese dish was the best thing we ate in the restaurant, it was rich and decedent. the brassica was a fu fu plate in my opinion with only the roasted red cabbage in rosemary actually tasting like anything. the cabbage was delicious to bad about the rest of the dish.

all in all i wouldn't rush back, it's such a shame as i've heard great things. maybe we ordered the wrong things ??

on the plus side it was a good atmosphere, their food presentation is spectacular and cannot be faulted and although i didn't try one, the cocktails looked amazing.

it was the first time my family went to a non-asianvegetarianrestaurant, and everyone loved the food there. not the small space of the restaurant though.. we were told they take reservations for 8 people, and when we arrived, the biggest table there was so small that it seemed like a table for 5-6 people only.

anyways, my favorite dish was this appetizer, matsutake. (roasted cauliflower, pine mushroom cashew mousse, apple jelly, toasted potato focaccia, hazelnut almond cracker, spruce salt.) i totally enjoyed the sweetness from the apple jelly and the earthiness of mushroom flavor. definitely will order this again!

for main, most people at my table ordered the halloumi - beer battered halloumi, zucchini + potato pancake, smashed peas, mint yogurt, acorn garden lemon balm. so basically deep fried cheese with pan fried potato cake, on a bed of smashed peas.

everything sounded very nice and my first few bites were amazing too. however, it got very heavy afterwards, as the dish got quite oily and the three big cheeses were too rich. i really enjoyed the smashed peas though, it had great flavors. i wish there were more acidity or refreshing ingredients in this dish other than the mint yogurt. overall, it was a yummy dish but i could only eat half of it.

i ordered the halloumi, and was definitely fooled by how seemingly small the plate was and the lack of meat, but i was stuffed by the time i got through about half of the plate. it was a lot of cheese and vegetables to fill my tummy with.

i would definitely recommend trying the acorn for their creative plates, unique flavour combinations, andvegetarianfood that strays from the typical salad!

withmatchalove.wordpress.com

amazing, inventivevegetarianfood. the dishes are like pieces of art, exploding with colour and flavour. you won't find tofu stir-fries or veggie burgers on the menu here. only creative masterpieces.

acorn is a world-class restaurant and vancouver is lucky to have it.

we were blown away with our experience at the acorn. this place serves up such a unique and ever changing menu with a focus on farm to table plant based foods. we couldn't believe the amount of depth and flavour each dish had, with a refreshing and innovative take onvegetarianfood. our favorite dish of the night was the halloumi! we will be back to try their brunch menu!

very inventive, fresh,vegetarianfare. friendly service, and a nice bar to order a drink while you wait, i'd go back just for a cocktail (but would probably get tempted to food as well, let's be honest). by no means do you have to bevegetarianto enjoy this place, the flavours are full and servings can be large.

the worst. this place was terrible. $19 for undercooked risotto topped with overcooked root veg? unbelievably rude and pretentious service. i had some simple questions about the wine list and the server looked at me like i was crazy. she had no idea what she was talking about. nice room but geez, i really can't understand the hype. go get the vegetarian/ vegan tasting menu at yew if you're looking for goodvegetarianfood. this place is not worth the trek or the price tag.

amazing, even for a non-veggie :). not avegetarianor a vegan and don't mind gluten whatsover but this place really got me. came here with a group of four and i was blown away by the food. the chefs here really take their time to prepare and make art with their food. similarly, the enthusiasm of the waiters was very contagious :) would def. come again!