From previous page

ers Amin and Salim Karim.

It replaces the Waterfront
Bistro.

Yes, that bistro.

The one that began fife
back in.1986 with much
glamour.and promise, but
fell upon hard times at the

. end of ts career — sordid
smoke-filled disco; question-
* able music; swingles bar.

You know the story.

Well, so did the Brothers
Karim.

That matchless second-

__ Storey waterfront outiook
was being wasted.

So on March 15, they
pulled “he plug on the

aterfron: Bistro. eer

“in i's place they've
installed a hybrid dine-and-
dance venue outfitted with

arm chairs and leather

‘couches and serviced by a
° quality kitchen.
A heated outdoor: patio:

adds another 45 to “Tantra’ 8.

230 indoor seats: ©

- "Colour scheme is’ |...

~ mahogany and sandstone.

oo The north wall service
bar features four ur side-by-side

TV sereens, each tuned to a
different channel — for your
attention-deficit-afflicted
video addict.

Tantra also has a deejay
booth and mid-sized dance
floor, Your Top 20 hit
parade rolls Thursday
through Saturday starting at
9 p.m. |

The bistro’s $500,000
overhaul included extensive
renovation of the facility’s
kitchen.

At its helm is executive
chef Leonardo Moschetti
and sous chef Joseph Lake.

They’ve drafted an ambi-
tious opening menu that
puts Tantra miles ahead of
its predecessor.

* Moschetti focuses on

West Coast cuisine — lots of —

fish, lots of fresh regional
ingredients.

Spice with Italian zest —
and Pacific Rim exotica and .
you have an impressive

: debut.

“Opex.your Tantric medi-

tations with perhaps a

“Smoked Duck Salad (tossed
-in pomegranate vinaigrette) -
‘continue with a Costa:

Indiana a (Fettuccine served

= OD FASHIONED. TURKEY DINNER Wi AiL THE FIXINGS i
" GRILLED TURKEY MEDALUONS wa PEACH & CRANBERRY CHUTNEY

eas

“Turkey, ‘mashed notatces

* 642%

DINING

Kitchen ups food quality at North Van hotel

with seafood and melon ina
curried cream sauce) and
close with Venison
Medallion (finished in a
pomegranate cabernet sauvi-
gnon reduction).

Salads, tapas and other
appetizers will cost you any-
where from $4 to SE.
Pastas and main entrees
range from $10 to $25.

Tantra’s wine list ($21 to
$90) offers representation
from B.C., Ce'ifornia,
Europe and the Southern
Hemisphere.

Selection from each area .
is limited, but some interest-
ing bottles are available
(Carneros Creek Fleur De
Carneros Pinot Noir; Oyster
Bay Chardonnay; Cakebread
Reserve Cabernet
Sauvignon). :

A half dozen are available
by the glass ($5 tw $7).

Diners should remember
" that Tantra remains an “A”
licence hotel lounge. If
you're under 19 you won't
getin.

But don’t despair.

One floor up you'll find -
the Atrium restaurant, for-
merly the Shore Winds and
before that the Q Cafe and
Loop’s.

It’s also serviced by
Moschetti’s kitchen, and
offers the same menu as
Tantra.

it does not, howev er,
offer the sarae atmosphere.

Though it has one of the
best harbourside locations in
North Vancouver City, it suf-
fers from third-storey cus-
tomer neglect.

During our Friday night « a

visit we were its only cus-

- tomers.”

The Atrium has been

_ NEWS photo Cindy Goodmen

A dish of California Linguine, foaturing avecado and |

smoked salmon, prepared at the’ Lonsdale ‘Quay.

Hoitel’s new Tantra Waterfront Lounge and Grit.

repainted and refurbished.
Plans for its long-term future
are still being finalized. Bet
on its being used ‘more as a:

wedding and special function _

room than/a restaurant.
Meanwhile back ar the

“table: .

_ Full marks to Mi oschetti

= * Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday cab '
: Present this coupon and receive up to $9.95 off with purchase of”
“another plate of equal or greater value... :

13401 marine drive seat i vancouver . :

"example of

and company ‘for plate pr pre- -

sentation. Lots of colour, *
lots of variety and a good.
amount of imagination - ’

‘invested in the; dishes we

sampled.: ee
Some uneven results,
however. we
° The sampled Tibezan ;
Eggplant Cap was a'good |
at l of the ebove. .

Take thin slices of grilled
eggplant. Stuff with curried
zucchini. Shape into a large

~ hockey puck. Serve with a

grilled yellow pepper cream

"sauce. Interesting idea for an

appetizer, but Table -
Hopping’s order lacked

something. Perhaps the egg-
plant was not grilled

~ enough. Or maybe it was the
‘Cabazola cheese, which the ”

menu promised but the dish
didn’t deliver.

Better was the West Coast
Cioppino.

It combined crab legs,

> mussels, clams, salmon and « .
"Scallops in a tomato broth
- spiked with lemon and

served in a large. attractive
tureen cish. -

The entree would have”
been better.with some bread

"to soak up that broch.

Wone was served. 2:
-The Chilean Sea Bass

_Fillet came with risotto,

sauteed snew. peas and.’
grilled vegetables — red-aud.

yellow bell Peppers sand mc
., chini. ;

‘Also on the plat grilled
yellow and red Pepper cream
Sauces. 8

The fi sk was decorated ©

with a single marigol

Interesting, plate...

“Excellent fish. Good pepper

sauces, but the risotto had. -
thyme overtones that were |
far too overpowering fer my
tastes.

Nothing much ambitious

“on the dessert front-here.

:Atrium/Tantra desserts”
tread the well-worn tiramisu,

- ereme caramel, cheesecake”:

ground covered by. fer too.

: many restaurants. ”

* Tantra offers a ‘smoke-free Y

a tounge dining | experience .

‘See. Turhey following pase .

Roasted Turkey
Sirloin of Beef !

: For-reservations cali 990-4334
3108 Edgemont Blvd, N.

coupsn;

buy the first cod &

“chips, and receive a second cod.

inner ‘of

. Monday to Friday only; 2

® Horseshoe Bay location on _

ine-in only

Not valid with other Sea offers.

No Substitutions