30 — Wednesday, December 18, 1991 - North Shore News

A recipe for success

The Beach Side Cafe, 1362 Marine Dr., West Vancouver.
925-1945. Open every day for lunch and dinner. Open Saturday
and Sunday for brunch. Visa, Mastercard and American Express
accepted. Take the kids or call a babysitter? Call a babysitter.

HE BEACH Side’s successful evolution from a simple
cafe te a sophisticated neighborhocd bistro is an in-
spiring study in what can go right in the hardball res-

taurant trade.
Its recipe for success should be
carefully noted, clipped, underlin-
- ed or asterixed by aspiring
restaurateurs everywhere:

Take one reasonably attrac-
tive locale:
Add:
astute ownership (generous
portion);
interesting food (also gener-
ous, perhaps a little dar- -
ing);
creative chef (seasonal item,
could be hard to find; cau-
tion: handle with care, egos
easily bruised};
Combine with:
progressive culinary aititudes;
rofessional service;
right, warm interior decor;
Toss in:
_ personal front-end charm; .
” fuck.

Assemble all of the above ingre-
dients in a single location. Tend
carefully for one year. Advertise
your existence. Do not allow mix-
ture to stand still for too !ong at
any one time. Continually add
new ingredients and improve.
> New ingredients were added to
the winning Beach Side recipe
recently with another in a series of
interior renovations that have
slowly transformed the excellent
West Vancouver restaurant from a
small cafe into a chic slice of
Californian Napa Vailey ex-
uberance. -

The new-look Beach Side was
officially unveiled Nov. 22. It
features a new bar dressed in

- marble and bleached wood,

dinner menu

Timothy Renshaw
TABLE HOPPING

rough-hewn cedar ceiling beams, .

terra-cotta tiled floors and elegant ,

french doors that open onto the
restaurant's southern exposure
sundeck and present views of
Point Grey and Vancouver harbor.

The renovation, which kept the -
Beach Side closed for the early
part of November, has con-
solidated previous expansions into
a single whole that is at once
bright, warm and intimate.

It is now a room that befits the |
quality of the food served and the
talents of the Beach Side’s kitchen,
ownership and serving staff.

A new Beach Side menu was
unveiled by head chef Carol Chow
prior to the renovations.

The single-sheet selection in-
corporates characteristics of Asian,
Californian and Tuscan cuisines in
a stimulating feast for the senses.

Prices are reasonable (appetizers
range from $3.50 up to $6.95; en-
trees go from $10.95 up to
$16.95), and the combinations of
the three main culinary influences
are interesting and enticing.

A Tomaio, Jalapeno and Cilantro
Soup ($3.50), for example, was a

brilliant scarlet pool of tangy
tomato, spicy jalapeno and smoky
cilantro — an excellent starter
with the Beach Side’s selection of
warm herb and corn breads.

A, Warm Goat Cheese Salad
($5.95) featured a wheel of cheese
atop pale yellow endive spokes
and sundried tomato vinaigrette.

Table Hopping also sampled
Stir-Fried Prawns in Thai Curry
($14.95) and Pork Tenderloin
($14.95),

Both entrees were very good.
The Prawns, finished with coco-
nut, were served atop white
Basmati rice and packed a lively
curry bite.

The pork tenderloin came grilled
pink and stuffed with pears; the
meat was topped with a sweet
bourbon sauce and suffused with
cinnamon flavors.

Vegetable accompaniment in-
cluded a colorful chorus of cauli-
flower, broccoli, baby carrots, red
peppers, thin asparagus spears and
roasted potatoes.

For those attired with vintastes
and vinsnouts, the Beach Side’s
wine list is wide-ranging and
well-chosen,

Bottles range from about $17 up
to $60, but a good portion of the
selection is in the $20 to $40
range.

A good variety of Californian
vintages are available along with
those from B.C., France, Italy and
Australia.

I have space left for mention of a
marvellous Beach Side dessert: a
rich Creme Brulee ($4.25) that
combines a thick egg yolk and
cream custard topped with a crisp
burnt brown sugar crust — de-
cadent and delicious.

The Beach Side Cafe continues
to set the pace for West Van-
couver restaurants, combining a
sumptuous recipe of fine foods,
sophisticated neighborly surroun-
dings and crisp service.

Recommended.

CHERISH
Askegx: THE NIGHT
KARAOKE with your FAMILY and FRIENDS

HAVE A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE for your CHRISTMAS and
NEW VEAR PART TES at the ORIENTAL YAKINIKU HOUSE

BOOK ok YOUR PARTIES i now! 687 5567 | 124 ALBERNE ST. nee Thurlow)

Open: Mon.-Sat. Spm-Sara, Sun. & helidays 4pm-12midnight

{Division of f Meniweo-ya Restosront ‘foep)
Runiwn-yo

Jopanese Seafood Restavrant

745 Therlow Street
681-7307

bench: Mon.-Fri, ¢1:3Gan1-2:30pm
Dinner: Mon.-Sat. 5:30pm-11pin
Sun. & holidays Spm-}0pm
ALL 3 RESTAURANTS ARE LOCATED IN THE SAME COMPLEX. ONE BLOCK FROM HOTEL VANCOUVER

Cte
SESE) saramese ost 000

Novdle | Express. Japonese Fost food
747 ‘Therlow Street

669-1234

Open Daily 11:30am-? 1pm

Dining and Dancing

upstairs 9:00 pm - 1:00 am

per person:

NEWS photo Mike Wekeiield

BEACH SIDE savory...An elegant dish of Thai Prawns presented
by the elegant Beach Side Cafe. The West Vancouver restaurant
was renovated in November. ;

10th anniversary
specia f

Starting Nov. 15th, Sundays through Wednesdays
on our dinner menu. Our way of showing
appreciation for your patronage:

EXAMPLES: Chicken Karaaye reg. 9.50.
Sukiyaki reg. 10.75
Vegetable ‘

Tempura reg. 7.50
and many other regular entrees

> —~ Sushi Happy —
~Hour - ‘2 price-—~

$4.75
5.40

3.25

Emerald Park
Restaurant

350 E. 2nd St. NVan. 988-8353