Dine Out 2013 $18

Appetizer (select one)
Beef Carpaccio {truffle aioli, shaved parmesan, arugula}
Tuna Tartare {sesame paste, lime, garlic chips}
Mixed Greens {locally sourced organic lettuces, walnut, fig, blue cheese vinaigrette}

Entree (select one)
Pork Tenderloin {sous-vide pork, espresso and guinness jus, granny smith pomme puree}
Pan Seared Artic Char {fennel and potato hash, frissee, pistachio vin}
Stuffed Mushroom {roasted red pepper & cashew pate, pumpkin seed pesto, greens & citrus salad}

Dessert (select one)
Flourless Chocolate Cake {a taste of chocolate and coconut}
Tartain Crumble {granny smith apple, salted caramel, shortbread crumble}

For my second Dine Out, my friend and I decided to dine at The Refinery. Unfortunately, my friend changed his plans last minute and it was going to be canceled. Luckily, Sheepie who usually has to work weekday nights had time to dine. Located on Granville on the second floor, it is a cool, mixture of modern and hipster-like feel. It’s actually quite loud with the music and how everyone’s voices seems to become enhanced. If you’ve been following my blog, you’d know that I don’t really like places where I have to raise my voice, so try really hard to hear what the others are saying or do some lip reading lol. Sheepie’s also not a fan of loud places as he is super sensitive to sounds.

We got a tiny table in the corner by the window with Sheepie’s back towards the window, so not much view. Most of the people dining were young in their 20s-late 30s.

Tuna TartareBeef Carpaccio

For my appetizer, I got the Tuna Tartare. I was disappointed in the quantity, but also in the quality. It wasn’t very visually appealing. It’s not terrible, but out of all the Tuna Tartare, it’s probably on the bottom of my list.  Sheepie had the Beef Carpaccio (regularly $9) which looked better, and tasted better too.

For main, I had the Arctic Char. Again, really small portion and not that visually appetizing. It was almost a semi-appetizer.

For dessert, I had the Tartian Crumble. Not much to say about it…

Overall, we were both really disappointed in the food. The service was excellent, and the decor and atmosphere is nice, but not a place to dine. I guess better for drinking with small appetizer on the side. But since we both don’t drink, it’s not catered to audiences like us. I’ve looked at their regular menu, and it’s quite limited – again, I think more catered to those who want to drink and chit chat. The prices seem a bit high for the quality and quantity we saw. So we wont be returning.

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