Conrad had to miss Chris and Allister's wedding this past summer, so we decided we would celebrate it again with a meal together when we were in town last week. The timing was fortuitous: Chris had a birthday just days ahead, and Van had had his birthday just days before. Add in Marie, and we had the makings of a good dinner out.
Zarak has become my new ViJ's when I come to Vancouver - a place that I like to go to because the food and drink are good, they're interesting, they excite me. I mean, the menu
hasn't changed substantively in the few times I've been there now, not really, and yet, I can't wait to go back. Any excuse. So go back we did. Hooray!
Cocktails were up first. This past summer it was Marie having the smoked negroni, but that night it was Chris.
Quite a show! I went with the clarified mango martini,
something I was a little dubious on until the waiter persuaded me, but which proved to be not as sweet as feared. I liked it a lot, in fact, and if it wasn't for Conrad wanting a bottle of wine, I would have stuck with it.
And then on to food. I didn't photograph it all. We also didn't do what we did last time with the "feed me" option on the menu, good as that was. We kept it under control and enjoyed several dishes. Mantu - beef-filled dumplings - were up first,
then came our US Thanksgiving nod: buttermilk fried chicken.
I wish we had had more of that one. Among the other things were the Uzbeki palaw
and the beef cheek.
It was all excellent.
Dessert was essentially one of everything with an extra trifle-like dessert thrown in along with candles.
We each tasted the others but mostly stuck to our own, so it was the deconstructed baklava for me.
A terrific choice.
But the night was good because we had a great group of six of us enjoying food and conversation together.
And that is why I want to go back again - to enjoy a group of us enjoying such tasty food and each other's company. In 2026 I will for sure!
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