A New Gem: West Oak Restaurant

Yaletown is probably one of the trendiest areas in town. Some would say it is a quintessential part of Vancouver, and more often than not, first time visitors to the city make it a must-visit point. It also happens to be home to dozens of mediocre, overpriced restaurants. Tourist traps, you might say. But there are always exceptions.

The first step inside West Oak makes it clear that this is no ordinary restaurant. The interior melds old and new and of different cultures. Giant heritage wood beams frame the room. White oak table tops and chairs are generally Canadian while an open kitchen with an interactive sit-up bar is very much Japanese. Aside from a sit-up bar and a formal dining area, there is also a relaxing lounge at the back of the restaurant that opens late. Overall, the décor is contemporary. And three different dining styles all-in-one restaurant, what an interesting place to be in!

If you will, it is also the place to see and be seen. You can always meet the most interesting people there, including celebrities. In fact, some have spotted Roberto Luongo talking to the chefs at the sit-up bar.

Nonetheless, the allure of West Oak is more about their West Coast food and drink than the people itself. Their dedication to the freshest and best local ingredients and professional chefs would entice even those not close to the neighbourhood. Whereas their dinner menu has larger selections of steaks, their lunch menu has larger selections of sandwiches. For a lovely concoction, there are about five different cocktails to pick from, each for $9.

Nick, a friend who introduced us to this place, ordered a “Royale with Cheese” burger. He is a regular and claims himself to be a creature of habit who always sticks to the same great dishes. He says it is probably one of the best cheeseburgers you could find in town. I did not get to try it but we can tell he really enjoyed the burger as it was gone way too quickly.

Even traditional dishes received a fancy fun twist. The Grilled Chicken and Brie Sandwich was a disco party of flavours: bacon, red onion jam, garlic mayo, and spinach. The sweetness from the jam was a tad overpowering and the bacon weren’t as crispy due to the sauces, but there was still an underlying smokiness to the flavours. Along with the melted brie and moist chicken, the pairings and flavours were heavenly.

Similarly, the Pulled Pork Sandwich was flavourful in its own way. It was a little spicy, but not too much, with a nice balance between sweet and acidic. The crispy upper bun and the soggy lower bun created a unique contrast to the texture of the sandwich. Yet the spicy braised pork was so tender it would melt in your mouth.

All of the sandwiches above came with home-made fries. It was perfectly salted and a little thicker than regular-sized fries. We loved its hearty soft core and crunchy skin, an amazing outcome when the kitchen takes extra effort to double fry French fries.

As good as the sandwiches were, it was the Seafood Pasta that truly demonstrated the chef’s skills. The perfectly al dente ocean-scented pasta, with a hint of lemon zest, was exceptional. The freshness of mussels, scallops and prawns were visible on the tongue and made great pairings.

Service was warm, friendly and attentive, without being intrusive. The food was excellent, appropriately portioned, and for the price it was definitely a steal. Well, for those who read this, next time when you are in Yaletown, you now know exactly where to go for a top notch lunch and a bang for the buck!

Photographs by Cindy Auyeung.



West Oak
1035 Mainland Street
Vancouver BC
(604) 629-8808

Atmosphere：4
Food：4
Service：4
Value：4
Recommendation：4