Having heard good things about The Oakwood Bistro, I finally made time to visit them for brunch. Located in Kitsilano just off West 4th and MacDonald, The Oakwood Bistro serves contemporary, Canadian cuisine in a cozy and comforting environment. While I recently had a poor brunch experience elsewhere, my meal at The Oakwood exceeded my expectations.
Rustic and Charming
Like its name suggests, The Oakwood Bistro has a charming and rustic feel; it’s as if you were tucked away in a cozy log cabin in a snowy setting. You’ll find lots of reclaimed wood materials used in their interior design. Their heated patio excudes a coziness in Canadiana style – just check out the iconic chunky Hudson’s Bay knit throws! The Oakwood seems like the perfect place to spend a lazy morning over comfort food.
Brunch Menu
The Oakwood’s brunch menu is definitely more interesting than your typical eggs Benedict, pancakes and French toast. You’ll find entrees featuring items such as crispy pork belly, confit tuna, braised beef shank and more. They use certified organic eggs and free range organic fed chicken.
What We Tried
We ordered the following items for brunch:
- Confit tuna, roasted garlic hummus, potato croquette, poached egg, tomato and cucumber salad, honey dill dressing, crispy chickpeas ($16)
- Braised beef shank, white bean and tomato cassoulet, sous vide eggs, mixed greens with maple sherry vinaigrette, toasted garlic bread crumb ($16)
- Lemon parmesan brussels sprouts ($6)
- Coffee x 2
The confit tuna benedict was an incredibly tasty dish. The roasted garlic hummus balanced the flavours of the tuna. The potato croquettes were wondrous crispy delights which makes regular breakfast hashbrowns seem all too boring. The honey dill dressing contributed some sweet-tangy flavours. The chickpeas were a fun textural contrast – they’re deepfried and super crispy! A deeply, deeply satisfying dish.
The braised beef shank, white bean and tomato was a hearty, one-pot kind of meal. Simple and delicious – creamy white beans layered with meat and vegetables. It was rich and warming representing slow cooking at its best.
I highly recommend the lemon parmesan brussels sprouts. With a nice zesty flavour, crispy exterior and crunchy inside, these brussels sprouts were a sure winner.
Service
We decided to sit on the patio where service can often be a bit spotty compared to being indoors. However, our server was excellent and interacted with us in a very timely manner. I was impressed.
Overall Impression of The Oakwood Bistro
My brunch experience at The Oakwood was solid. Delicious and interesting dishes in an unpretentious and charming atmosphere. Service was on point. Highly recommend. Rating: 5/5
Website: www.theoakwood.ca
Nosh and Nibble
Tuesday 29th of November 2016
Blankets! How cozy