Tuc Craft Kitchen in Gastown has been regularly named as one of the top spots for brunch in the city. Inspired by the British term “tuck into your food,” Tuc Craft Kitchen serves up some Canadian seasonal comfort food backed by French-style cooking that’s so good you’ll want to line up for it for a weekend brunch. When my friend and I wanted to meet up for a Friday lunch, I suggested the place which is just a few blocks from her workplace. I thought it would be a great place to get together for a delicious, casual meal and catch up on each other’s lives.
Rustic and Charming
Tuc Craft Kitchen seems literally tucked away in a quiet part of Gastown at 66 West Cordova. The interior is just gorgeous with its rustic charm stemming from the use of reclaimed materials. Some of the materials are salvaged from local farms and the huge cam chain that suspends the bar is from an old car wash.
What We Tried
The lunch menu at Tuc Craft Kitchen features soups, salads, sandwiches and stews. My friend and I ordered the following:
- Roast Chicken Salad ($13)
- Cake and Ice Cream ($8)
- Hot Water ($1)
My Savory Bread Pudding & Greens was a savoury and hearty dish on a skillet. It’s rich and cheesy, a bit salty from the ham and has a moist and soft bread pudding. It was yummy and comforting but perhaps a bit too dense for me. I could’t quite finish the bread pudding and had half of it packed in the end.
My friend had the Roast Chicken Salad (a Mealshare item) which she enjoyed so much that she wants to bring her husband to try the restaurant. The salad is made of Fraser Valley free run roasted chicken breast and a variety of veggies (tomatoes, garden bets, sweet peas, savoy cabbage, cucumber, and kale) with a cilantro lime dressing.
Since it was Friday, we decided to share a little dessert for lunch. We chose the black tea sponge cake with ginger infused ice cream and absinthe caramelized apples. Cake and ice cream is hard to go wrong and this dessert was absolutely delicious. The cake was moist and flavourful while the caramelized apples had the right amount of sweetness.
My friend had a hot water for her drink which came with a lemon wedge. It wasn’t until we got the bill that we realized that Tuc Craft Kitchen charges for hot water. The server did not tell my friend beforehand and so my friend was less than impressed when she saw her bill.
Overall Impression of Tuc Craft Kitchen
I really enjoyed our lunch at Tuc Craft Kitchen with cozy, comforting eats in an industrial chic yet inviting environment, I would love to dine here again. Heads up that they charge for hot water. Rating: 4/5
Website: tuccraftkitchen.com