Amazing hidden gem!! We discovered it by a recommendation from a friend and we were blown away! Never finished a plate so fast! The price was also great for the portion of food! The drinks were also so yummy! Only thing would be; the walking distance and if it weren't too out of the way, we would be here more often! Though, we can promise you this if another sunny day came our way, we'd drop by again soon!
Jason F.
If this place wasn't so "hidden" we would have come sooner. What an amazing place! The menu is quite varied but Asian/Italian mostly. There is a 5-course tasting menu that is the chef's recommendation but we decided to order off the menu ourselves and we were not disappointed at all. The first dish the fried chicken skin was spectacular and so yummy. Everything else was also good but the chicken skin was the best. The service was also excellent but a small suggestion would be that in a tapas-style restaurant as this it would have been nice to have the server describe what each dish was. But overall everything was great and we will be back soon to try other dishes.
Lysha W
Restaurant was almost as freezing cold inside as it was outside, both of us kept our jacket on the whole time. Service was super slow and consistent in a lack of communication. We asked, given that one of us had a dairy allergy, if we could get the tasting menu. The waitress left for 15mins and I had to grab her attention to follow up and ask if there was any news - she told us they could accommodate the allergy and had already placed the order. Unfortunately we never really got a choice as that was the first and only thing we got to ask about the menu. We had to ask what each dish was that we were given as we had no idea what was included in the tasting menu and they didn’t mention anything when they gave it to us. It took us 2.5 hours just to eat and promptly pay. And to top it off we didn’t get a dessert as one of the 5 dishes, the flavours were eclectic,and lacked balance and cohesion. On the plus side, the decor was really nice and they were great at always making sure we had water.
Alice L.
A very good environment, great view, and good food. Tried the chefs 5 course tasting menu.
Loewe C.
I was invited to try M8's 5-course tasting menu. Regular price for this tasting menu is $60 per person and it is described to be the ultimate M8 experience. The 5 courses are mushroom tempura, beef cheeks, crispy roast duck, foie gras rice and a tiger prawn bucatini. We were blown away by the food! Presentation is beautiful and reasonable portion sizes for a tasting menu. Every dish is unique and really plays on their Chinese-Italian cuisine theme. Our favourite was the foie gras rice and mushroom tempura. We also ordered their fried milk dessert because we were curious (very difficult to find this dessert in Vancouver). Interior is beautiful. I think the location is just slightly hidden otherwise this place would be super popular and busy all the time. Full review on my blog:
Regina I.
This Asian fusion restaurant has been always on my to-go list since day 1. A few days ago, I finally went and tried its 5-course tasting menu. M8 Bistro & Bar has an amazing waterfront view, and it is hidden under the Burrard Bridge, along the Yaletown Seawall. Not only it was my first time visiting the restaurant, but also my first time in this quaint neighborhood. Once I stepped inside, I was immediately attracted by the modern and simple decor. The combination of a white marble countertop, wooden long tables, and grey walls gives a soothing ambiance. After settling down, the waitress served us an appetizer, which is also a new item on the menu, Fish "in" Chips. You would not be able to expect what it is until seeing it. It is literally fresh anchovy (fish) being fried inside of the chips. Marinated anchovies are also served on the side, along with creme fraiche for dipping. The concept is unique with perfect execution. I love dipping the chips in the creme fraiche. The marinated anchovies are sweet and spicy, with a good chewy texture. I would definitely order this again. Our 5-Course Tasting Menu starts with the Grandpa's Crispy Mushroom. It is a shimeji mushroom tempura, with warm kale salad, wakame, and truffle aioli. Mr. and I both enjoy our first course. The hint of tartness from the kale salad elevates the taste profile. The tempura is crispy, and it is unique to use shimeji mushroom in a tempura form! This dish is simple, yet amazing. The second course is Beef Cheeks. The braised beef cheeks are served with 5-year-aged vinegar glazed lotus root and roasted peanuts. After eating a few bites, my mouth started to feel the numbing spice. After checking the dish closely, there is also Sichuan pepper, which causes the numbing. So be aware if you cannot eat spicy. food. Otherwise, the beef cheeks are tender, and the vinegar-glazed lotus root gives a good crunch to the dish. Crispy Duck came next. There are a few elements on the dish, including the dry-aged duck breasts, duck confit, soybean, preserved mustard green cassoulet, purple cabbage puree, and citrus fermented bean paste. The duck breast tastes okay, but I love the crispy skin. I wasn't a big fan of the soybean or the citrus fermented bean paste. I think the citrus flavor overpowered the bean paste, which gives the dish a sweeter taste. Overall, I wasn't a big fan of this dish. Our fourth course was Gong Bao Foie Gras. Gong Bao (宮保) is a commonly seen Chinese dish, which usually serves with chicken. It is often spicy, flavorful, with a hint of sweetness. It also comes with a nutty flavor because cashews are often added. But in M8, you can expect surprises! The foie gras is placed on short-grain rice, roasted wild mushroom, la chang sausage (臘腸), and gong bao glaze. I love the dish, but the taste doesn't quite match the name "Gong Bao". It is not spicy, but it is indeed flavorful with a hint of sweetness from the la chang sausage. The dish is quite oily, and I would imagine it to be an elevated version of another Chinese dish, steamed sticky rice with la chang sausage. After four savory dishes, I was expecting a dessert as the last course, but unfortunately, it is another savory dish, Tiger Prawn Bucatini. I was glad that the portion is small. Bucatini is a thick spaghetti-like pasta with a hole in the center. It is like a super long macaroni. Though I was stuffed, I enjoyed the last course. It is lightly flavored, with a tiger prawn served on each plate. It was my first time trying bucatini, and I love the thick texture. Of course, the pasta was al dente. As I wasn't satisfied without dessert, I ordered the Fried Milk Custard on the side. It is rarely found in Vancouver restaurants. It is also difficult to find delicious ones because I think it is hard to find the perfect balance of cornstarch and milk to make it solidify but remain creamy. M8 didn't disappoint me! The dessert is nicely executed, and it has a crispy shell with steaming hot, creamy milk custard. I
Cy W.
Interesting take on Chinese-Italian fusion food, but some of their creation can be refined. I also wish they'd have more items on their menu as well. It was very easy to book a table with them online. Highlights of the mean was the Crispy Duck, which was dry aged and served with confit duck terrine, soybean, and preserved mustard green cassoulet.
Will K.
I really enjoy the creative cuisine here. If you do go, keep an open mind because the favours might not be what you have tasted before but I enjoyed the experience overall. I chose the 6 course set menu and everyone was quite happy after.
Tania F.
Been meaning to check this place out for awhile. It's really tiny. The decor is done up quit swanky. Modern club style. The drink menu wasn't the best. They didn't have a blender which I thought was odd for a swanky bar restaurant that's upscale. Although I don't drink and order virgin drinks I noticed the drink menu was lacking. The menu was out of a couple items we wanted to order. The guy that served us was also working the front door and the bar. One guy doing the hostessing, serving and bartending for the entire place but there were only 12 customers in the restaurant at the time. When the food came the presentation was nice, the food quality was very good and it was very tasty. We found that the meals didn't leave us that full. They were on the smaller side and more focused on taste and presentation I suppose. The prices are typical to Yaletown type prices. On the pricy side. You're paying for location, view, maybe intimacy, a swanky place and nice food but don't expect to get full or order salads, a couple appetizers, main dish, desert etc or you'll still be hungry but then also expect to pay a hefty bill.
Eason C.
We finally got a chance try M8 after watching the Chef Xin Mao teaching people to cook on CTV. Great atmosphere here. We tried many dishes but our favours are mushroom tempura ( very juicy inside ), tuna tataki ( use a special Chinese olive sauce), beef ribs and pasta with black truffle (not on the menu) . We had a chance to talk to the head chef, Xin Mao and he shared his cooking philosophy. Very nice and talented chef. It seems he is able to find different new sauce and spice to bring out a different favour of the food. We really wanted to try the crispy duck as Xin told us it is cooked using a special technique to make the skin super crispy. Too bad our stomachs are not big enough after the short ribs and pasta. The price is quite reasonable too. You definitely get more than what you paid for.
Great location and fabulous food. Very good informative staff. Not to be missed If you love fabulous flavour combinations. We were blown away by our selections but need to go back and try more!
Kim Wagner Levesque
Wonderful surprise! Fabulous flavours unexpected combinations and great service! Don't miss it. I will go back whenever I am in town
Suzie M.
Interesting presentation of food but bland. The view is beautiful of False Creek but it isn't enough to bring me back to this restaurant. The appetizers we tried looked really great but bites were disappointing. The meatballs were bland and the beet salad had greens that had seen better days. I had to send my beef ragu bolognese back as it was swimming in about a quarter inch of oil. It, too, was bland and instead of shredded beef like traditional ragu, it tasted and looked like ground beef. I substituted a lamb bao for dinner and it came on a plate with no garnish or anything and the meat too was bland.
Iciezra
It's my first time writing a review and I have to say this was a great restaurant! I ordered the chef's special, the M8 rice bowl along with the popular Mushroom Tempura for a fabulous lunch on a restaurant outlooking over onto Granville island. The food was delicious and well prepared. Along with the view, there is also a nice patio that gives you an even better harbor view. The music is just my style, a nice, relaxing, lo-fi type beat playing some great non-generic artists. The hours for the restaurant are 12PM-10PM on weekdays. I highly recommend this place for anyone who is in the area to have a nice lunch or dinner experience.
Ming Chen
We had a wonderful time at this restaurant. It was not as busy as tap shack next door but had great views of the waterfront. They were able to accommodate us on the patio area under the shade although the initial table configurations were all in the sun. The menu was concise with some good choices. The portions were a little smaller than expected but overall, good execution. The flavours of the beet salad were complimentary and refreshing. The mushroom flatbread was delicious with added sweetened onions and cheese. The bread was more of a phyllo. The lamb in the bao was crispy but tender inside. Could use a sauce in my opinion but may Be their intentions to keep it dry. The only downside was the clam pasta. Had sand in the clams so they could’ve kept them in water longer. There was very little pasta to clam ratio which was interesting because it’s usually the other way around. Could use another element to the sauce... more roasted garlic... was less flavorful than aglio e olio at least ... The spice level was also above normal which I enjoy but may be too spicy for many. Cocktails were awesome. Would return to try the dinner menu.
Amazing hidden gem!! We discovered it by a recommendation from a friend and we were blown away! Never finished a plate so fast! The price was also great for the portion of food! The drinks were also so yummy! Only thing would be; the walking distance and if it weren't too out of the way, we would be here more often! Though, we can promise you this if another sunny day came our way, we'd drop by again soon!
If this place wasn't so "hidden" we would have come sooner. What an amazing place! The menu is quite varied but Asian/Italian mostly. There is a 5-course tasting menu that is the chef's recommendation but we decided to order off the menu ourselves and we were not disappointed at all. The first dish the fried chicken skin was spectacular and so yummy. Everything else was also good but the chicken skin was the best. The service was also excellent but a small suggestion would be that in a tapas-style restaurant as this it would have been nice to have the server describe what each dish was. But overall everything was great and we will be back soon to try other dishes.
Restaurant was almost as freezing cold inside as it was outside, both of us kept our jacket on the whole time. Service was super slow and consistent in a lack of communication. We asked, given that one of us had a dairy allergy, if we could get the tasting menu. The waitress left for 15mins and I had to grab her attention to follow up and ask if there was any news - she told us they could accommodate the allergy and had already placed the order. Unfortunately we never really got a choice as that was the first and only thing we got to ask about the menu. We had to ask what each dish was that we were given as we had no idea what was included in the tasting menu and they didn’t mention anything when they gave it to us. It took us 2.5 hours just to eat and promptly pay. And to top it off we didn’t get a dessert as one of the 5 dishes, the flavours were eclectic,and lacked balance and cohesion. On the plus side, the decor was really nice and they were great at always making sure we had water.
A very good environment, great view, and good food. Tried the chefs 5 course tasting menu.
I was invited to try M8's 5-course tasting menu. Regular price for this tasting menu is $60 per person and it is described to be the ultimate M8 experience. The 5 courses are mushroom tempura, beef cheeks, crispy roast duck, foie gras rice and a tiger prawn bucatini. We were blown away by the food! Presentation is beautiful and reasonable portion sizes for a tasting menu. Every dish is unique and really plays on their Chinese-Italian cuisine theme. Our favourite was the foie gras rice and mushroom tempura. We also ordered their fried milk dessert because we were curious (very difficult to find this dessert in Vancouver). Interior is beautiful. I think the location is just slightly hidden otherwise this place would be super popular and busy all the time. Full review on my blog:
This Asian fusion restaurant has been always on my to-go list since day 1. A few days ago, I finally went and tried its 5-course tasting menu. M8 Bistro & Bar has an amazing waterfront view, and it is hidden under the Burrard Bridge, along the Yaletown Seawall. Not only it was my first time visiting the restaurant, but also my first time in this quaint neighborhood. Once I stepped inside, I was immediately attracted by the modern and simple decor. The combination of a white marble countertop, wooden long tables, and grey walls gives a soothing ambiance. After settling down, the waitress served us an appetizer, which is also a new item on the menu, Fish "in" Chips. You would not be able to expect what it is until seeing it. It is literally fresh anchovy (fish) being fried inside of the chips. Marinated anchovies are also served on the side, along with creme fraiche for dipping. The concept is unique with perfect execution. I love dipping the chips in the creme fraiche. The marinated anchovies are sweet and spicy, with a good chewy texture. I would definitely order this again. Our 5-Course Tasting Menu starts with the Grandpa's Crispy Mushroom. It is a shimeji mushroom tempura, with warm kale salad, wakame, and truffle aioli. Mr. and I both enjoy our first course. The hint of tartness from the kale salad elevates the taste profile. The tempura is crispy, and it is unique to use shimeji mushroom in a tempura form! This dish is simple, yet amazing. The second course is Beef Cheeks. The braised beef cheeks are served with 5-year-aged vinegar glazed lotus root and roasted peanuts. After eating a few bites, my mouth started to feel the numbing spice. After checking the dish closely, there is also Sichuan pepper, which causes the numbing. So be aware if you cannot eat spicy. food. Otherwise, the beef cheeks are tender, and the vinegar-glazed lotus root gives a good crunch to the dish. Crispy Duck came next. There are a few elements on the dish, including the dry-aged duck breasts, duck confit, soybean, preserved mustard green cassoulet, purple cabbage puree, and citrus fermented bean paste. The duck breast tastes okay, but I love the crispy skin. I wasn't a big fan of the soybean or the citrus fermented bean paste. I think the citrus flavor overpowered the bean paste, which gives the dish a sweeter taste. Overall, I wasn't a big fan of this dish. Our fourth course was Gong Bao Foie Gras. Gong Bao (宮保) is a commonly seen Chinese dish, which usually serves with chicken. It is often spicy, flavorful, with a hint of sweetness. It also comes with a nutty flavor because cashews are often added. But in M8, you can expect surprises! The foie gras is placed on short-grain rice, roasted wild mushroom, la chang sausage (臘腸), and gong bao glaze. I love the dish, but the taste doesn't quite match the name "Gong Bao". It is not spicy, but it is indeed flavorful with a hint of sweetness from the la chang sausage. The dish is quite oily, and I would imagine it to be an elevated version of another Chinese dish, steamed sticky rice with la chang sausage. After four savory dishes, I was expecting a dessert as the last course, but unfortunately, it is another savory dish, Tiger Prawn Bucatini. I was glad that the portion is small. Bucatini is a thick spaghetti-like pasta with a hole in the center. It is like a super long macaroni. Though I was stuffed, I enjoyed the last course. It is lightly flavored, with a tiger prawn served on each plate. It was my first time trying bucatini, and I love the thick texture. Of course, the pasta was al dente. As I wasn't satisfied without dessert, I ordered the Fried Milk Custard on the side. It is rarely found in Vancouver restaurants. It is also difficult to find delicious ones because I think it is hard to find the perfect balance of cornstarch and milk to make it solidify but remain creamy. M8 didn't disappoint me! The dessert is nicely executed, and it has a crispy shell with steaming hot, creamy milk custard. I
Interesting take on Chinese-Italian fusion food, but some of their creation can be refined. I also wish they'd have more items on their menu as well. It was very easy to book a table with them online. Highlights of the mean was the Crispy Duck, which was dry aged and served with confit duck terrine, soybean, and preserved mustard green cassoulet.
I really enjoy the creative cuisine here. If you do go, keep an open mind because the favours might not be what you have tasted before but I enjoyed the experience overall. I chose the 6 course set menu and everyone was quite happy after.
Been meaning to check this place out for awhile. It's really tiny. The decor is done up quit swanky. Modern club style. The drink menu wasn't the best. They didn't have a blender which I thought was odd for a swanky bar restaurant that's upscale. Although I don't drink and order virgin drinks I noticed the drink menu was lacking. The menu was out of a couple items we wanted to order. The guy that served us was also working the front door and the bar. One guy doing the hostessing, serving and bartending for the entire place but there were only 12 customers in the restaurant at the time. When the food came the presentation was nice, the food quality was very good and it was very tasty. We found that the meals didn't leave us that full. They were on the smaller side and more focused on taste and presentation I suppose. The prices are typical to Yaletown type prices. On the pricy side. You're paying for location, view, maybe intimacy, a swanky place and nice food but don't expect to get full or order salads, a couple appetizers, main dish, desert etc or you'll still be hungry but then also expect to pay a hefty bill.
We finally got a chance try M8 after watching the Chef Xin Mao teaching people to cook on CTV. Great atmosphere here. We tried many dishes but our favours are mushroom tempura ( very juicy inside ), tuna tataki ( use a special Chinese olive sauce), beef ribs and pasta with black truffle (not on the menu) . We had a chance to talk to the head chef, Xin Mao and he shared his cooking philosophy. Very nice and talented chef. It seems he is able to find different new sauce and spice to bring out a different favour of the food. We really wanted to try the crispy duck as Xin told us it is cooked using a special technique to make the skin super crispy. Too bad our stomachs are not big enough after the short ribs and pasta. The price is quite reasonable too. You definitely get more than what you paid for.
Restaurantji Recommends
Great location and fabulous food. Very good informative staff. Not to be missed If you love fabulous flavour combinations. We were blown away by our selections but need to go back and try more!
Wonderful surprise! Fabulous flavours unexpected combinations and great service! Don't miss it. I will go back whenever I am in town
Interesting presentation of food but bland. The view is beautiful of False Creek but it isn't enough to bring me back to this restaurant. The appetizers we tried looked really great but bites were disappointing. The meatballs were bland and the beet salad had greens that had seen better days. I had to send my beef ragu bolognese back as it was swimming in about a quarter inch of oil. It, too, was bland and instead of shredded beef like traditional ragu, it tasted and looked like ground beef. I substituted a lamb bao for dinner and it came on a plate with no garnish or anything and the meat too was bland.
It's my first time writing a review and I have to say this was a great restaurant! I ordered the chef's special, the M8 rice bowl along with the popular Mushroom Tempura for a fabulous lunch on a restaurant outlooking over onto Granville island. The food was delicious and well prepared. Along with the view, there is also a nice patio that gives you an even better harbor view. The music is just my style, a nice, relaxing, lo-fi type beat playing some great non-generic artists. The hours for the restaurant are 12PM-10PM on weekdays. I highly recommend this place for anyone who is in the area to have a nice lunch or dinner experience.
We had a wonderful time at this restaurant. It was not as busy as tap shack next door but had great views of the waterfront. They were able to accommodate us on the patio area under the shade although the initial table configurations were all in the sun. The menu was concise with some good choices. The portions were a little smaller than expected but overall, good execution. The flavours of the beet salad were complimentary and refreshing. The mushroom flatbread was delicious with added sweetened onions and cheese. The bread was more of a phyllo. The lamb in the bao was crispy but tender inside. Could use a sauce in my opinion but may Be their intentions to keep it dry. The only downside was the clam pasta. Had sand in the clams so they could’ve kept them in water longer. There was very little pasta to clam ratio which was interesting because it’s usually the other way around. Could use another element to the sauce... more roasted garlic... was less flavorful than aglio e olio at least ... The spice level was also above normal which I enjoy but may be too spicy for many. Cocktails were awesome. Would return to try the dinner menu.