partner and I went before going to Shen Yen.we both had the tasting menu (veg) since some of the fish items on the carnivore menu weren't our particular tastes.food was absolutely amazing. service was incredible. when we told the server we were running low on time they and the kitchen accommodated us. dishes were served with full descriptions. sake flight was served with both descriptions and background which I loved.would go here again for sure and high on my recommendation list to friends. made for a fantastic start to an awesome night
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sophia Baboolal
Went there for dinner last night with a party of 9. We had to get their set menu because we were over 6 ppl. The menu was $90 per person. I don’t understand how each dish can be so salty, vinegary and so bland at the same time. The food was imbalanced and sub par. Service was slow, each dish took over 20 mins to come out. We got there for 8 and left at 11:30. Not to mention, there’s a mandatory 20% tip added for the large group, which is standard but hard to swallow when the meal and service is so disappointing.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 2
Amelia Abel
A group dinner tonight was made so memorable by the outstanding team here, our whole trip was enhanced by the experience! The tasting menu (including the wine/sake pairing) was an exceptional choice, and the knowledge of our server Harrison heightened the whole experience tenfold. The atmosphere was warm and comfortable, with a clear undertone of sophistication. The evening was perfect from start to finish, and the whole group can’t wait to come back for another visit!We also highly recommend purchasing (or at the very least checking out) the surrealistic fairytale, Fishes & Wishes, they have on display! Three out of five of us took one home because of how impactful it was!Vegetarian options: One of the people in our group got the vegetarian tasting menu and it was wonderful!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Marc De Vinci
This place has been around for 11 years. I can’t believe it took me that long to finally eat there. Food is delicious. Pork belly on rice was a favorite. Will try the tasting menu next time. Flight of sake was awesome. Great decor and music.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Sablefish, Korean Rice Cake, Pork Belly Rice Bowl
Alfonso Chen
Nothing but great things to share about the gem of a restaurant, Pidgin. A few of the dishes they offer are phenomenal, including the foie gras rice bowl and chicken wings. Each dish is great though. The staff were attentive even though they were busy with several tasks at times. For dessert, their beignets were the standout that really highlighted their skills in combining ingredients from cuisines of different cultures really well. A must visit!Vegetarian options: They have a few vegetarian options, though the vast majority of their dishes contain meat.
Went with a group of friends and did the tasting menu with wine/sake pairing. While all courses (but the dessert) were amazing, the portions were ridiculously small. We left still hungry and some of us went for a second dinner. Considering the tasting menu is almost 100 dollars, one would expect the portions to be somehow decent instead of being 2-3 bites each. The service was also a bit slow. I would recommend the restaurant for the food quality for sure, but price or portion adjustments are definitely needed.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 3
Leah Sharaby
We loved our first visit to Pidgin! The food was exceptional as was the service. We did the winter tasting menu and loved every dish. Our favorites were the celeriac salad, foie duo, the lamb saddle, and the sablefish. Wonderful and reasonably priced for the quality and service!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sablefish
Jeremy Smolik
Great experience and amazing food, would definitely eat there again.Dietary restrictions: Open for celiac which is great!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Foie Gras Rice Bowl
Ambre Comeau
My partner and I went to PidGin last night for dinner and had a wonderful evening! We tried the tasting menu. Initial impressions of the first three courses - they were flavorful but on the smaller side. However the latter half of tasting menu definitely redeemed itself with bigger portions and of course, they were delicious. Our server, James was amazing and cared enough to make sure we walked away full and included an extra dish for us. He was knowledgeable, friendly, and attentive throughout the evening.The ambience of the restaurant was also lovely :)Overall a really great experience. Would go back!
Honestly pretty disappointing experience. We had a few different table staff and props to most of them. They were fun and friendly. But the food and overall experience left a lot to be desired. Been twice now and was hoping this would be the redemption. It's just okay. Certainly not worth the price and not worth dealing with where it's located.The food was okay at best. It wasn't bad but it was very underwhelming. Many core simple elements either under (Bok Choy) or over cooked (Carrots). The main duck was underwhelming, a small portion even by fine dining standards, and honestly a lot of the meal just felt like something that could be prepared at home if you wanted to spend the time. At half the price I could recommend, but it's really punching above its weight class with prices. It isn't bad food but it does not deliver on the total package it's selling unfortunately.Additionally any sense of atmosphere was ruined by the staff allowing this insanely selfish woman blind everyone in the tiny mood lit restaurant with her portable light as she pretended to be some kind of food blogger, which she was clearly not. I couldn't believe staff served her while she had this powered on in her hands. Absolutely hilarious.This was really the cherry on the mediocre cake. It was an incredibly funny scene as half the restaurant constantly moaned and recoiled every time a dish was served to her table and she dawned her portable sun to record her meal and ruin everyone else's. Peak Vancouver.Ridiculously obnoxious and underwhelming experience from a place that apparently won a bib since the the last time we tried it.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 4
Christopher Wong
As an avid food enthusiast, the news that this restaurant had been honored with the prestigious Bib Gourmand award filled me with excitement and anticipation. However, my experience, in the end, left me with mixed feelings. The tasting menu, while showcasing culinary ambition, fell short in certain aspects.The culinary journey kicked off with a fish on toast featuring Madai, one of my favorite fishes. Unfortunately, the promised aging and flavor of the kelp failed to make an impression. The dish lacked seasoning, appearing bland and leaving me yearning for the expected depth of flavors. Despite their admirable effort in crafting their own brioche, it arrived at the table with a stale undertone, as if it had been prepared days prior.The second course, a celeriac salad, proved to be monotonous and uninspiring. However, the pickled celeriac added a much-needed burst of flavor, rescuing the dish from complete dullness. Moving on to the seasonal tempura, the choice of vegetables was commendable, but the ginger slices were a bit too thick for my liking. The sauce at the bottom failed to impress, and a classic ten-tsuyu or flavored salt might have been a safer choice.The fourth dish, a foie duo, suffered from a lack of cohesion. The transition from hot tempura to cold foie gras felt disjointed. While each element was well-executed individually, the overpowering unagi sauce dominated the palate, overshadowing the intricate flavors of the other components.Transitioning to warm dishes, the fish showcased excellent cooking skills, but the creamy sauce was not to my liking. A dashi-mushroom consommé would have been a preferable alternative, as the lotus roots added an unwelcome level of saltiness.The standout of the evening was the duck, impeccably cooked and bursting with flavor. However, I wished for more Japanese influences, similar to the previous dishes, to maintain thematic consistency.The dessert, a bavarois, left much to be desired. The cream was broken, and the texture resembled scrambled eggs rather than the smooth consistency one would expect. This unfortunate misstep marked the end of an uneven culinary journey.In conclusion, while the restaurant exhibited ambition and skill in various aspects, the overall experience fell short of justifying the high cost. The lack of thematic consistency, underseasoned dishes, and flawed dessert left me with a sense of disappointment. Despite the Bib Gourmand accolade, this particular culinary adventure did not live up to my expectations.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
Georgia Lagore
We had a beautiful time at PiDGiN. It was our first time and our service was impressive. First time having some ingredients and they did not disappoint! We had the tasting menu and it was incredible.My partner has a shellfish allergy and he was treated with the utmost care.I would easily recommend this restaurant and return again.Our server was attentive and very good at his job. He was genuine and authentic, which can be difficult to see these days.We were out celebrating a special occasion, so thank you for making it memorable for us!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sablefish, Smoked Magret Duck Breast
Gag Val
I love it here. The staff ensures I have a wonderful time.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Desy Cheng
PiDGiN (Gastown)Food and service was fantastic! Yes I would definitely come here again =). Below is what we ordered in order of what I thought was the most delicious:STUFFED FERMENTED CABBAGE $20compressed mutsu apple, enoki mushrooms, almond and miso glaze. WOW!!!! I honestly would have never chose this dish but was recommended by our server. I'm so glad I did because if I were to come back, I would 100% order this again! I was SHOCKED how delicious this was.FOIE GRAS RICE BOWL $37chestnuts, daikon, unagi glaze. This was superb. Really loved the flavor of it all! I would get this or the Pork Belly Rice bowl next time!CHICKEN WINGS $17gochujung sauce, tosazu pickle daikon. These were pretty good, nice and meaty and crispy! But are they best chicken wings ive ever had? Noooo, but they are still pretty good!PROSCIUTTO WRAPPED STURGEON $40lentils, braised beans, garlic koji, red wine butter sauce. Ok out of all 4 dishes, this was the only one I didn't like at all. Suprised because this was the most expensive one! The fish just tasted dry and not flavourful at all. Yes the beans/lentils was good, but not the fish. Very disappointed by this one. Sablefish from other restaurants is probably 100x better than this one!
The chicharron was pretty good, but the miso-marinated sablefish was amazing; the lotus roots were especially good. I also enjoyed the
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sablefish, Beef Tendon Chicharron
partner and I went before going to Shen Yen.we both had the tasting menu (veg) since some of the fish items on the carnivore menu weren't our particular tastes.food was absolutely amazing. service was incredible. when we told the server we were running low on time they and the kitchen accommodated us. dishes were served with full descriptions. sake flight was served with both descriptions and background which I loved.would go here again for sure and high on my recommendation list to friends. made for a fantastic start to an awesome night
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Went there for dinner last night with a party of 9. We had to get their set menu because we were over 6 ppl. The menu was $90 per person. I don’t understand how each dish can be so salty, vinegary and so bland at the same time. The food was imbalanced and sub par. Service was slow, each dish took over 20 mins to come out. We got there for 8 and left at 11:30. Not to mention, there’s a mandatory 20% tip added for the large group, which is standard but hard to swallow when the meal and service is so disappointing.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 2
A group dinner tonight was made so memorable by the outstanding team here, our whole trip was enhanced by the experience! The tasting menu (including the wine/sake pairing) was an exceptional choice, and the knowledge of our server Harrison heightened the whole experience tenfold. The atmosphere was warm and comfortable, with a clear undertone of sophistication. The evening was perfect from start to finish, and the whole group can’t wait to come back for another visit!We also highly recommend purchasing (or at the very least checking out) the surrealistic fairytale, Fishes & Wishes, they have on display! Three out of five of us took one home because of how impactful it was!Vegetarian options: One of the people in our group got the vegetarian tasting menu and it was wonderful!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place has been around for 11 years. I can’t believe it took me that long to finally eat there. Food is delicious. Pork belly on rice was a favorite. Will try the tasting menu next time. Flight of sake was awesome. Great decor and music.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Sablefish, Korean Rice Cake, Pork Belly Rice Bowl
Nothing but great things to share about the gem of a restaurant, Pidgin. A few of the dishes they offer are phenomenal, including the foie gras rice bowl and chicken wings. Each dish is great though. The staff were attentive even though they were busy with several tasks at times. For dessert, their beignets were the standout that really highlighted their skills in combining ingredients from cuisines of different cultures really well. A must visit!Vegetarian options: They have a few vegetarian options, though the vast majority of their dishes contain meat.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Foie Gras Rice Bowl, Szechuan Beignets, Chicken Wings
Went with a group of friends and did the tasting menu with wine/sake pairing. While all courses (but the dessert) were amazing, the portions were ridiculously small. We left still hungry and some of us went for a second dinner. Considering the tasting menu is almost 100 dollars, one would expect the portions to be somehow decent instead of being 2-3 bites each. The service was also a bit slow. I would recommend the restaurant for the food quality for sure, but price or portion adjustments are definitely needed.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 3
We loved our first visit to Pidgin! The food was exceptional as was the service. We did the winter tasting menu and loved every dish. Our favorites were the celeriac salad, foie duo, the lamb saddle, and the sablefish. Wonderful and reasonably priced for the quality and service!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sablefish
Great experience and amazing food, would definitely eat there again.Dietary restrictions: Open for celiac which is great!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Foie Gras Rice Bowl
My partner and I went to PidGin last night for dinner and had a wonderful evening! We tried the tasting menu. Initial impressions of the first three courses - they were flavorful but on the smaller side. However the latter half of tasting menu definitely redeemed itself with bigger portions and of course, they were delicious. Our server, James was amazing and cared enough to make sure we walked away full and included an extra dish for us. He was knowledgeable, friendly, and attentive throughout the evening.The ambience of the restaurant was also lovely :)Overall a really great experience. Would go back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Honestly pretty disappointing experience. We had a few different table staff and props to most of them. They were fun and friendly. But the food and overall experience left a lot to be desired. Been twice now and was hoping this would be the redemption. It's just okay. Certainly not worth the price and not worth dealing with where it's located.The food was okay at best. It wasn't bad but it was very underwhelming. Many core simple elements either under (Bok Choy) or over cooked (Carrots). The main duck was underwhelming, a small portion even by fine dining standards, and honestly a lot of the meal just felt like something that could be prepared at home if you wanted to spend the time. At half the price I could recommend, but it's really punching above its weight class with prices. It isn't bad food but it does not deliver on the total package it's selling unfortunately.Additionally any sense of atmosphere was ruined by the staff allowing this insanely selfish woman blind everyone in the tiny mood lit restaurant with her portable light as she pretended to be some kind of food blogger, which she was clearly not. I couldn't believe staff served her while she had this powered on in her hands. Absolutely hilarious.This was really the cherry on the mediocre cake. It was an incredibly funny scene as half the restaurant constantly moaned and recoiled every time a dish was served to her table and she dawned her portable sun to record her meal and ruin everyone else's. Peak Vancouver.Ridiculously obnoxious and underwhelming experience from a place that apparently won a bib since the the last time we tried it.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 4
As an avid food enthusiast, the news that this restaurant had been honored with the prestigious Bib Gourmand award filled me with excitement and anticipation. However, my experience, in the end, left me with mixed feelings. The tasting menu, while showcasing culinary ambition, fell short in certain aspects.The culinary journey kicked off with a fish on toast featuring Madai, one of my favorite fishes. Unfortunately, the promised aging and flavor of the kelp failed to make an impression. The dish lacked seasoning, appearing bland and leaving me yearning for the expected depth of flavors. Despite their admirable effort in crafting their own brioche, it arrived at the table with a stale undertone, as if it had been prepared days prior.The second course, a celeriac salad, proved to be monotonous and uninspiring. However, the pickled celeriac added a much-needed burst of flavor, rescuing the dish from complete dullness. Moving on to the seasonal tempura, the choice of vegetables was commendable, but the ginger slices were a bit too thick for my liking. The sauce at the bottom failed to impress, and a classic ten-tsuyu or flavored salt might have been a safer choice.The fourth dish, a foie duo, suffered from a lack of cohesion. The transition from hot tempura to cold foie gras felt disjointed. While each element was well-executed individually, the overpowering unagi sauce dominated the palate, overshadowing the intricate flavors of the other components.Transitioning to warm dishes, the fish showcased excellent cooking skills, but the creamy sauce was not to my liking. A dashi-mushroom consommé would have been a preferable alternative, as the lotus roots added an unwelcome level of saltiness.The standout of the evening was the duck, impeccably cooked and bursting with flavor. However, I wished for more Japanese influences, similar to the previous dishes, to maintain thematic consistency.The dessert, a bavarois, left much to be desired. The cream was broken, and the texture resembled scrambled eggs rather than the smooth consistency one would expect. This unfortunate misstep marked the end of an uneven culinary journey.In conclusion, while the restaurant exhibited ambition and skill in various aspects, the overall experience fell short of justifying the high cost. The lack of thematic consistency, underseasoned dishes, and flawed dessert left me with a sense of disappointment. Despite the Bib Gourmand accolade, this particular culinary adventure did not live up to my expectations.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
We had a beautiful time at PiDGiN. It was our first time and our service was impressive. First time having some ingredients and they did not disappoint! We had the tasting menu and it was incredible.My partner has a shellfish allergy and he was treated with the utmost care.I would easily recommend this restaurant and return again.Our server was attentive and very good at his job. He was genuine and authentic, which can be difficult to see these days.We were out celebrating a special occasion, so thank you for making it memorable for us!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sablefish, Smoked Magret Duck Breast
I love it here. The staff ensures I have a wonderful time.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
PiDGiN (Gastown)Food and service was fantastic! Yes I would definitely come here again =). Below is what we ordered in order of what I thought was the most delicious:STUFFED FERMENTED CABBAGE $20compressed mutsu apple, enoki mushrooms, almond and miso glaze. WOW!!!! I honestly would have never chose this dish but was recommended by our server. I'm so glad I did because if I were to come back, I would 100% order this again! I was SHOCKED how delicious this was.FOIE GRAS RICE BOWL $37chestnuts, daikon, unagi glaze. This was superb. Really loved the flavor of it all! I would get this or the Pork Belly Rice bowl next time!CHICKEN WINGS $17gochujung sauce, tosazu pickle daikon. These were pretty good, nice and meaty and crispy! But are they best chicken wings ive ever had? Noooo, but they are still pretty good!PROSCIUTTO WRAPPED STURGEON $40lentils, braised beans, garlic koji, red wine butter sauce. Ok out of all 4 dishes, this was the only one I didn't like at all. Suprised because this was the most expensive one! The fish just tasted dry and not flavourful at all. Yes the beans/lentils was good, but not the fish. Very disappointed by this one. Sablefish from other restaurants is probably 100x better than this one!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Chicken Wings, Foie Gras Rice Bowl