[Vancouver] Glowbal Grill

Glowbal is a new opened flagship restaurant of the Global Restaurant Group located in the Telus Garden of downtown Vancouver. Other known restaurants are Black & Blue, The Fish Shack, Coast, Italian Kitchen and etc.

Decor

Glowbal hosts a spacious environment both in the restaurant and on the patio.

There are two floors, a nice open space dining area, as well as a number of rooms available for private parties and junctions. In different corners of the restaurant, hosts different dining atmospheres.

One unusual thing I noticed was the round tables in the Gold Room. They are often seen in Asian cuisine restaurants but rarely in Western restaurants. In my opinion, this is a plus for bigger parties or families that want to have a more closely seated dining experience, more convenient for sharing plates and socializing for everyone.

The patio has a very interesting design, those of a lantern or a bird cage. Since the location is situated in the Telus Garden, this idea fits perfectly into the surroundings.

It was pretty chilly the day we visited, so the patio was not really an option for us, but I would definitely want to dine on the patio the next time I come here.

Food

There was a promotion coupon event for a $145 worth Sunday night dinner for two at a price of $75. Four courses and a complimentary glass of red of white wine of choice. Sounds like a pretty good deal I would say.

Since this was considered as a tasting menu, the courses are set, therefore, there was not much choice for us. The only alteration is the possibility of upgrading the main dish. The addition of the lobster tail or the snow crab for $15 and an upgrade from the New York strip to the wagyu beef for $18.

Course One

Robata roasted oysters to share

- Provençale breading, shallots, bacon, horseradish cream.

A sharing plate, one for each person. The horseradish cream perfectly complements the oysters. I'm not a fan of horseradish, but it made a lovely combination to the dish.

I do think one oyster for each person is too less of a portion, maybe two per person would be more balanced as a first course appetizer. The guys at the table gulped it down in two seconds. lol.

Course Two

Boston wedge salad

- Iceberg lettuce, bacon, crispy onions, egg, tomato, Roquefort cheese.

Although it was a bit of work having to cut up the lettuce to form a salad, the presentation of the salad was fantastic. The lettuce was fresh, onions crispy, not too oily, sprinkled with some Roquefort cheese, very delicious.

One minus was there was a little bit too much dressing on the salad, thus a bit on the salty side.

On another note, doesn't it look like a smiley face on the bottom of the plate? The bacon and the cherry tomato makes up the eyes, another bacon bit for the nose, and the curled up crispy onion for the mouth... haha :)

Course Three

Surf & Turf

- 10 oz. New York Strip with a jumbo tiger prawn, wild mushroom marsala demi-glacé, seasonal vegetables, mashed potatoes.

Despite the name surf & turf, the surf portion is more of an optional upgrade. For the original menu version, one jumbo tiger prawn is all you receive for the seafood. Other than that, the steak was made perfectly.

My dad and brother opted for the upgrade, one had the lobster tail, and another got the snow crab.

Apparently, when the check came, we found out they both also got a steak upgrade to the wagyu beef... No one knew, so we had no idea how it tasted different from the New York. (sigh)

I'm not a person who eats a lot of meat, so the 10 oz. was way too much for me. In the end I only had about a quarter of it and could not continue on. None of us could finish the entire dish, it was such a waste! especially since we didn't know the guys ordered the wagyu, we didn't even have a bite of theirs lol...

Course Four (Dessert)

Warm Beignets to share

- Jim Beam caramel sauce, cinnamon sugar

A bowl of freshly made beignets to share among the table for dessert. In total there was probably around 10, which was more than enough to end our meal. Drizzeled with caramel sauce, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, it pairs perfectly with a cup of coffee! Other than the salad, this was my favourite part of our meal today. To be fair, I am a dessert person, so these beignets were definitely my style.

If you aren't familiar with this dish, beignet is a French term for a pastry made from deep fried choux pastry. It is well known in New Orleans and are basically "fried dough" aka donuts, French style :)

I highly recommend trying these out if you ever come across them, especially for anyone who likes donuts, in a more fluffy manner!

Verdict

The four course dinner for two is definitely worth it at the price of only $75. Great as a tasting menu, a good variety of bits and pieces from their menu selection. However, since there are no substitutions, I do not recommend to a light eater, especially towards meats, like myself. Rather, judging from the food orders of people around me, a try at the normal menu is a must.

Overall, it was a tasty meal, I had a great dining experience. I would recommend Glowbal for anyone looking for a spacious, up-beat, modern restaurant for any occasion.