Latab Wine Bar
983 Helmcken | 604-428-7004 | Latab.ca
Open Thursday-Monday from 6pm until late.
Anyone remember Mis Trucos (My Tricks) on Davie Street a handful of years ago? The tiny white heritage house (which now houses Gurkha Himalayan Kitchen) was home to Kris Barnholden’s Spanish-influenced small plates eatery. The name was apt. With practically no kitchen, Barnholden found inventive ways of serving up everything from truffled lobster risotto to cured salmon over apple-beet slaw. His tricks were spectacular, and sorely missed when the restaurant closed. Happily, after a few years in Toronto, Barnholden is back in Vancouver, and has opened Latab (meaning “my table” in the Chinook jargon) in partnership with his former Mis Trucos GM Eryn Dorman. The two have taken over a tiny room on one side of the Wall Centre, and given it a cozy, clean makeover.
The space really is tiny, with only 20-odd seats inside (although an outdoor space might eventually hold another 10). It matches the menu and wine list, both of which rotate weekly, with some dishes changing nightly. As for the concept, Barnholden, when speaking over the phone, describes this as “food for our future selves. I look at the ethical and health aspects of what we eat,” he explains. “We support small producers, and buy wine in small amounts, so we can change what’s offered with the changes to the menu.” Prices are equally tiny. None of the dishes (with one $15 exception) broke the $12-mark.
Everything is made in-house, from the flatbreads, crisps and brioche (Barnholden mills the flour he purchases from local producers himself) to the salts, smoked butter and pickles. Sea urchin bottarga over “living bread” ($7) is a complex collection of flavours and textures. The “bread” is actually a dehydrated crisp made from pureed vegetables and flax seed, topped with smoked butter and fresh radishes. The bottarga is then grated over top of the lot. It’s salty, crispy, tangy, earthy, and rich, and we clean the plate quickly, using our fingers to pick up leftover bits of the urchin. Sidestripe prawn crudo ($12) is so fresh and silky I expect to see wriggling on the plate. The long shrimp are layered with shavings of pine mushroom and crispy duck skin, and sprinkled with grand fir salt.
The food is so inventive, it might initially turn off diners who may well wonder about such dishes as cricket dumplings and duck cotechino with clams. While the former wasn’t a favourite – it wasn’t bad, but the dumplings, made from cricket flour, where a tad heavy – the latter is brilliant, as is the duck liver ($11), which is whipped silk studded with golden beets and marmalade.
The winner of the night was the vegetable “egg” ($12). When it arrived at the table, my first thought was, “Yeah, he’s screwing with vegans, that’s a real egg.” Nope. The yolk is actually pureed pumpkin, and it’s yolky, runny deliciousness. You actually have to poke the celeriac “egg white” to let the yolk flow over the charred wild mushrooms, green onion and creamy pumpkin seed “cheese.” It might be vegan, but I know a few dedicated meat eaters who would – and did – order this again.
Dorman looks after the solid front of house service and the excellent wine list, which focuses on biodynamic and organic offerings (everything is available by the glass). Don’t miss cocktails ($10) like the Edna Crabapple or the Hannah Brooke Presse.
Latab is a wine bar, yes (and a great addition to a part of downtown that is seriously underserved), but the food tricks here are slightly magical and worth returning for all on their own.
All ratings out of five stars.
Food: ★★★★
Service: ★★★★
Ambiance: ★★★
Value: ★★★★
Overall: ★★★★
Hear Anya every Monday on CBC Radio One’s On the Coast. Find her on Twitter @foodgirlfriday and Facebook.com/FoodGirlFriday.
Rating guide:
★: Okay, nothing memorable.
★★: Good, shows promise.
★★★: Very good, occasionally excellent.
★★★★: Excellent, consistently above average.
★★★★★: Awe-inspiring, practically perfect in every way.
