The Flying Pig

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The main reason I love Vancouver so much (besides its temperate climate and beautiful coastlines) is the bustling food scene and higher restaurant standards. To find a decent, affordable restaurant is like shooting fish in a barrel. Even on a day when you feel spontaneous, you can’t go too wrong for just picking a random restaurant off the street.

This summer, when I wandered through Gastown, my friend suggested to check out The Flying Pig, which categories itself as a “nouveau Canadian Bistro” that offers a seasonally inspired menu with fresh, local ingredients.

“The Flying Pig” is an interesting name – seems to be a popular fictional character that only appears in cartoon and fairy tales. However, it is also used to convey the idea that the impossibles can happen. It’s time to let your imagination go wild!

Its interior palette features wood in soothing, natural tones – light brown, white, and black. It felt like an escape into the woods, except the loud blasting background music pulled us back to reality. If weather permits, I would much prefer seating at the outdoor patio.

In order to try a variety of dishes, we picked a few sides and appies to share instead of simply ordering a single entree per person.

Knowing that we were splitting the small plates, the server thoughtfully split the rocket and watercress beetroot salad ($8.5) into two serving plates. To my surprise, the combination of beetroot and goat cheese was delightful. When eaten together, the earthy taste of the beetroot and funky smell of the goat cheese canceled each other out, leaving a refreshing, sweet taste behind. Along with pears and candied walnuts, the salad offered a great balance of nutrition and flavor 🙂

rocket and watercress beetroot salad

The tantalizing aroma of freshly baked garlic bread filled the air. There’s nothing more comforting and soulful than the bone marrow cheezy bread ($6.5). Topped with melting shredded cheese and fresh garlic paste, the bread delivered a strong fragrant taste. The cheese was not overwhelming at all. Nonetheless, the bread could be slightly more crispier.

bone marrow cheezy bread

Next up was the satisfying lobster and prawn risotto ($11). A dollop of butter-rich mascarpone gave this risotto its luxurious creamy consistency. The cheesy flavor was slightly toned down by adding a little bit of lemon juices. We gleefully enjoyed the bowl of sumptuous prawns and lobster meat. The only thing they needed to improve on was the firmness of the rice.

lobster and prawn risotto

The pulled pork poutine ($7.5) was laden with sweet, smoky, fork-tender meat, thoroughly melted cheese, and thick-cut fries. It’s undeniably an amazing Canadian soul food classic! However, the fries were too soggy from being soaked in the sauce. Hmm… there seemed to be a recurring problem here with the carbs…

pulled pork poutine

4 small dishes actually fed us well! I was very happy with the quality of food and service. Next time when I am in Vancouver, I will try the entrees and remember to send a request for making the pasta and rice al dente 😉