Had the opportunity to dine at AnnaLena for the first time last night and walked away genuinely impressed.
Atmosphere We sat at the bar, which turned out to be the right call. It offered an angled sightline into the kitchen and let us watch the team work through each course, including the pastry chef, throughout the evening.
Menu and Dishes The menu is a set 8-course experience. We opted out of the supplement, which adds caviar, truffles, and an upgraded beef course. Here is what we had, in order:
Elk Tartare "Cheeseburger": A deconstructed take with tallow-caramelized onions. A little messy but my wife and I both loved it.
PEI Oysters, Cured and Smoked Tuna, Shaved Foie Gras, Shiso: A lot happening on the plate, but it worked. Clean, elegant, and well balanced.
Duck, Daikon, Vinaigrette: Simple but vinaigrette was really the star here.
Prawn and Mussels in Lobster Bisque: Outstanding flavour profile. Rich but not heavy.
King Oyster Mushroom, Mushroom, Chili Crisp: Solid but nothing jumped out at me with this dish.
Beef Striploin and Braised Cheek, Broccolini, Reduction: The two preparations of beef complemented each other well, and the reduction was really nice without it being overwrought.
Vancouver Island Cheese, Sourdough: A simple cheese course. A nice pause before the finish.
Sunchoke Ice Cream, Miso Caramel: An unexpected but genuinely delicious dessert. We also received a bonus bite of a liquid nitrogen cookie that was fun closer to the night.
Service Warm and efficient throughout. The bar seating gave us a front-row view of the kitchen, and the staff were attentive without being intrusive.
Overall Impression AnnaLena lands somewhere between approachable and ambitious. The cooking is executed on level above most places in the city and the flavour balance across nearly every dish was excellent. One of the best meals I've had in Vancouver in recent memory. Would return without hesitation.
by Vanfancy