Billing itself as ‘nuevo Latino,’ new Gastown eatery uses traditional spices, ingredients, while giving them a unique twist
Linda Bates
Sun
Stuart Irving, executive chef and owner of Cobre, holds up handfuls of hot red peppers before adding them to some of his ‘nuevo Latino’ dishes. At his new Gastown restaurant, Irving has come up with his own interpretations of Latin American-influenced fare, while still using traditional ingredients. VANCOUVER SUN PHOTO
Cosmopolitan Vancouverites have been travelling to South American countries like Peru, Equador, Argentina and Brazil and returning home with a taste for the food and drink of these locales, only to find out few restaurants in the city offer such fare.
However, other North American cities are discovering this culinary bounty. In Portland, the Peruvian restaurant Andina has won multiple awards. In Seattle, Mixteca (co-owned by Vancouver Latin Quarter’s Oscar Acosta) is bringing the haute cuisine of Peru to that city, with rave reviews.
Now, finally, at the new Gastown restaurant Cobre, the pisco sours are flowing and the likes of ceviche, empanadas and dulce de leche are on the menu.
This is not to say that Cobre, which bills itself as “nuevo Latino,” is presenting the traditional cuisine of any country. Executive chef/owner Stuart Irving, has come up with his own interpretation of the dishes — just as he did in his wildly popular previous restaurant, Wild Rice — making use of traditional spices and ingredients while giving them his own creative spin.
Irving and his partners Tyson Reimer (general manager) and Jason Kelly (beverage director) have created an elegant, sophisticated space in this Gastown heritage building, with exposed brick walls, slate floors and copper accents on the walls and ceilings.
I was initially wary — would this be one of those super-chic new lounge/tapas bars where someone over 40 years old and 110 pounds feels out of place? Or where you pay $60 for a diminutive portion?
I needn’t have worried. Diners included many families and even extended families, and the atmosphere was relaxed and friendly. We ended up having a pleasant visit with the young couple at the next table, whose three-month-old daughter seemed entranced by all around her. Dishes, served tapas-style, are large enough that three or four (in the range of $12 each) are plenty for two.
We started with a surprise appetizer not on the menu. My dining companion had brought some zucchini from her garden for me, and as a lark, she gave one to the chef — who sent it back to our table, transformed into tiny zucchini tacos.
With that charming start we were set to like all our dishes, and we did. The scallops in the ceviche were sliced, not diced, and came with a jicama salad that set off the tartness of the fish.
Our chicken mole empanada was, once again, not like any empanada we’d seen, with the mole sauce inside the shell. The pineapple salsa was the perfect complement. An Ecuadorean quinoa salad with oranges, Brazil nuts and organic greens gave us our greens and contrasted nicely to our last dish, a flash-seared skirt steak with a peppercorn rub, combined with mashed potatoes with chorizo.
We wished we’d saved more room for dessert: it’s rare to find dulce de leche, a sort of caramelized sweet milk with fruit, on any menu, and my rich, creamy chocolate mousse with churros was the best I’ve ever had, the chocolate set off with a hint of hot pepper.
Don’t be intimidated by all the Spanish terms. Irving, who says he didn’t want to “English up” the menu too much, provides a glossary. It might sound like homework, but once you’ve tasted the flavours, you’ll want to know more about them.
The menu includes several types of South American cocktails and liqueurs, as well as more well-known ones like martinis, and a respectable wine list, all at reasonable prices.
Servers were friendly and attentive.
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COBRE
Overall: 4
Food: 4
Ambience: 4
Service: 3 1/2
Price: $$
52 Powell St., 604-669-2396, Open daily 5 p.m. to “late,” www.cobrerestaurant.com
Restaurant visits are conducted anonymously and interviews are done by phone. Restaurants are rated out of five stars.
© The Vancouver Sun 2007
