Set in the former Rossini’s digs in Gastown, Flux Bistro tries to be modern but makes a miscalculation
Mia Stainsby
Sun
Flux Bistro in Gastown provides a window seat with Water Street ambience where lunch time customers Jaimie Tait (left), Mike Dickinson, Tom Fijal and D.J. Hicks were enjoying their meals. Photograph by : Ian Lindsay, Vancouver Sun
The notes for my first visit to Flux Bistro end with a police report file number.
I imagine the report goes something like this: “Bozos leave briefcase, tote bag and books in vehicle. In Gastown, no less! Car vandalized, value of stolen goods about $800.”
The only good that came out of our car break-in was that we discovered we had a hidden coin compartment in the car. Our better-informed vandal had left it agape as if to say, “What! No change? Next time, fill it up!”
I can’t say the meal preceding our misadventure made up for this inkier aspect of Vancouver culture. Flux Bistro had two tables of customers; one table took their leave and then there was only us. Good music eased some of our loneliness but the staff should have been dancing on the tables for us.
When we first walked in, a server walked towards us with a beaming smile; she walked right past us to a male friend walking in behind us. Lots of hugs. Later, she went out to the street to smooch with the guy. Another, more focused server was welcoming enough. There seemed to be no management and the place felt rudderless.
The food was a roller-coaster of ups and downs. The menu mostly features tapas dishes with some entrees on the specials menu. There’s also a more casual lunch menu with burgers, sandwiches and some small plates from the dinner menu.
I thought the chocolate butter poached tuna with salted plum, cured baby bok choy and peanut brittle sounded bizarre but it would be a good test. If the kitchen pulled it off, it could perform magic.
But it was off the rails. Peanut brittle had no business on this plate and the tuna had an iridescent shimmer, which is not normal.
Lox-wrapped halibut with lemon dill vin blanc also had a freshness issue. Panko chicken cutlets with yee mein and shiitake mushroom sauce lacked flavour.
Shrimp and green papaya salad almost had us but the vinaigrette was lacklustre. The one dish that redeemed this meal was a divine dessert — honey almond semi-freddo with white wine pear black pepper tuile. We steered clear of the frozen chipotle white chocolate souffle, leery of strange combinations after the tuna.
On our second visit, the kitchen seemed to be on a better groove, although not completely. Sauteed calamari with tomato garlic butter tapenade smelled too fishy to be appetizing; warm green bean and almond salad had an overly acidic vinaigrette.
However, the Alaska black cod with black bean cream sauce featured fresh fish, lively with flavour. And beef tenderloin medallions with tomato and bocconcini stack and port reduction was lovely. This time, the dessert, a cinnamon genoise layer cake with rose petal buttercream and red wine apricot preserve — with potential explosions of flavour — tasted like we’d kept it waiting too long.
Flux takes over from Rossini’s, which used the big-boned timbers to advantage in its Mediterranean styling. I think Flux, in trying to be modern, made a miscalculation. It’s a dark, crypt-like space. Near-white walls and lighter furnishings would bring out the old-growth timbers and original brick wall.
Owners Brian Redillas and Vincent Wong (also the chef) have assembled an interesting wine list, featuring a lot of small-production wineries from B.C. like Joie, Wild Goose, Mystic River and Therapy (try their Freudian Sip) as well as interesting global wines.
“We’re looking to get more boutiquey B.C. wines, a case at a time if needed. The wine list will keep evolving with the food,” says Redillas.
The food, actually, needs to catch up to the wines.
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FLUX
Overall: 2 1/2
Food: 2 1/2
Ambience: 2 1/2
Service: 2 1/2
Price: $$
162 Water St., 604-678-8800.
Open Sunday to Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Restaurant visits are conducted anonymously and interviews are done by phone. Restaurants are rated out of five stars.
© The Vancouver Sun 2007
