The Mandalay Lounge & Steakhouse delivers exotic flavours with a little pampering
Michelle Hopkins
Sun
Owner Allan Yeo (left) and executive chef Pavle Kontou of Mandalay Lounge & Steakhouse on the Steveston waterfront. Photograph by: Steve Bosch, Vancouver Sun
MANDALAY LOUNGE & STEAKHOUSE
140-3900 Bayview St.
Richmond B.C.
V7E 4R7
www.mandalaysteakhouse.com
Reservations: 604-628-2500
Hours: Seven days a week from 11 a.m. to midnight
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On those lazy, dog days of summer, Richmond residents believe nothing beats the charm and quaintness of Steveston’s waterfront.
On a brilliant Sunday afternoon, Dennis, my dining companion, and I head over to the newest waterfront eatery to hit the historic village. The Mandalay Lounge & Steakhouse opened recently after undergoing extensive renovations from the previous eatery. I can tell you there was a lot of hype and speculation surrounding the waterfront boutique-style restaurant.
The executive chef, Pavle Kontou, went for a menu with panache, offering contemporary European cuisine with a dash of Asian fusion.
The end result is an innovative menu with dishes that are sure to please even the most discerning palate. Don’t overlook the eatery’s signature Post Office Artichokes – sinfully delicious little pockets filled with fresh Parmesan and Swiss cheeses and served with a lime Malay cilantro salsa and sweet chili sauce (both sauces made in-house).
For his starter, Dennis went for the Mandalay prawns — garlic rubbed and pan-seared; simple and delicious.
While we sipped on a fine glass of red from my favourite Okanagan winery, Burrowing Owl, we perused the small but well-thought out carte du jour for our entrees.
I enjoyed classic West Coast fare — Ahi tuna drizzled with a wasabi compound butter served with coconut rice.
Dennis opted for one of the several signature steaks offered. Our friendly, yet professional, server recommended the 10-ounce New York strip loin with the South American chimichurri sauce (one of three homemade sauces to choose from). The Angus beef came with oxford garlic mash potatoes and asparagus. He didn’t have to tell me that his meal dinner was simply “divine,” his expression said it.
Kontou’s world gastronomic experience is reflected in the food’s exotic flavours and freshness. His culinary training took him to kitchens all over the world, including Europe, North and South America, all over the Mediterranean and across Canada.
“I tell the staff to let our customers know that it’s not fast food, so it does take a few more minutes for your food to get to the table,” says Kontou.
“But I promise it will be worth the wait.”
Kontou’s philosophy about food is simple: “You have to have passion and drive to create every culinary dish with the freshest ingredients in everything you touch and make … the rest will follow.”
Well, if our dining neighbours were any indications, Kontou was right. Although the eatery had only been in business a couple of weeks, this family of four was on their third visit and raving about the menu and ambience.
One of the owners is Steveston-raised Allan Yeo. The 30-year-old parlayed his extensive travels around the world (where he liberally indulged his passion for food and wine) into the design, décor and menu.
Yeo, along with partners/friends John Lim Hing and Athina Antunes, describe their restaurant as “offering modern Eurasian cuisine in an atmosphere this is at once sophisticated, funky and fun.”
Yeo created a Malaysian-inspired interior with lots of rich dark wood, stunning elephant sculptures, exotic flowers and white linen.
At the end of our meal, we digest the fact that not only does the Mandalay offer mouthwatering fare, it does so with just the right amount of pampering.
If all my friends’ reviews are any indication, the Mandalay should be one of the eateries to head to when you are in Steveston. The Mandalay Lounge & Steakhouse seats 100 inside and 30 on the patio.
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