Mouth- watering Mediterranean
Che Baba Cantina, in a revived area of East Vancouver, excels with tasty, affordable food
It’s been under the radar but Che Baba Cantina is worth checking out, especially if you live in East Van. It’s on a formerly nondescript street that’s suddenly fashionable and arty.
In 2009, Les Faux Bourgeois brightened this orphan block of East 15th off Fraser Street. That French bistro sparked a blocklong gentrification. A coffee roaster, gluten- free bakery, art gallery, upscale children’s clothing shop form a hip little pod on the tree- lined street.
And as a book- end, another bistro from one of the Les Faux Bourgeois owners, Stephan Gagnon. It faces Kingsway at the end of the block. He teamed with Allison Weldon, formerly a trends forecaster for a London ( England) company with clients like Louis Vuitton and Moët & Chandon.
“We agree we wanted to open something that’s more than a dining experience,” says Gagnon. And “more” was an adjacent yoga studio expanding the business into Che Baba Cantina and Yoga Studio.
The name is a bit of a disconnection from the food, which, is very good and affordable. Behind the Mediterranean menu is chef Geoff Van Hassel, who levitates the food up and out of the ordinary. He was last the chef at Pourhouse and previously, sous chef at Bishop’s. His dishes are comfort dishes and he’s in total control of balanced flavours. Prices $ 7 to $ 10 for starters; mains, in most part, keep to south of the $ 20 mark.
One of my favourites was a poached pear and endive salad. It was somewhat architectural with endive leaves in a tower but with a generous amount of red winesoused pear segments, freshtasting almonds strewn through the layers and blue cheese, it was totally seductive. Roasted beet salad with candied walnuts, goat cheese, lemon thyme vinaigrette had a little more heft.
A rustic caramelized onion and rosemary tart ( I noted the wellmade pastry) with goat cheese and a side of arugula salad was also deeply delicious.
There’s a risotto and fish special every day. My truffle risotto with wild mushrooms delivered
Behind the Mediterranean menu is chef Geoff Van Hassel, who levitates the food up and out of the ordinary.
on truffle flavour and was showered with delicately grated Parmesan. Halibut was simply prepared: sautéed, drizzled with olive oil and served with a fennel salad, roasted cauliflower. Although it was a pale dish, it was very good.
Setting on his high- fat porkbelly confit with spaetzle, chestnuts, roasted apple, kale and grainy mustard jus ( sounds fabulous, doesn’t it?), my husband exhibited guilt: “Pork fat is the best fat ever. Pork fat just melts in your mouth.” Doesn’t it sound like guilt to you?
An oriechette special, with braised pheasant, kale, and Parmesan was earthy and light but the “ears” tended to clump together. Otherwise, it was a very good dish.
One of the dessert highlights are the macarons, made by Gourmand Macaron’s Paulin Calot. He has it down.
As well as dinner, Che Baba is open for lunch and brunch and I’d certainly go back for either. Dishes sound yummy: organic eggs on toast or crispy polenta; caramelized onion and rosemary tart; mushroom tartine with poached eggs, Parmesan and truffle oil on toast or crispy polenta; poached pear and brie sandwich; mouth watering?