A Glowing Glowbal Experience
Location: 590 West Georgia St, Vancouver BC (TELUS Garden)
Price: $40 for one person (Dine Out Menu)
Phone #: (604) 602-0835
Rating: ★★★☆☆
When it comes to good food, Downtown Vancouver is definitely the place to be. From fast food restaurants such as Five Guys, to multicultural food such as JapaDog, downtown has it all. The area even has its own fleet of food trucks, which can be found on nearly every street corner of downtown. My recent visit to Glowbal, a restaurant at the TELUS Garden, once again cemented Downtown Vancouver’s reputation as a foodie’s paradise.
Glowbal is the namesake and flagship restaurant of the Glowbal Restaurant Group that includes other restaurants around B.C. including Coast, and Italian Kitchen. It is located at 590 West Georgia on the ground floor of TELUS Garden. Opening two years ago, Glowbal is a relatively new restaurant that serves North American cuisine ranging from meats to seafood. The restaurant’s diverse menu, created by Executive Chef Pedro Gonzalez, means that even the pickiest eaters can find something they can enjoy.
On a rainy gloomy afternoon in January, our class visited TELUS Gardens to sample the dine out menu of the restaurant. Dine Out is an annual Vancouver event where select Vancouver restaurants put forth their best selections into one menu at an affordable price for the enjoyment of local residents.
Upon entering the restaurant, I was struck by the impressive ambiance. As it was lunchtime, the restaurant was slightly noisy and filled with businessmen, the restaurant’s main customer demographic. At the same time, the restaurant had a comforting atmosphere with quiet and calm music playing in the background. There was also a large fireplace by the entrance welcoming customers to enjoy the warmth of the restaurant. The restaurant also had a large television located at the bar that customers could watch sports on during the evening. Overall, the location was convenient and easy to get to with a mood that makes customers want to visit more than once.
Immediately after entering the restaurant, we were led to our seats and given menus. Having looked at the menu online, we made quick work of ordering and sat to wait for our food, which arrived soon after we ordered.
My appetizer to start off the meal, Ahi Tuna Tataki, a tuna dish accompanied by papaya slaw, avocado mousse, orange segments, and lemon wasabi vinaigrette.
The first dish to arrive was our appetizers. I had ordered the Ahi Tuna Tataki, a tuna dish accompanied by papaya slaw, avocado mousse, orange segments, and lemon wasabi vinaigrette. The dish was a mixture of tastes and textures. It was crunchy on the outside but soft on the inside and combined together with the sweet taste of tuna with the salty taste of the vinaigrette. Below the tuna was a mixture of vegetables which were sweet and fresh. However, the vegetables and tuna did not go well together and acted as a decoration more than a pairing.
Sometime after the appetizer, the entrées arrived. I tried the Szechuan Peppercorn Braised Beef Short Ribs with chive spätzle and Napa cabbage. When I poked my fork through the short ribs, it was softer than expected. My fork went right through without any resistance. When tasting the ribs, I found it slightly salty and slightly dry. The dish could’ve used slightly more seasoning. The chives below, like the vegetables in the appetizer, were sweet and fresh. They tasted like pasta and went really well with the ribs. As I got to the bottom of the dish, I found the lower ribs hard and dry and difficult to eat. It also lacked flavor and was unappetizing compared to the rest of the ribs. In my opinion, the chives outshone the ribs, which is never a good thing, as the entrée should be the highlight of the entire meal.
My dessert to end the meal, S’mores Cheesecake
For dessert, I had the S’mores Cheesecake. There was a thin layer of chocolate above a piece of cheesecake with pieces of cooked marshmallows surrounding it. Overall, I found the chocolate a cheesecake combination very complimentary of each other. However, the smores on the outside and the blueberry sauce on top felt excessive and unneeded. That being said, it could not overcome the taste of the cheesecake and found myself wanting to ask for more.
We left the restaurant pleased but not satisfied. Our servers were attentive and caring, coming around multiple times to ask how we were enjoying our food and our food arrived in a timely manner. However, many of us left feeling hungry, despite the $40 price tag.
Overall, the ambiance of the restaurant made it a viable option for fine dining or celebrations. However, the taste of the entrée was underwhelming and was outshone by the appetizer and dessert. Dining at Glowbal was a pleasant experience and deserves an overall rating of 3 out of 5.
Atmosphere: Comforting and warm
Sound: Slightly loud
Highlight dish: Ahi Tuna Takaki
Reservation: Accepted (Online and phone #)
Christopher is currently a Grade 12 student from Hong Kong who came to Canada as a boarder in Grade 9. In his spare time, Chris enjoys reading, taking...
