New Year’s Eve: 7 options for dine-in or take-home feasting
From Japanese to Thai to Italian, Vancouver restaurants offer celebratory menus to bid farewell to 2020
Tojo’s has introduced jubako, inspired by New Year’s Day traditions in Japan, to ring in the New Year. Photo by Leila Kwok
WITH RESTAURANTS OPERATING at reduced capacity due to health restrictions, openings for New Year’s Eve dining may not be as plentiful as they have been in the past. However, even at this late stage, there are still tantalizing ways to welcome 2021 with flavours from near and far.
Maenam.
At Maenam, chef Angus An is cooking up four-course New Year’s Eve Chef’s Tasting Menus for dine-in or, for the first time, takeout. With pescatarian and vegetarian options, each of the Thai feasts features a snack duo, starter, soup, three main-course dishes, and a pair of desserts ($58 per person, minimum two people). Among the highlights: spicy grilled scallop, tom yum coconut-mushroom soup, hot and sour stir-fried lingcod, red cumin curry of duck confit, and grilled banana with coconut caramel. More details are at maenam.ca.
On PiDGiN executive chef Wesley Young’s seven-course Asian-French-fusion menu are canapés such as ume daikon with wasabi tobiko; smoked chicken heart with potato, mayo, and shiso; and foie torchon on mantou bun with quince chutney. There’s also miso soup, buckwheat crêpe with Northern Divine caviar and Dungeness crab, Magret duck, yuzu sorbet, and more. It’s $165 per person; see PiDGiN for more info.
Nuba.
Nuba is taking reservations at all of its locations until 9 pm, so you can dine on Lebanese fare and be home in time to watch the ball drop; takeout and meal kits are other options. Highlights from the menu are Najib’s special plate: crispy cauliflower tossed with lemon and sea salt and served with hummus, pickled cabbage, and olives; grilled Mount Lehman chicken tawook (marinated in paprika, thyme, lemon, and garlic confit); and halal lamb merguez meatballs with tzatziki. See the full menu here.
To ring in the New Year, chef Hidekazu Tojo has introduced jubako (pictured at top) at his eponymous restaurant. Available until January 2, the intricate, tiered sets (which are similar to bento boxes) are inspired by foods traditionally eaten in Japan on New Year’s Day called osechi ryori. They’re wrapped in furoshiki cloth; inside, every item is cooked in some way, whether it’s smoked, stewed, pickled, or candied (meaning a set can to last two or three days, if not consumed in one sitting). Ingredients are imbued with symbolism: candied smelt is said to represent bounty, while prawns (with their curved backs and antennae beards) signify longevity. The Holiday box is $135, and Tojo’s Treasure Box is $300; advance ordering is required. See Tojo’s website for more information.
Cibo Trattoria.
The first seating at Cibo Trattoria features executive chef Jesse Zuber’s four-course menu ($75 per person). It includes tuna crudo with artichoke and smoked-char caviar, sunchoke-stuffed agnolotti, a duo of beef (red wine-braised short rib and roasted ribeye), and tiramisu. More info is here. (The later seating is sold-out.)
Homer Street Café and Bar will have its regular menu available for dine-in or take-out on NYE, with special additions like Northern Divine caviar. Executive chef Bobby Milheron and chef de cuisine Tosh Agassiz have also created a five-course New Year’s Eve Homer @ Home menu with cheese and charcuterie; chilled snow crab and prawns; house-smoked coho salmon; rotisserie prime rib with creamed spinach and mushrooms and twice-baked russet potato; plus a peanut butter chocolate bar. (It serves two and costs $180). As a bonus, beverage director JS Dupuis has pulled together a French Bubbles Discovery Package ($147), a set of four sparkling wines from across France that are not the easiest to find in B.C. (The package offers a 40 percent discount from the restaurant’s wine list pricing.) See homerstreetcafebar.com for more.
If North American fare pleases your palate, in addition to offering dine-in service, JOEY Restaurants is packing up three-course meals for NYE at home. Choices for mains are a seven-ounce Cab prime sirloin with peppercorn sauce; grilled mushroom chicken with hunter sauce; or herb-crush salmon with truffle beurre blanc. Dinner comes with house salad, butter-whipped potatoes, roasted asparagus, and a salted-caramel dessert jar ($85 per person). The optional midnight Celebration Kit comes with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot, truffle popcorn, and brownies ($99). Additional info is here.
PiDGiN.
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