Restaurant review: Abode (Robson St.)

By Sherman Chan,
Special to The Post

Arriving at Abode Restaurant, we were a bit nervous due to the mixed reviews online.
Things started off quite nicely with the Cauliflower Poppers served with garlic aioli and red pepper hummus. In manageable-sized nuggets, the poppers were lightly crispy on the outside while tender and not too soft on the inside. These were dusted with some spice to finish.
We found the garlic aioli a near-perfect match as it added aromatics and saltiness to the mildly-spiced cauliflower. As for the hummus, it was too flat-tasting and thick for the poppers.
Next up, we had the sweet and spicy Ngong Wings with tangy lemon poppy dip and fresh cilantro garnish. These were fried first and then finished off on the grill. Hence, they were both crispy and exhibited a smoky char.
They were on the drier side, but for this application, it enabled the wings to have a more concentrated flavour.
We found them more sweet than spicy though. Despite not sounding like a match, the dip went well with the wings providing a cooling effect.
Afterwards, we sampled the Moroccan Braised Lamb Shank in a light tomato-based sauce consisting of a house made blend of ginger, garlic, cumin, jalapenos, cinnamon, a mix of smoked paprikas and spices. This was served atop pomegranate dirty rice.
The flavour profile was quite mild, yet when I took a big scoop of the veggies along with a piece of lamb, there was a good amount of tartness with a background spice. The lamb itself was moist throughout, including the exterior.
For our other entree, we decided on the Flank & Frites comprised of house marinated (24 hour) 8 oz flank steak, arugula salad and house cut Kennebec fries. From the very first bite, it was clear that the marinade had penetrated completely. Hence, the steak was very flavourful bordering on salty.
In fact, it had a beef jerky kind of taste to it. Prepared medium-rare, it was sufficiently tender for a flank steak. As for the frites, they were not bad but could've been even more crispy.
NOTE: *2 main dishes were comped*

Sherman Chan is the #1 ranked food blogger on the Vancouver portal of Urbanspoon.com. Read more of his reviews at www.shermansfoodadventures.com.

1223 Robson Street
Tel: 604 681 1411

The Good:
• Portion sizes are decent
• Fair pricing for dinner in Downtown

The Bad:
• Some execution issues