1967 West Broadway, Vancouver

Tel: 604-568-4885

Web: http://www.maplegrill.com

Advice: closed Friday night and Saturday (they open after sundown on Saturday). Serving lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch. Reservations are a good idea.

Ima's Hummus

Turkei Schnitzel

Pesto Chicken Breast

My friend Alejandro and I had dinner here recently, he often joins me when there is a new Mexican restaurant in the city, this time it was his first time to eat in a Kosher restaurant. I have eaten in many Kosher restaurants around the world and too often they aren’t focused on gourmet cuisine, at the Maple Grill I was pleasantly surprised. To begin our meal and our Kosher gourmet journey, we shared Ima’s Hummus ($6.50) – topped with chickpeas, toasted sesame seeds, olive oil and served with brown pita bread. For our main plate entrees, I had the deliciously large Turkei Schnitzel ($22) -breaded and pan seared, topped with pea shoots dressed in an herb vinaigrette with toasted pine nuts, accompanied by two sides, of the eight sides to choose I had the Roasted Rosemary Potatoes and the Grilled white asparagus and red pepper; Alejandro had the Pesto Chicken Breast ($23) – tender chicken stuffed with house-made basil pesto and for his two sides he had the Saffron Risotto and Roasted Rosemary Potatoes. The menu offers a good selection of Appetizers, Soups and Salads from some traditional favourites including Matzo Ball Soup to inventive salads such as The Black Hat Salad. Their are Casual Plates which are mostly burgers such as the Moroccan Burger and Ocean Burger where you can substitute the accompanying fries with onion rings, soup or side salad upon request. Then their are the Main Plates which offers a varied selection of entrees such as a 10 oz Rib-eye Steak for $32 which is the most expensive item on the menu. All the Main Plates come with your choice of two sides and you can ask for seconds or thirds of the tasty sides too.

Apple Strudel topped with Soy Ice Cream

We were both quite full after our dinner, however that wasn’t going to stop us in trying at least one of the desserts. We shared the Apple Strudel ($6.50) – round pastry filled with apples and cinnamon topped with a scoop of their home-made soy ice cream ($1 extra). The dessert was unbelievably good and after I found out who the pastry chef was, I was tempted to order another, next time I will have my own dessert!

This west coast Kosher kitchen is inventive and the dishes are flavourful. The decor is elegant with black walls and hard wood flooring, the seating is very comfortable. Our server was welcoming and offered guidance with the menu selection. The bar menu offers Kosher wines along with an extensive selection of beers on tap.

Review by: Richard Wolak