AnnaLena — Restaurant in Vancouver

2nd review: 2/5 not melt in your mouth. Not making me want to have more. Not delicious :( I've had rabbit, duck, goose etc before and liked it, this time everything was just a bit smelly? A lot of the food I didn't finish and gave the rest to my boyfriend. Presentation was not there and smaller portions? The only thing I really liked was the seafood lottery dish, and the cucumber, grapes, vadouvan, labneh of the violets in the summer. Not worth $150

The best restaurant in Vancouver. Highly recommend. Reservations open 30 days ahead. Tasting menus only, which I didn't like at first but now love because you try things you might not order regularly. I do wish they did a la carte afterwards. Menu is $150. We had the tasting menu at labbatoir for $150 and it does not remotely compare to here. Easy to find street parking. Restaurant is warm, and low light but not dark that you can’t see. I love the pop culture decor, it makes it feel much more personalized rather than just bland, copy-and-paste restaurants. Every staff member who interacted with our table was amazing and acknowledged my boyfriend’s birthday which was appreciated. I love the menu design of their cocktails! Very vogue. It's also nice to see what your drink will look like as well. The bar is beautiful. All the food was so delicious. Truly chefs kiss. The presentation of everything was beautiful too. It was 6 courses. When I saw the oyster with foie gras on the menu I was worried as I hate foie gras, but it was my to-die-for, and absolute favourite dish of the night, it genuinely melts in your mouth. Presentation was cool, a styrofoam box brought to the table, lid was taken off and then liquid nitrogen came out. The crab, with sourdough, and ikura was my second favourite dish of the night. I loved the flavours, and texture. My boyfriend said it was too small. The tuna, with shiso, was good. The shiso is a bit strong and presentation-wise I can’t see the tuna, just the leaf. The pork secreto, with romesco, was done extremely well and was my boyfriend’s favourite dish. The heirloom tomato dish was great. Me and my partner both used our forks first to eat all the tomatoes and then used our spoons for the liquid. We both said we wished we had not used the forks to eat the tomatoes with the sauce together. My boyfriend found the liquid on the saltier side. The halibut with curry and torn bread was great. I found the curry a tad bit salty but my boyfriend thought it was fine. The kafir butter was good, light and not too salty. The shrimp, with noodles, and carbonara were good. The shrimp was a unique flavour, different, on the sweeter side - I’m not sure if I loved it. The noodles were cooked well and the sauce was delicious. For the meat dish/last main, it was a choice of duck or A5 wagyu ribeye (extra $) (both with corn, chanterelle, and basil). We both upgraded to the Wagyu for $40. It was worth the upgrade. My boyfriend loved the chanterelle. I wish one of us ordered the duck breast to try because I believe it would’ve been amazing as well. There was a duck spring roll - I felt it was lacking something but my partner loved it. The licorice root and long pepper float were very yummy. For the miso ice cream with summer berries and almonds - I loved the ice cream especially, I thought it had a bit too many almonds. The deconstructed apple pie was cool. All three parts of it were amazing. Served on a sole "soul" plate - which I think might ruin somes appetite. 2 items not on the menu were a lemon vodka jello palette cleanser, and a mushroom tea, we especially liked the mushroom tea. We each ordered a drink. I ordered “Evolv” and my partner ordered something along the lines of “game”. We both liked our drinks, we decided mine was better out of the two. I recommend trying both drinks. I don’t remember the price of the drinks but I believe they were averagely priced. Overall with the taste, presentation, service, and ambiance, it was so reasonably priced, and worth it. We loved our experience at AnnaLena and will be back here for every special...

From start to finish, the evening was a masterclass in culinary storytelling, executed with creativity, precision, and warmth. We opted for their tasting menu with wine pairings, and I chose the vegetarian version, while my husband enjoyed the regular menu with an exciting “upgrade.”

Each course was introduced with passion, and the pairings elevated the dishes in unexpected ways. Below is a course-by-course reflection on what we experienced:

🌿 VEGETARIAN Tasting Menu: A Symphony of Freshness and Flavor Tomato and Basil – Long Pepper and Lemon A bright and delicate opener that played with acidity and herbal notes. The lemon added a clean lift, while long pepper gave a surprising floral spice. It was a refreshing palate awakener and set the tone for the meal’s elegance. Charred Cabbage – Dill, Fermented Chili A standout. The cabbage was smoky, tender, and beautifully layered with the earthiness of dill and the bold warmth of fermented chili. It was rustic yet refined. Cucumber – Yogurt, Sunflower, Grape Visually stunning and texturally interesting. The cool cucumber and creamy yogurt contrasted with the nutty crunch of sunflower seeds. Grapes added bursts of sweetness that balanced the dish beautifully. Fermented Vegetables – Korean Emulsion A fermentation lover’s dream. This dish was punchy and complex, with umami and sour notes swirling together. The Korean emulsion brought everything into harmony. Tortellini – Brown Butter, Summer Squash, Parmesan Broth Delicate handmade tortellini swimming in umami-rich Parmesan broth—pure bliss. The squash was sweet and tender, and the brown butter added nutty depth. Fava Bean – Potato, Peas, Sweet Potato Jus This was comfort food reimagined. Creamy and balanced with just the right touch of sweetness. The layering of beans and peas gave it freshness, while the jus tied it all together. Grilled Cheese Cake A playful and nostalgic twist. Slightly savory, slightly sweet—this dish danced on the line between dessert and cheese course. Cherries – Clafoutis, Sour Cream Ice Cream The perfect finish. The cherries were bursting with juice and flavor, while the sour cream ice cream added tang to counter the sweetness of the clafoutis. Beautifully restrained and deeply satisfying.

🥩 REGULAR (MEAT) Tasting Menu (with Upgrade): Elevated Indulgence Cheeseburger Bao A whimsical and savory amuse-bouche that immediately set the tone. Light bao dough packed with juicy burger flavor—a fun and tasty surprise. Seafood Lottery A luxurious showcase of seasonal seafood, perfectly prepared. The name says it all—it felt like we hit the jackpot. Violet is the Summer A poetic dish both in name and presentation. Likely floral and delicate, bringing fresh seasonal flair. Fried Oyster – Don’t Steal the Honey Crispy and indulgent, balanced with a touch of sweetness. The name hints at a clever use of honey that complemented the brininess of the oyster. Duck Duck Rich and flavorful duck, cooked with precision. The depth of flavor in this dish lingered long after the final bite. Gold Medal Goat The star of the night. Tender, succulent goat that truly lived up to its name. A rare treat. Dessert Prison Playful and dramatic. The presentation was likely as bold as the name. A fun, final statement. 🍷 Wine Pairings: Thoughtfully Curated and Seamlessly Integrated The wine pairings were exceptional—each pour carefully selected to bring out nuanced flavors in the food. From crisp whites to fuller-bodied reds and sparkling surprises, the sommelier clearly understood the chef’s vision. Each glass added a new layer of sensory pleasure to the experience.

✨ Final Thoughts: AnnaLena goes beyond the plate—it’s a place where flavor, art, and creativity collide. The vegetarian menu was every bit as intricate and satisfying as the meat version, and that says everything about the kitchen’s talent. Service was impeccable, and the ambiance struck the perfect balance between fine dining and relaxed charm.

Total spent...

I’m updating my previous 5 star review to 4 stars due to a few hiccups summarized here and gone into more detail below:

• Forgot that it was a birthday celebration • Slow food service • Very disappointed in the beef striploin

We came here to celebrate my boyfriend’s birthday on Sun, Dec 30. I had made reservations online and also called to inform them of the birthday and asked if they could put a candle in the dessert which they happily agreed to do. Unfortunately, when the time came for dessert, they had forgotten about this request and no birthday “flair” was presented to my disappointment.

We opted for the Tasting Menu (December 2018 - $74 per person), here’s my breakdown and rating for each dish:

Oyster with shaved foie gras (FIVE STARS) – A single oyster with shaved foie gras, two of my favourite things paired together that you typically think wouldn’t go well together but HOT DAMN it’s so good. So good that I ordered an additional two more for us to enjoy!

Salad (TWO STARS) – This was one of the least impressive dishes out of the menu. It included greens, chickpea panisse, tahini, miso eggplant, pickled beet and dukkah. The selected greens were bitter and hard – it felt like eating tough grass.

Fried Chicken (THREE STARS) – Fried buttermilk chicken with lemongrass aioli and pickles. My bite of chicken was quite nice, juicy and crispy on the outside. My boyfriend mentioned that his piece was over-battered and he didn’t get much chicken.

Mussels with torn bread (FIVE STARS) - OK, so besides the oyster with foie gras, this is my next favourite dish. HOLY DAMN, the torn bread is what I imagine crack cocaine to feel like. They take a loaf of sour bread, remove the crust and put it back in the oven. The result is all the light, fluffy goodness of the inside of a bread loaf with the extra awesomeness of the crispy edges. Dipping this bread into the delicious broth was singlehandedly one of the best thing I've eaten in a long time. I will definitely come back here to have a full serving of this dish TO MYSELF (sorry, I refuse to share).

Sablefish (FOUR STARS) – Another fabulous dish. Excellent flavours. The fish was cooked to perfection and was so light and buttery. The smoked whisky foam on top was AMAZING!

Beef striploin (TWO STARS) – Very disappointed in this dish as we had set our expectations really high at this point. Don’t get me wrong, the flavours were quite good but the cut of striploin was terrible. It was full of gristle and incredibly tough to chew and eat. We had to spit out a few pieces that we could just not get down. I let our server know our disappointment and he graciously provided us complimentary dessert wines to compensate which was much appreciated.

Dessert, chocolate brownies with grapefruit ice cream (THREE STARS) – Good but the grapefruit ice cream overpowered the other flavours (coming from a grapefruit fan!)

Dessert, three different dessert bites (THREE STARS) – Chocolate truffle, piece of caramel and a beignet. The beignet was our favourite!

The kitchen food service in between each dish was noticeably slow. We found ourselves wanting more and getting hungry as we anxiously waited for the next dish to arrive. We nearly finished the entire bottle of wine before the last dish (which was beef); I had to consciously save some red wine to pair with it! :P

Front of the house service was excellent throughout our time here. We were offered complimentary coat check, our bottle of wine arrived in good time, our glasses were never empty, our napkins were folded during washroom breaks – all things which don’t get unnoticed! Great work considering this place was PACKED on a Sunday night between 7-9pm.

Overall, some highs and lows during our experience here. Like I said, I’d still come back for those mussels...