Mnimes Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in Vancouver

It is my love's birthday, and I am determined to make this lunch a memorable experience for her. Neither of us has ever tried authentic Greek food so I simply look up "High Rate Greek Restaurant Vancouver"-- there are a bunch of results, which is not surprising, considering that Vancouver does have a large Greek-speaking population. Yet, when we arrive, I realize that the store is actually in a neighborhood with mostly Asian (Indian and Pakistani, but also East Asian) demographic. Which makes Mnimes stand out alone from the outside. Inside, though, is fully empty on a Sunday at 2:15 pm--a Red Flag? God Forbid!

The waitress--later she tells us her name is Mahnoor--immediately but calmly approaches and guides us toward our seat surrounded by Greek arts. In fact, the place has an aura of its own kind, unlike the usual bleak, tasteless, icy, super trendy Vancouverite food places. It is as if the restaurant has been suddenly teleported from Montreal!

Based on Mahnoor's suggestions, we start with vegetarian appetizers, sharing a Saganak ($14), a special type of pan-fried kefalograviera cheese, and Greek Salad ($18), a barrel of aged feta, fresh kalamata olives, capers, crispy crostini that is probably a bit too rough for our Irani teeth and gum, but then, we can chew Greek authenticity quite unbothered and smoothly in a lovely day.

For main dishes, I go bloody carnist; she stays vegan.

Then comes two juicy pieces of grilled Lamb Chops ($9) with black-eyed bean salad and Vegan Mousaka ($20). First bite and she finds herself in love with her luscious meal; the roasted layers of eggplants, filled with zucchini, potatoes, mushrooms, and lentills finished with creamy soy-milk Bechamel sauce is really an exquisite work of cultured imagination and skilled chiefhood. I know all this because, between my devouring of the reddish meat around the white ribs, She straightens her arms fully open from the other side of the table to put a spoon of her food into my mouth, and I feel a few drops of tears rolling down my face. Birthday mission accomplished!

But my lamb chops are still too juicy for my taste. So I ask Mahnoor another plate of the same but more done. She brings it, this time perfect! I can now chew the delicious meat in my own comfortable way. Then the chief himself, Manos, comes out of his kitchen to talk to us, and as a twofold token (of apology for the first juicy lamb chops, and of congratulation to my partner's birthday), Mahnoor serves us a special dessert made of quince and crunchy nuts, which is not on the menu! It's marvelous really--delicately sweet, and wins us over forever. We also order a Kotopoulo to go, for later, the dinner!

All in all, considering the newness of the place (I don't know how long Manos has been in Vancouver, but this store is new), one point of improvement would be to adjust his range of "juiciness" to the palate of Asian people, who generally eat meat when its fully cooked, as opposed to, for instance, central European palate. And this is merely a demographical suggestion, not a technical one, because Manos knows his stuff...

I love the thrill of looking for good restaurants wherever I go. Sometimes you hit, and sometimes you miss. This time around, I think I struck gold.

I started by ordering the spanikopita. The pastry was perfectly crusted and covered in the right amount of olive oil to the point where I would scrape up each and every bit of crunchy goodness just to have another bite. The sharpness of the feta and the mild amount of dill had what felt like the best ratio.

After the appetizer, I moved on to the chicken boutakia with the black bean salad. Not expecting much, I tried the salad only to be surprised by the subtle flavours of mint, chives, and sun dried tomatoes to be in harmony with each other.

And then I bit into the boutakia. My eyes rolled back into my head. The fat melted in my mouth and was so full of flavour that I dreaded swallowing just because it meant that I wouldn't be able to taste that bite again. Usually, I'm the type of guy to say "oh my gosh this is so good" then snarf the dish down so fast that my wife has whiplash by the time we walk out the door. But with this dish, I was so slow and methodical with each bite that it took me a good 30 minutes to get that last bite in. Every time I switched back and forth between the salad or the boutakia, it felt like I was tasting it again for the first time. Each and every bite was so perfectly balanced and prepared with care. As we were finishing our meal, I told my wife that it is possible that this restaurant may have fed me the best meal I've had since moving to Vancouver 10 years ago.

My wife and I ended up sharing the baklava cheesecake since it caught our eye on the menu, and it was a little less mind blowing than the rest (which was still a very high bar to begin with). Everything tasted amazing except for the caramel. I think it would have been better without the caramel drizzle, and would have shined on its own with its unique nutty flavour.

Props to you, chef Mnimes. I will...

The meal at Mnimes Restaurant and Bar started off on a positive note as they graciously offered us a complimentary melitzanosalata, a flavorful eggplant-based dip. It was a delightful gesture that set the tone for the dining experience. The restaurant's good variety of dishes and refreshing modern ambiance, a change from the typical blue-themed Greek restaurant, added to the initial appeal, making me eager to explore more of their menu and return for their enticing cocktail list. However, there were some issues throughout the evening that affected the overall experience.

The food itself was very good, and I'm eager to try more items from their menu on future visits. However, since the restaurant is still relatively new and it was a busy day, there were some issues that affected my dining experience. Firstly, the loukoumades, a Greek dessert, were not made properly; they felt undercooked and doughy, which was a letdown. We also got the Sokolata- Karamela dessert which is an indulgent choice but highly recommended.

Additionally, the service team seemed overwhelmed, and this translated into long waiting times for both the kitchen and the table service. Towards the end of the meal, we were informed that the desserts would be on the house as a gesture of apology for the extended wait. Unfortunately, when the bill arrived, a different server had included the desserts on the bill. While I understand that these may be growing pains for a new restaurant, it's crucial for the service to improve promptly.

Despite the challenges faced during my visit, I believe Mnimes Restaurant and Bar has a solid foundation with Chef Manos. I hope they address the service issues promptly and work towards providing a better dining experience for their guests. With some improvements, I believe this restaurant has the potential to thrive and become a go-to destination for Greek cuisine...