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Odd Bins in Sex-Charged Ambience

By James Rosenthal

Editor's Note: This is the third installment in a series of articles on restaurants and hotels in Vancouver and Whistler, BC. The former is noted for its spectacular setting and urban chic; the latter for its superb skiing, snowboarding and hiking. And yet the food scene in this cool, grey corner of North America rivals Montreal, New York City, Chicago, New Orleans and San Francisco for its creativity, quality and culinary cajones. Each month, we'll focus on a different restaurant and chef/personality in our trips to the "great white north" of gastronomy.

Bin 941 Interior

Gord Martin, the genius-domus who lords over the two leading tapas parlours in Vancouver, is a talk-straight-and-forget-the-bullshit kind of a guy. If Clint Eastwood had decided to deep-six his film career, he might have come up with two brilliant restaurants, Bin 941 (941 Davie St). and Bin 942 (1521 West Broadway) that double as social-sexual zones of intrigue.

As it stands right now, most of the guys in these places are trying to look like Johnny Depp and most of the women-from very young to 40-somethings with an attitude-just look amazing.

Andrea Borts, a phenomenal waitress, witty conversationalist and talented writer-not to forget that she's drop-dead gorgeous-offers this take on the "Bin" experience:

"Bin 942 is a bustling, creative and super sexy Pandora's box. Not keeping up with the trends, but constantly creating the next several to come. People line up out the door, sometimes for up to an hour, knowing that it's worth it to enter the vibe, taste the most flavorful food and feel the energy of the room. I honestly love working here just to be in the heat of the moment. The Bins will never go out of style and are here to stay for a long, long time."

Chef Gord Martin

Before answering the question on the table: What the hell is a tapas parlour? Let's divide and separate the two Bin restaurants by style and substance. Bin 941 is located in downtown Vancouver, and just a long, drunken walk (I speak from vast experience) from most of the top hotels in town (Hotel Vancouver, Four Seasons and, of course, the Sutton Place Hotel).

The dining room is a narrow, almost-cavern-like space with tables lining the walls and a central walkway leading from the doorway to the tapas bar and its many creations.

Bin 942-where Andrea Borts does her thing-is somewhat more gentrified, less bohemian and slightly larger (not any wider, though) and located on a main drag on the far side of Granville Island Bridge. It's a cheap and brief (5 minutes) taxi ride from the aforementioned Vancouver hotels of note.

The Tapas Experience: Gord Martin riffed off of the Spanish tapas appetizer bar theme-small plates, one or two signature tastes, complementary pairings of flavors and tastes-and took it took another level with integrative ethnic touches and excellent raw ingredients. The cooking staff is precise and well-trained. The dishes are moderately priced and eclectic.

Chicken Tapas

Menu Selections-Bin 942

My favorite items under "Tapatisers" (all $11 Canadian) were the Bangkok chili passion fruit glazed Mahi-Mahi with noodle wedge, fresh scallion emulsion, smoked scallop and granny smith salsa-note the integration of Asian and Spanish cooking styles; East west crab cake, burnt orange chipotle sauce, charred baby bok choy, cucumber salsa, tobiko; Beef tenderloin phyllo Wellington, pecorino parmesan, portabella, chive roast garlic, whipped potato, grainy mustard marsala glace (the carmelization of the mushrooms, garlic and marsala is brilliant); and cinnamon chile rub Texas flank steak, maple chipotle glaze, pommes frite au poivre (a bizarre merger of Tex-Mex and country French cooking techniques and ingredients).

Menu Selections-Bin 941

The menu is much the same as Bin 942, though you will find a few intriguing variations-for instance, at Bin 941 you can get your venison tapas prepared in an Asian style with a Chinese pepper crust, sweet potato marscapone, chive gateau, water chestnut shitake mushrooms and broken truffle vinaigrette; while at Bin 942 the venison is prepared with stilton, carmelized onion buttermilk waffle in a Guinness-cassis chocolate black velvet sauce-tastes great, but not less filling!

Both Bin restaurants also serve delicious plates of fresh steamed mussels ($11 Canadian) with tasty side elements such as basil pesto and white wine cream and smoked tomato, spicy chorizo sausage and saffron broth.

Gord Martin's interest in Mexican cooking inspired his decision to open a restaurant outside of Mexico City in the late spring-look for a complete review of this new breakthrough in Mexican gastronomy in the near future-yes, right here in this little corner of cyberspace.

Bin 941 - 941 Davie St., Vancouver, B.C.; Tel.: 604-683-1246

Bin 942 - 1521 West Broadway, Vancouver, B.C.; Tel.: 604-734-9421

Both restaurants on the Web at: http://www.bin941.com

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If you’d like to read the article, click on: Newfoundland, Where Landscape Defines Literature

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Winner of the Canadian Tourism Commission's 2002 Northern Lights Award

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