It’s almost April 2025 and we were going through Michelin-Star Restaurant withdrawal. Fear not, Vancouver still has 3 sumptuous eateries that we have yet to try. This contemporary farm-to-table, hats off to local, in-season ingredients bistro was the perfect antidote to our gastronomy-deprived ailment.
Burdock & Co. received its Michelin Star in October of 2022. Chef/Restaurateur Andrea Carlson has the enviable distinction of being the first female chef in Canada to receive one of these coveted stars. Burdock & Co. is a little hole in the wall place located in the Mount Pleasant area (Main & 11th) of Vancouver. The long, narrow dining room seats about 30. The menu changes every couple of months and boasts a 6 course tasting menu – this season’s theme is “Citrus Scented Rain Under a Snow Moon”. Each course utilized a different citrus flavour to make the dish sing.
The atmosphere is warm and very casual with that “down-to-earth” “aren’t we so laid back and cool” vibe that is prevalent in the city right now. We opted for the tasting menu without the add-ons; (there were several to choose from including: caviar, Wagu beef and buttermilk fried chicken). I really dislike this trend of upselling a “set menu” that is already priced in the stratosphere!
We also chose the “premium” wine pairing for $110 each (the regular pairing is a mere $75 each). Not sure how they decide which wines are which – “Let’s give them this plonk from Timbuktu for $75; the serious connoisseurs will get the good stuff!)
So, 6 courses, 5 wines, an amuse bouche, a bread course (for $8) and a little after dinner/before the bill nibble for $578 before tax and 15% tip. Just in case you were wondering.
For those of you still reading, let’s go through the menu.
The first of the 5 wines was a white blend from the Alsace region of France and was crisp and slightly sweet. It went very well with our first course which was sea cucumber with a citrus gelee showcasing Rangpur lime.
Our second course was a scallop confit with notes of Yuzu (Japanese citrus) in the celeriac bbq and walnut.
For our third dish, the citrus flavour was Bergamot, something new for us. It is a lime-like fruit, normally too sour to eat by itself. The Bergamot was the highlight of a citrus chimichurri with pomme Anna, creme fraiche, potato skin cream, and rosemary smoked potato.
The second white was reminiscent of a Chardonnay – without the oakiness. It was very smooth with citrus notes, what more could you want for a citrus-themed meal?
Then we savoured the yellow fin tuna course with rose hip chili paste, fermented onion & rose consommé, island ginger stuffed leek and a chanterelle mushroom, if I remember correctly. This dish was the highlight of the meal with perfect balance. The citrus used in this plate was Sudachi – a small, green sour fruit native to Japan.
A Chilean red was a surprising choice to go with the tuna – and worked perfectly.
Course 5 – Palestinian lime was front and centre for the lamb saddle in black currant and sweet lime jus served with root vegetables. The lamb was lean and perfectly cooked to medium rare.
A lovely, full-bodied French wine accompanied the lamb course. It was the best of the lot.
Dessert was buckwheat Breton cake, grapefruit curd & parfait with sunchoke caramel. The sweet, salt and sour were expertly balanced. For my diabetic husband, chef fashioned a citrus panna cotta without sugar. Colin enjoyed it very much.
The dessert wine was lovely. Very sweet. But lovely!
One final nibble – Nougat of Buddha’s Hand + citron served alongside our half-moon gummies crafted with Meyer lemon + Grappa Nonino.
Burdock & Co is on a par with another Michelin Star restaurant in Vancouver – Anna Lena. From other reviews I’ve read, it seems that you really need to add some of the “extras” in order to get the full experience at Burdock & Co. I still think that at $175 per person, you should be completely satisfied.
Colin in I were just satiated but I know some of our friends would have walked away from this meal still feeling hungry.
Our ranking of BURDOCK & CO. IS 8/10.
You may enjoy reading about the other restaurants on our Michelin-starred journey:
Levadura de Olla (Oaxaca, Mexico)
Lars (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
Kissa Tanto (Vancouver, BC)
Wild Honey (London, England)
St Lawrence (Vancouver, BC)
Cranes (Washington, DC)
AnnaLena (Vancouver, BC)
Masayoshi (Vancouver, BC)
Published on Main (Vancouver, BC)
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