Valentine's Day dinner location: PidGin food/drink: price: $$$$ review: This was the dinner I was looking forward the most to for my weekend trip in Vancouver. I had a great feeling about their customer service as I was in touch with Silvia via email about the delayed publishing of the set menu for Valentines Day. With the great ratings and look over the menu (especially vegetarian menu for my friend), we decided to book and pay for the meal in advance (deposit). I've never had a 6-course type meal and was looking forward to the nice treat, but my hopes must have been set too high. Overall, the plates were small and underwhelming. There was always one component of each dish that was unsatisfying. From the creamy yet acidic sauce that came with the ravioli, glorified avocado toast, or just a head of cabbage., my vegetarian friend didn't get the sustenance or value in her meal. For me, the duck and beef tartare were the best bites. We both liked the hojicha tiramisu, which we got packaged to go. It was a long service, almost 2.5 hrs, when we began at 8:45pm. The waitress kept it real with us, asking for our feedback, which led her to bring out a more classic dish that the restaurant offers for my friend to supplement her meal. It was okay, but not memorable or making up for the rest of the night. Maybe the menu was rushed, but the ingredients made us excited just for us to leave thinking we definitely could have had a better meal (and for cheaper) elsewhere. read more

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Service was amazing from the moment we arrived at the restaurant. The host was pleasant and there was excellent communication between front and back of house. When our server poured our waters we informed him of our dietary restrictions and he was already aware. We had a party of 3 and tried the Dine Out Vancouver 2026 8-course tasting menu for $70/person. Each course was served family style but the portions were small. The server explained each course and adjustments were made according to our dietary restrictions. 1) Tsukune chicken skewer: a bit dry, but the egg yolk dip helped. 2) Nori roll: bite-sized and I really liked the texture. The rice was super soft, which was a nice contrast from the crispy nori. 3) Beet tartare (normally ahi tuna tartare but I had the vegetarian version): packed with flavour on a nori crisp. 4) Mushroom duxelle croquette: I love mushrooms so I loved this dish. It tasted like a mushroom tempura and the batter was nice and light. 5) Japanese sweet potato ricotta agnolotti: a bit salty, but we enjoyed the rich flavours. It only came with a few pieces but the pasta was definitely made fresh. 6) Lingcod: this was one of the bigger dishes. I liked the sauce that was smothered in hazelnuts. 7) Bulgogi beef striploin: this was probably our fave dish, served as build-your-own lettuce wraps. I added foie gras for an extra $28 and it was heavenly. The foie was thick, oily and melted in my mouth. They have a foie gras rice bowl on their regular menu and I would go back just for that. 8) Hojicha posset: this was a refreshing dessert and the flavours were well balanced. read more

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PiDGiN has been on my list to try for a while so I was very happy when my boyfriend took me there as a surprise. The menu is original, modern and fusion. You can find both asian and latino vibes which is for me is a winner. I especially loved the oysters and the bao pork belly for starters. The most amazing dish for me is the fois gras rice bowl with unagi glaze. Such a wonderful mix of flavours! PiDGiN has a very nice tasting menu which looks like a great option if you are very hungry. Cocktails were also very nice. Service was fast and friendly. Can't wait to visit again! read more

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tl;dr the knowledgeable service is eager to help curate a meal of elevated Asian comfort food, which remains approachable without feeling gimmicky Across Vancouver's eclectic food scene, one of the most popular "must-try" fine dining spots is PiDGiN. The name is a reference to pidgin languages, hybridized vernaculars drawing influence from multiple sources. Similarly, PiDGiN's menu reflects a pan-Asian culinary style, incorporating plenty of Pacific Northwest ingredients. PiDGiN makes its home on an otherwise seedy segment of Chinatown. (I recommend limiting your time in the surrounding neighborhood, especially after dark.) But once inside, PiDGiN channels an immediately comfortable minimalist-chic vibe. Simple wood-on-metal stools are pressed up against the whitewashed bar to the left; a cushioned half-booth winds along the right. Warm accent lighting shines above each mismatched wooden table. The inverted subway-tile walls are sparsely decorated with colorful geometric watercolors and a long strip mirror. My partner and I arrived for an early weeknight dinner, and we were among the few patrons; even as our meal ended, the restaurant had only moderately filled up. We kicked off our meal with the Rotating Snack, which on our visit was a pickle platter with a sweet, fibrous burdock, umami cucumber nori, and crisp, vinegar-y radish. The Chicharon appetizer was a true highlight, with light, crispy beef tendon that was highly enhanced by the citrus chili salt. The rich Seasonal Mushroom Tempura nearly could be mistaken for meat, and its salty taste paired perfectly with the sharp mustard. The al dente Cavatelli was bursting with earthy and summery flavor from the morels and asparagus, while the white wine and butter sauce added some heartiness. The highly recommended Korean Rice Cake sported a wonderfully chewy texture with a crunch from the crushed hazelnuts on top. Lingering warmth from the gochugang bolognese was cut by hints of yuzu, culminating in the ultimate plate of comfort food. The only dud of the night was the Pork Belly Rice Bowl. The meat brick was tough, the sauce was one-dimensional soy, and the pickles were few and far between. The service was expertly attentive and knowledgeable, and our meal totaled a reasonable $100 even after 2 drinks. At this price, PiDGiN felt like it could become a semi-regular treat rather than a special occasion-only splurge. Apart from the pork and the surrounding neighborhood, everything from PiDGiN far exceeded our expectations. I would echo all of the well-deserved fanfare that the restaurant has already earned. read more

PiDGiN - Korean Rice Cake - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Came here for their Dine Out menu with my partner because I love it here, and it continues to not disappoint. Their Dine Out is a set menu so there were no choices. For our amuse bouche, we got a sweet potato soup. It was so delicious I started discreetly licking the bowl to finish it off. Appetizers were an onigiri, squid tostada, and lamb skewer. The onigiri was pretty standard. It had an umeboshi jam on top that added some nice tartness to it. The tostada was a miss. It tasted like the oil it was fried in and it overpowered the delicate flavours of the squid. Salsa on top was unremarkable. Lamb skewers were divine, and the accompanying house made labneh was also divine. I could eat it just like it's yogurt. Before our mains was a miso roasted cauliflower salad. This was an amazing surprise and was one of my favourite dishes of the night. Every element of this dish was so good and perfectly done. For the mains, the smoked steelhead was one of the best prepared fish I've had in years. The flavours were complex, it was cooked perfectly, and the skin was so crispy. I loved this dish. I don't know if the potato salad really complemented it, but it was good separately. The mentaiko mazemen was really delicious, but there was nothing special about it. We added foie gras to the duck ssam, and it added so much richness to it. Pidgin's ssam sauce was divine and the only ssam sauce I've ever liked. I was very pleasantly surprised. The duck itself was perfectly cooked and very well seasoned. The banchan was just okay. My partner didn't like the kimchi. The mango sorbet and coconut pudding dessert was just okay. The mango sorbet was very good but the coconut pudding was mid. Overall an amazing dining experience as always. Service was amazing. The waitress was able to halve the cost of the foie gras for us by asking the kitchen to only serve half the amount. Ambiance was casual and busy. read more

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After doing some research into the best tasting menus in Vancouver, I booked this reservation for a date night for me and my husband while on vacation in the city. Pidgin isn't in the best neighborhood but the interior completely transports you once you step inside. It's pretty dim, but we were sitting at the chef's table for our tasting menu dinner and we had a great time! All the staff were super knowledgeable about the menu and explained the courses well. We were a little confused after the complementary gazpacho (delicious!) came out from the kitchen window and virtually everything else was served to us by a server from the other end of the table, but it was still very cool to be able to see the chefs at work in the kitchen. My favorite savory courses of the night were the trout roe tartelette (a perfect bite), the chu-toro with crispy rice crackers (decadent and dreamy), and the butter-poached halibut (so tender and moist and flaky with lovely balance). The zucchini shrimp was probably the weakest of the savory courses - the flavors just didn't combine well for us. The duck was also delicious, cooked perfectly medium rare, and the peach salad was super bright and the creamy goat cheese pairing worked really well. Loved the double dessert that came out for us at the end of the night! My husband had been sad that he wouldn't be able to try the sorbet on the regular a la carte menu so it was a delightful surprise when the kitchen had added that on for us. The tapioca pudding was also a delightful mix of textures and flavors, but the sorbet really stole the show. Loved the citrusy blend of blood orange sorbet with yuzu mascarpone, and literal amaretto cherries on top. We had a wonderful time and would recommend Pidgin to anyone looking for a delightful fusion tasting menu. read more

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We found this place all over Reddit! A lot of people recommended it and mentioned to try their tasting. Although we were a little disappointed. ***What we ordered ~ **Tasting menu / winter 2023 (6/10) ~ One thing that I didn't really like about the tasting was that some of the starter dishes were all in one plate instead of separate plates for each person that did the tasting. So, 3 people on my table did the tasting and for 3 of the dishes (fish on toast, celeriac salad, seasonal veggie tempura) they put it on one plate to share which we thought was a little odd because we had to separate it.. While that was the only issue let's move onto the food! To put it simply I personally only cared for the tempura veggie, duck breast, and the vanilla bavarois (dessert). Everything else tasted okay or bland. For example, the fish on toast was meh. And that's because the brioche was a little soggy. As for the salad it was interesting overall, It was really hard to eat. There was nothing special about the soba noodles and the sturgeon was a little dry. Overall, Service was okay, the food did take awhile to come out, but at least the ambiance on the inside was cozy! I would definitely not pay the price for a meal like this again. This was definitely just a one-time thing, and we won't be coming back. read more

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We stopped by to sample the Dine Out menu. Great food and services by the whole team.

Such an incredible dining experience! The service was outstanding--warm, attentive. Every dish was bursting with flavor and beautifully prepared; the food was truly delicious. Great place for a group as we ordered many different dishes and split between the table. This spot is a must-visit in Vancouver--highly recommend! read more

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Having been one of my favorite meals in 2018, I came back on a recent visit and it was just as good as I remembered. We tried the tasting menu which was a deal at just $89 CAD. So much food. Hard to pick a favorite. But the most unusual one was sturgeon wrapped in prosciutto. It almost looked like pork tenderloin but was definitely fish. Just a great tasting dish. Service was terrific as well and they were quite knowledeable about the local wines on their menu as well. the interior is good as well with a cozy vibe even if the vibe outside is mixed. Still one of my favorites when visiting the city. read more

Fish on Toast 3 snapper, fish roe, uni on brioche / narrow toast, fresh, not flavorful Celeriac Salad 2 apple, taleggio, dijon remoulade, buttermilk, dill dressing, earthy taste, weird flavor Seasonal Vegetable Tempura 2 thin crispy tempura, squash, pickled ginger, too spicy, lemon, sake kasu purée, too bitter Foie Gras Rice Bowl 4 two pc of seared foie gras on top, moist chestnuts, daikon, unagi glaze, flavorful Prosciutto Wrapped Sturgeon 3 dense dry white fish, lentils, braised greens, garlic koji, red wine butter sauce, flavorful Duck Breast 3 too dense, not juicy, sticky sweet potato gnocchi, radicchio, sherry jus, leeks, garlic, seaweed powder, not flavorful Vanilla Bayarois 5 chartreuse compressed melon, finger lime, lemon basil, refreshing, creamy, sweet read more

Excellent service, fantastic food, and the local pairing was so worth it. The people were so nice and I understand why people like to come here (even the a la carte menu was so worth it). read more

PiDGiN - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

We reserved here for a group of 7 on Saturday about 2 weeks for our birthday celebration. Food was mid, a lot of it just doesn't mesh very well. Brioche was toasted, but does not feel toasted at all. Maybe prep early, and left outside too long? The salad was the biggest L. The ingredients does not mix well, weird test, and watery sauce everywhere. Octopus was cooked right, salad on top was ok. Matsutake tempura was great, lightly battered and not greasy. It was the star of our meal. First time I had sturgeon which was good, but I have nothing to compare to. Not a big fan of the lentil. Duck breast is standard, I have tasted better but it met the expectation. Service was ok, water is filled most of the time. Vibe in restaurant is nice, but the area is quite sketchy. read more

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Everything we tasted was extraordinary. We loved our server and our drinks. Next time we come to Vancouver we will be sure to come here again. Eat here if you possibly can! read more

Ohhhhh emmmmm geeee!! What I love about this place: everything!! Okay, really, let me expand -- 1- wonderful, attentive, kind service! 2- the cocktails were unique, easy to drink and full of flavor! See photos 3- allllll of the food. Some standouts were the shaved asparagus, pickled veggies, pork belly with rice, rice cake bolognese, chicken wings. But honestly, everything was so so tasty! 4- also the dessert! Can't wait to go back read more

PiDGiN - One eyed samurai cocktail - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Excellent service but portions were small and some dishes were too salty for us. When we first entered the restaurant, there was a really heavy chlorine smell. It did go away after a while. Although small portions, the food was mostly delicious! I loved the white asparagus salad, mushroom fritters, and amuse bouche from the tasting menu. The tasting menu is small, I wasn't full afterward. Some of the dishes were also too heavily salted. Fyi, if you're walking there, just beware it's not the nicest walk. Carrall St is a little sketchy and smelly. If you can, avoid Hastings street as well. read more

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Ambiance - the layout made sense. However the distance between the table and the benches (not the chairs) was too much? Felt uncomfortable becuase I had to hunch to eat kind of? Maybe this is common in Canada I'm unsure :D other than that, the table setting and light fixtures were very elegant. Food - I did the tasting menu winter '25 priced at $98 CAD. I think there were certain aspects of each dish that came out that I really did enjoy but then there were also many components that I wasn't able to understand. For instance, the mushroom dish we had had this ramen egg that I feel didn't add to the meal even though separately it was delicious! Even the pear in the dessert was a bit odd? Idk though maybe it just wasn't for me! Oh also, if you go with multiple ppl, they serve the courses on a big plate from which you have to serve it yourself and I feel like this defeats the purpose? Might be an unpopular opinion. Service - host was polite and prompt. Our server was interesting. By no means did his behavior ruin the food ahahah it was more so humorous? I'm unsure if the music was loud or something but I couldn't hear him when he was presenting the dish. It sounded like he was mumbling and I was so confused whenever a dish was brought out. I feel like this is a common theme when I eat out with my friends cause we are younger but servers don't seem to be as prompt with their service with us because maybe we are younger? Everyone was very friendly :) Overall, good luck. read more

This was the best meal we had in Vancouver. If you are doing the tasting, make sure to add the Foie Gras Rice Bowl, that dish was seriously insane! Very attentive service and nice ambiance. Every dish was delectable, well thought out and balanced. Never thought I'd like rabbit but the terrine was delicious. Tempura zucchini blossoms were perfectly fried and not greasy and the accompanying Dungeness crab aioli dip was out of this world. But what had me keep thinking about this place is that generous rice bowl of foie, with the unagi glaze, daikon and chestnuts. Get it. Do not skip even if you think it'll be too much food with the tasting. I assure you that you will still magically able to make it all disappear. Side note: be aware that the restaurant is located in an edgy part of town; avoid walking oh Hasting if you can. It is basically the Tenderloin of SF with encampments. read more

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I came for a weeknight dinner with at couple friends. Reservation was easily made online. It was not super busy on a Tuesday night. Service was fabulous. Our server was super friendly, helpful with the menu, and frankly, nothing I can complain about. He had a cancellation at the Chef's table and bumped to that table which was awesome. The restaurant itself was comfortable. Vibe was casual and relaxed, also cant complain about this. We all had the tasting menu, which was quite good too. If I had a complaint, the entire menu was not much food and we were somewhat hungry by the end of it. The food we did get was excellent; just wanted more of it. Could consider ordering a few extra dishes to complement the menu. The meal ends up quite pricey though, esp with drinks, tax, tip. We each had a cocktail and some wine. Drinks were fine, interesting cocktails. So why not 5 stars? Well it's their location. Its no secret theyre on the fringes of gastown, near the epicentre of the DTES. a block away is the massive stretch of tents, open use of hard drugs, open air drug market, people high and wandering the streets, homelessness, prostitution, and all things nobody wants to be around. Their front entrance reeks of urine. I purposefully parked my car several blocks away to avoid this disaster and lessen the chances of getting broken into (not uncommon in this area). My walk from the car to the restaurant at night was just awful. Basically dodging high people on the streets, mystery puddles, and praying I dont get stabbed or mugged. This is not a place you want to bring your children, ever. This issue is the biggest blemish on this establishment. It single handedly drags down the entire experience of dining here. They can literally transplant this restaurant to virtually any other area in Vancouver and it would be worthy of 5 stars. If their food/service was not stellar, I would not even given them 3 stars, let alone 4. Its a shame really. It makes their prices seem way overpriced. Sadly, I wont be back here for this reason only. But if they were to move locations, absolutely I would come back. read more

Holy Michelin Book Batman, this place is FANTASTIC! I've done about 100 tasting menus in my whole life and this was by far the best one in value, taste, and overall experience ( Sorry Joël Robuchon). On a rare occasion, when I come to a new restaurant, I'll just tell the staff make me whatever I trust you. And this place did not disappoint at all. Sorry for thr blurry pictures but the food was just making love to my tastebuds. ...and yes, I did say a dish was, "Punch my grandpa in the junk good!" read more

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We went to PiDGiN for dinner on an evening with a group of friends. It is an asian fusion restaurant near chinatown in downtown Vancouver. There is street parking near the restaurant, but the neighbourhood is pretty sketchy so we parked in an easy to find nearby garage. Walking felt safe but not pleasant, and the doorway of the actual restaurant had a very strong smell of urine which isn't a great way to start a fancy meal. Some of our party had the tasting menu while I and some others picked some a la carte elements to try. The menu has quite a wide range of dishes and there were several things I wanted to try though at least one turned out to be too spicy. Portion sizes were not huge but decent. Prices were high but not super expensive. Service was odd. At the start of the meal our server was occasionally unhelpful and argumentative. Several people commented on it. Perhaps he had something stressful going on elsewhere. Later in the evening he settled into a more positive service posture. Food quality was very high, with most dishes being well received and delicious. I especially liked the gochujung wings, mushroom tempura and the bavarois. Service speed was terrible. We had an approx 7pm table and had made tentative plans to go to another event that meant we needed to leave around 9. With a 7 course tasting menu it didn't occur to us that timing would be a problem (and we did not ask the restaurant to accelerate). However, in the end it took over 3.5 hours to complete the tasting menu - a time that we have previously taken to consume a 15 course menu at another restaurant. The meal felt slow to everyone, and doubly so to the folks who had just picked a few a la carte items. It was very surprising that we weren't warned about the service speed when we ordered, but perhaps even more surprising that the meal didn't just move faster with shorter pauses between the small courses. This restaurant wasn't as good as we had hoped, and the combination of service and speed mean I wouldn't come back soon, but if you like fusion surely this is worth trying once. read more

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Four of us headed to Pidgin on a chef's recommendation and we were pleased with everything from start to finish. We started with the pickles (scallions that we asked a few times if they were really scallions, mushrooms and something else) plus we had chicken fingers, risotto, rice cake, foie gras and more. I feel like we almost ordered the entire menu. Drinks were delicious too. Great wine varieties. Service was outstanding and Harrison helped guide us with some additional dining options for our remaining time in Vancouver. Would highly recommend this. We found street parking - it's in the "protected zone" with addiction/halfway houses/homeless but no one will bother you or your car. read more

We ate here this evening and were simply blown away! We shared a few small plates. We had no clue what to expect, but started with pickles. We expected like delicious house made pickles. What we got was pickled Daikon, mushrooms and watermelon rind! Each was incredible! I'm usually not a huge fan of mushrooms and I kept going back to them! Secondly we got the gochujang wings and they were SUPERB. Seriously. Soft and moist on the inside and a strong crispy crunch on the outside. The sauce was perfectly balanced and not overwhelming at all. We also got the agedashi tofu, the sauce was super unique and was the perfect complement to the soft and perfectly fried tofu. We finished with the sezchuan beignet and it was definitely the most unique dessert I've ever had. It was very odd, but all the flavors worked well together. Most importantly, the service was truly 10/10. Not only was the host super nice and welcoming when we came in without a reservation, the bartender and a server gave us a list of recommendations when we told them we weren't local! Overall really really impressed with our experience. read more

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Run, don't walk, to this hidden gem. The menu is an incredibly creative blend of Italian and Korean cuisines. The staff is over the top with their kindness, knowledge, and attention. read more

Now toqued by Chef Wesley Young PiDGiN looks at the melting pot that makes Vancouver tick, its Gastown location adding some grittiness to a minimalist dining room filled with a mostly young clientele served by a friendly and professional staff. Self-described as Asian-French fusion built on a backbone of Pacific Northwest Ingredients, all of that boiling down to a globally-inspired Gastropub with good Cocktails, prices and portions make sharing a good choice and none but Vegetarians should skip addictive Beef Tendon Chicharrons dusted in Gochugaru Citrus Spice. All dim-lighting and wood banquettes beneath soft music, a daily special of Bison Tartare with Umeboshi eaten like a Handroll alongside Tequila with Watermelon and an Egg Flip, Chicken Wings get dialed up by Gochujung that is even better utilized in "Korean Rice Cake Bolognese" that cleverly riffs on Gnocchi. Not about to forget a Rice Bowl, Pork Belly over Foie Gras the lady's choice, Dessert consists of Chocolate Cake with Berries and Cream plus a more inspired trio of mouth-numbing Donuts ready to be dipped in Salted Caramel fortified by Miso. read more

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(4.5 stars) I had the pleasure of dining at Pidgin and experiencing their tasting menu at the chef's table. From start to finish, the meal was delicious. Each dish was unique and it featured complex and well balanced flavours. I particularly liked the chocolate mouse that had pieces of freeze dried lychee. It was a satisfying finish to the meal. We also tried a few of their cocktails which were just as yummy. Although we sat the chef's table, it wasn't much of show, but it was a little more private compared to other seats in the restaurant. Overall I enjoyed the food and cocktails. They were well-prepared and unique. Service was friendly and the ambiance was intimate. It was an exceptional dining experience. read more

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Tried out their tasting menu. The fish dish was pleasantly fresh and tasty. Gave them 5 stars for service and ambiance. 4 stars for food. Romantic candles make it a good place for a date night or girls night out. read more

PiDGiN - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

This cute, hip place has my favorite cocktail of anywhere. Try the one eyed samurai and you will be forever changed. So delicious! Every time I visit Vancouver I hit up this place for this drink. It's always an enjoyable time to sit at the bar and sip on this watermelon flavored masterpiece. (And yes, you do have to go through a sketchy area to get there, but it's worth it.) read more

PiDGiN - One eyed samurai. Delicious!! - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I ordered the foie gras rice to go, which was okay, but a bit sweet and oily. I only ate a few bites. I also ordered a salad for $19, but it was very small and both salty and oily. Overall, I would not recommend this restaurant. The photo is the salad. read more

PiDGiN - Salad - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Feeling adventurous and wanna give this place a try. Ordered the tendon chicharron, tuna belly, tofu and tasting menu. Like the tuna above average. Got the idea of chicharron, but isn't this place French and Japanese fusion?? Tofu I would rather have it at any Japanese restaurant. The most disappointing part was the tasting menu. Sauce didn't go well with the sweetbread.....had a bite passsed! Lamb belly yak! Felt sorry could call anything about that mash and pickled veg but delicious. Lamb was a bit too gamy without texture. Don't think will be back. read more

Fun menu, great service. Tasting menu is the perfect way to go if you don't feel up to making decisions. Wine/sake pairing was perfect. Bartender was very creative with the non-alcoholic drinks throughout the menu too. Thank you! Dish of the night was the lamb but the broth for the halibut also packed a flavour punch. Enjoy! - Korean snacks including Kimchi - Tuna tartare - Fried maitake mushrooms with crab mayo - Duck rillette - Halibut and spot prawn ponzu with morels - Lamb with nettle pesto, fava, potatoes and red pepper sauce - Chocolate cake with vanilla mousse and yuzu curd read more

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This is one of my all time favourites. I've been here more than a few times but I always forget to write down my review. So here it goes. One of my local gastown restaurants. The pictures I took are from 2020 dineout menu. Like wow. Talk about foodgasmic. The menu was omnivorous and delicious from the moment you taste the dish to how it sits in your belly. So much deliciousness in small looking plates but you're definitely leaving like you has a full meal and you're just right! I love the atmosphere at pidgin and the ambience is definitely on point! read more

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I've been wanting to try Pidgin for many years when I first noticed them driving past East Hastings and Carrall St. Known for their Asian and Pacific Northwest cooking styles, I was excited when I finally had the chance to try them last month. They offer a tasting menu where you share 5-6 dishes between 2 people and they are usually food that the kitchen is developing. We decided to go à la carte and was suggested we order 3-4 appetizers, and 2-3 mains to share amongst two people. We started off with their tuna tartare, the albacore tuna was fresh and soft, mixed in with the ikura and celery for some texture crunch. The nori purée sauce was way too salty and over powering in my opinion. I suggest using it as a dipping sauce instead of mixing it into the tuna tartare. Next we had the kombu kobucha salad, I love kobucha squash, and all the flavours worked really well. I would suggest parboiling the peas a bit to further bring out their sweetness as raw peas can have a chalky starchy flavour. The last appetizer we got was the chicken wings which were coated with a gochujung sauce. The wings themselves were crispy, but the sauce was too sour which became the dominant flavour. Would have been nice to see a good balance of sweet, sour, savoury and spicy flavour. For our mains we started with the Korean rice cake with beef. The rice cakes were nice and chewy, the gochujung bolognese I felt was on the sour side. Next we had the smoked magret duck breast. The duck breast was cooked perfectly to medium. The pomme dauphine was nice and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. They didn't have blue oyster mushrooms that evening but the maitake mushrooms were still great. Overall I think this was the best dish of the evening. We finished off our meal with the pork belly rice, which was served as a big cube on top of rice. The pork was braised until tender, so we mixed everything into the rice like bibimbap. I might be biased but I'm used to braised pork bellies with stronger spices and seasoning. I felt some spices in this dish could be amplified or the dish can be served with the braising liquid reduction on the side. I was tempted to ask for some of the nori purée from the tuna tartare. Service was great and attentive throughout the evening. We had a bit of a mishap with the dishes in the beginning, but our server was super apologetic about it and even comped our drinks. Overall, I can't ask for better service than that! read more

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Very disappointing. We got the prefix meal which was tuna tartare, fried maitake mushroom, rilette (pate), and duck. The tuna tartare was great, the cassava chips were a nice pairing. The fried maitake was overly breaded and the maitake was drenched in oil, it was served with a heavy thick sauce, and was overwhelmingly fried and doughy. I couldn't finish it and my boyfriend said he would, but he (of his own volition) said he thought it was very overly doughy as well. Like a lighter tempura batter would have been better in my opinion. The batter was at least half an inch thick and it looked like two doughy meat balls. I love the unique flavor of maitake but I couldn't taste any of that through the oily filling which was very sad and confusing. The rilette had a fishy tuna aftertaste, and was supposed to be duck based according to the menu, but definitely was not something I'd try again. The duck was amazing. Cooked well, had a nice smoked flavor. The chocolate cake dessert was not good. The texture of the cake was unlike any cakes I've ever had. It was dense but crumbled apart a bit in your mouth, not airy. Almost felt like if I ate play dough that would be what it would taste like. The mint and pomegranate garnish at the bottom was really good. Whatever cold cream was served with it still had granular bits of ice in it. Overall I'm pretty dissatisfied. The atmosphere is very upscale but the food we had today was mediocre and overpriced. I'm not getting a sense of harmony between French and Asian cuisine at all here. read more

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Delightfully delicious, and after being away for 2 years (due to COVID closures), PiDGiN was just what we were looking for during our recent trip. PiDGiN crafts an intimate and thoughtful fusion experience. Food was executed wonderfully, and each course delivered a symphony of textures, flavors, and visual appeal. We heard wonderful things about their tasting menu, so that's what we went with. We started off with an amuse of pickled kohlrabi, house made kimchi. Then came the sashimi with tuna, cucumber, grapefruit, shiso in a delicate and balanced shoyu ponzu. This was a great start - the only thing I would have liked more of was shiso. Afterwards, the meat of the tasting experience began, and boy, did it pack quite the punch! Sous vide octopus with orange sake vinaigrette was bright in flavor and very tender octopus. I have never had sous vide octopus before so I was thrilled with how tender, soft it was. The texture allowed the flavors to really permeate and you could taste it with each bite. The jalapeño sanshozuke creme fraiche packs a surprising heat that slowly creeps up on you, so might be something worth mentioning if you don't like spicy food. Confit potatoes were good, though didn't do a whole lot for the dish itself. The journey wrapped up with a butter-poached halibut, elk striploin, and carrot cake. Halibut had great ginger flavors and texture with the vegetables. The fish was super fresh and tasted great; just a little overcooked. If you don't choose to go with the tasting, you MUST get the elk striploin. That was a definite WOW dish! It was the combination of coffee celeriac puree that brought it to a whole new dimension and it not only pairs amazingly well with the elk, but also the chanterelles. Even the rapini took on a new flavor profile with that puree. Topped with a red wine jus, and I'm still dreaming about that dish. It was definitely the highlight of the evening. Carrot cake was good, and the right portion after all the previous dishes. Service was fabulous - attentive, warm, jovial and informative. Pricing at $85CAD per person was just right. Covid protocols and enforcement on point, which we appreciate. Love the environment and flow of the space. We were super lucky to be seated on the side with the bar, so it was quiet and you felt like you were on your own little island. Washrooms clean too. Don't be alarmed with the location of the restaurant - it has grit and speaks to the eclectic mix of businesses that are popping up here. Just be aware of your surroundings. In total, the experience lasted a little over 2 hours. If you are in a hurry, I would not recommend going with the tasting experience. Some of the courses were spaced 20 minutes in between, so if you're looking to take your time, you will have an enjoyable experience. This is definitely one of those places to come back to each season, and we look forward to our next visit already! read more

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I have been going to PiDGin since they opened, and have always enjoyed their food, cocktails and service. Very glad to see them reopen. I ordered delivery the other day and had: Mushrooms with "ramen" egg - this was very nice, I recommend heating it up in the microwave a bit. The accompanying butter sauce was packed separately and the dish was delicious. Pork Gyoza - this was... stodgy. I don't really want to knock down anyone, especially now, but I think this dish needs a rethink or be removed. The wrapper was gummy and thick, the meat filling had a taste and texture that was also gummy and... dull. Brussel sprouts - they packed the miso sauce separately which was nice. My first bite out of the box was not that good (strong cabbage-y bitter taste), but then I reheated it quickly in the microwave, AND HOLY COW, it was DELICIOUS!! Wow, so much flavour got released with just a small application of heat, and it was still nice with a bit of firmness. I think they undercook it so you can heat it up and it will be perfect. Overall, I was happy with my order. I will be ordering again soon! read more

PiDGiN - Mushrooms with ramen egg; Brussel sprouts with miso; pork gyoza - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Pidgin is a fusion restaurant with some really awesome takes on various Asian cuisines. I only got a chance to try their rice bowls (pictured) so this review is based off those. Both the pork belly and the foie gras were some of the yummiest renditions of those that I've had a chance to eat. You can tell a lot of care was put into preparing them, and each are complimented by garnishing inoffensively -- these dishes definitely seem like crowd-pleasers to me so I wouldn't hesitate bringing a first date, in-laws, etc. The atmosphere is great (dim lit, not too loud) and service is friendly. Drinks were pretty good, but I wouldn't come here just because of them. Holding back from 5 stars because it is a little pricey for the portion size, and I'm not sure if that is worth the trip as you can get high quality dons for much cheaper elsewhere, and can find fusion places that take more risks. I'm very excited though to come back and try some more of their menu! read more

PiDGiN - Pork belly bowl + day shift (drink) - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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The tasting menu i suppose is designed for 2 people, but 3 of us got the same portion, I got pretty hungry afterwards. Plus the waiting in between main dishes are around 30 minutes, with such a small portion for 3 people, we basically just took one bite for every dish and waited long time for the next to come up. Wouldn't recommend if you go empty stomach. The service and the food was good though, the scallops and bison were my favorite. read more

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Yum! First time trying out pidgin. It was very easy to make a reservation online, and the table I reserved for 6 was very spacious. We appreciated the hand sanitizer upon arrival, as well as the spritz bottle on the table. We started with some delicious cocktails (park meadows was perfect, loved the gin) and I also tried the sake flight (I personally love nigori). Onto food - they recommend sharing but with covid, we opted to stick with own plates. I had the foie gras rice bowl with chestnuts, daikon, unagi glaze. What an umami bomb! A little pricey but well worth it! read more

PiDGiN - foie gras rice bowl - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Ambiance was super chill and the food was outstanding. Was pleasantly surprised to find such great fusion food. The service was also wonderful, we had a restless toddler, and were ourselves not relaxed, but they were all so patient and gracious. Order the rice bowls! read more