The GOODS from Notturno

Vancouver, BC | On June 15, Chef Bill Robitaille and Ben DeChamplain will take you on a culinary journey to Japan, home of one of the world’s most unique food cultures…and of course – sake.

With one of the highest densities of restaurants per capita, Japan is divided into distinct geographic regions, each with its own culinary traditions. So when it comes to food, there’s no question that the Japanese are among the most enthusiastic and innovative cultures. And with more Michelin-starred restaurants than we can count (and even a UNESCO distinction), eating delicious food seems to be a national pastime in Japan. All said, we think it was an obvious (albeit daring) choice for our Monthly Wine Dinner Series.

Here’s what you need to know:

A very limited number of seats are available, so reserve yours today! Tickets are $125, sake and beer included. Taxes and auto-gratuity extra. To purchase yours, please call 604-720-3145. New guests will receive a “passport” outlining the 11 countries/regions chosen for the series. Returning guests should bring their passports with them. Each dinner you attend gets you a stamp. If you attend five, you’ll receive a Notturno gift card, redeemable during regular business hours. Because “this one goes to 11”, if you attend 10, the last one is on us.

Notturno Presents: A Night in Japan

Soya egg with sake cured salmon roe
Spot prawn sashimi with fried prawn head and white shoyu
Dungeness crab harumaki with spicy ponzu sauce
Fried mochi with tobiko and quail egg yolk

Kuheiji Junmai Daiginjo ‘Eau du Désir’
Chilled tomato surinagashi
Bo sushi with local sardine
Mori soba
Halibut cheeks with saikyo miso
Spicy quail tempura
Hatcho miso braised beef short rib
Ume wine tagliatelle

Paired with a selection of:

Dassai “50” Nigori
Niwa no Uguisu Junmai Ginjo
Akaiwa Omachi Junmai Ginjo
Kozaemon Junmai Umeshu
Japanese beer

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Address: 280 Carrall Street
Date: Monday, June 15
Time: 7 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.)
Price: $125 (includes sake and beer). Taxes and gratuity extra.
Purchase tickets: 604-720-3145 (a deposit will be taken at the time the reservation is made)

Details

280 Carrall Street | Vancouver, BC
Telephone: 604-720-3145 | Email: info [at] notturnogastown.ca
Web: www.notturnogastown.ca | Twitter: @notturnogastown
Hours: Open Tuesday to Saturday: 6 p.m. to late | No reservations

Gallery

The People

Chef/Co-owner – William Robitaille
Bartender – H
Co-owner – Scott McTavish

About Notturno

A Gastown Italian bàcari with an ever-changing selection of cicchetti share plates, craft cocktails, wines by the glass and BC-brewed craft beers, Notturno has something for everyone.

Chef and co-owner William Robitaille has designed Italian-inspired fare with a focus on seasonal, market-fresh products. Industry trained in the West Coast style with Italian and Spanish influences, Robitaille has worked in some of the finest restaurants in Vancouver and Whistler where he developed new and exciting menus. Wine consultant Chris Royal has curated a wine program that expertly complements the food menu.

Known around the world simply as “H”, Notturno’s craft cocktail maker and Vancouver Magazine’s Bartender of the Year for 2013, designed our signature cocktail Gli Felice. This along with H’s five monthly creations is sure to please every taste. Like our menu, our space delivers an eclectic combination of historic and modern.

The new look by Andrea Rodman Interiors is designed to combine the rustic look synonymous with the surrounding Gastown neighbourhood and modern detailing. Master woodworkers Josh Hooge and Steve McFarlane of J&S Reclaimed Wood Custom Furniture have created a new feature wall and bar counter.

Reviews

Eater Magazine – Vancouver Heat Map | This tiny bar and restaurant tucked away on Carrall has cocktail fans thoroughly over-excited thanks to bartender H’s creative concoctions – impressively, William Robitaille’s Italian tapas even delighted notoriously hard-to-please Globe & Mail critic Alexandra Gill.

Alexandra Gill, Globe and Mail | Notturno’s signature Gli Felice is, as advertised, “a taste of Tuscany in a glass.” I happily say to you that of all the tiny tapas-style wine bars in Gastown, Notturno hits higher than most.

Vancouver Magazine | Don’t miss chef’s succulent Venetian ling cod, which is poached and whipped with olive oil while warm, then served with salty pops of steelhead roe […] “H” (Vancouver magazine’s 2013 Bartender of the Year) mixes exacting craft cocktails with bitter-predominant Italian flair.

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