Wandering down Gastown with CanuckGirl, TaiwaneseGirl, and BebeYeoville for some lunch, we were growing very hungry when we found out Guu was closed. We wondered until we saw this huge restaurant called Chill Winston. People have said this place was good, so we decided to go in for lunch.
The exterior of the building looks very inviting with its red flags and masculine exterior. It screamed modern, hip and classy. When walking inside, we were drawn by the abundance of comfortable lounge chairs, intimate ambiance, and a very stocked bar.
Looking at their vast menu, we decided upon the Shrimp salad, Pulled pork burger and daily pasta.
Canuckgirl and BebeYeoville had the pulled pork burger($15). The pulled pork burger had pulled pork, onions, pickled carrots, thai chili’s, in-house smoked cheddar, caramelized apple spread, and cucumber spears on a vietnamese bun. On the side of the dish were fries. CanuckGirl and BebeYeoville were not keen on the fries because they were really thick. It would have been better if they had skinny fries. All in all, the pulled pork burger was quite mediocre and not very special.
TaiwaneseGirl has the Daily Pasta ($14). This changes every day to ensure the freshest ingredients are used in the dish. I’m not sure what exactly was in this dish but there was green pasta with a nice piece of fish on top. She said it was good, so it must be.
I had the Shrimp Salad ($13). It contained pan-seared prawns with avocado salsa, red onion, toasted cashews, cherry tomatoes, and red wine vinaigrette. I really enjoyed this dish but I really hated how the pan-seared prawns left a lot of black pepper bits in-between my teeth. The avocado salsa was nice and refreshing and was like an intermission to the dish.
Words of wisdom:
- Daily specials are a must!
Chill Winston is a hidden gem in Gastown for the young, hip and classy individuals. Great ambiance resonates from the decors around the restaurant. Chill Winston is a good place to go with your best gal pals or a nice romantic date. This place is a bit pricey for what you get, so do watch your wallet. You are really just paying for the ambiance.
We rate Chill Winston: 
Check out their website: http://www.chillwinston.com/
