My second dine out of the year was at Bistro 101 at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts. I tried making reservations last year, but I lucked out as the reservations fill up very quickly! I woke up and put in my reservation on Open Table before going to work on the day they started accepting reservations . It’s one of the best $18 3 course menu option and you won’t be disappointed.
Their 3 course meals are usually $24, which is still a great deal. At $18 for Dine Out Vancouver, its pretty good.
Bistro 101 was created to provide a real-world training experience for the school’s professional Culinary and Baking & Pastry Arts students. I think it’s a great idea to give student a well-rounded experience with dealing with the back of the house and front of the house.
From inside the dining room, you can see them hard at work. It’s really cool to see all the work that goes into your meal.
Complimentary bread arrives at the table. It’s unlimited, so you can always ask for more. I find that they give you a lot initially, so you don’t really need a refill unless you really load up on the bread early. There’s a lot of varieties.
Peroni beer ($6) comes from Italy and is a popular beer there. I liked its light and sweet flavour profile.
An amuse bouche arrived before the appetizers. A nice little treat to start off the meal. I think it was cheese, bell peppers, pesto on little crispy bread.
White Onion Velouté topped with crisp cauliflower and lime yoghurt. It is a soup and M said it was really good. The crispy vegetables on the side added great texture.
Winter Squash Tortellini comes with 3 pieces in a smoked tomato broth. A different concept of a pasta dish.
Dungeness Crab Salad has shaved fennel & lemon foam. The lemon foam compliments the creamy crab.
Organic Ocean Wise Roasted Halibut sits on top of spinach risotto and lemongrass emulsion. The halibut was cooked perfectly. It was moist and really full of flavour.
Lamb Navarin has grilled polenta, braised Shallots and dates. There is also grilled peppers and asparagus.
Fraser Pork is like a pork sampler. It has roast loin, crisp belly, shoulder sausage and chive pomme puree. M really liked it and was music to his palate. Men love their meat.
Cheesecake Mousse has a raspberry sauce and pineapple sorbet. Cheesecake was simple and not overly complicated. Good as well.
Hazelnut Tart has blood orange, chocolate and sorbet on the plate. This was my favourite because I am very fond of hazelnuts.
Overall, I was very impressed by their menu and their affordable price. There is a trade off and the students are still learning how to serve, so the service may be less smooth than what you would normally receive. It was a fun experience for us and we will definitely be back. I love the concept of Bistro 101 and they did a great job when we dined here.
We Rate Bistro 101: 
Address:
1505 W 2nd Ave
Vancouver, BC
Website:
http://www.bistro101.com/
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