Tasting Journey #23 - Chewie

Chewie
2201 West 1st Ave.
Vancouver, BC
www.chewies.ca


Located in the heart of Kitsilano community, Chewie is a sheek restaurant that serves fresh local seafood.  As it is located only a few blocks from work, Asmin & I had originally planned to make it a lunch stopover.  Who knew that they are only open for dinner on weeknights?  Highly praised for its oyster bar, we attempted to dine here a 2nd time.  Tonight is it. We arrived shortly after work (5:45pm), and the place was already bustling with people...a weeknight.  The crowd varied from parents carrying a newborn, to young couples, and to middle aged friends looking for a fun evening out.  Doing a quick scan of the food on the tables, I instantly picked up a pattern - oyster, beer, oyster, beer, oyester.  I guess this is THE routine, as a preamp to dinner.


Chewie has a contemporary interior decor, an open-kitchen, and white walls with paintings hung in a simple clean row.  Modernity.  Immediately as you enter the restaurant, you notice people chatting cheerfully and swagging in rhythm with the upbeat background music.  It was like walking into a Jamaican festival.  The vibe of the party and jive of the music instantly make you fall in sync with mood, and the day's crappiness disappears. 

As soon as we sat down, the waiter came by, dropped off the menu and explained to us that "blah blah blah" and "bleh bleh bleh" were $1.50 each today, during the 5-7pm Happy Hour.  Giving us a few minutes to look over the menu, we quickly glimpsed through the wine and beer selection.  We did not see the blah and bleh.  No idea what they were.  When he returned again for the order, it was then we realized that the "blah and bleh's" were not beer, but fresh oysters. HAHA. This tells you how much I know about oysters.  It's all good and fun.  I asked him which one's better, and he explained that as an amateur in oyster-tasting, I would not be able to tell the difference.  So I guess I just had to try them both ^^.  He's right.  The difference between blah and bleh is just a small alphabet difference.  For the entree, we decided to go with the waiter's recommendation of: Gumbo, Southern Fried Chicken, and fried Okra.  According to their website, Chewie showcases "fresh and local seafood inspired by the delicious taste of New Orleans".  I thought it looked more Mexican, hm.  Now come to think of it, maybe New Orleans has some Mexican influence?  Anyways, the food was awesome, irrespective where it was inspired from.  The Southern Fried Chicken is the most popular (yes, we did see that almost 90% of the tables ordered this dish), and Gumbo was the next best choice.  Perfect.

fresh oyster

Fried Okra

The serving speed was quite fast.  The fried chicken was juicy, well-fried (quite similar to Church's Chicken maybe?) and is served on some buttery creamy mash potato.  The Gumbo was sinfully tasty.  It was spicy and full of rich flavouring.  Sausage & prawns & fried chicken all blended in a spicy BBQ sauce that made eating a large bowl of rice feel like only a spoon full of of rice.  The deep fried okra was interesting.  Coated in thick, crispy batter, this "cheese-stick" dish came with a dipping sauce that tasted like thousand island salad dressing.

Southern Fried Chicken

Gumbo

I fully enjoyed the meal.  The food was well-prepared, the service was welcoming, and the music was great. What more can you ask for?  This meal ended up costing ~$60. Pricey but well-earned.   I will definitely come back.  Well, maybe once in a while. ^^