By Tourism Surrey
You can’t help but feel as if you’ve stumbled across a well-kept secret on a first visit to Tap Restaurant in South Surrey. A few blocks away from busy 152nd Avenue, Tap is nestled in between designer homes in a commercial complex in the Rosemary Heights/Morgan Creek area. The cuisine is distinctly French-inspired with a contemporary West Coast perspective. A refined menu features just a handful of appetizers, soups, salads, and plates principaux from which to select. Chef Alistair Veen partners with farmers to provide customers with the best in local meats and vegetables.
Dining at Tap Restaurant is an intimate experience, with the kitchen fully open and looking out on the small, romantically lit dining room. Veen steps out from behind the counter often to deliver plates and check in on tables, with many patrons addressing him by name. Based on the freshness of ingredients, caliber of food, and friendly service, it comes as no surprise that customers would be repeat ones.
Both the giant scallop and gnocchi starters came highly recommended. The scallop is beautifully seared and covered in rich hazelnut-basil butter. Served in olive oil and made fresh every morning, the herb gnocchi is seared and crispy on the outside, providing a contrast of texture to the soft interior.
Three mains to try are the confit duck leg from Thiessen Farms, the pan-seared pacific halibut, or the butter-basted Pemberton Meadows beef tenderloin. Multiple components come together perfectly on each dish.
The duck leg, featuring perfectly crisped skin, is served atop pickled Swiss chard, radishes, and creamed leeks alongside fondant potato.
Beautifully presented, the beef tenderloin is finished with a generous scoop of Café de Paris butter, which has a nice, mellow, citrus flavor and features over twenty different ingredients! As it melts the butter coats the red meat decadently.
Served with summer squash and tabouli salad, the halibut falls apart with the touch of a fork and melts on the tongue. It features a salty crust and olive tapenade. The salad underneath with mint and cucumber provides a cool, refreshing balance.
As a memorable experience at a buzzing little restaurant in the quietest part of town, Tap won’t be a well-kept secret much longer.
*Main image is Pacific Line Caught Ling Cod with homemade lardons, Hazelmere Organic Farm Wilted Kale & Saffron Potato with Brown Butter Sauce
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