Rating: ????????????
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3605 W 4th Ave, Vancouver, BC V6R 1P2
Phone: (604) 733-8308
Doing a Google search for review will come up with mixed review of this place. It seems many people lump the Cafe and the Pie shop together in one review. The 2 shops are diagonally across of each other, although operated by the same owner, they are very different.
My wife prefers as much whole food and organic food these days. The high living standard in Vancouver causes us to be a little more cautious about food budget as our housing cost is close to 50% of our income ???? (that’s some story I may tell at another time).
Aphrodite offers organic cuisines that can satisfy the gluten free and vegan market. From what our waitress tells me, their ingredients are sourced locally and even the condiments used. They will try to make everything in-house and source whatever they cannot make.
Normally, their brunch hours would be packed and I am expecting a line up. Out of our surprised, we first walk into the Pie Shop, then we are able to find the cafe across from the street with no line up. Stepping into the store front, it looks like a family diner on the country side. There are no glass, fancy and shiny decorations and lighting, just normal wood table, benches, and chairs. Even the table cloth is the basic type with typical checkered pattern. It feels like home and down to earth. Maybe this is the idea? from farm to table like a farmer?
It takes us about 10 minutes to be seated as the staff is cleaning the tables. I notice the staff will take on covering the whole restaurant as they go. There are three different people serves our table. There are many local art work for sale that are displayed all over the restaurant. Ten minutes pass by very quickly when I am admiring the various paper mache and glass work from the local artists. Most of them are farm related like a big rooster, many “Nintendo Mii” like people and painting of the nature.
We are handed the lunch menu and a brunch fresh sheet. The fresh sheets offers a selection of bennys, pie and burger. They participated in meal donation program too, some items they will buy a meal for the needed when ordered. Wife orders the avocado benny and a glass of mojito kombucha and I have the sausage benny.
Our food arrives quickly, the plate is full. It’s not as beautifully decorated and I don’t expect them to do so. The waitress tells us that everything is made in house except the English muffin. The garden salad includes a selections of local greens like arugula, carrots, baby bean sprouts, beets, watercress and lettuce (something I want to grow in my Aerogarden). The hollandaise sauce has a lemony taste, it is not sour as I would expect. The potato hash is baked, not deep fried, although the menu says it has rosemary, I can’t taste rosemary. It still tastes very good though. The egg is poached medium as we ordered. I only would wish they would offer a full link of sausage rather than pieces, I just feel it would be more satisfying that way. The kombucha is made in house at the shop next door. It is lighter than the common ones we get, nonetheless it’s not overly sweet or anything. It can be a great refreshing drink in the summer.
Our bill comes to about $50 for 2 brunch entree and a drink. We enjoy the restaurant very much, partly because we encourage the “farm to table” idea using seasonal, local produce. We feel good about it as we know we are supporting the local community.
Aphrodite’s Organic Cafe will not win any awards for “bling bling” decor, “artisan” preparation and flavors that will stimulate all senses. What it does well is a simple, tasty meal that feels just like home/or farm. Coming to Aphrodite’s, as soon as I walk through the small “garden” of flower, time seems to slow down. We can forget the busy city life for a moment and enjoy a meal that the nature intends. I guess the only thing missing is a pitch fork. ???? I enjoy every bites of my brunch as I slowly forget the world outside….