Fiorino Italian Street Food is a hidden gem on East Georgia Street in Vancouver’s Chinatown. The dishes at Fiorino celebrate the food and flavours of Florence, Italy. It is a lively spot for traditional schiacciata sandwiches at lunch and small plates and drinks at night. Schiacciata is a crispy foccacia like bread, and you can check out their lunch items here. This spot is like the hipster version of the trendy Giovane Bacaro in the Fairmont Pacific Rim. I came by on a hopping Saturday night to try some of their new dinner menu items.
Fiorino Vancouver – Smaller Plates
The Cena (dinner) menu is split into two sections – smaller and larger plates. From the smaller plates section we had:
- Pane Casalingo ($8.00) – house baked bread, tuscan olive oil, aged balsamic
- Arancini ($14.00) – butternut squash risotto, hazelnut pesto, pecorino
- Insalata di Rucola ($14.00) – Arugula salad, shaved Parmigiano, candied walnuts, pears
The Pane Casalingo is like crispy bread sticks. It was a little hard for me personally, but I did enjoy the Tuscan olive oil/balsamic dip that it came with. However, I would skip this dish next time.
The Arancini was quite delightful. The butternut squash flavour really shone through these little deep fried morsels. I imagine they will go fantastically with a glass of ice cold beer.
The Insalata di Rucola was my favourite dish from the small plates section. The argula was fresh and plentiful and the walnuts gave a great sweet crunch to the dish. It was such a refreshing dish and I could eat it by the bucketful!
Fiorino Vancouver – Larger Plates
From the larger plates portion of the menu we had:
- Coccoli and Prosciutto ($26.00) – Deep fried dough, 18 month Prosciutto di Parma, whipped Stracchino cheese
- Rosticciana ($24.00) – Tuscan braised ribs, garlic herbs, balsamic glaze
If there is one dish you absolutely need to try it is the Coccoli and Prosciutto. This dish is one of the most unique dishes I have had. It is such a fantastic dish, but I don’t think it is very common in Italian restaurants in Vancouver. The concept is so simple, but the combination of flavours is exquisite. The deep fried dough is soft and pillowy. It is the perfect vehicle for the whipped Stracchino cheese and salty prosciutto. You need to try this dish!
The Rosticciana was fall off the bone tender. The ribs were flavourful and the balsamic glaze packed a great punch!
Fiorino Vancouver – Dessert
To round off our meal we had the Budino ($12.00). This dessert consists of a chocolate orange earl gray custard, salted caramel, whipped cream and mixed nuts. Despite sounding like a very sweet dessert it wasn’t at all. It was the perfect sweetness level and a great way to round off dinner. I recommend having this dessert with a nice strong coffee.
Worth a Try?
Yes! Overall the dishes were solid. The spot was bustling all night long with a line out the door – which I think speaks to its popularity. The must try dish is their Coccoli and Prosciutto. It is definitely worth making a trip down to try. While I didn’t get to try their pasta dishes this time, I will definitely be back to try those out.
