Nox is a contemporary Italian restaurant which ties together traditional Italian cuisine with West Coast techniques and presentation. The restaurant space, is sleek and minimalist with a beautiful bar in the center of the restaurant. There are so many options to choose from for lunch and dinner as well as a Happy Hour. I got to come by for a sneak peek before the official grand opening on June 9 and had a lovely sampling of their dishes. Check out my full review of Nox Vancouver below.
Nox Vancouver – Ciccheti
To start the night we had a sampling of the various Ciccheti on the menu:
- Golden Ears cheesecrafters neufchatel, honey ($3.50)
- Tuna conserva, black olive tapenade ($3.50)
- Nduja sausage, candied walnuts, caramelized gorgonzola ($3.50)
Pictured above is the cheese and Nduja toasts as they were my favourites. I love the grill marks on the toast as they imparted a great char flavour that went so well with the various toppings. A delicious start to the evening.
Nox Vancouver – Primi
Following that we started with several appetizers:
- Duck & Brussels Sprout Terrine
- Roast Parsnip and Smoked Apple
- Bison Tartare
The Duck & Brussels Sprout Terrine ($22.00) features confit duck leg, smoked apple jam, crostini and candied ginger. This was very flavourful, and the ginger was an interesting addition. I don’t think I have ever seen ginger in Italian cooking. The Roast Parsnip and Smoked Apple ($16.00) features balsamic and maple vinaigrette and fresh Italian parsley. This salad was light and refreshing, and the different textures of the parsnip and apple work really well together.
The Bison Tartare ($25.00) featuring sunchoke chips, red wine & juniper reduction, egg yolk was one of my favourite dishes of the night. The bison was very flavourful and the reduction really packs a punch. A must order dish for me! It was my first time having bison tartare and I think I like it just as much as lamb tartare!
Nox Vancouver – Pasta
If you don’t order pasta at an Italian restaurant you aren’t doing it right. For our dinner this evening we got:
- Braised Leek Ravioli
- Marinated Crab Egg Noodles
- Braised Pork and Pear Gnocchi
The Braised Leek Ravioli ($26.00) features brown butter and parmesan. The brown butter gives the dish a great nutty flavour that works so well with the braised leek filling. The Marinated Crab Egg Noodles ($28.00) was definitely one of the more interesting dishes of the night. It features chili-marinated crab, pecorino, egg yolk. This dish reminds me of the noodles we have after eating crab at Chinese restaurants. Not necessarily a bad thing, in fact this dish was quite tasty, but it seems out of place on the menu. The final pasta dish was Braised Pork and Pear Gnocchi ($26.00) features red wine-braised pork shoulder, preserved pear, house-made gnocchi, basil, parmesan. The acidity of the preserved pear balances out the heavier flavours of the pork shoulder. This dish was a tad salty for me, but the rest of the table enjoyed it!
Nox Vancouver – Secondi
For the final savoury dishes of the night we had:
- Bark Tea Poached Rabbit
- Red Endive Risotto
- Fraser Valley Duck Breast
The Bark Tea Poached Rabbit ($40.00) features rabbit stuffed with wild rice & Nduja. This was my first time having rabbit and it was very interesting. The wild rice had a nice chew and the rabbit was very flavourful. The Red Endive Risotto ($26.00) features kohlrabi sprouts, Golden Ears cheesecrafters four-year aged cheddar, burnt honey. This was nice and cheesy and prepared well. I enjoyed this dish. The Fraser Valley Duck Breast ($36.00) features smoked celeriac, heavy roasted red onion, anise jus. This was my favourite dish of the night. The duck was prepared perfectly. Paired with the red onion which was basically charred – this dish was just the perfect combination of flavours.
NOX Restaurant
Address: 1575 W Georgia St, Vancouver, BC V6G 2T1
Telephone: 604-256-7275
Website: https://noxrestaurant.ca/