Dominion Bar + Kitchen is situated in the heart of Surrey City Centre right underneath the Civic Hotel. Dominion Bar is comfortable cocktail lounge with a variety of New Canadian entrées, appetizers, and classic favourites on the menu. Their dishes feature a mix of influences from the many cultures, hence the “New Canadian” experience. Dominion is open for breakfast, weekend brunch, lunch, happy hour and dinner. They have a pretty solid breakfast buffet daily from 6:30 – 10:00 am daily and is only $25 per person! There’s a great selection of hot and cold items as well as a variety of pastries and fresh fruits. I’ll definitely be back to check out that buffet. However, I came by earlier this week to try their new revamped dinner menu. Check out my full review of Dominion Bar + Kitchen below!
Dominion Bar + Kitchen – Appies, Salads and Bowls
To start we went with a selection of their appetizers and a salad:
- Scotch Egg ($17.00)
- Prawn Cocktail ($22.00)
- Ahi Tuna Tartare ($24.00)
- Burrata and Stone Fruit Salad ($25.00)
Starting off strong, the Scotch Egg features Rabbit River Farm eggs, arugula and fennel salad, curry aioli and tomato jam. The egg has a gorgeous orange yolk and the sausage was moist while crispy on the outside. The curry aioli was an interesting addition and went well with the sausage.
The Prawn Cocktail features 100% Ocean Wise prawns, iceberg lettuce, heirloom tomato, champagne vinaigrette and atomic horseradish cocktail sauce. This dish was very classic in presentation and taste. I actually haven’t seen such an old school presentation of prawn cocktail in a very long time. It was a nice nostalgic dish.
The star of the appetizers is definitely the Ahi Tuna Tartare. This dish features 100% Ocean Wise Ahi Tuna, Fresno chili, avocado, pickled mustard seeds, cucumber, wasabi crema, yuzu ginger dressing, cilantro and wonton chips. Gorgeous pieces of ahi tuna with lots of bright and acidic flavours from the mustard seeds, cucumber and chili. Everything works so well together and we demolished this dish in no time!
To round off our appetizers we decided to try their Burrata and Stone Fruit Salad. This salad features heirloom tomatoes, arugula salad, grilled stone fruit, pomegranate, toasted hazelnuts, Za’atar, fig glaze, basil and focaccia. The tomatoes and stone fruit were bright and fresh and the arugula give a nice pepperiness to the salad. A lovely Summer salad!
Dominion Bar + Kitchen – Entrées
For our mains we went with the following:
- Cavatappi Mac and Cheese with Spicy Chicken ($19.00 + $9.00)
- Primavera Tagliatelle ($25.00)
- Rossdown Chicken and Truffled Mushroom ($32.00)
The Cavatappi Mac and Cheese with Spicy Chicken features spiral macaroni, jalapeño infused Mornay sauce, four-cheese blend, parmesan, breadcrumbs and focaccia. This was my favourite of the mains. The macaroni twists were perfect for gathering all the delicious cheesy sauce and the spicy chicken was crisp with a slight sweetness to offset the richness of the Mornay sauce. The jalapeño definitely comes through – this was spicy.
The chicken was tender on the inside with a great crunchy exterior. It was super saucy, but the crisp was still there!
If you’re looking for lighter yet indulgent dish the Primavera Tagliatelle is a great choice. It features heirloom tomatoes, summer peas and squash, asparagus, arugula, garlic tomato butter, lemon, torn basil, Grana Padano and focaccia. There’s plenty of fresh summer vegetables that pair well with the well cooked pasta. The focaccia here is absolutely delightful. Crisp and garlicky on the outside, while being pillow-y soft on the inside.
Our last main was the Rossdown Chicken and Truffled Mushroom. If you are a truffle lover like me you will adore this dish. It features pan-seared Rossdown chicken breast, foraged mushroom and truffle risotto, charred oyster mushrooms, wilted greens, prosciutto, Calabrian chili, preserved lemon, herb oil and truffle jus. The chicken was tender with a nice sear on the outside. The truffle risotto was so rich and decadent with plenty of mushroom flavour.
Dominion Bar + Kitchen – Desserts
Ending the night on a sweet note we got:
- Seasonal Crème Brûlée ($12.00)
- Eton Mess ($12.00)
- The OMG Cookie Skillet ($16.00)
The Seasonal Crème Brûlée features a custard base, caramelized sugar, and an assortment of berries. A classic dessert done well. The custard was smooth and creamy with the perfect sugar crust.
I haven’t seen an Eton Mess in ages, and when I saw it on the menu I had to get it. This traditional British dessert features layered meringue, fresh berries, fruit compote and whipped cream. This was so delicious with the sweet and crisp meringue, tart berries and whipped cream.
And of course we couldn’t leave without trying the epic OMG Cookie Skillet which features a warm chocolate cookie with chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream. The cookie comes in the cutest cast iron pan and is warm and gooey. The ultimate decadent dessert.
Worth a Try?
Yes! Dominion Bar + Kitchen is a solid choice for delicious New Canadian food in Surrey. Their convenient location makes it a great spot for anyone in the area or travelling by Skytrain. If you’re a tourist visiting, it’s a great spot to have meals throughout the day as it is located just below the gorgeous Civic Hotel. I like the modern and unique twists they put on classic dishes like the Tuna Tartare and the Scotch Egg. Everything was well made and had great flavour. The service was efficient and friendly and they were very on top of water refills and menu suggestions. I will definitely be back soon to try other dishes!
Dominion Bar + Kitchen
Address: 13475 Central Ave Unit D1, Surrey, BC V3T 0A
Website: https://dominionkitchen.com/
