Davie Street is about to welcome a bold new dining spot: Jeon Vancouver, a modern Korean restaurant that’s set to take over the former Moxies inside the Sandman Hotel. I was able to get a sneak peek before their grand opening and I got to try a variety of dishes. Keep in mind that the plating, menu and dish may change by the time they grand open, but this was what I got to try and my notes on it.
First of, the interior of the restaurant is stunning. They have completely redone the interiors and you absolutely can not tell that this used to be a Moxies. Think dark woods, beautiful soft lighting, a gorgeous chandelier and more. The ambiance of the restaurant is captivating from the moment you step inside.
In terms of food – the majority of the menu is what I would classify as modern Korean. Classic Korean dishes with a modern twist. There are of course some more traditional options, but as whole the menu isn’t what you’d typically expect to see at a Korean restaurant.
Jeon Vancouver – The Menu A First Look (Cold & Warm Appetizers)
Cherry Tomato & Perilla Leaf – juicy cherry tomatoes with a bold perilla aroma in a zesty honey vinaigrette. This dish was beautifully presented with pealed cherry tomatoes as the star. The dish was bright and refreshing with lovely floral notes.
Crispy Ga-ji – deep fried eggplant tossed in a sweet and spicy Korean style glaze finished with black sesame seeds. This dish was the star of the night. The eggplant was perfectly crisp on the outside and so soft and tender on the inside. The sauce was the perfect balance of spicy and sweet. An excellent dish in every aspect.
Stuffed Squid – tender squid stuffed with shrimp, vegetables, and chives coated in an egg batter and pan fried. Each squid ring was stuffed with ingredients and panfried. Of all the dishes we had this night this was the most ‘jeon’ looking dish. It was savoury and flavourful and pairs really well with the pickled jalapeno.
Jeon Vancouver – The Menu A First Look (Sharing Plates and Main Plates)
Chilled Pork with Arugula – chilled pork with fresh arugula and tangy mustard caper dressing. This was my second favourite dish of the night. The pork was lean but still so tender and the fresh arugula wrapped with pork and doused in the tangy dressing was the perfect bite.
Mak Eun Ji Tuna Roll – rice and fillings of tuna, egg, vegetables and perilla life wrapped in aged kimchi. This dish was beautiful and carefully constructed but it was definitely unexpected to see tuna fish salad. It wasn’t a bad dish, in fact it’s quite balanced and a really nice summer dish but the canned tuna was interesting.
Gu Jeol Pan – traditional Korean platter with eight delicacies and wheat pancake. Their version had smaller wheat pancakes with a variety of ingredients from mushrooms, steak, prawns, egg and more. It is a beutiful dish albeit lacking a bit in flavour.
Seafood Tomato Nurungji – seafood soup with tomato, fresh seafood and chewy nurungji (crispy scorched rice). We were warned that this dish was intensely spicy but for me it was mildly spicy. The overwhelming flavour was tomato. The idea is good, but the concept needs a little bit more R&D overall.
Ganjang Sae Woo Bap – steamed rice with soy sauce marinated shrimp. A solid dish with beautiful marinated prawns. They were full of umami flavour and the texture was so unctuous.
Braised Galbi with Radish Steak – slow braised short ribs with vegetables and a fragrant perilla oil seared radish steak. A more traditional offering on the menu. The aroma of this dish will have your mouth watering. The perilla oil adds such a nice touch to the radish.
Jeon Vancouver – The Menu A First Look (Desserts)
The dessert program is helmed by Kiko Nakata. I’m a huge fan of her work and enjoyed her new offering of desserts.
Gochujang Ice Cream – a malty chocolate ice cream with gochujang cookie crumbles. A smooth ice cream with nice chocolate notes that has a bit of a spicy kick at the end from the cookie crumbles.
Mango White Chocolate Opera Cake. The favourite dessert of the night. Beautiful layers with a nice balance between the sweetness of the mango and the white chocolate.
Worth a Try?
I think there is a lot of potential in this restaurant and I look forward to seeing how they grow as they settle into their grand opening. I was overall impressed by the dishes that I had during the preview (keeping in mind that this was a dry run for friends and family). Although the dishes and plating may change before Jeon Vancouver officially opens, hopefully this gives you a good idea of what to expect. I know that I will personally be making a revisit to see how they’re progressing and I will definitely be back for the Crispy Ga-ji and Chilled Pork with Arugula!
Jeon Vancouver
Address: 1160 Davie Street (inside Sandman Suites Vancouver – Davie Street)
Website: https://www.instagram.com/jeonyvr
