Senhor Rooster. Portugese Fine Dining Vancouver

Valentine's Day 2009-

I had called around the week before to some of our favourites: Seasons in the Park (Queen Elizabeth), Shaughnessy (Van Dusen), Tea House (Stanley Park) . But of course, with only the big day a week away, the earliest reservation we could get was at 9:00pm. Nah, too late for dinner.

So I went to the ol' trusty Google and typed in "romantic" "restaurant" "Vancouver" .

A myriad of choices, here and there. Somehow, "Senhor Rooster" stood out. Perhaps it was the slighty unusual and comical name. I trust it wasn't going to be a chicken place. There were some nice patron reviews. I called them up, and my 7pm reservation request was accepted.

Likes:
- lots of street parking available
- great ambience for a romantic dinner : candlelight, homey, warm colours
- the hostess surprised my wife with a rose
- very friendly staff. Our waiter took the time in the beginning to get to know us
- loved the live singing and music! The male keyboardist and female singer performed all types of songs - Abba, Stevie Wonder, Paul Anka, Sting, UB40 (I think that's what it was)
- we also loved the spacious dance floor. Yes, there was time for dancing!
- nice table layout - not too close to each other - gave a feeling of privacy
- our quail appetizer, sole fish dish and rib-eye steak were excellent. The steak especially impressed us. We asked for well-done, knowing that for most restaurants, it was going to be a hit-and-miss because almost all too often it seemed "well done" would bring us tough and chewy meat. However, the steak was savoury, juice and yes, well done.
- our waiter's patience and his great service attitude (see below).

Didn't Like"
- we were not told that "Bacalhau" cod dish was actually a *salted* cod fish. As soon as I filled my mouth with the fish and mashed potatoes, I almost gagged. Being caught off guard with such a bold salty taste was not the highlight of my dining experience. Sorry, but this dish was basically rejected. I don't mind salted foods, but with a large dish that was salty, I had to ask them to bring me another dish. Our waiter was very understanding. Kudos to him! Despite this, he was as courteous and friendly as ever throughout the rest of the evening

All in all, we enjoyed our evening, our first time at this restaurant, our first time to dine at a Portugese restaurant. Repeat, yes!

Link: http://www.senhorrooster.com/
Phone: 604-434-1010