Mis Trucos on Davie Street

On Saturday, I spent the day wandering through the streets in Yaletown and checking out all of the tents and festivities that were going on during Day 2 of the Vancouver Olympics.  It was great to see such a mass of people collecting in the downtown core and having such a great time.  After spending hours just people-watching and checking things out, four of us decided to settle on a casual place to have a late dinner (as we knew it would be really difficult to get in anywhere on a weekend with everything currently going on).

I’d been told about Mis Trucos by a few different people and thought it would be a perfect night to go, as long as they could squeeze us in.  I called to book reservations, and whoever answered the phone was really accommodating and told us they would try to make things work if we came by at around 9 pm.  So that was that.

We showed up to the large house on Davie Street, and I liked what I saw right away.  We stepped in the door after walking up the stairs to the entrance, and noticed a large and lively crowd filling the restaurant.  It seemed that they were busier than they originally anticipated, but the bar was wide open at the time so we thought we’d settle in there for the moment and move to a table if we felt like it once they had cleared out a bit.

I’d have to say, although reluctant at first (it’s always easier to sit at a table with a group of four people – instead, we ended up playing musical chairs a few times throughout the night), I was really happy we ate there in the end, as the bartender, Jonathan, made us some really amazing drinks and really added to our visit.  I didn’t take any pictures of those that I had, but we tried a Gin Fizz, a Red Wine and Coke (who knew?), one of the best Whisky Sours I’ve ever had, another drink in the running to win at some sort of competition called 3 Sparrows, and another shot with no name.  Every single one of these drinks was made with great care, and it definitely showed in the end as we thoroughly enjoyed drinking them. Make sure when you go that you try one (or many!) of the delicious cocktails when you dine at Mis Trucos.

Besides all of the drinking, we decided to go with a full round of the Mediterranean tapas on the menu, and ate a substantial amount of food as well.  We started with the Gilda (marinated white anchovy, hot pepper and olive), served on a toothpick.  This was a nice small treat if you like the strong taste of anchovy – otherwise, it may not be for you.  I did quite like the small appy though – it was a nice mixture of spicy and tart, all in a single mouthful.

Gilda

The Crispy bread wrapped wild gulf prawn and aioli sauce was also quite tasty.  It wasn’t one of my favourites of the evening, but I liked the crisp texture of the shell with the large prawn inside.

Crispy Bread Wrapped Prawns

The House-made chorizo stuffed squid and tomato fondue was a bit smoky tasting, but I think that’s why I wasn’t so drawn to it as the other tapas.  It didn’t have quite the flavour that I would normally enjoy, although my brother really liked the chorizo.

Chorizo Stuffed Squid

Cocac (catalan flatbread) with chorizo and anchovy was crispy, and wasn’t all that exciting for me somehow.  It could have used a bit more flavour somehow, although the bites with the fish on them were stronger and not quite so boring.

Catalan Flatbread

The Morcilla and apple in chard, with grapefruit vinaigrette was more interesting. It had a sour tang from the fruit, and I remember that I liked this more and more as I continued taking more bites.  It was a unique twist of veggies with fruit mixed together.

Morcilla Chard and Grapefruit

The Qualicum scallop with squash, crisp ham, and Parmesan was great.  It had a foam on top (potato?), and the scallop itself was nice and plump.

Qualicum Scallop

The Braised octopus (which wasn’t chewy – mmm), with potato and spicy guanciale (an unsmoked Italian bacon made from pig cheeks) was a unique dish as well.  I’m not sure I would bother with this one again either, but it was good to try!

Braised Octopus

My absolute favourite dish of the night was the Wild venison tartar, on brioche, with truffle and quail’s egg on top. The eggs were beautifully soft, and the truffle was so delicious.  Every last bite of this tasted amazing, with the soft smooth mixture of the venison tartar (which didn’t taste at all gamey).  The entire combination was definitely a winner!

Wild Venison Tartar

Next time, I know that I want to try the White Truffle and Lobster Risotto (there are about three or four larger mains on the menu to choose from as well) – I would’ve had it that night but could not have another bite after trying every single tapas on the menu.

As for dessert, we also shared one of each available item.  The Molten chocolate cake with coffee ice cream, essentially oozed warm chocolate goodness.

Molten Chocolate Cake

The Cheese plate, with Quince, Croquettes, and another type of cheese (which I can’t remember at the moment), was absolutely divine as well.  The bread was super crisp and garlic buttery tasting, and the cheese was delicious.

Cheese Plate

My absolute preferred dessert of the evening was the Vanilla Panacotta with Pralines and Toffee.  I remember saying that I would go to Mis Trucos just to get this dessert.  It had crunchy pieces of toffee or caramel, chopped up nuts, and smooth and creamy panacotta underneath, yet it wasn’t overly sweet.

Vanilla Panacotta

I loved the unique food, the cozy warm and casual atmosphere (as it was a house turned restaurant), and the amazing cocktails.  There is also a 30-person patio in the back that would be great for summer dining!

I will definitely be back!

Mis Trucos
1141 Davie Street
Vancouver, BC, V6E 1N2
604.566.3960
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Price: $$$ (this meal came to under $200, including a bottle of wine and quite a few drinks with a round of tapas for four people)

Tagged as: $$$, Mediterannean food, tapas, Vancouver West End restaurant