A few years ago when I was still working in Surrey, we never had much food options for team lunches or during Christmas season. This year, a new Canadian restaurant, Dominion Bar + Kitchen, opened its door next to the Surrey Central skytrain station. With the concept of using locally sourced ingredients and making food from scratch, Dominion has an extensive menu for food, handcraft cocktails, and local beer.
Location
Dominion Bar + Kitchen is located right next to the Surrey Central skytrain station. It is convenient by both car and transit.
Post-COVID-19 Dine-In Experience
The restaurant follows strict protocols for dining in. All staffs wear masks properly, and tables are spread out for social distancing. In addition, they are going to have a patio seating area soon, which has a 36-seat capacity (with social distancing). Though we were seated in the private room dining area, I had a look with the table setup, and I would feel safe dining even in the public space.
Menu
Please click here to see the full menu.
Drinks
Dominion offers an extensive list of wine and local craft beer, and I tried Belgian Table Beer from Russell Brewing, as well as a Wine Flight. It comes with three feature wines (3oz per glass), and you have the option among white, red, or mixed. After the entree, I also tried a signature cocktail, Lemon Tart, which tastes exactly like a lemon meringue pie.
Food
We had a sample size West Coast Poke Bowl for the appetizer. The Executive Chef at Dominion Bar + Kitchen, Rajeev Arora, gave us a live demonstration on making the poke bowl. It has raw ahi tuna, jasmine rice, cucumber, avocado, pickled carrots, red onions, radish, and pineapple salsa, along with a house made sriracha sauce. I found the sauce is slightly overpowering. I also tried the ahi tuna and pineapple salsa on its own, and they taste fresh and refreshing. It would be nice to highlight these two ingredients more, with a less strong-flavoured sauce.
Grill Sundays are offered every Sunday, which locally sourced ingredients are made fresh on the grill. An extensive list of bottle wine is also offered at 50% off for the entire day.
I tried two items from the Grill Sundays’ menu – Prawn & Scallop Kebabs and New York Striploin (8oz).
The seafood served on the Prawn & Scallop Kebabs is fresh and cooked perfectly, with a nice, smoky grill flavor. The scallops are slightly under-seasoned, but overall I enjoyed the kebabs.
New York Striploin is perfectly cooked at medium rare. It is nicely paired with garlic mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetable, and citrus butter. You can also choose mushroom cream sauce or red wine demi instead. The meat is tender but I wasn’t able to taste the citrus butter.
To end the night, we tried two desserts, New York Cheesecake and Warm Chocolate Fudge Brownie. I am impressed by the beautiful plating and the delightful treats. The New York Cheesecake is light, with a refreshing pairing of fresh berries, whereas the Warm Chocolate Fudge Brownie gives a contrasting flavor. It gives a cozy feeling, which I think it would taste even better in the winter.
Overall Impression
Dominion Bar + Kitchen sets a new standard for the restaurants in Surrey. I enjoyed the hospitality, as well as the food. Though some dishes might need an extra pinch of salt, I think it does not affect the overall dining experience. I also love the concept of using locally sourced ingredients and making everything from scratch as much as possible. It is a nice gesture of this local business supporting other local businesses. I would definitely return and try other dishes on the menu.
Taste : 4/5 • Service: 5/5 • Ambiance: 4.5/5 • Quality-Price: 4/5