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| - Situated on what I refer to as "Burger Corner", Alo is more than just a welcome addition to this part of the neighbourhood: It's one of the finest restaurants in the entire city, joining a short list which in my opinion includes The Black Hoof, George, Splendido and Edulis. The staff who are delightful and professional in their own right are all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed one week into being open, and our server declared it an honour to be working under Patrick Kriss (formerly of Acadia, at which I had also eaten but with which I was not as impressed).
The ambiance is unpretentious, simply decorated and dimly lit. While they could use a painting or two in a couple areas (if you're an owner/manager and you're reading this, I'd be happy to create custom work for you: http://www.sarimichellerichter.com/), it's incredibly refined and comfortable.
The five-course prix fixe meal offered two options for most courses, so naturally, my dining partner and I chose opposites so we could try every dish. The flavours were incredible despite very modestly sized portions. There was a great balance of sour, sweet, spice and richness. Worth mentioning in particular is the pain au lait with fleur de sel and house butter, the B.C. Dungeness Crab with black rice and pea shoots, and Yorkshire Pork with chard, grapes, ramps and mustard, as standouts. Fun amuse bouches and palate cleansers popped up between nearly every course, with the asparagus sorbet being the most innovative and exciting.
We asked our server about the bar menu and he brought it over for us to see -- if you were to order all the dishes between two people it just might constitute a meal. He stated it's still under development. We also inquired as to when the menu will be switched up and he said it will be a pretty constant evolution.
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