Lumière may be my new fine-dining passion, but one cannot live by truffles, foie gras and caviar-crowned hamachi alone. At least not in this economy.
Thank goodness for DB Bistro Moderne, Daniel Boulud's other new Vancouver restaurant, which is much more affordable yet just as impressive in its own way.
If this casual sister restaurant with its luxe burger and rarefied comfort food feels familiar, it should. Feenie's, the restaurant it replaces, was closely modelled on the original DB Bistro in New York.
But whereas Feenie's often strutted a slightly condescending, hipper-than-thou attitude, DB Bistro seems much more humble, almost bashful.
I roll up for my first visit on a snowy Sunday night and the place is packed. Everyone on the floor - from the timid hostess who isn't quite sure what to do with our coats to the restless manager who circles the room anxiously rubbing his hands - looks jumpy and nervous.
And they haven't even recognized me yet.
If they had, I sincerely doubt that the woman seated beside me would still be waving a bill holder in the air as she tries to catch her waiter's attention. Or that we would have to wait this long to order drinks.
We're still waiting, quite thirstily, when executive chef Stephane Istel pops out of the kitchen and looks over. He probably spied me on the video monitor. (Mais oui, there are hidden cameras in the dining room with a view of every table so the cooks know when to start prepping the next course.)
Et voilà, the whole atmosphere changes. The reinforcements swoop in. The cocktails (spicy Bloody "Bulls" stirred with veal stock) arrive promptly. And the woman beside us has her credit card processed, tout de suite.
C'est la vie. Even with all this fluttering around the table, the service is still warm and unpretentious, much like the dining room, which has undergone a complete transformation.
The restaurant is larger, having absorbed the old Lumière Tasting Bar, yet pleasantly understated. The fire-engine reds have been replaced with a more neutral palette of beige, taupe and burgundy. And the bare wood tables, set with butcher paper placemats and plaid linen napkins, lend the space a chic farmhouse feel.
It's all very comfortable, especially on the eyes and ears. Listen. The music gently hums along in the background thanks to speakers that have been meticulously placed just so. And look at those lights, softly lit yet amply hung (so you can read the menu without straining, and still look fabulous).
Dinner reveals a similar sophistication cloaked under the veneer of simplicity. Take the legendary db Burger, for instance. This is no mere hamburger. It's a multilayered extravaganza that consists of a creamy foie gras centre surrounded by a truffle-marinated boudin of wine-braised short rib, wrapped in an outer layer of ground prime sirloin.
The softball-sized patty is served split in half on a parmesan bun with a daub of tomato compote, frilled frisée ruffle and a silver cup of golden fries on the side.
The meat is ground in-house so it can be served on the juicy red side of medium-rare. Don't bother trying to order it well done. A friend of mine did. "Sorry," he was told. "This is one of our signature items." I admire the integrity.
Be warned: There's no dignified way to eat this burger. And at $28, it probably won't inspire many Sunday-afternoon cravings. (The $150 db Burger Double Royale, layered with 20 grams of shaved black truffle, hasn't made it to Vancouver yet.)
It's one of those finger-lickin' delicacies that has to be tasted at least once. But there are other signature dishes worth trying.
