When someone tells us it's going to be something different, we are usually skeptical - is it really going to be that unique? 

It was brunch time on a sunny Saturday when we stepped into the airy restaurant space. While sunny, it wasn't exactly patio weather yet, so we opted to sit indoors by the window. Owner and Director of Operations Wanda Lai introduced us to their menu, and several items in the 'Something Different' section caught our eye.  

We ordered three intriguing items, including the Chilaquiles, A Toast to Ramen, and the Dan Bing-O. The Chilaquiles is their take on the traditional Mexican dish, packed with juicy pieces of chicken, mixed in with refreshing salsa verde and topped with two beautifully done sunnyside free run eggs. It comes in a generous portion so we would recommend you grab a few friends for brunch!

Next we tried A Toast to Ramen, and for a pasta lover such as myself, this is the perfect comfort food, where the butter toast broth is almost like a creamy sauce. The house cured and smoked beef bacon is packs great flavour and texture, and is a great complement to the creamy broth. While we don't usually find blistered tomatoes in ramen, the sweet and tangy juices exploding with each bite is a welcomed balance to the heavier broth. 

Next is our favourite dish, the Dan Bing-O densely packed with a creamy tuna filling. The toasted nori and tobiko on top adds texture to this delicate dish. What we loved most about the dish is the fact that it's not greasy at all. When we think of omelettes or crepes, omelettes sometimes turn out on the runny or oily side, and crepes sometimes collapse with the heat of the hot food wrapped inside. This dish did not have any of these issues, and though it looks dense, turned out to be light, flavourful, and simply delicious. 

As always, we ended our meal on a sweet note with the Very Berry house-made liège waffle, with lemon curd, mixed berry compote, white belgian chocolate and whipped cream. We have no idea where we found the extra room to accommodate dessert, but we are glad we did. The waffle is toasted until it's a bit crunchy on the outside, so the berry compote and whipped cream would not make it overly moist and soggy. 

This is our second experience at The Rise Eatery and we have to say that they did not disappoint with their new menu. As before, we are pleasantly surprised by the thoughtfulness that goes into each dish, taking traditional Asian dishes and adding their own twist to it. The three items we enjoyed were inspired by traditional Mexican, Japanese and Taiwanese dishes, and each delivered a unique taste. If you enjoy weekend brunch, The Rise Eatery offers a diverse menu guaranteed to serve up tasty surprises for your taste buds!

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3121 Granville St, Vancouver
(604) 559-8280
theriseeatery.com