The first time I visited the Farmer’s Apprentice there was a
slight problem with the ventilation and wood smoke wafted from the kitchen into
the adjoining dining room. This set a perfect tone for the restaurant, a tiny
30-seater set up like a large farmhouse kitchen. Coming from a chilly and wet
October evening into this warm, slightly smoky and cozy room was very
comforting. We were seated at an end table that is separated from the rest of
the room by a wooden divider that has an old-fashioned window set into it,
giving intimate peek-a-boo views into the rest of the room.
The chef, David
Gunawan, has a solid Vancouver pedigree running kitchens at West and
Wildebeest. West is pure classic fine Pacific Northwest, Wildebeest is
unapologetically meat focused. The food at Farmer’s Apprentice is an evolution
of the two. Buttery smooth smoked sole is served on the bone with a vanilla
cream sauce. A braised beef cheek is adorned with small roasted turnips, served
on a bed of steel-cut oats with a rich espresso demi that has an impossibly
deep fruit flavor. Bread is served with onion jam and olive oil and a chicken
liver parfait is like whipped cream studded with bits of pear and frisée
lettuce. Food is served family style and comes when ready. The result is a
casual yet uniquely innovative experience without pretense and priced like a neighborhood
eatery. This means service is appropriately casual and unobtrusive, the wine
list is short enough to make decisions easy and there are about five cocktails
on offer. The thyme-infused tequila and chartreuse blend I tried was a great
aperitif.
This restaurant has been carefully crafted by an expert chef
who is unabashed with his food yet keeps things down to earth. After having
eaten at Farmer’s Apprentice a couple of times now I can honestly say this is a
unique experience that any restaurant and food enthusiast should try for
themselves.
