Weekend Seventy-Four: Way Down Under Brunch at Ouisi

This one comes courtesy of our long lost friends from down under, Julia and Jody. -c.

Breezing through Vancouver following a wedding in Chilliwack, I emailed Dave and Catie to ask if we could do Sunday brunch. Happily, the answer was yes! And so, this post is brought to you by Julia of Randomly Yours, Julia.

 
Dave and Catie left their secret location and chose a brunch destination on Granville between 14th and 15th: Ouisi Bistro. (Sounds like French, Oui!) My husband Jody and I might have gotten a little lost but we did indeed arrive, and wasted no time perusing the New Orleans dishes on the menu. The dark walls and jazzy multicoloured paintings added to the easy yet classy atmosphere.

Orange juice was suspiciously absent from the table. We all drank water, which was a good choice. There is a warning on the menu that the potatoes are spicy but that didn't prevent me from eating mine, and I usually shy away from heat. Disappointingly, our potatoes were not very hot in the temperature sense, only warm.

Jody chose Eggs Florentine, which was met with envious "ooohs" when ordered. The spinach "was not as green as joyful as anticipated," but we have been spoiled by extra-fresh produce where we live. The eggs were perfectly poached (and free range). He really liked the potatoes, though he thought the outside would be crispier. The Cajun spices, though not as hot as he remembers from a trip to Georgia, had him reaching for his water glass occasionally. He also said the food was easily outclassed by the company.

Catie shared Jody's opinion on the potatoes - why were they not crispier? She enjoyed her brunch, the Eggs Nola, a tasty combination of two poached eggs on English muffin with bacon, smoked gouda and hollandaise. I might have to try gouda with my hollandaise next time.

Making me jealous, Dave ordered Hash it Out, which included potatoes, toast, poached eggs with Creole sauce and chorizo sausage. If I thought I could have eaten it all - which Dave did - I would have ordered it. The report was very favourable, aside from the not-hot potatoes.

I picked the Petit Dejeuner, which tempted me with its description of scrambled eggs atop corn bread. The corn bread was delicious - sweeter than I expected, with a crumbly yet moist texture. I very much appreciated the fresh crispiness of the bell peppers and green onion in the scrambled eggs. There was an unholy amount of cheddar cheese melted on top of (not mixed into) the eggs, which veered closer to a folded-over omelette than diner-style scrambled.

Ouisi is a good choice if you prefer savoury to sweet brunch and want something more adventurous than Canadian-style eggs, bacon and toast. If you visit, may the potatoes be hot and the corn bread just right.