Walking down the canary-yellow tiled steps to the glass encased entrance of 207 W. Hastings,  I already knew I was in for a treat. The Dominion Building built in 1910 still stands as one of Vancouver’s prized monuments and is the perfect location for the retro-swank Nuba.
Palm fronds, mirrored walls, dimly lit lanterns and vintage black & white tiling are just a few of the poignant but not overbearing features that set a mood of 1940’s middle eastern charm.
We were seated quickly by Anna at a great table overlooking the entire restaurant. The long open bar at the back that runs the length of the restaurant with just a peek into the kitchen was bustling with staff pouring generous glasses of red and bringing out plate after plate of mouth-watering Hummus and Taboulleh.
For cocktails I decided on the Lime-Cucumber Fix at a very reasonable $8.50. Made with Organic Lime Juice, Cucumber and Agave Nectar with what seemed like more then a shot of White Jimador Tequila. Served in a martini glass rimmed with sugar and chilli powder it had all the refreshing and cool qualities of cucumber but with a punch of heat, a very smart juxtaposition of flavour.
Appealing appetizers (or Mezze in Lebanese) made for a difficult choice…I was torn between the classic Hummus made with organic chickpeas, garlic, lemon and tahini for $5.25 or the Labneh, a dip made from fresh-pressed yoghurt topped with extra-virgin olive oil and zaatar spices for $5.00. After much debate I made a play for the Hummus and I am glad I did. It was creamy and smooth with the perfect amount of garlic. I find Hummus can easily be much too much about the garlic, but it was perfect. I was also pleased to see whole wheat pita instead of the doughy white pita served at most places.
The hormone-free and non-medicated Beef Tenderloin done medium-rare was my entrée of choice for $17.00. Served with tahini rice and caramelized onions with the side of roasted potatoes. The portion of beef was on the smaller side but packed full of flavour. Grilled with slight char on the outside and a perfectly pink centre. The caramelized onions were crunchy and tasty but I wished I had a few more to last me to the last bite of steak. The creamy and flavourful tahini rice was good, a neat spin on plain old rice. The roast potatoes were unfortunately on the dry side, thankfully left over hummus from my appetizer solved that problem.
After another Lime-Cucumber Fix and a few minutes to digest I decided against dessert although I was very tempted by the Cardamom Custard which would have been a perfect light finish to the meal.
Overall I was extremely pleased with both the service and the quality of food. I left full and satisfied and not smelling of heavy garlic, which is a huge bonus when dinner is only the first stop of the night!!
The décor and ambiance is worth experiencing. I felt so very chic, it was like stepping into a sultry and mysterious foreign land.
I would definitely go back to Nuba!!
Nuba Restaurant
207 W. Hastings
Vancouver B.C.
604.688.1655
http://nuba.ca/
Lovely review Anita. I look forward to reading more from you.
Comment by Andrea Trejo — June 25, 2009 @ 9:21 am
I mentioned your review on my twitter, excellent!
Comment by Andrea Trejo — June 25, 2009 @ 9:33 am
Thanks for the review! Will definitly check this place out. Love the pictures.
Comment by Michelle — July 15, 2009 @ 1:47 pm