Cafe Medina

780 Richards Street
Vancouver, BC

After Cafe Medina moved from their old location at 556 Beatty Street to their current one at 780 Richards Street, K-chan, W and I went there to have brunch on a wintery morning (yes, I know it is summer right now...I have a tonne of back-logged posts @__@).

Latte & Lavender Latte ($4.25 + $.50 for additional flavours)

Since Cafe Medina does not accept reservations, we arrived early in the morning to garner a table. I desperately needed a caffeine jolt so I had the latte to start off brunch while K-chan tried their lavender version. Smooth and milky with a nice hit of espresso, their latte was a great wake-me-up.

La Santé ($13) - 1 Soft Boiled Egg, Marinated Tomato Salad, Olive Tapenade, Avocado, Oyama Charcuterie with Grilled Ciabatta

We perused the menu while we waited for a table and we decided to share 3 dishes. The first to arrive was the La Sante. From the description on the menu, I wasn't expecting it to be plated on a wooden board like a charcuterie platter. Although the slices of grilled bread made sharing easier, the soft boiled egg was a little difficult to divide between the three of us. I liked the tomato salad though as it was juicy, tart and it soaked in all the flavours from the olive tapenade. 

Fricassée ($17) - 2 Fried Eggs, Braised Short Ribs, Roasted Potatoes, Caramelized Onions, Applewood Smoked Cheddar, Seasonal Greens with Grilled Focaccia

Next up was my choice, the Fricassee. With the weather being chilly, I wanted something hearty and warming. The tender and savoury braised beef short ribs, roasted potatoes, and fried eggs, along with sweet caramelized onions....yummm! This was perfect for a cold winter day!

Coca - Lamb & Fig Ragout, Salsa, Baba Ganoush, Egg, Chevre and Flat Bread

The Coca was on the special-of-the-day board. On the plate, the flat bread was topped with a lamb and fig ragout, salsa, baba ganoush and a sunny-side up egg. This was another hearty and filling dish.

Les Boulettes ($17) - 2 Poached Eggs. Spicy Moroccan Lamb Meatballs, Roasted Pepper, Black Olive & Tomato Stew with Raita and Grilled Focaccia

Our tummies were not quite satisfied, even after polishing off 3 dishes! We went ahead and ordered a 4th dish being Les Boulettes. The meatballs were soft and juicy, while the tomato stew was super flavourful and delicious. However, it was just too spicy for me to handle so after trying a couple bites I left the rest for W and K-chan to finish.

It's no wonder that Cafe Medina has a crazy long line-up in the mornings. The food was delicious and full of spices and savoury flavours. The new space was also clean, airy, and comfortable. For you early risers out there, it's definitely worth a trek to downtown for their brunch. As for me, the night owl....well, I might choose sleep over early brunch haha...