Truth in menu

Nothing is more irritating when eating out than misleading menus. I can forgive a fun place or a mom-and-pop shop trying but misunderstanding the dish. I can even enjoy the humour and effort. It takes all my joy out of dining when a restaurant with pretension to excellence knowingly gives dishes the wrong name. I recently had such an experience at Lift, the new hot bar-restaurant in Vancouver. First I ordered a California roll, which my friend highly recommended. Not only was it not made with the ingredients of California rolls but also it was fried! I found it rather strange but did not complain, because my friend was right, it was very good. The next course however was maddening. I ordered a very expansive seafood paella because I wanted something brightly flavoured and a little toasty. What came was not that at all. It was a little mushroom risotto with a few grilled prawns over it. It was made with competence but nothing unusual. The chef, or whoever made that menu, should know that risotto and paella are two fundamentally different philosophies on making rice. As the result, I had exactly what I did not want on my plate. If it were not for politeness to my company and empathy for the waitress, I would have sent it right back to the kitchen. Is it too much to ask that they simply get the correct name of their dishes? At least get it in the ball park. I would even settled for the right country.