George Ultra Lounge: a little taste, a lot of wait

Please excuse us as we sneak back into blogging and pretend like we never stopped...

For Taste of Yaletown 2011 (same concept as Dine Out Vancouver, for those of you who don't already know), we decided to go to George Ultra Lounge. Their menu set is $25, which includes an appetizer, entree and dessert. 

When we arrived at 7:30, we were told that they were currently fully booked, but that a table might free up in about 25 minutes. Unfortunately, after many inquiries, our wait ended up being over an hour. However, I did notice that a couple of reserved tables were completely empty the entire waiting time. 

Prosciutto Wrapped Scallop

For appetizers, everybody had the Prosciutto Wrapped Seared Scallop, which was rested on some barbecue duck fried risotto. I couldn't really taste the prosciutto, but the scallop itself was very plump, juicy and sweet. It was seared nicely and had a slight opalescent middle.  The fried risotto was also very good and added a bit of a chewy texture. This arrived not too long after we ordered all our food. 

For entrees there is a choice between the Spaghettini Bolognese and the Ling Cod.

I enjoyed the Spaghettini Bolognese very much. The sauce had a good level of sourness and was very tomato-y. There were quite a few chunks of beef short rib meatballs. Surprisingly, the portion size was much bigger than I expected -- enough to be filling! On the regular menu, this item is $19. 

Spaghettini Bolognese

Ling Cod

The Ling Cod was also a tasty entree, but relatively smaller. The fish itself was fresh and flakey. Underneath it was some creamy risotto that paired nicely with the fish. Regularly, this entree is $22.

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta

Dessert was a Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with fresh mango coulis. It was very satisfying...so smooth, rich and creamy. Best of all it was not too sweet so I was able to finish it without feeling too overwhelmed.

While the entrees were both quite yummy, they did take a ridiculously long time to arrive -- over an hour! I understand that Saturday night is a very busy time, but the wait for our food was excruciating, especially with our crowded table. Only once did anyone come to check briefly on our table, and never were our water glasses refilled (not to mention we only had 4 glasses of water for a party of 5). To compensate for our wait, we were offered 3 glasses of champagne, on the house, and two of our meals were reimbursed. I don't think I will return to George Ultra Lounge again anytime soon, albeit a very generous gesture, and an overall good quality food. Their service is definitely in need of some major work...

George Ultra Lounge
1137 Hamilton St.
Vancouver, BC

Taste: ★★★★☆
Environment: ★☆☆☆☆

Service: ★☆☆☆☆
Price: $$$