The Best Thing I Ate This Month: The Leeks at Bar Gobo

At a wine bar like the Michelin-recommended, Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Award finalist Bar Gobo, one might expect the favourite ingredient to be something flashy, pricey or rare. But chef de cuisine Jiwon Seo’s ingredient of choice is the humble leek. “It’s savoury, sweet and gentle in texture,” she says, “and I want to emphasize the best parts.” Seo’s leek confit does just that—cooked in smoky bacon fat and dressed with more bacon and crunchy breadcrumbs, it’s a simple veggie side that has the cozy, comforting qualities of a bowl of pasta. Paired expertly with a glass of Martin and Anna Arndorfer Reisling from Austria (sommelier Peter Van de Reep is a matchmaker extraordinaire), this cheeky confit somehow leans in to both restraint and indulgence: a delicious twirl of a dish. 237 Union St. | bargobo.com