By Sherman Chan,
Special to The Post

We had the Whole Roasted 3.5 Pound Chicken, which was one of our favourite dishes of the night. Firstly, it was more than enough for two people. Secondly, it was juicy. Most of the skin was well-rendered with some crispy portions. When dipped into the lemon, garlic, thyme, tarragon, and burgundy truffle roasting jus, the chicken was absolutely #foodgasm worthy. Subtle flavors, but impactful with aromatics and depth. Come for the steak and also order the chicken.

The Potato Gnocchi had nothing wrong it but the problem the black Tuscan Kale sauce which was far too dominant and too much. It overwhelmed the delicate gnocchi. We did enjoy the ultra crunchy sourdough croutons.

The Holstein Dairy Cow 10 oz Striploin was prepared a perfect medium-rare and was evenly cooked on both sides. The was a caramelized char and enough seasoning (including a red wine reduction) for impact without being salty. The beef the steak had was a background funkiness that was appealing and rich. Wonderful steak.

For dessert, we had the Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts with chocolate whiskey toffee sauce. One bite and the fluffiness and almost custard-like middle meant these were like little clouds of joy. The smokey and caramelized toffee sauce was not as sweet as it sounded, which was a plus in our books. The Warm Valrhona Chocolate Cake was also on point. It was soft and fluffy with a liquid centre of semi-sweet and slightly bitter chocolate. It was accompanied by passion fruit, hazelnut crunch, cocoa nib tuile, and salted caramel ice cream. The passionfruit it added a refreshing tanginess.

But overall, the food at Elisa was well-prepared and tasty. Sure, it isn't cheap, but completely in-line with direct competitors. I would put Elisa far up the list amongst the steakhouses in Vancouver.

Elisa Steakhouse

1109 Hamilton Street, Vancouver, BC

The Good:

• Gorgeous room

• Attentive service

• Food is generally on point

The Bad:

• Expensive, but par for the course

• Messed up my order, but made up for it

Sherman Chan is the #1 ranked food blogger on the Vancouver portal of Urbanspoon.com. Read more of his reviews at www.shermansfoodadventures.com.