Cactus Club would not normally be my sort of
restaurant. The thumping techno bass on the stereo makes my temples
ache. All the servers have a signature look: faux tans, whitened teeth,
hair extensions, breast implants and stiletto heels. Everyone wears black
head to toe. It is a bit discomfiting for us regular folk with our pallid
complexions, wrinkly unbotoxed foreheads, jiggly cellulite and gasp, horror of
horrors, no veneers on our teeth.
In spite of all this I visit the Cactus Club fairly regularly for one reason, the tuna. We discovered tuna tataki one fateful night. We haven't been the same since. We were out with a friend who wanted to use up
a Cactus Club gift certificate. I was intrigued by chef Rob Feenie's signature menu. Feenie incidentally used to be at the helm of the legendary Lumiere restaurant in Vancouver
(now sadly defunct).
We ordered a few items to share starting with the
tataki. What arrived was a revelation, silky slices of sashimi grade
tuna seared on the outside served atop a crunchy "slaw" of daikon,
carrot, Thai basil and cilantro with chunks of avocado and papaya. The
whole dish is bathed in yuzu vinaigrette, which has the most sublime sour sweet
citrusy kick. I kept mopping my tuna slices in the sauce. The slaw
adds the most wonderful textural contrast with the sweet papaya, buttery
avocado and crunchy daikon. This was and is one of the best things I have
ever eaten. It is rhapsodically delicious. Another hit was Rob Feenie's flatbread, topped with grape
tomatoes, caramelized onion, pesto, arugula, balsamic glaze, goat cheese and Maldon sea salt. The peppery arugula is a delicious contrast to the juicy
tomato and the creamy chevre. This is food that tastes fresh and light
but packs in big satisfying flavors.
Honorable mentions go to the sliders, three mini
cheddar bacon burgers topped with house made red pepper relish. You see sliders
everywhere on restaurant menus these days. You can't go wrong with these
ones. I like them because there are times when a whole burger is just too
much. With these mini burgers I satisfy my craving without feeling
overstuffed. I can understand now why these little bites are perennially
popular. Also recommended (from Cactus Club's regular menu) is the spicy
chicken with wonton. Lightly breaded chunks of chicken are served with
a spicy sweet chili sauce and crispy fried wontons. This is a fun dish to
share as an appetizer. If you have
room for dessert, try the key lime pie. It is tart and refreshing.
Service at the Cactus Club for all the gym bunny
glamour is attentive and efficient. This is not a place where you'd be
inclined to linger but for a quick bite before a movie it works fine.
Food arrives quickly and is just as quickly devoured. The booth tables
are comfortable enough and Feenie's menu is undeniably mouth watering. In
spite of myself I have to give kudos to Cactus Club for having good food
reasonably priced.
In any event I’ll
be back for that tuna. No place does it better. Until they do I'll just have to keep going back!
I'd been avoiding going there because of a bad experience at another Cactus Club; in Van. May give them a chance after reading your review. I like affordable food + fast service.
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