ORU

Oru was a pleasant dining experience. It was well worth checking out especially with the Dine Out menu.

Was here for dine out this year and had some high hopes because some friends said this place was really good.
We did arrive a bit late but the host was really nice about it. She seated us in a timely manner.
The guy that was serving us was kinda meh. He didn’t really cared to come back to check up on us but the least he did fill up our cups of water a few times.
Food wise I felt my scallop was a bit over done because it tasted a bit like rubber. My short ribs were really moist and good. My almond chocolate cake was a bit meh. Like I thought it was a full on chocolate cake but apparently it was a sponge cake dipped in chocolate. I like the roasted almonds that they placed with this dish though.
Overall, the dine out menu alone wasn’t exactly worth the hype. I’m curious to see how their regular food was. I do understand that service during dine out time may be poor and food may not necessary be at top notch but I guess I expected too much.

Try this:
— Smoked Chicken Terrine ($ 18 — caraway lavash /​quince mostarda /​sea salt) was definitely my favourite. Mostly because I had no idea what it was when we ordered it so I didn’t know what to expect and the flavours blew me away.
Also tried:
— 62 °C Poached Egg ($ 16 — truffle oil /​chestnut cream /​brioche /​fig soil) was unique and tasty. I liked the fig soil and the combination of flavours but I don’t think it’s worth the price point and wouldn’t order it again.
— Oven Braised Bison Shortribs ($ 34 — steel cut oat risotto /​celeriac purée /​buttered seasonal roots /​bison-​port jus) was delicious but nothing out of the ordinary or too memorable.

Five of us had dinner at Oru during Dine Out Vancouver Restaurants usually participate in Dine Out so they can showcase their food and service level to guests to hopefully garner return visits. Oru featured a $ 40 3-​course menu.
The restaurant itself is very nicely designed with a dark, upscale theme. Excellent views of the Burrard Inlet from inside the dining area.
We were seated promptly and given 5 menus and one drink menu. The server asked if we would like cocktails to start. I asked for another drink menu since it’s hard for 5 people to order cocktails with one drink menu. Five minutes pass and the server comes back to ask if we’re ready for drinks. I remind him that I still need a drink menu so off he goes again. I watch him go to the hostess station, get the drink menu, and then NOT bring it directly to me! Instead, he appears to get distracted by some newly-​arrived guests, leads them to their table and continues with engage them in some friendly banter. Still no drink menu. Fifteen minutes pass from the time I first asked for it until he finally brings it to me. Sure, he apologizes, but that’s just bad form. By then, we no longer need it because we had enough time to pass around single drink menu were given. We finally order our drinks and meals.
I had seared scallops, braised bison short rib and chocolate pot de crème. My wife had the same except she ordered red wine poached pear for dessert. We both enjoyed the scallops. The bison short rib on a bed of steel cut oats was nicely prepared. My wife’s poached pear was an embarrassingly small portion. It was literally a slice of poached pear on hazelnut chocolate a little larger than an Oreo cookie. In fact, my main complaint about the food was that portions were rather small. $ 40 is the highest Dine Out category.
I know during Dine Out restaurants try to design menus that fit the budget, so to speak. But this is also a great chance to showcase yourself in the hopes I might come back later. In any case, Oru did a very bad job at that. To be perfectly clear, I’m no stranger when it comes to fine dining (and the sometimes smaller-​than-​average portions), but I felt this restaurant was just being cheap.
Service was «fair» at best. When food came, only 2 of 5 people were served the right items. We had to redirect the servers each time food arrived so I’m guessing the orders were entered incorrectly into the computer. You would have thought this would have been corrected after the appetizers came, but nope. We had to correct them for the mains and desserts. It took a long time to clear plates, especially after dessert was finished. No one came to check on us, offer tea or coffee, or bring us the bill for about 20 minutes.
This was my first time dining at Oru (at one of my guest’s request) and I really felt they failed to deliver a good experience. When you’re in a city with restaurants like Hawksworth, Le Crocodile, Market, or even L’Abattoir and Lupo, you really have to do better.
There are so many good restaurants in Vancouver that I can recommend. Oru isn’t one of them.
UPDATE: Feb 4, 2016 — Contrary to the comment made by Frederic Bellone, Fairmont’s Hotel Manager, no one from the restaurant has bothered to follow up with me. I suspect they leave these comments so other Unilocal users get the impression they are genuinely concerned.

I would consider myself a fan of Oru. I have been to the restaurant with friends on a few occasions, and my workplace had held a small graduation dinner for me a couple of years ago. All were memorable and fabulous experiences.
Back in November 2015, my friend organized a holiday brunch and made a reservation. I was excited because I had never had brunch at Oru, plus coworkers had given good reviews for brunch. Upon our arrival, our group of seven was informed a group of our size would not be able to order off the a la carte menu and needed to have the buffet. This was quite disappointing: with the time of our reservation, there was less than half an hour before the buffet ended. Also, at the time the reservation was made, nobody had informed my friend of this policy. The hostess we spoke to told us that could have been because our group size seemed to be in the policy «grey area». She spoke to the manager and they agreed to let us order off the a la carte menu.
The food was delicious and the service was great. The main thing that soured this experience a bit was the fact that nobody informed us of this policy until our arrival. Even then, I had been seated with both the buffet menu and a la carte menu before the hostess rushed over to the table, told us we couldn’t order the a la carte menu and it felt like the menu was all but ripped from my hands. I would love to see the party size «grey area» eliminated and some sort of consistency put into place regarding the policy so that everyone knows. It would have also been great to have been given advance notice of such. I may consider trying the buffet brunch in the near future, if I can get a reservation time that will allow me to enjoy a buffet at a leisurely pace.

We were staying at the Fairmont Pacific Rim, so it is nice to be able to just take the elevator down for breakfast. The restaurant, on the second floor, is neat and clean, with views onto the street below. We opted for the breakfast buffet, and there were a lot of options to choose from: sweet, savory, fruits, etc. My favorite part was the made to order eggs benedicts. The service was great as well. Our server was very attentive, and was very friendly without being obtrusive (pulling plates when done, refilling fresh squeezed juices without having to ask, etc.). Maybe it was still early (9 AM on Boxing Day), but there weren’t many people in the restaurant. Glad we beat the morning rush. I normally don’t eat at hotel restaurants, but I would definitely come back to Oru again.

My boyfriend and I were staying at the Pacific Rim for the weekend and we ordered sushi from here. The sushi was beautifully presented on the plates and the ingredients and quality of the sushi was top notch. We ordered the Prawn Tempura Roll and Dragon Roll and it was delicious! The deduction in the single star was I found something crunchy in one of the pieces of sushi from the dragon roll that should not have been there. I think it was a bone from the sable fish. I don’t think this usually happens often but lucky me other than that superb.

Update: I had the opportunity to voice my experience, Chef said he is on it, the dish has been updated and we will be back! Looking forward to it!
We had dinner there last night, the butternut squash soup was very good but the risotto dish was swimming in oil and the rock fish dish was as well. The ratatouille that came with the rockfish tasted like leftovers from last week. Definitely not freshly made.
The staff are excellent, very helpful and offered to get us something else but we weren’t interested in waiting for another meal. Having two different meals come out saturated in oil didn’t inspire our confidence that another dish wouldn’t as well.

First and foremost the service was impeccable and was this restaurants only redeeming quality. We went for a family dinner here at 6pm on 28÷11÷15 and ordered appetizers, entrees, drinks and dessert. We gave a joint family review, none of us enjoyed our meal. I had the rockfish (as an entrée) which was chewy and bland and a squash soup (starter) that was very forgettable. When I come to a ‘fine dining restaurant’ I expect to be wowed but it fell unbelievably short of that.
I think our bill came to $ 700, I’m just glad my brother paid.

I recently visited ORU for a Sunday brunch with my boyfriend and his parents. I was really looking forward to this visit as I heard good things about ORU beforehand. Upon arriving, we were greeted by the hostess and led to our table — a window seat as I had requested. Bonus points for accommodating special requests.
The restaurant was about half full when we arrived around noon. Our server came by to offer juice as soon as we sat down. Although the orange juice was good — I noticed that it was store-​bought and not freshly squeezed. For the price we paid ($ 38 a head plus tax and tip), I expected better quality.
Shortly after, we left our table to grab some food. Although there was a good selection of both hot and cold food, I found the quality of the food below average. Most hot items were either burnt or cold/​hard. The famous sugar bun and smoked salmon were probably the only notable items of the meal.
Our server was attentive and did not make us feel uncomfortable. She checked on us every now and then without being pushy. The overall ambiance was good, as expected from a five-​star hotel.
Based on this experience, I would not return to ORU. In Vancouver, there are many other brunch options — most, if not all, at a lower price point. For $ 38, I could have had two delicious entrees at other well-​established brunch spots, such as Café Medina.

Came her for a brunch Saturday with my mum for her belated birthday celebration. Absolutely fantastic and top-​notch services! We felt like VIPs there even though we didn’t quite dress up for that. Everything was amazing (great selection of brunch food, modern and beautiful design, friendly waitresses). And totally out of surprise, they offered my mum a birthday surprise — chocolates made in-​house with candles on top! It just made my mum’s day! :D

It was one of those beautiful Vancouver days that make you forget it rains 166 days here every year and to celebrate, my friend and I decide to go for lunch on the waterfront.
This part of Vancouver has some of the nicest scenery in the city.
There are several high-​end restaurants in the area. We pick ORU.
My friend and I walk in and we’re reasonably well-​dressed. The host, a short man, not yet 30, was a snob and he made no great effort to hide it. I got the distinct feeling that he felt we weren’t right for his establishment; that the Fairmont owns.
The seafood appetizer arrives at the table. At this point the manager of the restaurant and some server that was never-​to-​be-​seen again begin to explain the appetizer. This was a 5 minute presentation.
«And you dip the prawns into the seafood cocktail sauce…»
The uncomfortable food lecture continued, the epitome of awkward. I made no eye-​contact whatsoever, my friend got the worst of it.
Lobster, salmon, crab, mussels, tuna, oysters, prawns on ice. served on an overlarge, double-​deckered heap of Value-​Village trash. Use a normal serving plate for God’s sake! Half the lobster was frozen from the ice and the meat that wasn’t, was quite rubbery. The crab and prawns were ok. The mussels were adequate.

At this time I should mention the amount of servers and people that came to my table. The snob, The manager, 2 waitresses and 2 busboys. 6 people to serve a simple lunch? It was awful and awfully smothering.
The main-​course arrives, she gets the ossobucco and claims it was very good. It looked good. I get the saffron nabemono, it only looked good.
This was probably the worst dish I have ever eaten in an upscale restaurant in my entire life. It’s a failure. For those who don’t know: I have cooked with many famous chefs and cooked in over 20 restaurants, I know food and this dish is a failure.
Think: over-​stewed mussels, salmon and sablefish… all hard-​as-​fuck. This stewed in some disgusting seaweed/​dashi broth that frankly tasted like shit.
I should mention that my waitress, Michelle, was fantastic. Michelle was an excellent server, had a great attitude and impressed us from beginning to end. Michelle made the horrific staff around her look all the more pathetic.
The Bill: 1 martini, 2 coffees, 2 San Pellegrinos, 2 chilled seafood towers, 1 ossobucco 1 boiled fish stew and 1 dessert
The Price: $ 196.00
The Tip: $ 44.00 (if not for Michelle, the tip would have been 10%)
Total Price: $ 240.00
The Verdict: 1 star out of 5, I will not return. I do not recommend. ORU is an overpriced adventure in poor service and mediocre food. with a nice view.

My wife and I were looking a place to catch up on our belated anniversary and my belated birthday (though it was really more about the anniversary). My wife narrowed it down to West and Oru and based on the favourable weather forecast, I decided Oru :)
Ditched the kids this time, picked an early dinner (5:30p) and we ended having a great dining experience. Our waiter, Martin W I believe as per receipt, was very personable and was very reactive to what we we wanted, from helping to narrow down my choice of glasses of wine, to assisting with the menu, daily special to us just asking for a tasting menu if available. Very naturally he knew exactly to ask if we were looking for a 4 or 5 course, incl dessert or not, any restrictions and he went to confirm with the chef on the possibility.
From then on, the pleasant experience continued. We were fairly early so there were only a few other tables seated but the pace and attention felt perfect from the timing of our waiter to serve/​check on us and the impromptu 5 course tasting menu.
Tasting #1 — Stuff pastry thing with goat cheese drizzled with honey, the cheese was quite mild and not overpowering at all, very yummy, careful about cutting into it and not squeezing out cheese all over yourself!
Tasting #2 — Fancy tomato salad of various colours with a balsamic gel dressing
Tasting #3 — Pork Belly and Scallop and Prosciutto
Tasting #4 — Halibut on Lobster bisque with Lobster foam on top as well — Superb highlight of the evening. Everything on that plate combined together so well and the Halibut was perfectly cooked.
Tasting #5 — Beef Tenderloin on polenta, mushrooms and veggie. Very rich.
Last but not least, the hostess that greeted us (individually as we arrived separately) was very pleasant and welcoming, casually asking us what we were here for with my wife saying it was for my birthday and I countered with it was our belated anniversary.
We were treated to a surprise dessert plate! We were pretty full as is and I’m not sure how it all worked out in terms of who told who what but that was definitely the cherry on top of the cherry :)
Thanks for the memorable dining experience, would love to come back… with the kids this time (6 year old, 2.5 year old) as it seems fairly kid friendly. I wouldn’t worry about bringing my kids here, they’re not rascals at dinner anyhow!

My wife & I had a wonderful dinner here on Saturday evening. The location is very nice. The restaurant itself is on the 2^nd floor of the Fairmont Pacific Rim with very nice views. We found the service to be at a very high and professional level… Avital was our key waitress and she was top-​notch.
There was good flow to our evening… from the arrival of drinks… appetizers…meal…dessert…it all happened with excellence and seemed well planned for the sake of the guest.
The new bread plate they are offering was very good… all made in-​house. We enjoyed watermelon salad, scallops, corn soup, and crab salad for our appetizers… delish
Both my wife & I had meat for our main… I had their incredible pork chop and my wife had the beef tenderloin. Both were cooked to perfection and rich with flavour.
Up until this point it was a Unilocal 5 Star. We then ordered dessert… a choice of 3 options… we chose the Strawberry Tartare and some kind of apple pie/​pastry. Their presentation was excellent but their taste was average and both of them were a bit awkward to eat… not sure why that matters but that is how it felt. I think an adjustment to their dessert could be an easy fix, unless we were the only one’s who felt this way
We should have finished our meal and went to Bella Gelateria, world’s best gelato, located just steps from ORU
Over all, we had an outstanding experience at ORU and definitely recommend. My wife & I will be returning

Was invited back and this time, service was fantastic and food, timely and delicious. I cannot emphasize how much they have improved. I admire a business that takes their customer feedback seriously and implement changes effectively. Our waiter was very attentive without being overbearing and he was keen to spend time chatting with us and learning about us and our experience. He never seemed rushed and I observed that he did this with all his other tables as well. He was warm and friendly and his calm demeanour put us all at ease. Incredibly relaxing brunch. We took our time and it did help that restaurant wasn’t too busy during the time we were there. And I love their sugar buns! Fantastic! Also provided an extra plate of dessert which we scoffed down greedily! Yum!

This is probably a 4-​star place in any other town, but given that Vancouver has so many amazing places to eat, you probably want to skip this one.
I got a pannini with proscuitto, cheese and basil which was great as a ‘grab and go’ meal, but certainly not worth the money I paid. They were in the middle of a lunch rush when I visited so the staff was super rushed and not at all interested in offering any feedback or suggestions.
As many of their foods trended towards the more exotic, it would have been nice to have samples out of their pasta salad particularly given how much they cost.
I’m sure this is a great place for locals to run in and grab a fresh baguette, but as far as having a meal here, I’d head a few blocks futher down where the food, service and space are more suited towards having a relaxing meal.

Came over for Sunday brunch. The service is great, as expected and the place is not over crowded. The portions are reasonable so you can go back and try everything and have seconds for your favorites. Everything was tasty but nothing was out of this world.
It’s always nice eating in pretty locations and you feel pretty when eating. Ha ha. I suppose men would feel handsome or pretty.

A solid «A-​Ok» 3 star dining experience.
My wife and I decided to give Oru a try a few weeks ago because we had a $ 100 gift card to use at any Fairmont restaurant.
First thing I will say is that I was pleasantly surprised with Oru. Usually I would expect high prices and small portions from hotel restaurants of this caliber. However at Oru, I only got one of those… the prices. I was impressed with the quantity of my ceviche and both our entrees.
I ordered the octopus ceviche and it was delicious. Again, at $ 6 I was expecting a tiny ceviche, but received a decent amount of plump octopus.
My surf/​turf had huge pieces of plump lobster and came w/​a delicious chimichurri mash potatoes. However, the shortribs had a bitter (almost burnt) taste to them.
My wife’s duck, again, was impressive in size and was accompanied by beautiful whole vegetables and a duck confit raviloi. I was looking forward to the beluga lentils, but they turned out to be nothing special (maybe a little under seasoned).
«A surprisingly yummy meal and STILL only a 3 star» you say?
Well, Oru lost the other stars mostly because of the prices. Despite the decent size, at $ 45 and $ 38, the surf/​turf and duck were still overpriced compared to comparable establishments elsewhere within a 5 block radius. And the service was pretty much a none-factor…wasn’t bad… wasn’t good. We honestly had no idea who our server even was (maybe this would have bumped it to a 4).
Side note, it is a beautiful room to dine in.
All in all, a nice dining experience if you don’t mind spending extra on a good meal in a beautiful room.

Ill start with the food… came here with a small group for dine out 2015. I started with the beet salad which was delish however my peers weren’t as happy. They ordered the Niçoise salad and had some complaints about it being bland.
For dinner we asked for suggestions from our server. I understand that everyone has different tastes but I felt she was wayyyy off. My boyfriend, who is 6’4 and 275lbs, politely asked which meal would be the most filling and she pointed him in the direction of the gnocchi. The rest of us ordered the beef cheek. When the meals arrived he was very disappointed. His meal consisted of about 8 pieces of gnocchi and was the smallest serving of food I’ve ever seen for an entrée. He left hungry but the rest of us were very satisfied.
Another service blunder we encountered was when we first arrived. Besides the first people in the party, no one else was ushered to the table… all they got was a general pointing to the dining room with a «your party is over there». They were left blindly looking around in the middle of the restaurant until they spotted us waving wildly like a bunch of baboons.
Another incident was mid dinner when the server overfilled my water glass and spilled water all over my purse and phone. I felt bad for her cause she seemed kinda zoned out and it was a genuine accident but still! Get it together!
Overall a very nice restaurant but just a few service kinks. Probably won’t be back for dinner but maybe the serve it yourself buffet brunch.

Came here for dineout on a Friday night with friends. The reso was for 6pm and the place was pretty empty considering the size of the restaurant.
Started with the pea soup. It had big chunks of bacon in it which added a nice texture and flavour. For the entrée, had the beef cheek. So juicy and tender it was practically melting in my mouth. Also shared a side order of potatoes for $ 8. Basically potatoe wedges covered in sour cream and bacon– the best! Ended the meal with the crème brûlée. Not your typical crème brûlée — it was more like a fruit tarte with a thin layer of brûlée at the top. Nevertheless, it was a nice way to the end meal.
Overall a nice place for dineout. Service was attentive and the food came out quickly. The table next to us even had a proposal!