Dinner at Munch in North Vancouver

After reading many great things and hearing recommendations about Munch, we finally made it out to North Vancouver to try it Saturday evening.

From their website, I had high expectations. When we walked in, I was instantly impressed. The restaurant was very clean and looked a bit like a showroom at IKEA. They had an electric powered gate when you entered. You had to press the button on the top counter so you could open the gate. How brilliant! Their play room was just like how they advertised it online. It was big, tidy, clean, and there were so many cool toys!



Their menu was good but not great. We ordered hummus and olive tapenade to start and that was good but they didn't give us enough bread or crackers. Man, I was so thirsty all night! Jean-Louis ordered the herb goat cheese salad and absolutely loved it. Tristan had the Turkey Quinoa Meatballs with tomato macaroni pasta and only ate some of it. I'm guessing because it wasn't as tasty as my homemade sauces. I chose the roasted chicken supreme since the strawberry clove cream cheese sounded interesting to me but in the end, I regretted my choice :( Actually, our dishes came late and our waitress mentioned there was a spill in the kitchen. I couldn't help but think this had something to do with why my dish was not up to the quality that it should have been. The chicken was overcooked and the very little cream cheese I did get on my plate was smeared across in a very messy way. I mean the dish wasn't terrible but at $17, I thought it could have been better.


The service was excellent. Our waitress was attentive and very friendly. A nanny was on duty at the time but we didn't know until we read their message board and saw the lady in the play area. Maybe she should have worn a name tag. I kept wondering which family she belonged too :) Having a nanny there is a great idea. Obviously, the nanny cannot watch all the children since are too many but having one there is better than none. Even knowing there was a nanny on duty, we still wouldn't leave Tristan alone in the play area with the other kids. He's at that toddler stage where he has trouble sharing toys. He tried grabbing a toy away from a baby and then tried to stroke her. Another time, he saw someone hop on a rocking seat that he liked and started to run toward him. We had to grab him and then he had a little fit. I guess he thinks it's his and either he gets to go on it or nobody does. Yes, good thing we were there with him every minute!

Overall, Munch was a good experience. The food was good, although a bit pricey. We didn't order any drinks or desserts and our bill came to over $50, not including tips. I liked how the restaurant chooses organic ingredients where possible and how they have a good selection of healthy foods. The service was excellent, which I guess we paid for in the food bill :) The restaurant was clean and nicely laid out. Their bathrooms were large and had both a big toilet for adults and little toilet for toddlers. There was also a safety seat where you could strap your wandering toddler to while you peed. They really thought of everything! :) I also loved that the restaurant was eco-friendly. A lot of their toys were made out of wood and even their take-out containers were paper and made from recycled paper.