It’s springtime again here in the Fraser Valley and once the bees start buzzing and the flowers start blooming, it doesn’t take long before you’re craving summertime salads, refreshing appetizers and delicious entrees filled with fresh and colourful ingredients.  Plus, a nice bottle of vino (we are loving the 2010 Fort Bevens Pinot Gris) just tastes better with springtime dining, especially when the sun is out!

We visit Restaurant 62 regularly – you may recall our Pulse Spotlight feature of this awesome Abbotsford restaurant, as well as some of their past menu features. We were thrilled to be invited back to give their new Spring menu a test drive (taste). Executive Chef Jeff Massey created this new menu to celebrate the fresh flavours of spring from throughout the Fraser Valley. We love that they adjust their menus with the seasons! It gives diners the opportunity to appreciate the flavours that are currently in season and, most exciting, the opportunity to try new things. Who doesn’t love trying new things that our Fraser Valley has to offer?

Our meal started off with the East Coast Crab Cakes, which were served with fresh wasabi aioli and topped with a refreshing Asian pear slaw. The trio of cakes looked so delicious, that we just wanted to keep taking pictures! We did finally eat them and they were heavenly. When we visited, the soup of the day was a fresh asparagus soup, which sounded too good for this soup-lover to pass up. In true spring fashion the soup was light, fresh and exceptionally different from your typical, heavier asparagus soup.

The new spring entrée menu has grown to include mouth-watering dishes such as the Fraser Valley pork chop (brined for 24 hours!) with bourbon and pecan BBQ glaze and the West Coast potlatch of mussels, prawns, fresh fish and scallops. We decided to try the grilled salmon filet, which was served with wilted spinach, lemon infused spatzle and tarragon cream and the decadent roasted lamb sirloin with minted fingerling potatoes and (not so typical) green beans. Each dish was also presented with portions of fresh beets and portabella mushrooms, which brought extra lovely flavours and colours to the already beautiful dishes.

After finishing as much as we possibly could of our entrees, we decided to tackle the difficult task of deciding on which dessert to choose to end off our evening (we were too full to order two!). With the help of our friendly server (and part owner) Alicia Bodaly, we made our way through the choices of caramel apples, Sicilian style cheesecake or chai crème brulee, but finally decided on the Classic Lemon Tart. Of note: this sweet tart is nothing but classic! The tart was a great size for two people and was even topped with mini dollops of merengue rather than one bigger one…perfect for sharing! If you do decide to share this one though, make sure you get the side with the yummy raspberry sauce!

We think it’s fabulous that Restauant 62 makes adjustments to their menu to suit the seasons. You can be sure there’s something to tickle everyone’s taste buds, regardless of when you visit. We loved being invited back to Restaurant 62 and hope you get a chance to get out to experience dining the way it should be experienced in the Fraser Valley!

Restaurant 62
www.restaurant62.ca
2001 McCallum Road, Abbotsford
Ring: 604.855.3545