hen Chow opened its slick doors on South Granville, many couldn't figure out what to make of it besides the obvious fact this is a place to chow down. Ambition seemed to clash with ambiance, producing a loud, jarring effect. But, don't let the clichéd, heavy glass exterior deter you. There's some delicious, unpretentious West Coast food lurking behind those glistening walls that’s sure to attract the refined palates of BC at fly-lamp proportions. If you can disregard the superkitsch décor in favour of delectable dining - a polished concrete floor adorned with linen-free walnut tables and chocolate leather chairs - allow the arrogant, self-obsessed waiters serve you from a seasonal menu.

This improbable neighbourhood bistro came to Owner/Chef Jean Christophe Poirier in a vision. Those national foodies in the know will recognize this same über-chef who manned the stoves at C, Lumiere and Montreal's Toqué. While the big-budget design schematics tell part of the story, the menus, whose options are divided into tidy little categories, tell the rest – complete with a list of the restaurant's local suppliers. Thus the buzz concerning the décor and chef’s reputation has attracted the well-heeled and gossip-worthy crew accordingly.

This is a happy departure from over-complicated menus that have infected other Vancouver restaurants of late (no names now). The quality varies somewhat, but the discerning diner will discover the best stuff and stick with it (via my recommendations, of course): Take the calamari salad ($14.00), chock full of warm baby squid and served over navy beans, roasted red peppers and black olives with a light drizzle of cilantro oil. The chilled prawn salad ($15.00) turned out to be a thrilling seasonal indulgence, with ruby red grapefruit, avocado and topped with Poirer's lemongrass dressing.

The whimsical chef's short list of entrées contains unexpected selections (pan seared “Quebec” foie gras), but you can easily make a meal of appetizers. Should you stick with Poirer's mains, go the red meat route, with the grilled dry-aged beef strip loin ($27.00); the man has a connection with the grill. Grilled and seasoned only with salt and pepper, the steak is served with warm potato salad and sweet English peas. The pan-roasted sablefish ($20.00) is unusually flavourful, aided with purple artichokes and house-made chorizo. Oddly, the added manila clams were rubbery and off-tasting.

The Polderside Farm” organic chicken ($19.00) benefited richly from a small serving of Israeli couscous and organic rapini. At the far end of the flavour spectrum is the Sloping Hills Farm organic pork ($20.00). While the pork is good enough to stand by itself, the enjoyment level is elevated with the sides of nutmeg gnocchi and organic shimeji mushrooms. In fact, the best stuff is found among the small dishes, including a splendid roasted organic baby beet salad with “Okanagan” goat cheese and candied walnuts.