Quince

They recently catered an event that I attended and had a full plate spread with meat, cheese, marinated red peppers/​mushrooms and goat cheese. Beautiful spread with awesome cuts of meat. Simple yet effective. They also went the extra mile or arranging it nicely.

Strange how a Kitsy place like this only has limited reviews. While I only came here for coffee and a chocolate chip cookie, which btw, was pretty good, the whole place smelled amazing, some type of comfort food. I would’ve asked if I wasn’t in a rush, but I digress.
They also sell frozen food/​dinners, olive oil, jams – it’s for serious chefs too.
Lucky they don’t have ANY outlets at their communal table or window seating haha.
I’ll be back to eat whatever that aroma was…

I was here for a staff party /​cooking class. We had a great time; Andrea was kind enough to put up with all our holiday cheer while she tried to direct us. She was also very accommodating to vegan/​gluten free restrictions and had alternatives ready.
We arrived, were given some wine, watched the demo and then made our salad. Ate our salad. Then repeated with the main course.
Great way to organize groups into a fun activity.

Many people will have been aware of this avocado-​coloured building at 3^rd and Burrard as they drive by on their way to get on the Burrard bridge.
There is no crosswalk at 3^rd and Burrard so if you need to cross Burrard at that corner you will have to summon your inner Roman or Neapolitan before sauntering out into traffic while resolutely refusing to look left or right. On the other side waits delicious bread and excellent bird’s nest cookies with just the right amount of homemade-​tasting raspberry jam in the middle. They bake different types of bread depending on the day of the week. I have had the milk buns and they are excellent. The staff are certainly helpful and are knowledgable enough about the food to help customers make good choices. The muffins in their lovely striped cups look great. I wanted to find out what their main business was and it seems to be pre-​prepared meals in quantities for at least 2 people. I saw frozen ribs in bourbon and some other delicious looking entrees. This isn’t for the Hamburger Helper set.

Back in June the Groupon was $ 10 for $ 20 worth of Quince Express. Walking in, it’s cute — there are a few stands of gourmet pasta, oils, vinegars and other condiments. There’s a huge stand of quince jellies bby the window — it all looks so pretty. The woman who owns the place came out and asked if I needed anything. I spent quite a while trying to decide what to get — soups, meats, pasta, desserts. pot pies, sauces, cheese, pastries, breads… everything looked and sounded delicious.
I went for a jar of quince jelly (tart, just the way I like my jellies), butternut squash and goat cheese ravioli (rich and creamy — the pasta was perfect), sage and walnut brown butter sauce (delicious) and a large loaf of brioche (Saturday’s special). What I am about to say is an intense statement… the brioche is the BEST in Vancouver. Holy hell, it did not last the weekend and the combination of this mound of heaven paired with the quince jelly — I could feel my ass expand with every bite, but it was totally worth it.
I am going to try lunch here soon and I can’t wait. Of course it will have to be on a Saturday when that amazing bread is fresh and waiting for me.

I visited Quince and bought items from the Quince Express: Hot and Sour Duck Soup was amazing! I’m usually not a fan of hot and sour soup but the dark and robust duck flavor comes through and the hot and sour notes were not overbearing. I also had the curry red snapper soup– the flavor was divine but the red snapper texture was… less than optimal.
I also picked up some nice sea salt from the market section. I can see this little store being a one stop shop for most of the gourmet essentials.

I love independent cafes, and I really do go out of my way to avoid (ball-and-)chain coffeeshops. However, I’m not really diggin this increasingly popular trend of the café format being fused with deli and/​or catering getups.
I was recently exploring the yuppie-​filled sidestreets and hippiecondo-​crammed blocks of Kits Point for new and quality coffeeshops when I spotted Quince just east of Burrard, on West 3^rd Avenue. Quince is just one of the many catering outfits in the city that is also trying to pass as a café and deli. It reminds me of the now defunct Sensational Suppers or the popular The Butler Did It Catering in that it is clearly a business focused on catering that attempts to attract passers-​by with take-​out meals and coffee. This is not a bad business model in theory but — like Communism and clear beer — it just doesn’t work in practice. The focus on meal preparation, corporate customers, and large-​scale food production makes it nearly impossible for businesses like this to create a setting wherein locals and people off the street can enjoy a quality coffee, tea, or baked good in a space that is comfortable and neighbourly.
Quince and the many catercoffeeshops that are popping up around town often offer quality product, in an isolated sense: they serve great coffee, they always have fresh pastry, the layouts are slick, they offer a wide range of catering services and options, and their take-​out meals are outstanding. Unfortunately, when these elements are combined, the poor punter who is hoping to enjoy a crema-​clad coffee at a local and inviting independent café ends up entering a space suffering from an identity crisis… a perfectly prepared, stylish identity crisis.
Go to Quince to pick-​up a meal for dinner, but don’t go here to read your book over a 16oz latte.

Quince is a lifesaver. I’ve used them 3 times now: twice for large dinner parties, and once for a cocktail party.
The first time I used Quince was around Christmas time, and my husband wanted to host a dinner for his team. At the time, I had a foot injury and couldn’t stand for long periods of time. Quince to the rescue!
They have food already prepared in their fridge but for a large order, you need to talk to them in advance so they can prep the quantity you need in each of the dishes.
I ordered some spiced nuts to nibble on, the leek risotto, fish (can’t remember what kind) with red pepper butter, beef short ribs in an amazing sauce, roasted veggies, chocolate mousse for dessert with cherry cordial sauce on top. The risotto and fish were half cooked and I just needed to finish it off which was easy enough. The ribs and veggies were already cooked – just needed to heat them up. Even with the extra heating up, the veggies still had a little crunch to them and not mushy. Everything was so delicious (but I found the chocolate mousse a bit sweet) and tasted homemade.
What I really like about Quince is that it IS homemade. There are no industrial ingredients that they use as shortcuts. They use the same ingredients that you would use.
They saved me all kinds of time too. Just one stop for all of those dishes – I didn’t have to go to the meat shop, seafood shop, produce store, and somewhere for dessert. The prep for all the veggies and stirring of the risotto would have meant many hours in the kitchen.
I actually had time before the guests arrived to straighten up the place, and set the table up completely. I was so relaxed! The only strange thing about the dinner was that it didn’t smell like I had been cooking for hours and hours. But no one questioned the food – they just assumed that I cooked it all and that I was amazing!
The last time Quince helped me out was for a cocktail party. I ordered a deluxe seafood tray and a large antipasto tray. Everyone was so impressed with the seafood. Really high quality menu items and plenty enough for everyone. If you tell them how many you’re expecting they will make sure they supply you with enough. The seafood was quite expensive, but worth it – the party was for a friend and she loved it. The antipasto tray was good also, but I think that I could throw it together myself next time. And nice white modern looking serving dishes too really add to the presentation.

Quince’s concept is a confusing one, and it really defies categorization. It is part café, part cooking school, part market, part take-​out, part who knows what?
I visited today for lunch. I can’t speak to the other aspects of their confusing business. I had the chipotle flat iron steak baguette with caramelized onions. I got a little scared after ordering it when I saw the person behind the counter take it out from a display case and it was wrapped in saran wrap. Hm… Dubious. But she brought it back to the kitchen and they heated it up (mostly).
What I got was a sandwich with tasty flat iron steak that was quite rare (the way I like it), with a hint of caramelized onions, and a slight heat from the chipotle. The bread was crisp as it had been heated. But the meat had a few slightly cold patches (they could have heated it a bit more apparently). The taste was nice though.
The other menu items were of the gourmet variety, and sounded appealing. It was hard to choose.
I’m really confused by the rest of their business though — but they sure seemed busy with at least 4 staff that I saw even though I was the only person there.
To sum it up: Weird concept, but a nice lunch spot. I will return and sample some more, and maybe gain an understanding of what the rest of their business is all about.

What’s the easiest way to describe Quince? I would say it’s your corner grocery store with a dose of gourmet ingredients and a injection of some heavy-​culinary steroids are rolled into a neat bundle. The interior is trendy with stainless steel appliances, benches to sit on a chalkboard that serves the daily offerings of the day. I love the organic and natural, prepacked meals to go. The Osso Bucco and the Chickpea Ragout are very delicious. I would say this is a place to go pick-​up ingredients, order catering or go and plan a party. But it’s also nice to grab a latte and a brioche or to have a lighting. Parking is easy to find, but you’ll have to pay.

Quince is more like a culinary exhibition space than your standard catering company. The concept was thoughtfully executed and the mandate very clear. Unlike some places that offer food and coffee to go, the respect for fresh ingredients and inventive recipes is evident down to the fresh blades of grass in the window display. It’d be difficult to pigeonhole Quince into your typical eatery. They frequently host In-​store cooking demonstrations and classes while also providing food of the gourmet coffee shop variety for those on the go. They also have a line of products called Quince Express that provides pre-​packaged meals in vacuum –sealed bags for those who crave a decent home-​cooked meal but lack the time.
Quince prides itself on being eco-​friendly while still delivering high quality food in a nice and clean setting.