By Sherman Chan,
Special to The Post

We tried the "Trust the Chef" tasting menu. The first plate was the Chicharrons with sour cream & onion dip. They were liberally dusted with salt while the dip was an excellent compliment. The House Made Brioche with truffle butter came with mini-loaf featuring a crispy outer crust while the inside was classic soft brioche. The whipped truffle butter was smooth and creamy with a definite hit of black truffle earthiness.
The Carrots roasted in honey butter was served atop cracked pepper yogurt, pickled grapes and pistachios. Charred and caramelized, the carrots were earthy and sweet albeit a bit too firm.  The grapes went well perfectly. Covered with a plethora of pecorino, the roasted Mushrooms in brown butter sported the crunch of toasted hazelnuts. The mushrooms were not overdone, hence there was very little moisture on the bottom and the texture was meaty. There were definitely the aromatics from the nutty butter and also the salty cheese.
For dessert, the Clafoutis came with fresh cherries, vanilla bergamot pudding and granola. The flavours were buttery with only a conservative amount of sugar. The cherries were ripe and delicious while the granola on top added a crunch. Completely deconstructed, the Lemon Tart featured a large scoop of lemon curd atop toasted marshmallow, crème fraîche and shortbread crumble (and a piece of shortbread on the side).  The curd was tangy supplemented by just enough sweetness and a buttery finish. Light, buttery and crumbly, the shortbread was a nice textural compliment.
The food at Barrique was pretty solid and definitely a nice addition to White Rock.

Barrique Kitchen And Wine Bar
15223 Pacific Avenue, White Rock, BC

The Good:
• Overall solid elevated eats especially given the area
• Appreciated that the chef takes some risks
• Fair pricing

The Bad:
• Menu is a bit all over the place, needs more focus
• Desserts tasted great, just needs a bit more refinement

Sherman Chan is the #1 ranked food blogger on the Vancouver portal of Urbanspoon.com. Read more of his reviews at www.shermansfoodadventures.com.