Sherman Chan,
Special to The Post

I can't deny my love for little hidden gems, especially out in the suburbs. Why dine at the obvious places like chain restaurants, when you can eat something original at a smaller place for about the same price? Hence, I gathered up the family and the grandparents to try out a little French bistro called Tour de Feast in North Vancouver.
The first item we tried was the Octopus 2 Ways with tender braised octopus and deep fried octopus rillette cake, accompanied by squid ink crème fraîche, salmon roe, frisee, and prosciutto chips. I really enjoyed this dish as the tentacles were tender as advertised. Texturally delicate while still maintaining a certain bite and rebound, the meat was sweet and well-seasoned. As for the cake, it was subtle and sweet, and crispy with a moist filling that resembled a fish cake.
Next up was the Albacore Niçoise Salad with pepper-crusted BC albacore loin, winter greens, fingerling potatoes, green beans, pickled shiitake, soft-poached quail eggs, and Wafu emulsion. The tuna was nicely prepared with an even sear on the outside while buttery soft and rare on the inside. We found all the veggies were texturally on point. With a sweet, tart and nutty essence, the wafu dressing was a nice compliment to the rare tuna.
Our last appetizer was the Assiette de Charcuterie consisting of smoked salmon crostini, pork rillette, duck prosciutto, pate, romesco hummus, and sweet onion jam. This substantial plate of food was highlighted by the pate. It was meaty and sweet with nuggets of flavour ending with wine essence. I found the pork rillette to be buttery soft with a sweet finish, and the crostini underneath was airy and crispy. Not just merely a garnish, the hummus and onion added both brightness and extra sweetness.
For my main, I had the Hen an d Gnocchi with prawns, wild mushrooms and carrot puree. Unfortunately, the meat was dried out and quite chewy on the outside. On the other hand, the skin was nicely rendered and crispy. It was heavily sauced where it was a touch salty, but was balanced off nicely by the sweet glaze. I enjoyed the large house-made gnocchi as they were soft while still retaining a bite.
The 7-Hour Braised Beef with truffle pomme puree, bacon and blue cheese mash, broccolini, baby carrots, and peppercorn cream sauce. As soon as it hit the table, the smell of truffle oil dominated the table. We don't mind truffle oil, but when used too liberally, it can be overwhelming. However, that wasn't the biggest issue with this dish; the heavy-handed use of salt did the tender beef an injustice. The peppercorn essentially played second-fiddle to salt. My mom ordered the Fraser Valley Confit Duck Cassoulet with organic beans, boudin blanc, Swiss chard, artichoke, and citrus jus. We found the duck was mostly moist except for some chewier edge parts. The skin was nicely rendered and crisp where it wasn't sauced). The boudin blanc had a mild snap casing which revealed an airy and moist interior that was mild with a touch of natural meat sweetness.
My dad went for the Coho Salmon with Manila clams, Swiss chard and Israeli cous-cous. The crispy skin had a beautiful sear, and salmon was flaky and moist. It was well-seasoned with a peppery slant, but we found the Swiss chard to be prepared masterfully. Furthermore, the significant level of seasoning and acidity brought it alive with a wonderful brightness.
The kids tried the Provolone Grilled Cheese from the petit menu. It was essentially a lot of melted cheese atop toasted ciabatta accompanied by Lay's chips and mixed berries. My daughter opted for the Gluten-Free Pasta with Tomato Sauce. Despite being gluten-free, the pasta was tender and soft.
For dessert, we shared the Financier and Lemon Tart. The Financier was an assortment of French tea cakes with a side of ice cream. I found them a bit dry, especially the Madeleine. We thought the lemon tart was on the sweeter side, especially with a brulee on the top. Texturally, it was smooth and custardy, but the crust was a bit too soft and wet for our tastes.
Overall, the use of pepper and salt was a bit heavy-handed, but depending on what you order, a good meal can be had. 

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

Tour de Feast
319 Mountain Highway, North Vancouver
(604)980-1811

The Good:
• Some good dishes to be found here
• Fairly generous portion sizes
• Kid-friendly

The Bad:
• Heavy-handed with the salt and pepper
• Some dishes were sub-par