Chez Céline just brought back its rotisserie Québécois dinner for a second year after a very successful introduction. The meal, consisting of either a half ($39) or full ($69) Rossdown Family Farm chicken, crispy frites, coleslaw classique, gravy, and a grilled potato bun, has become loved by many in the city (with reservations filling up quickly).
When Dished posted about the return of the beloved chicken dinner, many folks were excited. However, there were some skeptics as well.
“I like a good chicken, but $69 for a whole? Ridiculous,” wrote one person on Instagram.
“Costco feast Rotisserie [Chicken] $8 Fries $3.50 Gravy $0.30. add a hot dog w relish and drink $1.50,” added another.
“No, thank you. Nando’s it is!” shared a third.
So, as the dedicated journalists we are, we knew we had to stop by and see what all the hubbub was about.
The meal is available Tuesday to Thursday all the way until Nov. 26, with a reservation in advance required (though if you’re a walk-in at the bar, you might be able to snag yourself a plate). When we walked in early on Wednesday evening, we quickly discovered we were not the only ones who showed up for this legendary meal.
Before we dive too far into the meal itself, we have to take a moment to talk about Chez Céline’s phenomenal service.
The team here excels in that casual, visiting-your-friend-for-dinner kind of vibe we love. The staff bounced around the room to the delight of guests, stopping by each table as if everyone in the room was a regular.
Since we had pre-booked our rotisserie chicken dinner, the meal came out pretty quickly. Between two people, we had opted for the half chicken, which ended up being the perfect amount of food for us.
Marco Ovies/Dished
Now we should preface: the team isn’t reinventing the wheel here. There’s no frills or fuss; just a simple plate with some darn good chicken (there’s a reason why Rossdown Family Farm is the go-to place for restaurants to source their chicken and turkey). This was hands down one of the top chickens we’ve had in the city.
But we also need to take a minute to rave about the sides. Coleslaw? On point. Gravy? Peppery and perfect. Fries? Crispy and the perfect aioli-delivery vessel (speaking of which, the aioli was so tasty we had to ask for a little extra). We should also mention that the team kindly offered to top off our gravy too, which at that point we had been dipping our potato bun into because of how good it was.
You don’t have to, but if you’re anything like us, a little sweet treat is always a welcome addition to any meal. Specifically, we ordered the White Chocolate Panna Cotta served with nectarines. This light and refreshing bite was the perfect way to end our already great meal.
White Chocolate Panna Cotta (Marco Ovies)
So is Chez Céline’s rotisserie chicken dinner worth the hype? We’d definitely say so. If you’re going just for the chicken, at $39 for two, we’d consider it one of the more affordable options for eating out in Vancouver. Similarly, for the full chicken, that could easily be shared between three to four people.
That being said, if chicken doesn’t sound like your kind of meal out, we’d point you to one of the other incredible menu options at Chez Céline (including the pork chop, dungeness crab raviolo, or poutine).
Chez Céline Rotisserie Québécoise
When: Tuesday to Thursday from Oct. 13 to Nov. 26
Where: 4298 Fraser St., Vancouver
Cost: $39 for half chicken, $69 for full chicken
Still hungry? Discover Dished Vancouver on TikTok