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Before the Covid-19 shutdown of things, Mijune and I had the Botanist's 10-course tasting menu celebrating the Fairmont Pacific Rim's 10-year anniversary. This featured all of the restaurant's greatest hits. For those who aren't familiar with the Botanist, it is one of the better hotel restaurants in town. In fact, I consider it to be one of the best restaurants within Vancouver period. That is saying a lot when people do not normally consider hotel restaurants as destinations in themselves.
To kick things off, we were served the iconic (yes, even with the youthful age of this restaurant, the bread is iconic) Fougasse Bread. This time around, the bread was much better than the last time I had it. Rather than being too hard, it was firm with a pleasant chewiness and baked nuttiness. The side of fresh whipped butter didn't hurt either. I would've asked for more, but there were many other delicious dishes to come. For our amuse bouche, we were presented with Northern Divine Caviar with cultivated cream, potato and tapioca pearls. To be honest, I was rather surprised that they used tapioca pearls as it wasn't something I would associate with caviar. However, it strangely worked with the buttery soft pearls and tender potato. Lots of cheesiness from the cream brightened up by the chives. This was balanced dish that allowed the briny caviar to stand out. Loved the lemon rind on top as it afforded a bright and bitter finish.
At first, I was a bit skeptical of the Beet Tataki since I really wanted a beef tataki. Well, it was very prejudice of me to think anything but tastiness for this dish. In addition to the tender earthy and sweet slices of beet, there was crispy sunchoke bark, pickled onions and vegan XO sauce. Yes, you read it right, vegan XO sauce. You know what? It was spicy and flavourful despite the absence of dried scallops, ham and dried shrimp. This dish hit all the flavours and was one of my favourites. Shaped into a beautiful flower, the Scallop Crudo was a delight. The buttery petals of scallop were sweet and super delicate. This was contrasted by the crunch from the winter radish. There was a smokiness from the torched edges while the fermented jalapeno added a spicy tanginess.
If this couldn't get any better, it was kicked up several notches with the Handmade Tarajin with Hokkaido sea urchin, cured egg and chives. By virtue of sitting in a veal and lobster broth, the dish was the beneficiary of flavours from the sea being sweet and aromatic. Pasta was al dente while completely coated with the silkiness of the egg. Now let's not forget about the ample amount of creamy and bright sea notes from the uni on top too! Such a delicious creation. The next dish was a very familiar one as I've had it a few times being the Pan-Seared Sablefish with leek, black kale and black truffles. It is no secret that sablefish is a very forgiving protein, but by the same token, this was perfectly executed - so buttery, yet still flaky. To compliment the delicate fish, there was leek oil and foam which was there but not overpowering. Earthiness was provided by the truffle while the kale was cooked just enough.
Off to another classic dish (which I've also had before), the Butter Poached Lobster was interestingly plated. As much as this was only the tasting menu version, I found it a bit too busy (even though I understood what they were trying to do). Beyond that, the lobster was outstandingly bouncy and sweet. Splattered on the plate, the green mole was layered with flavour. Providing nuttiness was the pumpkin seeds, while the radishes and celeriac offered earthy notes. Finally, the spice component was thanks to the charred shishito pepper. Sitting in a creamy and slightly acidic brown butter, the 20-Day Aged Duck Breast was also perfectly prepared. Moist with rich meatiness, the duck was super tender with crispy skin. On the side, there was a tart consisting of onions, duck confit and mushrooms. Loved the soft crunch from the white fungus, but the tart shell was a bit too soft.
Our last meat savoury item for the tasting menu was the Snake River Wagyu Striploin with pan-roasted Walla Walla baby onion and red wine jus. Meeting my expectations, the meat was buttery and meaty. Lots of natural beef flavour due to the fat content. I found the jus to be silky and full of depth. I enjoyed the tomato fondue which provided sweet tanginess as well as the sweet caramelized onion. Onto the sweets, we enjoyed the light and refreshing Mandarin Rice Mousse with ocoa chocolate and orange cake. I'm generally not a sweets person, yet at the same time, really do not mind fruitier lighter desserts. Well, this was right up my alley with mild sweetness complimented by tanginess and bitter notes. Loved the airy orange cake and the crunch from the chocolate.
Our final course was probably the most interesting of them all. The Black Truffle Choux pastry was appealingly black in colour and surrounded by chocolate soil. From the outside, it wasn't apparent that it was filled with truffle ice cream. Due to the dryness of the choux pastry, the ice cream completely made up for it being creamy and aromatic. Maybe the choux was supposed to be this way, otherwise I can see the whole thing being too soft. Loved the chocolate soil as it was tasty while texturally interesting compared to the soft choux. So there you have it - all the greatest hits from the Botanist in one complete meal. Sure it was expensive, however totally worth it if you have enjoyed the Botanist in the past. It is one of my go-to restaurants in town and am looking forward to revisiting when it reopens.
The Good:
- All of the best dishes from the past and present
- Beautiful and lively room
- Attentive service
The Bad:
- Well, it is expensive (but worth it IMO)
Here we go again, another restaurant that has opened up in my hood and I totally ignore it. I've driven and walked past the Burnaby location of Sopra Sotto many times a week and nada. Nope, just didn't stop and eat there. However, one of the main reasons is that I've been to their original spot on Commercial Drive when it first opened. I remembered it to be pretty good, but it just wasn't on my list to revisit anytime soon. Finally, as the kids were craving some Italian, we made our way to the cozy Burnaby location.
As if we needed anymore carbs to our carb-heavy meal already, we went for the Fresh Made in-House Focaccia. Although this looked like merely pizza dough repurposed with herbs and olive oil on top, it was still good. With some leoparding while still maintaining a fluffy chewiness, this was nicely seasoned as well. Now that was fine, but the actual pizza was better. The Cacciatora Pizza was the most appealing to us consisting of braised short rib, shallots, black kale, mixed mushrooms and Alps cheese. Due to the generous amount of ingredients, the crust was fairly soft underneath, but that was to be expected. The crust was still nutty with leoparding while well-seasoned. The kicker here was the short rib jus that really added meaty depth to the pizza.
We tried 3 of their pastas including one I've had at their Commerical Drive store which was the Chitarrine al Ragù. This featured made-in-house square spaghetti with bolognese sauce. I would say this was 100% better than the one I had last time (at the other location). First off, the colour was much richer and what I was expecting. Secondly, the ample meat flavour and texture was apparent. Lastly, we could really taste the time spent on cooking the meat sauce. To top it off, the pasta was beautifully al dente. The featured pasta of the day was the Gnocchi with fontina and speck. As rich and creamy as it appeared, the dish wasn't unbearably heavy. The large pillowy gnocchi were soft enough without losing its bite. Salt content was supplied by the strips of speck on top.
Probably my favourite pasta of the bunch also featured short rib. The Tagliatelle in Sunday Sugo was well-executed with al dente made-in-house pasta (which was also properly seasoned). Loved the rich and hearty tomato as well as the fatty meat taste of the sugo. There was also just enough moisture to coat the pasta without creating a watery mess on the plate. As you can see, the pastas were solid at Sopra Sotto, even better than the first time I had it at their original location on Commerical. Pizza was good and it being soft in the middle was expected due to the ingredients. Besides, it isn't supposed to be crunchy anyways. Solid addition to the Heights and when this Covid-19 thing is under control, I hope it keeps going strong.
The Good:
- Solid pastas
- Nice people
- Decent portion size
The Bad:
- Very small, not good for big groups
- Parking is a bit hard to come by
There are several things in life that I totally despise. These include really inconsiderate people and lineups. Imagine the personal hell of being in a lineup WITH inconsiderate people. The horror! Well, that was mostly the reason I skipped visiting Tsujiri when it first opened. Yes, I know that there are online reservations, but all the good times were usually snapped up pretty quickly. Hence, I completely ignored the place and went about my usual business. It wasn't until Nora and Joyce suggested we meet there for dinner one night that I finally got to try it out.
Having designs on dessert after dinner, we decided to eat light (we are not all Mijunes you know...). This was exemplified by the Nishin Soba featuring cha-soba topped with herring and sitting in a clean broth with bonito flake, kelp, soy sauce and yuzu. Subtle and refreshing the yuzu was only in the background (unlike the broth at Afuri). With the herring being cooked in sweet soy, that naturally added some impact to the otherwise mild dish. Even lighter-tasting, the Ebiten Udon sported a kombu bonito dashi broth with 2 large ebi tempura. Loved the udon noodles as they were slippery and slightly chewy. Broth was indeed light, but it was also pleasant and went well with the noodles. Although half of the ebi tempura was soggy, the rest was crispy with a meaty prawn inside.
The prettiest looking plate was the Salmon Dashi Chazuke featuring tamago, ume, sesame kombu, dashi broth, rice cracker, green onion, wasabi, salmon sashimi and soba roll. This was fun with all the various things around the perfectly cooked bowl of chewy rice. When mixed together with the dashi, it was also very pleasant. Lots of different textures and mild ingredients (except for the wasabi). Despite having dessert plans after dinner, I had to try something sweet here because it would've been wrong otherwise. I ended up choosing the O-Matcha Shaved Ice with sweet red bean, mochi and matcha soft-serve. I thought this was really good even though the ice was a bit too chunky for me. The ice cream was smooth with a balanced bitterness from the matcha while being just sweet enough. Classic combination with the red bean. Overall, I thought the food was fine, albeit not very filling. It was unfortunate I didn't get to try many more desserts (that's what they are known for). But I wasn't with Mijune though...
The Good:
- Okay pricing in my opinion at least
- Carefully prepared items
- Decent service
The Bad:
- Portion size wasn't bad per se, but since the dishes were light, it wasn't filling
- Service was decent, but hard to get it when you needed it
Sometimes, I really wonder if we can trust internet ratings when it comes to restaurants. Sure, it can be a framework of some kind so we can get a sense if the place is at least worth visiting. Yet, I've been to many spots that have 3/5 ratings (or even lower) and came away questioning the low score. To be specific, in my experience this usually happens with Asian spots. Maybe it really depends on who is rating the place and more importantly, what is it being rated on? Many times, the low score is due to bad service and/or lack of cleanliness. Not too long ago, I had a pretty good experience at Sweet Honey Dessert in Richmond and it was not reflective of their low rating. So when a new location opened up in Burnaby, I gladly hit them up twice in a short period of time.
Now one of the reasons they might score low is that their Puppy Ice Cream plain sucks. Yes, it is one of the cutest things out there, but the ice cream doesn't melt. There is truly too much in the way of stabilizers and non-dairy ingredients for it to be good. To top it all off, it didn't even taste like anything but sweet. I think it is supposed to be mango??? Whatever the case, we didn't order this at the Burnaby location and I'm only including this as reference for those who are considering shelling out $12.00 for it. What they are actually good at is their Souffle Pancakes. Yes, there are other spots that specialize in it, but I find the ones here very good. Light and fluffy while only semi-sweet, these were consistent both times I've tried it. This time around mango and yes it wasn't really the season for it, but the imported ones they did serve were decent.
The 2 times I've been at this location, I've ordered the Coconut Milk Sago with Grass Jelly. Simple, but satisfying the broth was semi-sweet and aromatic from the coconut milk. Little bits of texture were thanks to the tapioca pearls. A hit of appealing bitterness emanated from the cubes of grass jelly. Some people wonder what makes one version better than another (since there are many places that serve these types of dessert)? With so little variation in ingredients, there are no huge swings in quality. I digress. One of my favourite Chinese desserts at these type of establishments is the Mango Sago. This one was respectable with a mildly-sweet "soup" with the usual tapioca pearls, chunks of mango and pomelo. Refreshing and light where the mango was decently tangy and sweet like the ones served with the souffle.
Lastly, another classic dessert was the Taro Ball Red Bean Soup. Completely the opposite of the refreshing fruity desserts, this one was heavier and surprisingly not very sweet. That was a good thing as sometimes red bean soup can be too sugary. The balls ensured that this ate like a meal. Personally, not my favourite choice of dessert. But that had nothing to do with them and I still don't understand the bad reviews. Sure, it isn't the best in town, but it is more than respectable. Just stay away from the puppy ice cream.
The Good:
- Lots of choice
- Souffle pancakes surprisingly decent
- Open late
The Bad:
- A bit pricey
- Service is okay, but a little sparse
Surprisingly, the donut game in Vancouver is pretty underdeveloped. Compared to Portland and even Seattle, we don't really have a good variety. However, there is a new player in town that serves up brioche donuts that have some similarities to General Porpoise in Seattle (and also Blue Star in Portland). I had visited Mello in the first few weeks of opening and came away somewhat disappointed. However, I returned with Mijune a month later and their product definitely improved. This post will be a combination of both visits.
Initially, I got a selection that included Lemon Curd, Vanilla, Chocolate, PB&J, Strawberries and Cream as well as a Cake Donut. In terms of texture, the donuts were indeed soft and fluffy, but curiously dry. Hence, it didn't fulfill the promise of a brioche donut. I thought the lemon curd to be creamy and balanced in flavour. Not too sweet and just tangy enough. Nothing special about the vanilla and chocolate. Texturally, it was like eating pudding and the flavours were pretty much on par for pudding. Despite being the simple combination of peanut butter and jam, that was one of my favourite donuts as it was familiar-tasting and classic. Surprisingly, the best donut of the bunch was the glazed cake donut. Nice density balanced with a moist fluffiness. Slightly crispy on the outside with just enough glaze.
With Mijune, we ended up with a similar selection except for the Tiramisu and Corn Flakes Cookie. This time around, the brioche donut was not dry and it was even fluffier. So much so, it started to deform on the bottom as it sat on the table. No matter, we enjoyed it and I am glad they were able to tweak the recipe. Tiramisu donut was pretty good but the cocoa powder blew everywhere after the first bite. Was pretty funny as it ended up all over Mijune. Although dry, the cookie was reminiscent of an almond cookie except with the extra crunch of corn flakes on top. So I'm glad I got to try Mello again where it yielded better results. Also, they are open during this Covid-19 pandemic, so you can still pick up a box. I might just do that as well.
The Good:
- Fluffy and light
- Not too sweet
- Cake donut is good too
The Bad:
- Expensive
- Limited flavours randomly available
One of the last meals Mijune and I had before Covid-19 shutdown (and really, it was a good idea to not go out anyways...) was at the popular Nightingale restaurant from Chef David Hawksworth. Recently, Chef Alan Tam (no, not the singer) took over the reigns from Chef Phil Scarphone. Even though I've been here before (and countless times for Mijune), it seemed like a good opportunity to check out some of the classic dishes on the menu as well as a few changes from the new chef.
Although we had each already had our own dinners, we ended up with 2nd dinner (pretty normal for Mijune). Starting off light, we had the delicious Seared Albacore Tuna with red kosho, radish, lime vinaigrette and fried onion furikake. Although simple in theory, the flavours of the dish were far from that. The bright sweetness of the fish was perfectly complimented by the acidity of the vinaigrette. An extra component of refreshing bite came in the form of the koshu. Staying on the same theme of lighter dishes, we had the Citrus Salad next. This consisted of cashews, fresh herbs and bee pollen vinaigrette. Lots of things going on here including the bitterness of the radicchio and tangy sweetness of the blood orange and grapefruit. Herbs added a certain green taste that was complimented by the nuttiness of the buttery cashews. I don't normally love salad, but I did love this one.
One of the most iconic dishes at Nightingale has to be the Buttermilk Fried Chicken with spiced Maple syrup, sumac and pickles. There are some pretty good versions of fried chicken in the city, and this one stacks up well compared to Annalena and Downlow. The best part is of course the chicken as it was juicy and tender with a crispy well-seasoned batter. Sweet with extra layers of flavour, the syrup didn't detract from the crispiness. It was beautifully balanced by the salty tang of the pickles. Yummy. Mijune insisted we order the Baked Sweet Potato with jalapeño, saddler's smoked bacon, crème fraîche and scallions. Okay, she was right as this thing was friggin' addictive. Sweet with depth and super soft, the potato was not only elevated by the smoky saltiness of the bacon, it provided the necessary crunch to balance the softness of the dish. Bringing it all down was the dollop of crème fraîche. As if this wasn't enough, the peppers provided a kick too.
A new creation from Chef Tam was the Whipped Avocado with guajillo salsa consisting of pumpkin and sesame seeds, roasted garlic and olive oil. Served on the side was deliciously charred and blistered za'atar flatbread. Beyond the creamy and fresh avocado, the salsa was what made this dish (well, the bread was pretty awesome too). It was smoky, nutty, aromatic and only the slightest hint of heat. Yes, the smokiness of the bread as well as the nuttiness of the spice didn't hurt things either. Trying to get more veggies into our meals, we had the Roasted Cauliflower with sultana raisins, cilantro, sunflower seeds and turmeric vinaigrette. Not sure if this meant healthier, but it was indeed tasty. Again, layers of flavour here including the smoky sweetness of the cauliflower, more sweetness from the sultanas and an earthiness from the vinaigrette. We only wished that the cauliflower was a bit firmer.
Although Mijune wasn't too keen on the Triple Cooked Potato Wedges, I insisted on ordering them because I'm a sucker for fried potatoes. Besides, more veggies right??? Well, these were served with a harissa aioli and seasoned simply with sea salt. Being triple cooked, they were golden brown, crunchy and nutty. They were crunchy as I expected with the fluffiness of potato inside. This was achieved due to its physical thickness whereas frites would be crunchy with much less potatoness left. I was curious about the Grilled Beef Shortribs and they turned out to be an Asian-inspired version complete with kohlrabi kimchi. They were tender and fatty with cararmelized smokiness. They were a little wet, but that meant that they were just not chewy. They were simply garnished with sesame seeds and scallions.
Sweets began with the Sticky Toffee Pudding with candied pecans, boubon butterscotch and Maple ice Cream. As this dessert can be very rich and sweet, the one we had was somewhat lighter. Very buttery and aromatic with the deep rich sweetness of toffee. Decadent. Seemingly simple, the PB&J Ice Cream Sandwich was fantastic! Sweet, but not too sweet and perfectly nutty, the ice cream was smooth while the amount of jam was just right. Captured the essence of the flavour profile while cold and encased with crunchy, yet light cookie. Delish. I am so glad Mijune suggested we hit up Nightingale because it was even better than my initial visit. Things change, chefs change. Good to keep up with everything. I hope when we can get back to eating out, that Nightingale is there too.
*There was a discount for the food
The Good:
- Their classic dishes are really good
- That ice cream sandwich...
- Okay pricing for the food quality
The Bad:
- Need to order quite a few dishes to get full
- Some seats upstairs aren't the best
Back in the day, I would make the occasional jaunt into White Rock/South Surrey to meet up with friends for some eats. However, that would be mostly relegated to Marine Drive. In the recent past and present, I have been heading out to the establishments littered around 32nd Avenue in South Surrey. It started with spots like My Shanti and Sammy J's. Then Famoso, S+L, Afghan Kitchen and Mink Chocolates. Add in many of the big box stores and specialty shops at Morgan Crossing, we have a vibrant community that only continues to grow. Prior to the Covid-19 shutdown of everything, I made my way out there again to try out Curry Lounge with Mijune and David.
From the outside, it didn't do the interior decor justice as it was clean, modern and classy. Combined with typical Northern Indian dishes, the menu at Curry Lounge features more creative items from owner/chef Jatin Sharma. Probably one of our favourite items was served first in the Mushroom Mumtaz. These featured button mushrooms stuffed with cheese, veggies and spices cooked in a spinach sauce. At first, I thought this was a chicken dish as it wasn't apparent these were mushrooms. Beyond the creamy texture of the filling, the flavours were impactful and harmonious. In addition to the earthiness of the mushrooms, we got an extra hit with the cumin. With russet potatoes stuffed with minced chicken and cooked in kashmiri-style sauce, the Kashmiri Chicken Dum Aloo was also good. The potato was firm, but still fully-cooked. Moist and mild-tasting, the chicken filling was aromatic and nutty. It tasted more impactful with the coriander chutney served on the side.
With plenty of tin foil over the bone, the Murg Chengezi was delicious. It featured bone-in chicken clay-roasted then cooked in a Mughlai-style rich sauce. The dark meat chicken was so moist and tender, that it literally needed very little effort to eat. It was juicy due to the amount of sauce clinging to each piece. About that sauce, it was creamy, nutty and earthy with a touch of spice. To further amp the flavour-quotient, there was a side of butter chicken sauce as well. Looking like tubes of formed chicken meat, the Gulafi Chicken Seekh was one of the more subtle-tasting dishes of the meal. It featured minced chicken with a blend of spices cooked in a clay oven. Yet another Mughlai delicacy, these kebabs were moist and exhibited light garlic and ginger notes. It was also very lightly spicy too. Again, the side of chutney was needed to elevate the dish.
Cooked in brown onion gravy, the Lahori Lamb Dum Pukt was another awesome dish. Just by appearances alone, it had tasty written all-over-it. Even before getting to the sauce, the rack-of-lamb chops were beautifully charred. Hence there was a smokiness to go with the marinated flavour of the meat. Oh and that gravy... Aromatic, earthy and lightly spicy with caramelized sweetness, this not only elevated the lamb, it was perfect with rice and naan. I kept going back to this over and over again. On that note, I did pair it up with the Lamb Biryani. Yes, plain basmati rice would've been more appropriate, but this worked well too. This straight-up was excellent on its own with plenty of spice and natural lamb flavour. The rice was nutty and chewy with the usual earthiness from the cumin and background sharpness from the ginger. Each piece of lamb was buttery soft and well-seasoned.
We ended up adding a classic dish to our meal albeit done in a way that is not typical on North American menus. The Indian-Style Butter Chicken had all of the best parts of the butter chicken we are familiar with including a rich creaminess accented by mild tomato and spices. However, the most noticeable difference was the addition of cashews which made the concoction thicker and of course nuttier. Lots of aromatics to go with the chunks of charred tandoori chicken. Delicious! We happened to be there as they were participating in the Curry Challenge, so we tried their creation - Mughlai Chicken Sensation (chicken breast stuffed with mince lamb, cashew , almond and raisins with a brown fried onion and cashew paste sauce). Another winner here as the chicken was moist while beautifully charred on the outside from the clay oven. Stuffing was nutty and sweet from the raisins with a touch of gaminess from the lamb. Reminiscent of a korma, the sauce was creamy and aromatic from the cashew paste. It had a rich caramelized sweetness from the onion as well.
We weren't done yet a this point, where we tried out a few more items including the Palak Corn. Yes, most of us are familiar with palak paneer which features the rich spinach puree with garlic, ginger and spices as well as chunks of cheese. This version was purely vegetarian and it was so tasty, I didn't miss the paneer. Supremely creamy and full of depth, this was served pipping hot (the temperature really heightened the flavours). Loved the pops of sweet corn to go with the earthy savouriness of the palak. Moving onto another saucy creation, we had the Yellow Dal (lentils) cooked with onion, garlic and tomato. Also served scorching hot, this really helped elevate the spices and level of spice. As a result, the dish was full of impact and once again, the absence of meat wasn't an issue at all.
Of course Mijune was not satisfied, so we got one last savoury dish in the Chicken Tikka. Rather saucy, the pieces of chicken were tender and almost juicy. Although there was obvious char, the resulting moisture (probably from the marinade) limited the smokiness and carmelization. On the other hand, the amount of "sauce" on the outside also meant there was plenty of flavour. Yet again, the side of chutney was welcomed as it added both brightness and spiciness. On the side, we were serve Stuffed Spinach Naan, Garlic Naan and Tandoori Roti. As much as the garlic naan was fluffy with appealing elasticity and leoparding, the real star of the show was the thin tandoori roti. It was large, thin and pleasantly chewy (which means it was soft, but still retained a chew). As for the stuffed naan, it was also good, but a bit more charring would've improved its appearance.
Onto the sweets, we were served Faluda Ice Cream, Gulab Jamun and Ras Malai. Generally, Indian desserts are quite sweet and these were along those lines, but I enjoyed them anyways. This could've been a result of two factors including the heavy meal we just consumed and also the desserts were sweet, but not crazy sweet. Starting with the faluda, the ice cream was smooth while the rose syrup did make things sweeter. As expected, the floral rose water helped sweeten the gulab jamun while the scoop of mango ice cream helped vary the flavours. My favourite was the ras malai as it was simple and refreshing. Yes, it was sweet and aromatic too as well as being creamy. A nice finish to an epic meal that was full of creativity and well-executed proteins. It is truly nice to see so many great food options in the area. Kinda makes me want to be closer...
*All food and beverages were complimentary*
The Good:
- Not just the regular
- Food served at the right temperature
- Modern dining space
The Bad:
- Maybe a bit far for most people
- Tables nearby could've been cleaned faster
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Before the Covid-19 shutdown of things, Mijune and I had the Botanist's 10-course tasting menu celebrating the Fairmont Pacific Rim's 10-year anniversary. This featured all of the restaurant's greatest hits. For those who aren't familiar with the Botanist, it is one of the better hotel restaurants in town. In fact, I consider it to be one of the best restaurants within Vancouver period. That is saying a lot when people do not normally consider hotel restaurants as destinations in themselves.
To kick things off, we were served the iconic (yes, even with the youthful age of this restaurant, the bread is iconic) Fougasse Bread. This time around, the bread was much better than the last time I had it. Rather than being too hard, it was firm with a pleasant chewiness and baked nuttiness. The side of fresh whipped butter didn't hurt either. I would've asked for more, but there were many other delicious dishes to come. For our amuse bouche, we were presented with Northern Divine Caviar with cultivated cream, potato and tapioca pearls. To be honest, I was rather surprised that they used tapioca pearls as it wasn't something I would associate with caviar. However, it strangely worked with the buttery soft pearls and tender potato. Lots of cheesiness from the cream brightened up by the chives. This was balanced dish that allowed the briny caviar to stand out. Loved the lemon rind on top as it afforded a bright and bitter finish.
At first, I was a bit skeptical of the Beet Tataki since I really wanted a beef tataki. Well, it was very prejudice of me to think anything but tastiness for this dish. In addition to the tender earthy and sweet slices of beet, there was crispy sunchoke bark, pickled onions and vegan XO sauce. Yes, you read it right, vegan XO sauce. You know what? It was spicy and flavourful despite the absence of dried scallops, ham and dried shrimp. This dish hit all the flavours and was one of my favourites. Shaped into a beautiful flower, the Scallop Crudo was a delight. The buttery petals of scallop were sweet and super delicate. This was contrasted by the crunch from the winter radish. There was a smokiness from the torched edges while the fermented jalapeno added a spicy tanginess.
If this couldn't get any better, it was kicked up several notches with the Handmade Tarajin with Hokkaido sea urchin, cured egg and chives. By virtue of sitting in a veal and lobster broth, the dish was the beneficiary of flavours from the sea being sweet and aromatic. Pasta was al dente while completely coated with the silkiness of the egg. Now let's not forget about the ample amount of creamy and bright sea notes from the uni on top too! Such a delicious creation. The next dish was a very familiar one as I've had it a few times being the Pan-Seared Sablefish with leek, black kale and black truffles. It is no secret that sablefish is a very forgiving protein, but by the same token, this was perfectly executed - so buttery, yet still flaky. To compliment the delicate fish, there was leek oil and foam which was there but not overpowering. Earthiness was provided by the truffle while the kale was cooked just enough.
Off to another classic dish (which I've also had before), the Butter Poached Lobster was interestingly plated. As much as this was only the tasting menu version, I found it a bit too busy (even though I understood what they were trying to do). Beyond that, the lobster was outstandingly bouncy and sweet. Splattered on the plate, the green mole was layered with flavour. Providing nuttiness was the pumpkin seeds, while the radishes and celeriac offered earthy notes. Finally, the spice component was thanks to the charred shishito pepper. Sitting in a creamy and slightly acidic brown butter, the 20-Day Aged Duck Breast was also perfectly prepared. Moist with rich meatiness, the duck was super tender with crispy skin. On the side, there was a tart consisting of onions, duck confit and mushrooms. Loved the soft crunch from the white fungus, but the tart shell was a bit too soft.
Our last meat savoury item for the tasting menu was the Snake River Wagyu Striploin with pan-roasted Walla Walla baby onion and red wine jus. Meeting my expectations, the meat was buttery and meaty. Lots of natural beef flavour due to the fat content. I found the jus to be silky and full of depth. I enjoyed the tomato fondue which provided sweet tanginess as well as the sweet caramelized onion. Onto the sweets, we enjoyed the light and refreshing Mandarin Rice Mousse with ocoa chocolate and orange cake. I'm generally not a sweets person, yet at the same time, really do not mind fruitier lighter desserts. Well, this was right up my alley with mild sweetness complimented by tanginess and bitter notes. Loved the airy orange cake and the crunch from the chocolate.
Our final course was probably the most interesting of them all. The Black Truffle Choux pastry was appealingly black in colour and surrounded by chocolate soil. From the outside, it wasn't apparent that it was filled with truffle ice cream. Due to the dryness of the choux pastry, the ice cream completely made up for it being creamy and aromatic. Maybe the choux was supposed to be this way, otherwise I can see the whole thing being too soft. Loved the chocolate soil as it was tasty while texturally interesting compared to the soft choux. So there you have it - all the greatest hits from the Botanist in one complete meal. Sure it was expensive, however totally worth it if you have enjoyed the Botanist in the past. It is one of my go-to restaurants in town and am looking forward to revisiting when it reopens.
