Big news from the Fairmont Pacific Rim. After closing its restaurant, Oru, last month, the hotel has announced that a new concept, called Botanist, will be succeeding it. Botanist will feature a dining room and cocktail bar as well as a garden, a “lab,” and a champagne lounge. GM Shon Jones-Parry will be running the room along with executive chef Hector Laguna, the bar program will be overseen by Grant Sceney and David Wolowidnyk, and the champagne lounge and wine program will be in the hands of wine director Jill Spoor. An official opening is scheduled for April. botanistrestaurant.com
Downtown’s instantly popular Heritage Asian Eatery (1108 W. Pender)is now open for weekend brunch service, every Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 3pm. The menu includes a Peking duck, shitake mushroom and pork belly “Benny” bowl served with poached eggs and yuzu hollandaise, potato rösti and side salad. Also look for green-onion pancakes, several congee, and sweet endings like lemongrass- and ginger-infused coconut pudding. eatheritage.ca
Beaucoup Bakery (2150 Fir St.) has launched a new line of spring menu items in partnership with Vancouver's own Hives for Humanity. The local honey is used in the bakery’s new double-baked honey-banana croissant, grapefruit-honey-tarragon cheesecake, and miso-and-honey-roasted eggplant flatbread. The bakery is also carrying jars of Hives for Humanity’s honey on its shelves, starting at $5. beaucoupbakery.com
Chef Angus An’s Freebird Chicken Shack, at New Westminster’s River Market, is moving into a larger space across the way from its original location. The 25-seat space will also offer an expanded menu, including a new fried-chicken recipe, grilled items, and a liquor license. Look for it to open in the next week or so. freebirdchickens.com
Throughout March, Provence Marinaside (1177 Marinaside Cres.) will be offering La Table en Provence, a special three-course dinner based on the cookbook of the same name, written by Provence chef Jean-Francis Quaglia’s mother, Suzanne, who was a famed chef and cookbook author in France. The menu includes such options as garlic soup, frog legs, rabbit fricassee, and baked seabream, as well as a choice of dessert. The dinner is $56 per person; optional wine pairings an additional $40. provencemarinaside.ca
Chef Ricardo Valverde, of Ancora (1600 Howe St.), is offering a Peruvian tasting menu for the month of March. The five-course menu includes papa a la huancaina, a classic potato dish with olives, quail egg, and herring caviar; steelhead anticucho with cilantro pumpkin and pico de gallo; hot stone squid and prawn ceviche; short rib; and dessert. Dinner $60 per person; optional wine pairings an additional $50. ancoradining.com
On Monday, Mar. 20, Tableau Bar Bistro (1181 Melville St.) hosts a Moët & Chandonwine dinner with winemaker Amine Ghanem. The multi-course menu includes oysters, lobster with caviar and blini, hamachi crudo with pickled ramps, Cornish hen with foie gras and truffles, a cheese course, and dessert. Tickets $189 per person, including champagne pairings. Email [email protected] or call 778-373-1620.
