When it comes to sustainability, the Vancouver Listel has become one of the greenest hotels in the city, and Forage, the new restaurant that opened well over a year ago under the direction of Chef Chris Whittaker, is following suit.
Whittaker is the ideal person for this type of kitchen. An avid grower and forager himself, he maintains an herb garden in the inner courtyard of the hotel, and has an apiary on the roof. The proteins on the menu are fairly stable, but produce ingredients change weekly based on what’s delivered. Chef follows what he calls a minimum “70-20-10” rule. Seventy per cent of what’s used in the kitchen is from BC and occasionally the rest of the Pacific Northwest, 20 per cent is from the rest of Canada, and the remaining 10 per cent is for items that can’t be sourced in-country, like lemons, limes and olive oil.
How does this translate on the menu? Think cheese from Golden Ears Cheeseworks, greens from Glorious Organics, Pacific Provider salmon, and Rangeland bison and elk. A snack of roasted kale and apple chips ($5) is light and crunchy, while popcorn with pork crackling ($5) is richer but still fun.
Elk strip loin ($28), seared rare and delicious, is sliced and served with hazelnut mole, charred onions, local new potatoes and perfect garlic scapes. Fava and beet salad with goat cheese and nasturtiums ($16) is a happy medley of textures and tastes, with a cherry vinaigrette highlighting the sweetness of the beets. Stinging nettle and farro “risotto” ($14) is dotted with Golden Ears brie and a lovely hazelnut pesto. It’s chewy and creamy at the same time, with enough bite to hold up to the melted cheese and the slightly sweet pesto.
Marinated and fork-tender octopus ($15) with crunchy sea asparagus, chanterelles and paper-thin sourdough crisps was a standout. Whittaker’s talented head sous chef, Welbert Choi, who started with him as pastry chef before O’Doul’s closed, created a wondrous elderflower and Neufchatel cheese puff, filled with elderflower ice cream and surrounded by macerated rhubarb. It was deceptively simple and one of the best desserts I’ve tried this year. Service is equally strong, led by GM Matthew Presidente.
As for the liquids, there are over a dozen wines available by the glass, all from BC and including such winners as the Tantalus Riesling, Joie Farm Rosé and Bartier Brothers Chardonnay. There is also an equal number of local craft brews (all $6 for 12 oz), and an easy buy is the six-ounce taster trio, a flight of three beers with a featured snack for $12. Cocktails are overseen by barman Peter Sullivan, who sources local fruits for his housemade syrups. Try the elderflower gin Collins for a neat twist on a classic.
One of the most fun parts of an evening at Forage might be the meat draw that happens nightly Sunday through Wednesday. Chef dresses and butchers a featured protein (enough for 4-6 people) that comes with cooking instructions, serving suggestions and information on the farm or ranch it came from. The other night someone won a slab of pork belly from Gelderman Farms.
Free meat certainly isn’t the only reason to check out Forage, but, like all the other initiatives that Whittaker and his team embrace so enthusiastically, it speaks to an honest and unpretentious dedication to sustainable and gastronomically-gratifying dining that manages to leave both the stomach and soul happy.
All ratings out of five stars.
★: Okay, nothing memorable.
★★: Good, shows promise.
★★★: Very good, occasionally excellent.
★★★★: Excellent, consistently above average.
★★★★★: Awe-inspiring, practically perfect in every way.
Food: ★★★★
Service: ★★★★
Ambiance: ★★★
Overall: ★★★★
Open daily for dinner from 5pm; breakfast Monday-Friday 6:30am-10am; brunch Saturday/Sunday 10am-2pm.
Forage | 1300 Robson St. | 604-661-1400 | ForageVancouver.com
Anya Levykh has been writing about all things ingestible for more than 10 years. Hear her every Monday on CBC Radio One’s On the Coast and find her on Twitter @foodgirlfriday and Facebook.com/FoodGirlFriday.
Marinated octopus, sourdough crisps, sea asparagus, chanterelles, and aioli.
(Jennifer Gauthier photos)
Rangeland elk strip loin, with hazelnut mole, charred spring onion, warba potato, and garlic scape.
Interior of Forage, located at 1300 Robson.
