Another year of eating and drinking has flown by. Last year, I wrote about the most memorable dishes I’d experienced, both at old and new restaurants. What made these particular dishes stand out? Mainly, it was the staggering skill and attention to detail that went into making something simple extremely well. This year, that theme continues, along with some bold new flavours and concepts. Some of these, I’ve already written about, some were off-book, all were delicious. Without further ado, and in no particular order, the 2015 edition for your consumable pleasure.
Roasted Rabbit, Campagnolo
This has always been one of my favourite hangouts, but with the recent return of owner Robert Belcham to the kitchen, the menu has been elevated to new and delicious heights. This dish ain’t pretty, but it’s damn fine. Rabbit from Lostock Farms in the Fraser Valley is roasted whole, carved, and topped with green olives and rabbit kidneys. There’s really nothing else to say, except call ahead to reserve one when available, and take three very good friends.
Cured Herring, Bauhaus
This dish spoke to my aching Russian soul with its beautiful treatment of a much undersung fish. Chef Stefan Hartmann doesn’t overdo the pickling, and sets off the light briny notes with some pickled cuke, julienned apple and a gribiche that speaks of Michelin-starred knife work and attention to balance.
Bone, Tongues & Harmony, The Mackenzie Room
This amazing creation from chef Sean Reeve combines two of my favourite foods, bone marrow and beef tongue. Reeve, however, doesn’t just throw them together. The perfectly-roasted marrow is topped with tongue “ragu” and pickled beets, and laced with some fresh horseradish. The light heat cuts through the richness of the marrow and meat, and the large hunk of housemade focaccia is ideal for mopping up the leftovers.
Uni and Dungeness Crab Curry, Maenam
Chef Angus An is officially Vancouver’s king of Thai cuisine. The ever-popular Maenam just keeps getting better with each passing year, and nowhere is that more evident than in this latest dish to grace the menu. The uni comes from Fresh Ideas Start Here, whose divers harvest the spiky urchin from the cool waters around Haida Gwaii and Bella Coola. An takes the luscious roe and blends it into a stunning, southern-style green curry that is topped with Dungeness crab and smoked uni. Creamy, spicy, unctuous and delectable; get it while it’s in season.
Foie and Oyster, AnnaLena
I normally don’t like anything on my oysters apart from a squeeze of lemon, but chef Mike Robbins has elevated my favourite mollusc into something quite extraordinary. The raw oyster is topped with compressed apple, jalapeño mignonette, and a veritable snowfall of shaved foie gras. When first I tried this, the balance was a bit off, but that has now been improved, and the result is a rich, lush mouthful of brine, sweet, fat and heat, all playing together quite happily.
Lamb Tartare, Royal Dinette
Chef David Gunawan can do no wrong, it seems. Most chefs would be overwhelmed with opening one new restaurant in a calendar year. Gunawan has opened two, and to much acclaim. While Grapes and Soda focuses on wine-friendly bites, Royal Dinette has become a show-stopping testament to Gunawan’s power to appeal to the pinstripe-clad masses of downtown’s financial district with his understated farm-to-table cookery. Take the lamb tartare, for instance. Nasturtium pesto, anyone? The egg yolk is cured, the onion is raw, and the combination is dazzling, as was the side I ordered of duck liver parfait with tayberry jam. Technically, it was two dishes, but who’s counting?
Sablefish and Chorizo, VCC Chef’s Table Pop-Up
Chef Hamid Salimian might not be top of mind at the moment, but, between launching Next-Jen Gluten-Free with business and life partner Jen Peters, and teaching VCC’s International Culinary Arts students, he’s been busy. His work with the latter group has resulted in The Chef’s Table, a pop-up restaurant at the VCC downtown and Broadway campuses that saw his students cooking and plating dishes for happy diners. The braised sablefish with chorizo and crispy fennel in a saffron broth was case in point. Simple yet with much depth and contrast of flavour and texture, it caused eyes around the room to close in silent thanks. Look for the next pop-up series in early spring.
Dashi, Masayoshi
Upscale Japanese has certainly expanded of late. Masayoshi, the newest addition to the scene, is home to chef Masayoshi Baba, formerly of Tojo’s. Baba has a deft hand with sushi, but it’s dishes like his standout chawanmushi that make you want to come back repeatedly. This classic, savoury, steamed egg custard is stuffed with pine mushroom, kelp, shrimp, unagi, ginkgo, chicken and edamame. It’s so heart- and palate-warming you can both start and end your meal with it.
Vegetable Egg, Latab
When Kris Barnholden opened his tiny new restaurant with business partner Eryn Dorman, it signalled a new and revolutionary approach to locavore and sustainable dining in Vancouver. Not only does Barnholden support local producers, foragers and artisans, he reinvents ingredients into something unexpected and delightful. Take the vegetarian “egg,” for instance. What looks like a poached egg is actually a celeriac “white” surrounding a perfectly runny squash purée that looks and acts like a typical yolk when you pierce it and let it ooze over the charred wild mushrooms, green onion and pumpkin “cheese.” Oh-so-satisfying, I’ve been known to order two in one seating.
Dungeness Crab Causa, Ancora
If you haven’t noticed the rise of Japanese-Peruvian cuisine, you’ve likely been hiding somewhere remote and inaccessible. Not only is this a global trend, it’s one that is historically-based (Peru began accepting Japanese immigrants more than a century ago). At Ancora, chef Ricardo Valverde has taken his Peruvian heritage and paired it with the skilled stylings of raw bar chef Yoshi Tabo to create some unique and intoxicating plates. Look for my review in the new year, but, in the meanwhile, try out the chilled and whipped potato causa, topped with Dungeness crab, and sitting in a lush huancaina sauce, a classic Peruvian spicy cheese sauce made from queso fresco and aji amarillo peppers.
• Anya Levykh is a freelance food and travel writer who covers all things ingestible. She has a regular segment every Monday on CBC Radio One’s On the Coast and is a judge for the Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards. Find her on Twitter @foodgirlfriday and Facebook.com/FoodGirlFriday.
