Vancouver
Vancouver's culinary style can best be described as Pacific Northwest. Drawing from local waters, the city produces some of the most inventive and fresh seafood dishes in the country. While salmon is the fish most associated with the region, geoduck – a large clam, and Dungeness crab are also popular local specialties. Dining options in Vancouver can range from a cozy bistro, to a formal French setting, to a waterside seafood restaurant. Be sure to sample the authentic Chinese cuisine in the city's infamous Chinatown, which boasts some of the best Chinese food in the country. One thing that every tourist must experience is the Granville Island Public Market. Stalls are filled with everything from crafts to artisanal cheeses, local wines to fine chocolate. There are plenty of opportunities to sample the goods, as well as the chance of catching the city’s finest chefs shopping for the daily special. Granville Island is accessible by foot, ferry, or bus.
Recipes
HotelsThe most interesting rooms at the 129-room Listel Vancouver are on the top two floors and are decorated either with original artworks from the renowned Buschlen Mowatt Gallery or with artifacts from the University of British Columbia Anthropology Museum. The luxury is low-key and comfortable in these individually decorated suites, some of which have cozy window banquettes. Avoid the hotel’s O’Doul’s Restaurant for dinner, but stop in the bar for the live nightly jazz. Doubles from about $200. 1300 Robson Street. Tel: 604-684-8461. www.listel-vancouver.com. If you're searching for a romantic, sophisticated, European-style hotel with superb service, spacious rooms, a good restaurant, a full-service spa, and a central downtown location, you can’t do any better than the Wedgewood Hotel. The marble-clad bathrooms with deep soaker tubs and separate walk-in Roman showers are the best in Vancouver. All 83 units have balconies. Doubles, from about $200. 845 Hornby Street. Tel: 604-689-7777. www.wedgewoodhotel.com. The Westin Grand, a high-rise luxury hotel, offers spacious suites brightened by floor-to-ceiling windows. Furnishings throughout are clean-lined and contemporary; suites have sleekly designed kitchenettes, and marble-clad bathrooms with separate tub and shower. Doubles from about $150. 433 Robson Street. Tel: 604-602-1999. www.westingrandvancouver.com.
RestaurantsBishop's is widely considered one of the city's best restaurants. All ingredients are locally grown and organic, everything is seasonal, and the menu changes weekly. You might find Dungeness crab with pear-cranberry chutney or grilled Pacific squid with lemon-ginger aioli as starters, and main courses of wild spring salmon with rhubarb compote or rack of lamb with garlic mashed potatoes. Dinner for two, without wine, about $120. 2183 W. Fourth Avenue. Tel: 604-738-2025. Dining at C is a theatrical experience. Expect exquisite surprises and imaginative preparations such as starters of fresh Kushi oysters with a tongue-tickling mignonette fizz, or virtual smoked salmon sitting atop a glass vial that releases beechwood smoke essence when the fish is removed. And so it goes, each course a work of art. For a really memorable dining experience, order the seven-course sampling menu. Dinner for two, without wine, about $150. 1600 Howe Street. Tel: 604-681-1164. The menu at Raincity Grill focuses on seafood, game, poultry, and organic vegetables, all from British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest. You will not be disappointed with dishes such as porcini-crusted halibut with asparagus, veal tenderloin with ostrich fern and cattail shoots, and many more equally innovative creations. Dinner for two, without wine, about $70. 1193 Denman Street. Tel: 604-685-7337. Hotel and restaurant recommendations courtesy of Passport Newsletter: www.passportnewsletter.com. Subscription required.
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