{"id":14550,"date":"2017-11-06T14:20:33","date_gmt":"2017-11-06T19:20:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/?p=14550"},"modified":"2018-02-23T18:35:54","modified_gmt":"2018-02-23T23:35:54","slug":"vancouvers-best-restaurants-the-botanist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/en\/2017\/11\/06\/vancouvers-best-restaurants-the-botanist\/","title":{"rendered":"Vancouver’s Best Restaurants: The Botanist"},"content":{"rendered":"

While upgrading or redesigning a restaurant in an established hotel is nothing new in the world of luxury resort properties, not all efforts are deemed equal. And most certainly, not all are successful.<\/p>\n

Vancouver\u2019s Fairmont Pacific Rim blew the dust off an iconic hotel brand that is known and loved for its historic, often grande dame- esque global properties, when it opened its doors back in 2010 with a decidedly modern d\u00e9cor and vibe that made sense in the city\u2019s downtown Coal Harbour neighbourhood. The hotel\u2019s new restaurant Botanist opened in April 2017, replacing Oru, and the impressive transformation is far more than a name change, some new furniture and a coat of paint.<\/p>\n

Already recognized as one of Canada\u2019s best restaurants, Botanist elevates the concept of Pacific Northwest cuisine by reaching far beyond the food and into the world of design, d\u00e9cor and cocktails. The entire experience is carefully curated by a team who clearly love what they do.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Under the direction of Vancouver-based, award-winning design and branding gurus Ste. Marie Design and Glasfurd & Walker, Botanist consists of four unique, memorable spaces \u2014 a champagne lounge, a cocktail bar with glassed-in lab, a garden and a dining room \u2014 all paying homage to B.C.\u2019s fertile and diverse agricultural region.<\/p>\n

The already-popular Lobby Lounge, an established go-to for the swish cocktail crowd, is your view from the second-floor Champagne Lounge. Start the evening right by sipping a glass of vintage bubble, accompanied by a nibble of caviar or freshly shucked local oysters, while luxuriating, surrounded by walls of glass and lush plantings of greenery indigenous to British Columbia.<\/p>\n

Those jonesing for something more spirited can slip into the Cocktail Bar with its dark, sophisticated palette of Italian terrazzo and sexy curved glass. Sample one of the concoctions of award-winning mixologist David Wolowidnyk, Botanist\u2019s head bartender. Adventure seekers can head to the Cocktail Lab and its mad-scientist array of \u201cbar tools\u201d \u2014 centrifuge, band saw and roto-vaporizer. Try the dramatic Deep Cove cocktail \u2014 a blend of local Island Gin, sea buckthorn and blue algae from the Pacific Ocean, served in an artisan glass moulded onto a driftwood log. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Prefer a more Zen experience? Kick back in The Garden, a life size terrarium surrounded by about 50 different plant species including green tea camellia, cardamom and ginger. All this living green is surely food for the soul.<\/p>\n

The grand finale takes place in the Dining Room, with its soothing palette of limestone, whitewashed wood and metal work. Here, the botanical theme is carried throughout from the tactile menus to the polished but still slightly roughhewn dinnerware created by local artists and potters. Eli Canter of New York-based Lady and Butler Collections was tapped to design custom uniforms for the staff to complement each room. It\u2019s the fine attention to detail, such as the 50\u2019s inspired (but done in neoprene) dresses sported by the women and earth-toned shirts with bowties and leather suspenders for the men, that enhance the experience.<\/p>\n

Adding to the sensory stimulation is the grand piano \u2014 custom-designed for Botanist by master craftsman and pianist Paolo Fazioli \u2014 providing live neo-soul funk and contemporary jazz Wednesday through Saturday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Botanist being a restaurant, after all, the food shouldn\u2019t be outdone by the music and d\u00e9cor, but thanks to executive chef Hector Laguna, this isn\u2019t an issue. Laguna created a menu based on the bounty of the Pacific Northwest with regionally and sustainably sourced, often organic ingredients, with an emphasis on fresh vegetables.<\/p>\n

Laguna grew up spending much time in the kitchen of his family\u2019s home in the Mexican state of Hidalgo, north of Mexico City, learning from his mother and grandmother. He honed his craft in food-centric cities, including San Francisco and Miami, with stints at Susur Lee restaurant in Toronto in 2011 and at Vancouver\u2019s highly acclaimed Hawksworth Restaurant as sous-chef before taking the helm at Botanist.<\/p>\n

His dishes are almost too pretty to eat. Beautifully arranged plates burst with colour, texture, fragrance and taste, with nods to his Mexican roots on occasion, like his mother\u2019s recipe for charred octopus with chorizo dressing that\u2019s fast becoming a cult fave for repeat visitors. Signature plates include oven- roasted local halibut with spring vegetables and crab emulsion, and herb-crusted lamb rack with green garlic panisse, fava and shallots. \u201cI believe that food influences us emotionally,\u201d Laguna notes. \u201cIt can comfort, calm, satisfy and bring joy, all in one meal.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Complementing the food is the boutique terroir-driven wine program of wine director Jill Spoor, which supports sustainable, organic and biodynamic farming and winemaking practices. The youthful sommeliers who guide you in pairing wines with your meal are charming and enthusiastic, but don\u2019t let their fresh faces fool you; they\u2019re the real deal.<\/p>\n

With the team at Botanist, the Fairmont Pacific Rim has found the ideal brand ambassadors who share the hotel\u2019s quality and service ethos. Chef Laguna sums it up succinctly. \u201cIt\u2019s about watching someone take their first bite, and [knowing] we\u2019ve made their day even a little bit better.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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By Catherine Dunwoody – *This article originally appeared in INSIGHT: The Art of Living | Winter 2017<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Photos: Ema Peter (Interior); Luis Valdizon (Food)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While upgrading or redesigning a restaurant in an established hotel is nothing new in the world of luxury resort properties, not all efforts are deemed equal. 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