Hotel restaurants used to be considered the refuge of the unadventurous. Why set out to discover a citys food scene when it is so easy to eat at the hotel?
Many of Vancouvers hotel restaurants, however, have become the curious foodies destination. For instance, theres Hawksworth at the Hotel Rosewood Georgia, Market at the Shangri-La and Yew at the Four Seasons, all with their celebrated chefs.
At the Pan Pacific, the new sous chef, Brian Luptak, has joined executive chef Bob Wiles, who started at the hotel in 1986, and the rest of the kitchen team, to create a new summer menu that will inspire Vancouverites to join all the cruise ship passengers in going up the two flights of escalators to the Café Pacifica.
The Café has one of the best views in the city, tucked in below the towering sails at Canada Place and with a 40-seat patio that overlooks the Burrard Inlet and North Shore Mountains. It just celebrated its most popular Mothers Day brunch ever, with close to 900 people, and its hoping for more of those warm sunny days that compel everyone in Vancouver to get outside.
At a media tasting dinner, Wiles and Luptak offered a sampling menu of the new items. Luptak, who formerly worked at Fairmont Banff Springs, says he is going for fresh and light but with lush, natural flavours. (The tomato consommé for the Dungeness Crab and Tomato Napoleon is made by hanging a bushel of blanched tomatoes in cheesecloth and collecting the juice that drips through overnight.) Seafood is strongly featured, including a Citrus Baked Sablefish and Nicoise Olive Crusted Pacific Halibut.
Not to be outdone, pastry chef Hans Pirhofer has created desserts that make decisions incredibly tough. But the hands-down favourite at the table? The mojito-inspired panna cotta with rum sauce. The taste goes right to your head.
Every Saturday night, Café Pacific offers a buffet and live opera singing from 6 to 9pm. The Fathers Day Brunch on June 16 is from 11:30am to 2:30pm. Its $61 for adults, $57 for seniors, and $30.50 for children five to 12. Go to PanPacific.com for details.
