Johnathon

Hawker's Delight on Main Street. Great street eats. Dover Sole at Le Crocodile... Classic Sauces extraordinaire.

You should be. It was indeed epic. And you would not regret it if you did return. Enjoy.

It is no secret at all that West is my favourite dining establishment in Vancouver. There is fantastic dining in the city, and a bargain at that on a global scale, but ever since West used to have an "O" in it, I have been gorging myself on as many of Chef Hawksworth's creations as often as I have the good fortune to do so. To count how many different dishes I have had over the years is impossible, Chef and I already tried. Suffice it to say, it is in the hundreds. What makes this amazing to me is that Chef remembers them all! The only time I have ever had the same dish twice was because it was requested. I have written countless accolades for West and have backed off for fear of sounding like a cheerleader with a boyfriend on the team, but... I have to share this dinner with you. The request to Chef: A birthday dinner menu with 14 courses. What does he do? 17 courses of plates I have never had before and some with ingredients he not only hand picked (read: foraged for) but included specifically because they are some of my favourite. Grey Goose anyone? Birthday Dinner 2004 Start with a bottle of: Krug “Grand Reserve” 01. Oysters on Rock Salt with Organic Cucumber 02. Organic Sunchoke Soup with Black Winter Truffle 03. Beggar’s Purse with Dungeness Crab, Grey Goose and Salmon Caviar 04. Lightly Seared Albacore Tuna and Sesame Vinaigrette 05. Vanilla Butter Poached Lobster, Smoked Red Wine Jus 06. Raviolis, Oxtail and Squash 07. Squab, Foie Gras and Truffle Tartlette 08. Pine Mushroom Carpaccio with Aged Balsamic 09. Grapefruit and Beetroot 10. Boudin with Bacon Essence and Cepes 11. Sous Vide Halibut with Osetra Caviar Crust and Saffron Foam 12. Pink Sea Bream with Artichoke and Orange Barigoule 13. Grilled Buffalo Ribeye with Chanterelles a la Crème 14. Cantaloupe Sorbet with Elephant Heart Plum Jus 15. Gravenstein Apple Hazelnut Tart with Crab Apple Ice Cream 16. Clafoutis with Chocolate, Raspberry and Almond 17. Petit Fours Dinner was accompanied by bottles of: Domaine Ostertag Grand Cru Pinot Gris “Muenchberg” 2002 Saintsbury Pinot Noir Carneros “Brown Ranch” 1996 I do not have a single "favourite" meal memory from all the places I have dined, but I do have a Top Ten List, and Chef David Hawksworth with his wicked little kitchen staff and Barman Jay Jones have easily and permanently notched very well earned spots for West on that list.

Still a bargain on a global scale for that quality in food, service and environment.

Thanks to everyone for the input. I will be trying for "all of the above" so if you see me mingling about my plate full of goodies be sure to say hello. Cheers.

"Den of Iniquity", an apropos title for such a city based upon my last visit! Looks like Gary Danko is the way to go. Too bad about resos though, the bar it is. Don't I have any connections on this board who can "squeeze" me in! Zuni? The "Famous" Roast Chicken and Bread Salad sounds intriguing. Maybe for Monday lunch? Any other gastronomic nuances of comtemporary elan in the den of iniquity to consider on a Sunday prowl?

I will be in San Francisco for a quick visit and the only night available is Sunday evening for fine dining. A majority of the restaurants are closed on Sunday and in many cases Monday as well. Any suggestions for a Sunday evening of gourmand delights? I am particularly interested in contemporary and innovative cuisine. Any and all responses are deeply appreciated as I will be writing up reviews on my dining in the Bay Area. Cheers.

I feel your pain as well and am reminded of my own. But, I am quite thrilled my mother was a horrible cook. Bless her soul having to fill four squawking mouths in the nest on her own and work full time to keep us happy and fed. Monday: Casserole Tuesday: Casserole Wednesday: Casserole Thursday: Casserole Friday: "The Week in Review" Casserole Weekends: "Go to your friends house and get some grub!" I grew up in a neighborhood resembling a miniature rendition of the United Nations. East and West Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Fijian, Portuguese, Punjabi, Polish, Ukrainian, Greek... As a child I was learning how to make Roti in a makeshift outdoor oven with 20-30 massive Fijian women laughing at my eagerness to learn. Fresh fish lessons from the Japanese family across the lane when they returned from the boats, the "fine art" of wine making in your garage from the Portuguese and Ukrainian breads, Pierogies and Homemade Sausage from even more neighbors. I did not set out to learn about food because I wanted to; I learned quickly to defend myself from my mother's cooking! Which I in turn turned around and recreated in our own kitchen for my younger brothers and sister. Good times! I was blessed to have this type of exposure and wholeheartedly encourage anyone with children to expose them to as much as possible in respect to ethnic and local cuisines. And for the rest of you... It is never too late to explore the new. Even if it is only new to you. Enjoy, always.

Daniel Boulud's DB Bistro Moderne in New York introduced the DB Burger Royale in January 2003 and still holds the Guiness Record for most expensive burger. http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/index.asp?id=58760 I have had the burger at DB Bistro and the Feenie's version. Damn fine burgers but when all is said and done, I would much rather see some of the fine ingredients (foie gras, braised short ribs, truffles, etc.) in the creations treated in a more eloquent manner other than a "good grillin". Shelora is right. This is not an inspiration for Diva at the Met, it is a replica. At least Feenie's is really just a great burger with toppings you decide and not an exact replica of the DB Burger Royale.

Looks like you need to flip more than one coin here! I would say you really can't go wrong with any of your choices here. All will provide a great atmosphere for a party dinner. Enjoy! Just don't forget to share the experience here!

Delighted to hear an echo of my thoughts on the Filet and the Sablefish ala Hawksworth. By far the best piece of beef I have ever had the pleasure of dining on (complimented by some gorgeous fresh morels) and the Sablefish is a dish I would recommend to anyone and everyone who would listen to me rant on about the beauty of that broth! Yoshi is both a tactition and an artist, to enjoy his crative skills up close and personal is a treat indeed. Artigiano? Best damn cup of Joe in town. Period. keep it coming Andy! As a Voncouverite it makes me wish to possibly-consider-without-obligation-a-perhaps-reservation-for-snacks-beverages-sushi-tasting menu-maybe-sort-of-booking-at-some-place... maybe.

That is exactly what will make you a great food journalist... You are humble. I am still looking forward to more though, even if you are from Brighton.

Delightful report Andy. Looking forward to reading more from "one of the world’s foremost wine and food journalists from London, England" and the continued triumphs, perils and experiences our fair city had to offer you. Cheers!

Excellent updates Jamie! Thank you. Glad to hear Scott Kidd will be back in action in the kitchen. I enjoyed many a unique dish of his at Araxi and look forward to his contributions to Cafe de Paris. Is there a date set for when he will be at Cafe de Paris or is he already there?

The Public is located on Main Street (near the corner of 17th and Main on the West side of the street). Price range is as small and approachable as the physical size of the space. Extremely moderate. I walk up and down Main Street regularly as it is "The Strip" between my home and my studio, and have seen it grow over the last decade into a real treat for so many reasons. So much so I believe it needs a culinary map of the area with great places pointed out to anyone interested. There are some magical spots with what I would consider the best Pho in the city, great coffee houses, bagels, ethnic grocers and way better veggie alternatives than The Naam. For years I thought NAAM was slang for BANAL.