Local Produce Showcased at The Botanist

Precisely presented scallop crudo with black apple and celery

The other day we were invited to dinner at The Botanist, described as a modern Canadian restaurant located in the Fairmont Pacific Rim in downtown Vancouver. 

I have eaten here a handful of times for lunch and really enjoy the atmosphere, as it's not stuffy, but not casual either, the food is always memorable, and service is friendly.

Earthy snails and mushrooms under the basil pasta

We were there to try chef Hector Laguna's latest menu featuring the fresh organic produce of Local Harvest, a farm in Chilliwack.

Dan Oostenbrink and his wife own the farm and their sons help out on this family-run operation. They bought it in 2013, assuming they would need to use pesticides and fertilizers and for the first year they did that. But the following year they brought in a different consultant who advised they use less of their land in the beginning and grow organic produce. 

At first Oostenbrink was skeptical, but recalls when his son harvested a perfectly round cauliflower with no imperfections, he was heartened and encouraged that it was possible. Since then they have expanded to use the 37 acres and use regenerative farming like composting and increased biodiversity to keep the soil fertile.

Steamed sablefish with squash compote

They grow all kinds of herbs, root vegetables, legumes, squashes, cucumbers, tomatoes, garlic, onions, cabbage, bok choy, kale and spinach.

So we were excited to try chef Hector's menu that featured lots of Local Harvest's produce.

A trio of amuse bouche began the meal: an oyster tartare of compressed vegetable roots and citrus topped with some caviar served in an edible oyster shell; chicken wingettes with mojo de ajo and smoked salmon roe; and side striped sope, or thick corn tortilla with vegan XO sauce, shellfish emulsion and salicornia, or sea asparagus.

These amuse bouche were beautifully presented and tasted delicious, but they were messy to pick up, and my fingers were coated in too much sauce.

Very tender wagyu with an onion tart

Nevertheless things picked up immensely with the scallop crudo, slices of the meaty seafood interspersed with slices of black apple, together with celery, ginger and more caviar. It was a delicate presentation that tasted refreshing and light.

The next dish moved from the water to the ground with the earthy tasting grilled Burgundy snails cooked together with foraged mushrooms, and pickled garlic scapes hidden under a sheet of basil-flavoured fresh pasta with madeira jus.

We went back into the water again with steamed sablefish provided by EatFish.ca. the fillet was finished with a red kuri and carnival squash compote, with epazote, a leafy herb, and salsa macha to give it a subtle spicy kick. This dish was artfully presented with an intricate leafy design made of squash.

Creative pear and squash verrine

The final savoury dish was also memorable -- roasted wagyu zabuton, or marbled steak that was cooked to have a very tender taste and texture, with some clarified bone marrow drops. The dish came with a small onion tart and grainy mustard. We savoured each bite of the wagyu.

For dessert, an intriguing finish using kabocha squash to make a light cremeux, which is between a cream and a custard that was accompanied with Anjou pear compote, and intriguingly, candy cap mushroom ice cream! 

The Botanist

1038 Canada Place

Vancouver, BC

V6C 0B9

+1 604 695 5300