Heading West!

Dear readers,

My apologies for the long delay. During these last few months, I've taken on a sort of reorganization with other everyday pursuits, and the food just seemed to take a back seat in favour of the almighty dollar. Of course, this will always be one of my passions and I'm not about to give that up. Although my memory's a little foggy from the visit, I'll provide the highlights of what I enjoyed most. Hopefully I can afford to go back..... I'm still thinking about it... Note: The menu changes and revolves around seasons and ingredients, so what I may have mentioned may have changed (as I did visit it about 1 1/2 months ago).

My heart beat with anticipation as I neared the door to West. Finally, with enough change in my pocket, I will get to experience the buzz that's been building over the past years in Vancouver's food scene, to try what everyone calls the "pinnacle of cuisine in Vancouver," I was on Cloud Nine.

As suggested by a friend, I wanted to try a variety of dishes that reflected the skill of cooking that the restaurant is renowned for. So without hesitation, I went for the tasting menu. This would put the most seasonal ingredients at the forefront, and would be the easiest to decide on given my lack of experience and knowledge of its cooking style.

The most impressive dish was the crab salad. The crab was freshly deshelled, steamed, and cooled, then placed on a bed of mango and beetroot sauce. This three in one combination not only mixed taste, but also temperature and texture. The infusion of warm beetroot and cool crab permeated through every bite, with semi sweet mango in the middle to meld the imperfections from the saltiness of the crab and tanginess of the sauce. The foie gras was another interesting dish, with roasted organic peaches to tone down, but not hide the strong taste of the pan seared liver.

The other dishes maintained the same level of delicate quality, boldness (but not overdoing it), and freshness. The quality of the lamb was a little bit disappointing, as I had expected better cuts, but knowing that all ingredients were organic appeased my uneasiness a little. Although the meal was a bit on the pricey side, it was great value to have six courses. The portions were not tiny and most other restaurants of similar calibre would cost at least $10 more per course.

I'm most impressed by how none of the dishes ever go overboard, it always seems to be just right in terms of ingredients and the way it's cooked. I'm definitely going back for a visit...