Today we were at Arc in Fairmont Waterfront, for their latest limited release menu, Province to Plate: Pollinator Edition. Celebrating the bounty of their roof top garden and the produce yields thanks to the pollinators that transfer pollen from one flower to another, enabling fertilization and the production of seeds and fruit.
But first we warmed up the appetite with a couple of their signature cocktails including Into the Woods, which comes with smoke cloched and released table side. Woodford reserve, hennessey, salted maple syrup, walnut bitters, and bay laurel.
We also sampled their famous Apiary cocktail made with their own house gin that includes botanicals from their garden and honey from the bees that live there. Waterfront gin, chartreuse, rooftop honey, champagne acid, and rosemary.
This we enjoyed with an order of their soft and pillowy Pull Apart Bread served with honey butter. I highly recommend asking for extra course salt to be sprinkled on top. It balances out the honey, and the butter just doesn’t kick the same without it. Great as is or as the base to the carpaccio below.
Bison Carpaccio with smoked bone marrow aioli, sunchoke chips, parmesan, pickled mustard seed, and focaccia crostini. I liked how rustic with herbs the bison ate. Gummier bits of meat given character through the toppings. A little lean without the crostini that we didn’t have enough of to ration.
As for the meal at hand. The Pollinator menu is a three course dinner at $65 per person with wine pairings for $45 more. We would indulge in the two together. The Province to Plate menu is hyper-local and seasonal. It is created to celebrate the very best of the Pacific Northwest. The name and the dessert is a tribute to the bees behind so much of the food we enjoy.
The first course was Grilled asparagus with a preserved lemon dressing, roasted radish, and baby lettuce; instead of a traditional salad. I am a fan of the vegetable and enjoyed this feature with its lovely lemon and citrus bouquet. This is my kind of salad.
The wine pairing here was the Poplar Grove Pinot Gris from the Okanagan Valley. It too had citrus notes that paired well with the greens and helped to cut into some of the oils.
Our second course was Halibut & Clams in a cider broth with bronze fennel, rainbow swiss chard, garlic scapes, crème fraiche, and an herb oil. This was simple and classically done. The fish was flaky, the clam sweet, and the greens had a slight bitterness for contrast. The broth I found familiar, but more often seen with mussels instead of clams here. As is, I wish we saved some of the bread, as the fish could have used a starch as a side. Some rice or potato pancake to carry the seafood.
Here, the Burrowing Owl’s Chardonnay, also from Okanagan Valley, BC added some needed acidity to cut into the dish’s neutrality and salt.
My favourite course was the Cherry Cobbler, which is surprising considering I don’t often gravitate towards desserts. Garden flowers, bee pollen, and honey lavender ice cream. This was a warm and homey skillet pie with a crispy cookie crust and syrupy centre with tart cherries. The ice cream was quick to melt from the heat and even quicker it became a creamy drizzle of sorts. Delicious, I would take another.
The wine pairing for dessert was a sparkling. The extra dry Wild Goose, Late Harvest Gewurztraminer to cut into all the sweetness with its own.
As an added bonus, we also had their Crème Caramel dessert with roasted peaches, honeycomb, and honey lavender gelato. This was basically flan with the perfect texture and a subtle honeyed sweetness. The desserts really won me over tonight.
In closing, this was a delightful meal, and a great way to celebrate the season. All of it ate clean and homey, and I thought it a healthy three-course.
ARC Restaurant
900 Canada Pl, Vancouver, BC V6C 3L5
604-691-1818
arcdining.com
