Fairmont Pacific Rim’s The Lobby Lounge & RawBar has a new Chef with a new menu and concept, and we were invited down to get one of the first tastes of it all.
The menu is designed by Chef Youssef Jbari, the former Executive Chef at Nobu Hotel Marrakech. His dishes are described as “modern Japanese cuisine reimagined with a contemporary flair”.
But first cocktails, seeing as they just launched a new seasonal drink menu during our visit.
We started with the Poinsettia with matching colour and floral notes. Prosecco, Pomegranate, Cointreau, Cranberry Bitters, and Lemon. This was my favourite of the new releases. A refreshing citrus forward cocktail that would be complimentary with food.
The Spiced Eggnog was Hennessy VS Cognac, Spiced Rum, House-Made Eggnog, and Nutmeg. Very faint on the eggnog, a milky egg cream for those who don’t like the distinct flavour of eggnog.
The Sugarplum Fairy is Empress Gin, Lemon, Orange, Winter Spice, and Absinthe. The full cup encrusted with sugar was quite the sparkling presentation, but not functional. You couldn’t go in for a sip without sticky hands. You don’t taste much of the liquorice in this, outside of its medicinal character. Expected something overly sweet, so the taste didn’t match the appearance.
The Something Warm Buttered Rum was a great hot cocktail option, prepared with Fairmont’s own hot buttered rum mix. It was on the sweeter side with Havana Club 7yr, Buttered Brown Sugar, Spices, and Hot Water. It has a coco quality and warmth to it, and tastes like butter beer. More spicy than cinnamon-y with cayenne spice.
The Mulled Cider is Buffalo Trace Bourbon, fresh pressed Spiced Apple Juice, Lemon, and Cold Cream. Milder due to the real apple juice, liked spiked pressed apple.
From the current seasonal menu we also got to try their Port Poached Pear with Cazadores Reposado Tequila, Pear, Vanilla, Lime, and LBV Port. It drinks like a margarita, but could have used more pear and port for my tastes, and for what I was reading.
The Crazy Rich Raisins I wanted for its name alone. It was a richer cider than the one above, bold with red berry grapes. Raisin-Infused Diplomatico Rum, Averna, PX Sherry, Ginger, and Lime. A delight with the Gold Flake finish, which was another bait that had me ordering it. It has a warming cider quality to it.
Shibuya is Suntory Roku Gin, Sake, Yuzu, Lemon, Tarragon, and White Pepper Syrup. A smokey and refined cocktail for sipping.
I love a good savoury cocktail so was an immediate fan of the Olive Martini. Tito’s Olive Oil-Washed Vodka, Vermouth, Brine, Blue Cheese Olive, and Chive. This one is not for the weak, a potent vodka cocktail tempered with the classic pairing of briney olives and taken a step further with the distinct umami of blue cheese. Best to take a bite and then sip, I wish I had double the olives for more even bites.
I didn’t get a chance to get to it, but they also had a “Sushi Caesar” cocktail that caught my eye with Absolut Sushi Rice Vodka, Koji, and Furikake.
For those looking for something non-alcoholic, they have fantastic sparkling teas that was as effervescent on the lips and in the glass as the grape variety.
As for the food, we worked our way through their entire menu, sharing family style. This isn’t traditional, artful, simplistic
Japanese nor are they trying to be. With bold seasoning and presentations to match, this is Japanese Izakaya small plates hiding behind the guise of sushi. And once you keep that in mind, you can begin to enjoy the food for what it is.
To start the table had small bowls of salted nuts and hard pretzel chunks to nibble on. Ideal for their lobby bar persona.
Familiar is the salted edamame, but for more zest they also have a spicy version that had a xo shrimp paste and garlic quality to it.
I really enjoyed the Miso Shishito Peppers with Den Miso Sauce and Yuzu Salt. I found it extra luxe with the cream sauce coating each pepper.
The Chefs Sashimi Platter is a handsome collection that showcases the hotel property’s selection of fresh fish. The highlight was the creamy sweet Ebi and the iconic umami of the uni. Nice to have in such a lovely setting, but ultimately, this is not where I would immediately think to head, if craving sashimi or sushi.
For sushi we had the Pac Rim Roll with Tuna, Salmon, and Yellowtail on top, with a filling of Dungeness Crab and Avocado. A familiar one I have had at other sushi shops, but with a different name. Truthfully nothing all that unique that you can get else were for less if you don’t need the quality sashimi at $27.
The Unagi Roll was another classic dressed up with quality ingredients. Eel, Cucumber, Unagi Sauce, and Toasted Sesame Seeds. Once again, you are paying for luxury ingredients and setting with this one.
The Salmon Avocado roll was similar, avocado rolled with rice and seaweed, then topped with aburi salmon and finished with Northern Divine caviar as a luxury nod befitting of the hotel chain.
The Hamachi was Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalapeño, sitting in a pool of Yuzu Soy Sauce. This was very floral with a spicy finish. The jalapeño was overwhelming, it took a lot from the fish, and helped to perfume the sauce.
The Chef’s Signature Roll was unique, a rice paper wrapper on top of rice and seaweed with a filling of tuna, salmon, yellowtail, crab, and avocado. A lean roll with no additional sauces or toppings, you needed soy and wasabi with this one.
Another familiar menu item is the Rawbar Fresh Oysters with Jalapeño Dressing, Ponzu, and Momiji Oroshi. These were a very briney variety, but slurp-able just the same.
The Beef Tataki was Wagyu Beef, Spring Onion, Shiso, and Ponzu Sauce. The beef was a little tough, but it had a tasty char to it. I just wished it soaked up more of the sauce to flavour.
The Tuna Tataki Salad was Seared Ahi Tuna, Mixed Greens, Daikon, and an Onion Ponzi Dressing. This one was not what I know tuna Tataki to be, so it could have done with a different name to shake off that expectation. The fish was seasoned with bold spices like an everything bagel, and therefore is the quality tuna could not speak. The greens helped to cut into some of it, but there was far too much of it for the fish to jibe and it was bitter leaves battling sweet onion. Not my favourite rendition of the dish. Maybe this spoke to the chef’s Moroccan inspiration, but felt out of place here.
The next two dishes made more sense in the direction they were going with the international Youssef Jbari, Chef de Cuisine, Asian Cuisine. Fusion and fun with unexpected twists on traditional Japanese ingredients and techniques.
There were two ways to enjoy a pasty and raw mix of either spicy tuna and/or salmon. Either as tacos made with deep fried wonton wrappers. Or with blocks of crispy rice for a similar, but denser textural contrast. Both items that I didn’t have a preconceived notion of and therefore couldn’t compare to anything. The fish was overly saucy to balance out the blocks of rice. I would advise eating the tacos quick as their moisture does soften the shell, which you need the crunch of, for textural interest.
In closing, Lobby Bar is still one of my favourite places to grab a drink at with their strong bar program, and their winter cocktails did not disappoint. However, I found the new Japanese fusion menu had a couple of hits, but more misses. I would recommend a larger distinction from traditional Japanese with grater rebranding and new names for dishes. Once again, I had an expectation when reading certain roll names and dishes, which then failed to deliver on what I anticipated. I would like to see traditional Japanese ingredients and techniques with more international flavours, taking a step away from traditional sushi and sashimi, despite the raw bar marketing. I am curious to see where they take with this as they continue to garner feedback, adapt, and grow.
The Lobby Lounge & RawBar at Fairmont Pacific Rim
1038 Canada Pl, Vancouver, BC V6C 0B9
(604) 695-5557
lobbyloungerawbar.com
