I have enjoyed every visit to Wildlight, but do need an excuse to take the 55 minute drive out to UBC. Today that would be the Go Wild! BC Salmon feature.
August marks salmon season with the fish returning to their pure and natural habitats. So to celebrate, the BC Salmon Marketing Council is partnering with some of the province’s top restaurants and retailers to bring fresh and wild BC salmon to plates and mouths everywhere.
Between August 1st and 15th, nine participating restaurants will be serving up limited time feature dishes, showcasing delicious ways of enjoying the rich flavours of wild BC salmon. To our delight, two time Michelin recommended Wildlight Kitchen + Bar and chef Warren Chow have prepared an amazing salmon focused dish that needs to be a regular on their menu.
But first we started with some drinks. Reading its description, I had to try this drink feature. Only available until August 11th, 2025 this is Wildlight’s entry into the Peddlers Passage cocktail competition. The “Duck, Duck, Gin!” cocktail takes inspiration from the classic peking duck dish and combines it with rich eastern botanicals found in the award-winning Peddlers Shanghai Craft gin.
I love a good savoury cocktail and the promise of Peddlers Shanghal Craft gin with Fernet Hunter Granit, Sesame oll-washed Solmano Espadin mezcal, hoisin allspice & coriander syrup, Sichuan pepper & aromatic bitters, and banana Paranubes rum tincture delivered. A drink that looked like a dipping sauce that was furthered with a spiced duck fat xila agave liqueur ice cream topped with roasted candied pecans.
It read as being more savoury than it tasted, a fusion of a light bone broth meets brewed tea for an enjoyable balanced sip that teeters between soup and cocktail. Savoury to pair well with most of our dishes below, but best as is to enjoy it for what it is. The meatiness of the duck is in the ice cream. It tastes like the fat under the roasted skin of duck, without any of the, less than desirable, texture of the gristle. This savouriness is contrasted by the sweetness of the pecans, that also offered a lovely crisp to the mouthfeel. It is advised to take a sip of the drink, then follow it with a small scoop of ice cream, before taking another sip. Be sure to stir up for all the spices and know that the cream grows in sweetness, and you grow an appreciation for it. It had me licking the bowl clean and drinking the cocktail quicker, to have both together.
I followed this with their featured Ube and matcha espresso martini. Like the classic, but topped generously with bright purple foam. Its colour and thickness trickles into the brown of the cocktails, thus offering it a more voluminous bouquet. If you like either ube or coffee you will love this.
My guest stuck with wine as recommended by their in house sommelier. A flight of three each course to pair with the three dishes we had per course.
For our dessert course we opted out of additional spirited drinks, so the bar graciously showcased their skill in non-alcoholic cocktail crafting with this non-alcoholic, coconut espresso martini. This was basically a shot of espresso with the creaminess of the tropical fruit. Light and toasted more drinkable dessert than coffee.
As for food we started on a high note with their ask for Wild BC Salmon feature and I would come back just for this before it retires on August 15th. I sincerely hope they move it on to their regular menu, it is that good. Torched Wild BC Salmon Aburi yuzu mayo, steamed chawanmushi, grilled asparagus, shishito vinaigrette, and crispy ginger.
The egg was so light that it ate like a cross between panna cotta and custard. I was worried that the salmon would overwhelm the dish, but instead, the plate was built around it and it show cased the fish well. The egg was a great base that absorbed all the flavours of the salmon, and the crispy asparagus spears tempered it all with freshness. This was a very nuanced and sophisticated salmon dish. I cannot recommend this any more, and if you can only try one of the limited time only salmon dishes, let it be this one.
We followed this with a round of appetizers, starting with the Grilled Beet & Burrata Salad with fresh burrata cheese, heritage greens, endive, shaved fennel, dill crème fraiche, compressed apples, roasted hazelnut, and chervil powder. More greens than cheese you have to ration to ensure there are even bites of bitter leaves, sweet beets, and creamy cheese spread. This dish as a whole was useful in helping to break up the flavours of the other two appetizers, like a point of pause.
I liked the Crispy Humboldt Squid as a snack. Deep-fried squid cut into noodles, dashi emulsion, greens mix, squid ink vinaigrette, and pickled radish. The squid was a little salty on its own, so the salad topping was helpful in cutting into the seasonings, especially the mint that highlighted the bold zest in contrast.
The Hamachi Crudo was hamachi, sea buckthorn, Nahm Jim, soy daikon, crispy ginger, miso mustard mayo, and togarashi. This was another bold dish, whereas I wanted to appreciate the fish more than the tropical notes of the pooled sauce that dominated and the salty pickle that distracted.
The Golden Eagle Sablefish was perfectly prepared and silky to slice into. Black pepper jam glazed, mustard stem lo bak go, charred scallion, and at the table poured dashi emulsion. This had the traditional Chinese flavours of salty, sweet, oyster, and hoisin all caked as a crust on the fish like a sticky toffee-like topping. Bites did get saltier the more we progressed and I would have liked some rice or a more neutral base to pair with this. I liked the radish cake that I usually don’t get outside of dim sum, but too found this too salty and better as a stand alone. Its texture was more mashed that solid cake with crispy edges, that I am use to.
The aged Fraser Valley duck breast was also perfectly prepared. Firm breast meat with roasted skin accompanied by a vegetable tartlet, parsnip purée, pomme dauphinoise, haskap berry compote, duck jus, and rainbow carrots. The sides rounded the meat out with freshness and flavour. I liked the fried golden brown mashed potato dollops, the crisp of the caramelized carrots, and the complimentary berry notes from the compote that paired well with the red blend we had. However, the vegetable tart with its pickle topping was an outlier and best left as a palate refresher at the end.
Knowing it was my birthday, and that I have been celebrating with savoury cakes, the kitchen kindly stuck a green candle (my favourite colour) into their Warm Potato Salad. This was a nice neutral base that helped to cut into the salted bites above.
Bull kelp tartar, bacon, corn, and dill. This is the kind of salad you want at your next picnic. A little causal with the likes of duck and sablefish, and more befitting of fried chicken and burgers, which they also have on the menu.
And we couldn’t leave without trying dessert. Their Hide and Seek cake is Mascarpone mousse, chocolate and coffee ganache, and joconde biscuit; with a brandy sauce pour over table side. Not sure why the name was hide and seek? It reminded me of a tiramisu in taste, but with a more structured texture.
I like a more refreshing dessert so gravitated to the striking Blueberry Lemon Mousse Cake. Madeleine biscuit, lemon mousse, blueberries, honey, and lavender ice cream. The pill shaped cake broke with a crack uncovering a jammy centre. This was not too sweet, with the lavender ice cream adding a floral quality to the plate.
The trend continues, I have yet to have a bad meal at Wildlight and despite the longer drive out to UBC, I always leave feeling it was well worth my time. Come for the duck fat cocktail and salmon chawanmushi, available for a limited time only.
Wildlight Kitchen + Bar
5380 University Blvd #107, Vancouver, BC V6T 0C9
(604) 915-0722
wildlightrestaurant.ca
