Today we were at H2 at the Westin Bayshore for a taste of their fall and winter menu.
As always, I look forward to the hotel’s seasonal photo op. A feature wall you can walk into and sit within. Their current flight theme with cocktail trolley is my favourite to date. It speaks to people’s desire to jet set, coupled with the fun and freedom of drinking in the air.
Our dinner itself would start with the Dessert Flower as our welcome cocktail. Orange blossom infused Smirnoff vodka, Texas prickly pear syrup, Aperol, grapefruit, and lemon. It was green and floral with the citrus of the orange cutting into the distinct medicinal notes of Aperol. I actually got apricot from this.
For those looking for a non-alcoholic option the Spritz in the Garden was lavender, rose, lime, and tonic. It reminded me of cream soda with its hot pink colour, but drank like a floral punch.
I enjoyed the Habanero Pineapple Margarita with food, given its citrus and spicy notes that complimented a few of the plates. Jose Cuervo silver tequila, pineapple & habanero syrup, lime, and tajin on the rim.
Their most eye catching cocktail is the Smoking Barrel, served literally in a miniature barrel designed for cocktail smoking. Michter’s American whiskey, Riefel rye, smoked cherry syrup, H2 bitters, and smoke.
As a group we would share the following, family style. For starters we began with the Goat Cheese Brûlée sitting on a bed of rocket greens, topped with red pepper jam and maple sugar. Enjoyed with brioche. I wanted more jam to temper the chalky sharpness of the cheese. I found the Yorkshire pudding to be the perfect bread, but didn’t get the burlee part. No expected snap or sweetness.
Everyone loved the Korean Fried Cauliflower within maple gochujang sauce, scallion, and sesame. Each floret held its crunch with a candy coating-like shell, and was packed full of flavour. I would come back and order this again.
The Pork Belly Burnt Ends were smothered in a whiskey bbq sauce glaze and served with house made pickles and fried garlic. The belly was on the fattier and drier side, so the pickles were needed to balance this out. I could have also used some refreshing acidity to add some contrast to this.
The Honey Glazed Beets gave me what I was looking for above as a refreshing side. Whipped neufchätel, blackberry, radicchio, walnut, mint, chive oil, and balsamic reduction. I especially liked the pesto, making this a tasty salad packed full of layered flavour.
The All American Cheeseburger is a name that encompasses. Prairie beef, american cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, burger sauce, and sesame brioche. We got a nice char from the beef patty, plenty of fresh ingredients to keep you coming back for more. This was classically done.
The Steelhead Salmon Fillet was a stunning looking plate, but a little overcooked. Served with a butter bean ragu, leeks, peas, asparagus, shimeji mushroom, trout roe, dill oil, katsuoboshi, and pickled daikon there was plenty to leave you full from one serving.
I wished the Butternut Squash Gnocchi was a little softer in texture given how rich the sauce was. Together this was such a heavy dish. Butternut squash, vandouvan cream sauce, goat cheese sweet peas, cripsy sage, and toasted walnuts. I did enjoy the fall flavour profile and the crunch of the nuts, they just could have been toasted more for a deeper char to contrast.
And you don’t visit H2 without partaking from their barbecue selection. The best way to do this is with their Smokehouse Platter. 1lb pound of smoked brisket, 1lb pulled pork, full rack of St. Louis ribs house pickles & choice of sauce, and 3 sides. Meant to be shared, the best way is to pick and choose your desired meat with your preferred side and sauce.
My favourite is the fall off the bone ribs and the ooey Mac and cheese with their famous corn bread to chase with its sweet honey butter.
And you have to save room for dessert. I have been fully enjoying their iconic childhood sweets redone as elevated desserts. Today we had the H2 Wagon Wheel. Exactly what you know a wagon wheel to be with chocolate shell coating a dense chunk of chewy marshmallow, yet so much more.
Graham cookie, house made marshmallow, chocolate ganache, mixed berry jam, milk chocolate coating, and raspberry coulis. I did find the chocolate layer a little thick, and they’re more shell than filling, but the jam did help to break some of it up. A lot as a whole, better to share one between two.
Although as nostalgic as that was for me, my favourite of the two desserts we tried was their Sticky Toffee Pudding with date cake, toffee sauce, and vanilla ice cream. It reminded me of banana bread in texture and vibe, which I like. This one was a comforting and potently filling end.
H2 Kitchen + Bar
1601 Bayshore Dr., Vancouver, BC V6G 2V4
(604) 691-6966
h2restaurant.com
