Today we were gathered at the photogenic H2 Restaurant’s pool side patio. Here to enjoy their updated summer patio and barbecue offerings.
This was set up as a private long table dinner, done family style.
The last time I visited was in winter and I can confidently say that the food has exponentially improved. It was great before, but the plates have so much more personally today.
We started with some cocktails. The Desert Flower welcomed everyone to the party. Orange blossom infused Smirnoff vodka, Texas prickly pear syrup, Aperol, grapefruit, and lemon. This was a great fruity cocktail with a punch meets bitter tea quality. I definitely got the juicy pear at the forefront.
The Coconut Jasmine Sour was Flor de Caña 12yr rum, Campari, Aperol, coconut cream, lemon, and jasmine water. It was creamy in the mouth with Aperol and citrus at the forefront that ended coconutty. This is the type of drink you order from a Mexican resort.
The Old Schooner featured toasted coconut infused Flor de Caña 18yr rum, demerara, grapefruit zest, chocolate, and fig bitters. Despite the look and mouthfeel it was rich and chocolatey in the mouth.
The Watermelon Mojito was the classic lime and mint, mixed with fresh muddled watermelon. Not the most aesthetic beverage, but a tropical twist on a classic. I would have liked it as a blended option instead. Captain Morgan white rum, coconut cream, watermelon, mint, lime, and soda.
The Habanero Pineapple Margarita was a patio classic done wiyj Jose Cuervo silver tequila, pineapple & habanero syrup, lime, and tajin. Salty and tart this was like fresh squeezed lime juice, spiked.
And the most striking of all their cocktails was the Smoking Barrel which aptly describes this cocktail.
Smoked at the table within an actual mini barrel, equipped with a see through door. The glasses of the finished product were served on a light up LED platform.
As impressed as I was with the drinks, the food had me even more amazed.
The Tin Can Nachos were kitschy, served in an overturned pail. These were fully loaded stadium style nachos. Corn tortilla topped with a melty cheese blend, scallions, black beans jalapeño, pico de gallo, salsa, sour cream, and guacamole. These was delicious nachos with plenty of creamy toppings and more on the side to have you licking your fingers clean. I highly recommend this as a share plate to start.
I was just as impressed with their H2 Backyard Tartare. Served in a cloche full of smoke. This is smoked grass-fed beef tenderloin dressed in their H2 secret sauce with shredded lettuce, aged white cheddar, and topped with a sesame tuille. Eaten with house made potato chips, this was a play on a Big Mac and it was spot on. Bougie and fun, this is another one you get in there with your hands. I am a fan.
The Crispy Corn Elote were corn ribs coated in a chipotle-lime crema, cotija, and cilantro. Another finger licker and another dish I would recommend. Each strip coated with plenty of salt and seasoning that cuts into the sweetness of the fresh corn.
As a fan of watermelon I fully enjoyed the Watermelon Salad with cucumber, red onion, jalapeño, mint, basil oil, and whipped feta. Everything I like about the refreshing nature of Greek Salad, but more summery with the sweet picnic fruit taking centre stage. Refreshing and bright, there was also bold notes coming from the combined pesto and feta spread.
By comparison the Green Goddess Salad was more muted and dull. Gem lettuce, frisée, cucumber, edamame radish, and toasted seeds. You have the option to add protein for extra, like pulled rotisserie chicken, tiger prawns skewer, and seared salmon.
Another summer favourite is the Baja Fish Tacos with crispy battered cod, cabbage, pico de gallo, cotija, cilantro, and chipotle-lime crema; all folded in a flour tortilla. The fish had a great roasted quality to it, deep fried but made light with the fresh vegetable topping. I just would have liked more sauce to dip it into, based on my preference.
As a table we shared two out of the three bombastic boards, each customizable with your favourite sides.
For the medium Smokehouse Platter we had our choice of 3 sides and all the sauces we wanted. We loaded up on the market vegetables, kale slaw, and buttermilk red-skinned mash. This came along side 1lb of smoked brisket, 1lb of pulled pork, a full rack of st. louis ribs, cornbread, house pickles,
Possible sauces include Homer’s Hot Nashville Style, Alabama White Sauce, O.G. H2 BBO, Carolina BBQ, Whiskey BBQ, and Hot Honey Garlic Sauce.
The Carnivore’s Feast is the largest of their platters with more meat and your choices of all sauces and 3 sides as well. 1lb of smoked brisket, 1lb of pulled pork, a full rack of st. louis ribs, 1/2 a rotisserie chicken, blackened cajun prawns, andouille sausage, corn bread, and house pickles. Here, we got the rest of the available sides: mac & cheese, BBQ baked beans, and waffle fries.
For both platters, the presentation is spectacular, one worthy of gathering a group of friends to share in the price and indulgence. The brisket was melty with fatty sinew, the meat from the ribs fell off its bone, the sausages burst with meaty juices, I appreciated the thorough char on the shrimp, and the rotisserie was some of the most tender chicken I have had. All together a bounty you want to pick through and choose from. I have nothing negative to say on the lot of it.
The sides were a necessity to help break up an balance out all this meat. Their Mac and cheese was my favourite, gooey and chewy I could have finished a serving of this to myself.
The mashed potato roasted and buttery, and the slaw refreshingly crisp. I found the baked beans a little heavy, but the waffle fries a nice distraction with their snack-like crunch.
And the corn bread was the crowd favourite, especially with a generous smear of their in-house made honey butter, gathered from their on-location bee hives.
We got a closer look or these hives, located at the edge of their property. They have plans to broadcast the activity of these busy bees online, painting the hives to match the exterior of the hotel.
For dessert we shared a plate of their Bayshore Beignets. Deep fried nuggets of dough, dusted in powdered sugar, served with a bourbon caramel sauce. Crispy and chewy bread tasty from the thick syrupy dip.
However, if you can only order one dessert, let it be their in-house pastry chef’s Martha’s Mudpie. This is their take on The Keg’s Billy Miner Pie with frozen mocha mousse and dark chocolate whipped cream. Simply delicious and as satisfying as you’d imaged.
In short, H2 is a great spot for BBQ and a meal on a unique patio. I just wished they were located closer to my home so that I would frequent them more often.
H2 Kitchen + Bar
1601 Bayshore Dr., Vancouver, BC V6G 2V4
(604) 691-6966
h2restaurant.com
