Oakridge Park is currently hosting a Lunar New Year celebration within Fairmont Pacific Rim. The event runs the during the duration of Chinese New Year, which stretches across two weeks. It includes the option to book a family photo shoot at their studio, the ability to enjoy a Chinese New Year themed high tea on the weekends, and entering to win a Rolex Watch.
The following is what we engaged in during the celebratory run, which has been extended until March 6th, 2022.
Eileen of @misseileensoo and I were staying downtown for the night, posted up at Shangri-La hotel, for a Chinese New Year themed staycation. We were looking for a destination for a night cap after dinner, and she had brought up Fairmont Pacific Rim’s lobby lounge as an option. So here we were.
Currently Chinese couture of famed designer Guo Pei, better known for her canary yellow dress that Rihanna wore to the 2015 Met Gala, spills across the entrance of the luxury hotel. The actual, above mentioned piece was displayed on stage, with her other wearable art work cascaded through the lobby. Some made safe behind glass, others elevated on platforms for a better view, and one was even suspended overhead on their vaulted ceilings.
I have included a few photos, featuring the pieces, I especially appreciated. The entire exhibit actually came to Vancouver a few years back, and I made sure to take it in. They were made available by the Vancouver Art Gallery. I liked how majestic they translated in the spacious gallery. But found them more approachable and impressive here, being able to get a closer look now.
Not only did stunning fashion become decor, the hotel also took the time to wrap walls, columns, and even the floor to create this lavish landscape. I was especially enamoured with the floor decal with pink cherry blossoms and swallows going up the stairs, leading to a golden tiger.
And to the right of the stairs is a show-stopping scene in all red with gold elements. This is the back drop to more of Guo Pei’s pieces, this time more geared towards Lunar New Year. Couture pieces that you would wear for a high fashion celebration dinner. I don’t actually recall most of the pieces here today, nor any from the special collection above. So it was nice to be treated to this free show, accessible to anyone visit the property, regardless if you are staying or even dining at Fairmont.
We did end up grabbing a couple of drinks at the Lobby Lounge bar, deciding to order off of their Lunar New Year cocktail listing. We were both optimistic of the drinks, given the visuals of the show above. However, for $20 a coupe, they did not measure up. The names did not relate to the drinks what-so-ever and the ingredient list simply had Asian-esque flavours. They both leaned towards citrus with a heavy liquor punch, but simply didn’t deliver on expectations set by the menu’s comments.
The GOLDEN TREE was Gin, Orange, Chamomile, Yuzu, Ginger, and Rosemary. The menu’s comment was “We hope this drink brings you good fortune”.
The LION DANCE is Bourbon, Amaro, Lemon, Honey, Pimento Bitters, and Lemon Twist. “A cocktail inspired by the traditional Chinese dance, it is sure to get your feet moving.”
At this point we still decided to come back the next day for their dim sum, learning from our server that it would be courtesy of Mott32. She stated that this was the case last year, and seeing as the menu was the same, it should be from the same restaurant this year. We originally wanted to visit Mott32 for dim sum anyways, wanting to splurge and have our first taste from the restaurant on this special occasion; so justified the $18-$20 per dim sum dish pricing. Even more so considering that Mott32 was currently not open for dim sum, at that time of our visit.
All this planning and anticipation, just to order and begin eating; only to learn that it was not Mott32, but Fortune Terrace that supplied the hotel with dumplings and small plates. We had both been to Fortune Terrace before and immediately found the pricing steep as a result. Nonetheless we would not let it go to waste. The chefs at Fortune Terrace prepare all the dishes ahead of time, they are then brought to the hotel, where everything is fried and steamed to order.
We started with Pu er tea, because it is the only one I know, that my parents always order; and the server recommended it. I don’t know if it was the tea cup or the setting, but this was definitely the best version of said tea, that I have ever had. It was strong, warming, and incredibly fragrant.
The following are the dishes we ordered, we had to try the classic dumplings that everyone orders, and then went for the more theatrical ones.
You could taste the quality in the Truffle Shrimp & Scallop Har Gow. I was able to make out and have the mouth-feel of every since ingredient packed into the sticky dumpling shell. Whereas other renditions have everything lumped together like meatloaf.
The Pork Shao Mai was similar. The freshness of ingredients was consistent, and they met the expectations for the brand.
The Steamed BBQ Pork Buns I found disappointing. The filling was salty and lacked that sweet and tangy bbq sauce flavour. You also don’t get much filling compared to bun; which is typically the case at other dim sum places, but once again, for the price I was paying I was expecting more and better.
Similarly, the Dry Scallop & Chicken Sticky Rice Wrap tasted like ones you could get anywhere, but for $20 here. The order came with three small bundles that lacked filling, it was basically rice speckled with ground pork. Disappointing.
The Dried Shrimp & Minced Meat Dumpling was an interesting one. It came recommended by our server when I inquired about the most photogenic dishes. I have had something similar, but their rift on this with purple taro shell and a little green stem made from bitter melon (I believe, based on the distinct flavour) was one of a kind. The shell was ashy, the exterior crispy, and the centre soft and chewy. The pork filing seemed to lack seasoning, but the dish of mild chilli we each got with our meal definitely helped
The Crispy Durian Handbag was a definitely the most photogenic. The presentation on this was fantastic, and it really matched the aesthetic and prestige of the Fairmont. Although I was not a fan of it taste-wise. The shell was incredibly decadent from the heavy grease used to fry it so flaky, I couldn’t stomach more than a bite. The durian at its core was at least nice, soft and pasty, it ate fibrous, but hit in flavour and not fragrance expectations. The sesame seeds on these were a nice touch, adding its specific fragrance to the mix.
The “Piggie” Egg Young Buns were super fun. They were jammed packed with salty egg yolk lava. The filling was still runny at room temperature and gave me all the flavour and filling I wanted. This was probably the most successful of all the dishes.
To conclude we were happy to have had the experience, but couldn’t justify the cost of it. Then again, it was nice to enjoy part of our Chinese New Year in such a lavish way. And both Oakridge Park and the hotel property did a great job bringing all this together. If interest, you only have until March 6th, 2022 to check it out.
Fairmont Pacific Rim Lobby Lounge
1038 Canada Pl, Vancouver, BC V6C 0B9
(604) 695-5557
lobbyloungerawbar.com
