Visited Café Pacifica recently to taste Executive Chef Bob Wiles Fall Menu where I had a chance to try some of his new dishes.

1^st Dish:

Ahi Tuna Tartar with sweet soya, yuzu pearls, wasabi infused avocado, citrus, Japanese pickled plum, cilantro along with Togarashi crackers.

2^nd Dish:

Seared Lois Lake Steelhead with crushed potatoes stuffed Dungeness Crab with rapini and red wine butter sauce accompanied by a Roasted Golden Beet and Baby Vegetable Salad

3^rd Dish:

Pan Seared Duck Breast with a duck confit muffin, blood orange reduction and glazed vine tomatoes

4^th Dish:

Seared Lamb Tenderloin with house-made rosemary gnocchi. Baby fennel, English peas in a mint infused brown butter Hollandaise sauce.

5^th Dish:

Chef Han’s Winter Sampler featuring a crunch soba-cha chocolate bar, croustillant cream puff filled with dulce de leche cream and a coconut lemon tart.

My take:

In Comparison to the menu tasting I enjoyed last year, the dishes this year where quite different in the presentation, most of all the wonderful colours in each of the dishes on this menu. I loved the Ahi Tuna Tartar with sweet soya, yuzu pearls, wasabi infused avocado, citrus, Japanese pickled plum, cilantro along with Togarashi crackers. As I am a fan of salmon the Seared Lois Lake Steelhead with crushed potatoes stuffed Dungeness Crab with rapini and red wine butter sauce accompanied by a Roasted Golden Beet and Baby Vegetable Salad was also a standout. The Seared Lamb Tenderloin was delicious with the house-made rosemary gnocchi. Baby fennel, English peas in a mint infused brown butter Hollandaise sauce. Lastly the dessert platter from Chef Han’s was the ideal finish.

Café Pacifica (Lobby level of the Pan Pacific Hotel Vancouver)

999 Canada Place, Vancouver

Tel: 604 895 2480

Web:   http://www.panpacific.com/en/Vancouver/Dining/CafePacifica.html

Twitter: @panpacificvan

By: Richard Wolak