Hawksworth

 

 

Entering Chef David Hawksworth’s flagship Vancouver restaurant, the fruit of a long and well studied journey through the culinary world, one is reminded of the contrast between hospitality and cuisine: The refinement of theatre which creates the illusion of graciousness and ease delicately interwoven with the reality of a logistical operation and demanding behind-the-scenes labour of skill and art. Balancing these two worlds is a Vancouver culinary figure whose reputation for professional mastery and personal straightforwardness have been honed through a real world journey.

Passing from bar and lounge to first dining room with adjacent wine room, the sense of occasion grows, with a touch that is both West Coast chic, and yet, notably international. Marble-topped tables and glistening chandeliers are off-set with the warmth of fireplaces and cushioned seats which create an atmosphere both elegant and warm.

Entering the world of David Hawksworth, we were led to explore the regions of British Columbia by air, land and sea through a chef’s tasting menu which thoughtfully brings to the table the drama of our coastal fisheries, valley foul and rugged interior ranches. Highlighting dishes available on the Hawksworth dinner menu, these creations exemplify modern West Coast cuisine, interpreted through a mosaic of influences no doubt both personal to their chef and well suited to the nature of this vibrantly diverse city.

Setting the stage for seven courses of building complexity, we began with a kanpachi ceviche amuse-bouche, dressed with citrus, pickled onions and sea asparagus and complimented with a blackened squid-ink rice cracker. Each dish in the Hawksworth repertoire seemingly demonstrates a finely tuned harmony of seasonings, textures and alkalinities, which meld to create a full and deeply satisfying experience.

For a first course salad, the crab and shrimp sunamono honoured its Japanese origins (酢の物) with a complex contrast of vinegary acidity and light sweetness. Following the sunamono was an earthy steak tartare paired with full-sized potato chips, showcasing a local staple in a dish not commonly presented in our local cuisine. And transitioning to a third course, our first main dish was an oyster mushroom agnolotti with a light and frothy, vegetarian squash hollandaise and cashew dukkah.

From the fields and forests we shifted to the rough coastal waters of Haida Gwaii, with B.C. halibut, on a bed of quinoa and complimented with emulsified spinach. And for our fifth and final savoury course, we took to the fields of the Fraser Valley for the Yarrow Meadow’s duck breast, prepared perfectly medium rare, with accompanying celeriac, roasted apple and duck jus.

For dessert we were served a deceptively simple quenelle of house-made condensed milk ice cream with red fruit and aerated white chocolate honey-comb, accompanied with shards of Breton pastry. Our dinner was completed with three types of house-made macarons on a wood presentation box topped with raw cacao.

             

 

Those inspired by such works of culinary art will be pleased to know that you can add many of them to your own repertoire, with many items on the Hawksworth menu marked by the trademark “H” to show they can be found in Chef David Hawksworth’s new book: Hawksworth: The Cookbook, available online at: Hawksworthrestaurant.com.

For those interested in enjoying the Hawksworth experience, inspired by the beauty and rich resources of British Columbia and cultivated in a journey through the world famous kitchens of chefs Marco Pierre White and Raymond Blanc, we encourage you to visit Hawksworth, in the Rosewood Hotel Georgia.

 

Those interested in following the culinary adventures of THE CIRCLE | VANCOUVER magazine are invited to join Vancouver’s premier group for lovers of haute cuisine: THE CIRCLE | CUISINE. Find us on Facebook to join the group and share your own experiences, recommendations or reviews!

 

 

Hawksworth Restaurant   

(Located in the Rosewood Hotel Georgia)

801 West Georgia Street

Phone: (604) 673-7000   

Reservations: Sevenrooms.com

For Delivery or Pickup: Doordash.com