Beautiful Britich Columbia Oasis: Hastings House Offers Tranquility and Epicurean Pleasures

Marcel Kauer, chef and general manager {along with Shirley McLaughlin} of Hastings House, looked out at the placid water in the Ganges Harbor and wondered why I would take the BC Ferry to Vancouver when the seaplanes that light on the harbor are so much faster and more efficient. "You could be back in downtown in 45 minutes - it's an easy to way to travel back and forth between Vancouver and Salt Spring Island," said, Kauer, the laidback Swiss culinary genius who has lorded over the kitchens here for the past 15 years.

I was trying to exit the tranquility of Hastings House-arguably the best-run and most luxurious hotel property in the Gulf Islands, a lovely stretch between Vancouver and Vancouver Island. Leaving Hastings House is a bad idea, an idiot's folly. The selling points of this harbor-side paradise are practically limitless:

Breakfast hamper

***Hiking trails in the local woods afford magnificent views of Salt Spring Island. A sculpture exhibit has just opened and is set in the natural woodlands just off the Hastings House main property. The sculptures aptly demonstrate the high quality of art produced on Salt Spring Island.

***A selection of 18 guest suites, all with interior design elements that would even impress the experts at HGTV .

***A first-class spa with all the usual amenities.

***A common room in the main building that's known as "The Snug." This living room/den offers a cozy and comfortable space with a computer, flat-screen TV and an "Honor Bar." The Honor Bar at Hastings House- you write down whatever libation you consume and it is charged to your room, is one of the last of its kind. The only other Honor Bar I know of is at The Covent Garden Hotel in London.

***Waking up in the morning to the sound of sheep grazing in the local meadows. Then you can order a gourmet breakfast and have it delivered to your room.

My favorite thing to do at Hastings House is dine in the restaurant, where Chef Kauer prepares some of the best dishes in Canada. The ingredients are primarily local, organic and prepared with the Swiss-French cooking techniques that make Kauer as much an artist as the Salt Spring sculptors displaying their creations in the local woods.

To wit: This is the current "Rainfest" menu that runs through June 2008, with comments from Chef Kauer to highlight each of the creations.

Marcell Kauer

Baby Beets & David Woods Goat Cheese, Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Balsamic Syrup

Kauer: "I serve this with a small salad that goes right in the middle of the plate."

Local Dungeness Crab Cake, Baby Spinach, Carrot Ficelle, Drizzled with Wasabi Aioli

Kauer:  "I took a TV crew from Taiwan out on a crab boat and they filmed how to pull up the crab traps and how to clean and cook the crabs. They also filmed me making crab cakes. I use fresh, local crab, Japanese bread crumbs, mayonnaise, pepper, shallots, red peppers, parsley and chives. I form this mixture into crab cakes and pan-fry until nice and brown, and finish in the oven."