Vancouver is a culinary giant. In the past 10 years it has passed Toronto as one of the two best restaurant cities in Canada (Montreal, of course, is the other). In fact, V-Town rivals the food scene in the Bay Area in the 1980s, when Chez Panisse and Narsai's and Masa's could lay claim to being the top restaurants in the United States. Now, in this Far West corner of Canada, the beautiful city of Vancouver is churning out a host of landmark dining destinations worth perusing.

West (2881 Granville Street at 13th), in its third year of operation, is a major culinary player in the Vancouver melting pot of up-and-coming upscale restaurants. The man behind the see-through kitchen is Chef David Hawksworth, a B.C. native, a rabid Vancouver Canucks fan who understands the genius of a check from Todd Bertuzzi as well as a classic soup stock from the archives of James Beard, and an intelligent, sensitive interpreter of the unique food language spoken freely in this cool, grey city of mad love.

"I learned the nuances of cooking while living in Europe, but most of what goes on in the kitchen at West springs from my knowledge of the flavors, textures and ingredients found in Western Canada," said Hawksworth.

Western Hospitality
If you are into leather—and who isn't?—then you'll find pleasure in the leather chairs (designed by Mario Bellini) and leather stools overlooking one of the most inspiring wine bars in North America. The bottles are racked vertically according to price (rarefied air for the rare vintages) in a temperature-controlled assortment of 3,000 bottles. The wine list is nothing short of spectacular (West snagged the coveted Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator), but let's cut right to the chase—some of the most impressive dishes at any restaurant in the Western World.

Starters
Chef Hawksworth has a flair for merging colors, flavors and textures in the style of Manet splashing a canvas with enough color to excite and stimulate all of the senses. The specials are worth considering—I sampled a Dungeness Crab Salad with Tobiko and Gala Apple that was fresh and clean, with large succulent chunks of crab. The regular fish dishes are exquisite—try the Thinly Sliced Yellowfin Tuna Sashimi in a Jalapeno Spiced Dressing ($18.50—all prices Canadian) and the Baked Chef Creek Oysters with Parmesan and Watercress in the classic "Rockefeller" Style ($16). The oysters are large, moist, and encrusted with melted parmesan, a sea-salt-infusion of bright color (watercress) and flavors (oysters and the finest-quality imported parmesan.) Oysters Rockefeller was a particular favorite of Nelson Rockefeller, former governor of New York State, briefly the vice president during the all-too-brief Gerald Ford administration, and a man who had the time, money and good taste to know the beauty of a perfect oyster.

One of the best "Land" starters is the Pan Seared Foie Gras with Hazelnut Carmelized Grapes Honey and Essensia Reduction and Duck Confit Salad ($26.50). The seared foie gras has an infusion of sweetness from the Essensia (a late-harvest dessert wine) that is balanced by the pungent, sweet-and-smoky flavor of the hazelnut. The duck confit—duck rendered in its own drippings and fried or baked until the skin becomes crisp and brittle—was able to stand up to the richness of the foie gras while complementing it with extra texture.

Main Courses
I sampled three first-rate entrees—two were specials du jour and the other is a standard item on the nightly dinner menu (Chef Hawksworth emphasizes that the menu changes seasonally so expect periodic modifications to ensure freshness and variety.) The Honey Tangerine Marinated Sablefish with Shiitake Mushroom Broth ($31) blends sweet, pungent and subtle flavors so expertly that you'll wonder how a dish this light can pack so much intensity. The Roast Loin of Rabbit with Broccoli Puree is served with a Tarragon Rabbit Jus—the electric green broccoli serving again to point out the importance of color in Hawksworth's culinary bag of artistic tricks. Meat lovers will find absolute manna in the Alberta Angus Beef Tenderloin with Braised Beef Shortribs Celeriac Puree and Thyme Roasted Baby Onions ($39.50). The beef is extra lean and the Thyme sauce is the ideal counterpoint to the blackened/roasted onions—no need for Café de Paris butter when you have such a magnificent hunk of beef!

Closers
Pastry chef Rhonda Viani, who formerly worked at Sooke Harbour House on Vancouver Island and Lumière in Vancouver, turns out wonders such as Sour Cherry Goat Cheese Tart with Chocolate Speckled Port Ice Cream ($9), White and Dark Chocolate Espresso Terrine with Sambuca Anglaise ($9.50) and a Passion Fruit Souffle with White Chocolate Crème Anglaise ($9.50). The desserts are first-rate and match up in quality with the rest of the meal—high praise for both Hawksworth and Viani as they combine to make West one of the best restaurants in Canada.

West
www.westrestaurant.com
2881 Granville Street @ 13th
Tel.: 604-738-8938; Fax: 604-738-5909
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