Hawksworth had been on my culinary bucket list for a few years now but somehow a visit has been overlooked, until now.
David Hawksworth is a local Vancouver chef who trained in some of Europe’s top kitchens before starting his own venture, Hawksworth, in 2011.
Quickly becoming known as one of Canada’s, nevermind Vancouver’s, top restaurants, it is now on the Michelin recommended list. Soon to be followed by a Michelin star I’m sure.
And while you will find the food near the top of the quality spectrum, you won’t find any of the pretentiousness or stuffiness that often comes with the “fine dining” experience. It’s not quite come as you are, but it’s not far off.
We have eaten at Nightingale, his other Vancouver restaurant a few times, enjoying each experience. The food has always been amazing and the service top notch.
We especially enjoyed the Chef’s Table experience there. The pizza at Nightingale is amazing!
And while the food at Nightingale is wonderful, it isn’t at the level you’d expect in a Michelin star restaurant.
Hawksworth however is at that level.
The menu is surprisingly diverse with a larger selection of starters and mains than I would expect in a higher end restaurant.
As usual we try different dishes and share them so we can have as varied a meal as possible.
I’m starting with mixed Heirloom tomatoes while Merilynn went with a favorite of ours, Ceviche.
This “salad” is a selection of different tomatoes topped with feta cheese, green olives and shaved green peppers.
What was particularly surprising about this was the olives, which I actually enjoyed. Normally I can’t stand the things, but the flavour of hese olives weren’t overpowering like I find most olives.While tomatoes can often be acidic, these were not. The sweetness of the tomatoes and the shaved green peppers juxtaposed nicely with the salty feta.
The Ceviché was absolutely delicious.
The particular fish changes from day to day depending on availability, and unfortunately I don’t remember the variety on this particular evening. Regardless it was fantastic.
Fresh citrus flavours with a slight kick from the jalapeños. In my experience Ceviché is usually served with tortilla chips. I guess that doesn’t really fly at a high end restaurant. Endive is the choice here, and it really elevated it to another level.
Not only is it healthier than fried chips, the slight bitterness adds a beautiful contrast to the sweet/citrus flavours of the fish, with a nice added crunch for texture.
Here at Hawksworth they take an interesting approach to the main course, a bit like a steakhouse. Main dishes focus on the protein. Sides are ordered separately. In one way I like this approach, I can customize my meal to my preferences. On the other hand, is it a bit of a cash grab?
But whether you think it’s good or not, one thing you cannot complain about is the amount of choice you have to pick from. There were so many appetizing dishes that it was actually quite difficult for me to make a final decision. In the end I settled on the Sablefish from northern BC coastal waters.
Marinated in miso, it was perfectly cooked, moist, shimmering almost. The inexperienced would call it undercooked. It wasn’t. The slightly sweet and tangy glaze complimented the fish very well.
Salmon Cake with Lobster bisque was Merilynn’s choice.
Normally served on a bed of wilted spinach, we skipped this due to allergies. The cake was tender and moist, and paired very well with the bisque. Was as delicious as it was beautifully presented.
Then we had to choose a side, which there were many delicious looking options to choose from. We went with the crispy rice.
Not exactly what I was expecting, brilliant nonetheless.
A crispy, crunchy exterior, soft interior and slightly spicy, these were hard to stop eating, somewhat addictive. While they were hot anyways. Less so as they cooled. Is crispy rice the fad right now? I’ve seen it twice lately now that I think about it.
How to finish off what is turning out to be a fantastic meal? Dessert is something I often skip after an average meal. I don’t need the calories. But for a Journeyman baker in a restaurant such as this it’s almost mandatory. The opportunity to see creativity elevated to levels this high in one’s chosen field is always fascinating.
And lofty levels it was.
Caramelized Okanagan peaches on a Financier with marscapone in a browned butter sauce.
To say this was nothing short of spectacular would be a disservice. Fresh Okanagans peaches are a treat unto themselves. Juicy and bursting with flavour. Add a Financier and some browned butter and you have dessert perfection.
And as amazing as this evening has been it’s not over yet.
A trio of mignardises, or to the non French speaker, small bites.
A caramel, a fruit jelly and a chocolate. The fruit jelly being particularly special, bringing back memories of Christmas and my Grandparents. Treats to finish a wonderful meal.
A delicious latté with our mignardines.
The big question of the evening, did Hawksworth live up to what were admittedly high expections?
Often restaurants don’t. But Hawksworth certainly did. Exceeded them even.
Excellent food and top notch service made for a wonderful evening.
10/10