Whistler Traveller - Summer 2017

THE GRILL ROOM at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler

Pemberton Meadows Dry Aged Ribeye

It takes a brave chef to showcase a plain steak as the standout feature item on her Canada 150 Menu, available all summer. “I’m from Calgary,” explains Executive Chef Isabel Chung. “I couldn’t not put beef on the menu.” Beyond provincial patriotism, Chung is confident that this dry-aged ribeye is the best she’s ever tasted. We wholeheartedly agree!

The Red Angus cattle are naturally raised in nearby Pemberton Meadows, where the animals live outdoors, roam freely, and are fed an additive-free diet of home-grown hay, crushed oats and barley. The sides are dry-aged for 35 to 40 days by Two Rivers Specialty Meats. Dry aging improves the beef by breaking down the connective tissues and proteins, making it juicy and tender.

“They haven’t shared their secrets,” says Chung, “but this is the best dry-aging program I’ve ever seen in Canada. We’ve tasted it against Canada Triple A, Snake River Wagyu and USDA Prime. Nothing beats the flavour.” Indeed. After a sizzling char in the Fairmont’s heavy-duty Montague Broiler, which sears the meat from top and bottom, the fat melts into liquid and the tender, caramelized beef oozes with sweet, nutty flavour. If this makes you feel too much like a caveman than a proper Canadian, you could always add the restaurant’s cedar-smoked steelhead trout salad.

Pair it with: Anarchist Mayhem Bold, full-bodied merlot with dark blueberry, plum and smoked meat notes.

604-938-8000 | fairmont.com/whistler/dining

BEARFOOT BISTRO

Dungeness Crab and Albacore Tuna with Thai Nam Jim Gel

“The great thing about Canadian cuisine is that it really can be anything,” says Melissa Craig, executive chef at the Bearfoot Bistro. For many chefs like her, Canadiana foods are defined as those that are personally memorable and have local meaning.

Of all the local seafood that B.C. has in abundance, Dungeness crab is one that takes Craig back to her childhood on Vancouver Island, when her father would drop his own traps and boil it up in seawater for special occasions. “It’s so sweet, with such a dense texture. I much prefer Dungeness to Alaskan king crab, which is way more salty and has a stringy texture.” Here, she pairs it with salt-cured albacore tuna, which also has a lovely soft texture.

Mango is replaced by peaches, apricots and other juicy stone fruits from the Okanagan Valley as those fruits come into season.

Thai nam jim gels add a touch of spiciness. British Columbia’s large Asian population has had a huge influence on local cuisine, Craig’s cooking included. “It has so many pronounced flavours,” she enthuses. “There is nothing subtle about it.”