Last night, H2 Rotisserie & Bar at The Westin Bayshore Hotel introduced an Oktoberfest celebration unlike any other in Vancouver.  The restaurant became the scene of a lavish German volksfest — traditional, yet elevated!  I attended the event as media.  Here’s a recap of this entertaining and delicious evening.

H2’s special Oktoberfest menu (served at buffet-style chef action stations) included:

• Currywurst: bratwurst served with curry ketchup on a freshly-baked bun
• Sauerkraut with bacon and green onion
• Rotisserie chicken with grilled vegetables and gravy
• Rotkohl: sautéed red cabbage with apple-cider vinegar, brown sugar and salt
• Wienerschnitzel: thin, breaded and pan-fried pork cutlet
• Rouladen: slices of beef filled with mustard, onions, garlic and pickles, folded then braised
• Homestyle thick-cut fries
• Beer Rolls
• Kartoffelsalat: potato salad with horseradish
• Spätzle: noodles with cheese sauce
• Pretzels: fresh, warm, and served with grainy mustard
• Steckerlfisch: whole grilled mackerel with herb marinade
• Apfelstreuselwith traditional crumble and fresh, seasonal apples
• Berliner: beignet donut with filling
• Lebkuchenhertzen: house-made gingerbread hearts

Attendees also enjoyed craft beer courtesy of Red Truck Brewing Company, party-appropriate song and dance from Siegel Entertainment’s The Alpiners Oompapa Band, group games, and more.

To find out about other events happening at H2, visit h2restaurant.com.

Last week, Part 2 of the “Flavours of Summer” pop-up dinner was presented by Mielye Mitchell, Jorge Tuane and Aphrodite’s Organic Cafe. “Flavours of Summer” was a farm-to-table dining experience featuring seasonal organic produce from local organic farms.  This dinner followed “The Flavours of Spring” Part 1 event which took place earlier in the summer.

“Flavours of Summer” included six courses with complimentary wine pairings and dessert.  I attended as media; here is a look at all the deliciousness of the evening.

Amuse Bouche: Beef Tartare

Koji cured beef, lotus root chip, squid ink mayo, soy wasabi, vinaigrette.

First Course: Tomato Salad

Heirloom grape tomatoes, pickled sunshine watermelon, cous cous, creme fraiche.  Paired with Le Vieux Pin, Vaila 2017.

Second Course: Beets

Roasted beets, quinoa tabouleh, burrata, peach, hazelnuts, beet soil.   Paired with Pares Balta, Blanc de Pcs 2016.

Third Course: Tuna

Tuna, cucumber, pear, ponzu charred scallion mayo, nori chip.  Paired with Godella Bierzo, Encanto 2016.

Fourth Course: Mussels

Mussels, sweet corn tomato broth, pablano pepper, charred corn, sourdough crumb, chorizo oil.  Paired with Orofino, Gamay 2017.

Fifth Course: Lamb & Lobster

Lamb belly, lobster tail, smoked carrot puree, tomato garlic jus, market vegetables.  Paired with Cotes de Jura, Rouge 2015.

Dessert

Yogurt panna cotta, fennel honey, puffed wild rice, variations of plum.

Happy September everyone!  If there’s one festival that you need to check out before the month ends, it would be the Shipyards Night Market.  Happening every Friday night until September 28, the Shipyards Night Market features a lineup of food trucks, beer garden, live entertainment and a craft market.

The Shipyards Night Market believes in a local lifestyle so you’ll find a showcase of BC’s artisans, bakers and farmers.   I recently attended a media tour of the Shipyards Night Market.  Here are a few things you can expect on your visit.

Food Trucks

Don’t eat dinner before you come to the Night Market, as there are at least 35  food trucks selling unique and delicious locally made food.   Here are some of the food trucks we tried during our tour.  You can check which food trucks will be on site through the Street Food App.

JJ’s Hot Cobs

JJ’s Ho Cobs serves fresh roasted corn with butter and a wide variety of condiments.

Disco Cheetah

A popular food truck at the Shipyards Night Market, they serve Korean-Mexian fusion rice bowls, tacos, burritos & grilled cheese quesadillas with Alberta beef bulgogi, Fraser Valley chili chicken and seasoned bean curds.

The Reef Runner

The Reef Runner serves up Carribean cuisine to the streets of Vancouver.  We tried their Jamaican patties and Tobago Wrap (curry & lime marinated chicken, avocado yoghurt, organic greens, fresh tomato salsa in a flavour tortilla).

Lemonade Stand

For some refreshments, there is a lemonade stand offering different flavours of lemonade including blood orange, blackberry lime, mango and so forth.

Chouchou Crepes

Chouchou Crepes is a local food truck specializing in sweet and savoury French-style crepes.  Crepes are typically associated with the Brittany region of France and the crepes from Chouchou are truly Brittany style.  Owner and operator Nathalie Galin’s recipes were inspired by her Bretonne grand-mother, Marie.

I’m a fan of her savoury crepes including the Mr Jules (BC wild smoked salmon, mascarpone cream, fresh dill, lemon) and Mmm Vava de Marseille (goat cheese, tomatoes, olive tapenade maison, greens).

Live Entertainment

On the Shipbuilders’ Stage there is live music until 10pm, showcasing talent from all over BC.

Artisan Market

There are also many local artisans selling products including jewelry, clothing, kids wear, baked goods, produce, preserves, soaps, plants, chocolate and more.

Beer Garden

The Friday Night Market also includes a beer garden serving local craft beer and cider as well as Betty’s Vodka Iced Tea. You must me 19+ to enter the beer garden.

The Shipyards Night Market runs every Friday from 5 – 10 pm until September 26.  Admission is free.  For more information, visit www.northshoregreenmarkets.com/shipyards.html

In collaboration with BC Salmon Marketing Council, the Chefs’ Table Society of British Columbia presented the second annual Wild Salmon Celebration event at the dockside of False Creek Fishermen’s Wharf this past Saturday.  This year’s event featured well-known BC chefs who gathered to create delicious dishes using sustainable BC wild salmon donated by family-owned seafood supplier,  Grand Hale.

The Wild Salmon Celebration was a grazing event where guests enjoyed tasting size dishes, paired with BC wines, which showcased each chefs’ love of the ocean and unique culinary style.

The elegant evening on the water was accompanied by live music from a local musician.

Chef Lucais Syme, Cinara | Grilled Cured Sockeye Salmon with Caponata

Chef Darren Clay, Pacific Culinary Institute | Baked salmon with horseradish rrust, picked cucumber salad, beets and dill oil

Mariana Gabilondo, La Mezcaleria | Ash Cured Salmon Tostadas

Habanara Ashed cured salmon, crispy corn tostada with Acuyo “butter,” Ancho pearls, Plantain crisps and mixed micro greens

Gus Stieffenhofer, Hawksworth Restaurant | Gus’ Famous Maple Candied Salmon with Horseradish & Garlic Scrape

TJ Conwi and Bruce Nollert, ONO Restaurant | Hawaiian Lomilomi Salmon, Coconut Taro Poi, Seaweed Tapioca Pearls Crackers

Chef Ned Bell, Vancouver Aquarium | Cured and Crispy Wild BC Sockeye Salmon with Lime and Poblano Dressing, Cashew Cream and Crumble

Wine & Beer Pairings

Wine and beer pairings were offered by Covert Farms Family Estate, Intersection Estate Winery, Sage Hills Estate Winery, St. Hubertus and Oak Bay Estate Winery, Tinhorn Creek Vineywards, VinAmite, Wisthler Beer/ Lonetree Cider and Shelter Point Distillery.

Maestro James Coleridge, Uno Gelato | Vegan Lemon Sorbetto, Salted Caramel Gelato, Vegan Midnight Chocolate

To finish off the evening, Uno Gelato provided dessert.