VAN: Caviar and Cocktails Abound at YEW Seafood + Bar

Last week our View The Vibe team headed out to Vancouver’s Four Season’s Hotel for an exquisite evening of dining. The venue: YEW Seafood + Bar for their inaugural “Caviar & Cocktails” event which brought out the collaborative culinary skills of some of the city’s best mixers and makers.

At the helm of the evening’s event we were treated to the cuisine of YEW Seafood + Bar’s own Ned Bell who, accompanied by bartender Justin Taylor, paved the way for this playful ‘mix and match’ multi-course event that paired inventive dishes with spirited cocktails (and left our palates in a frenzy for more).

Also along for the culinary ride as part of this collaborative event were West Restaurant’s celebrated Executive Chef Quang Dang and award-winning mixologist David Wolowidnyk, as well as internationally-acclaimed Bittered Sling proprietors Jonathan Chovancek and Lauren Mote.

Coming together in the ‘spirit’ of collaboration, these eminent chefs and illustrious bartenders showcased a series of diverse pairings that truly put their culinary intuition to the test with dishes such as fall-off-the-bone Bison Ribs done with a Maple and Quince Vinegar Glaze and Egg Yolk Pudding served with Okanagan Spirits Canados, Old Italian Prune and Framboise Eaux-de-Vie, Vermouth and Peach, and Quinine Malagasy Chocolate Bitters (a winner in our books).

Seated with a handful of Vancouver’s top food and wine critics, we enjoyed plenty of boisterous conversation alongside a multitude of courses (the first three traditional alliances were ‘one night only’ pairings of teams created between bartender and chef: Ned and David; Jonathan and Justin; and Quang and Lauren. One such dish melded the culinary talents of Chef Quang (Vancouver Island Sea Urchin served with a Charred Orange Dashi) paired with Okanagan Spirits Gin, Gewürztraminer Grappa and Cherry Blossom Dry Vermouth, Meyer Lemon Shanghai Rhubarb Bitters, and Roasted Apricot garnish.

A culinary reunion of sorts took place for the final three courses that had each restaurant chef paired up with their respective colleague. All in all, it was an exciting opportunity to showcase the vibrant potential of creative culinary combinations (and definitely left all of us with a full belly).

Holding court as emcee for the evening, Dawn Chubai had fun guiding guests through the various dishes and cocktail pairings, regaling us with tidbits of interesting facts and banter to make for a fantastically memorable and tasty night.

Have you had a chance to try YEW Seafood + Bar yet? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us @ViewTheVibe.