4222 Village Square
Whistler, BC Canada
604.932.4540
www.araxi.com
There's no question - Whistler is largely a meat-eating kind of place. Vegetarians know the types of restaurants here well. Menus have every variety of animal on the planet and then a token "vegetable platter" just in case a vegetarian should walk through the door and still have the courage to order.
At first glance, Araxi is no exception. The menu is heavy on veal, steak, and fish. And then there's the sole vegetarian entree of spinach gnocchi. But if you're looking for good food in Whistler, well, Araxi is pretty much the place to go. (Barefoot Bistro is the other top-rated restaurant in Whistler, but finding vegetarian items there is like finding a carnivore at a PETA gathering.)I called in advance and asked if the chef could prepare a vegetarian tasting menu. I was told it would be no problem. When I arrived, the menu had just changed. I found enough interesting items on the small plates menu to keep me happy. So I made my own tasting menu. I started with an heirloom tomato and buffalo mozzarella salad (above) with arugula, basil sorbet, olive oil and tomato chips. I'm a bit fussy about my mozzarella and this was among the best I've had, competing well with mozzarella made same day.
The white cheese souffle (above) with red sorrel, fresh laurel and lemon thyme cream toasted almonds and grilled almond oil, though slightly less cheesy than I'd hoped, was good. Others will probably appreciate that it is not overly rich.
The ricotta stuffed Pemberton squash blossoms with local vegetable ratatouille and gazpacho vinaigrette, globe eggplant and roasted garlic puree were nicely done and had a balanced flavor.
I did try the spinach gnocchi. It was nothing special and somewhat bland, so making a meal of small plates was definitely the way to go.
Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper called Araxi's executive chef James Walt one of the top seven chefs shaping Canada's cuisine. One can hope he can shape it a bit more toward vegetables, especially given the produce that grows in nearby Pemberton.
Araxi is well known for its extensive wine cellar. And the cocktails aren't bad either. Cheers!
