Went to Whistler in the summer of 09 and took all the pictures and never got around to writing a review, even after I started this blog in September. But alas, here it is.
Araxi prides itself for a menu that encompasses the freshest seafood directly from the Pacific Ocean and using ingredients that are sourced locally from nearby local farms (within 100 miles, if I am not mistaken).
I was excited about trying Araxi because of Hell’s Kitchen. The winner would get a head chef position one of the top restaurants in Whistler.
They had a special during the duration of the show – 4 courses for $35 while the episode is airing at 8 – 9 pm. I thought this was a smart way to milk the publicity while it lasts.
We started off with an Amuse Bouche
Tomato Gazpacho. Not very pleasant but that is prolly because I am not a big fan of tomatoes or cold soups.
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I started off with the
Seared Foie Gras $15+
served with Pemberton apple, pear and chili compote, toasted brioche.
The foie gras was not as buttery (melt in your mouth) as I expected. It was almost a little grainy and also burnt. Seared a little more that I would have liked. And the brioche was very dry and blah…
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Another diner tried the “Tasting of Oysters” $21.50
5 oysters with different toppings. She mentioned that everything tasted really fresh and loved the toppings. 🙂
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For the entrees:
Veal $35+
I shared this dish with roomie. I was not blown away by the dish at all. To me, it was a very one note dish; which is surprising because of all the different components but the swiss chard overpowered everything. Veal was not the star of the dish. 🙁
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Lamb – $35 +
The lamb was cooked perfectly and was a good dish. I can’t remember the details of it because it was a friend’s dish and I just took a bite of it. He loved it and polished it off~
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Trio Paradise Valley Pork $28.50
Slow cooked belly, lightly smoked Tenderloin and Pork Cheek Ravioli with Pemberton sunchoke puree, chantrelles and green beans. with added 2 scallops for $12.
The tenderloin was very moist, which I would have not expected from a pork tenderloin. The pork belly was melt in your mouth goodness and scallops were fresh and cooked to perfection. I didn’t try the ravioli tho.
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Dessert:
I was looking forward to trying their ice cream sandwich but they were out of it. One of the diners (at our table) ordered the Valrhona Chocolate Fondant:
Mint chocolate earl grey tea ice cream with chocolate dentelle and creme anglaise.
I tried a bite and it was very luscious and pretty good dessert overall.
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Personal rating – 3.5 out of 5 (Good).
Nothing was mindblowing but all the dishes (except the foie gras) was prepared very well. To be honest, I don’t even remember the meal very well other than it was pleasant. The service was definitely lacking for a place like this. They were very accommodating when a couple diners wanted to share their meal (it was portioned and brought in two separate plates and plated well); but as the night progressed, our server was no where to be seen.
It took well over 15 minutes of asking for the bill before we got it. At that point, we were tired and wanted to just leave but had to sit and wait and wait and wait for the bill.
Note: menu changes according to what is obtained during the “season”. I was not able to find descriptions of the dishes we had on their website. But this gives an idea of what kind of food to expect when visiting Araxi. ^_^ And I think we definitely should have tried their seafood dish, rather than all mean entrees.
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4222 Village Square
Whistler, BC
VON 1B4
Canada
(604) 932 4540
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