During our stay at Fairmont Chateau Whistler, we had a chance to taste some of the amazing food that they create. The Fairmont has several locations to eat at and their hours of operations, and what they serve, varies. We started at the Mallard Lounge with some cocktails. The lounge has nice, large comfortable chairs, or you can sit up by the bar. Along with a creative selection of cocktails, wine and whiskey, the lounge also offers a Chocolate Bar with an assorted selection of cakes, tarts and chocolatey treats. So, if you are a chocoholic, this is the perfect place to be after spending time outdoors.

We tried the Snow Storm cocktail: Ciroc Coconut Vodka, ginger puree, fresh lemon, Gosling Black Seal Rum float and coconut shavings. We also tried the Apres Bramble: evergreen-infused Tanqueray Fin, House raspberry liqueur, fresh lemon and lemon peel syrup. They were very refreshing, with a tropical kick.

Once a table opened for us, we moved over to the dining area from the bar counter. There we were served Salt Spring Island Mussels made with white wine, garlic and fresh herbs, with grilled crostini. Simple dish, but the mussels were fresh and local. That was followed by truffle fries made with lemon Parmesan aioli and chives. They tasted amazing. We could have easily had another serving. I don’t know why I have seen truffle oil getting a bad wrap on some cooking shows but, if it is used right, I think it can add infinitely to the dish.

As we were waiting for our main dishes, we sampled the Moon Rise Martini: Plymouth Gin, apple-infused moonshine, Apricot Brandy, orange and pomegranate juice. The drink is fruity and summery, which helps when it is dark and cold outside.

Our mains arrived then: Lobster Mac n’ Cheese, made with orecchiette pasta, white wine and gruyere cream sauce, peas, shallot, bacon and parmesan-panko crust; Maple-glazed wild BC Salmon, made with warm Pemberton potato and grilled chard salad, with mustard vinaigrette; along with Ancho-Grilled Fish Taco, made with Pacific ling cod, flour tortilla, pico de gallo, guacamole, red cabbage-corn slaw and fresh cilantro topped with chipotle aioli.

The Lobster Mac n’ Cheese was the most complex macaroni and cheese dish we have ever had – the numerous layers of taste just came together. It might be the best I have ever had. When you are coming from Calgary, you know you don’t get extremely fresh fish. The BC Salmon tasted fresh, the potatoes are local, and it’s nice to have all those BC flavours come together. The Fish Tacos had a nice crunch from the red cabbage-corn slaw and were also a nice summer-feel food.

To end off this amazing meal: a Single Origin Chocolate Bar, made with 70% chocolate ganache, chocolate financier, white chocolate snow and caramel popcorn sauce. It was chocolate upon chocolate and should cover most chocoholic lovers’ needs, but there were so much to sample that maybe you might want to try a couple more later during your stay in Whistler.

Every morning we ate breakfast in the Wildflower. Though you can order from the breakfast menu, we decided to stick with the all-you-can-eat buffet. It helped us sample different items from the complete menu and let us go back for extras, like the eggs Benedict, which Fairmont Hotels are famous for. They do have an omelette station, so you can select your ingredients and they will make it in front of you. They had assorted bread and muffins too. The breakfast was very filling but worth it if you are into eating a lot before heading out. If you eat small, I suggest ordering off the menu: the buffet is $34 per person, but you can get lighter items like House-Made Granola served with strawberry Activia yogurt cup for $10, or Rooftop Honey French Toast with blackberry orange compote, crème anglaise and whiskey-barrel aged maple syrup for $22. The Fairmont Chateau Whistler homes their own rooftop beehive, which they harvest from during the summer for some of their dishes.

The Wildflower is open for dinner too. We did not get a chance to try it out, but they offer a family menu with several dishes created from locally-sourced items.

The Portobello restaurant is located on the lower level of the hotel, at street-level, along with the stretch of shops that reach the ski lifts. Portobello is more of a bistro, where you can pick up fresh bread, pre-assembled or to order sandwiches, house-made pastries, soups, salads, coffee and more. Since we arrived close to them closing for the night, Rob had a sandwich. I noticed a full roast turkey on display that they were using for sandwich meat. It was not on the menu, but I ask if I could have the turkey drumsticks. They said ‘sure, since that is something that people don’t ask for’. Rob said I was too excited to get it, but he knows how much I like my drum sticks.

During summer the bistro offers patio seating and Italian Sodas. The menu changes seasonally.

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Contributor Steve Polyak |

Locale British Columbia | Whistler |

Topic Fairmont Chateau Whistler | Fairmont Hotels | Food | Travel | Whistler Pride |

Photo Gallery Food | Travel | Whistler |