Back to the basics – farm to table. We enjoyed some of the most tasty flavours in the food at Juniper, a new restaurant on the edge of Vancouver's Chinatown. Chef Sarah Stewart prepared her delicious new creations with local produce – most of which was delivered at 2:00pm that same afternoon!
Our reception canapé was a brilliant Grilled Octopus on Panisse with Pickled Chard Stem and Red Pepper Coulis paired with a Pfaffenheim Crémant d'Alsace Rosé following which we were seated for our first course of Corn Chowder with Cabbage and Preserved Blueberries with a 2014 Hiedler Grüner Veltliner Löss. Next up was a Salad of Wild Spicy Greens & Chicories with Birch Syrup, Squash and Puffed Wild Rice – a favourite of the evening – with the first vintage (2005) of Harmonique Elegance Pinot Noir from the Anderson Valley. Our main course, served family style, was a Whole Roasted Keta Salmon with Sungold Tomato, Fennel Frond and Juniper; Braised Black Lentils with Pickled Mustard Seeds and Thyme; and a crowd-pleasing Smoked Oxtail with Brown Butter, Parsnip, Wilted Chard and Plum with an additional wine, the 2008 Osoyoos Larose, le Grand Vin from B.C.'s Okanagan Valley.
To end our evening, we were treated to a sweet Trio of Garden Desserts – Carrot, Beet and Zucchini – in the form of a carrot cake, beet chocolate brownie and zucchini cookies with a 2009 Chateau Dereszla Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos. Such a creative and flavourful menu, ensuring that we shall return to Juniper soon!
Our thanks go to Chef Sarah Stewart and Manager Kaan Biron and their teams for a highly enjoyable evening, to Cellarmistress Kim Mead for her excellent presentation of the wines and to Milena Robertson and Alvin Nirenberg for their photographs of a splendid event.
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