Fraîche
2240 Chippendale Rd., West Vancouver
604-925-7595
www.fraicherestaurant.ca
$250 for a five-course menu for two with wine pairings, tax and tip
Cuisine: West Coast Contemporary
"Welcome home," says the waiter at Fraîche, greeting us at a softly candlelit and white-linen-set table.
Home? What an oddly intimate salutation for someone we've never met, in a secluded fine-dining restaurant atop the British Properties miles away from our downtown condominium. Soon enough, we realize that we're not particularly special – this gracious server greets all his customers the same way. And though we've dined here only twice in the past year, Fraîche's elegant ambience is indeed relaxingly comfortable, its exotic new menu endearingly familiar.
Jefferson Alvarez, one of my favourite unsung local chefs, has moved up in the world. We're here to discover what the globetrotting conquistador, who dazzled us with silken dishes made in a sow's ear of a kitchen at the humble DiVino Wine Bar on Commercial Drive, can pull off with professional artillery.
Last spring, he replaced Dino Renaerts at the helm of this West Vancouver restaurant, where the neighbours do tend to treat the dining room as an extension of their multimillion-dollar mansions. And for destination diners who may be thinking of trekking up the mountain for a special occasion, there has never been a better reason to visit.
No longer hamstrung by the six induction burners and a small convection oven that limited his creativity at DiVino, the Venezuelan-born chef is firing at full throttle with his signature blend of bold flavours, unusual ingredients and contemporary flair. He still makes his palate-wowing Wuxi pork, which is seared, braised and slowly simmered en sous vide for 36 hours in a caramelized riot of hickory, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, star anise and Szechuan pepper. Here, however, the wondrously tender meat is presented with additional layers of texture – crisp and creamy squash beignets and a crunchy puffed pork rind.
Not one to rest on his laurels (or lean on last year's recipes), the self-taught chef has spent most of his career roaming far and wide for inspiration. In recent years, he has fallen in love with Spain, working unpaid in some of the country's most acclaimed kitchens, Restaurant Arzak, Akelare and Mugaritz among them.
The European influence can be tasted in a marvelously balanced, multi-layered plate of albacore ceviche for which the silky, firm flesh (cooked in a subtle apple and lime marinade) is served in a swirl of spherified kelp "caviar," crackled nori, spicy chipotle cream, tart green apple sliced into paper-thin rounds and fresh aloe compressed into densely juicy, bittersweet cubes. This is a beautiful, fresh ocean breeze of a dish that is full-bodied and uncompromisingly fishy, yet skillfully anchored with acidity.
An advocate of the "new naturalism" (the latest hunting-and-gathering trend in cutting-edge cuisine, as practiced by such superstar chefs as Rene Redzepi, Dan Barber and Gaston Acurio), Mr. Alvarez uses molecular techniques sparingly. Yes, he toys with powders, cubes and spheres. But the modern garnishes play a supporting role to wild game (smoked bison short ribs, ash-crusted ostrich, braised yak), foraged mushrooms and berries picked in nearby woods and fresh preserves that he cans himself.
You never quite know what you will find on and off the menu. During one dinner, the chef came to the table with a fat, peaty slice of bacon that he had just finished smoking out back. On another night, there was a moist morsel of wild salmon smoked in maple whiskey and a jar of velvety, vanilla-scented peaches to take home.
At the height of summer, we supped on ripe heirloom tomatoes and creamy burrata cheese garnished with intensely pungent, pleasantly bitter wild celery leaves in place of the traditional basil. Come fall, we were blown away by a meaty fillet of moist and flaky white sturgeon adorned with a smoky ragout of zucchini and plume of battered zucchini flowers fried to shattering crispness.
In his quest for intensity, Mr. Alvarez occasionally errs on the heavy side.
Thiessen Farms pheasant – a tender seared breast and rich leg confit, served with olive oil-creamed blue potatoes and sweet Modena balsamic jus – needs a brighter element to leaven the dish. A spoonful of Breviro caviar from New Brunswick loses its pop in a pool of densely eggy sabayon. A trio of corn for dessert – sponge cake, sorbet and caramelized popcorn powder – could use something fresh (perhaps some sort of fruit) to balance the otherwise delightful savoury textures.
But he is certainly on the right, intriguing, forward-thinking path. Supported by a talented contingent of servers, a sommelier who is stockpiling an inspired wine list full of complementary Spanish varietals and rarely found Washington State labels, and a general manager who is wise enough to organize a dedicated drive-home service ($45 to downtown), Mr. Alvarez is quickly ascending into position as one of Vancouver's top chefs.
Alexandra Gill