Poppy Brasserie (Lake Louise) 12/2010

We could not resist the temptation to try the Rocky Mountain Game Duet, which is actually a trio offered at this restaurant and I discussed how we like our meat served with the major domo when making our reservation. He assured me that they could prepare it 'blue' and they did. Indeed we got outstanding service which goes to confirm that it's the squeaky wheel that gets the oil. Briana Guliotto, who was in charge that night, took extremely good care of us.
We started with a warm goat cheese souffle with organic greens, pumpkin seed oil vinaigrette and pear chutney. This dish of contrasts, warm and cold, the goat cheese and the sweet pear, the crisp pastry and the smooth cheese was worth having ($11) anytime. Equally the Rock crab and scallion cakes on avocado crush with soy cilantro drizzle was delicate on the inside, crisp on the outside and overall quite delicate, not overwhelmed by the accompaniments. The 'Duet' was thick medallions of bison, elk and venison starting from the left. ($36). They looked much the same
but the bison was the most tender with a very fine grain in the meat. The elk was a little less pink, the meat also very fine grained and exceptionally tender. There was no gamey taste in any of them but the venison was a slightly wider grain meat. Still very tender it was a tiny bit more chewy than the other two. wild mushrooms, shallot roasted fingerling potatoes, poached apple and lingon berry compote and seasonal vegetables, this is a dish not to be missed. Something very special which there are few places in the world where you could get this combination of meats. For contrast we had a 10 oz grilled Alberta rib eye steak.($39). Normally served with buttermilk mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables, the obligingly swapped the potatoes foe a serve of risotto. The accompanying Jack Daniels peppercorn sauce was heavily seasoned and reduced so it had to be used with discretion, if at all, to preserve the very fine taste of the meat. In anticipation of this, thankfully, we asked for it to be served separately from the meat.
Another fine meal. The menu has an interesting range of other dishes including organic red quinoa and zucchini roulade, smoked salt brine chicken, braised venison shank and grilled sturgeon. It would be unfair to rate them on one meal, as good as it was so we offer this mark with reservations.
Score: 16/20

Wallicer Stube (Lake Louise) 12/2010

lSeveral Fairmont hotels are built in the Swiss Chalet style and have restaurants in them, among others, that serve the classical Swiss dish Fondu. Stube offers a variety of meals including, a memorable 'Fondu Experience'
The meal begins with a garden salad
with a refreshing light vinaigrette dressing. This is followed by a cheese fondu.
There is a choice of shaved truffle and truffle oil, garlic and mushroom or plain using three cheeses, gruyere, emmentaler and alpenzeller. served in the usual pot with diced baguette.
We had the truffle with a little garlic as an added extra .
All the flavours were distinct without being overwhelming, with an extra fillip from the wine incorporated in the fondu. it was a great winter dish. There was then a choice of bison or seafood for the next fondu. Naturally we had one of each.
This came with a bowl of lightly cooked vegetables. Asparagus, beans, broccoli, beetroot, potato and raw mushroom. Two new pots were provided one with a fish broth and the other with a meat broth. The sea food included very fresh prawns, salmon, scallops and a white fish. It was very fresh, almost jumping off the plate. It required only a few seconds for very rare up to a minute or so to be more cooked. The bison was served carpachio style. It was remarkably tender and had a delicate taste with no hint of gaminess. It took only a few seconds in the broth to make a sweetish slightly umami flavoured delicacy the like of which We have never previously experienced. Both broths added considerably to the flavours. A tower of small containers of sauces,
a yogurt, a Spanish red sauce a creamed pepper, a sweet soy sauce, a honey Dijon and a piquant creamed horse radish sauce.The final course was a chocolate fondu. Once again there was a choice of white, milk, Toblerone or dark chocolate. We had a half Toblerone half dark chocolate mix. They offered a mix of diced fruit, marshmallow and banana cake for dipping.
For chocoholics it was heavenly. This is an extremely heavy meal after which it was hard to believe one would ever be hungry again. Everything was about as good as it could be.
We enjoyed a Henry Lagarde 2008 Reserve Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina. ($54/bottle, available by the glass), with the meal which was $79 plus drinks.
The service was efficient without being hurried, the tables were large enough to comfortably accommodate all the dishes and apparatus and the ambiance pleasant.
Score: 17.25/20

Empress Dining Room Fairmont, Victoria, 12/2010 (Canada)

Described (by it's owners) as the most beautiful room in Victoria this certainly is a room with style and atmosphere in the manner of early 1900's dark opulence.Lit by late 19^th bronze chandeliers
the room exudes luxury. Wood paneled to about four feet before rich Victorian textile covered walls rise to a ceiling crossed by huge wooden beams supported by substantial columns.
A large fireplace takes up most of the back wall.
Thick carpets and well separated tables diminish noise. Seating is in capacious wing backed chairs along the walls
and comfortable large chairs in the inner parts of the room.

We were seated after some delay and immediately offered menus and wine list by our server, Earl,
quickly followed by a basket of warm brioche style rolls with whipped butter.
They have a three course chef’s menu for $65 but we preferred the a la carte menu. Our first appetizer, a vegetable risotto with Portobello mushrooms,
was just right in every regard, except the photo! The seasoning excellent the vegetables lightly cooked, the risotto creamy but textured so that every grain of rice contributed to make this a memorable combination. Expecting sweetbreads we were surprised when a mouth watering foie gras mounted on a slice of sweet but tart apple on a toasted baguette atop an apple puree arrived.
Earl was crestfallen at his error and immediately headed back to the kitchen to repair his blunder. It looked so good we called him back and he looked greatly relieved when we said we’d have it as well as the sweetbreads that we originally ordered. Barely more than seared this was the equal of this dish that we have enjoyed in some of the best regarded restaurants in North America and Europe. The sweetbreads were another display of culinary delicacy accompanied by a parsnip puree and a little spinach.
We both chose the tenderloin for a main course. Warm blue is a bit like breaking 10 seconds for 100yards. Plenty of people can do it but you hardly ever come across one of them. This time we did. A supreme piece of meat on the bone, a cut we do not normally see in Australia,
was cooked to order. We could not have asked for anything more. It came with lightly cooked asparagus, baby carrots and beetroot. Two pic's, one dish!
A meshed white chocolate column surrounded a mousse beside a chocolate pudding filled with a warm chocolate fondant
completed a fine dining experience. After the previous nights dinner we thought them incapable of producing cooking of this quality. It turns out that they were completely different chefs for this restaurant. It’s credentials are supported not only by membership of the Chaine des Rottisseurs but also by the fact that the Chaine have dinners there each year to which members come from Vancouver and Seattle.

The dinner was a few dollars over $200 before the tip.

Score: 17.25/20

Welcome smorgasbord dinner, Fairmont Empress Kipling room 12/2010 (Canada)

The Fairmont Empress opened the beautiful Kipling room for 50 or so guests as an introduction to a tour of the Rockies. This room, which would accommodate 175 diners, is built on reclaimed land at the edge of the harbour, supported by 90 columns. Intended as a mens billiard room
the Corinthian columns would have been wasted on the horses which were stabled here before the tables were installed. It has gone through many transformations over the years being, at times both an a la carte and a smorgasbord dining room and a reception centre. It was opened in 1908 and renamed some years ago after Rudyard Kipling, who stayed here for a few days.
Fairly typical of smorgasbord dinners there were cold dishes
including potato salad, pasta spirals with shrimps, asparagus and leaf salads,
smoked salmon, smoked cod and cold salmon. Hot dishes included steamed vegetables, roast potato, saffron rice and raisins, a beef Indian curry, chicken and mussels with salmon.
Desserts included a variety of cakes, mousses and a quite excellent crème brullèe.


As is so often the case with these meals, 'tho all ingredients were excellent they were also all thoroughly overcooked making a potentially excellent dinner into something quite ordinary. Dressings were also indifferent.
A fruit cocktail featuring cranberry juice, 7 Up, orange juice and pineapple was a sweet surprise. Two local wines, which were very ordinary left a worse taste at $12 for the Syrah and $10 for a Sauvignon blanc when better wines were available at half the price outside the hotel. What can we say - have a look at the room,

don't go for a smorgasbord.