The stunning seaside domes at The Westin Bayshore are back! Celebrate the start of Spring inside The Secret Garden at H Tasting Lounge. The domes are beautifully decorated to resemble quaint English gardens. The dining domes will launch on March 18 and will be available until Mother’s Day, May 14. The terrace will feature climbing vines and magnificent floral displays of its own, adjacent to superb views of the cherry blossoms that line the Vancouver Seawall. Check out my full review of the The Secret Garden at H Tasting Lounge below!
The Secret Garden at H Tasting Lounge – West Coast Inspired Menu (Cold Small Plates)
As part of the launch of The Secret Garden, the menu at H Tasting Lounge has also gotten a little refresh. There are a variety of West Coast inspired dishes to choose from including lighter share-style bites to more substantial entrees.
To start our meal off we sampled a variety of cold small plates including:
- Bread and Oil ($12.00)
- Green Goddess Iceberg Salad ($16.00)
- Roasted Beet Salad ($19.00)
- Smoked Albacore Tuna Crudo ($24.00)
The ever famous Bread and Oil makes a reappearance on the spring menu. It features an olive oil candle, 15yr aged balsamic vinegar, sourdough loaf. This is such a signature item at H Tasting Lounge and a must order.
The Green Goddess Iceberg Salad is new on the menu and it is a completely vegan dish. It features iceberg lettuce, tofu green goddess dressing, puffed grains compressed green apple, pickled red onion, soy roasted corn baby heirloom tomato, avocado, and radish. This salad is so light and refreshing, and the tofu green goddess dressing is so creamy and delicious.
The Roasted Beet Salad features salt baked beetroot, beet & chickpea hummus, yuzu vinaigrette feta, toasted macadamia nuts, mint, plum powder and frisée lettuce. If you love beets, this dish is for you. The hummus and yuzu vinaigrette feta really lighten up the dish.
The Smoked Albacore Tuna Crudo features orange ponzu reduction, yuzu dressed radish, shaved fennel olive crumble and microgreens. A fairly straightforward dish, but the orange ponzu reduction was an interesting addition. It adds a mellow zing to the tuna.
The Secret Garden at H Tasting Lounge – West Coast Inspired Menu (Hot Small Plates)
Following the cold small plates we had a sampling of some hot options:
- Miso Roasted Eggplant ($14.00)
- Steamed Pork and Shrimp Sui Mai ($21.00)
- Fried Prawn and Crab Toast ($18.00)
- Beef Tartare and Bone Marrow ($27.00)
The Miso Roasted Eggplant was the absolute star of the evening. It was an enormous piece of eggplant and it features flame torched miso sauce, puffed grains, sesame furikake raidish, pickled shimeji mushrooms and microgreens. The pickled shimeji mushrooms add a nice acidic kick that lightens the miso sauce.
The Steamed Pork and Shrimp Sui Mai and Fried Prawn and Crab Toast are a nod to Chef’s Hong Kong heritage. The Steamed Pork and Shrimp Sui Mai features 5 piece sui mai, jasmine pearl tea mist, red tobiko sweet black vinegard shimeji mushrooms and microgreens. The jasmine pearl tea mist is so unique because it envelopes you in the scent of tea, so it’s almost like you’re at yum cha.
The Fried Prawn and Crab Toast is a twist of the traditional shrimp toast you find at dim sum. This version features water chestnuts, cilantro, garlic, ginger, sesame seeds, tobiko sweet chili aioli and brioche toast. This was so light and full of crab. It’s such an elevated version of a classic Hong Kong dim sum dish.
The final show stopper small plate we tried was the the Beef Tartare and Bone Marrow. This dish features fired marrow luge, certified angus beef tartare, shallots, chives cured egg yolk, grana padano, dijon mustard chimichurri and baguette crisps. This gets a kiss of fire table side and the marrow is a lovely creamy addition to the beef tartare.
The Secret Garden at H Tasting Lounge – West Coast Inspired Menu (Large Plates)
On to the large plates we had:
- Seafood Tower ($85 for 2 | $125 for 4)
- Curried Cauliflower Steak ($25.00)
- Crispy Skin Steelhead Trout ($37.00)
If you are a seafood lover you must order this epic Seafood Tower. It features crimson king crab, poached tiger prawns, local mussels & clams bc coast oysters, albacore tuna crudo, smoked sablefish candied salmon, wakame salad, potato chips cocktail sauce & mignonette. Everything was exceptionally fresh, and plentiful.
The sleeper hit was definitely the Curried Cauliflower Steak. This is another vegan dish that features tandoori marinade, tikka masala curry sauce, papadum crispy chickpeas, puy lentils, mint chutney, micro cilantro. This has so much flavour and the cauliflower was perfectly cooked.
The Crispy Skin Steelhead Trout features garlic butter bay scallops, cauliflower purée, spring basil pistou crispy new potatoes and charred leeks. The trout was perfectly cooked, and all the accompaniments just went so well with the fish without overwhelming the fish.
The Secret Garden at H Tasting Lounge – West Coast Inspired Menu (Dessert)
For our sweet ending we had:
- Cotton Candy and Cronuts ($15 for 3 | $19 for 6)
- Matcha Tiramisu ($13.00)
- HTL Pavlova ($15.00)
- Enchanted Forest ($16.00)
The Cotton Candy and Cronuts is another signature item at H Tasting Lounge. The beautiful pink floating cotton candy cloud is the perfect spring treat. This dessert features mini croissant donuts, lemon sugar white chocolate anglaise and whipped chantilly cream.
The Matcha Tiramisu and HTL Pavlova are a light and sweet way to end any meal. The Matcha Tiramisu features matcha syrup, sponge, mascarpone cream, sesame croquant. The HTL Pavlova features passionfruit pavlova, coconut cream, toasted coconut mango coulis, fresh berries. Both desserts are not too sweet and have a refreshing taste.
The Enchanted Forest is such a whimsical dessert and a must order. It features spruce infused valhrona jivara milk chocolate mousse pistachio moss, meringue mushroom, raspberry coulis chocolate twigs, fresh berries, spruce scent. The scented dry ice is poured table side and will scent the entire dome like a forest. The meringue mushroom is just the cutest touch!
The Secret Garden at H Tasting Lounge – How To Reserve
Reservations are subject to a $100 deposit that is prepaid at the time of making your reservation. The prepaid deposit will be refunded to you on the day of your booking. The minimum spend (not including taxes and gratuity):
- Dinner Weeknights: $300
- Dinner Friday & Saturday: $500
- Lunch Weekdays: $150
- Lunch Weekends: $300
Each panoramic dome is equipped with independent sound systems, adjustable heaters and dimmable lighting and can seat up to 6 people. Book your experience here.