I was invited to try the menu at Cavu so the meal was complimentary.
The restaurants at suburban airport hotels usually aren’t great. I don’t know if they’re supposed to be but if they are, why do they always serve the same bland, monotonous menu? The restaurant that used to be at the Hilton in Richmond was like that. I ate there once, even took pictures but found it so uninspired that I couldn’t be bothered. It was just a thousand or so square feet of restaurant.
Looking to revitalize the space, the Hilton Vancouver Airport Hotel did a little renovating and late into 2014, opened Cavu Kitchen Bar. Helmed by Chef Alex Hancock, the menu now contains a little intrigue. Admittedly, I didn’t expect much given previous experiences but when I visited for the media opening, there were several dishes (bites of them as hors d’oeuvres anyways) that were not only interesting but absolutely delicious so I was excited to make an actual visit for dinner service.
The place is modern and contemporary with a few interesting design elements here and there but not as captivating visually as some other fine dining restaurants in Vancouver. It’s a safe choice if you’re taking clients out for dinner but if you’re planning a night out, you might be left wanting when it comes to ambiance. This isn’t a fault of the restaurant or the food but I’ll put it like this. If you head to The Roof or ARC, you’re treated to a shining view of Vancouver’s cityscape. Even the best window at Cavu just gets you a look at a Chrysler dealership and a car wash. You’re squarely in the ‘burbs.
On the other hand, the menu is great and you’d probably be paying much more for it if Cavu was located in downtown Vancouver rather than downtown Richmond. There’s enough that’s familiar that it’s not going to be off-putting to anyone but there’s also a bit of a twist on each dish so that adventurous diners won’t be left bored.
We started with some flatbread with three different little spreads: marinated tomatoes, hummus and what I think were mushrooms? The tomatoes were my favorite, bright and sweet, great with the crispy, lightly grilled bread.
The “Hot Mess” wings were probably the most conventional thing we had for dinner but no one ever turns down chicken wings. These huge, meaty suckers were cooked perfectly and even though I usually wouldn’t choose buffalo-style sauce, it was rather good. Not too sour with a considerably spicy edge.
I’ve been raving about this Tandoori Spiced Calamari for weeks after having it at the opening party, where I kept my head on a swivel trying to spot the servers circulating with this on their plates. Quite simply, it’s sublime…a perfect combination that I’ve never had before. The calamari is soft and springy with a delicious, crispy coating and a just-right amount of seasoning. I can’t recommend this enough. You simply have to try this if you’re at Cavu.
Onto entrees, the Portuguese Fisherman’s Stew is full of lobster and prawns in a delicious, tangy tomato coconut broth. It’s easy to overdo seafood in stews but everything here tastes great. Perfectly seasoned and fantastic with a little jasmine rice.
This Charred Skin Wild Salmon…well, it’s flat out beautiful. Look at the grill marks on that fish! The salmon itself is amazing…just starting to flake, translucent and moist in the middle. The soy mirin broth under it was slightly too rich for my liking, even when paired with a meaty, substantial fish like grilled salmon and I wasn’t a fan of the rice rolls either. I thought they weren’t the right match for the fish in this dish but the salmon itself is delicious.
After all that, we didn’t have much room for dessert but we poked around this combination of ice cream, creme brule and some sort of pumpkin bread pudding enough to get a taste. The creme brule is nice, not too sweet but I’m not a fan of pumpkin (no matter what season it is…just because it’s Autumn doesn’t mean we suddenly all have to eat pumpkin!) so I didn’t really like the bread pudding but all the people that order pumpkin spice lattes might beg to differ.
Cavu is an excellent replacement for the boredom that used to be at the Vancouver Hilton. For the most part, the menu is interesting, executed well and delicious. The place could use a little x-factor…maybe a little live music or something to improve the ambiance, to take away from the keen awareness that you’re in a hotel restaurant but Cavu is a good bet for a good meal that won’t break your wallet.
