ARC restaurant (previously Herons)

Restaurant: ARC

Cuisine: Western

Phone: (604) 691-1818
Location: Fairmont Waterfront, Downtown
Address: 900 Canada Place Way
Price Range: $40-50 (Mains $30-40)

I've always found the Fairmont Hotels & Resorts to be quite the beast - Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, Fairmont Pacific Rim, and Fairmont Waterfront are all within a couple of blocks in the heart of downtown Vancouver. How is the company able to sustain all three in such close proximity to each other?!?! Let it be noted that my personal favorite is the Fairmont Pacific Rim :) 

But today, I ventured to the Waterfront location for a meal and new experience. On the heels of a $12 million renovation, I had high expectations for the evening - hopefully the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel had elevated its game from the sad, drab looking restaurant that was Heron's. Heron's was quite unimpressive, dingy, and frankly looked like its target clientele was the middle-aged between 40-65 years of age.

So I was pleasantly surprised to see the revamped restaurant, (now renamed Arc) and its modern, chic interior. It had a younger vibe; there was plenty of natural light, and a gorgeous view of the entire harbor.

I had made a reservation for 2 for 5:30pm and arrived promptly; however to my disappointment, the hostess essentially ignored my presence and kept yapping on the phone for a good few minutes before finally acknowledging me. I was unamused and she didn't even apologize for the wait.

Walking to my table, I passed by some businessmen engrossed in deep conversation, a family having a casual dinner, and some people just chatting over drinks. Overall, it just seemed just like a pleasant atmosphere to relax and have a nice dinner, whether on a date or with friends. My waitress was okay - she was a bit terse and not as friendly as I would have preferred. 

... onto the food :P

deconstructed crab salad ($17)
with celeriac panna cotta & toasted brioche crumble

This was interesting - deconstructed dishes seem to be all the 'rage' in culinary practice nowadays. So this dish caught my eye and as much as it was nice for a summer's meal, I'm not sure I would enjoy it as much in the winter. 

The crab was fresh as expected, but what intrigued me was the panna cotta. It was smooth and delicious and although I'm traditionally accustomed to panna cotta as a dessert, it worked well. I found the brioche crumble detracted from the dish - it didn't mesh well with the other elements of the appetizer. There was some sort of apple-based gelée or foam, which provided a nice citrus taste to the salad. However, I feel in a crab salad - the *star* of the dish, should be the crab - but in this case, it was overshadowed by the panna cotta and other elements. So it was kind of a waste of perfectly good Dungeness crab in my opinion.

roast rack of Yakima Valley lab ($38)
with morels, English peas, and tendrils

poached asparagus ($12)
with a soft poached hen's egg and truffle hollandaise

Pemberton tenderloin of beef oscar ($39)
with tarragon béarnaise & grilled asparagus
& complementary bread buns with tomato jam & rosemary cream

The mains definitely impressed. The meat was tender and cooked to perfection. The asparagus was juicy. Again, I don't particularly understand why in Western society, chefs love to smother seafood or meat in general with sauces that completely overpower the natural taste and aroma of the meat (ie. gravy). In this case, I feel the crab was once again 'lost' in the béarnaise. The buns provided were warm and soft. 

It was at this point when the restaurant manager forayed over to our table and asked us how our food was. We told him it was excellent. I appreciated the fact that he asked for our opinion. It sometimes is frustrating because when you are 'young', people often don't take your opinion as seriously, so it was nice touch to see that he appreciated our honest opinion.

During the entire meal, there was live music/entertainment. A one-man band, who sang classic after classic like "Don't Dream It's Over" by Crowded House, all by his lonesome with him and his guitar. Words cannot describe how much more it added to the entire experience. It was just a touch above - beautiful and I was entranced by his voice - I would come back just for drinks and enjoy the live music.

And finally dessert -

bag of doughnuts, shaken not stirred ($8)
with fruit and jelly dips

The dessert... was arguably definitely the highlight of the meal. These individual doughnuts/donuts... shaken up in the bag right in front of you (good food & a show, what more can you ask for!) were scrumptious. I could eat 10 of them. They were beignet-like: fluffy and delicious and warm and made me go all happy inside.

The dips and jams that came with the doughnuts - a passionfruit purée, a raspberry compote/jam, and a mascarpone cream - were divineeeeeeeee! They were literally so delicious that we just ate the creams and jams directly from the tiny jars when there was no more doughnut to accompany them. Heavenly. Definitely a nice way to end the meal.

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Overall, my experience at Arc was positive. I liked the new, modern, refurbished interior. The live music was fantastic. I would definitely come back to grab a drink with some friends to catch-up and have a chat, while enjoying good music and some donuts. With respect to the cuisine, the donuts were undoubtedly the highlight of the meal. The meats were cooked well; however, I feel like the use of hollandaise on the asparagus and crab was unnecessary, but that might be a personal preference.

Ranking (/5):

Food: 3.5

Service: 3.5
Ambiance: 4.5
Overall: 4

Additional Comments: I find the food okay, nothing too outstanding. I would totally come back for some donuts and drinks, while enjoying the live music.