October 1, 2023
Five Sails, located in the Pan Pacific hotel in Vancouver was not my first choice of restaurant. I really wanted to go to Miku, because sushi in Vancouver has never disappointed. By the time I was ready to make a reservation, though, the only time slot open was 9:00 pm. I’m in my 50s. Eating that late results in gustatory distress, a sleepless night, and really, really weird nightmares. Five Sails had the perfect window at 6:30.
We had low expectations, given that the restaurant is in a hotel, on Coal harbour, in Vancouver. I had looked at the menu after I made the reservation and was not exactly excited. But with three cruise ships in port on the same day, there was really no other place we could go.
TL;DR Five Sails should really be Michelin-starred.
The hostess could not have been less interested in us or her job. She had the air of absolute boredom and aloofness. Jeff and I exchanged a look. This did not bode well.
Our table was weird. An oval shape, with one chair on the long side and the other on the short side. I took the short side, leaving Jeff to sit on on the long side, like a king at the head table. The seating is deliberately placed so that everyone can take advantage of the view of Coal Harbour.
One drinks were ordered, we were brought an amuse bouche with fabulous presentation. This was an unexpected surprise. On the plates: scallop ceviche, Dungeness crab profiterole and a tart that was some kind of tomato jam. All had a unique taste and they did not mingle in my mouth. By that I mean the flavours were vivid on my palette, even if I didn’t cleanse with water.
The warm bread was tasty; the nutritional yeast butter it came with was underwhelming. I was hoping for a cheesy popcorn flavour. Nope. 7/10 for the bread; 5/10 for the butter.
We shared the Bisque for our appetizer. Lobster and prawn broth with dungeness crab croquettes. The menu states there is claw meat salad, but if it was in the bowl, it was lost. From the first spoonful, I thought if Ariel (from The Little Mermaid) hosted a meal, this is what it would taste like. The seafood flavour of the broth is rich and briny. The croquette is melt-in-your-mouth sweet. Extra points to the waiter (Raymond) who knew we were sharing and plated the bisque separately. Oh, and in a lovely touch, the bowl was hot (not burning hot, but just right) and the server poured the soup around the croquette. 10/10
For dinner, we splurged on the chateaubriand (at time of publication, $170 CAD for two). Oh. my. fucking. god. We flew to Vancouver and had the BEST ALBERTA BEEF we’ve had in a long time. And we live in Calgary. This tenderloin was cooked to perfection. The merlot au jus was full-bodied, but not overpowering, but the pièce de résistance was the salt. Five Sails has a selection of sea salts they will add to your plate. I chose the smoked sea salt, the blueberry sea salt, and the chanterelle sea salt (Jeff chose smoked and chanterelle). The blueberry fell flat, with no discernible taste, but the smoked…OH MY GOD THE SMOKED SALT!!! This was everything. I contemplated creating a distraction so I could steal the cellar. The chanterelle was also tasty, very delicate and a bit lost under the influence of the merlot au jus. The mashed potato and vegetables were like second class citizens to the tenderloin. And I completely forgot to look for the braised short rib ragout (it was hiding under the mash) until my husband declared how delicious it was. He was right. 10/10
I’m just going to gloss over the pistachio semifreddo my husband ordered for dessert, because it was not the star at the finish line. I will say that the pistachio flavour was pronounced and woven into the mousse-like cake, not sprinkled on top as garnish.
My dessert, however, was a show stopper. The images speak for themselves. As soon as I saw this apple, my first thought was “Surely this is the apple the witch presented to Snow White”. It is truly a work of art from presentation to palate. The red apple is actually a white chocolate shell. Inside the shell is sable Breton, which I now know is how to describe the texture of the cake/cookie interior. The cake was crumbly like sand (sable in French) with a subtle buttery taste (hence Breton for Bretagne, the butter mecca of Brittany). Wrapped inside that was an apple and passion fruit compote. I was digging it out and scooping it up with crème anglaise and letting it rest on my tongue. I wanted to extend the experience, which is weird, since I am not a fan of anything stuffed or baked with apples. So why did I order this? Because I saw it come to another table and had to know what it was and try it. You’re welcome.
If it’s in your budget, I would put Five Sails on your must-try list. I am still wondering how this place doesn’t yet have a Michelin star, but also grateful it’s still under the radar and easy to get a reservation.
Overall rating: 10/10
Five Sails – 999 Canada Pl Suite 410, Vancouver, BC