Three days into our trip, we had eaten excellent Indian, Cambodian, Chinese and seafood, but still lacked a truly unique meal. We found our singular experience on the West End at Dolly Watts’ Liliget Feast House, “the only restaurant in North America with Northwest First Nations cuisine.” Raised in the interior of British Columbia, she introduced the aboriginal food of her youth to Vancouver over 11 years ago. The entrance to the distinctive subterranean restaurant sports a mural by Skoda. The awning features the owner’s supernatural white owl family crest.
A decorative “canoe” contains portions of alder grilled wild salmon, butter-pecan bay scallops, mussels, marinated duck breast, marinated rosemary venison strips and buffalo smokies (AKA sausages), sweet potato tarts topped with shaved hazelnuts, a wild rice medley, seasonal vegetables like corn and zucchini, wild blueberry sauce (for the meats) and dill sauce (for the seafood). I’m exhausted just describing Liliget’s Feast Platter.
According to the menu, “In ancient times, this dessert was whipped by hand inside the feast house. First the Chief dipped his wooden spoon into the big bowl of sopalalli mouse. Afterwards, those with lower status dipped their spoons into the bowl. The bushes usually nestle under jack pine trees. They have fragrant, velvety leaves and the bush is about 4 feet high. The berries are picked while green, pink, orange and red. They can be whipped from a puree with water and sugar and topped with blackberry-apple syrup in a sugar rimmed glass.” The dessert was interesting, but not really my thing. Still, I’m glad I ordered it instead of another slice of chocolate cake.
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