Christine’s is probably my favourite dining space in the area – simply because the views are fantastic and the interior is upscale but still laid back enough to come in ski-wear and not feel self conscious. To be honest, I’d come here anyway even if I wasn’t skiing just for the view and the food.
We started off with a couple of drinks – Amy ordered the Gin Royale Caesar and I ordered the Elderflower Mimosa.
As you can see, the Gin Royale Caesar is stacked! It’s made with gin, Motts Clamato and horseradish. It’s then topped with pickled green beans, olives, a pickled pepper and a gin-infused beef stick. This is all you’d want in a caesar!
The Elderflower Mimosa is made with prosecco, St. Germain Elderflower liqueur and freshly squeezed orange juice. As Mugatu once said, Elderflower is so hot right now! It’s literally popping up everywhere and I am for it because it’s a great addition to many of the drinks I’ve had in the recent months.
Our first dish is the BBQ Duck Salad – I had this previously and it was one of my favourites. Created with nicely, almost caramelized bbq duck slices and topped with green papaya, hoisin, sesame, citrus and taro – it’s the whole package. Crunchy, savoury, refreshing, sweet and salty all in one go.
Up next is the Scallop Ceviche. It definitely is a colourful dish! There are so many nice and bright flavours here – lime, watermelon and pickled onion. But also some more neutral flavours to balance the dish out including sunflower, avocado and some puffed rice. Not too tangy, but still very enjoyable, I loved the colour in this dish and the items used to make the flavours bright as well.
Our next dish is the Burrata. With different heirloom tomatoes, proscuitto and an assortment of summer herbs all atop a grilled flatbread, the burrata is in good company. Burrata is one of my favourite Italian indulgences. To have it paired with delicious and fresh tomatoes and tender and not too salty proscuitto is just perfecto.
The Crispy Chickpea Falafel is next, served with spiced yogurt, raw milk feta, dill, cucumber and nigella seed. The dish is interestingly plated. The falafel itself is crispy without being greasy and had a good density to it. This serves as a great appetizer.
Up next were our main dishes: Seared Albacore, Charred 48-Hour Short Rib, Slow Cooked Wild Salmon and the Vietnamese Pork Burger.
The Seared Albacore is served with soft cooked eggs, heirloom tomatoes, edamame, asparagus and deep fried scallions on top. There was a great amount of albacore in this dish, I was definitely not expecting this much. The tuna was delicate and broke apart easily with a fork into meaty pieces. I appreciated the softer flavours here, the lemon ranch sauce brightens up the dish but doesnt overtake the taste of the freshness.
The Short Rib is as mentioned, charred and marinated for 48 hours. It’s served with a jalapeno cheddar corn bread, marinated kale, crispy onions sitting atop a maple BBQ sauce. The short rib is tender and pulls away easily with a fork. The corn bread is dense and not too greasy. The pickles and kale give the dish a bit more crunch to it and the maple bbq sauce sweetens the entire flavour profile without being too loud.
The Slow Cooked Wild Salmon sits atop a bed of soba noodles and is tossed with pickled ginger, green apple, wild rice, sesame and mixed in a scallion vinaigrette. I am a big fan of salmon and having it so deliciously tender and moist is a treat. I liked the contrast of this dish in comparison to our other main dishes – as this one felt perfect for the summer months when you don’t necessarily want a hot or heavy dish.
Finally, the Vietnamese Pork Burger. Although my photo here doesn’t show it (I think I was pretty full at this point and my mind went on autopilot!), the pork burger consisted of crunchy carrot, cucumber, cilantro, grilled cabbage and smoked peanut. It’s topped off with a black pepper aioli and comes with a side of chips. This was definitely one of the highlights of our meal – full of flavour and juicy!
Like I said in the beginning, I really do love Christine’s and I do recommend visiting when you’re up there. It’s such a great spot not only for the view but for the food. Whistler Village has some good food options, but the food here is elevated – clearly in more ways than one!
For more information Christine’s on Blackcomb, check out their website here: https://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/the-village/dining/christines-restaurant
