Wolf in the Fog, Marvelous Rustic Cuisine (Vancouver Elective 2015)

Tucked away on the corner of Vancouver Island in the surfer-town of Tofino lies one of the best restaurants in Canada. As showcased in Air Canada's enRoute Magazine for Top New Restaurants of 2014, Wolf in the Fog takes a fresh approach to local BC ingredients and marries them with professional methods and whimsical combinations. With such an introduction, I knew I had to take a weekend trip to Tofino to visit!

Found in the heart of Tofino, one could look for a magnificent two story wooden building with a howling wolf; or follow the aroma of roasted meats and seafood wafting through the city. The restaurant looks simple enough from the outside, but a sense of sophistication is seen inside with a cavernous bar overlooking the den area with more reserved formal seating upstairs. The surfer ideology is in full effect here too with numerous surf videos playing on loop while a record player sang 80s and 90s tunes through the restaurant.

Encapsulating the breadst of ingredients available, Chef Nutting goes foraging and fishing himself for the freshest local fare to utilize in his food to create Wolf in the Fog's eclectic and whimsical menu. The menu is divided into three categories: small appetizer plates, larger single serving plates or massive sharing platters. The dishes can only be described as unique but not overly complex, mixing charred squid with grapefuirt and cilantro or fusing moroccan spices into octopus and chickpeas. Chef Nutting's quirky personality comes through in the elegant menu, allowing customers to purchase a "six pack for the kitchen" or "add foie gras to anything". And it is this whimsical sense of adventure that ultimately makes the menu work giving diners a feeling of anticipation for each upcoming dish.

The lightly cooked fish in the Tuna Ceviche were combined expertly with tomato, celery and mushrooms in a creamy dill and basil sauce. I was less enthused with the bok choy vehicle which added too much crunchiness and overtook the dish a bit without imparting any flavour. Thankfully the incredibly tender and fresh tuna could be enjoyed by itself here without the unneeded bok choy.

The star of the meal was the Wild Tofino Salmon. The freshness of the three huge fillets of tender salmon was on full display here with each bite into the ruby red flesh bursting with flavour and tasted of the sea. Finished simply with brown butter, the dish is served with a side of crunchy wild rice and bacon which added a nice fatty contrast to the luxurious salmon. Cutting through the fat are freshly picked summer berries and wild mushrooms, adding a gentle sweetness to compliment the salmon and bacon. Incredible.

The combination of Charred Humboldt Squid with grapefruit and cilantro was a novel idea that actually worked nicely. Sounding like a broken record, the tender fresh squid was the highlight here and was cooked perfectly to showcase its meatiness but avoided being chewy. A touch of acid from the grapefruit was necessary to cut through the aroma and richness of the cilantro and basil sauce. Tucked underneath the squid is a medley of thinly sliced vegetables, giving a crunchy aspect to the dish.

Their pasta of the day was a Gigli with pancetta, grapes, onion and eggplant in a red wine sauce. The charred eggplant seems simple at first but luxuriously melts in your mouth from its inherent creaminess and from the addition of parmesan. Cutting through it is much needed fattiness from the pancetta which added a richness to the perfectly cooked pasta. The most surprisingly aspect though were the small balls of grapes which burst in your mouth to give a tart and sweet component to the dish. Marvelous.

The Potato Crusted Oyster is a visual site to behold. Almost too pretty to eat, the oyster is wrapped with the thin slices of potato and deep fried to perfection. And while the oyster was cooked well and tasted fine, it is the toppings that make the dish fly. A combination of corn, avocado and cilantro add freshness and creaminess to interject the greasiness from frying while roasted poblano peppers give a needed spicy kick.

Since there were five of us at the table we went with each dessert option. From left to right, we enjoyed a rich and fruit Citrus Parfait with a limoncello sauce and topped with strawberries, a divine Sticky Toffee Sundae with vanilla ice cream and candied pecans, a rich Tofino Blackout 2.0 featuring chocolate cake with milk chocolate gelato and finally a Butterscotch Brulee with a raspberry gelato topping.

Wolf in the Fog represents the perfect marriage of local fresh ingredients with new age haute cuisine methods and combinations. From the eclectic atmosphere to the shockingly fresh seafood to the shockingly unique ingredient choices, Wolf in the Fog truly was a world class dining experience and one that residents of Tofino should be proud of and thankful to have. All lovers of good food must eat here.