I just came back from a relaxing weekend trip to Whistler. After asking on Twitter where to eat, I was told by @MZinck to try Araxi Restaurant.

Araxi is part of the Top Table Group of restaurants: Cincin, Blue Water Cafe, Thierry and West are part of the same umbrella. Being in the same company of such an elite group of restaurants, I was expecting great things. I’m happy to report Araxi didn’t dissapoint.

The menu is local West Coast fare. It changes with the seasons and it carries ingredients from near by Pemberton Valley farms. The dishes are crafted to compliment their award-winning wine lists.

I was expecting the prices to be over the top, so I was pleasantly surprised to discover that their menu is at par with most  casual-fine dining restaurants.

Another thing that I loved was the service – it was flawless. Jake is still on the Paleo diet, and they accommodated him beautifully. We were treated like royalty here. The food was amazing. Up till now, the best burger I’ve ever had was at Hawksworth Restaurant in Vancouver, but after trying their  Canadian Angus Beef Burger ($19.50) served with crispy onions, spiced ketchup, aged cheddar in a house baked ciabatta bun and hand cut Pemberton kennebec fries… I gotta say, the burger at Araxi beats the Hawsworth burger hands down. Not only it was juicy and perfectly balanced… it was massive. I’m a big eater, and I had to take half of the burger home. The homemade spicy ketchup was a really nice touch.

It was the small details that made my visit extraordinary: our beef carpaccio had small cucumber pearls that are made individually by hand. (I kid you not). Everything from the butter to the ice cream is made in-house.  At the end of your meal the bill comes with complimetary petit four and macarons. It’s that attention to detail that’s made Araxi one of the top 50 best restaurants in Canada.

I highly recommend Araxi. This was one of the best dining experiences I’ve ever had. Check them out next time you’re in Whistler.

Follow them on twitter @araxirestaurant