Restaurant Review: The Southern Charm of H2 Kitchen and Bar

Vancouver’s legendary Westin Bayshore Hotel. Photo courtesy of Westin Bayshore Hotel.

Digest this little fun fact trivia: fifty one years ago in 1972, worldwide famous celebrity and eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes decided to check into Vancouver’s legendary Westin Bayshore Hotel. Back in the day, billionaires weren’t common, let alone eccentrics! Nevertheless, it was truly an historic time for a small port city like Vancouver in those days. Vancouver was still developing in the 70’s and decades away from Expo 86 and the Winter Olympics 2010. Having someone of international stature as Howard Hughes was certainly quite a coup and a publicity boost for Vancouver or even Canada for that matter in the 70’s. 

A partial image of what is now known as the Howard Hughes suite at the Westin Bayshore Hotel. Photo courtesy of Westin Bayshore Hotel.

Sceptics say that Howard Hughes chose to hibernate in the Westin Bayshore Hotel in Vancouver to avoid taxes but whatever his true motives were, Howard Hughes for sure (deep down in his heart) felt that Westin Bayshore Hotel in Vancouver was a safe refuge for him at that time,  otherwise he wouldn’t have stayed for almost six months if it weren’t enjoyable and safe for him! Apparently, he even attended a Canucks game but that remains to be proven. 

As a child in the early 80’s in Vancouver, I had the wonderful privilege of indulging at Trader Vic’s at the Westin Bayshore Hotel as a pre-teen — our Mom used to take us there for lunch or dinner as a family. It definitely brings me memories of anything that’s Hawaiian at its height — the food, the decor, and the live music. Westin Bayshore’s Trader Vic’s was definitely an instant hit to Vancouver because it offered Polynesian meals with alcohol. It was an upscale cuisine that didn’t have to be French but was nevertheless popular with Vancouver’s business crowd and its elite. But that was way back during my pre-teens in the 80’s — which was definitely nostalgic! 

Vancouver’s legendary Westin Bayshore Hotel. Photo courtesy of Westin Bayshore Hotel.

Fast forward 51 years later in 2023, Westin Bayshore Hotel has a restaurant named after the billionaire eccentric himself and cleverly named their restaurant as H2 Kitchen and Bar, which opened to the public in 2016. To be honest, before booking my private function at the Westin Bayshore Hotel’s restaurant, I did an extensive research and found a couple of  not so favourable reviews, one of which criticized the hotel’s choice to name its restaurant after the eccentric billionaire, which I found absolutely petty!

I’m not easily dissuaded by someone’s opinion so I went ahead and booked my private function at Westin Bayshore Hotel’s signature restaurant, H2 Kitchen and Bar. As a Lifestyle Columnist for Canada’s largest and most influential Filipino Canadian news website and newspaper, I am proud to say that I have only written restaurant reviews based on my actual experiences on each of the restaurants that I wrote reviews on. Also, I only choose restaurants of impeccable reputation.

In the past, I’ve only written actual restaurant reviews on Vancouver’s finest restaurants such as Le Crocodile, Kobe Japanese Steakhouse, Nightingale, Carlino’s, to name a few. Please allow me to share with you my first hand experience that I had with Westin Bayshore Hotel’s H2 Restaurant and Bar.

Pit master Chef Homer Baisa of Westin Bayshore Hotel H2 Kitchen and Bar. Photo courtesy of Westin Bayshore Hotel.

Why choose H2 Kitchen and Bar? According to Westin Bayshore Hotel’s website, H2 Kitchen and Bar was “designed by Pitmaster Chef Homer Baisa, H2 Kitchen and Bar’s evolving menu is an explosion of flavour, featuring grilled and smoked new additions, including brisket, rotisserie chicken, pulled pork, and side ribs. You have to experience their family-style comfort foods from their modern dining hall or expansive garden-side terrace overlooking the Coal Harbour Marina and the North Shore Mountains.” Truly, what more could one ask for?

Denis Durand, Assistant Restaurant Manager of Westin Bayshore H2 Kitchen and Bar. Photo courtesy of Denis Durand.

Immaculate Service. When I first reached out to Westin Bayshore about booking a private dinner at their signature restaurant, H2 Restaurant and Bar, I was immediately referred to their Restaurant Managers and was given their email addresses. From the moment I reached out to Denis Durand, H2 Restaurant and Bar’s Assistant Restaurant Manager down to the final execution of my private dinner event, everything was organised close to perfection! A huge thanks and appreciation to Denis and his team. Denis communicated with me all throughout the whole process on booking and organising my private dinner event. He was totally hands on and extremely helpful. He suggested wines to choose from and the whole three course menu. At the same time, he was transparent with me in regard to letting me know about their ongoing crisis at that time — a possible employee strike.

Outdoor patio of H2 Kitchen and Bar. Photo courtesy of Westin Bayshore Hotel.

Denis kept me on the loop and updated the whole time on the status of the hotel employees’ imminent strike. All throughout, Denis remained positive that the Management will reach an amicable agreement with the Union and the employees. As a former hotelier myself, I’ve always been cognizant of the Westin brand. I’ve always known that the Westin Group of Hotels were not limited to the top notch quality of products and services they offer; they are also well-known for being fair employers and always on the lookout for the well-being of their employees. Indeed, I was right. In a short time, Westin Bayshore Hotel reached a fair and a mutually beneficial agreement with its employees. Thus, our private dinner event went smoothly. Yay! 

Printed personalised set menu. Photo courtesy of the author.

I have to give a five star salute to Denis Durand in handling my requests and making sure that my private dinner event is handled correctly. Before the event itself, Denis had a meeting with the entire staff and relayed my special requests and instructions. I must say that on the night of the event, the service was utterly faultless and smooth. It was what I expected from a Westin brand of hotel and restaurant service. 

Our food attendant for that evening, Renee delivered the utmost service anyone could have hoped and wished for. Also, Denis rolled up his sleeves; he also helped on serving our group with drinks and food. Westin Bayshore sure does an impressive job of training their staff! Denis and his team delivered an exemplary service! Kudos!

Mionetto Sparkling Wine. Photo courtesy of the author.

Perfect Start of the evening with bubbly and a delicious surprise! Denis recommended that our group start our evening with Mionetto Prosecco Treviso Brut and I must say, it was a great recommendation! This award-winning Prosecco did not disappoint! It offered vivid fruit character and persistent effervescence. You can definitely detect notes of Asian pear, honey with pleasant stone fruit, chocolate and mineral hints. 

This bubbly Prosecco was served with mouthwatering and delicious Chicharonnes. This classic Westin Bayshore version of Chicharonnes is served as deep-fried pork skin which is from the pork belly and is excellently seasoned and marinated in its own fat until the skin is crispy to flawlessness. It came with chilli and vinegar sauce on the side. It was a treat to find out that Westin employs Filipino chefs in their team and were given a free hand to showcase diversity by presenting a Filipino dish! That’s amazing! 

Chicharonnes. Photo courtesy of the author.

Three selections of exquisite appetisers. For our group’s appetisers, we were given a choice of three starters: smoked kalbi short ribs — tender ribs seasoned in cucumbers, scallions, and sesame seeds served with atchara pickles; firecracker shrimps — jalapeño shrimps seasoned with sesame seeds and scallions and chilies; SoCal greens — fresh field greens with goat’s cheese, strawberries pecan pralines, avocados, red onions, radishes and Dijon maple dressing. 

Personally, I chose the firecracker shrimps and it was cooked just the way I like it! The shrimps were crunchy and the flavours were outstanding! My husband chose the SoCal greens and again, it did not disappoint. It was refreshing and all the ingredients tasted organic and healthy. One of our guests chose the smoked kalbi short ribs and according to her, the ribs were meaty and moist and it arrived with that distinctive sweet smoky smell. 

Firecracker shrimps. Photo courtesy of the author.

So Cal Greens. Photo courtesy of the author.

Kalbi short ribs. Photo courtesy of the author.

H2 Kitchen and Bar lives up to its reputation as Vancouver’s best Southern style Cuisine and smokehouse restaurant. For our private dining event, we were given four different main courses to choose from: Cab Smoked Beef Brisket served with waffle fries and coleslaw; Rotisserie Chicken served with mashed potatoes and market vegetables; Pan-seared Salmon served with succotash and smoked yoghurt chimichurri; Ribs and Chicken combo served with Macaroni Cheese and homemade cornbread. One of my closest friends chose the Cab smoked beef brisket and she said the meat was cooked tender with saporous seasonings; my husband had the Rotisserie chicken and he was delighted that it was not dry; it was exceptionally succulent; and it was flavoured to sublimity! 

One of the guys had the Pan-seared salmon and noted how fresh and briny it was and had a buttery and creamy flavour which melted in his mouth. For myself, I chose the Ribs and chicken combo and I devoured my main course with much gusto! The ribs are lean and the meat came off the bones so easily! The sauce complemented the natural delicious taste of the ribs. The chicken had a crispy skin on the outside and the most tender, juicy meat on the inside! Oh, the ideal combination of ribs and chicken was totally out of this world! I kid you not. I’m not exaggerating!

Cab smoked beef brisket. Photo courtesy of the author.

Chicken Rotisserie. Photo courtesy of the author.

Ribs. Photo courtesy of the author.

Wild salmon. Photo courtesy of the author.

Impeccable choice of Wines. For our wines, Denis highly recommended the Dorrance Cinsault Rosé ‘21 and the Chenin Blanc Voigner  white wine. Both wines were a perfect choice to go with our chosen main courses. It suited the sunny weather and both were of great quality blends. The Chenin Blanc is medium bodied and crisp, showing elegant honeydew on the palate whereas the Dorrance Cinsault Rosé was smooth and elegant with summer fruit flavours. 

Banana pudding jar. Photo courtesy of the author.

Martha’s Mississippi Mud Pie. Photo courtesy of the author.

Apple Caramel Cheesecake. Photo courtesy of the author.

Ending on a sweet note. For desserts, we had three choices of the very best of H2’s dessert options! Our private dinner definitely ended on a high and sweet note. We had three choices to indulge in: Banana pudding jar, which is essentially a butter cake made of pecan praline beautifully presented on a jar; Martha’s Mississippi Mud Pie, which is a perfect concoction of frozen mocha mousse, chocolate cookie crust and homemade espresso crumble; and Apple Caramel Cheesecake, which is a New York style cheesecake with vanilla shortbread crust, stewed apples, oat crumble, served with vanilla ice cream and brandy snap. 

One of my friends ordered Martha’s Mississippi mud pie and she attested that the unique combination of frozen mocha mousse and cookie crust was akin to being in heaven on earth! My husband had the Apple Caramel cheesecake and he said it was awesome and that the density was just right. As for me, I couldn’t stop eating my Banana pudding jar, it totally mesmerised me and it wasn’t sickly sweet at all — it had just the right amount of sweetness to it! Do you know that feeling of being comatose because you indulged in sinfully delicious food? Yup, that night, I was totally guilty of that! 

At the Poolside of H2 Kitchen and Bar. Photo courtesy of Westin Bayshore Hotel.

The Ambiance. We were incredibly fortunate to book our table at the poolside during summer. It was such a fun and invigorating experience overall! The duo who sang live outdoors was amazing! They sang such pop contemporary hits like “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus which had all of us ladies dancing on our feet!  I am quite surprised that with all these wonderful offerings, H2 Kitchen and Bar seems (to my group and I), a hidden gem waiting to be discovered by the rest of Vancouverites! We are just so fortunate to have experienced the best of the very best which is (surprisingly) still largely unknown to most Vancouverite foodies. Imagine dining amidst the poolside, the beautiful gardens, and vibrant live music — utterly precious! Suffice to say, we were all extremely impressed. 

You should definitely try what we experienced during summer but even in winter, I can definitely assure you (also based on our past dining experience), H2 Kitchen and Bar will still captivate you and your guests indoors with their live bands, unblemished service and delicious food. To be honest, H2 Kitchen and Bar is a notch above its neighbour restaurants, Cardero’s and Lift Bar Grill (incidentally, the owner of Lift is a neighbour of my Mom’s). And to think that I used to frequent Cardero’s and Lift Bar Grill! 

Indoor dining of H2 Kitchen and Bar. Photo courtesy of Westin Bayshore Hotel.

As an avid restaurant reviewer, please take it from me when I say that we (my guests and I) totally rate H2 Kitchen and Bar a plus five-star review — it definitely far exceeded our expectations and moreover, the sterling service came from the heart — you can’t beat that. 

I used to be a hotelier with vast work experience from the best of the very best. I used to work for the Peninsula Hotels Group, the Sofitel Hotels Group, and the Rosewood Hotels Group. These hotels offer you the utmost leisure when it comes to food, beverages and services. And now, I have to add to these hotels, The Westin Hotels Group. Indeed, the Westin Bayshore Hotel in Vancouver will not dash your hopes when it comes to delivering the finest in food, beverages, and services. 

Delicious smoked meats at H2 Kitchen and Bar. Photo courtesy of Westin Bayshore Hotel.

Vancouverites, what are you waiting for? I say, be more adventurous and get out of your usual Yaletown dining haunts, and head towards the Coal Harbour neighbourhood! Hello, the universe is summoning you towards H2 Kitchen and Bar — a genuinely fun and delectable culinary journey to be had! By the way, this is not a paid advertisement; I’m just a gal who is a foodie by heart. I always want to share my true to life adventures as a foodie. I love eating and I love to pamper myself with five star service.

My column “Maria in Vancouver” aims to share with you real life experiences when it comes to food, beverages, services, health, wellness, and travel — a lifestyle which I’m truly at home with having been a hotelier and a restaurateur with over twenty years’ of work history.

Vancouver’s legendary Westin Bayshore Hotel. Photo courtesy of Westin Bayshore Hotel.

Thus, I leave you with this delicious food for thought by the CEO of Zappos, Tony Hsieh: “Customer service shouldn’t just be a department, it should be the entire company.” And if I may boldly add: To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity — which the Westin Group of Hotels certainly has. Most especially, the Westin Bayshore Hotel in Vancouver. And based on our recent dining escapade, I can honestly say that my friends and I had an absolute blast dining at H2 Kitchen and Bar! A truly memorable culinary adventure indeed.