{"id":928002,"date":"2026-10-10T17:12:13","date_gmt":"2026-10-10T17:12:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/928002\/"},"modified":"2026-10-10T17:12:13","modified_gmt":"2026-10-10T17:12:13","slug":"one-of-vancouvers-top-hotel-restaurants-just-got-a-new-chef-heres-what-to-expect-daily-hive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/928002\/","title":{"rendered":"One of Vancouver’s top hotel restaurants just got a new chef \u2014 here’s what to expect | Daily Hive"},"content":{"rendered":"

The team over at Botanist has received its fair share of accolades over the years, including being named on the list of North America\u2019s 50 Best Bars<\/a>. So when a restaurant goes through a shift in leadership, it\u2019s natural that some may be concerned about what changes will come to the dining destination. Thankfully, we\u2019re here to report that Botanist continues to shine under the leadership of new Executive Chef Amanda Healey.<\/p>\n

Healey takes over the role from Hector Laguna, who had been with the restaurant since it opened in 2017. Much like Botanist, Healey has seen her own fair share of accolades over the years.<\/p>\n

\"Executive<\/p>\n

Executive Chef Amanda Healey (Jamie-Lee Fuoco\/Botanist)<\/p>\n

She\u2019s worked in some of the world\u2019s most celebrated kitchens, most recently as sous chef at Oncore by Clare Smyth, which has earned and maintained a three-Chef Hat rating (which is Australia\u2019s highest culinary distinction). Prior to Oncore, she worked at Quay under Peter Gilmore and as executive chef at Mount Mulligan Lodge (a luxury resort in Australia which was named one of the 50 Greatest Luxury Hotels on Earth by Robb Report in 2025). Locally, she\u2019s worked in several kitchens, including Hawksworth Restaurant and the farm-to-table Royal Dinette as head chef.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been fortunate my entire career to have worked with some of the world\u2019s most talented chefs, learn from them, and be inspired by their vision,\u201d said Healey when she was appointed executive chef earlier this year. \u201cVancouver is one of the most memorable places I\u2019ve cooked because British Columbia offers such exceptional access to seasonal ingredients and fresh seafood. Returning to lead a restaurant like Botanist, which so deeply respects the West Coast, is an opportunity to reconnect with the region and create menus that reflect both my experience and the ingredients found here.\u201d<\/p>\n

So it\u2019s safe to say we weren\u2019t the least bit worried when we stopped by Botanist for dinner the other night.<\/p>\n

\"Botanist\"<\/p>\n

Interior of Botanist (Marco Ovies\/Dished)<\/p>\n

The room still has the same swanky, modern look to it, with its low lighting, plants (it is called Botanist, after all), and open kitchen with plenty of jars of pickled goodies on display. Service was also the same exceptional level that we have come to expect from the award-winning establishment.<\/p>\n

We opted to sample the tasting menu, and the kitchen sent us a couple of extra goodies from the regular menu (talk about perks of the job).<\/p>\n

Our meal started with\u00a0Asparagus and Elderflower\u00a0\u2014 poached green asparagus with \u201cbrew Creek\u201d elderflower pickled pear and hollandaise. This was one of those dishes that almost looked too good to eat (key word being almost). The slightly bitter asparagus perfectly balances itself out with the pool of creamy hollandaise.<\/p>\n

Given how renowned Botanist is for its cocktails, naturally we had to do some sampling of the beverage program.\u00a0The\u00a0Beekeeper\u00a0was an easy favourite, made with Canadian 100 per cent rye whisky alongside honey, lemon, candy cap mushrooms, and yellow chartreuse.<\/p>\n

We\u2019d be remiss if we didn\u2019t mention the wine program here too. The terroir-driven collection \u2014 overseen by Head Sommelier Matthew Jacobson \u2014 includes wines from regions like France, Italy, and Canada, with a focus on B.C. Our waitress for the evening was particularly excited about a lovely pinot noir from a Penticton winery named Little Engine with notes of strawberries and rose petals.<\/p>\n

With drinks officially taken care of, we moved on to our bread course, consisting of a lovely long-peppered brioche mini loaf made especially for the restaurant. This was quickly followed by a pasta titled Lobster and Caviar.<\/p>\n

Nova Scotia lobster tortellini was served with Meyer lemon and topped with a portion of osietra caviar. Obviously, with a pairing of lobster and caviar, this dish was delicious, but the team also nailed that perfect al dente cook on the pasta.<\/p>\n

\"Botanist\"<\/p>\n

Lobster and Caviar (Marco Ovies\/Dished)<\/p>\n

For folks looking to stray from the tasting menu, the Linguine and Truffles\u00a0are an easy recommendation. Not only is the dish stunning, with slices of truffles floating on a bed of parmesan velout\u00e9, but it had a gorgeous, rich taste to it (and made a perfect dish to dip your bread into).<\/p>\n

Our last savoury dish of the night was the\u00a0Beef, Peas, and Horseradish, consisting of P.E.I. Blue Dot beef striploin, peas, horseradish, and bone marrow jus. We were also presented with the\u00a0Lamb and Gnudi\u00a0off the regular menu. Perhaps even better than the Alberta lamb loin and ricotta gnudi were the little bites of lamb pancetta on our plate.<\/p>\n

\"Botanist\"<\/p>\n

Beef, Peas, and Horseradish (Marco Ovies\/Dished)<\/p>\n

\"Lamb<\/p>\n

Lamb and Gnudi (Marco Ovies\/Dished)<\/p>\n

Now we\u2019re already pretty familiar with Botanist\u2019s dessert game, having attended its seven-course dessert-for-dinner<\/a> event last year, so we weren\u2019t surprised when we were presented with equally delicious and fresh dessert courses to end our night (who could possibly complain about having sorbet and\u00a0ice cream at the same meal anyways?).<\/p>\n

The Orchards\u00a0served as a refreshing way to bridge us between the worlds of savoury and sweet with its roasted stone fruit sorbet. At the same time, the Strawberry and Lemon Verbena\u00a0leaned fully into the dessert course with a strawberry lemon verbena granita, chamomile namelaka, and strawberry milk ice cream. Then, in typical Botanist fashion, the team brought out a chef\u2019s selection of confections to round out the meal.<\/p>\n

\"botanist\"<\/p>\n

Strawberry and Lemon Verbena (Marco Ovies\/Dished)<\/p>\n

At the end of the day, we\u2019re happy to report that Botanist is still going strong under Healey\u2019s leadership. New dishes like the Lobster and Caviar and Lamb and Gnudi keep things interesting, but still respect the legacy that Botanist and Laguna have helped cultivate over the last nine years. We\u2019re excited to see where Healey takes the restaurant next.<\/p>\n

Address:\u00a01038 Canada Pl., Vancouver<\/p>\n

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