Vancouver's Best Kept Culinary Secret

I have a secret, but it is so delicious I can’t keep it to myself. Take a mental walk with me. If we walk together West down Davie street towards the beach, we would surely see the London Drugs, the Starbucks, and the Safeway. If we were observant, we might catch Baba's Bakery & Deli or Balthazar’s. My secret is fast approaching, so pay attention. What is there? What? You see Swagat Indian Cuisine or the Best Western? Now you’ve gone too far. Surely we missed nothing, you say. There is nothing there. How many of you have walked that strip a million times and not noticed a tiny doorway leading down a thin stairwell into a subterranean feast house? This is my secret.

1724 Davie is merely a door on the street with an ordinary looking white awning. Peering in through the glass door reveals no clues of the interior. But step inside my friend and I will show you a feast to remember. The treasure within is Liliget Feast House: Authentic Git'ksan cuisine at it’s finest. What the heck is that, you ask? Chef and owner Dolly Watts explains: "The Git'ksan territory lies between the Rockies and the Pacific Ocean, with two great rivers, the Bulkley and the Skeena, spiraling among cedar, fir and cotton wood trees and sometimes hugging snow capped mountains. This is the land of the Gitwangak (my village), Gitinyow, Gitsegukela, Gitanmaax, and the Kispiox." Yes, we are talking Native Canadian Fine Dining. Never thought you’d hear that phrase uttered? Well, strap on your seat-belt, cause this is a ride into a tasty Canadian heritage you won’t soon forget!!

The dining room is supposed to evoke images of a Northwest Coast First Nations Longhouse interior; however, many Vancouverites (sushi crazy as we are) might be reminded of a traditional Japanese restaurant, with tables sunken into the floor and natural wood beams on a clean white background. But don’t be fooled. Some elements, like the winding pebble pathways between the tables, the wooden poles spaced throughout the restaurant like a quiet forest of tall trees, and the gorgeous art on the walls are 100 % native. As is the food.

Once seated, an immaculately groomed server in a vest bearing traditional Git-ksan images appears who brings a basket of fresh bannock with smoked salmon spread. If you get nothing else, TRY THIS BREAD! If you can’t decide what to have as a main course, glance around at the plates of the other well-dressed customers: there is the delicious, the exotic and the more exotic. Alder Grilled Wild Salmon and Halibut, Pacific Oysters and Mussels, Venison Strips, Buffalo Smokies, Duck Breast, High Country Wapiti (Elk), Wild Blueberry & Juniper Berry Sauces… what the heck, just get the Feast Platter and sample them all at once! The Feast Platter is not really a platter but more of a canoe, holding wild game and bounty from the sea alongside wild rice, mixed vegetables, and baked sweet potatoes with hazelnuts.

If you want to go really hardcore, try the Ha'gul Jam (Traditional Gitksan Salmon Soup) or the Crisp Kelp on Steamed Rice with Oolican Oil. But I warn you, they are like nothing you’ve had before, and that is not always a good thing. If you are less adventurous, stick to the "Main Entrees" paired with a nice wine and you will be just fine. Go ahead, take your sweetheart, your boss, your folks, or anyone visiting Vancouver who wants the real deal. Impress them with your insider’s knowledge, but just remember: you heard it here first.


Liliget Website

Story by Jen Ritchie