When David Wong was in Grade 8 and living in Nanaimo, on Vancouver Island, he won the Best Cook Award for his macaroni and cheese. 

Many years later, Wong has loftier awards to his name – including his Gold medal performance as part of Culinary Team Canada in 2006 and his "ninth place in the world" finish at the formidable 2009 Bocuse D’or competition in France.

So when we arrive at Oru Restaurant, located in the new Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel in Vancouver, I’m already salivating.

A Pan-Asian Eating Experience

When we open our elegant white leather menus, David Wong’s culinary passions are revealed. I can sense his penchant for authentic cuisine that honours its country of origin, as I scan through a slew of pan-asian dishes:

• Hot and sour tom yum broth from Thailand
• Nasi goreng from Indonesia
• Tandoor roasted chicken from India
• Grilled Korean short rib


Wong’s passionate about fresh, local ingredients, too. His pork, for example, comes from Sloping Hill Farm on near-by Vancouver Island.

I order a Four Set Lunch, where you choose four dishes— appetizer, salad, entrée and dessert—for $24. I dive in and choose my four dishes:

• BC Albacore Tuna Tataki
• Thai Chicken Salad
• Mou Shu Duck

• Silken Ganache Chocolate Tart

All four arrive simultaneously on a square plate that’s divided into four sections.

My verdict: the tuna is perfectly undercooked, while the chicken salad is just okay (I’ve had better). But the duck and the chocolate tart are divine.

The duck has been braised slowly and pieces of moist meat mingle with shitake mushrooms in a hoisin-plum sauce. On the side is a steamed bun, so light and tender it practically dissolves in my mouth.

The chocolate tart is rich but also light, and I deem it to be the perfect ending to a fairly substantial meal.

Open-Kitchen Style

The next day, we return for another lunch and sit closer to the action. Oru has a wide-open kitchen where you can see the chefs at work.

There are no flashing knives or flaming woks in sight; the food that comes from this kitchen has likely been simmered or slow cooked for hours on end. Everything is made from scratch. Heck, Wong and his fellow chefs even make their own tofu and ramen noodles.

On this day, we sit at the communal table. It’s perfect for the single traveller, as others can sit and join if they wish.

Excited to sample more of Wong’s culinary prowess, I’m try the ramen with braised pork belly ($15). A steaming bowl arrives, chock-full of noodles, big chucks of pork (Berkshire pig, to be exact), a poached egg, and topped with a square of dried seaweed.

The broth is rich and flavourful, while the pork is pure layers of meat and fat. You can’t be a fat phobe and enjoy this dish! After all, Berkshire pigs have more fat, resulting in marbled meat with more flavour than conventionally raised pork.

When Wong joins us for a quick chat, he explains that this ramen dish is the new comfort food. 

“It isn’t mac and cheese anymore,” he says.

And I’m grateful for that.

When You Go

Oru is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day of the week. Reservations are recommended.

Breakfast: Mon–Fri 6:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m., Sat and Sun 7 a.m.–11:30 a.m.

Lunch: 11:30 a.m.–3 p.m. every day

Dinner: 5 p.m.–10 p.m. every day