Sushi and pub-style fare doesn't get much better than this
RICK MACDONNELL
REVELSTOKE, BC – On our latest trip through Revelstoke I had the pleasure of being guided around town by the Powder Springs Inn Hotel's resident host, Fly. First, we went for an upmarket Japanese dining experience at Kawakubo Restaurant, then headed to The Last Drop for some good old fashioned pub fare.
For starters, I'm not a person who adores Japanese cuisine. It's something I eat on an occasional basis, but it's never been something that really energized me. But after the 4-course meal we were treated to at Kawakubo, I couldn't have been happier, or more full.
Revelstoke's best Japanese cuisine
Chef Shinji Kawakubo's dishes were as pleasing to the eye as they were to my mouth. These dishes – these works of art, really – were so elegantly presented that we barely wanted to touch them.
"In Japanese culture the presentation is as important as the taste, mate," Fly said. A Kiwi, Fly's made his home in Revelstoke during the New Zealand summers for several years. Kawakubo's been one of his mainstays ever since. "But where some places it's all presentation and no substance, [at Kawakubo] the taste lives up to the look and then some."
We were treated to a tasty array of sushi, maki, and sashimi, and the seafood – salmon, tuna, octopus – was so soft and fresh it nearly melted in our mouths. Amd though I'd heard a lot about Kawakubo's Dynamite Roll before I went, but it was the Special Roll that stood out to not only myself, but our entire table.
Kawakubo is definitely the place for "japres" ski. With its Japanese cocktail hour to its always entertaining karaoke, to its sushi-bar waterfall and fantastic cuisine, I couldn't have come away from the bar more impressed or satisfied.
Ye Olde British pub
The Last Drop was a fantastic change of pace. When it comes to straight up pub food in Revelstoke, The Last Drop is where it's at. The pub is essentially Fly's backyard, as he's made his home at the Powder Springs Inn Hotel (the Last Drop is located inside) for several seasons in a row now. If the man eats there every night and still insists that he take us there, then it's hard to argue.
A traditional British pub, The Last Drop brings it. From meat pies to bangers and mash, you can't get more British than this place anywhere west of the Atlantic. But given that we live in Canada, there's a bunch of the good stuff for all us down-homers out there.
While Fly entertained us with his newly acquired Canadian diction – "hoser" and "out and about" couldn't have been said more often – we chowed down on a fantastic spread of wings, jambalaya, and salad (and more than a few pitchers).
"I never get tired of it. It's been years now and I still enjoy coming in here every day. You've got your great food, great friends, a terrific staff ... there's nothing better."
The Last Drop is famous around Revelstoke for its Wednesday night Open Mic night. If you're in town mid-week, do yourself a favour and stop by. There's a heck of a lot of talent in this town, and if you're interested in finding out for yourself, head to The Last Drop.
Watch this video to see the Japanese cuisine in Revelstoke.
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