By now, you’ve likely grown accustomed to hearing about how different this year’s Christmas season will look. When it comes to Christmas dinner, "different" doesn't need to have a negative connotation to it as many Vancouver chefs and restaurateurs have been hard at work to ensure that this year’s holiday feasts won’t be lacking any festive fervor.
Christmas Day is only 10 days from today, and whether you're planning to treat yourself to a luxurious holiday night on the town, host a decadent dinner for you and your closest cohorts, or you just want some help assembling accompaniments and sides, there is a wealth of options available in Vancouver.
From Railtown Catering's famous take-home turkey dinner to indulgent Chinese fare by the new and buzzworthy Street Auntie, here are a few ideas for putting dinner on the table–be it in your home or at an independent restaurant–come December 25.
Boulevard Kitchen and Oyster Bar
Whether you prefer to enjoy your festive feasts in the comfort of your own home or within the atmosphere of a restaurant, Vancouver Magazine’s 2020 Restaurant of the Year, Boulevard Kitchen and Oyster Bar has something for everyone.
In addition to delicious Christmas dinner takeaway options like chef Alex Chen’s slow-roasted turkey and pastry chef Kenta Takahashi’s black forest cake, Boulevard is also hosting a multi-course Christmas Day lunch and dinner featuring a slew of seafood dishes, a fully stocked raw bar, plenty of truffles and caviar, and much more.
Reservations and pre-orders can be made online. Boulevard is also currently offering complimentary $25 and $200 gift cards for purchases over $250 and $1,000, respectively.
Five Sails
Known for its scenic views and sophisticated West Coast cuisine, Five Sails has created a decadent five-course Christmas dinner menu that will be available to diners from December 24-26.
Nearly every course is laden with options and feature offerings such as a foie gras and salmon duo, a roasted beef tenderloin rossini, a traditional turkey dinner, a lobster red beet risotto, and more. Additionally, on December 26 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Five Sails is putting on an elegant eggs and caviar brunch service with five unique egg-based dishes.
Glowbal
Glowbal Restaurant has developed a new take-home meal package inspired by traditional holiday buffets, but reimagined for an at-home dining experience. The Christmas Eve dinner menu serves four to six, and includes traditional dishes such as roasted butternut squash soup, slow-roasted half turkey, herb-crusted striploin, seasonal sides, and a sweet selection of desserts.
Orders must be placed online before December 22 and can be picked up from Glowbal on December 24.
Gotham Steakhouse
Gotham has created a holiday dinner package that allows guests to bring home the luxury dining experience the Vancouver steakhouse is known for. The four-course menu begins with a creamy lobster bisque and an organic winter green salad, followed by a choice of either a New York, filet, or rib steak with fingerling potatoes, cauliflower gratin and candied beets, and a homemade Baba au Rhum with chantilly cream for dessert.
Gotham has also put together an expansive array of canapes and appetizer options, including a Northern Divine caviar platter, an artisanal cheese board, wagyu and prime beef sliders, and dark chocolate black forest truffles. Orders can be made online.
Heritage Asian Eatery
Heritage Asian Eatery recently introduced their new Heritage Holiday Feast, aimed to provide diners with a generous array of comfort dishes with leftovers to spare. Designed to feed either two to four or four to six, each package comes complete with a signature Heritage chicken, barbeque pork, truffle siu mai, gai lan, black sesame balls, and plenty more. Leftovers, indeed!
Orders can be made online for pickup and limited delivery.
Nuba
If you prefer to take care of the main components of Christmas dinner yourself (read turkey and stuffing), but don’t want the hassle of making all of the sides and accompaniments, popular Middle Eastern eatery Nuba has just the solution. Nuba has put together a comprehensive selection of holiday side dishes to go, including house favourites such as Za’atar Brussels sprouts, pomegranate braised carrots, roasted sweet potatoes with yam and pumpkin, and more.
Orders can be placed online for delivery or pickup from the Mount Pleasant location.
Railtown Catering
An annual staple on any holiday-themed culinary list, Railtown Catering’s famous Turkey To Go packages have returned for 2020. Available in either full or half sizes, each package comes with a sage-roasted and sliced turkey accompanied by all the traditional festive fixings.
Railtown will also be offering a ready-to-eat “Hot Pick Up” service from December 23-26, available for an additional $50 per package. Partial proceeds from all packages sold will go directly to Mission Possible, a non-profit organization that supports vulnerable community members in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.
Street Auntie
One of Vancouver’s newest and most buzzworthy restaurants, Street Auntie is celebrating Christmas Day with a slew of its signature contemporary Chinese street foods. The Holidays at Home tasting menu has been designed to feed one, two, or four people, and includes options such as Chinese barbeque pork and char-siu, sweet and sour Hainanese chicken, 72-hour braised abalone, and an assortment of sweet treats.
Orders can be placed online.
The Teahouse
Open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, The Teahouse has put together a pair of elegant multi-course menus for the holidays. The three-course Christmas Eve menu will be available for dine-in and takeaway and features an appetizer, salad, or soup to start, a selection of mains, and a decadent dessert.
The Christmas Day menu begins with an amuse bouche and seasonal appetizer, followed by either a slow-roasted prime rib, traditional turkey dinner, seafood bouillabaisse, or wild mushroom risotto. To finish, guests can opt for the spiked panna cotta and cookies or the chocolate and candy cane opera cake.
The Victor
From December 24-27, The Victor at Parq Vancouver will be offering guests a three-course holiday menu featuring dishes like lobster bisque, sake-marinated sablefish, bread pudding, and more. Diners will also have the option to amplify each offering with the addition of a foie gras and unagi terrine spread.
The Victor will also open up the entirety of its a-la-carte offerings for the three-day period, including luxurious additions such as king crab, diver scallops with crispy pork belly, and wagyu tenderloin. Reservations can be made online.
