Praise
AWARDS
Best Whistler, Gold
Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards, 2010
(tenth award)
'Best of' Award of Excellence
Wine Spectator, 2010
(eleventh consecutive)
Wine List Award, Silver
Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival, 2010
Best Whistler, Gold
Georgia Straight Golden Plate Awards, 2010
(fifth consecutive)
Nominee, Cooking from a Professional Point of View - Araxi: Seasonal Recipes from the Celebrated Whistler Restaurant
James Beard Foundation Awards, 2010
Best Illustrated Cookbook - Araxi: Seasonal Recipes from the Celebrated Whistler Restaurant
Cordon d' Or - Gold Ribbon, International Culinary Academy Awards, 2010
Best Chef Book in Canada - Araxi: Seasonal Recipes from the Celebrated Whistler Restaurant
Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, 2009
Best Whistler, Gold
Urban Diner Restaurant Awards, 2009
Wine List Award, Gold
Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival, 2009
Guest Chef Dinner @ James Beard House
Three sold out events at the prestigious James Beard Foundation.
New York City, 2006 + 2002 + 1998
REVIEWS
“Araxi is a restaurant hitting on all cylinders and clearly at the top of its game. Ambiance and service are impeccable – a real model for other restaurants to emulate.”
Food Network Canada, 2010
“Locally minded, universally delicious dishes.”
Food & Wine magazine, 2010
“James Walt tucks just-plucked taters alongside superb Pemberton beef, transmuting local ingredients
into Gold.”
Vancouver magazine, 2010
“Everything at Araxi is of the finest quality and is always executed with brilliant precision and
thoughtful sophistication.”
Huffington Post, 2010
“Araxi combines a sophisticated menu with courteous service that immediately put you at your ease.”
Lonely Planet Travel Guide, 2009
“Known for executive chef James Walt's commitment to sourcing local ingredients from neighbouring community farms, Araxi--a perennial award winner--presents a tempting combination of seasonally changing cuisine, tasting menus and three-course prix fixe.”
Where: Essential Vancouver, 2009
“First-class regional menu.”
Where to Eat in Canada, 2009
“Chef James Walt takes the principles of molecular gastronomy and applies them in bit-size doses, creating food that is simultaneously innovative and approachable.”
StarChefs.com (New York City), 2009
“Whistler, my long-time favorite restaurant is Araxi”
Mia Stainsby, CanWest News Service, 2009
“Served in a serene setting, chef James Walt’s sophisticated fare is packed with highly seasonal, regional products.”
Mountain Life magazine, USA, 2009
“Frequently awarded for its wine list, and voted best restaurant in Whistler, this is one of the top places to dine.”
Frommer’s Travel Guide, 2008
“At Araxi, Executive Chef James Walt celebrates British Columbia’s spectacular fresh ingredients. Walt is not only Whistler’s leading chef (deservedly winning accolades and awards year after year), but is touted as one of the best in Canada.”
Central Coast Magazine, 2008
“Will keep your mouth watering for weeks after you’ve returned home to real life.”
Saturday Night Magazine, Los Angeles, 2008
“This enduring room seems to get better every year. Chef James Walt takes his pick of ingredients from the nearby Pemberton Valley and crafts them into lush, textured dishes full of flavours.”
Vancouver magazine, 2008
“First-rate food and an expansive wine list.”
Gayot, 2008
“It's hard to top Araxi.”
Chicago Daily Herald, 2007
"Whistler's culinary star is Araxi."
Seattle Metropolitan magazine, 2007
“The food was so beautifully attuned to its locale and served in expertly cooked combinations that this was the culinary pinnacle of my trip to BC. Araxi would surely be showered with Michelin stars, were the award system to operate in Canada”
The London Times, August 2007