When Whistler entrepreneur Pepe Barajas first arrived in this Canadian mountain community in 2008, he hated it. Born and raised in Mexico City, Barajas found the area’s peaceful, relaxed pace to be frustratingly slow, a direct contrast to life in what he called Mexico’s “go, go, go” capital.
But Barajas stuck around, gradually adjusting to year-round life in North America’s largest snow sports resort, where he skis at least 50 days in an average winter. As the CEO and president of Infinity Group, he now runs multiple Whistler businesses, including four restaurants. His newest ventures include Rockit Coffee, a fun retro café that draws inspiration from the 1970s and ’80s music scenes — the name, he said, comes from “rock it” — and Mekong, a recently launched upscale Thai restaurant. Balam, featuring cuisine from across Latin America, is slated to open by summer.
Whistler’s dining scene has recently ramped into high gear, with several new and revamped restaurants drawing diners when they come off the mountain trails. You can sit at the glowing marble bar for cocktails and Spanish-inspired tapas at the newly expanded Bar Oso. At Wild Blue Restaurant + Bar, British Columbia-sourced ingredients appear in various dishes drawn from French and Italian coastal cuisines. At the Forbes Travel Guide Recommended Fairmont Chateau Whistler, multiple dining spots offer a range of treats, from steaks to classic cheese fondue.
Several creative minds behind these dining destinations recently talked with us about their restaurants, food and tips for enjoying all the seasons in western Canada’s mountains.
Mekong: Elevating Whistler’s Asian Food
“I’d consider myself an explorer,” Barajas said. After opening two Whistler restaurants that draw on his Mexican heritage, Barajas wanted to branch out. He had been mulling over a Thai restaurant when a location became available in Creekside, Whistler’s original base, a few miles south of Whistler Village. He traveled to Thailand for culinary inspiration, then reached out to Vancouver chef Angus An, whose Maenam Restaurant has earned numerous accolades for its upscale Thai cuisine.
“Whistler was always a market that fascinated me,” An said, noting that his family regularly stays in the Creekside area, where he snowboards and his 16-year-old son skis, but the food and drink offerings there had been more limited. When Barajas came calling, An was especially intrigued by the opportunity to create a culinary destination offering elevated Asian food and a stylish dining atmosphere.
As Mekong’s culinary director, An designed the concept and menu, selecting chef Bonnie Khummuang, whom he’d worked with for several years, to helm the kitchen daily. At Mekong, he said, “We want people to be blown away by the flavors.” He’s especially pleased with the tom yum chicken wings, with a spice blend that recalls the flavors of Thailand’s hot and sour soup. Whistler diners love the 32-ounce tomahawk ribeye, he said, which is seasoned with a southern Thai curry, and the black pepper crab, a dish that An initially created at Maenam. Both items are designed to be shared family style.
“I love it when you interact with your food,” he explained. “Like when you break open the crab, you’re cracking the shells, you’re sucking the crab bones full of the black pepper sauce. You’re getting messy, and it’s a really good experience.”
Bar Oso: For Sharing with Family and Friends
Jorge Muñoz Santos is another Whistler transplant, drawn to Canada from his native Spain more than a dozen years ago to spend winters in the mountains. Now the executive chef at Bar Oso, which features Spanish-inspired tapas, Muñoz said he’s crafted a menu reflecting the style of dining that he most enjoys — sharing food with friends and family, having a drink, chatting, then sampling some more.
While Bar Oso is known for its charcuterie boards, housemade pâtés and terrines, and “killer” meatballs, the chef has beefed up a seafood side of the menu that features ceviche, garlicky prawns and octopus. He’s also expanded its vegetarian options with crisp-fried eggplant, patatas bravas and roasted shishito peppers.
Next door to Bar Oso, and sharing its kitchen, is another new eatery from Toptable Group, Bar Oso’s parent company. Provisions serves coffee, pastry and creative sandwiches for breakfast and lunch.
Although skiing and snowboarding first brought Muñoz to Whistler, he says he’s now equally excited about the warmer months, when he heads for the lakes, tackles the trails on his mountain bike or goes for a hike.
Wild Blue: Highlighting Regional Ingredients
When Neil Henderson first arrived in Whistler in the early 1990s, after growing up in Glasgow, Scotland, he found a job in a restaurant. In an unusual twist of fate, that first spot was in the same building where his current venture, Wild Blue Restaurant + Bar, operates.
Henderson, Wild Blue’s restaurant director, joined forces with Vancouver chef Alex Chen (of the highly regarded Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar at the Forbes Travel Guide Recommended Sutton Place Hotel) and restaurateur Jack Evrensel, who established Araxi, a long-running Whistler fine dining destination. In opening Wild Blue, Henderson said their goal was to use regionally sourced products, from B.C. seafood to Alberta beef, in a menu inspired by French and Italian coastal cuisine. Wine is a highlight, too, with a 500-plus bottle list spotlighting producers from British Columbia and across the globe.
He said he’s proud of the restaurant’s bar program, including its signature cocktail, the Negroni Pignoli. Wild Blue also launched an après-ski menu, pairing cocktails with snacks such as fresh oysters and truffle fries. It’s open for drinks and weekend music for those who want to keep the party going into the late evening.
Fairmont Chateau Whistler: Steak, Fondue and More
“The food scene [at Whistler] is amazing for such a small village,” said Cliff Crawford, who took over as executive chef at Fairmont Chateau Whistler in December 2022. Among the restaurants at this classic mountain resort property, Crawford loves dining at the winter-only Chalet, which specializes in classic Alpine fondue, from cheese to chocolate, along with other Bavarian-style dishes. At the Grill Room, which he describes as “a fine dining steakhouse,” he recommends saving room for the signature dessert, sticky date pudding. In the Mallard Lounge, he wants visitors to know that you can order from a full menu of seafood chowder, fresh oysters and beef bourguignon or simply stop in for a drink while you enjoy the live music.
“Whistler is magical in the winter,” noted the chef, who’s been with the Fairmont brand for 20 years. Still, summer is his favorite season, particularly for kayaking on the area’s several lakes. Crawford has embraced the outdoors like many others who’ve made Whistler their home.
Perhaps Barajas sums it up best. In Whistler, he said, “We have the luxury that we’re surrounded by nature.” He loves spending time in cities like Vancouver, New York and London, but he always comes home to gorgeous scenery and great food in the British Columbia mountains.
