Spot Prawns, Storytelling & West Coast Dining

There’s something deeply Vancouver about gathering around a table piled with hyper-seasonal seafood, local ingredients, and stories from the chef who sourced them. Fairmont Waterfront is leaning into exactly that feeling with the launch of Led by a Love of … a new immersive Chef’s Bench dining series celebrating the ingredients, growers, and culinary traditions that define the West Coast. Kicking things off on May 28 is Led by a Love of Spot Prawns, an intimate family-style dinner showcasing BC spot prawns, rooftop garden ingredients, and tableside storytelling from Executive Chef Harris Sakalis. We caught up with Sakalis to talk about the inspiration behind the series, the magic of spot prawn season, and why shared dining experiences feel more meaningful than ever right now. —Noa Nichol

Spot prawn season has become almost sacred on the West Coast—what is it about this ingredient that continues to excite you as a chef year after year?

There’s something magical about spot prawn season. I still get excited every single year when those first prawns arrive in the kitchen. I love their delicate texture and natural sweetness, but I also love the emotion and anticipation attached to them. Their season is incredibly short, which makes every service feel special. When I hear our team explaining that limited window of availability to guests, I always think about how memorable that experience would feel as a traveler or foodie discovering the West Coast for the first time. As a chef, I’m constantly searching for ingredients that tell a story, and spot prawns do exactly that – they capture a moment in time and a sense of place.

The menu pairs spot prawns with ingredients from local farms, producers, and Fairmont Waterfront’s rooftop garden. How do you approach building dishes that feel deeply connected to place?

A lot of inspiration comes from simply slowing down and paying attention to what’s around me. During the spring and summer, I spend time in the rooftop garden almost every day. Sometimes an idea starts with the smell of fresh herbs after the rain, a perfectly ripe tomato at the market, or even a conversation with a local grower. Walking through Granville Island or the farmers market always sparks creativity for me. I’m endlessly curious about flavour combinations, but I also want dishes to feel honest and grounded in the season. When guests taste something, I want them to feel connected to this region and this exact time of year.

“Led by a Love of…” feels much more intimate and story-driven than a traditional tasting menu. What kind of dining experience were you hoping guests would walk away feeling?

I want guests to feel the warmth and generosity that comes from sharing a meal made with genuine care. The feeling I’m hoping to create is similar to inviting friends into your home – where food sparks conversation, stories are shared, and time slows down a little. Of course I want people to enjoy the flavours, but more than anything, I want them to leave feeling something. Maybe it’s a memory tied to a certain dish, a story they’ll retell, or simply the feeling of being taken care of for an evening.

You’ll be introducing each course tableside throughout the evening. Why is storytelling becoming such an important part of modern dining experiences for you as a chef?

Nowadays, people want more than just a beautiful plate – they want to feel connected to what they’re eating. Guests are curious about where ingredients come from, who grew them, how they were harvested, and why certain flavors were paired together. I love that shift because food becomes so much more meaningful when there’s a story behind it. Storytelling also gives us the chance to celebrate the incredible relationships we’ve built with local farmers, fishers, and producers. Those connections are such an important part of our kitchen, and sharing them with guests makes the experience feel even more personal.

Future editions will spotlight everything from foraged morels to spring lamb and Pacific Northwest halibut. Are there any lesser-known local ingredients you’re especially excited to celebrate through the series?

Absolutely. One of the most exciting parts of this series is being able to shine a light on ingredients that people may not experience often. I’m especially excited about halibut cheeks — they’re delicate, buttery, and incredibly underrated. Sea urchin is another ingredient I love because it instantly tastes like the Pacific Ocean to me. I’m also looking forward to working with Northern Divine caviar and Hiro Wagyu from Abbotsford, which are both exceptional products with amazing local stories behind them. There’s such incredible diversity in the Pacific Northwest, and I love giving guests the chance to discover something unexpected and memorable.