This restaurant has been in existence for over 30 years, first as the Wayfaring Tree Restaurant and then, following a significant renovation in 2009, as Harold’s Kitchen & Bar. How this eatery got its current name is a heartwarming story: In brief, Harold Cross had...patronized this eatery every day for nearly 30 years. In recognition of his patronage, hotel management at the Sheraton decided to rename the establishment after him; thus, “Harold’s Kitchen” was born. Mr. Cross, for whom the restaurant was named after, continued to visit “his” restaurant right up until he passed away in 2020. Indeed, the restaurant’s backstory is touching, but how’s the food?
Harold’s Kitchen has been in TripAdvisor’s top 5 restaurants for Richmond for a number of years (it currently sits at #3). It’s also received a glowing word from the Vancouver Sun and was recently ranked at #2 in Noms Magazine’s “Best Breakfast” places in Richmond (2022). Given its accolades over the years, I was always curious to try this place and finally got the opportunity to do so – quite unintentionally – a couple weeks ago. You see, Pacific Coastal had cancelled our flight after 7 hours of delay and put us up for the night in the Sheraton Vancouver Airport. Since I was traveling with my dear grandparents, and they didn’t want to go beyond the hotel, we made our way to Harold’s Kitchen for an evening repast.
Curiously, Noms Magazine describes Harold’s Kitchen & Bar as being upscale, suggesting that the trees back by the hotel pool give the restaurant a “tropical feel.” Uh, sure. If this place is tropical then so too is the Dirty Apron at YVR (hey, they’ve got a couple of plants!). I’m more inclined to describe Harold’s Kitchen as nothing more than your typical hotel restaurant; that is to say, the ambiance and character is bland and largely unremarkable. Seriously, the restaurant is in the hotel lobby and is largely an open space with various shades of off-white and grey colouring. It was loud and busy when we attended Harold’s, but that doesn’t make up for the general lack of atmosphere.
Despite how busy the restaurant was, we were promptly seated at a comfortable table. Reviewing the menu, I noted that it was fairly compact yet wide-ranging in its cuisine – as I guess it has to be since this is, after all, a hotel restaurant. We ordered the Tempura Beans, Black Cod, Fish & Chips, and Meatloaf.
Our food arrived in good time. For me, the Tempura Beans were the clear highlight of our meal. Served with a Japanese soy wasabi dipping sauce, the beans were light and crunchy while the wasabi dip added a nice “kick” to this appetizer. Our mains, while they were certainly generous servings, reminded me, in presentation and taste, of Stages Bistro on West Broadway (another hotel restaurant). My fish & chips were crispy, but were far more batter than fish and my grandfather’s Black Cod, which I took a sample of, was surprisingly devoid of any flavour despite apparently being miso-marinated. My grandmother’s meatloaf was easily the best of our mains: The loaf was tender and flavourful; the crispy onions gave a nice texture contrast, but the potatoes were bland and the veggies rather uninspired.
I don’t know – I struggle with this one. Service was really good, but the food merely average. The appetizer was promising, but things promptly went downhill from there. I’m still surprised by the flavourless Black Cod – how is that even possible? The “modern equivalent to fine home dining,” indeed!
FOOD: 3/5
SERVICE: 4/5
VALUE: 3/5
RECOMMENDATION: I think Harold’s is another case of popularity (i.e.: number of reviews) pushing it to the top because our food certainly wasn’t noteworthy, less the beans. Thus, I would say if you’re staying at the Sheraton then Harold’s might be a decent option, but I probably wouldn’t go out of my way. It’s just standard hotel fare. Mild recommendation.
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