Best Thing I Ate This Week: The Glory Bay King Salmon from Bravo

I want to know more about the futuristic dry-aging fridge behind the bar at the otherwise-humble Bravo, but owner/operator Jonathan Merrill says that’s more of an after-dinner conversation. Fine: I don’t need to know the high-tech details to appreciate chef Jonah Joffe’s Glory Bay king salmon ($32). The delicate, buttery pieces of New Zealand fish sit in a dressing of maple and ginger, with dots of creamy avocado and a sprinkle of cucumber, sesame and crispy garlic. It’s a beautiful bite, light but flavourful, with a little zing and plenty of room for that gorgeous dry-aged fish to shine.

Once those final bits of avo emulsion have disappeared from the plate, Merrill comes back around to explain that the dry-aging process isn’t so glamorous: hanging the salmon by its tail allows excess moisture (that’s water and, well, blood) to drain from it, resulting in meat that’s richer and bolder but not quite fishier. I think it’s even more impressive that this elegant, balanced dish has a metal-as-hell origin story. 4194 Fraser St. | bravovancouver.com