What We Love Now

Balam - Latin American Cuisine

Story by Nikki Bayley | Images By Joern Rohde

Something exciting is happening in Creekside. Opening July 1, Mekong will be an authentic Thai restaurant with a menu from award-winning chef Angus An, whose Vancouver restaurants include the Michelin Guide-recommended Maenam.

Experience what we love this winter with some local Whistler favourites. Ski-down or take the short drive to visit Creekside Village and indulge in a treat of locally made gelato or sorbet, pick-and-mix candy, healthful smoothies, warming oatmeal bowls and Italian coffees at Confetti Gelato; fulfill your passion for patties at Splitz Grill on Main Street — the local’s favourite casual place with serious burgers, with fresh patties made daily and more than 40 homemade toppings; try some locally made gin or vodka from Whistler’s first local distillery Montis Distilling in Function Junction.

There’s a new spirit awakening in Whistler, right in the heart of the Village Stroll. Welcome, Balam, named after the striking jaguar that prowls South and Central America. Balam celebrates the culture and culinary delights of Latin American nations Peru, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and beyond in one delicious concept. “It’s a dining experience that we just don’t have here,” says Restaurant Manager Aaron Nye. “There are such a wide variety of cultures that have influenced that part of the world, from the Incas and Mayan native cultures, through to the Spanish, Portuguese and African influences too.”

Open daily for lunch through après and late-night until 1 a.m., Balam will also be whipping up a weekend brunch that looks set to become an unmissable option.
Designed by award-winning Vancouver-based interior designer Daniel Meloché, the space glows with thoughtful detail from the imported 3-D tiles (touch them!) and U-shaped bar to cozy booths with velvety walls and individual chandeliers. There’s even a specially selected playlist with sounds of the jungle and Latin American beats that take you from noon to night.

On the menu, think Latin Share Plates (fresh ceviche, tiraditos), and larger entrée options. Enthuses Nye, “I can’t wait for people to try the Amazonian fish, a wild Black Cod, cooked in banana leaf and served with black tiger prawns and sweet Peruvian chile sauce.”

Imported tropical fruits will be pressed into juices and purées for cocktails to create unique flavours. The kitchen team is a collective of chefs from Central or South America who bring extensive experience and expertise from working across the continent to create something new and exciting in Whistler Village.

People watch on the covered, heated patio looking out over the Stroll and plan to return in the summer when the accordion doors will open to create a truly Latin American inside-outside dining vibe! After a day on the mountain, enjoy stepping into the jungle at Balam, the house of the jaguar, a leafy green space where the mood changes from relaxed by day to vibrant by night.

balamwhistler.ca | 604-972-8888