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With an elegant, soft-lit setting, the dining room at Hy’s exudes a warm atmosphere. Bottles of wine line the cabinets on the walls with an impressive selection of over 450 labels to perfectly complement your meal. Whitecoated servers, all trained extensively on Hy’s specific gastronomy, shuffle between the tables, eager to recommend a dish for all walks of tastes and appetites. There is a pleasant mix of casual and formal dining here—regulars dining solo will often seat themselves at the bar and enjoy a cocktail or other libation while their steak is seared in the kitchen. Groups and couples clink their wine glasses in celebration next to the warm glow and crackle of the fireplace. The tall chairs and tables barside are frequented by larger walk-in groups and maintain a casual, festive atmosphere.
All beef served at Hy’s is Canadian prime (the top 2% of beef available) from High River, Alberta and is aged a minimum of 28 days before being shipped to Whistler. It will then be aged another 7-10 days before it is cut inhouse, sprinkled with Hy’s specialty seasoning salt and placed under the heat of the infrared grill. From the relatively small striploins and tenderloins to the enormous porterhouses and bone-in rib steaks, there is a dish here to appease the most gargantuan of appetites.
The infrared broiler at Hy’s boasts a sweltering 1500 degrees Fahrenheit grilling temperature, allowing a quick sear to brown and caramelize the top of the steak. Not only does the meat taste better when cooked on this type of grill, it can be cooked more quickly. Throughout a busy night in the winter, this kitchen will prepare up to 400 dinners, all to the highest standard expected by Hy’s discerning clientele.
“Even if the customer is ready for it straight away, I still rest it for a minimum of five minutes,” says Grill Chef Dave Quinsey. Once the steak is grilled to order, he will remove it from the grill and place it on a metal tray to “rest”. “When you rest a steak all the juices go back inside. That’s why even with a rare steak, you won’t have a lot of blood visible on the cut.”
The steak is then gently reheated in the oven before being plated and served with a generous potato side and optional selection of vegetables. Although Hy’s is famous for its expertise with beef, a tantalizing selection of succulent seafood also graces the menu. The signature accompaniment for a New York strip or filet mignon is the broiled Atlantic lobster tail (caught off the coast of Nova Scotia) or steamed Alaskan king crab legs—an exquisite combination of land and seas delicacies—the ultimate surf and turf. Other seafood options include the Prawn and Scallop Newburg sautéed in brandy and cream, Wild Salmon Fillet with lemon beurre blanc and Blackened Ahi Tuna served Cajun style.
In town with such a transient workforce, it is rare to see people working at establishments for as long as they do at Hy’s. The head barman has been working here for the last nine years. “Our workers like our clientele base and we allow them to interact with customers and be themselves,” says General Manager Richard Baker. “They want to give the same excellence back to the customer to how they’re treated here.”
If steak is your ultimate indulgence, the Hy’s Steakhouse experience is a must-do.