When Botanist opened inside the Fairmont Pacific Rim, it wasn’t just a new restaurant — it was a blank canvas.

Executive chef Hector Laguna arrived two months before the doors opened, when the space was still rubble from the previous restaurant, Oru.

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“When I went in, it was a construction zone,” he says. “It was a really, really good opportunity for me to make it my own — a way for me to express myself.”

Eight years later, Laguna is still at the helm, a rare tenure in an industry known for high turnover, especially for top-level talent.

“I find it hard to see Botanist without me,” he said. “I feel like it’s a part of me. I’m a part of it.”

Since opening, the restaurant and its bar have risen to the top of Vancouver’s food and beverage scene. The restaurant has been

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