Maji offers more than a passing nod to Ocean Wise. In the best of all possible worlds, every restaurant I walked into would adhere to Ocean Wise. I know that to realize such a dream may take a while. Ongoing over-fishing, by-catch and compromised habitat threaten seafood stocks that we continue to take so much for granted. Vancouver Aquarium’s game changing [...]
Nightingale is the latest undertaking from David Hawksworth, Vancouver’s acclaimed culinary star. Hawksworth first arrived on the scene when he opened West Restaurant. At the time he was a virtual unknown. The West Van raised chef had been busy polishing his skills elsewhere. He worked in such esteemed kitchens as Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons [...]
Umberto: You'll be impressed, Updated: Now Open. See below... Giardino is just about ready to welcome its first, lucky guests. And judging by the number of enquiries on this site, there is no more highly anticipated event on the culinary calendar than Umberto Menghi’s return to Vancouver. In the past couple of [...]
Cactus Club exec chef Rob Feenie and sommelier-service director Sebastien Le Goff Scratch the surface of a Cactus Club wine list and you’ll often find what constitutes an unlikely line-up of wines—for what we now refer to as “Casual Fine Dining” restaurants. Much of the reason for more interesting than usual selections (especially [...]
The Fat Badger: making good use of a familiar space CLOSED I knew when I walked into The Fat Badger (1616 Alberni St., Vancouver) for the first time that it would stir my emotions. After all, there are few buildings in Vancouver with which I have a stronger connection than this West End [...]
Fairmont Pacific Rim Rawbar dragon and motoyaki rolls I’m always annoyed intrigued by people who scoff at the idea of Vancouver becoming a truly “green city.” Maybe it’s just so much an entrenched part of the Canadian psyche: a feeling that progress and innovation always have to come from outside. Much in the [...]
Landmark Restaurant's Geoduck hotpot (CRA supplied) Just announced: the winners of the 2014 Chinese Restaurant Awards, Diners’ Choice, as tabulated from 19,612 ballots. The Chinese Restaurant Awards have grown from small beginnings into a hotly contested process that focuses a much needed spotlight on the top Chinese tastes in Metro Vancouver. The awards [...]
The Roof is back! Martinis too, Tim Pawsey photo UPDATED, March 25th, 2014... From the announcement: "…It’s official – The Roof is now open! After several unexpected delays, the doors swung open this morning. Thank you for your patience and on behalf of the team at The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, we look forward [...]
Andrew Wong & chef Stu Irving (who went on to open Cobre). Hmmm, sure took some awkward pics in those days! Wild Rice, Andrew Wong’s trend-setting downtown room at Vancouver’s Pender and Carrall streets, has closed. Wong has decided to focus his energies entirely on Wild Rice Bistro at River Market, in New Westminster. I’m [...]
Il Giardino, Umberto’s much lamented restaurant, which he closed last spring to make way for redevelopment, may well resurface just up the street. It appears that once Umberto realised just how much Il Giardino really meant to people he wasted little time in seeking out a new home for his flagship, long running room. I’ve [...]
