A fond farewell to two beloved Vancouver-area restaurants

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South Surrey restaurant My Shanti served diners for the last time on Nov. 25.

Offering elevated Indian cuisine for the past decade, chef and restaurateur Vikram Vij stresses the permanent closure was a positive move; a decision guided, the multi-hyphenate says, by his desire to evolve rather than anything else.

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“Ten years have gone by. It was a beautiful run. And I want to say thanks to everybody who came to support us at My Shanti, including the staff,” Vij, speaking from Vancouver, said of the decision to close the restaurant. “I have been there for 10 years. And, if people know me, I’m a huge dreamer. My creativity does not sit still. I’m very creative and I want to do new things all the time.”

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Calling the restaurant his “peace,” Vij voiced his appreciation for the loyal following of diners and food awards the eatery garnered over the years. 

“It was a wonderful place where so many locals and travellers would come to enjoy our food,” Vij says. “It was a huge honour to have received chef of the year and restaurant of the year awards (from Vancouver Magazine) a few years after the opening.

“But, to be honest with you, the time had come to move forward in a new direction … The fact that we’re going out with so much love shows that we’re not going to stop. We’re going to continue.”

Located in the busy Shops at Morgan Crossing complex (15869 Croydon Dr.), the recognizable mirrored-exterior eatery will be the future home of another, as-yet unannounced, dining establishment by a new owner, Vij shares.

Moving forward, the chef and restaurateur says “a lot of exciting things” are in the works.

“Vij’s will continue to thrive as we’re just about to celebrate our anniversary of 30 years. And I do plan to bring some of the dishes of My Shanti to Vij’s, for all those people who absolutely loved those dishes at My Shanti,” he says. “And my focus has also been Bombay Frankies that we opened up on the East Coast. Two in Ottawa and two in Toronto. That has been my focus and it has been a great pleasure creating something new and different.”

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Goodbye to a Gastown favourite

In 2007, chef and owner Emmanuel Joinville decided to open Jules Bistro after finding the perfect spot.

“It was primarily the location that drew me to open Jules,” Joinville says of the Gastown address at 216 Abbott St. A veteran of the industry who started his career in 1981 in Dijon, France as an apprentice under chef Rene Villard’s at the three-star Michelin restaurant, Chateau Bourgogne, Joinville moved to Vancouver in 2000.

The professional chef guided the West Coast-inspired French bistro, which was named after his son, through good times and bad.

“The restaurant has undergone continuous evolution, with each phase presenting distinct challenges that become more manageable over time as we adjust and adapt,” Joinville says. “Noteworthy experiences include navigating through the challenges of the 2008 financial crisis, the excitement of the Olympics, and the less enjoyable periods of dealing with the impact of COVID and the post-COVID landscape.”

The success of the small eatery, he says, has much to do with his unerring dedication to the basics.

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“Jules’ success in a notoriously challenging industry can be attributed to the combination of a beautiful ambience, classic and consistent food, and service that is welcoming without being pretentious,” Joinville says. The final night of service at Jules Bistro is Dec. 31. Reservations are available online or by calling the restaurant at 604-669-0033.

Similar to Vij’s declaration that the closure is a positive ending, Joinville says this year marks the right time to put a period on his 16-year “labour of love.”

“After dedicating 42 years to this industry, I feel I’ve earned some time off, making now the right moment to semi-retire,” he says.

Making room for the next generation

With various reasons for closing the successful restaurants on their own terms — some unique and some similar — one common sentiment shared by both Vij and Joinville was a desire to see their respective restaurant closures signal an opening in the market for new talent rather than a loss of two beloved restaurants.

“It’s time for me to pass the torch to a new generation of culinary talent,” Joinville says.

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For Vij, the opportunity to share his experience with other chefs trying to make it in the challenging restaurant business is an important payback he recalls being afforded to him at a critical early stage in his own career.

“The way John Bishop mentored me 30 years ago. He was the one who said, ‘I think that you should open up your own restaurant. You can do it.’ That encouragement that he gave me is why I am who I am after 30 years,” Vij says of the chef behind the legendary Bishop’s Restaurant, which closed in 2022. “That’s the kind of encouragement that I want to give to another chef or a young entrepreneur.”

Vij plans to open up a few mentorship submission opportunities on his website in the new year and he’s eager to connect with young chefs and restaurateurs looking for guidance in the absence of a “book or rules” to become a success in the industry. 

“I want chefs to come ask me how to run a restaurant. How to run a business. What kind of dishes to make,” Vij says. “I want to become more of a teacher now. I’ve done well, so why wouldn’t I want to share my success with other people?  At the age of 70, maybe nobody is going to ask that question. But, I’m still relevant.

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“I’m giving room to other young chefs who want to establish themselves. Leaving on your own terms feels like you’re relevant, you’re on top of it, and, more importantly, you are that guiding light for that other chefs and restaurateurs.”

Aharris@postmedia.com

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