Michelin Guide adds four Vancouver restaurants. Find out which ones

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Four Vancouver restaurants were added Thursday to the prestigious Michelin Guide list of must-try eateries.

Sushi Masuda received a one-star designation and Gary’s, a neighbourhood bistro, was awarded a Bib Gourmand for its good-value menu. The seafood-forward Bravo and northeastern Thai restaurant Zab Bite received Michelin Recommended status for serving food that is above average, just not quite Bib- or star-level.

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Vancouver now boasts 10 one-star, 16 Bib Gourmand, and 50 Michelin Recommended restaurants, representing 23 cuisines. None have yet to earn a coveted two- or three-star designation.

Michelin Guide also bestowed four Special Awards: Michelin Exceptional Cocktails Award went to Fraser Crawford (Kissa Tanto); Michelin Sommelier Award went to Reverie Beall (AnnaLena); Michelin Outstanding Service Award went to Bailey Hayward (Gary’s); and Michelin Young Chef/Culinary Professional Award went to Yoji Masuda (Sushi Masuda).

In a quick email exchange with the (anonymous) chief inspector for Michelin Guide in North America, he or she would only say, “The gastronomy scene in Vancouver continues to evolve and impress and we look forward to what the market will bring in the future.”

Vancouver stands out from other Michelin cities in hosting the equivalent of the restaurant Oscars, according to Royce Chwin, president and CEO of Destination Vancouver, which throws the party. “We understand that Vancouver takes a more active stance in programming the reveals. We seem to be extra special in how we do it but it’s not over the top,” he says.

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This year’s Vancouver Michelin Guide restaurant reveal occurred in the cool, character-filled, vintage Commodore Ballroom, unlike in previous soigné settings at the Vancouver Convention Centre and Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel. “The feeling we wanted to evoke was classic Vancouver,” Chwin says.

Frankly, a soigné celebration might have been viewed as tone deaf given the grave economic state of the restaurant industry, due to the long COVID effects of skyrocketing cost inflation from every direction, continuing staffing shortages, and shrinking customer spends.

Asked if the economic pressures were evident during Michelin Guide inspections, the chief inspector replied that they only evaluate by the food on the plate, via the five Michelin criteria: quality of products, harmony of flavours, mastery of cooking techniques, voice and personality of the chef, and consistency between each visit and throughout the menu.

The Michelin Guide covers more than 45 destinations worldwide and the digital app lists 3,538 Michelin-starred restaurants as of Sept. 30. Bib Gourmands, the good-value spots not quite worthy of stars, adds another 3,241 restaurants to the roster. Inspectors visit starred restaurants several times a year to ensure consistency.

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In the email interview, I quizzed the chief inspector on the best way to get on the inspection radar. The reply: “Your primary objective should be to fill your restaurants with happy customers who like to return. Cook for your patrons, not for Michelin. Do this on a consistent basis and Michelin’s inspectors will find you.”

Bestowing the one-star to Sushi Masuda, inspectors said this: “Entering this humble five-seat counter that is tucked in the corner of an unrelated restaurant and through the glass doors of a print shop serves as a pointed reminder not to judge a book by its cover.

“The plain, spare room is brought to life by the artfully simple, meticulous preparations of Chef Yoji Masuda, whose time spent in a top counter in Tokyo is amply apparent, though his own personality comes through.

“With the assistance of his wife Akari, who provides a warm, attentive hospitality, the meal proceeds gracefully, from an indulgent savory ‘pudding’ of sweet, pure-tasting monkfish liver to a wonderfully gelatinous beltfish cooked with sake and kombu, before arriving at the impeccable nigiri, which showcases exceptional ingredients alongside a singular delicacy and precision.”

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Sushi Masuda is in Oceanic Plaza in downtown Vancouver at 1066 West Hastings St. Gary’s is at 1485 West 12th Ave. near Granville Street. Bravo is at 4194 Fraser St. near East 25th Avenue. And Zab Bite is just across the street at 4194 Fraser St. 

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