Where do chefs dine? Vancouver restaurant workers on their fave spots

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Now and then, I ask folks in the food industry where they eat out. They’re always happy to give shout-outs, and sometimes I learn of places I hadn’t heard of.

Occasionally, there’s hesitation, such as when I spoke to Max Curzon-Price, bar manager at Suyo Modern Peruvian restaurant and Michelin’s Exceptional Cocktails Award winner.

“I hate to tell you. It just opened and it’s packed and hard to get a table,” he said of a new discovery. But he broke down and revealed it as Oku Izakaya in Gastown. “They deserve it. I just haven’t found a place like this since I left the U.K. It does great food, the service is warm, and it’s open until one or two in the morning. It’s somewhere to take a load off.” For restaurant workes like Curzon-Price, who get off around midnight and need to wind down, Vancouver’s short on great late-night spots.

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He’s also a fan of the recently opened cocktail-forward Meo in Chinatown. “They’re doing a great job and I have huge respect for anyone working late hours, putting lives on hold so everyone else can enjoy themselves. I’m super grateful.” Another go-to spot is Cantina 189, for cocktails. “I love the Rosetta,” he says, of a drink with bourbon, brown butter, guava, vanilla, yeast and PX sherry paint. “The balance is spectacular. You could order any drink and they’re all certified bangers.”

Chanthy Yen, chef at Bacaro in the Fairmont Pacific Rim, eats out a lot thanks to his “always on the go” life. “I love Raisu whenever I want Japanese food. They don’t just do sushi. There are composed and creative dishes like wagyu beef with truffled capers.” He likes the “whimsical” Marulilu Cafe Japanese diner. “I like the katsudon and omu curry rice. It’s very, very affordable with no pretentiousness.” Yen, a Kitsilano resident, often heads to the beach with takeout from Unchai restaurant. “They have the best southern Thai takeout,” he claims. He’s partial to khua kling, a spicy dry-fried curry with ground chicken, rice and veg and the pad see ew, stir-fried noodles with chicken or pork or crab.

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“I could go on and on and on with places,” Yen says, adding Chancho for the tacos “because you get whole hunks of meat chopped up in them, like in Mexico City.” And at Kam Wai Dim Sum, he buys potstickers, steamed dumplings or spareribs on rice, and walks to Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden for a picnic by the koi fish pond. On nights off, you might find him at Bar Tartare. “I go for the vibe and sit on the patio,” he says. “They have visiting chefs and I love that. The menu isn’t stagnant. The food and wine are constantly changing.”

Meeru Dhalwala, who recently opened Lila with Shira Astra of Acorn vegetarian restaurant, fangirls over Bar Gobo. “Everything’s done to perfection. I once went with a friend and we each got three desserts. I don’t know what they’re doing, but those desserts!” she exclaims. When out with her two daughters, they’ll hit the Sprezzatura on Kingsway for pizzas. “I always get the eggplant one. It’s super casual and whimsical,” she says.

Tommy Shorthouse, the chef at Fanny Bay Oyster Bar, is a self-confessed social butterfly and likes spaces to connect with people. Is That French wine bar is such a place. “There’s a unique mindset about the food with a Quebecois plating and flavours. Such cool food shouldn’t be coming out of that small kitchen,” he says. Anh and Chi transports him to Saigon via vibe and food. For special occasions, he heads to Published on Main. “I go because there’s always something fun and unique.” Shorthouse likes sitting at the bar at L’Abattoir to interact with bartenders and the same at Pourhouse, where he’ll order a cocktail and burger. “The rooms fit my vibe with dark wood and brick. They could be in Manhattan.”

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For Miki Ellis, a co-owner of Dachi and Elephant restaurants in East Van, nostalgia and sake attract her to Yuwa Japanese restaurant. “I’m partial to Japanese food and I really love Yuwa. They do a great job with seasonal dishes and it has a similar touch to my mother’s food.” The great sake program appeals to Ellis, who’s quite the sake expert herself. Otherwise, she supports friends who run Bar Tartare and Thank You Pizza. “There’s always something different on the menu and I like to see what they’re pouring,” she says of the former and at the latter, she sits on the patio with a beer and margherita pizza with anchovies. (Bar Tartare operates as Birds and The Beets during the day and Thank You Pizza is Hunnybee Bruncheonette by day.)

Francisco Higareda, chef and co-owner of Ophelia and Monarcha Mexican restaurants (and soon, another one called Gitano in the West End), shared some of his date-night spots. He “really, really likes” Savio Volpe for its solid menu, and for special occasions he enjoys haute cuisine at Blue Water Cafe, AnnaLena or Masayoshi. But for a very casual evening out, he’s all in for a double burger with cheddar and bacon at Hundy Burger, (which he’ll eat at The Stock Room, a speakeasy cocktail bar at the back, to enjoy with a drink.

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Jenna Briscoe, sommelier and general manager at Cafe Medina, has a five-month-old baby curtailing her nights out but she does simplify life at home by picking up food. She leans into Superbaba for Middle Eastern wraps and bowls, Carp Sushi for sushi and rice bowls and Via Tevere for pizzas. “If I’m going for a full dinner, it’s Bao Bei. I’ve never had a dish I wasn’t a fan of there.” She recently had brunch at Elio Volpe and liked the sharing dish concept. “I like eating that way.”

When Edward Cheng isn’t prepping and creating dishes for his ambitious seasonal tasting menu at Missing Chopsticks in Richmond, he enjoys going to Mui Kee Chicken Pot. “It’s one of those little places with Hong Kong style hot pot. The vibe is very Hong Kong. It’s small and not too fancy.” For special occasions, he’ll go to Published on Main. “It’s so innovative. They’re doing something very special,” he says.

Jenice Yu, who operates Fresh Ideas Start Here (F.I.S.H.), a sustainable seafood market that supplies discerning chefs and restaurants. “I’m a big foodie,” she proclaims. “I eat out so much.” Yu gets her big bang seafood fix at The Fish Man in Richmond. “It’s a feast every time I go. They cook with very exciting, bold flavours, taking inspiration from everywhere.” Some of the other restaurants she enjoys?

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“I love Fat Mao Noodles. I go at least three times a month, always to try new things. I love Bacchus and their amazing cod dish.” Closer to her home, Yu frequents Il Posto in Ladner. “The chef used to cook at Sonora Resort so he’s got all the knowledge,” she says. She often goes to Uli’s in White Rock for fish and chips and salmon, smoked in-house.

It’s surprising that Justin Ell, chef and co-owner of Elephant in East Van, has time to go out given, by preference, he’s a one-man band in his small kitchen. “If I had to name the top five places, I’d say Burdock, St. Lawrence, AnnaLena, Published on Main and Barbara,” he says, adding that the restaurant staff, in turn, are regulars at Elephant. “To have that kind of support … I have no words.” He’s a super fan of Hilary Nguy at Sushi Hil. “I’ve been eating his food for about eight years and every year he improves, like a craftsman. My eyes roll back in my head with every bite. He blows my mind.”

Ell gives a shout out to The Pie Shoppe, which is next door to his restaurant. “I think they make the best pizzas in the city. The crust is unmatched with great crispiness and chew and holds up well if I take it to go. It’s been under the radar and needs to get their game out there.” And he is yet another fan of Bar Tartare. “I go for a snack and glass of wine and the visiting chefs constantly change.

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“To be honest, I don’t really have a lot of time to go out,” he says. “The main reason I do is to support my peers the same way they’ve supported me.”

Support is one thing to be said about this city. The chefs support each other and are eager to collaborate and teach and learn from one another — apparently not so, in all cities.

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