Vancouver's Recipe for Dining Success: Sustainable, Seasonal, Multicultural
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Vancouver, British Columbia, nestled between the North Shore mountains and the Pacific Ocean, is renowned for its stunning natural beauty and proximity to the outdoors.
However, the verdant Pacific Northwest city, home to approximately 700,000 people, has also earned a reputation as a haven for foodies, driven by its proximity to the ocean, its unique terroir, its longstanding viticulture and its chefs' commitment to celebrating the region's local bounty through in-season eating.
People eating at ourdoor tables at the Public Market on Granville Island on a sunny day with bright blue sky with view of Vancouver skyline in background.
People eating at ourdoor tables at the Public Market on Granville Island on a sunny day with bright blue sky with view of Vancouver skyline in background.
Heidi Besen/iStock Editorial/Getty
But that's just half the story, according to Vancouver chef Alex Kim.
"Vancouver's food scene stands out for its seamless multiculturalism
and constant innovation," Kim, the executive chef of Vancouver's Five Sails restaurant and the recent winner of the Canadian Culinary Championship, told Newsweek. "The city is a true melting pot, where chefs blend global flavors—especially Asian and European influences—with the best local, seasonal ingredients from British Columbia's land and sea."
Growing up in Seoul, Kim said his relatives steeped him in a cultural culinary tradition where food was the center of his household and community life. Kim said his earliest memories are of shopping in the South Korean capital's bustling markets, followed by watching as his family took great care to prepare the dishes, serving them with a flourish of hospitality. He translates that experience into his work in the kitchen by creating dishes that are inventive, yet personal, and encourages his team to experiment with ingredients, techniques and presentation.
"At Five Sails, I draw on this diverse background to create dishes that are both innovative and deeply personal," Kim said. "I love incorporating Korean elements—like fermentation, pickling and bold flavors—into contemporary Pacific Northwest cuisine."
From Tide to Table
Perhaps Vancouver's most famous contribution to the global food discourse comes from chef Hidekazu Tojo, who is credited with inventing the California roll (crab, avocado and cucumber) and the B.C. roll (salmon skin, avocado and cucumber) in the 1970s and still serves them up at his namesake omakase in the Fairview neighborhood. It's also the birthplace of the Japadog—a classic hot dog topped with an array of Japanese condiments, like shredded nori and teriyaki sauce—as well as pressed sushi with serrano pepper and butter chicken pizza.
Veggie Terimayo hotdog with Veggie, Teriyaki Sauce, Japanese Mayo, Fried Onions, Seaweed.
Veggie Terimayo hotdog with Veggie, Teriyaki Sauce, Japanese Mayo, Fried Onions, Seaweed.
Courtesy Japadog
Since then, the city's restaurant scene has consistently evolved, drawing from its ethnic diversity, access to nearby farms and proximity to the ocean. Today, recent buzzy openings include the acclaimed Elio Volpe, featuring a southern Italian meets the Pacific Northwest concept, Chinatown's Meo, with its plant-focused menu, and June, a French-inflected West Coast brasserie.
B. C. roll is a type of makizushi made with sushi rice, barbecued salmon (or barbecued salmon skin), and cucumbers. The name B. C. roll refers to British Columbia, well-known for wild Pacific salmon. This...
B. C. roll is a type of makizushi made with sushi rice, barbecued salmon (or barbecued salmon skin), and cucumbers. The name B. C. roll refers to British Columbia, well-known for wild Pacific salmon. This Canadian delicacy was invented in Vancouver in 1974 by a Japanese chef named Hidekazu Tojo. More
LEILA KWOK/Courtesy Tojos
Many restaurateurs adhere to a philosophy of "tide to table" eating, meaning they serve dishes that are in season, sourcing ingredients directly from farms and fisheries to connect customers with sustainably grown and sourced products. This "tide to table" ethos was evident during Newsweek's recent visit to Five Sails, where chef Kim prepared dishes including an in-season spot prawn mise en bouche with warm custard, followed by a Pacific bluefin tuna sashimi with cucumber, yuzu gel and a vinaigrette made with olive oil.
Next were more spot prawns, this time grilled and served with Dungeness crab orzotto and citrus foam before a main course of duck en croûte sourced from the nearby Fraser Valley with morel mushrooms, asparagus and Madeira jus.
Fraser Valley duck served en croute with morel mushrooms, asparagus and madeira jus from the Five Sails restaurant in Vancouver.
Fraser Valley duck served en croute with morel mushrooms, asparagus and madeira jus from the Five Sails restaurant in Vancouver.
Jennifer H. Cunningham for Newsweek
A similar mindset pervaded at the Sandbar, a popular Granville Island eatery that is a seafood lover's paradise, where the chefs showcased local, in-season delights including halibut, mussels, Dungeness crab, and spot prawns. Several blocks away at the Fanny Bay Oyster Bar and Shellfish Market, Malindi Taylor, the co-owner, told Newsweek that besides her staple oysters, her restaurant's chefs are experimenting with lesser-known foods like farmed kelp—which helps protect the region's wild kelp forests—and sablefish collar, a cut that previously would have been disposed of.
The latter ingredient is served as an almost chicken wing-like seafood appetizer and helps Fanny Bay honor its commitment to serving a sustainable catch.
A spot prawn served grilled and served with Dungeness crab orzotto and citrus foam at the Five Sails restaurant in Vancouver.
A spot prawn served grilled and served with Dungeness crab orzotto and citrus foam at the Five Sails restaurant in Vancouver.
Jennifer H. Cunningham for Newsweek
"Being sustainable isn't always the cheap and easy option, so we have to try and balance that with pricing for guests," Taylor said. "Vancouver isn't a cheap place to live, and with current economics people are definitely being more mindful on how they spend their money. So hopefully they see the good value in eating sustainable seafood as a form of protecting our oceans for the future."
Taylor said there are so many stellar restaurants in Vancouver that visitors will be spoiled for choice. Her top tips: don't just stay downtown; visit smaller spots and not just the big chains; if in doubt, ask the barkeep.
"Michelin is new to Vancouver over the last few years, but it's not the end all, be all of Vancouver dining. You don't have to follow any list to have a good meal in this city. Ask your bartender where they eat and I guarantee your next meal will be somewhere less known but still delicious!"
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