Latest news with #localchefs
National Post
14 hours ago
- National Post
The Ultimate Vancouver Food Tour: 15 iconic restaurants that are hometown specialties
As Vancouver has grown, so has its food scene. Article content Our multicultural population, coastal geography and progressive ethos have combined to evolve unique and alluring restaurant culture. Here, we can enjoy a range of authentic international cuisines from dim sum in Richmond to Punjabi curries in Surrey. Article content Article content The city's location and lifestyle attract chefs from all over the world and ensures that many prodigal sons and daughters return after learning their craft in kitchens far and wide. Article content Article content Geographically, our position between ocean and farmland gives our cooks access to some of the freshest seafood and produce in North America. Local chefs craft menus that highlight seasonal ingredients and sustainable sourcing, which jibes with the city's commitment to environmental consciousness. Article content Article content In recent years, B.C. wines have come into their own, providing a local option on the wine list at many fine dining establishments. Innovative craft beer and spirits scenes add to the appeal for both local and visiting food and beverage enthusiasts, as do initiatives like the Spot Prawn Festival and Dine Out Vancouver. Article content Article content Article content 1133 W Broadway, Vancouver Article content For more than 30 years, Tojo's has been influencing the way the West Coast thinks about and consumes Japanese food. Chef Tojo himself has introduced Vancouver to the omakase tradition and created the beloved California and B.C. rolls. A good place to start is the seasonal omakase, a chef-curated tasting menu showcasing the freshest seasonal ingredients. Article content Article content Located in a lumber yard on the Fraser River, this unassuming eatery has become a hot spot for above-average diner food. Add the Mama's Wonton — homemade pork and shrimp won tons in umami broth — to your list of must-try dishes. Article content At Via Tevere, the pies are made in accord with Vera Pizza Napoletana (VPN) rules: wood-fired and made with Neapolitan ingredients, including double zero flour, San Marzano tomatoes, and fior di latte mozzarella, as epitomized by the margherita. Both locations are also known for their cosy, rustic atmosphere.
CTV News
24-06-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Daily Dish: Cool down with an ice cream
There is a heat warning in effect in Ottawa and we are trying all the ways to stay cool so in our daily dish we bring you a cold treat.
Travel Weekly
18-06-2025
- Business
- Travel Weekly
With new menus and excursions, Seabourn is doing a culinary revamp
Seabourn is introducing new dinner menus, culinary shore excursions and more seafood offerings shipwide as part of a culinary revamp focused on fresh and local cuisine. The new dinner menu at The Restaurant has 24 new appetizers and main courses. New dishes that the cruise line is highlighting are marinated diver scallops with smoked trout carpaccio and Ossetra caviar, and a grilled beef sirloin and lobster spring roll with pomme puree. The menu, like all other dining venues onboard, will incorporate freshly caught seafood more prominently. The line will also be sourcing more local ingredients and incorporating more regional cuisine specific to the sailing's destinations. Focus on culinary travel: Navigating celebrity chef partnerships In those destinations, Seabourn will offer new food-related shore excursions, such as a cooking demonstration with a local chef in Alaska, oyster shucking on Prince Edward Island and lobster tastings in Bar Harbor, Maine. The existing "shopping with a chef" program, which enables guests to accompany the executive chefs at local markets, will be expanded to new destinations, including Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, Penang in Malaysia, Nagasaki in Japan and Quebec City in Canada. "After traveling across the fleet and listening closely to our guests, onboard teams and travel partners, we're exploring even more ways to spotlight regional flavors and locally sourced ingredients, with freshness and flavor at the heart of every dish," said Seabourn president Mark Tamis.
Free Malaysia Today
18-06-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Celebrate Sushi Day at these 5 Malaysian-made spots
Sushi House is the result of a group of friends wanting a good, affordable sushi joint. (Sushi House pic) PETALING JAYA : It's International Sushi Day, and what better way to celebrate than with a glorious tray of nigiri, maki, and a cheeky salmon mentai or two? Of course, sushi isn't purely a Japanese thing anymore: local chefs and entrepreneurs have taken their love for this cuisine to new levels – fusing it with bold flavours, creative presentations, and homegrown flair. The result? Sushi bars that don't just serve good food but deliver a full-on experience! So, to mark this day of soy sauce and pickled ginger, here are five sushi spots across the country started by Malaysians – proving that passion, precision, and a lot of raw fish can go a long way. Sushi House Sushi House is all about delivering quality, fresh sushi that doesn't break the bank. This is the result of a dream cooked up over sashimi by a group of average-salaried Malaysians who simply loved Japanese food. In 2016, the founders were regulars at their neighbourhood Japanese joint when they asked themselves, 'What if we ran our own place?' With zero financial backing but a lot of guts, they poured their savings into a modest outlet in Bukit Indah, Johor. What started as a humble venture with a bare-minimum setup has since grown into over seven outlets by 2021. Find out more about Sushi House here. The handmade sushi at Shin Zushi is top-class. (Shin Zushi pic) Shin Zushi Shin Zushi is the brainchild of local chef Shine Chew, who founded the restaurant in 2014 after being frustrated by the lack of quality, affordable handmade sushi in town. Determined to fill that gap, Chew opened the first outlet in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur with a small, passionate team, including four of his personally trained disciples. They focused on what mattered most: traditional edomae nigiri and flame-seared aburi sushi, done right. Their mission is simple but powerful: to serve with pride, work with passion, and honour the 'Shin' (new-style) spirit of edomae nigiri. Whether you're after classic cuts or smoky aburi toppings, Shin Zushi offers a truly satisfying sushi experience without the high-end price tag. Find out more about Shin Zushi here. YameSushi's artistic creations include 'cute cute sushi' and sashimi cakes. (YameSushi pics) YameSushi YameSushi is the ultimate mom-and-pop sushi story. Started in 2015 by a husband-and-wife team as a humble kiosk at an LRT station, YameSushi expanded into multiple outlets – until the pandemic forced them to close shop. Refusing to quit, the duo pivoted online, blending traditional sushi-making with artistic flair. Their viral sashimi cakes, sushi platters, and festive gift boxes are now a hit across the Klang Valley. What began with hand-drawn designs is now an edible-art movement fuelled by dedication and community love. Find out more about YameSushi here. Check out Sushi Saga for Japanese flavours with a Malaysian twist, including nasi lemak sushi (right). (Sushi Saga pics) Sushi Saga Founded by a passionate team of Malaysians, Sushi Saga is a vibrant homegrown brand that redefines what sushi can be. This isn't your traditional sushi joint – it's a playground of flavours that celebrate local tastebuds. Think nasi lemak sushi, sambal sotong gunkan, and pandan tamago rolls. It's fusion done with finesse, blending Japanese form with unmistakably Malaysian soul. With several outlets and a growing social media following, Sushi Saga proves that sushi doesn't have to be serious – it can be quirky, colourful, and proudly local. Whether you're dining in or ordering for a celebration, this is the spot where tradition meets creativity, and everything's just a little extra. Find out more about Sushi Saga here. Nippon Sushi is one of the few halal-certified sushi restaurants in the country. (Nippon Sushi pic) Nippon Sushi Nippon Sushi was born from a bold vision by its Malaysian founder, Siti Noraini, who wanted to create an inclusive sushi experience for Muslim diners across the country. Launched in 2018, the chain is fully halal-certified – something still uncommon in the Japanese dining scene – and is now one of Malaysia's fastest-growing sushi brands with over 28 outlets nationwide. But this isn't just about certification: Nippon Sushi nails the balance between flavour and affordability, offering an extensive menu of sushi, bento boxes, ramen, and even quirky items like sushi pizza. Find out more about Nippon Sushi here.
Condé Nast Traveler
31-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Condé Nast Traveler
Fukuoka Is Japan's Most Overlooked Street Food Paradise
This is part of Uncovering Japan, a collection of stories that spotlight the lesser known gems that belong on your Japan itinerary, offering everything from a wellspring of local craft and a vibrant street-food culture to traditional wellness. Read more here. One chilly spring evening on a sidewalk in Fukuoka, Japan's sixth-largest city, I find myself huddled into a 10-seat outdoor restaurant, a clear plastic tarp separating me from the elements while shoulder-to-shoulder with patrons eagerly downing draft beers and greasy, pan-fried dishes. The namesake chef of this food stall, or 'yatai' as they're known in Japan, quickly yet methodically cooks through an expansive menu of Fukuoka's unique specialties. For my order, Kawachan rolls a dashi broth-based omelette around a mound of spicy mentaiko, a pollock roe cured in chili pepper—so regionally celebrated that you can find mentaiko-flavored Pringles in local stores. He arranges the slices of egg in a flower shape with a massive dollop of mayo at the center for dipping. The dish is sweet, salty, decidedly umami. It's creatively plated and, honestly, a bit thrilling to be eating on a sidewalk in 50-degree weather. But that's Fukuoka for you. Every night around 6:00 p.m., chefs wheel up and put together these yatai stalls along the city's downtown streets. A bustling nightlife scene emerges as patrons crowd into the tiny sidewalk restaurants to enjoy food and drinks prepared right there outdoors. By dawn, the yatai disappear, giving way to the daytime shuffle of pedestrians. Spending a night hopping between yatai, grabbing a bite or two at each, has become the most famous symbol of Fukuoka's vibrant food culture, which sees street food sit comfortably alongside high-end sushi joints and Michelin-starred gastronomy. 'Yatai aren't some new trend—they've been part of everyday life here for over 80 years. They're one of the things that really make Fukuoka stand out.' Nick Szasz, publisher of the local publication Fukuoka Now Each night, patrons crowd into Fukuoka's tiny sidewalk restaurants to enjoy food and drink prepared right there outdoors. Andrew Faulk Yatai dish up Fukuoka specialties like tonkotsu and fried ramen, or okonomiyaki, a savory pancake with a protein and tasty toppings. Nikolay Tsuguliev The success of the yatai has coincided with Fukuoka's rise as Japan's fastest-growing city, particularly among young people. This is a heavily commercial and modernized city powered by an influx of tech startups and young people seeking affordable urban living. The city's temperate climate, along with its laidback, almost U.S. West Coast-like attitude, and its friendly, hospitality-driven culture, make it the obvious place for yatai to thrive. However, because Fukuoka is located in the southwestern corner of mainland Japan, on the island of Kyushu, relatively far from the wildly popular 'Golden Route' of Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, it is often overlooked by first-time visitors to Japan. The megacity of Osaka, in particular, is frequently hailed as Japan's street food capital, but as I pop each umami bite of mentaiko omelette into my mouth and listen to the friendly banter next to me, I am convinced that Fukuoka actually deserves that title. 'Nowhere else in Japan has this much street food,' said Nick Szasz, the publisher of the local publication Fukuoka Now, who, along with his wife Emiko, leads tours throughout the region. 'Yatai aren't some new trend—they've been part of everyday life here for over 80 years. They're one of the things that really make Fukuoka stand out.' At every old-school yatai in Fukuoka, you'll reliably find patrons slurping on ramen. Getty Images 'It's a great way to make new friends,' remarked Hiroshi Nagasawa, a born-and-raised Fukuoka resident who leads nightly yatai-hopping tours for travelers from all over the world. During my first nights of yatai hopping, I aimed to try the classic Fukuoka specialties, including, of course, the aforementioned spicy mentaiko, along with tonkotsu ramen, fried ramen, and a local take on gyoza.
