By Nikki Bayley One of the annual thrills in the Vancouver foodie calendar is the opening of the Richmond Night Market for their summer season. Each year between mid-May to mid-October, night market aficionados hop on the Canada Line to Richmond’s Bridgeport Station to dive into delicious Asian street food and innovative desserts and to browse the stalls of the 200 or so vendors selling everything from toys and balloons to the latest must-have gizmo from Hong Kong. It’s very easy to find the market from the station, there are plenty of signs but all you need to do is follow the hordes of eager food fans walking the 5 minutes or so across to the market grounds. To avoid the often long line-ups, the fastest way in is to buy a $20 Zoom pack (which gives seven express entry coupons that can be used throughout the season or split…
By Kathy Mak When it comes to the Shipyards Night Market, the journey and the destination are both rewarding! Catch some of the best views of the city and the North Shore Mountains while cruising across the Burrard Inlet on the Seabus passenger ferry (between downtown Vancouver to Lonsdale Quay, North Vancouver). In the early evening, you can peruse the speciality shops in Lonsdale Quay Market on route to the night market, which is conveniently located next door. In contrast to other open-air night markets, the Shipyards Night Market is located on the waterfront with beautiful views of Vancouver’s skyline and setup at one of Canada’s Historic Places, the Burrard Dry Dock Company (Wallace Shipyards). You’ll be amused by the vibrant selection of amazing local food, drinks, music, arts, crafts and vendors, all the while watching the glow of the sunset fade over the city. Feast on fresh cuisine from…
By Kathy Mak To truly experience an authentic slice of local life, you can’t get more local than the neighbourhood farmers markets. Whether you’re shopping or browsing, each of the numerous markets showcases genuinely local products and proprietors from all over the Valley. Immerse yourself in sampling seasonal and fresh fare, gourmet treats, and artisanal delights that have been prepared or produced with a regional spin. Half the fun is being part of the market’s social scene and friendly atmosphere. Chat with other food enthusiasts and meet small-scale but passionate food artisans. You’re certain to enjoy the stories or inspirations behind their unique products. Without a doubt, you’ll be glad you sampled and supported local flavours! On any given Wednesday to Sunday (May to October), there are numerous outdoor farmers markets in and around Vancouver communities. With so many choices, you may want to explore a market a day or…
By Nikki Bayley Vancouver’s foodie heaven is right in the heart of the city on Granville Island, a hub for all things delicious thanks to the public market, one of the city’s top attractions for visitors and locals alike. A delight for all the senses, walking around the market is guaranteed to get your taste buds working overtime. One of its most popular stalls is ChocolaTas, where you’ll find the seasonally-inspired creations of Belgian Master Chocolate maker, Wim Tas and his wife Veve. Trained at Belgium’s most respected chocolate house, Maison Wittamer, who exclusively supply the Belgian royal family with chocolates, Wim and Veve first came to Vancouver in 2000 and fell in love with Granville Island at first sight. “From the first time we came to Vancouver to visit and see if it was a possible place to live, I said I wanted a store on the Island,” reminisces…
By Nikki Bayley Vancouverites have a sweet tooth and love to dive straight into dessert, after all, life’s too short to wait for the last course! There are dozens of specialty dessert cafes and bars around the city that offer adventurous options when it comes to picking something sweet. From green tea macarons to raspberry and earl grey cream puffs, Vancouver’s got the lot and plenty use ingredients from right here in the lower mainland. Here are seven of our favourite spots to eat dessert in Vancouver. Bella Gelateria When it comes to gelato, there can be only one choice in Vancouver and it has to be the multi-award winning Bella Gelateria whose menu of incredibly smooth iced treats changes according to whatever is seasonally available from local farmers. This includes the finest berries from Krause Berry Farm and silky creamy goat cheese from Happy Farms in Abbotsford. Sweet Obsession…
By Joanne Sasvari Head east of Chilliwack and just before you hit the misty Coastal Mountains you’ll run into a little slice of pastoral paradise, where happy cows graze in the meadows and one of North America’s best cheese makers, Debra Amrein-Boyes, is making magic from milk. Of course, you don’t have to travel all the way to Agassiz to sample her nutty cheddars, savoury blues and creamy bries. That’s because The Farm House Natural Cheeses can be found on just about every fine cheese plate in town. You’ll find it at restaurants that range from Salt Tasting Room to Farmer’s Apprentice to Hawksworth, and in cheese shops including small independents (Benton Brothers, Les Amis du Fromage), farm markets like Lepp Farm Market in Abbotsford and Pomme Natural Market in Coquitlam, and big chains (Whole Foods, Save On Foods, Choices). Amrein-Boyes herself is a bit of a legend in cheese…
By Nikki Bayley Canadian cheese is undergoing a quiet revolution with dozens of cheese makers popping up across the country making delicious artisan cheeses, and some of the best are to be found in B.C. We spoke to Vancouver’s queen of cheese, Allison Spurrell at Les Amis du Fromage, who stocks around 190 varieties of Canadian cheeses and between 450-550 other cheeses from around the world: “Canadian cheeses may not have big names like England with its cheddar or France with its brie, but Oka cheese is certainly famous in North America. It was traditionally made by monks at the monastery in Quebec, and about 20 years ago the cheese making part was bought out. It’s a semi-firm washed rind Trappist-style cheese. I think in B.C. there’s a pretty interesting cheese makers movement developing over the past 15 years, and some great cheese being made locally. If you’re wondering about…
By Tim Pawsey Header photo by Tyler Ingram Way back, when it was still a sleepy little resort, decades before the George Massey Tunnel was opened (in 1959), the best way to reach White Rock from Vancouver was by rail. The reminders are still all there, from the vintage train station (now restored as White Rock Museum & Archives), to the freights that regularly trundle along the tracks that separate the expansive, sandy shore and promenade from the view cafés and patios of the main street. East Beach Cod is God at East Beach (closest to Highway 99 and Peace Arch border crossing), which may well have the highest concentration of fish n’ chip shops anywhere in the land. Take your pick, from ling cod and clam strips at The Fishboat or fresh cod and chips at Coney Island (15487 Marine Dr) to fish and oyster burgers plus specialties like…
By Tim Pawsey Most travelers are familiar with Abbotsford viewed from a busy stretch along Highway One, but even a few minutes detour off the road in either direction can lead to hours of entertainment fit for the whole family. Abbotsford is also easily accessible from Washington directly through the Sumas-Huntingdon Border Crossing. Coming from Vancouver, take exit 92 South and follow Clearbrook and Vye Roads to discover Maan Farms, a multi-faceted, small scale theme park that puts on a different, happy face according to the season. In fact, there’s so much to do that families often come here for a good part of the day. Drive up to the large parking lot and you might be greeted by a display of pumpkins or a cornucopian show of mouth-watering fruits and vegetables. However, there’s more than meets the eye at this spacious farm market, where, while Mom and Dad are tasting…
By Chef Alex ‘Beer Belly’ Newton Big Rock Urban Brewery & Eatery Chef Alex ‘Beer Belly’ Newton loves to experiment with using beer as an ingredient in his dishes as opposed to simply pairing it with a dish. He loves trying new things and highlighting sustainable products wherever possible. The Watermelon Tuna Salad features BC Albacore Tuna from Finest At Sea, Gin from Long Table Distillery, and also our own Hefeweizen brewed right here at home. INGREDIENTS Watermelon Tuna Salad Gin-compressed Watermelon (recipe included) Cajun Seared Tuna Artisan Greens (to taste) Fennel (to taste) Honey Hefeweizen Dressing (recipe included) Compressed Watermelon 3 lbs Watermelon 1 bulb Fennel 4 oz Long Table Gin Honey Hefeweizen Dressing Ingredient Group A 1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar 1 cup Big Rock Urban Hefeweizen Ingredient Group B 2 cups Real Mayonnaise 4 tsp Granulated Sugar 2 tsp Minced Garlic 4 tsp Pesto 4 tbsp…
by Kathy Mak Few things are more Vancouver than the beloved seawall, considered the world’s longest uninterrupted waterfront path. Cycling the seawall bike lane is one of the most entrenched pastimes of locals and a must-do for newcomers. Some folks ride the Vancouver seawall for exercise, some for the extraordinary views and iconic sights, and some for the novelty; but few may realize the seawall is a string of the best waterside pubs and patios in the city! If pairing tasty bites and beverages with your wheels is a priority, then you’re in for a treat with over 24 waterfront pit stops to please your palette while you pedal! This suggested “Pubs & Patios Pedal” route will take you on a bikeable feast along Vancouver’s seawall. Start at Canada Place for 11 am and wind along the mostly paved, flat path for 22 km (13.7 miles) via Stanley Park, English…
By Nikki Bayley B.C. is at the heart of the craft distillery boom in Canada with more distilleries in the province right now than in the rest of Canada put together – and the majority of them are based in the lower mainland, using local ingredients to create craft gins, vodkas, and a dizzying range of fruit-based liqueurs. From the internationally award winning Long Table Distillery’s Cucumber Gin, made with locally-grown ‘cukes to the B.C. black currents in Odd Society Spirits’ Crème de Cassis, the focus is on delicious west coast and valley flavours. Alex Hamer founded the BC Distilled Festival to showcase and celebrate B.C. distilleries to a wider audience. After launching in 2014, the event throws open the doors each year to hundreds of local distillery fans who can sample spirits from the 22 distillers in attendance, “If you’re at all interested in tasting local spirits, the lower…
By Executive Chef – Wayne Sych Joe Fortes Seafood and Chop House Wayne Sych has two rules when it comes to cooking: keep it simple and use quality ingredients. With the experience he gained from working at some of Vancouver’s iconic restaurants such as The Cannery and the Fish House in Stanley Park, Wayne has continued the tradition of serving up a variety of regional seafood – blending his vibrant West Coast style with the freshest local ingredients. Makes 4 large appetizer portions INGREDIENTS Oysters 16 large size fresh oysters 30 ml butter 1 stalk celery, chopped 300 ml fennel bulb, cleaned and chopped 2.5 ml fresh thyme leaves 15 ml fresh parsley, chopped 180 ml leeks, white part only chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1000 ml fresh spinach leaves, lightly packed 30 ml pernod 2-3 drops tabasco sauce 2.5 ml salt 1.25 ml fresh ground pepper 160 ml …
By Nikki Bayley Vancouver’s street food scene is known as being one of the best in North America, with more than 100 trucks dotted around the city serving up a dizzying selection of cuisines from around the world. On any given day you could dine on Mexican tortilla stuffed with cactus, a Thai papaya salad, Polish homemade pierogi or even just a hot dog – Japanese-style –dressed with Teriyaki sauce and seaweed. The delicious twist with many of the trucks you’ll find around town is that they use seasonal ingredients right from the lower mainland, so you can taste something new and local each month as the fresh harvest comes in. You’ll also see Ocean Wise stickers on many of the trucks, which means that the seafood they serve is 100% sustainable so you can chow down guilt free. Find your new favourite truck with the handy StreetFood app. Start your…
Photos by Barbara Tili, Vancouver Photowalks Captions by Alexis Baran Vancouver Photowalks hosts guided photography tours in Vancouver and neighbouring communities.
By Joanne Sasvari Keep going. Over the train tracks. Past the North Shore Auto Mall. Towards the giant Seaspan crane towering above the North Vancouver shoreline. Through the industrial park and across from the high school. And there it is, chocolaty nirvana, in one of the most unlikely locations you could expect. This is the bijou little shop of master chocolatier and pastry chef Thomas Haas. If you’ve arrived after, say, 10 am, chances are good that there’s a lineup of people waiting for his croissants and cappuccinos and the gorgeous chocolates glittering in the glass case like cacao-scented jewels. Don’t worry, just get in line: everything here is worth the wait. If it’s really busy, Haas himself might pop out to visit. Perhaps he’ll hand around some of his rich, dark “sparkle cookies,” which have been named among the best in the world by Saveur, The Los Angeles Times…
By Joanne Sasvari Here on Vancouver’s North Shore, you could say the meat is, well, a cut above. North and West Vancouver are home to a number of butchers, meat shops and sausage makers who’ve carved out a high-quality niche, often specializing in local, organic, antibiotic-free, chemical-free and humanely raised products. Two Rivers Specialty Meats Technically, Two Rivers Specialty Meats is a North Vancouver-based wholesale distributor that sells meat throughout the Lower Mainland. But they’re much more than that. They’re a force for good – after all, they’ve done more than just about anyone to make local, ethically raised meats the popular choice for diners in Vancouver. You’ll find their products – from highly respected producers like Sloping Hills pork, Thiessen Farms chickens and Pemberton Meadows natural beef – on the best restaurant menus in Vancouver as well as in boxes from the SPUD organic food delivery service. Now Two…
By Nikki Bayley Vancouver is known as Canada’s cocktail capital, a hotbed of innovative alcoholic creations, shaken and stirred by award-winning bartenders who are making a name for themselves on the international circuit. Tucked away in the city’s West End by Stanley Park on Denman Street, you’ll find Buckstop, owned by Fiona Grieve whose local-first approach to cocktails is making her late night barbecue joint a must-visit for locavore drinkers. “I’m local,” grins Fiona, “I was raised in the Tri-Cities area and have friends there who still who grow things and are always eager to get them into the restaurant. I love to use produce from Coquitlam to make my cocktail bitters. Bitters help to add layers of complexity to a drink, say you have just a plain tomato, if I add salt and pepper to that it changes it and makes it better. Then say I add balsamic vinegar…
By Nikki Bayley Vancouver’s cocktail scene is currently going from strength to strength, with innovative bartenders shaking up delicious drinks in bars and restaurants across the city. Vancouver bartenders love to push their creativity by entering –and often winning –tough cocktail contests, vying to be the best with a unique creations. Although several bartenders across the city have locked down nationwide titles (for instance Grant Sceney at the Fairmont Pacific Rim, Lauren Mote at Uva, and Kevin Brownlee at AnnaLena), two bartenders in the city can make you drinks that are officially world beaters: West Restaurant’s Sabrine Dhaliwal and Cin Cin’s David Wolowidnyk have both placed first at international cocktail competitions, showing up all other competitors from around the world. All you need to do to taste a world class drink is take a seat at their bar. Sabrine Dhaliwal won the 2015 Belvedere Challenge to Create the Next Legendary…
By Nikki Bayley How about some walnut wine, artisan jam and a picnic under a shady tree? There’s plenty to explore in south Langley and the Vista d’Oro farm makes for a fun day out for all the family. Since taking over an ex-dairy farm in 1997, Lee and Patrick Murphy have created a beautiful 10 acre farm on Campbell Valley Park in the heart of the Fraser Valley, just four blocks from the US border. Growing a mixed bag of orchard fruits such as apples, pears, plums and cherries, there’s a vineyard onsite too, producing their estate-grown Marechal Foch wine. We spoke to co-owner Lee about what’s happening on their farm and why it’s a must-visit for foodies. “We’re part of the Campbell Valley wine route,” says Lee, “There ‘s a great little micro-climate out here; it’s pretty small, just four of us, but people seem to love it.…
By: The British Columbia Blueberry Council This recipe was created using delicious locally grown blueberries and hazelnuts from the Fraser Valley. A layered blueberry hazelnut cheese wheel is ideal for holiday entertaining. It is a beautiful addition to a cheese board, combining warm, melting cheese with the sweetness of blueberries and the crunch of hazelnuts but without the fuss and mess of baking. Yields 1 wheel with 3 cups of compote Ingredients 5” round (350 g) Brie, Camembert or any soft rind cheese 1½ cups (225 g) B.C blueberries – fresh or frozen ¼ cup (60 ml) red wine 2 tbsp (30 ml) balsamic vinegar 3 tbsp (30 g) brown sugar 1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon zest 2 tsp (10 ml) lemon juice ¼ tsp (pinch) black pepper ⅛ tsp (pinch) salt Sprig fresh rosemary ½ cup (75 g) hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped Directions Cut the cheese round in…
By Chef Tobias Grignon Mamie Taylor’s Restaurant I dreaded stinging nettles every time they came across my childhood dinner table on Vancouver Island. Kids hate green stuff, especially when it stings their legs during their forest adventures. Nettles have since come represent for me the best my childhood home has to offer. They also bring me a palpable feeling of spring and late summer. At Mamie Taylor’s I use stinging nettles to make our extremely popular Stinging Nettle Perogies, which we serve on a bed of sautéed mushrooms with onion purée. Here’s my recipe. Enjoy! INGREDIENTS Dough 5 cups flour ¼ cup butter, melted 2 eggs ¼ cup water 1 cup sour cream Tsp salt Filling 1 cup blanched and cleaned stinging nettles, (approximately 1 lb raw) 1 cup ricotta 4 oz Swiss cheese, grated 1.5 oz parmesan, grated 1 large potato baked ¼ cup butter ¼ onion minced Pinch of nutmeg Salt and pepper Mushroom mix 4 oz oyster mushrooms 8 oz cremini mushrooms (or wild, foraged mushrooms) 4 ox cherry tomatoes 1 clove garlic, minced 1 Tbsp…
Just an hour’s drive from Vancouver lies one of the region’s most delicious culinary destinations: from wineries and cheese makers, to one of the country’s most exciting Indian restaurants, the area surrounding Langley and Surrey has it all. Celebrity chef and famed restaurateur, Vikram Vij is one of the region’s most ardent fans, “It’s like being in the countryside without having to go far from the city,” he enthuses. “You can rent a car and drive through the mountains and past the ocean, you don’t have to take a plane or a ferry, it’s right here and the best of the best foods come from this area. We’re so lucky to have everything to make a great culinary destination right in our backyard.” It’s an area that many visitors might miss out on, but Vikram says they’ll be missing a treat if they do– and he has a few recommendations…
By Nikki Bayley Many visitors to the west coast are drawn by its zingingly fresh seafood, famous the world over for being some of the very best that the ocean has to offer. However, overfishing is the greatest threat to all our oceans today and according to Ocean Wise, the Vancouver Aquarium conservation program which launched a decade ago to help consumers make environmentally friendly choices, “…an estimated 90% of all large, predatory fish are already gone from the world’s oceans. A recent scientific study predicted a world-wide fisheries collapse by 2048. The only solution is to turn back from the brink, and to begin consuming seafood in a sustainable manner.” Robert Clark and Mike McDermid are two men on a mission to change the way that we think about buying and eating seafood. After helping create and launch the Ocean Wise programme, they’ve taken the next step and have…
Last year chef Ned Bell launched the Chefs for Oceans Foundation and rode his bike 8,700 km across Canada in a bid to raise awareness of sustainable seafood and healthy lakes, rivers and oceans. Executive chef at The Vancouver Aquarium, Ned Bell believes passionately in educating diners on seafood sustainability and introducing them to delicious Ocean Wise alternatives. “People come to BC and they are looking for the west coast experience,” says Ned. “ I’d love them to start looking beyond wild salmon and enjoy some more of our rock-star sustainable seafoods!” Vancouver is leading the wave of change to a more sustainable diet when it comes to seafood. Explains Bell, “I think it’s because we have that connection to the coast and the extraordinary seafood that we get to pull from our ocean. We’re recognized for our passion for the environment and a healthy lifestyle too.” Visitors to the…
By Alexis Baran In BC, over 15 varieties of apples are harvested each year by the bushel; and you can pick 5 of them right from the trees yourself at Taves Family Farms in Abbotsford. More than just an apple farm, the Taves have turned the land into a seasonal playground and each year they invite families from the west coast and beyond to enjoy their corn maze, tractor trail, bee hive demonstrations, pony rides, and other activities. It all started with an immigrant farmer who came to Canada after his land was seized in his home country during World War II. In the 1930s, during the Great Depression, John Taves, an immigrant from Ukraine, purchased a plot of logged land that was little more than grass and stumps in Abbotsford BC. John’s grandson, Loren, recalls helping his family clear the land as a child: “I remember as a 5-year-old…
By: Catherine Roscoe Barr Conscious culinary trends are taking root in British Columbia and the farm-to-table philosophy is flourishing in Surrey, where an abundance of agricultural land provides fresh, seasonal food year round, and an array of multicultural influences provides endless flavour combinations. Surrey’s new Food with Thought campaign highlights the city’s passionate purveyors of food, from farmers to chefs to artisanal shop owners, and is a comprehensive resource on where to shop, what to eat, where to dine, and upcoming events. Farms Over 35-percent of Surrey is designated agricultural land, and local farmers proudly offer their seasonal produce and naturally-raised meat directly from the farm, through the city’s farmers markets – like the Surrey Urban Farmers Market and the Cloverdale Market – and/or at select retailers and restaurants. Buying local is not only good for the environment and your community’s economy, it’s good for your personal and financial health,…
From Grandma Alice, Taves Family Farms Crust Ingredients Enough for two complete pies 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt ½ lb tenderflake lard 1 egg, stirred slightly ½ tablespoon vinegar 1/2 cup cold water Directions Shift the flour and salt together. Cut in the lard with a pastry blender or two knives until the shortening is in pea size pieces. In a measuring cup, combine the egg and vinegar. Add cold water. Stir the liquid into the flour mixture, adding just enough to make the dough cling together. Stir the water in with a wooden spoon until mixed thoroughly. Then gather the dough into a ball, and separate into four portions. Cover and refrigerate for one hour. You can chill it overnite, covered, providing you leave it at room temperature for 15 minutes before rolling. Lightly flour surface and roll into circles. Then pat the dough into pie pans,…
Canada’s largest food and drink festival, Dine Out Vancouver, dishes up unlimited ways to enjoy the flavours of the city. See what some of their favorite chefs have to say. Alessandro Vianello, Chef, ARC Restaurant Vancouver trained, and Internationally travelled, Chef Alessandro Vianello received his culinary diploma from Vancouver Community College and his Red Seal certificate from Northwest Culinary Academy in Vancouver. Vianello started his culinary career with Fairmont Hotel & Resorts at the iconic Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, then sharpened his knives globally… Read more: www.dineoutvancouver.com/blog/arc/ Bruno Feldeisen, Executive Pastry Chef, YEW Seafood Restaurant + Bar With an Italian and German background and a childhood in France it seems cooking was an obvious calling for Chef Bruno Feldeisen. The two time “James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry” nominee has enjoyed a storied career that has taken him from working with Alain Ducasse in Paris to New York City, San…