Vancouver Magazine March/April 2024

supporting strong communities

supporting strong communities

non-profits and schools. Each organization has been selected because they provide exceptional service to Vancouver and beyond.

Pooni Group Foundation is proud to work in partnership with the following charities, non-profits and schools. These organizations have been selected because they provide exceptional service to Vancouver and beyond.

Through our scholarships and programs, we are honoured to assist individuals who are making a positive and profound impact in their communities.

Pooni Group Foundation is proud to work in partnership with the following charities, non-profits and schools. These organizations have been selected because they provide exceptional service to Vancouver and beyond.

Learn more at www.poonigroupfoundation.com

Through our scholarships and programs, we are honoured to assist individuals who are making a positive and profound impact in their communities.

Through our scholarships and programs, we are honoured to assist individuals who are making a positive and profound impact in their communities.

Learn more at www.poonigroupfoundation.com

Learn more at www.poonigroupfoundation.com

Power 50 2024 was, by all accounts, our most lively and exciting Power 50 awards to date. Our 400 guests arrived in the grand hall of the elegant Terminal City Club and were swept up the stairs to explore two rooms packed with delights. Besides the A-list guests who were in attendance— chatting, laughing, connecting, and raising a glass to one another—attendees discovered beautiful wines, cocktails and beers being poured; sushi platters, carving stations and inventive passed canapes; a lively musical performance; a unique, interactive photo booth; and even a surprise candy bar. And when the ceremony (hosted by Global TV’s Jason Pires) got underway, the buzzy feeling in the air only grew.

Honourees and hall of fame inductees took the stage to share moving words and fiery passion, no matter what category their contributions to the city fell under—we saw genuine gratitude from our city’s hard-working politicians, activists, artists and, yes, meme-makers as each stepped up to collect their trophy and share their perspective with the highly engaged audience. Afterwards, the party spilled out into the lobby, with plenty of sparkling wine, congratulations, and celebration to go around… and, of course, a fresh copy of Vancouver magazine’s Power 50 issue for everyone to pore over.

Contents

MARCH/APRIL 2024

c

Outside the BoxFor our Eat the Suburbs feature (page 37), photographer Leila Kwok captured got up close and personal with some of Richmond’s best Chinese dishes.

37 EAT THE SUBURBS

ceo and group publisher Ryan Benn

group vp , publishing and operations

Nina Wagner

editorial

editorial director Anicka Quin

editors - in - chief Stacey McLachlan ( Vancouver ), Nathan Caddell ( BCBusiness )

managing editor Alyssa Hirose

assistant editors Kerri Donaldson, Rushmila Rahman wine and spirits editor Neal McLennan

contributing editors Frances Bula, Melissa Edwards, Amanda Ross

editorial interns Alicia Nolasco, Gates Annai, Megan Zolorycki email mail@vanmag.com

design

creative director Jenny Reed

art directors Stesha Ho ( Vancouver ), Edwin Pabellon ( BCBusiness )

advisory council

Angus An, chef/owner, Maenam restaurant; Victoria Emslie, senior manager corporate relations, Nicola Wealth; Khelsilem, council chairperson, Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw; Gary Pooni, president, Pooni Group; Jen Riley, VP brand and communications, Bosa Properties; Joseph Thompson, co-founder and COO, Kits Eyewear; Greg Zayadi, president, Rennie Group sales representation

vp of sales Anna Lee senior media specialists Brianne Harper, Mira Hershcovitch, Amy LaJambe, Sheri Stubel email sales@canadawide.com

u . s . sales specialist Hayes Media Sales

tel 602-432-4868 email lesley@hayesmediasales.com

production / administration

group vp , education and administration Jane Griffiths group director of operations Devin Steinberg director of circulation Tracy McRitchie manager , hr and administration Ava Pashmchi executive assistant to ceo Hannah Dewar production manager / digital ad coordinator

Kim McLane

production associate Natasha Jayawardana

production support technician Ina Bowerbank circulation Kelly Kalirai

finance

group vp , finance Conroy Ing, CPA, CMA vp of finance Sonia Roxburgh, CPA, CGA accounting Terri Mason, Eileen Gajowski

fax 604-299-9188 web vanmag.com email sales@canadawide.com VANCOUVER MAGAZINE is published eight times a year by Canada Wide Media Limited Suite 130, 4321 Still Creek Dr., Burnaby, B.C. V5C 6S7. Phone 604-299-7311; fax 604-299-9188. Copyright 2024. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the publisher’s written permission. Not responsible for unsolicited editorial material. Privacy Policy: On occasion, we make our subscriber list available to carefully screened organizations whose product or service might interest you. If you prefer that we not share your name and address (postal and/or email), you can easily remove your name from our mailing lists by reaching us at any of the listed contact points. You can review our complete Privacy Policy at Vanmag.com. Indexed in the Canadian Magazine Index by Micromedia Ltd. and also in the Canadian Periodical Index. International standard serial no. ISSN 0380-9552. Canadian publications mail product sales agreement #40068973. Printed in Canada by Mitchell Press, 8328 Riverbend Ct., Burnaby, B.C. V3N 5C9. Distributed by Coast to Coast Ltd. BC VANMAG.COM Features Taste 62 60 57 BEST THING I ATE Some things get better with (dry) age—like Bravo’s fish. THE WINE LIST Feeling the squeeze? Here’s a guide to wallet-friendly B.C. wines. SECRET RECIPE How to make a bomb bolognese like Savio Volpe. 57 37

A Moveable Feast

As my parallel-parking skills no doubt reveal, I grew up in the suburbs. And as a Surrey kid, I devoured my fair share of Red Robin onion ring towers and ABC Country Restaurant waffles; as a Surrey teen, my body was 80-percent vanilla ice caps from Tim Hortons. Chain restaurants were landmarks (“It’s near that Earls where Hot Brandon works!”) as well as an integral part of the fabric of my social life: if you haven’t been a 15-year-old sharing a heart-shaped pizza with your first boyfriend, have you even experienced romance?!

All that said, my suburban diet wasn’t completely dominated by franchises. In fact, my most potent food memories—besides thinking I invented the hashbrown-patty sandwich during my after-school job at A&W—all take place at independent businesses. Some of these restaurants were hole-in-thewalls; some were neighbourhood institutions. But they each offered an experience that just couldn’t be served up in a Pirate Pak.

I think of ripping into a box of golden, still-warm samosas from Diamond Sweets before we could even get them home. Of travelling down Fraser Highway to procure a cinnamon bun the size of my head, frosted with gleeful abandon, that would inevitably make me too sugar-sick to eat a real dinner. I’d tuck into heaping plates of rice and dal at Taste of Punjab, enjoyed while contemplating the experimental perspective of the mural in the entryway (was the rajah very big, or was the elephant very small?). And how many afternoons did I spend nursing a frothy passionfruit green tea—with jelly stars, duh—at the local bubble tea café, my friends and I presumably ruining everyone else’s time as we traded Homestar Runner quotes at maximum volume?

While many of my teenage haunts have shuttered, great food still lives in the suburbs. I know because this issue is packed with dozens of recommendations from our insider experts, who are damn-near obsessive about finding their next great meal. In our Eat the Suburbs package (page 37), you’ll find endorsements that range from the best food-court gems in Richmond (mango mochi!) to a ’90s-themed brewery in PoMo. This is destination dining, right here in our own backyard.

And if you need something to read in between pizza from New West’s L’Onore and ice cream from Langley’s Oxford, we’ve got you covered with a smorgasbord of stories—a guide to the season’s slickest rain boots (page 18) from style columnist Amanda Ross, a compelling case for rethinking urban density (page 24) from Governor General’s Award–winning writer Michael Harris, an interview with the empowering Amanda Kao of Bad Academy (page 22) and so much more. It’s an issue we had a lot of fun cooking up. Here’s hoping it’s half as tasty as a fresh-from-the-fryer samosa.

STACEY McLACHLAN

editor - in - chief smclachlan @ canadawide com | @ stacey mclachlan

Coming Up Next Issue

The Ultimate City Guide

Whether you’re entertaining your college drinking buddies or trying to impress your too-cool preteen nephew, we’ve got 25 hyper-specific itineraries designed to show anyone and everyone a good time in our favourite city.

Goof Troop

Comedy school Blind Tiger turns 10 this year. What happens when a scrappy band of jokesters becomes an institution?

On the Web

Gastown Cocktail Crawl

Food writer Dani Wright shares six locations to help bring the happy to your hour; get ready to raise a glass to some excellent, spirit-forward concoctions.

PORTRAIT: EVAAN KERAJ; STYLING: ALSU PASEK; HAIR AND MAKEUP: ALISHA HOPPS; CLOTHING: THE BLOCK; JEWELLERY: ENTI ANA

PRESENTED BY

Thank you to our generous sponsors

This year’s gala was held on February 27 and raised funds to help VCC students flourish.

Learn how you can join us and enhance our students’ experience and success!

vcc.ca/ foundation

CULTURE

PERSONAL SPACE

Shelf Expression

Vintage treasures and gorgeous photo books line the walls of Rebecca Rawlinson’s home library.

A peek inside the feminine-chic Rebecca Bree boutique at any point during the past 12 years would reveal an oasis of butterysoft A.L.C. sweaters, boxy Anine Bing leather jackets and drapey Joseph dresses. It probably wouldn’t leave you assuming that owner Rebecca Rawlinson likes to play around in the dirt.

by Stacey McLachlan photography by Tanya Goehring

But the west side’s favourite stylist contains multitudes. “It turns out I’m a shop girl but I’m also a gardener,” laughs Rawlinson. It’s a passion she discovered during the early days of pandemic lockdown, and in 2020, she and husband Rick Leo left their East Van duplex for the quiet streets of North Vancouver to (quite literally) find some room to grow. They fell in love with their little blue house before they even walked in the front door. “The backyard sold us,” says Rawlinson. “There were fig trees and rhododendrons and a little greenhouse. I was like, ‘That’s it, I’m done.’”

And while she’s found plenty of happiness tending to roses, dahlias and ranunculus over the past few years, there’s just as much to love inside the craftsman-style home. Their second-floor library, for one, has become another happy place for the creative couple. Leo is a woodworker (he crafts custom furniture and adorable dollhouses with his company, Fallen Tree BC) and used his talents to install a wall of shelving that he painted a custom shade of robin’s-egg blue.

The TV lives downstairs these days. The couple uses the library for more artistic pursuits, spending evenings reading, writing, painting and drawing. Shelves display Rawlinson’s extensive coffee-table book collection and treasures sourced from Parisian flea markets and friends’ stores, while the drawers hide art supplies. And if Rawlinson is ever feeling too far from that gorgeous garden, she can head to the window seat in her walk-in closet for a glimpse down at the blossoms. “Dahlias are so easy to grow, they come in every colour and the more you cut them, the more flowers you get,” she says. “Next year, I’m going to put them everywhere.”

By the Book

“I have a coffeetable book obsession. I can’t leave a bookstore without buying one,” says Rawlinson. “When I need inspiration, I pull one out and it’s instant.”

Crystal Clear

The Baccarat vase here was a gift from a client in Rawlinson’s early days as a stylist at Holt Renfrew. “It was the first time a client gave me something, and it was just really special to feel recognized,” she says.

In Bloom “I’m a big supporter of local florists,” says Rawlinson, who has fresh florals in her store and home daily. Some faves include Celsia, Quince and Florista.

Bottle Service

The vintage French perfume bottles were collected by Rawlinson’s mother; she’s slowly been passing them down to Rawlinson one at a time. Elsewhere on the shelf is another three small Limoges, purchased by Mom on her honeymoon.

Time to Reflect

The vintage mirror is from France, a treasure Rawlinson discovered at Gild and Co. “Bonnie [Wilson, the owner] has such an incredible eye; the store is so filled with beauty. I have a hard time going in there because I just want everything.”

Colour Theory

Leo “took a swing” with the colour of the shelves—a tint to match a vintage book in their collection. He painted while Rawlinson was away on a business trip. “I’m super particular, but he really has an eye for colour. He nailed it.”

This Is Us

Rawlinson was drawn to this vintage painting when she first saw it at the Puces de Vanves flea market in Paris. “There’s an elderly couple by a lake, and they’re holding hands and gardening,” she says. “I just thought, ‘That’s me and my husband when we retire.’”

Window Shopping

This book on Bergdorf Goodman celebrates the department store’s iconic window displays; Rawlinson looks at it weekly for inspiration.

Family Ties

The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan seems out of place next to the de Gournay books of wallpaper samples, but there’s a good reason for its presence: Rawlinson’s grandfather is mentioned inside.

Furry Friends A tiny painting of Rawlinson’s dog (Little William Buttons) and cat (Rambo Charlie Tuna) was done by her best friend’s niece, artist Olivia Jorunn.

Happy Hour

“I literally did a happy dance when I found it,” recalls Rawlinson of the 1950s Italian bar cart she purchased a few years ago. The mini ice bucket was scored at another Paris flea market.

Room With a View The window seat here in the walk-in closet (upholstered in fabric from Gild and Co.) offers a view to Rawlinson’s beloved garden.

Shoe Gazer Rawlinson is a self-professed “shoe girl”— these shelves showcase just a fraction of her collection, which includes Chanel, Gucci, vintage Dries Van Noten and Jamie Haller.

Tiny Dancers

Rawlinson collected Dresden figurines as a kid; these two dolls are still on display, in front of a painting by Vancouver artist Kirn Gill.

Light It Up

A collaboration between Rebecca Bree and candlemaker Tallu and Co. for the Christmas season led to this pine-and-wood scented candle.

HOT TAKE

by Amanda Ross

MADE FOR WALKIN’

Designed in Stockholm, Stutterheim’s waterproof Chelsea Rainwalker wellies in natural rubber will mould around your feet as you wear them. $215, thebay.com

Splash Zone

Rain, rain, go away—or, feel free to hang around now that we’ve rounded up this set of slope-to-street waterproof wonders.

COLOUR CODE

It’s raining cats and dogs—and rainbows too—in Hunter’s Play short mini rainbow print boots crafted from natural rubber. $155, hunterboots.ca

TREAD HEAD

For the puddle fashion-forward, there’s Moncler’s made-in-Italy Misty rainboot with tread sole, round toe and logo cut-out. $645, holtrenfrew.com

LUSH SPA AT LUSH COSMETICS

Canada’s first Lush Spa is providing soothing shelter from the rain—fragrant rest and relaxation is on offer with facials, full-body massages and “Book a Bath” tub experiences. All with the brand’s signature handmade cosmetics, of course.

1020 Robson St. | lush.ca

H-2-GO

From the Great Lakes to Vancouver’s rainy city streets, the new made-inCanada (and Canada Goose–owned) Baffin Brook boots can be fully submerged in water for extended periods thanks to their B-Tek Dry Waterproof status. $100, baffin.com

COZY TOES

All Muck boots are 100-percent waterproof, but the Arctic Sport II Tall also comes with a fleece lining and a glen plaid-check Neoprene inner boot to meet minus-40-Celsius conditions head—and foot—on. $200, muckbootcompany.ca

RUN WILD

West Coast technical invention looks like the waterproof, windproof and breathable Vertex GTX shoe by Arc’teryx, with an integrated, abovethe-ankle Gore-Tex gaiter to seal out snow, water and debris. $270, arcteryx.com

HERE COMES THE SUN

Sorel’s Out N About III Classic WP duck bootie features a full-grain patent-leather waterproof shell with a moulded and removeable EVA footbed. $150, softmoc.com

Progressive Readers for Enhanced Vision

Welcome to the Neighbourhood

A new location for Neighbour Women offers the same special pieces in a fresh, spacious shop.

by Stacey McLachlan

Sometimes, cozy is nice. And the compact store on Powell Street that had held Neighbour Women since 2015 was just that: a pleasant place to sift through racks of beautiful clothing for a few hours, discovering staples and statement pieces and artful objects: “what we admire,” as co-owner Karyna Schultz puts it simply. But in its new location on Cordova, the Gastown boutique has levelled up—think double the square footage, lofty ceilings and natural light—and that artfully curated collection of womenswear now has a little elbow room.

“It just elevates everything we have,” says Schultz, who runs Neighbour’s mini-empire with husband Saager Dilawri. The home-goods shop Neighbour Object remains on Powell, while the menswear-focused Neighbour is over on Water Street. “It’s funny how a space can just give everything room to breathe and highlight everything we carry.”

And what Schultz has in the new location is just as delightful (and international) as the selection in their former spot. Rails hang with eccentric, pleated shirts from Berlin’s Julia Heuer, oversized wool sweater vests from Antwerp’s Howlin’ and drapey black tees from Parisian brand Lemaire.

The new space is a former Union Bank—a single-storey Edwardian gem built in 1911. Designers Olivia Bull and Dan Garrod of Oddo gave the interiors a refresh (crisp white paint, a valance of cotton muslin along the ceiling, rotary-cut fir millwork)

to create a clean backdrop for the pieces on offer. Chic furniture like Charlotte Perriand stools and a Cassina Soriana sofa designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa were selected not only for their design sensibility but also for their backstory. “We worked with Inform Interiors to choose furnishings that were from either female designers or husband-andwife teams,” explains Schultz. No wonder, then, that when you walk into this space, you can instantly feel the love.

This Way

“We wanted to create a space that pulled you through and around,” says Schultz. “It’s interesting to see how people navigate the store so differently.”

IAN LANTERMAN

Right

EDITOR’S PICK

Best in Shop

Fave pieces from Schultz and our editors.

“She’s a really cool Dutch designer who tries to use as many upcycled materials as she can,” says Schultz.

EDITOR’S PICK

EDITOR’S

EDITOR’S PICK

YS by Yohji Yamamoto half-sleeve cropped car digan ($1,105). Nubbly and slouchy, it’s a cardi that’s light enough for spring but still comfy-cozy.

Sun Buddies Barret glasses ($225). Somewhere between oval and square lives the new hot shape for lenses.

SCHULTZ’S PICK

Wanze crinkled nylon set with metallic threads ($425 for skirt, $375 for shirt). “The fabrics are great,” says Schultz. “And it’s all made in Canada.”

Ina Seifart Perlin glasses holder ($60). Is this the sign you’ve been waiting for to enter your Granny Chic era?

SCHULTZ’S PICK

Casey Casey Ella dress ($1,870). “The silhouettes are forgiving and flattering,” says Schultz.

SCHULTZ’S PICK

Eleph School shirt in Fuzzy Flower ($530).

Bad Idea, Right?

Bad Academy’s eclectic workshops help women build life skills—and community.

by Stacey McLachlan

It’s an absolute tragedy that Bad Academy isn’t accredited. If we were all walking around with a degree in Knife Sharpening, Bike Maintenance and Tarot (plus a minor in Roller Derby), the world undoubtedly would be a better place.

But even if we can’t hang a Bad Academy diploma on the wall, it’s still Vancouver’s good fortune that founder Amanda Kao made her way here from New York and felt inspired to start running her curiosityfuelled collection of workshops in the first place.

Though the educational offerings run the gamut from lap-dancing to podcasting to taxidermy, there’s a throughline here: these are classes taught by women, for women, that champion self-sufficiency and self-love.

The “bad” in Bad Academy has a dual meaning. In Kao’s world, being bad at something is a good thing—an expression of brave vulnerability and an opportunity to support one another in jumping into the unknown. It’s also bad-ass. “I think women with more freedom are more self-sufficient and therefore more self-confident,” she argues.

“My entire life, I’ve found community through education,” adds Kao. “Whether through institutions like university or learning alongside women in climbing or art, I’ve always found it very... wholesome to be able to learn something and

Not Too Cool for School

meet people at the same time.”

Part of this, she reasons, is that it’s a productive use of time to level up your skills while meeting people with similar interests. So when she moved to Vancouver 10 years ago and started feeling hungry for community, she turned to classes to help her find it. “I became a workshop slut,” she laughs. “I went to every workshop you could think of trying to meet people to be friends with.” Wreath making. Vegan cheesemaking. Embroidery. She had a good time exploring these endeavours, and they helped her begin to grow her social circle. But the homemaker-y nature of most of the womenfocused workshops she was

Founder Amanda Kao (in the leather jacket) hangs with a crew of Bad Academy baddies. Workshops include car maintenance (below), foraging (top right) and stick-and-poke tattooing (bottom right).

finding started to get stale. “I enjoy these things, but it’s sort of frustrating these are the only workshops offered to women,” says Kao. “I was realizing that there were too many things I didn’t know about in life. I want to learn about cars and finance and how to roll a joint.” She did half a day of googling and discovered nothing in Vancouver that would help her fill those knowledge gaps—so she decided she’d just create something herself. Her initial car maintenance workshop was a smash hit, and Bad Academy exploded from there. Picture Strathcona Park, taken over by 60 women and girls, all falling off skateboards and cracking up. “I remember looking over the field and watching everyone laughing and falling and helping each other and thinking, this is truly what it’s all about,” says Kao. A “sex reeducation” workshop was similarly moving, full of open-minded

questions and a willingness to share the naked truth. “This is something we never talk about, and to see people come together and be so vulnerable together is really inspiring.”

Kao selects the courses by pure intuition, inspired by what is catching her own interest in a given moment, or by her observations of the zeitgeist— anything from polyamory to finance. “Everything that is Bad Academy just comes from my brain. The fact that people resonate with it doesn’t cease to be mind-blowing,” she says. These courses aren’t intended to make anyone an expert (though she reports that her lap-dancing workshop inspired one attendee to change careers), but rather to help women realize just how capable they are. “You can just feel the excitement of realizing that things aren’t that hard,” says Kao. “If you know you can change a tire, maybe you’ll try to fix your own toilet next time before you call your boyfriend or dad. Getting your feet wet with anything is scary, but let’s touch the car, get under the hood. I want to instill that behaviour in women: you can try it and figure it out because you’re smart enough and capable.”

The Academy has become Kao’s full-time gig, but prior to

that, she worked in HR and operations in tech, social justice and environmental justice. Though the school has only been around since 2019—and managed to power through the pandemic with a popular roster of online workshops—Kao has produced over 120 events and has started facilitating for big brands like Arc’teryx, Lululemon and UBC.

Five years in, Kao has become a real Renaissance woman (“I know a little about a lot of things,” she laughs) but the biggest reward of this experiment-gone-right has been the creation of the community she always craved. Her metaphorical rolodex is now jam-packed with cool, capable women.

“Many of my friends have come out of Bad Academy, so it’s definitely been a very productive project,” Kao laughs. And these friends often wind up teaching courses themselves—another opportunity for building skills and confidence, with extra support from Kao to help them create a syllabus and improve their public speaking. “It’s a cycle,” she explains. “That’s doubly inspiring for me.”

While Bad Academy students typically fall into the 25-to-35 age range, that’s not prescriptive: all are welcome. Kao describes the target demographic as “women who are kind of just curious by nature and wanting to view knowledge as self-care.” The courses end with a huge resource list, so anyone interested in diving in further leaves well equipped to do so—but they certainly don’t need to. Learning a little about a lot is a goal that Kao herself has embraced.

“I’m a lifetime student,” says Kao. “I used to think it was bad that I was a master of none. But it keeps things interesting.”

Outside the Box

Urbanarium’s Decoding Density competition breaks all the rules—in the name of solving our housing crisis.

By Michael Harris

When the provincial government recently bumped Vancouver’s five-year housing target up to 28,900 units, city hall declared their “all hands on deck” support. But anyone who has tried to rent in Vancouver (or—dare to dream— buy a condo here) knows that

we need more than a flood of generic “housing stock.” What we really need is something more human—we need homes.

In our rush to green-light developments, the focus has rightly been placed on affordability. But—beyond price tags—we also need our dwellings to foster community, armour us against the climate crisis and maybe boast enough elbow room to share a meal with friends. That beyondsurvival thinking is what inspired former city planner Ray Spaxman to create Urbanarium back in 1985. He assembled a ragtag collection of planners, architects and com-

munity leaders who wanted to use debates and workshops to concoct new visions for our city—ways to make Vancouver livable and vibrant and not just a marketplace.

Today, two full-time employees (along with board members, advisors and volunteers) carry on Spaxman’s vision. Executive director Amy Nugent arrived in 2020, just before COVID hit. “The pandemic made us all want more from our neighbourhoods,” she says. “We began to think about communal and co-living spaces and a shared economy. The Canadian dream of housing is becoming different.”

Fulfilling tomorrow’s housing dream is the goal behind Urbanarium’s competition series. Past versions (in 2017 and 2021) asked contestants to imagine new models for the “missing middle” (mid-sized buildings, as opposed to just towers and houses). Those competitions inspired municipalities around the province.

“Now,” says Nugent, “the densification we were imagining has become legislation.”

This year’s competition, Decoding Density, takes the “missing middle” mission to new heights by asking folks to break all the rules—quite literally. Urbanarium asked

The Decoding Density winners will be announced April 16. urbanarium.org

designers and architects to think about which building codes and regulations are stopping us from creating better versions of the mid-sized, six-storey buildings that Vancouver so desperately needs.

“When charged with designing mid-sized buildings, you’re just going to get big, wide, ugly boxes,” says Nugent. This is because our building code is woefully restrictive. “But it doesn’t have to be that way.”

Developers, Nugent argues, have been hamstrung by a series of Byzantine bylaws and codes that limit what they can deliver. For example: a sixstorey building in Vancouver

Building Blocks

The two-staircase requirement for buildings over two storeys makes it challenging to create smaller multi-unit buildings (like those commonly seen in cities like Amsterdam, below right)—instead, we wind up with multi-block boxes.

proliferate across Vancouver. The Broadway Plan enables their construction throughout 485 blocks on either side of Broadway. “It’s going to provide a huge supply of housing,” says Dow; new area plans for the Rupert and Renfrew Skytrain stations will do so as well. But will all that housing be (in Nugent’s words) “big ugly boxes”? Or will we find ways to turn our next housing boom into a crop of humane, diverse and lasting homes?

must have two stairwells—but that does little to improve fire safety while placing extreme limits on the design, making courtyards and other humanizing elements highly unlikely. Nugent points out that we’re also not allowed to have more than five bedrooms in a unit because of an old rule discouraging brothels. What we have, in short, is an accruement of a hundred years of codes—many of which were well-intentioned at the time but have since become pointlessly limiting. What we need, says Nugent, is a clearing out of the rules that no longer serve us: codes should change as our technol-

ogies and understanding of safety issues evolve.

Kari Dow, a board member at Urbanarium, says this is exactly the moment to push for change—because the province is in the midst of reviewing their building code. She believes the six-storey buildings that Urbanarium has zoomed in on are a crucial part of Vancouver’s housing future. “It’s our last win-win for building types,” she says. “At that size you can still build with wood frame, so it’s fast and affordable and low carbon. It’s also a comfortable social scale. It’s all upside.” Six-storey buildings are, in fact, about to

Nugent is the first executive director at Urbanarium and her appointment speaks to the team’s eagerness to transform debate and workshops into concrete change. They managed it before, with visions from this decades-old brain trust shaping our region—but, with their Decoding Density competition, Urbanarium is now tackling their greatest challenge yet: a rewriting of the rules for a city in crisis. We have, after all, been missing more than just a “middle” building type; we’ve been missing livable building designs.

If Urbanarium has its say, future house-hunters may discover options that reach a little higher—options that consider community, climate-change resiliency and generously sized living spaces to be as integral as any bottom line. And it’s champions like Nugent and Dow who will make that change possible. They teach us to ask for real homes... not just a piece of real estate.

“I think people don’t like density because they’re not used to inspired density,” says Nugent. “But what if density was something beautiful? Wouldn’t that be great?”

Glass

Half Full

Maude Sips offers a joyful entry point to a new generation of wine nerds.

by Stacey McLachlan

“Before I moved to B.C., I thought there were three kinds of wine,” says Martina Maude, wryly. “Red, white and corked.”

But a year and a half later, the Ontario import is a selftaught aficionado welcoming other imbibers into the vivacious world of vino with her cult-y cool Maude Sips events.

“When you move to a new place, what do you do? You drink a lot, you go out, you try to meet people,” says Maude. Glass by glass, she fell in love with the stories behind the wines she was discovering, and started hatching a plan to use her new passion to make connections: she’d start a wine club, something casual, inclusive and, most importantly, fun. “I wanted to bring a little vogue, a little sexy to wine culture.”

She stayed up for three nights studying and prepping tasting notes, and crammed a dozen friends and friendsof-friends into her studio apartment for her first blind tasting night. Her approach was, well, approachable, and both the wine and good times flowed. “I led with the intention of, it’s not going to be an intimidating space. You don’t need the right vocab. You’re going to taste and try and just see if you like it or don’t like it,” she says.

A year later, Maude Sips has outgrown her apartment and now takes place in a rotating selection of venues (like Subject Studios) throughout Vancouver. Collaborator Becca Higdon—a personal chef—feeds the crowd each month, focusing less on flavour pairings and more on beautiful, sharable plates that align with the theme: a big, bold salad; a decadent main. New friends are made, new favourite wines are discovered, and the night usually ends with an organic dance party.

Maude's approach to wine education is friendly and story-focused. “You’re going to remember that a wine is

THE DEETS

SIPS

made by nuns, not that it tastes like stone fruit,” she says. Over the year, with the help of her (much-appreciated) “ops team” and the occasional guest curator, the events have evolved around themes, typically tied to the region or identity of the winemakers. September was all about Indigenous-owned wineries, while May (co-hosted by Sharla Farrell) centred on female vintners.

Maude’s nine-to-five is in marketing (she’s currently working in fintech) and, intentionally or otherwise, she has put her knack for building buzz to work here. Monthly

events have limited tickets ($125) that drop with minimal notice on her Instagram; if you do manage to snag one, you’ll find yourself in a space full of dressed-to-impress, eager-to-socialize friends who are absolutely going to post about this beautiful longtable dinner on social. In other words: it’s a vibe. “If you’re coming with an open mind, if you’re coming to meet new people and learn something along the way, then you’re welcome,” says Maude. The only thing stopping her from opening up the tickets further? “There are just never enough chairs.”

MAUDE

Follow @maude.sips for spring event dates

Wine About It Martina Maude (far left) talking wine with party-goers and friends.

Spring Flings

Here’s a jam-packed month of fun—you’ll be so busy you might forget to spring forward those clocks. by Kerri Donaldson

POWER WHEELS: MONSTER JAM

WHEN March 8 to 10

WHERE Pacific Coliseum

COST From $28

Come lose your mind and your hearing as these big-wheeled beasts flip, spin, roll and jump their way into your hearts. (We don’t know what a Monster Jam is.)

2 ➣

SIP AND SWIRL: VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL WINE FESTIVAL

WHEN February 24 to March 3

WHERE Various venues COST Varies

Taste your way through more than 1,150 wines from over a dozen countries at this worldfamous event that’s like the Super Bowl for local wine lovers.

NOSTALGIC NOTES: CANDLELIGHT: A TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES

WHEN March 15

WHERE Kerrisdale Presbyterian Church

COST: From $40

They say all you need is love, but what about basking in the glow of candlelight and the timeless tunes of the Fab Four? That should definitely be on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

BIG MAC: THE SOCIETY PAGES

WHEN March 17

WHERE Knowledge Network COST Free

Malcolm Parry has been the city’s high-society party photog for decades (and spent nearly 15 years at the helm of this very publication). Now, he’s the subject of a portrait of his own: a documentary.

ROOTIN’ TOOTIN’: TIM MCGRAW

WHEN March 27

WHERE Rogers Arena

COST From $94.80

The country music icon and Faith Hill plus-one brings his Standing Room Only Tour to Vancouver, with Carly Pearce joining as special guest.

HIGH NOTES: VAM SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PLAYS TCHAIKOVSKY

WHEN March 3

WHERE Orpheum Theatre

COST $15

The Vancouver Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra brings the Tchaikovsky banger Symphony No. 4 to life in the historic Orpheum for an afternoon that’s all class.

PRESCRIBED FUN: WILLOW PILL PRESENTS GOD’S CHILD

WHEN March 28

WHERE Hollywood Theatre

COST $52.29

Another RuPaul’s Drag Race winner (season 14) is coming to bless us with a solo show all about her religious childhood, with plenty of trippy visuals and sacrilegious madness.

PLAY-BY-PLAY: RED VELVET

WHEN March 21 to April 21

WHERE Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage COST From $29

Immerse yourself in the riveting true story of Ira Aldridge, the first Black actor to take on Shakespeare’s Othello—it’s like an Inception-style play within a play (but way less confusing).

For our full list of fun to-dos around town this month, check out our online ‘So Fun City’ events calendar at vanmag.com

9

BODY BREAK:

HEALTH

WHEN March 29

WHERE Commodore Ballroom

COST From $42

Health PSA: there are actually two bands with this same name so, just to be clear, this is the noise rock meets dance meets electronica one (not the spacy, post-rock experimental one).

SPIN DOCTOR:

HOT CHIP DJ SET

WHEN March 30

WHERE Hollywood Theatre

COST From $35

The early 2000s “Over and Over” English synthpop band want to be your dream dance DJ—place your bets on whether they play their own stuff.

COMIC QUEST:

VANCOUVER COMIC AND TOY SHOW

WHEN April 6 and 7

WHERE PNE Forum

COST From $15

A treasure trove for comic lovers and collectors, featuring a vast array of graphic art and collectibles—just don’t call them cartoons.

HOT TAKES:

EDDIE PEPITONE LIVE

WHEN March 29 and 30

WHERE The MOTN COST $27.96

Also known as the “Bitter Buddha,” the legendary comedian descends upon Vancouver to blend his trademark fury with zen-like insight for an unforgettable two-night stand-up rager.

IN THE FOLD:

SEXY LAUNDRY

WHEN April 11 to May 12

WHERE Granville Island Stage

COST From $29

A comedy exploring the intricacies of modern relationships with wit and warmth that doesn’t crease.

SPORTS CHECK: VANCOUVER

WHITECAPS FC VS. LOS ANGELES GALAXY

WHEN April 13

WHERE BC Place

COST From $34 Cheer on our local FC as they take on David Beckham’s former football fam.

16

HOEDOWN THROWDOWN:

COAST CITY

COUNTRY FESTIVAL

WHEN April 19 and 20

WHERE BC Place

COST From $99

Kick up your boots at the first ever Coast City Country Festival, which includes stars like Luke Bryan and everybody’s favourite country band, Nickelback. (Maybe they’ll be wearing cowboy hats?)

FOR THE GRAM:

TYLA

WHEN April 28

WHERE Commodore Ballroom

COST From $48

Don’t miss the chance to see rising star and South African sensation Tyla grace the stage with her Grammy-nominated hits before her stardom (and ticket prices) soar to Swift-level heights.

THE PLAYLIST

Here’s what Cómo Taperia executive chef Rafael Racela has on his pop culture radar.

Nathan For You

“After a long night, I like to

Burna Boy

“I love the Chef’s PSA podcast, but I’m also very big into African hip hop and R&B lately, like Nigeria’s Burna Boy and Rema.”

Ready, Set, Go

Slate Wearables has Vancouver-made, Aussieinspired matching sets for the eco-conscious minimalist.

by Alyssa Hirose

Sure, modern post-secondary fashion schools are raising the next generation of creative leaders—but they’re also warning up-andcomers about the not-so-pretty side of the industry. Shelby Wick remembers some particularly dark lessons from her degree at Ryerson (now Toronto Metropolitan University): “It’s pretty upsetting. You’re like, I’m going to school for this awful industry that’s exploiting people and killing the environment—why am I here?”

So when it came to founding her own brand, Slate Wearables, Vancouver-born Wick was determined to weave solid ethics into every garment. A sunkissed stint in Brisbane heavily influenced the design vibe. “In Australia, there’s a lot of simple pieces—very breezy and beachy,” says Wick. She partners with a small-scale, local manufacturer (yes, everything is made in Vancouver) to produce her dresses, rompers and matching tops and bottoms. She describes her clothing as minimalist, neutral and easy to style. “I design mostly sets, so you can buy them together or mix and match,” shares Wick.

Slate Wearables’ goods are made from natural fibres (linen, organic cotton and hemp) and are packaged and shipped using compostable materials. “I’m providing an option for the conscious consumer,” Wick explains. “In every detail, I think about the planet... not just making money.”

EDITOR’S PICK

Slate Wearable’s freshest set is called Ballina (vest $178, trousers $278). It’s relaxed and refined: the ultimate cool girl ‘fit. The everyday-proof, basic-but-not-boring set launched pre-orders in mid-February and will start shipping this spring.

As a small-scale designer, she’s heard plenty from capitalist-leaning naysayers, she says.

“People have said I’m never going to be successful or that it’s not going to work. And I’m like, well, I don’t need to be a massive fashion brand,” Wick asserts. “I don’t need to exploit people. That’s not really my plan.”

MODEL: HANNAH CHARRON; SHELBY’S HEADSHOT: BRONSON WHYTCROSS; PHOTOGRAPHER: OLIVIA VAN DYKE

Wicked Away Shelby Wick (left, in white top) is the founder of Slate Wearables. Her minimalist, Aussieinspired goods include the Sorrento button-up ($268, below) available in white, black and almond.

KNOWIT-ALL

by Stacey McLachlan

Why Doesn’t Vancouver Have

a Mascot?

We can't think of any better use of our tax dollars, honestly.

illustration by Byron Eggenschwiler

First: It’s upsetting that Furries have ruined mascot-enthusiasm for the rest of us. I don’t want to “yuck anyone’s yum,” as sex educators put it (though I think we can all agree that phrase is as “yuck” as it gets?), but now I find myself having to write a disclaimer to affirm that there is no unsavoury reason for this being the second column about mascots I’ve written in recent memory (the first, tracking the whereabouts of the Vancouver Olympic mascots). Mascots and I are really just friends! Best friends!

With that out of the way, I can finally, confidently, tell you about the greatest day of my life. No, it was not my daughter’s birth. That was really painful and gross! Don’t be dumb! The greatest day of my life was when I attended the 2018 Tokyo Mascot Grand Prix. The Grand Prix was a festival with 200-plus mascots from all over Japan, representing everything from car dealerships (a chicken with cars for feet) to educational institutions (a lobster with a lab coat) to a hangover cure (a human man named Kimberly). The stars were truly out to play—among them, mascots repping various Japanese cities. If you want people to get invested in civic politics, this is the answer. I saw Kumamon— Kumamoto’s celebrity black bear mascot—being chased by a frenzied crowd, Beatlemania-style, into a hot air balloon, where he finally made his escape (back to... city hall?). I can say with certainty this has never happened to Mayor Sim.

So why don’t we have a Vancouver mascot? Because we live in boring North America, where politicians would rather spend our tax dollars on “maintaining the roads” than on “sunglasses for an anthropomorphic rapping salmon.” While civic mascots are just a normal part of life in luckier parts of the world, in Vancouver, we have to make do with de facto ambassadors like Dude Chilling Park statue or Unsanctioned Tarantula Art By the SkyTrain. They’re doing the best they can, but the job of personifying Vancouver is a heavy burden to carry—one that should, in this reporter’s opinion, be held by a pair of oversized novelty gloves.

That being said, we’ve come close to having an official plush consul. In 1986, there was Expo Ernie, a lovable astronaut character created to promote Expo 86. But he didn’t stick around—maybe he realized that Vancouver doesn’t have a space program and felt limited by the scarce career opportunities? (Or was it simply the high cost of living? I’ll have to turn to the archives to see if he published one of those “Why I’m breaking up with Vancouver” stories.)

Another local mascot introduced that same year was Tillicum the Sea Otter, a whiskery extrovert on a mission to build some buzz about Vancouver’s 100th anniversary: attending ribbon-cuttings, glad-handing city councillors—basically everything Mayor Sim does now, but without the voting privileges. (Probably a good thing, given Tillicum’s controversial take on gun safety.) The character was retired by the time Vancouver turned 101, though the Museum of Vancouver collection still has both the costume itself and a made-to-measure otter tuxedo. Fourteen years later, the Vancouver 2010 Olympic mascots made a brief but indelible impression on the city, but since Quatchi returned to his home planet, this prestigious role has been vacant. (The “Pee” and “Poo” mascots that the edgelords at Metro Vancouver dared to introduce in 2019 for a plumbing awareness campaign do not count.)

There are many Vancouver orga nizations that have stepped up where governments have failed, creating great mascots of their own to help bridge the gap. To name a few, there’s the Canadians’ rakish Chef Wasabi; the Port’s Salty the Seagull (the only mascot in history to pull off the widelegged pant trend); and, of course, Happy Planet’s Gregor Robertson.

But, if I may be an entitled millennial for a moment, I don’t want a mascot who represents corporate interests, or sports, or the most diver sified cargo-handling port in North America connecting to an average of 155 global trading economies annu ally—I want a mascot who represents me, an average Vancouver citizen! Someone who could really make a mark on the next Tokyo Mascot Grand Prix, were it not recently shut down due to overly fierce competition. It could be a coyote head on the body of the Science World orb, whatever, just so long as it loves craft beer and bikes, is always rocking Blundstones, and is desperate for you to understand she is not and has never been a Furry.

Volunteer With Us

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THOMPSON PUERTO VALLARTA HOTEL & RESIDENCES presents a world of luxury and entertainment. Facing the translucent Pacific Ocean, nestled between the soft sands of Puerto Vallarta’s glittering shoreline and the striking Sierra Madre Mountains, discover a vibrant world of art, music, culture, cuisine, and natural beauty — with breathtaking water views and the beach right at your doorstep.

Residences starting at USD $1,350,000 | Schedule your appointment today.

Sales Gallery: Avenida Francisco Medina Ascencio #2585

Zona Hotelera Norte, CP 48333, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, México

ThompsonVallarta.com | USA +1 855 858 7588 | MEX +52 322 406 0218

ORAL REPRESENTATIONS CANNOT BE RELIED UPON AS CORRECTLY STATING THE REPRESENTATIONS OF THE DEVELOPER. FOR CORRECT REPRESENTATIONS, MAKE REFERENCE TO THIS BROCHURE

AND THE DOCUMENTS TO BE FURNISHED BY DEVELOPER. THIS IS NOT AN OFFERING OR SOLICITATION IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW OR WHERE PRIOR REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED

BUT HAS NOT BEEN OBTAINED

This condominium Thompson, Puerto Vallarta is being developed by Intercam Banco, S.A., I.B.M., Fideicomiso F/4736 (“Developer”) which has a limited right to use the trademarked names of Thompson and The Related Group. This offering is made only by the Developer’s Prospectus for the Condominium provided to you by the Developer. No statement should be relied upon if not made in the Prospectus provided to you by the Developer. All images and designs depicted herein are artist’s conceptual renderings, which are based upon preliminary development plans, and are subject to change without notice. Renderings and images should not be relied upon as representations, express or implied, of the final detail of the residences. Rendering and images are not necessarily to scale and are shown solely for illustrative purposes. Renderings depict proposed views, which are not identical from each residence. Any view from a residence or from other portions of the condominium Thompson, Puerto Vallarta may in the future be limited or eliminated by future development or forces of nature and the Developer expressly does not guarantee any view. Hyatt International Corporation (“Hyatt”) has granted Developer the right to offer and sell the residences using the “Thompson” name and trademarks pursuant to a revocable license agreement. Hyatt has no ownership interest in the project including the residences. Neither Hyatt nor any of its affiliates is responsible for, or makes and representation or warranty, concerning the development, construction, marketing or sale of the units. Amenities and facilities available to unit owners shown herein are subject to change at any time and without notice by Developer. Art depicted is not guaranteed. Should you be interested in purchasing a residential unit from the Thompson, Puerto Vallarta project, it is important that you obtain the Prospectus from Developer’s and refer to it for all terms, conditions, residential unit dimensions and specifications, and to learn what is included with a unit purchase. ©2024 with all rights reserved. Reproduction for private or commercial use is not authorized. IF SENT TO NY RESIDENTS: This advertisement is not an offering. It is a solicitation of interest in the advertised property. No offering of the advertised property can be made and no deposits can be accepted, or reservations, binding or non-binding, can be made until an offering plan is filed with the New York State Department of Law. IF SENT TO CA RESIDENTS: WARNING: The california bureau of real estate has not examined this offering, including, but not limited to, the condition of title, the status of blanket liens on the project (if any), arrangements to assure project completion, escrow practices, control over project management, racially discriminatory practices (if any), terms, conditions, and price of the offer, control over annual assessments (if any), or the availability of water, services, utilities, or improvements. It may be advisable for you to consult an attorney or other knowledgeable professional who is familiar with real estate and a law in the country where this subdivision is situated.

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CELEBRATING THE BEST NEW DESIGN IN WESTERN CANADA , AS JUDGED BY THE WORLD’S FOREMOST DESIGNERS AND ARCHITECTS.

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EAT THE SUBURBS

Whether you’re an inner-city denizen in the mood for some destination dining or a ’burbanite looking for a night out, knowing where to find the best bites across the Lower Mainland is essential for anyone living in Metro Vancouver. So here’s a cheat sheet—it’s packed with recos from our elite crew of suburb-dwelling foodie insiders (some in the resto industry; others just voracious eaters). From dim sum to dive bars, these are the spots in Richmond, New West, Burnaby, Langley and Port Moody that are well worth the drive.

PHOTOGRAPHY: CLINTON HUSSEY; FOOD STYLING: LAWREN MONETA; HAIR AND MAKEUP: ALISHA HOPPS; MODEL: SHARLEEN MEINKE

RAVENOUS IN RICHMOND

RAVENOUS IN RICHMOND

BY LEE MAN

Richmond has long been a magnet for Chinese immigration with its lush green spaces, easy access to YVR and the auspicious feng shui of the city’s river delta location. Tens of thousands of immigrants from Hong Kong, Mainland China, Taiwan and the worldwide Chinese diaspora have embraced life in the city.

As a result, thriving restaurants representing just about every Chinese culinary region and tradition work hard to serve knowledgeable and discerning diners in Richmond. Vancouver’s Chinese restaurants have garnered well-deserved accolades, but the suburb to the south has an established reputation for having some of the best Chinese food in the world. Here are five of our recommendations to kick off your Richmond culinary explorations.

AS SEEN ON TV

HK BBQ Master | 4651 No. 3 Rd.

After being featured in David Chang’s Netflix series Ugly Delicious, HK BBQ Master rocketed from hidden gem to international phenomenon. The restaurant has since doubled its floor space, added online ordering and carefully mapped out foot-traffic zones.

SEAFOOD, WILL TRAVEL

The Fish Man | 1170–8391 Alexandra Rd.

As a symbol of prosperity, seafood is the centrepiece of any celebratory Chinese meal. Right now, no other restaurant applies classic Cantonese and Sichuan techniques more skillfully than The Fish Man. Chef Bo Li’s techniques are razor sharp, breaking down whole fish and live shellfish with finesse and ease.

Ribbons of geoduck clams ($38) are dressed in soy sauce and sizzling green-onion oil, and plump Pacific scallops ($32) are steamed on the half shell with garlicky vermicelli rice noodles. Look for seasonal specials, such as savoury steamed custard ($18) with B.C. uni or sautéed razor clams ($48) piled atop pan-fried sticky rice. The must-order dish is the Chengdu-style sour cabbage spicy Sichuan peppercorn broth with filets of B.C. ling cod ($79)—it deftly balances fresh delicacy against pickled brightness with just enough buzzy heat to bring focus to the flavours.

Despite the high calibre of ingredients and execution, the vibe is fun and casual, with large groups digging into generous, well-priced dishes. The net effect is a lively Chinese beer hall crossed with one of Spain’s gregarious mercado seafood restaurants. fishmanrestaurant.com

What remains unchanged is the quality of their Chinese BBQ meats and the soulfulness of the roasting. The honeyglazed BBQ pork, or char siu, has a crackling sweetness that melts into succulent meatiness. Aficionados will ask for the supremely tender mui tao (plum blossom) char siu cut ($15/ lb), so these sell out fast. Soy chicken ($15 per half chicken) is poached to a perfect lushness, while the lacquered roast duck ($24 per half duck) is perfumed with a classic five-spice marinade. The crisp-skinned roast pork belly ($17/lb) has the proper alternating layers of fat and tender meat (a.k.a. “five flower” pork belly) to ensure richness without greasiness. Diners can order a plate of three barbecue meats served over fresh rice for under $20.

Day-to-day operations have passed from founder Eric Leung to son Anson seamlessly. The Leung family has not only built a thriving business but also an enterprise that celebrates the craft of Chinese BBQ. @hkbbqmaster

SHELLFISH INDULGENCE

Golden Paramount | 100–8111 Anderson Rd.

Don’t let the drab decor of Golden Paramount throw you off: chef/owner May Chau’s restaurant is one of the most-respected old-school Hong Kong Cantonese establishments in Richmond.

Chef Chau’s execution of dim sum classics is near flawless. Her signature mochi-skinned crab and pork dumplings ($10) are always served first, when the diner’s palate is best able to appreciate the delicate flavours. The crispy spring rolls ($10) confidently showcase the simplicity of braised daikon, resonant with superior stock and floral white pepper. Finish with a dish of stir-fried sticky rice ($15): plump toothsome grains studded with cured Chinese meats and cilantro.

At dinner, the sweet and sour pork ($27) is one of the best around—fresh, crisp, succulent and tightly dressed in a robust hawberry sauce. Juicy salt-baked free-run Asian chicken ($27 per half chicken), beef slices stir-fried with gai lan ($27) and pan-fried oysters ($34) are family favourites. For a celebration, place an advance order for eight-treasure duck ($88 per whole duck), a boneless braised beauty stuffed with mixed grains and salted egg yolks. Service leans toward brusque Hong Kong-style efficiency but is leavened with a knowing sense of humour. goldenparamount.com

HOME BASE

Max Noodle House | 185–8291 Alexandra Rd.

Beloved for decades, Max Noodle House is the first stop many Richmond residents make after landing at the nearby airport looking for a comforting bowl of noodles ($10).

Dried flounder imbues the superior stock with golden roundedness, spiked with garnishes of white garlic chives and sesame oil. Silky wontons are carefully filled with sweet bouncy shrimp and pork (but never overstuffed). Thin alkaline egg noodles have the proper snap and chew and are served raised above the broth to preserve their fleeting buoyancy.

Save room for the classic side dishes—crisp deep-fried chicken wings resonating with Shaoxing wine, or tender slices of blanched pork liver ($17 per plate) served with a dipping sauce of soy, ginger and scallions. Or if you’re not in the mood for noodles, reach for the congee—it has a velvety, nourishing texture.

As with French omelettes and Italian pasta, Hong Kong wonton noodles are rooted in humble traditions—but when crafted with care and focus, they become a cultural cornerstone and a delicious ode to life’s simple pleasures. 604-231-8141

BETWEEN MEALS IN RICHMOND

On Stage

Tucked behind beautiful Minoru Park (take a walk along the pond if you can) is Gateway Theatre, a jewel of a performance space that’s been serving the community for over 40 years. The multidisciplinary, multi-generational and multilingual Jade Circle by local Jasmine Chen is on from March 6 to 17, and supernatural dog tale (tail?) Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery plays from April 11 to 20. gatewaytheatre.com

Shop Steveston

Historic Steveston is a chockablock with indie boutiques, and the intersection of Moncton Street and Second Avenue is a go-to: there’s Scout and Co. for locally made ceramics and household refills (bulk laundry detergent, anyone?), Nikaido for loose-leaf teas and Japanese stationery and Splash Toy Shop for the kids-at-heart. scoutandco.ca, nikaidotea.com, splashtoyshop.ca

To Market

Still hungry?

The Richmond Night Market reopens in April for the 2024 season. Find takoyaki, mango sticky rice, deep-fried Oreos and more indulgent street food at this all-summer spectacular. (Don’t forget the live music, dance and weird-and-wonderful booth tchotchkes, too.) richmondnightmarket.com

KWOK

COMEBACK KID

Sea Harbour Restaurant | 150–8888 River Rd.

For decades, Sea Harbour Restaurant was the leader in Guangdong-style Cantonese fine dining in Metro Vancouver. But as the chain expanded into the U.S., execution suffered at the Richmond location. With a recent infusion of capital and energy from new owners, Sea Harbour once again delivers exuberant Guangdong flavours with rigour and sophistication.

For large groups, consider splurging and pre-ordering the whole braised winter melon seafood soup ($198). Think: radiantly clear broth edged with the herbal bitterness of Chinese bay leaves, brimming with impeccably poached scallops, sea cucumber and crab meat. A huge hit is the Dungeness crab, stir-fried with first-draw soy sauce and tender rice cakes to soak up the sweet briny flavours. Sweet and sour spareribs ($34) arrive at the table crisply hot and glazed with black vinegar, hawberry and tangerine peel. Choy sum in salted soup ($30) exemplifies the Chinese devotion to beautiful vegetables, each stem carefully selected, cut and lightly blanched. The service team has a friendly professionalism with the air of formality that their prosperous clientele expects. seaharbour.com

Food Court

BY JEN NG

Though I live in Surrey now, the food courts of Richmond’s Asian malls are a regular weekend playground for me. Aberdeen Centre is a great starter spot if you’re not fluent in Cantonese or Mandarin: it’s open, bright and many of the restaurants have English menus. But the smaller malls hold hidden gems that are worth exploring—and even if the menus are entirely in Chinese, don’t be afraid to ask someone behind the counter what’s what (or try asking another customer what they’ve ordered). Here are a handful of my favourites from around the city.

ADMIRALTY CENTREPACIFIC PLAZAPARKER PLACE

Rice Holic has an obsessive Instagram following for its mango mochi ($5): a whole piece of mango wrapped in tender mochi. It’s a modified version of the Japanese snack daifuku, which usually comes stuffed with red bean paste and fruit, sometimes kiwi. Watch their Instagram for announcements that it’s back in stock, and pre-order online if you can—they regularly sell out early.

Joyful Congee Noodle Cafe offers one of the best deals in the city: congee with a side dish—I always go for the Hong Kong streetstyle rice roll, but there are radish cakes, or rice noodle rolls with a fried doughnut inside— for just $14. Opt for congee with sliced fish, or preserved egg with pork. And for an extra $1, you’ll get extra seafood. Spend the $1.

Kam Ho Noodle has a cult following, and it’s probably the most popular spot in Admiralty Centre. Noodles are springy, the broth is savoury excellence and for a bowl of won ton noodles and a Hong Kong milk tea, you’ll pay a mere $13.

Pacific Plaza is one of the original Asian malls, and it’s an underrated gem. Join the lineup in front of Car’s Dessert (it’s there from the time they open at 2:30 p.m. on the weekends) for a box of mochi ($12). Inside you’ll find four perfect little treats in four flavours: mango, chestnut, Hawaiian yam and durian. The mochi quality is primo here—I don’t love durian in general, but I love this one.

If you like Japanese-style Swiss rolls, the Cake Workshop has one of the best in the Lower Mainland. The standard vanilla is great, but for something special, opt for the green tea and black sesame ($11). When we say “It’s not too sweet,” in Chinese culture, we mean it as the highest compliment—and these cakes are beloved for it.

If you’re there during the weekend, head to Gee Taste Good, a Malaysian spot that serves an incredible lobster laksa ($18). It’s a classic Singaporean dish with an umami-rich coconut broth—and, of course, it comes topped with a lobster tail.

Head to Steam King, where it’s hard to pick just one dish—but I almost always go for the Shanghainese braised wheat gluten with mushrooms, also known as Kao Fu ($9). It’s savoury, rich and a little spongy like tofu, and acts as a great vehicle for the sauce. Pair with the Chen Chun noodles ($17, pictured): chewy wide noodles tossed with BBQ pork, baby shrimp, bean sprouts and green onions.

If you’re as obsessed with rice rolls as I am, head to Best Rice Roll, because clearly the name says it all. They specialize in all kinds, but I’m a fan of the classic rice roll served with a fried Chinese doughnut and sprinkled with dry pork floss ($9). I enjoy a good deep-fried crunch with a soft rice roll wrapped around it—it’s my fried-food weakness.

If you’re here for barbecue, Tak Fook Noodle and Congee Shop is the place for BBQ duck (from $13) with a side of noodles to sit and enjoy. Or Aberdeen Fresh Meat and Barbecue is just around the corner for excellent to-go meat, butcher-style for BBQ pork and more.

Thai-riffic Takeout Longtail Kitchen is the New West outpost from award-winning chef Angus An—the mastermind behind Vancouver's Maenam and Fat Mao Noodles.

NOSH (SORRY) IN NEW WEST

NOSH (SORRY) IN NEW WEST

It’s only been three years since he moved to New West from the West End, but Seeking Blue Records partnerships director Adam Caddell has wasted no time in getting the lay of the land. The avid foodie can fire off recos for the best chicken wings (“Saigon Ivy”), the next-level picnic fare (“split the ‘full barnyard’ from ReUp with friends”) and the perfect chocolate-walnut cookies (Hive Cafe: “SO GOOD”) without taking a breath. So we thought: who better to walk us through a dream day of dining in the Royal City?

9:00 a.m. Snag fuel for a dog walk at Moodswing Coffee. “The place has a Mount Pleasant feel, so you can forget you decided to do the grown-up thing and move to the ’burbs while you enjoy your cappuccino ($4.50).”

655 Front St., moodswingbar.com

8:00 p.m. Cap it off with a cone at Anny’s. “For dessert, I’m walking over to Anny’s Dairy Bar—open ‘til 9:00 in the summer. The place is an homage to Quebec-style diners, and while they’re known for their poutine, smoked meat and steamies, I’m going for their maple twist cone ($6). Real maple syrup over the creamiest vanilla soft serve you can find anywhere.”

722 6th Ave., 604-515-1410

10:00 a.m. Stock the pantry with essentials. “I always grab the dark chocolate Babka ($5) from the original Kozak.” 444 6th St., kozakeatery.ca

12:00 p.m. Hit up Kirin for dim sum. “Kirin has been doing it right for years, but this is probably their least known location—which means spending less time in line and more time devouring har gow dipped in chili oil ($10) and crushing the best tea on earth.”

350 Gifford St., kirinrestaurants.com

1:30 p.m. Take a post dim sum nap. Zzzz.

6:00 p.m. Chicken out at Wild Thyme. “In my opinion, it’s the best Lebanese food in the Lower Mainland. We’ll share the quarter-chicken, quarter-kafta plate for two ($56), with the insanely good garlicky tahini sauce and fattoush salad.” 705 12th St., @wildthymelebanese

3:00 p.m. An afternoon brew at Steel and Oak Brewing Co. “Right now I’m enjoying their cranberry pomegranate orange sour ($6.50). Their patio area is dog friendly, too.”

1319 3rd Ave., steelandoak.ca

(LONGTAIL KITCHEN) ALAINA MICHELLE

MORE BEST IN NEW WEST BITES

TOP-NOTCH TAKEOUT

Order Longtail Kitchen for perfectly spicy, salty pad see ew. longtailkitchen.com

Hit up Mediterranean Donair House for chicken donair, loaded with fresh veggies and flavourful sauces for around $10. 604-777-4010

PERFECT PIZZA

Seek out L’Onore Pizza for their soft and chewy sourdough-based Neapolitan-style pizza. lonorepizza.com

CRUSHABLE COCKTAILS

El Santo makes their “El Padrino” with their own in-house mole bitters and Sons of Vancouver amaretto. elsanto.ca

SUBLIME SANDWICHES

Gastronomia Italia is the place for “simple but unforgettable” focaccia sandwiches: think thinly sliced mortadella, burrata and a generous amount of housemade pistachio pesto. gastronomia-italia.com

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Another Beer Co. hosts monthly karaoke nights.

Summon some liquid courage to take the stage with a pint of The Hardest Part Of Making A Beer Is Naming It! West Coast Pale Ale. anotherbeerco.com

Catch up on Oscar bait

Movie lovers trek to New West specifically to catch a flick at Landmark Cinema. You’ll see great new releases in lush, comfortable recliners—without the premium pricing. landmarkcinemas.com

Join the party on Front Street

If you’re in town on a summer Friday, don’t miss Fridays on Front, a weekly (fully licenced!) street party with live entertainment, food trucks, an artisan market and beer galore. downtownnewwest.ca

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Get your game on

There are—delightfully—two different arcades in New West to help you scratch that PacMan itch. Drop in at Industry Arcade or Capital City Classic Arcade and dust off the ol’ joystick muscles. industryarcade .ca; capcityarcade.com

Grind those gears

BEST SLEEP – EVER!

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jDATE NIGHT DELIGHT

Get the decadent cioppino (MP) at Mediterranean-chic Sabà Bistro. 9220 Glover Rd., sabacafeandbistro.ca

IT’S A VIBE

Crispy tempura cauliflower ($16) is best paired with a spinach-infused Tourist cocktail ($12.50) at the buzzy Haven. (Hot tip: the patio is open year ‘round.) 105-19664 64 Ave. havenlangley.com

HANGRY IN LANGLEY

HANGRY IN LANGLEY

Want to get to know Langley’s food scene? Let Angela Ruscheinski be your guide. She’s the creative director and co-founder behind sister restaurants Haven Kitchen and Bar and Steven’s Cocktail Corner Bar and Kitchen, and she knows her way around the city like maybe no one else. Her restaurants couldn’t be more different—Haven is chic and vibe-y, Steven’s is cheekily dive-y—but together, they fulfill one goal: “We wanted to bring a piece of downtown to Langley.” Here, we’ve mapped out Ruscheinski’s fave spots in town.

THE PERFECT NIGHTCAP

The signature drink at Steven’s is the Orange Julius ($13)—a boozy version of the ’90s mall staple. 20526 Fraser Hwy. stevenslangley.com

CHEAP AND CHEERFUL

The family-run Tacoholic is a hidden gem: authentic carnitas Mexican tacos for around $3 a pop. 20631 Fraser Hwy. @tacoholic_langley

CHEERS TO HAPPY HOUR

Camp Beer Co. is an oasis for craft beer lovers in the thick of the strip-mall zone. The Anorak IPA ($8) is hoppy perfection. 19664 64 Ave. campbeer.ca

WHAT A SCOOP

Sorry, Marble Slab, but Oxford Ice Cream is king here—get a scoop of brown butter cheesecake ($5.50). 20581 Fraser Hwy. oxfordicecream.ca

COMFORT CLUB

If you’re not getting the beer cheese dip ($17) at the Barley Merchant, have you even truly lived? 20090 91A Ave. thebarleymerchant.com

COFFEE BREAK

Get your latte to go from Blacksmith Bakery, or stay with a croque madame ($18). A100-20018 83A Ave. blacksmithbakery.shop

BETWEEN MEALS IN LANGLEY

Find the smalltown charm

Fort Langley is like a Lower Mainland Stars Hollow: heritage buildings house bookstores, florists, antique shops and galleries. tourism-langley.ca

Roll the dice

Obviously this is a list of things to do if you’re not hungry, but surely you have room for a beer and a round of Anomia at the Raving Gamer Bistro? theravinggamer.ca

Stock your cellar

There’s a jaw-dropping amount of bottles (many specialty or premium) at Everything Wine; catch tastings and meet-the-maker events, too. If you’d rather buy right from the source, Langley has a handful of wineries to tour as well: Backyard Vineyards and Township 7 among them. everythingwine.ca; backyard vineyards.ca; township7.com

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Lace up your sneakers

The Houston Trail is a scenic four-kilometre lop—perfect for burning off the beer cheese you had earlier. Be wary of horses sharing the path, though: you’re in the country now, after all. vancouvertrails.com

(SAB Á BISTRO) DANIELLE CAMPANI

BIG APPETITE IN NORTH BURNABY

BIG APPETITE IN NORTH BURNABY

BY JANINE VERREAULT

SHAKE IT OFF

Glenburn Soda Fountain | 4090 Hastings St.

Time travel for the price of a soda at this retro ice cream shop that looks straight out of an Archie comic. On a Friday night (even in winter), Glen burn Soda Fountain is abuzz with kids from one to 92 slurping up shakes (from $7) and spooning up banoffee splits ($14). Sit yourself on a chromerimmed stool at the counter and prepare to be overwhelmed by the selection of ice cream treats, including throwback faves like malts ($9), floats ($8) and classic sundaes (from $5). Glenburn now also makes its own ice cream, which you can purchase to-go for $10 a pint. (The ice-cream sandwiches—priced from $6 and featuring housemade cookies and a thick filling of ice cream—are another excellent grab-and-go treat.) Check the hours on Glenburn’s website before heading over, as they open late in the afternoon and, on some days, only in the evenings. glenburnsoda.com

Adistinctive neon sign featuring a swinging girl hangs over the Heights, announcing that you’ve arrived somewhere special in North Burnaby. Foodies are sure to have a swingin’ time: the neighbourhood is so densely packed with great eats that our six recommendations come from just three blocks.

RED SAUCE REVELRY

Anton’s Pasta Bar | 4260 Hastings St.

This one is a controversial choice so let’s be clear: this isn’t refined Italian dining. But Anton’s Pasta Bar is a legend in the Heights for one (ahem) big reason: the massive portions. Since proprietor Tony Mauro opened the joint back in 1983, locals have lined up and down Hastings Street for piled-high plates of fresh pasta. If you don’t like waiting, here’s a hack: there’s generally no queue at lunch and you can upgrade your meal to the dinner size for just a few extra dollars—and then feed your family with the leftovers.

Order the conchiglie zio carmelo (lunch portion: $23, dinner portion: $26), which features Italian sausage, chicken,

THAI ONE ON

Chad Thai | 4010 Hastings St.

At Chad Thai, the decor is dated, the tables are packed tightly together and there are domestic appliances in the dining room. But trust us: none of that matters. If you’re looking for tasty food and great value, this “Best Thai” winner in Burnaby Now’s 2023 A-list awards is worthy of its title. We particularly love the lunch special (from $16), which includes a bowl of simply delicious chicken broth and a crispy spring roll or deep-fried wontons, plus your choice from nearly 20 traditional Thai rice and noodle dishes. The pad see ew is our go-to order: wide rice noodles sprinkled with big crunchy chunks of carrots and gai lan, as well as egg and your choice of stir-fried chicken, pork or beef in dark soy sauce. The plum sauce that comes with the starters is housemade; ask for extra to throw on top of your main for that sweet and sour final touch. chadthai.ca

FAMILY TIES

Brokenrice/Chao Mami

4088 Hastings St.

Family-owned and -operated Brokenrice has long been the place to go in the Heights for traditional Vietnamese crowd-pleasers like chicken wings, pho and vermicelli bowls. And though it’ll change names this spring to Chao Mami (“Hello, Mom” in Vietnamese) under the helm of manager/son Steven Nguyen, most of the classics will stay on the menu. Nguyen has some tricks up his sleeve, too: new offerings will include dishes like bún riêu (Vietnamese crab noodle soup) and chè bưởi (pomelo sweet soup). As always, though, the jalapeño basil fried chicken wings ($14) are so crispy that you’ll hear each bite you take. Every piece is bursting with flavour; control the spice level with the jalapeños that are loosely chopped and placed atop the dish. brokenrice.ca

SWEET VALLEY HIGH

Valley Bakery 4058 Hastings St.

In 2023, Burnaby residents were heartbroken when Valley Bakery owner Jack Kuyer announced his retirement and the end of a 66-year legacy. But only five days after closing its doors on August 19, this neighbourhood haunt reopened under new management, who have since maintained most of the longtime staff and original recipes—much to the community’s delight. Locals have flocked to this spot for decades to grab quintessential buttercream-frosted birthday cakes, European-style cookies and pastries, freshly baked loaves and traditional holiday favourites like hot cross buns (all made onsite!). We love the cheddar cheese bread ($6) and flaky puff pastry cinnamon butterfly cookies ($6/dozen).

valleybakery.com

BETWEEN MEALS IN BURNABY

jMAMBO ITALIANO

Cioffi’s Meat Market, Deli and Cucina 4156, 4142 and 4150 Hastings St.

Since 1990, Cioffi’s has gradually been taking over the retail block of 4100 Hastings Street and now operates a deli, meat market and restaurant/ catering operation between Gilmore and Carleton avenues. At the deli, locals cram themselves into the narrow aisles to shop the vast selection of pantry essentials, antipasti, cold cuts and cheeses (burrata flown in weekly from Italy, anyone?). Other must-grabs include Mama Cioffi’s tomato sauce, fresh veal ravioli and homemade Italian pork sausages from the meat market. And while it’s not cheap at $38 for two to four servings, Cioffi’s frozen lasagna tastes just like (or maybe even better than?) homemade and comes in meat, pesto and vegetarian options. Don’t feel like cooking? Head next door to Cioffi’s Cucina for ready-to-eat Italian fare like pasta, pizza, panini and more. cioffisgroup.com

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Clip in, race on

The Burnaby Velodrome Club is just one of three indoor bike racing courses in all of Canada—and the ideal place to see if all that time on the Peloton has paid off. burnabyvelodrome.ca

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Loop the loop

The trail around Deer Lake is the perfect length for a catchup with a friend and offers a constantly changing landscape as your backdrop. (Nearby, Deer Lake Park is one of the Lower Mainland’s best outdoor concert venues.) burnaby.ca

Shop til you droP

Balk at the name if you must, but the Amazing Brentwood is, well, pretty sweet. Extensive upgrades (architecturally and programming-wise) have turned this into a true shopping destination—think Sporting Life and H&M Home.

theamazingbrentwood.com

SLICE WORLD

Mama Said Pizza Co. makes for an ideal postbrewery-crawl stop, with its wild and wonderful pies: think the Mama (prosciutto, pesto and a hot-honey drizzle; $25 for a 14-incher) or the Bahn Mi (what it sounds like; $27 for a 14-inch pie). Or, go wild and follow Baloro’s lead: “The meatballs are irresistible.” 3135 Murray St., mamasaidpizza.ca

PECKISH IN PORT MOODY

PECKISH IN PORT MOODY

Though she’s a seasoned leader in the Vancouver restaurant industry, Wildlight general manager Margot Baloro has called Port Moody home for the last 12 years. So it’s no surprise that she has a few suggestions for where to grab a bite next time you’re passing through her neck of the woods.

Mega Donair makes its own wraps. If you can make your way to the top of the steep, winding asphalt beast that is Clarke Street, you’ve earned your meal—and it’s a neighbourhood fave. “This place is truly the perfect casual lunch spot for great graband-go Turkish food,” says Baloro. “Their pita is soft and tasty.” (Wraps from $14.)

912 Clarke Rd., megadonair.com

Rocky Point Ice Cream is always packed for a reason. Scooping ice cream here is the go-to summer job for Port Moody teens, but the room is jammed each summer with kids and families on the other side of the counter, too. Salted caramel is a winning cone; raspberry lime mojito is fresh, fruity and dairy-free. ($6 for a single cone.) 2800 Murray St., rocky pointicecream.com

Rewind Beer Co. is a trippy time warp. The ’90s nostalgia boom has come for craft beer... and Baloro couldn’t be happier. “Rewind Beer Co.’s concept warms the cockles of my Xennial heart,” she laughs. Snag a pint of Dark Crystal Dark Ale ($8 for a pint) and a Detroit-style deep-dish pizza (from $19) and relish in the neon and Turner and Hooch posters. 2809 Murray St., rewindbeer.com

The One Sixty has the best wine list. The elegant, elevated space serves 25 different wines by the glass (along with small plates like duck fat potatoes, $18, or seared scallops with apple bacon jam, $27). “It’s arguably the nicest room in the city,” says Baloro. “It’s a real treat to pop in here after a show at the Evergreen for a flight of wine.”

3141 Murray St., theonesixty.com

BETWEEN MEALS IN PORT MOODY

People-watch from the patio

On a sunny day, grab a coffee and a prime spot on Gallagher Coffee Bar and Café’s big patio. It’s the best spot to watch people coming and going down the Newport Village shopping strip.

@gallagherscafe

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Hit the shops

UnMediocre Kitchen Store carries Staub and Rifle Paper Co. goodies; Olive the Best stocks jam from the Preservatory along with 25-year balsamic vinegar. The woman-owned Little Butcher is perfect for sourcing local proteins, while Vivio Flowers is packed with stunning bouquets. unmediocre.com; olivethebest .ca; thelittlebutcher.ca; vivioflowers.ca

Swagger 'round the swamp

Belcarra Regional Park features a ton of great hiking trails (and a gorgeous pier across from Deep Cove), but for a gentler stroll, hit the loop around Woodhaven Swamp. vancouvertrails.com

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Fake it till you make it

The Inlet Theatre has a roster of impersonators and cover bands on its schedule; even if the faux Shania and CCR aren’t real, the good times sure are. portmoody.ca

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(MAMA SAID PIZZA CO.) SARAH ANNAND

THE NEW TVWEEKONLINE.CA

From features to interviews to our weekly top 10 recommendations, TV Week’s new site delivers online highlights and more

The television landscape is constantly evolving and never stops moving. From new recommendations to familiar favourites, TV Week expands our mission to guide viewers through the numerous viewing choices available through the enhanced website TVWEEKONLINE.CA

Order up! Turn the page to find a no-guts, no-glory salmon story, a fresh sheet on new comfort-food restaurants (think pasta, burgers and curry), a guide to the best B.C. wine deals and a bolognese recipe we can't stop thinking about.

PHOTO

JOSH NEUFELD

Majestic Mollusks Hokkaido scallops with apple, cucumber and crispy jalapeño ($27) from Bravo, one of Vancouver's newest (and buzziest) spots for seafood. Read more on page 58.

BEST THING I ATE

by Alyssa Hirose

Glory Days

I want to know more about the futuristic dry-aging fridge behind the bar at the otherwise-humble Bravo, but owner/operator Jonathan Merrill says that’s more of an after-dinner conversation. Fine: I don’t need to know the high-tech details to appreciate chef Jonah Joffe’s Glory Bay king salmon. The delicate, buttery pieces of New Zealand fish sit in a dressing of maple and ginger, with dots of creamy avocado and a sprinkle of cucumber, sesame and crispy garlic. It’s a beautiful bite, light but flavourful, with a little zing and plenty of room for that gorgeous dry-aged fish to shine.

Once those final bits of avo emulsion have disappeared from the plate, Merrill comes back around to explain that the dry-aging process isn’t so glamorous: hanging the salmon by its tail allows excess moisture (that’s water and, well, blood) to drain from it, resulting in meat that’s richer and bolder but not quite fishier. I think it’s even more impressive that this elegant, balanced dish has a metal-as-hell origin story. 4194 Fraser St. | bravovancouver.com

REMARKS OPENING

A fresh sheet uncovering the city’s newest restaurants.

Golden State

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The aim of Yaletown’s new Dovetail restaurant is to transport you from soggy Vancouver to sunny California (drinks like the verdita-rita, made with Casamigos Blanco tequila, triple sec, verdita, agave and lime do the trick). But that doesn’t mean it’s not cozy: the menu offerings skew toward comfort food, from pasta to ribeyes to bang bang shrimp.

dovetailrestaurant.ca

Opened November 2023 | 1079 Mainland St.

Wheel Deal

A fresh smashburger spot has rolled up to Electric Bicycle Brewing. The Kapow food truck serves six onomatopoeic burgs (the Boom has jalapeno jack cheese and chipotle sauce; the vegan Wham contains a breaded sweet potato patty) plus sides like tater tots and potato salad. Electric Bicycle’s Sports pilsner feels like an apt add-on to your mononymous meal. kapowburger.com

Opened December 2023 | 20 E 4th Ave.

Since You’ve Been Naan

Vanmag Restaurant Award Best Indian finalist Sula has established a faithful following in East Van (locations on Main Street and Commercial are always buzzing), and now a new neighbourhood is getting curried away: Sula Davie has arrived. sulaindianrestaurant.com

Opened February 2024 | 1708 Davie St.

Bravo’s Glory Bay king salmon, $32

THE WINE LIST

by Neal McLennan

The Price Is Right

When people find out I’m a wine writer, they love to give me their opinion on B.C. wine—namely, that it’s too expensive. Putting on my economist hat, I could say that when you look at our insane land prices and exceptionally high labour costs (then throw in a very healthy dash of punitive sin taxes), the price isn’t high at all. In fact, that’s one of the reasons so many B.C. wineries find themselves in dire financial straits right now.

But when it comes to laying their own money out for a bottle, most folks aren’t interested in a John Maynard Keynes primer—they’re seeking an increasingly maligned concept called value. So am I, to be clear. The last time I went to a wine store and bought a bottle without considering price was, well, never. That being said, I don’t think most B.C. malbecs offer very good value compared to their Argentinian counterparts... and when it comes to B.C. Bordeaux-style blends over $45, the duds outnumber the stars by about two to one. But here’s the truth: the thoughtful consumer can find real value in B.C. wines across many segments—and here are exhibits A, B and C for you to ponder.

Spearhead Riesling 2022, $24

Let’s start with an easy one: thanks to trailblazers like Tantalus and St Hubertus, we’ve developed a cadre of producers (now also including Fort Berens and Quails’ Gate) who make serious, handmade riesling for the same price as a behemoth like Kung Fu Girl. We’re going with pinot specialist Spearhead, whose crisp, crunchy, flinty take is a steal at $24.

$27

As a rule, natty wine ain’t cheap, but it caters to those who see value in things beyond dollars and cents: stewardship of the land, connection to the winemaker, a sense of adventure. You generally have to start at $33 and go up from there to embrace such noble ideas, regardless of where the wine is from. So what a treat to see this juicy, salty winner from Vancouver Island’s Averill Creek for under $30—easily one of the best lowintervention deals going.

Martin’s Lane DeHart Pinot 2020, $100

Stay with me here. On the economics side, I have no doubt it costs more than $100 to make this wine, given the monumental investment in this winery. And on the hedonist side, this is not only one the greatest pinots made in the province, it can also easily stand shoulder-to-shoulder with acclaimed bottles from Sonoma, Oregon and New Zealand (bottles that are frequently double or triple the price). So yeah, it’s a C-note of value.

Two truths: fancy decanters are a pain, and simple ones are invaluable. More truth? One doesn’t normally go to tony Atkinson’s for deals, but they are quietly selling Riedel’s lovely, basic merlot decanter for $59 (one of the best prices in Canada). They sell the fancy ones too, but we know about those, don’t we? atkinsonsof vancouver.com

STEAL N' SIP

Averill Creek Joue White 2022,

SECRET RECIPE

by Phil Scarfone of Savio Volpe

Sauce Boss

Transform your pasta Tuesdays into an anytime indulgence with Savio Volpe’s cherished comfort dish: the iconic bolognese. Chef Phil Scarfone generously shared his recipe for a meat sauce sure to elevate your spaghetti game. Featuring veal, pork, beef, tallow and pancetta, it’s a meaty masterpiece that’ll have you tossing out that jar of Newman's Own once and for all. (Sorry Paul! You can have salads.)

Freeze leftover bolognese for up to six months. You can also use this ragù to make a beautiful lasagne.

SERVES 4 TO 6

400 g ground veal

200 g ground pork

400 g ground beef

150 g pancetta, small dice

2 tbsp tomato paste

200 ml tallow (rendered beef fat)

2 large carrots, peeled and finely diced

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

2 medium-sized onions, finely diced

1½ heads garlic

1¼ litres red wine

750 ml crushed tomatoes

500 ml veal or chicken stock

1½ tsp porcini powder

1 tsp nutmeg, ground

½ tsp black pepper

3 to 4 bay leaves

1 tsp fresh sage, chopped

1 tsp oregano, dried

1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped

250 ml heavy cream

METHOD

1. In a large pot, cook pancetta with half of the tallow until slightly brown, then add soffritto (carrots, celery, onions and garlic). Cook over medium-low heat until very soft, but not caramelized.

2. Add the rest of the tallow and all the meat to the pot. Cook over medium heat until the meat is browned (about 30 minutes).

3. Add salt, pepper, tomato paste and red wine. Let cook for 10 minutes over medium heat.

4. Add crushed tomatoes, stock, porcini powder, nutmeg and

aromatics (bay leaves, sage, oregano, thyme) to the mixture. Bring to a boil for 15 minutes, then reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 2 hours. Stir occasionally, adding a bit of stock or water as necessary to facilitate even cooking. The mixture should not be boiling aggressively, just slowly bubbling away.

5. Add cream and check for seasoning. Serve with your pasta of choice (like fresh tagliatelle) and add fresh parmigiano reggiano over top, if you'd like.

For more recipes, visit vanmag.com

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