Author Archive

Michael Green is one of three principals at McFarlane Green Biggar Architecture + Design (mgb), a firm that has been doing phenomenal things in design for this city since its inception seven years ago in a North Van backyard. Recently, mgb won two accolades at the International Interior Design Association awards in Chicago, one for the Rennie Gallery and one for LYNNsteven, the Gastown boutique with that awesome cylinder change room-slash-bathroom made of nearly 6,000 paperback books.

As if Michael isn’t busy enough already, he’s also working with the Aga Khan Development Network to build housing for a community in Tajikistan and pushing forward with his House The World organization, which has a mandate to reinvent the local timber industry and put Canada on the forefront of providing affordable housing worldwide. And between all of that, Michael climbs as many mountains and kayaks as many bodies of water as possible. In one word? Awesome. –May Globus

Most Vancouverites know the Bob Rennie of Rennie Marketing Systems, the largest real estate marketing firm in town.

But do you know the Bob Rennie that happens to own the largest personal art collection in all of North America? Yeah, wow. The first piece of artwork Bob ever bought was a Norman Rockwell print at the age of 17, which goes to show he had a love for arts and culture right from the get-go. Both his new office headquarters and adjoining personal gallery in the historic Wing Sang Building call Chinatown home — plus sometimes Bob gives gallery tours on Sundays and he has an Expo Ernie! — all of which we think is totally, totally awesome. –May Globus

What neighbourhood did you grow up in and where do you live now?

I grew up in East Vancouver. Maybe that’s why I have a comfort with the downtown eastside. Now I live just off Granville Island; it works out really central for us.

Why did you pick Chinatown for your new office and gallery?

The city has been good to me. I’ve sold real estate here for 35 years, and I want to help balance out the downtown eastside. I represented Woodwards for the developer, and I couldn’t afford to [build the offices] on Granville or on Burrard, though probably after this I may as well have! I wanted something to balance off the art, and [since the Wing Sang Building] is the oldest building in Chinatown, it just seemed to be a really nice, civil fit for a museum to be housed, culture within culture.
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Eoin and Insiya Finn are big in the global and local yoga scene, spreading their happy Blissology message through teaching both yoga and surfing, launching social initiatives in the downtown eastside (like their Lu’s Pharmacy program) and continuing to do something they call the Hammock Manifesto (read: set up hammocks in a city and its people shall come to chill). Their relaxed vibe and good aura is positively awesome to be around — the world could use more folks like Eoin and Insiya. Namaste! –May Globus

How long have you been in Vancouver?

EF: I’ve been back since 1999. At time there weren’t a lot of yoga classes. In fact, I could just think of a handful that existed back then; there was only one yoga studio. [I was living in Japan doing real estate] for three years or four years but was never really happy, though the money was awesome. A couple of doors closed when the Japanese economy got bad, and I thought to myself, you know, the money’s great but if I’m not inspired by what my hearts wants to do, why bother? For me, I’ve always had a life mission. If [what I'm doing is] not totally in line with my life mission, even if the money’s awesome, then I’m not doing it. So I went back to Hawaii for surfing and windsurfing and doing yoga again. [When I was living there], I never thought about teaching yoga because a lot of the people I was learning from had been doing it from before I was born. Why would I teach there when there were so many masters [at it]? Back here, I couldn’t find any yoga classes I wanted to go to, so I thought I might as well start teaching them.

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V.I.A.’s Home Grown features only the most awesome companies in Vancouver. From tiny, single-person operations to the big players, we profile our favourite businesses and interview their owners and operators.

Sanafir Restaurant & Lounge Established 2006 www.glowbalgroup.com

One thing Vancouver isn’t short on is restaurants, This city has everything from Japanese to Indian to Pacific Northwest to Italian to even Burmese. Then there’s Sanafir Restaurant & Lounge, where Corporate Chef Darren Brown and Executive Milton Tanswell combine North African, Asian and Middle Eastern spices to create a whole new taste and flavour.

And not only is the menu awesome, so are the 25-foot ceilings and the Moroccan-style décor in both dining areas.

So we’re really stoked to profile Sanafir, which we can definitely say helps keep the restaurant bar high in this foodie town of ours.

We caught up with John-Paul Lamb, VP of Marketing for Glowbal Group Restaurants, for a few questions… Read more

The Vancouver International Dance Festival (VIDF) is back, running from March 12 – March 21 at various venues around town.

Part of the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad this year, performances from Kokoro Dance, Kitt Johnson (from Denmark), Flamenco Rosario and Bill “Crutchmaster” Shannon — who incorporates house and hip hop dance forms with skateboard culture — are among the many you can take in during the festival. Click here to buy tickets.

And on another note, happy happy 10th anniversary, VIDF!

V.I.A.’s Home Grown features only the most awesome companies in Vancouver. From tiny, single-person operations to the big players, we profile our favourite businesses and interview their owners.

Charm Modern Thai Established 2008 www.charmmodernthai.com

Charm Modern Thai, a Yaletown Thai food joint, is big on keeping its dishes authentic to the homeland, meaning no ketchup Pad Thai is anywhere to be found.

The modern décor is cool, the staff is charming (naturally!) and the Crispy Prawn Wontons, Tom Kha Lobster Bisque and Coconut Cream Scallops are about the most awesome Thai bits of deliciousness to ever hit your mouth.

We sat down with Charm’s proprietor, Desmond, for a few questions…
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If you’re around Main Street on February 10th between 6pm and 9pm, be sure to stop by CSA Space to check out the opening of local artist and photographer Johann Groebner‘s “Fables of the Reconstruction” paintings.

Ladies (and gents) planning their upcoming nuptials better circle January 30 into their wedding agenda.

The Grassroots Wedding Fair runs that day from 10:30am – 6pm at Heritage Hall on Main and 15th, showing people how they can throw a dream — yet green — wedding using green businesses, local artisans and super cool, DIY concepts.

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It’s a given that us Vancouver folk are big time sushi fans. We all have our usual haunts, of course: Tanpopo, Alfa on Richards, Yuji’s, Sushi Bar on W.4th, Toshi on Main and 16th….

But have you tried Miku on West Hastings between Burrard and Thurlow? If not, you haven’t lived.

This restaurant — which has a killer outdoor patio for the summertime — is the first in Vancouver with its own signature style sushi called Aburi. So what is that exactly? Think fresh sushi made from local and organic ingredients infused with savory sauces and lightly seared with a blowtorch. Yep, you heard right: blowtorch. It blew my mind the first time I tried it. Soy sauce is M.I.A. at Miku, mainly because it messes with the Aburi sushi flavour (but if you really want your Kikkoman, the staff will give it to you). Plus the chefs greet you with a hearty “Irashaimase!” (translation: “Welcome!”) when you walk in, which is pretty fun, too.

Miku is celebrating its first anniversary with a special Omakase (which in Japanese means “it’s up to you”, meaning you leave the chef to create something innovative) menu running until November 22nd, created by owner and Executive Chef Seigo Nakamura.

I highly suggest getting some Aburi in your life!!

Vancouverite Geoff Vreeken, an expat from the marketing industry, recently founded Homeless Copywriter, a site that generously collects money for the Covenant House, an organization that serves as a street habilitation group for youth.

During the process, Geoff discovered young professionals like us – aged 25 to 40 – rarely donate to charity. Yet we’re so fortunate to have an education, resources, and support to fall back on when something bad does happen.

Come by Fortune Sound Club on November 19 at 6pm to support a great cause!

Driving back downtown this a.m. from an early morning Deep Cove hike, my litttle eye spied none other than The Mystery Machine, parked outside a Northshore home.

Has anyone seen The Mystery Machine around town before? And more importantly, Scooby-Doo, where are you?!

V.I.A.’s Home Grown features only the most awesome companies in Vancouver. From tiny, single-person operations to the big players, we profile our favourite businesses and interview their owners.

Chambar Established 2004 www.chambar.com

Chambar has very quickly become one of Vancouver’s favorite restaurants since opening in September 2004, thanks to its scrumptious menu (oh, the Congolaise Moule Frites!) and its long, admirable list of Belgian brews.

Founders Karri and Nico Schuermans continue to make a mark on the local restaurant and food scene with Caffe Medina, located right next to Chambar (and infamous for being lined up on weekends for those hot skillet brunches). The husband-and-wife team also recently cut ribbon on The Dirty Apron Cooking School, headed by former Chambar Sous-Chef, David Robertson.

So we at V.I.A. raise our glasses to the Schuermans and Chambar for helping make Vancouver the culinary capital it’s becoming today!

We got Karri and Nico to answer a few questions… Read more