Vancouver Magazine has been recognizing excellence in local dining for 30 years now, and for those who dine out in pursuit of the best of the best, the publication's annual Restaurant Awards are key.
Pulling up a seat a tables at Vancouver's hidden gems, buzziest newcomers, modest mom-and-pops, and splashy high-profile places, the 15 industry-expert judges spend meal after meal tasting the city. Full disclosure, I was honoured to have been part of the Restaurant Awards judging panel for the first time this year.
On Monday, April 29, the wait was over, and in a well-attended ceremony held at the Sheraton Wall Centre and hosted by CBC Vancouver personalities Anita Bathe and Lien Young, the winners were revealed, and all nominees were celebrated.
Photo courtesy DownLow Chicken Shack
This year there were a few surprises, like Stem Japanese Eatery in Burnaby nabbing the Best New Restaurant (and Best Japanese). Powerhouse spots like Boulevard Seafood & Oyster Bar shone in multiple categories (Best Seafood, Best Dessert, Best Upscale). Off the radar places like Hey, Dumplings!, Mumbai Local, Chancho, and Moltaqa made their presence known. And it's still going to be pretty tough to get a reservation at St. Lawrence, and the line will keep being out the door for that hot chicken at the Downlow Chicken Shack.
Stepping into the limelight for some solo awards were Chef of the Year J.C. Poirier of St. Lawrence, Bartender of the Year Amber Bruce of The Keefer Bar, and Lifetime Achievement awardee Chef Leung Yiu Tong of Hoi Tong in Richmond - the latter who, at 81, finally agreed to retire this year and shutter his acclaimed Cantonese-style restaurant.
You can pick up the May/June 2019 issue of Vancouver Magazine to read all about the winners, runners-up, and spotlight honourees for this year, but we've got the full list of awardees right here for your quick perusal. Get ready to make your dining out plans for the next 365 days right now.
Photo courtesy St. Lawrence
Here are the 2019 winners of the Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards:
Restaurant of the Year
St. Lawrence
Chef of the Year
J.C. Poirier - St. Lawrence
Best New Restaurant
- Stem Japanese Eatery
- Pepino’s
- Ugly Dumpling
Honourable Mentions: Elisa, Como Taperia
Bartender of the Year
Amber Bruce - The Keefer Bar
Sommelier of the Year
Shane Taylor - CinCin
Producer of the Year
Glorious Organics
Best Upscale
- Boulevard
- Hawksworth
- The Pear Tree
Honourable Mentions: Botanist, Bauhaus
Best Casual
1. Downlow Chicken Shack
2. Chancho Tortilleria
3. Fat Mao Noodles
Honourable Mentions: Hey, Dumplings!, The Tuck Shoppe
Best West Coast
1. Burdock & Co.
2. AnnaLena
3. Nightingale
Honourable Mentions: Farmer's Apprentice, The Pear Tree
Spicy octopus at Burdock & Co. Photo Sandra Thomas
Best of the Neighbourhoods
North Shore
1. Terroir Kitchen
2. Orto
3. Olive and Anchor
4. Lift Breakfast Bakery
5. Zen Japanese
Downtown
1. Nook
2. Tetsu Sushi Bar
3. Mumbai Local
4. Heritage Asian Eatery
5. Amici Miei
Chinatown
1. Bao Bei
2. Kissa Tanto
3. Upstairs at Campagnolo
4. Chinatown BBQ
5. Torafuku
Gastown
1. St. Lawerence
2. Ask For Luigi
3. Dosanko
4. Pidgin
5. Moltaqa
East Side
1. Burdock & Co.
2. Kishimoto
3. Joojak
4. Savio Volpe
5. Masayoshi
West Side
1. L'Ufficio
2. Au Comptoir
3. AnnaLena
4. Grapes & Soda
5. Landmark Hotpot
Best Victoria
1. Wild Mountain
2. Part and Parcel
3. Olo
Honourable Mentions: Agrius, House of Boateng
Best Whistler
1. Alta Bistro
2. Grill Room
3. Araxi
Honourable Mentions: Bar Oso, The Red Door
Best Okanagan
1. Waterfront Wines
2. Raudz
3. Liquidity Bistro
Best Chinese
1. Chef Tony
2. Hoi Tong
3. Dynasty
Honourable Mentions: Jade Seafood, Sanbo
Stuffed crab claws at Hoi Tong (Lindsay William-Ross/Vancouver Is Awesome)
Best French
1. St. Lawrence
2. Le Crocodile
3. Au Comptoir
Honourable Mentions: Café Salade de Fruits, Tableau Bar Bistro
Best Italian
1. Savio Volpe
2. Giardino
3. CinCin
Honourable Mentions: La Quercia, Ask for Luigi
Best Indian
1. Swad
2. My Shanti
3. Dosa Corner
Honourable Mentions: Vij’s, Sachdeva Sweets
Best Pan-Asian
1. Kissa Tanto
2. Heritage Asian Eatery
3. Longtail Kitchen
Honourable Mentions: Torafuku, Penang Delight
Kissa Tanto/Facebook
Best Japanese
1. Stem Japanese Eatery
2. Yuwa
3. Masayoshi
Honourable Mentions: Tetsu Sushi Bar, Dosanko
Best Latin
1. Molli Café
2. Chancho Tortilleria
3. La Taqueria
Honourable Mentions: Rinconcito Salvadoreno
Best Dessert
1. Boulevard
2. Au Comptoir
3. Blue Water Cafe
Honourable Mentions: Hawksworth, L’Abattoir
Best Korean
1. Hanwoori
2. House of Tofu Soup
3. Maru Korean Bistro
Honourable Mentions: Sura, Insadong
Premier Crew
Stephan Cachard, Blue Water Cafe
JP Potters, Boulevard Kitchen and Oyster Bar
Miguel Quezada, Savio Volpe
Brigitte Rayé, Orto
Jesse Walters, Bistro Wagon Rouge
Best New Design
1. Pepino’s
2. Elisa
3. Coquille
Honourable Mentions: Origo Club, Tacofino Ocho
Photo courtesy Pepino’s
Best Steakhouse
1. Hy’s
2. Elisa
3. Victor
Honourable Mentions: Gotham, Black and Blue
Best Vegetarian
1. The Acorn
2. Aleph Eatery
3. Virtuous Pie
Honourable Mentions: The Arbor, Heirloom
Best Bar
1. Grapes and Soda
2. Upstairs at Campagnolo
3. Juniper
Honourable Mentions: Trans Am, Shameful Tiki
Best Chain
1. Cactus Club
2. Joey
3. Nook
Honourable Mentions: Tacofino, Earls
Best Dim Sum
1. Golden Paramount
2. Chef Tony
3. Dynasty
Honourable Mentions: Fisherman’s Terrace, Yue Delicacy
Best Pizzeria
1. Via Tevere
2. Pizza Farina
3. Bufala
Honourable Mentions: Corduroy Pie Company, Ignite
Photo courtesy Via Tevere
Best Ramen
1. Marutama
2. Hokkaido Ramen Santouka
3. Danbo
Honourable Mentions: Motomachi Shokudo, Ramen Koika
Best Seafood
1. Boulevard
2. Coquille
3. Landmark Hotpot
Honourable Mentions: Oddfish, Blue Water Cafe
