The band is back together, so to speak, as Chef Darren Gee once again is teamed up with Vancouver restaurateurs Miki Eliis and Stephen Whiteside for a fresh new venture called Niwa.
The trio last were in business in 2021 when Ellis and Whiteside signed on as partners for Gee's Commercial Drive spot Ugly Dumpling. For its part, Ugly Dumpling debuted in 2018, with Ellis and Whiteside joining in 2020 before the restaurant shuttered at the end of 2021 when Gee relocated to Japan.
An aside: The Ugly Dumpling space, incidentally, stayed in Ellis and Whiteside's hands and became Hanai, the Hawaiian-tinged concept that earned Michelin Guide recognition mere weeks before a devastating fire forced its closure. Hanai is no more, and the space will ultimately become an extension of neighbouring Dolce Amore's gelato shop.
Niwa: Locally sourced produce, Japanese influence
I digress. Back to Niwa.
"Have you had Chef Gee's food before?" a couple of people on the Niwa team asked me when I dined there recently. "Not since Ugly Dumpling," I replied. I was assured that I would find Niwa to be similar to the old concept, and it was swiftly apparent that it was - and is - true.
Located at 1875 Powell St (in the former Pie Shoppe spot), Niwa is a contemporary dinner restaurant showcasing locally sourced produce with Japanese influence.
The Japanese approach to food is also a matter of ethos at Niwa, where it's evident Gee and his culinary team are passionate about working with local producers and letting those ingredients shine.
The menu is brief but spans small nibbles like house-made pickles to main courses like a tender, flavourful bavette (flank) steak from Cache Creek topped with a salsa verde of parsley root, cilantro, and red chilis. Guests may order a la carte or opt for the omakase, or tasting menu, which is priced at $85 and includes six courses, starting with snacks and ending with a small dessert.
Omakase is a popular choice; from my vantage point at the chef's counter - a coveted line of about eight seats with a view into the large open kitchen - I could see Gee and his culinary team plating up omakase courses. It's a great way to get to know a restaurant and chef, and cures decision paralysis.
Trying the omakase (tasting menu) at Niwa
The tasting menu began with a set of four small "snacks," one of which was a singular wedge of a Thumbelina carrot from North Arm farm, perched on a spicy cream cheese base.
I've loved many a carrot dish in my life, but this one bite turned me into a fan girl, prompting me to ask the knowledgeable staff where it came from, in the hopes I could shop from there, too. The carrot had such a bright, beautiful crunch with a balanced flavour of sweetness and earth that I instantly wished I could have another slice. No joke, I pictured myself buying a bunch and savouring them at home.
Overall, Gee's dishes managed to keep things simple but also exhibit savvy flavour layering and deft balance. Big chunks of celeriac - not the root's typical iteration - are treated like karaage and deep fried, topped with a few pieces of mustardy mizuna greens (a slightly bitter Japanese veggie) and paired with a creamy yuzu and oyster mayo for dipping.
Piping hot chawanmushi (egg custard) was silky and mildly sweet and had oyster mushrooms embedded, while a final savoury course of clear broth with shredded pork shoulder, green onions, and a little mountain of rice looked deceptively plain. Truly, I've never had such a light, flavourful and deeply pork-flavoured broth; it tasted like big juicy bites of a top-quality pork chop, in soup form.
The aforementioned bavette was paired with a bowl of lightly dressed radicchio with garlicky panko and tender roasted shallots; it was the perfect foil for the bold, hearty beef, and I probably broke the rules by pairing bites of steak with pieces of radicchio on my fork. That's probably why when asked what my favourite course was, I immediately said the steak and salad. What a lovely harmonious duo.
Cocktails, beer, wine, and sake
Of note as well is Niwa's beverage program, which includes some interesting twists on classic cocktails as well as beer, wine, and sake. The omakase dining option can include the addition of a beverage pairing, but I opted to start with a cocktail before switching to water to keep my wits about me. I tried the We Shouldn't Be Here, a pre-batched clarified milk punch made with tequila, apricot liqueur, umeshu, sancho pepper, and lime. A word of caution, it's a beautifully balanced and dangerously smooth concoction for sure.
As was the wisdom at Ugly Dumpling remains intact at Niwa, which is that you'll get a sense of Gee best through the omakase - though many of its dishes are also on the a la carte menu. The space is bright, sleek, modern, and minimal, with the kitchen serving as its steady, calm heartbeat. The food isn't flashy in the least - but with great ingredients and skill, simple is simply great.
Reservations are strongly suggested and available through Tock. Niwa is open Monday through Friday from 5:30 to 11 p.m.
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