As a young chef starting his career, Benedict Lim logged a lot of post-shift hours in the many Vancouver izakayas that were popular a decade or so ago.
After a long workday in a restaurant kitchen, places like Guu or Hapa beckoned as an easygoing refuge to refuel on Japanese share plates and a few drinks.
"Izakayas were the only places that were open," Lim tells V.I.A. "They had an energy that I really loved."
Lim, now the executive chef of and partner in the Michelin Guide-endorsed (and celeb fave) The Lunch Lady, credits those late nights at the casual, boisterous Japanese eateries as the "backbone" of an idea he's been at work on for many years.
"I thought: 'Wow, maybe one day, I can do something like this,'" he recalls. "At the time, I didn't know what 'this' was, but I felt good there."
About a year ago, "this" got a name - Nomo Nomo - and it had become something very real - though its launch has been delayed several months.
'We have to take a stab at this now'
Lim, who will "wear many hats" for Nomo Nomo, will serve as the forthcoming bar/restaurant's co-owner, executive chef, and head of operations, but it is by no means a solo venture.
Wayne Chow was a frequent companion for Lim on those izakaya crawls, but he and Lim have also known each other since their early teens. The duo's love of not only izakayas but also Japan in general led to them taking annual trips to take in the country's renowned food, drink, and atmosphere.
"It's like our Disneyland," jokes Lim of Japan, adding he's partial to the Osakan philosophy of kuidaore, which means to "eat oneself bankrupt."
With Lunch Lady enjoying sustained success, Lim says there came a point when Nomo Nomo became a kind of opportunity that presented itself.
Both Lim and Chow found themselves at what felt like the right time in their careers to dive into a fresh venture.
Lim remembers thinking, "I think we have to take a stab at this now." Chow was on board.
Co-owners assembled 'well-balanced team'
As a business partner and beverage director, Chow is one of a handful of key crew members ready to make Nomo Nomo a food and drink go-to like the izkayas he and Lim love so much.
"We have this well-balanced team [and] everyone has their own strengths," describes Lim. The team includes Lucas Szaraz on the cocktail program; he has been a part of The Keefer Bar's current bar team, but "now's the time" for him to "push out his own voice," says Lim.
In the Chef de Cuisine role will be Heedong Choi, who was the sous chef at Vancouver's sadly short-lived Ubuntu Canteen on Fraser. Joining them is Gian Mancenido, who has "done everything from cook to bartender," adds Lim, calling him Nomo Nomo's multipurpose "feel good guy."
"Feel good" is ostensibly at the core of Nomo Nomo's spirit, given that it was created out of a deep-seated desire to create a welcoming and come-as-you-are space in Vancouver.
New izakaya-inspired space will have noteworthy 'accessories'
That said, Nomo Nomo isn't purely an izakaya. "Soulfully and energy-wise, it will be the same," pledges Lim. However, the chef and restaurateur understands that the premise of a Japanese-fulled hangout for drinks and eats isn't enough to stand out.
"The space must be aesthetically beautiful," explains Lim. "You have to have a unique space that people will talk about."
To that end, Jennifer Kurtz of Vancouver's Kurtz Design is behind the interiors for Nomo Nomo, which has been in the renovation process at the former Pacific Poké at 1268 Commercial Dr for several months now. Kurtz's portfolio includes Vancouver's elegant Miku and the Tasty Indian Bistro restaurants.
Nomo Nomo will feature a contemporary classic bar underlay, with the basic template of a "nice European-style bar" serving as a primer coat for Japanese "accessories," Lim says. To that end, the room will have thoughtful touches and hints of personality - carefully chosen and placed trinkets and artwork (including from Lim's own collection) that will signal Nomo Nomo's inherent Japanese-ness.
The small space itself stood out to Lim and Chow as ideal from the get-go, given its proximity to popular neighbours on The Drive like Magari by Oca and Havana. That said, given it was a quick-serve poké spot before, the location has needed a few significant upgrades, which has meant wading through the building strata process for approvals. "We're finally moving forward, full speed ahead," Lim says.
Commercial Drive offers 'special sense of community'
Nomo Nomo will also be in the same neighbourhood as The Lunch Lady, and Lim says he has experienced the unique connection between the various businesses on The Drive and how supportive they tend to be for one another.
"It does have a special sense of community," Lim attests of The Drive. "It's a testament to the people who live there, work there, own the businesses there."
"I'm a firm believer in collaboration over competing," he continues. "It's important for us to all do well," Lim adds, pointing to the COVID era in particular, when so many restaurant businesses held each other up to get by.
It was during the COVID era that Lim, with the help of Chow and the rest of the team, got The Lunch Lady off the ground, and now Lim has found himself not just getting Nomo Nomo launched but also The Lunch Lady in Toronto, making for a busy time.
Lead-up to opening includes several pop-ups
Additionally, Lim and Chow have tapped into their resources by way of old friends they met through the izakaya scene to do Nomo Nomo pop-ups to test out the cocktails and dishes. In late March, Nomo Nomo was at Noah's Cafe (owner Cliff Chi is a Guu alumn) and future pop-ups are planned for Oku Izakaya (owned by another Guu grad, Takeshi Hasegawa). Plans are being locked in for Nomo Nomo pop-ups at the forthcoming Chupito in its new, yet-to-be-revealed location as well as on Fraser Street at Ama.
Lim says guests can expect the food at Nomo Nomo to reflect complex techniques that appear simple on the plate.
Though Lim and Chow are not Japanese, they want Nomo Nomo to be emblematic of the Japanese practice of yoshoku, meaning the world as seen through a Japanese lens.
"Evolving that idea allows us to take all our inspiration of being on the West Coast and apply them to the Japanese concept of yoshoku," he explains.
"I love Japanese food. Throughout my career, I've leaned towards a lot of South Asian flavours," adds Lim. "Japanese was always close to my heart as far as flavour profiles I like to produce."
Now, Lim and the Nomo Nomo team are amid the "organic wind-up" to the restaurant's launch, which Lim says should be in early July.
'There's a reason'
With a target date to work back from, now is the time for them to get warmed up, build a following, and tell their story.
"Even as we move forward, I'm learning about myself," admits Lim, who says he finds himself more and more having to articulate the vision for Nomo Nomo the project nears its launch, and finding the words more easily now.
"It's starting to formulate into why. There's a reason. We always knew it was something we were going to do."
Nomo Nomo will have a "menu takeover" night at Oku Izakaya in Gastown on April 14. On April 26, find Nomo Nomo and Toronto's Slice of Life bar together at the new Chupito (location to be announced). Next, Nomo Nomo will pop-up at Ama on April 29. For reservations and the pop-up schedule, and for updates on Nomo Nomo at its permanent Commercial Drive location, follow @nomonomo on Instagram.
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