Does Vancouver have a flavour?
Wait! Stop! Before you go lick Granville Street, let's clarify.
Does Vancouver have a food or style of food that is strongly associated with it? Beyond California rolls (which may have started in Vancouver but is named after another place) or the London Fog tea drink (which was started in Vancouver but is named after another place) or Chinese smorgasbord (which may have started in Vancouver but is named after another place), what would be served at a restaurant based on Vancouver?
Well, there are several restaurants around the world based on Vancouver or using the name and citing the city as an inspiration.
To be fair, in Vancouver there are several restaurants named after other cities, but it makes sense. Tokyo in April offers Japanese food. Straight Outta Brooklyn Pizza is 'a slice of Brooklyn in Vancouver' (we're assuming Brooklyn, New York and not Brooklyn, a settlement in Newfoundland). And Carthage Cafe has Tunisian food.
So if someone is opening a restaurant named, say, Stadscafe Vancouver in, say, the Netherlands, what would it look like? Here are nine Vancouver-themed restaurants, bars, and cafes located outside of Canada.
Stadscafe Vancouver
Coeverden, Netherlands
Sometimes the real world is a little meta. In the town that, in a roundabout way gave its name to Vancouver, there is a cafe named after Vancouver.
"The location and design make the (dining) café very suitable for conviviality and atmosphere," reads the Google translation of the restaurant's description.
Among the dishes found there are spare ribs, mussels, and "beer and burgers" (for some reason it's spelled in English in their ads).
They also have the Vancouver Pubquiz!
West 4th
London, England
Perhaps the most specific reference to Vancouver on this list, it's named after Kitsilano's main drag. While it was started by a pair of Brits, they had some experience in Vancouver before basing a restaurant on it, having moved to the city in 2019 and working here for a while, before launching the restaurant in London's Fulham neighbourhood.
"'West 4th’ is one of the most popular, vibrant streets in Vancouver where people gather to socialize after a day spent on the beach or skiing on a local mountain," they say on their website. "We wanted to emulate Vancouver's relaxed and friendly feel at West 4th."
The posh menu includes plenty of references to both Canada and B.C., with things like Kelowna Fried Cauliflower, Nanaimo Bars, and poutine.
More local to Vancouver are the Maple Ridge Eggs Benny (an Eggs Benedict with maple cured bacon), a West 4th Burger (a burger with burger relish and applewood smoked cheddar), and the Kitsilano Beet Bowl (which involves beet tahini, spiralized cucumber, and mint whipped coconut yogurt).
Oh, and they use a Canada goose for the logo.
Kitsilano Burger Lounge
Mazatlan, Mexico
That's right, there are at least two restaurants that get their name from Kitsilano. And both have burgers named after the neighbourhood.
Perhaps that's less surprising at a burger lounge. Here, the Kitsilano burger is on a Brioche bun (West 4th also did that) but this time it's a pretty straightforward cheeseburger, otherwise.
While it's named after a neighbourhood in Vancouver, its strays from the B.C. theme a bit with other burgers named after Venice, Singapore, and New York.
Oddly enough, the restaurant has shortened its name like the neighbourhood, but instead of "Kits," they went with "Kitsi."
Vancouver Wings
100 locations, Mexico
Naming this place after Vancouver is maybe an odd way to recognize the inspiration. Founder Hector Becerra lived in Vancouver over a decade ago and liked going to the pubs for wing Wednesday deals. One day he ordered wings on a Monday, and was not happy with the price difference for his plate of wings.
When he moved back to Mexico he turned that into Vancouver Wings, and it's become super successful. At the restaurant there are a few things named after Vancouver, including a burger, hot dog and a wing sauce (that rates on the spicy side of things).
Vancouver Coffee Roasters
Tokyo, Japan
Vancouver's love of coffee is international, apparently.
On the outer edge of Tokyo sits Vancouver Coffee Roasters, offering a little bit of the Eastern Pacific coast on the ocean's western side.
"Feel like a VANCOUVER at home," reads a Google translation of one of their posts.
Judging by the shots from inside the shop, it'd fit right in with Vancouver, too (though they're moving locations).
Taste of Vancouver
Taichung City, Taiwan
Perhaps all one needs to know about this place is the Google translation of its tagline.
"Vancouver is good, let us introduce you from the tip of your tongue!"
There's a variety of dishes on the menu, from Hong Kong and Japanese foods, to a couple "western" dishes (including fish and chips). That variety is what the owners want to bring from Canada.
"This is what Taste of Vancouver wants to express, so that you can taste these diverse cultures from your taste buds. On our menu, you can see Japanese food, Italian food, Vietnamese food, and Chinese food," reads a translation of its website.
Vancouver Terraza
Tomé, Chile
Why this place is called Vancouver is hard to say. V.I.A. reached out, but hasn't heard back.
It seems like a lovely spot, with a terrace overlooking the ocean in central Chile with a menu featuring empanadas, burritos, and burgers.
And perhaps it wasn't inspired by Vancouver; it does appear to have a regular and vibrant nightlife, something this city isn't known for. On the upside their pronunciation of Vancouver in Tome is fantastic.
Gastown Café & Restaurant
Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
While it doesn't explicitly advertise Vancouver as an inspiration, its name references a Vancouver neighbourhood, one of the founders trained in Canada
It's also arguably the most Vancouver place outside of Vancouver, from its craft beer menu to its menu options (which range from poutine to udon dishes) to its ambiance, which mixes plenty of greenery with movie posters and art.
Gastown East
Bellerive, Australia
It's so far east of Vancouver it's west.
Located on the Australian island of Tasmania, Gastown East takes its name from Vancouver's oldest settler neighbourhood and inspiration from the region and country.
"Gastown East is a Tasmanian restaurant offering Canadian-influenced drinks, brunch and a dinner menu ideal for sharing," states its website.
That includes foods from around the world, which reflects the immigrant history of the city, like hummus and bannock, perogies, and steak tartare.
While not heavily influenced by Vancouver specifically (though there are some B.C. scallops) they target Canada in general with a "Canadian Feasting Menu" and a "Hockey Puck" (which is a Canadian doughnut topped with cinnamon sugar and one of a variety of toppings like maple or Nutella.
