Though locals and visitors to Vancouver look to the Michelin Guide for dining recommendations - including the coveted "starred" chefs and establishments - the publication also saves room at the table for a "value" category they call the Bib Gourmand.
One such restaurant, put on the list in 2022 and kept on for 2023, is Fiorino, a cozy, unfussy Chinatown spot that focuses on Italian "street food" - though, to be certain, their menu includes many a dish you sit down to enjoy with a knife and fork.
Fiorino opened in late 2021. Located in a former pub-style restaurant space in Chinatown, the modern Italian eatery has day-to-night service - including a snack- and drink-fulled aperitivo offering, aka happy hour - and a fun seasonal patio space out front that puts you in the midst of the colourful neighbourhood.
Here they are serving up approachable, thoughtful Italian dishes, including a couple more that showcase ingredients and preparations you won't likely find at other Vancouver restaurants.
"At lunch, focaccia sandwiches and schiacciata, like the one stuffed with guanciale, drizzled with honey and spread with walnut crema, are the hot ticket. At dinner, it's all about pasta," notes Michelin.
New fall menu items available at Fiorino
With a shift in the weather to chillier, wetter fall days, Fiorino has made some seasonal adjustments to the menu, which means when it comes to pasta, you'll be tucking into a rich, hearty serving of ribbon-like pappardelle, served coiled like a flower and stuffed with earthy locally foraged mushrooms and taleggio cheese. For an extra kick of richness, the pasta is served with a roast garlic and marsala mushroom sauce with black truffle.
Another autumnal note on Fiorino's share plates menu includes the soulful carrot puree that sits beneath cubes of crispy, fatty pork belly and beautifully tender octopus. Satisfy a craving for comfort with Fiorino's plump arancini, which are filled for fall with a roasted artichoke and gorgonzola risotto.
Meatballs are one of the ultimate Italian comfort dishes, and Fiorino is doing theirs a little differently; the Cipolle Ripiene are pork and mascarpone meatballs cooked in an onion ring (not a fried pub-style one, but rather the onion circle itself). Ripiene translates to "overflowing," which is why Fiorino has deployed the term evoking the abundance of the season for its dishes with a "stuffed" component.
As always, Fiorino continues to offer its signature Coccoli e Prosciutto, a dish of fried dough bites served with 18-month Prosciutto di Parma and stracchino - a young, soft, and creamy Italian cow's milk cheese co-owner Giovanni Mascagni imports for the restaurant through local vendors. This isn't a seasonal special, but certainly one of the restaurant's standout dishes worth a try anytime.
One of 17 Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand Vancouver restaurants
Fiorino earned its Bib Gourmand status for its Italian fare offered at a reasonable price.
"The restaurants recommended within the Michelin Guides aren’t all about expensive ‘fine dining,'" the publication explained in 2022. "Since 1997, our best value for money restaurants – offering a three-course meal at a reasonable price – have been pointed out using a special award: the Bib Gourmand." The price amount varies from country to country, but for Canada, the cap was set at meals of two courses plus wine or dessert for under $60.
There are a total of 17 Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand restaurants in Vancouver.
Fiorino is located at 212 E Georgia St in Vancouver and is open Sunday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Follow @fiorino_isf on Instagram.
Video: Dinner at Fiorino in Vancouver
@forkingawesomevia The Michelin Guide put several Vancouver restaurants in the Bib Gourmand category, which means great food for a great value. I checked out some fall menu items at this spot that does Italian “street food.” #forkingawesome #vancouverbc #michelinguide #bibgourmand #italianfood ♬ funky house - Close-Wu
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