Opening Soon.

[Chef Fowke]

It has been really hard not to ask the eGullet community for help over the last few months with my new venture. I have been diligent in working out my contract at Joe Fortes Seafood and Chop House as the executive chef to its glorious end.

I have been in transition for the last 4 months with the new chef (Chef Michael Lampuu; Four Seasons Hotel fame) and have concentrated on finishing my time at Joe’s on a high note.

As many Egullet members know I in the process of opening my new concept restaurant in Vancouver this year. A concept that sees 350 full service seats surrounding a high volume open (walk through ‘food network’ style) kitchen placed in downtown Vancouver within walking distance of five of Canada’s best hotels.

The restaurant will be structured around Vancouver’s largest indoor FOOD MARKET with many unique European and American features that will make it a leading venue in the North American food service industry. Not only will the market offer a full 15 000sq farmers market with the freshest in produce, seafood (where is the best place to buy fresh seafood? The busiest restaurant in the City!!!), meats and wines but the customer will be able to enjoy the products found within the market space in a selection of eight unique dining rooms with full international style table service.

The space we are looking at is over 30 000sq feet. The management team is in its infancy and is developing with the business plan every day. A full business plan has been developed and prospective investors have been approached and finalization of the partnership will be complete by the end of the year….

I would be interested in hearing from other eGullet member their opinions on the concept. As the discussion grows I will offer additional data, specs and details.

I am looking at an extremely large project that has never been attempted in Canada. I want to thank, in advance, members of Egullet, such as Wesza, who has help launched this project out of its infancy!!

Food Network has its Reality TV. I want to start a restaurant based on the combined knowledge of Egullet!!!

[Jinmyo]

Chef, this is amazing.

The eight dining rooms will be different from each other how? All served by the one kitchen? How many cooks?

[Al_Dente]

Will there be an eGullet member discount?

[Fat Guy]

Chef, a hearty congratulations on this venture. I'm sure all of us eGulleters will thoroughly enjoy watching your new project develop and -- no doubt -- thrive.

Balancing one's culinary integrity as a chef with the need to be a businessperson is the kind of challenge people face in many creative endeavors. Most mega-restaurant operations of the kind you're planning sacrifice creativity for a lowest-common-denominator bottom line. But a serious chef with strong guiding principles can use a larger platform to bring high quality work to a large number of people -- and that's a great thing.

Right now, one project that's in progress here in New York that immediately reminded me of yours is the Spice Market venture from Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Gray Kunz, although I don't actually know how big it is. That got me thinking about one of New York's greatest and most important but least acknowledged restaurateurs, Phil Suarez. You might enjoy this article about Mr. Suarez. And in fact, why the hell haven't we had him on here for a Q&A?

[elyse]

Wow! What a venture. I would LOVE to see it. Best of luck.

[Schneier]

Fascinating. Good luck.

[beans]

Chef Fowke -- What an incredible opportunity! I wish you much success.

Most mega-restaurant operations of the kind you're planning sacrifice creativity for a lowest-common-denominator bottom line. But a serious chef with strong guiding principles can use a larger platform to bring high quality work to a large number of people -- and that's a great thing.

Yes, quite true. Where I work we have had up to 7 dining rooms (now 6), three bars where dining is permitted and then ample dockage for boaters to tie up/raft and be served on board (subject to oHIo's weather permitting, boating season). Our location's owner bought out of the four store "franchise" and we are now separate from the Florida restaurants -- our beginnings and the sole source of our menus, chefs and kitchen managers. Since we've hired some well trained executive chefs that now see the many challenges of a long time crew and have felt the pain of the lowest-common-denominator bottom line. I have to say the good days (even fantastic ones) certainly out number the bad ones. The quality of the food going out to the tables has consistently improved and long time regulars pleasantly surprised with the new directions of our truly creative chefs. Each menu progresses, with the occasional battle of wills of what our chef wants to present and whether our owner will go along with it.

Exciting stuff.

[Jason Perlow]

The closest thing compared to this is a gigantic seafood restaurant in Singapore I saw on Tony Bourdain's show. The place was about the same size (it might have been larger) with a giant central open kitchen and had all kinds of tanks for live shellfish and displays for freshly caught fish.

[Pan]

Chef Fowke, like the others, I think you've got a great idea (for whatever that opinion is worth from a non-industry person). It sounds like you have a clear plan, and I believe you will be successful.

Will you be serving pastrami?

[fifi]

Congratulations, Chef Fowke.

Uh... Do you guys realize that we could have our very own restaurant reality show, right here?

[herbacidal]

best of luck to you, chef fowke.

please do keep us updated.

a restaurant reality show would help.

perhaps kept as video clips online?

actually no, have one of the investors pitch it to a network.

'twould be way cool.

[Chef Fowke]

Chef, this is amazing.

The eight dining rooms will be different from each other how? All served by the one kitchen? How many cooks?

I have spent the last two hours trying to write out a description of the dining rooms worthy of the egullet community. It only took a half hour to design a quick JPG. If I could figure out how to digitalize the blueprints I would post them...

blueprints

(edit...this looks like crap, I will figure something out to post blueprints that are viewable!)

When I say eight different dining rooms I mean eight different spaces within one dining area. I am working with a very clever young man who is producing some fantastic digital imagery (its not cheap, but it is truly amazing!!).

Keeping in mind that the room will have the feel of a French Parisian market, Bill (designer guy) has really begun to push the envelope on some of the rooms. You will see a true pewter bar, teak wine cellar, marble bistro tables, etc but he is developing some key focal (conversation) points within the room. The first example is the washroom:

More to follow....

Edited November 30, 2003 by Chef Fowke (log)

[Pan]

Chef Fowke, it's prompting me to input your password in order to see the photo you posted. (No, I don't know your password! )

[summertruffle]

Ya can't link FTP images like that, Chef Fowke.

Here you go:

http://members.shaw.ca/bfowke/Page%20Title...20Floorplan.jpg

[Chef Fowke]

you guys/gals are too quick! I edited the posting as you were typing!

[beans]

WOW!

[KatieLoeb]

Chef:

I wish you every success in this fascinating and ambitious venture. WOW! That's a lot of space to fill and a lot of chairs to put paying rear ends in. Challenging would be an understatement, I'm certain. With the hotels nearby as your captive audience it would seem that you should be quite busy. The graphic of the floor plan is incredible. I never cease to be awed by stylish restaurant design. And I really love the idea of being in the midst of the market.

When this is all finished (and I'm certain you'll let us know) this would certainly be worthy of a trip only to see the restaurant.

[summertruffle]

Chef: the link I provided produces an image that doesn't look like crap.

[Chef Fowke]

The closest thing compared to this is a gigantic seafood restaurant in Singapore I saw on Tony Bourdain's show. The place was about the same size (it might have been larger) with a giant central open kitchen and had all kinds of tanks for live shellfish and displays for freshly caught fish.

Actually you are not far off. I am building on experiences in France and Hong Kong (across the bay) where I bought fish and went to a nearby kitchen and they cooked it for me for a small fee. If it wasn't for the rice vodka I could give some accurate names, descriptions and locations. As well I am relying heavily on my experiences at the French bistros in Paris that had the fishmonger at the front of the restaurants...The fruit de mer to go! All that glorious fish on ice. I spent three weeks exploring these vendors and sampling the fish. They would package it in quaint little paper wrappers and I would explore the streets eating great seafood looking for other delicacies trying to fulfill my need for gastronomic brilliance. What a great way to enjoy the culinary world!

[Chef Fowke]

Chef: the link I provided produces an image that doesn't look like crap.

Thanks. I am so busy it is hard to adjust to all this technology. Now that I look at what you did I think I got it. I appreciate it.

[Chef Fowke]

Brian’s new found LAWS OF OPENING A RESTAURANT….

1. People who have $500k to invest in a restaurant are smart and you need to have all the answers answered before they ask them or you are dead in the water.

2. Amendment to rule #1. People who have $500k and are not smart are scary. They are either criminals or have inherited/found the money and they only care about stroking their egos in opening a restaurant.

3. Statistically in Canada: multi unit franchise operations survive the first year of operation 9 out of 10 times. Single unit restaurants survive the first year 1 out of 9 times. It would appear that the extensive systemization in all aspects of operation in a franchise guarantees the success of the operation. A majority of single unit restaurants feel that the ‘glamour/charisma’ of the owner is all that is needed to be successful or that developing systems is too expensive of an undertaking! Opening of a restaurant should not include ego and operators should never eat/drink in their establishments for pleasure. They must always be treated as a business.

4. A room needs to be more then a place to feed the biological needs of hunger. It needs to be entertaining. The guest needs to enter a fantasy world and forget all about the problems of the real world. The goal of a restaurant is not to serve brilliant food and fill the hunger but to exceed in the expectation of the guest in their need to escape from reality for a few hours. Food, ambiance and service are the most powerful drug known to man if mixed and prepared in the right proportions.

5. 35 – 65 year old men have two main criteria that need to be met when they go out to dine. First they need to feel secure. They cannot feel that there is something on the menu they cannot afford and they need to understand the nomenclature of the restaurant. If they need to ask for help in a description or with a product or pronunciation they will hate the restaurant because their ego will not be properly serviced. Secondly even married men want to eat in a restaurant filled with young beautiful people. Case in point: the Redwood Room at the Clift Hotel in San Francisco. The average age of the clientele is 45 years of age for the men. The women are ½ that age and perfect (very smart, well dressed and beautiful à in that order). The music is David Bowie from the 70’s and 80’s. People drink Manhattans and martinis.

6. All the money in the world and all the best service and food is lost to the customer if he/she waits more then 45 seconds to be greeted, a minute for a drink/recognition (once they have been seated) and 30 seconds for the bill at the end of the meal. Service is the key to success and needs to be the number one priority of any restaurant venture. We are looking at using table management software that tracks from the front door the progress of the customer through their entire meal that will flag a manager if the timeline is not met at every ‘moment of truth’ in the customer’s experience. The servers will be trained specifically on these criteria and rewarded appropriately on completion of set standards. Gratuity to a server is not guaranteed unless all criteria are meet. As well, technology will be used to enhance the customer’s time in the restaurant. I have been working with an IT guy who tells me that we can use ‘proximity chips’ in passport size cards that could eliminate having to wait for a bill at the end of a meal. Give each customer a lapel pin and when they are finished eating they can get up from the table and make their way to the nearest exit. Checkout could either be manned, like at a grocery store, or electronic. With existing technology we never, ever need to wait for a server to produce a bill again. Wall Mart is using self-service checkouts in the States right now with great success.

More to follow in the next weeks….

[beans]

2. Amendment to rule #1. People who have $500k and are not smart are scary. They are either criminals or have inherited/found the money and they only care about stroking their egos in opening a restaurant.

Sleepiness is winning, but this caught my eye.

The owner (and at one time the major investor of several in the beginning) of the restaurant I work for inherited his father's millions. He jumped into the investment opportunity because of a trip to southern Florida with the pretty young women and flashy speed boats (it was the Miami Vice era). He had no previous food and beverage experience and was guided solely by his ego. Since opening, his 55 foot speed boat was docked permanently at the restaurant's dockage, he named the boat after the restaurant and he has since become quite a hit with the 20 something year olds.

******

Very cool Chef Fowke. Your excitement shines through every word you post. What a wonderful project!

[Chef Fowke]

Beans, one day we must meet! I love your website. Any ideas on how to set up the perfect bar/winebar?

[Pan]

What's the URL for your website, beans?

[Chef Fowke]

Not to dump to much info on one day, I cannot keep up with the questions....

Here is the first draft of the menus. The menus will be developed and changed weekly by myself, the Executive Chef and the Corporate Chef with input from both the purchaser and the market manager.

Opening Day Market Menu

for Market Shopping (take out) or Dining In

Fresh Oysters & Raw Bar

1. Malpeque, Royal Mayagi, Totten Creek & Fine de Clair Oysters tomato-horseradish sauce, vodka mignonette, crushed ice & seaweed ($2.55 each)

1. Cold Poached Gulf Prawns, Baja Scallops & Penn Cove Mussel Salad shallot-black olive mignonette, cognac & tomato aioli & sweet garlic puree ($12)

2. Jumbo Alaskan King Crab Claws thyme, sherry vinegar & lemon aioli ($9 each)

3. Shucked Little Neck Clams orange-sauterne, fresh mint & persimmon ($3 each)

Vegetables & Potatoes

1. Roasted Garlic Scalloped Potatoes thyme, Asiago cheese & double cream ($5)

2. Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes double smoked bacon, sour cream & chives ($2)

3. Garlic & Thyme Hashed Potatoes scallion cream friache & ham hock ($3)

4. Gratin of Cauliflower farmhouse Stilton & caramelized onion cream sauce ($2)

5. Aldergrove Farm Spinach 4 year old Reggiano cheese, nutmeg & butter cream ($4)

6. Hot House Tomatoes Provencal fresh basil, EVOO & garlic confit ($3)

Rotisserie

1. Juniper & Garlic Studded Hind of Fallow Deer Port & shallot jus ($16)

2. Royal Baron of Prime Beef Yorkshire pudding & fresh horseradish cream ($12)

3. Jerk Spiced Free-run Chicken rubbed with a lemon-sage butter ($6)

4. Montreal Smoked Meat Canadian cracked rye bread, pickled Serrano peppers & spicy deli mustard ($9)

5. Salt Meadow Lamb Leg minted leek jelly ($8)

Meat Grill

1. Canadian Prime Striploin Steak ($14)

2. 28 Day Dry-Aged Ribeye steak ($16)

3. Montreal Provimi Veal Loin ($15)

4. Washington State Double Cut Lamb Chop ($9)

5. Marguez Lamb Sausage ($8)

6. Jumbo Aldergrove Quail ($7)

7. Beech Smoked Tenderloin of Alberta Beef ($16)

Seafood Grill

1. Wild Sockeye Salmon line caught Skeena river ($9)

2. Baja Diver Scallop (extra large) café de Paris butter ($12)

3. Queen Charlotte Island Halibut tropical fruit salsa ($8)

4. Shrimp & Seafood Sausage mango chutney ($7)

Steamed Seafood

1. Penn Cove Mussels garlic & white wine broth ($5)

2. Whole British Colombian Spot Prawn dark lager & basil broth ($4)

3. Fanny Bay Oyster drizzled with a caramelized shallot, honey & caper aioli ($3)

4. Steamed Manilla Clam Chowder roasted Chilliwack corn & Vancouver Island nugget potatoes ($3)

Cold Garde Manager

1. Hearts of Organically Grown Romaine Salad roasted garlic dressing, sourdough croutons, double smoked bacon ($8)

2. American Slaw coriander seed, shaved Napa cabbage & Walla Walla onions ($2)

3. Chicken & Duck Liver Pate Lingon berries & lemon brioche ($6)

Hot Garde Manager

1. Hickory Smoked Chicken & Sundried Tomato Fettuccini tomato-cream sauce, basil, rotisserie onion & wild Vancouver Island mushrooms ($11)

2. Pan-fried Chicken Livers Madeira & roasted garlic glaze ($3)

3. Deep-fried Fanny Bay Oyster traditional tartar sauce ($2)

Pomme Frites (Signature Item)

1. Twice Cooked Yukon Gold Potato Frites in peanut oil & served with malt vinegar & chive mayonnaise Dijonaise ($5)

Bakery

1. Crispy Potato Baguette sweet churned butter ($2)

2. Sundried Tomato & rosemary Focaccia Bread Parmesan cheese & cracked pepper drizzled with EVOO ($2)

3. Lemon Butter Brioche ($3 each)

4. Okanagan Peach Cobbler cinnamon swirl biscuits ($5)

5. Pear Tarte Tatin maple caramel sauce ($6)

6. Pumpkin & Raisin Pie streusel topping & double vanilla bean cream ($7)

7. Freshly Churned Okanagan Peach Double Cream Ice Cream ($4)

Rösti Potato (Signature Items)

1. Swiss Style Crispy Potato Pancakes pork hock, chives, roasted leek served with sour cream & fresh scallion ($3)

2. …add Hickory Smoked Sockeye Salmon ($3)

3. …add Montreal Smoked Meat Hash ($2)

4. …add Chicken & Lemon Cracklin ($1)

Cold Market (Take Home Only)

This market will have a continual flow of cooks from the kitchens at the Marchè selecting their daily needs for their cooking stations. All products will continually be rotated with the draw from the Marchè guaranteeing only the freshest & largest selection of seasonally available products for our clients.

Un-pasteurized, local & Artisan Cheeses

1. A cold counter will contain 45 types of cheeses (cut to order).

2. Every customer will be offered samples of the cheese before they purchase.

3. Cheese trays will be pre-packaged & ready at a minutes notice for office parties & home entertaining in servings for four to one hundred & fifty.

4. This station will also be stocked with cheese hardware such as cutting boards, cheese knives & cheese baskets.

Locally Produced Dairy Products

1. Small batch organic producers of creams, butter & milk.

2. Value added products; flavoured creams, cream cheeses & dairy products.

Tropical, Californian & Okanagan Seasonally Produced Fruits

1. A selection of 50+ fruits stacked perfectly in rows in artisan wooden crates with authentic ‘green grocer’ signs’.

2. Weigh stations need to be continually manned & samples need to be offered to the public at all times.

3. Price point of fruit need to be equivalent or lower then the local supermarket.

4. Fresh bottled juices & vegetables.

Local & European Produce, Vegetables & Specialty Products

1. A selection of 70+ local & foreign vegetables & specialty vegetables displayed in authentic containers.

2. Price point of vegetables need to be equivalent or lower then the local supermarket.

On Premise Fresh Bakery Goods

1. All baked goods will be available for take home.

2. Each checkout station will have a basket filled with warm potato baguette.

3. Individual pastries, flans & cakes will be wrapped & easily accessible for take home on large, colourful displays in front of the exits.

On Premise Cut-to-Order Meats, Poultry & Game

1. Large glass display case over-flowing with pre-cut meats at market or less then market pricing.

2. Three man butcher teams cutting meats to order at all times.

3. Large chalkboard with specialty cuts continually changing.

4. Meats to be wrapped in authentic butcher paper & tied with twine. Grease pencil to mark the name of the product & price.

Daily Caught Local & Exotic Seafood & Shellfish

1. Large display of 50+ species of whole fish, lobsters & crabs.

2. Display case of freshly cut portioned fish.

3. Loud crew of fishmongers attracting the crowds & cutting fish to order.

4. Fish to be wrapped in authentic fish paper & tied with twine. Grease pencil to mark the name of the product & price.

Fresh Cut Tropical & Local Flowers

1. 20+ types of flower bouquets easily accessible at checkout.

2. Professional florist cutting & arranging flowers on site.

3. Florist will be continually updating & refreshing the flowers in the Marchè, bar & dining areas.

Specialty Dry Goods

1. Olives, olive oils, mustards, etc from France, Italy & Canada.

2. Bulk purchases because of the usage of the Marchè’s cooking stations will allow a superior level of purchasing power to reduce costs.

For the table service a simple menu will be presented to the guests. Of course they can have anything cooked at the stations delivered to there table.

table service

please browse the open market at you leisure to discover the daily specials

with your passport or have your host serve your table

icy cold canadian oysters on the half shell

malpeque, royal miyagi, totten creek, classic cocktail sauce, fresh horseradish

$8

hearts of organically grown romaine salad

roasted garlic dressing, sourdough croutons, double smoked bacon

$9

cold poached gulf prawns, baja scallops & penn cove mussel salad

shallot-black olive mignonette, cognac & tomato aioli, sweet garlic puree

$12

hickory smoked chicken & sundried tomato fettuccini

tomato-cream sauce, basil, rotisserie onion, wild mushroom

$11

from the beechwood fired grill

marguez lamb sausage $8 jumbo aldergrove quail $7

prime Canadian steak $14 beech smoked tenderloin $16

wild sockeye salmon $9 queen charlotte halibut $8

baja diver scallop $12 shrimp & seafood sausage $7

from the slow roast rotisserie

jerk spiced free-run chicken $6 salt meadow lamb leg $8

royal baron of prime beef $12 fallow deer venison loin $16

seasonal vegetables & potatoes

cassoulet of roasted autumn vegetables gratineed with smoked gruyere $7

vancouver island potato hash with roasted garlic & thyme $3

pomme frites, double crispy fried, chive-dijon mayonnaise $4

yukon gold potato rösti, scallion sour cream, pork hock, caramelized leeks $5