Who's your favorite Vancouver Chef

[j_edge]

I was just wondering who is your favorite Vancouver Chef...for whatever reason...and maybe also who you think is the most underrated Chef in the city...let's hear your responses!

[nwyles]

MIchel Jacob : Favourite. Consumate host.

Underrated ?

Brian Fowke. Although he was the exec at Joe Fortes for 5 years, I do not think that was the right place for Vancouver to see how very talented he is.

I have seen what he can do and I believe when he gets his own restaurant launched, Vancouver is in for a real surprise.

Edited September 18, 2005 by nwyles (log)

[Andrew Morrison]

Brian made my first hangar steak at the HSG and I couldn't have asked for a better intro to what had been lauded as legendary. Good call, Neil. I eagerly await an opening night.

[Macha]

There are so many great Chef's in Vancouver that its hard to pick just one. So here are my top three.

Morgan Lechner - Kettle of Fish

The most down to earth, un-pretentious Chef I have ever met. Morgan and his team always are the most inviting, funny and ultimate hosts.

Michael Knowlson- Sequoia Grill

At the Wedgewood and now Sequoia Grill. Michael has my vote for the most underrated Chef in this city. Brilliant every time.

Marc-André Choquette - Lumière

14 years in the kitchen, he is the hardest working dedicated Chef in the city. Rob your lucky to have him!

[maxmillan]

Karen Barnaby and John Bishop, great chefs and sincerely friendly people, two rare combinations in a chef.

[*Deborah*]

My favourites are predictable to anyone who reads this forum:

Andrey Durbach/Parkside. Consistently marvellous food. I think I would eat there often even if it were in the middle of Yaletown and full of...Yaletowners. If you know what I mean.

Frank Pabst/Blue Water Café and Pastis. I mention Pastis as that's where I first met his duck. I never tried anything BUT duck there, as the duck was just too good to miss. The duck at Bistro Pastis is still good, but Chef is now working his magic at Blue Water.

I guess I mostly go for the classical style. I do enjoy lots of other restaurants in Vancouver; in particular the Hapa Izakaya/Shiro Bay fusion type places...but if I try to imagine giving up deep-fried Ebi with sweet chili mayo or giving up Andrey Durbach's duck...there's no contest.

I also have to give a deep curtsey to Neil Wyles, for perfecting the GBP, which eclipses all of the sticky toffee pretenders; and for providing such a warm and friendly room to have a good steak, a superior Caesar, a Lamb and Yam, and who (I sometimes forget) is also a really good all-around chef. I had some of the best risotto ever from his kitchen. You're so self-deprecating, Neil, and then you pull another rabbit out of a hat. Or, you know, half a Dungeness crab

I'm just glad to have such a profusion of choices.

[transfattyacid]

My favourite Chef(s) in Vancouver are the team of anonymous ( to me anyway ) cooks that inhabit the kitchens of Gyoza King.

And particulally the cook who`s tasks include the preparation of the braised pork belly dish.

Their combined skill in producing consistently satisfying dishes, without the need to turn your dinner into a quasi sculpture or, indeed, the need of a PR machine, is impressive.

knowledge of where and when to stop adding ingredients and not using technique for techniques sake, are the very much underrated and over looked skills of this industry. These cooks have no portrait on the transport network or for that matter portrayed on the food network.

And i salute you all for feeding all these western cooks intil the wee hours.

[fud]

My favourite Chef(s) in Vancouver are the team of anonymous ( to me anyway ) cooks that inhabit the kitchens of Gyoza King.

←

I totally agree. Especially the chef who makes the "ebi mayo" oh my lord I could eat 100 of those things.

Speaking of Ebi Mayo, Shiro Bay makes a pretty mean one too but i have to admit that Gyoza King reigns supreme.

Gyoza King also makes a mean Chicken Karaage (boneless).

mmm.

[McTee]

I'll throw in a couple more names, just for kicks.

Vikram Vij - you all know why.

Gord Martin & his team - so many dishes that I crave on a regular basis, and I go to the Bins just to see what comes next.

Robert LeCrom - extremely knowledgeable, excellent mentor and he never ceases to amaze me.

[Ling]

My favourite Chef(s) in Vancouver are the team of anonymous ( to me anyway ) cooks that inhabit the kitchens of Gyoza King.

←

I totally agree. Especially the chef who makes the "ebi mayo" oh my lord I could eat 100 of those things.

Speaking of Ebi Mayo, Shiro Bay makes a pretty mean one too but i have to admit that Gyoza King reigns supreme.

Gyoza King also makes a mean Chicken Karaage (boneless).

mmm.

←

WHAAAAT?!! Gyoza King has ebi mayo that's BETTER than the ones from Shiru-Bay? This I gotta try. I love, LOVE, LOVE the ebi mayo from Shiru-Bay!!

Hmm...I don't know too many Vancouver chefs. I find Sada (Octopus Garden) entertaining. Neil gave me free GBP before, so I guess I gotta like him. I really enjoy Chef Hawksworth's food. I like how Chef Jeff talked to us about the food after our dinner at Aurora. I think chefs who interact with their patrons really complete the dining experience.

[*Deborah*]

My favourite Chef(s) in Vancouver are the team of anonymous ( to me anyway ) cooks that inhabit the kitchens of Gyoza King.

←

I totally agree. Especially the chef who makes the "ebi mayo" oh my lord I could eat 100 of those things.

Speaking of Ebi Mayo, Shiro Bay makes a pretty mean one too but i have to admit that Gyoza King reigns supreme.

Gyoza King also makes a mean Chicken Karaage (boneless).

mmm.

←

WHAAAAT?!! Gyoza King has ebi mayo that's BETTER than the ones from Shiru-Bay? This I gotta try. I love, LOVE, LOVE the ebi mayo from Shiru-Bay!!

Hmm...I don't know too many Vancouver chefs. I find Sada (Octopus Garden) entertaining. Neil gave me free GBP before, so I guess I gotta like him. I really enjoy Chef Hawksworth's food. I like how Chef Jeff talked to us about the food after our dinner at Aurora. I think chefs who interact with their patrons really complete the dining experience.

←

I know!!! we have to form an Ebi Mayo Posse!!!!

Oh, yes I shouldn't have forgotten Chef Jeff, who has only made me two fabulous meals so far, but more to come, I'm sure.

[fud]

I know!!! we have to form an Ebi Mayo Posse!!!!

Oh, yes I shouldn't have forgotten Chef Jeff, who has only made me two fabulous meals so far, but more to come, I'm sure.

←

Yeah we should form a roaming posse off Ebi Mayo eaters. Go from place to place just destroying restaurant supplies of ebi mayo!

mmmm

Actually I will say that ebi mayo at Shiro can be better than Gyoza King but i find Gyoza so far is more consistently good/better....oh man i need some now.

[Junior]

Ray Henry at Diva, gets my vote for best chef. I worked for him the year before he left on his Caribbean journey. The guy is an amazing teacher and cook. Best chef i've ever worked for. I would have to cast a vote for Frank Pabst as well, some of the best meals I had in Vancouver were at Pastis when he was there.

[makanmakan]

My favourite Chef(s) in Vancouver are the team of anonymous ( to me anyway ) cooks that inhabit the kitchens of Gyoza King.

←

I totally agree. Especially the chef who makes the "ebi mayo" oh my lord I could eat 100 of those things.

Speaking of Ebi Mayo, Shiro Bay makes a pretty mean one too but i have to admit that Gyoza King reigns supreme.

Gyoza King also makes a mean Chicken Karaage (boneless).

mmm.

←

WHAAAAT?!! Gyoza King has ebi mayo that's BETTER than the ones from Shiru-Bay? This I gotta try. I love, LOVE, LOVE the ebi mayo from Shiru-Bay!!

Hmm...I don't know too many Vancouver chefs. I find Sada (Octopus Garden) entertaining. Neil gave me free GBP before, so I guess I gotta like him. I really enjoy Chef Hawksworth's food. I like how Chef Jeff talked to us about the food after our dinner at Aurora. I think chefs who interact with their patrons really complete the dining experience.

←

I know!!! we have to form an Ebi Mayo Posse!!!!

←

can i join this posse too?!!! i just have one rule....i don't share my ebi mayo!!!

my top three would be

andrey durbach - never been disappointed. big, bold, rich and comforting food. my favourite wild mushroom risotto in the city, by far.

the crew at guu with garlic - just watching them make the kim chi fried rice is so fun! we've had many a sake fuelled, full belly nights here! (although gyoza king is a very close tie here!!)

thirdly, a tie between vikram vij and robert clark. vikram took indian cuisine to the next level. dreams of lamb popsicle tonight! robert clark has an imagination that i envy, but at least i can enjoy it!

[fud]

can i join this posse too?!!!  i just have one rule....i don't share my ebi mayo!!! 

←

Of course!

Actually has anyone tried making this at home? Mine was pretty much a complete failure. I think the sauce is important but the tempura breading is also key. Not sure what they are doing right (or I'm doing wrong).

Must...make....ebi....mayo....must...eat....

[GordonCooks]

Rob Feenie, dammit!

[Daddy-A]

Gotta be David Hawsworth for me ... and I'm not basing that on the food at West (which is awesome in its own right), but on the incredible meal we had at Outstanding in the Field. Simple preparation, clean flavours ... and he served my salad for me (just a little star-struck eh?).

A.

[Vancouver Lee]

Shame on me for not knowing this person's name, but my favourite chef in the city is the person cooking at Cru.

Does it say something about me that I know the somellier's name and the bartender's name, but don't know the chef's name?

[SBonner]

Such a tough question.... but I'd say Andrey at Parkside, Jeff at Aurora. David at West...and the list goes on. If it came down to just one, Rob Fennie, since he beat an Iron Chef and put B.C. on the world culinary stage.

Cheers,

Stephen

[D. Peckham]

There shoud be a new topic called Who's your least favorite chef in Vancouver. I think that would be a whole lot funnier and interesting.

[transfattyacid]

There shoud be a new topic called Who's your least favorite chef in Vancouver.  I think that would be a whole lot funnier and interesting.

←

Yeah. No doubt !.

Has that Doug Psaltis thread got ya all worked up and cynical ?

* puts hand on the pass *

Edited September 22, 2005 by transfattyacid (log)

[Judith Gebhart]

There shoud be a new topic called Who's your least favorite chef in Vancouver.  I think that would be a whole lot funnier and interesting.

←

Yeah. No doubt !.

Has that Doug Psaltis thread got ya all worked up and cynical ?

* puts hand on the pass *

←

I usually read with relish the Canada: Vancouver and BC et al but rarely comment. We visit BC and Vancouver as often as we can. My vote is for Tojo of Tojo's. We have never been disappointed.

We love Rob Feenie's work, Rain City Grill and others. Returing again to Vancouver we will run to Tojo's.

[Sonja]

My current favorite Chef is Segar Kulasegarampillai, Sous Chef at the Hart House - he just joined us after a number of years as exec Chef at Mildred Pierce in Toronto. His food is amazing but the most wonderful thing is the combination of culinary genius and sunny disposition -

[Foodie in Vancouver]

I have 2 favorites - Dana Reinhardt at CRU and David Hawkeworth at West. Like Arne, I am still gaga over the Outstanding in the Field event. Dana consistently produces the most honest, tasteful food I know. We can't afford to eat at West very often so only go there a couple of times a year. We do manage to get to Cru more often and have never been disappointed. Dana and her crew produce wonders - whether it is at the amazing wine dinners or the regular menu. And what can I say about David H that hasn't been said already - amazing chef and a very humble and lovely person.

[jamiemaw]

In the Globe today . . . That Hammy Boy

"Chef's matinee-idol looks attract a heavy puck-bunny contingent."

Edited September 23, 2005 by jamiemaw (log)