It’s been well over a decade since Tourism Vancouver launched a tiny little food event called Dine Out Vancouver. The premise was twofold: help the restaurant business by filling its rooms at a traditionally quiet period, and, in the process, showcase the diversity of the city’s dining scene. This year, Dine Out is celebrating its 15th anniversary, and the little event that could has grown into the largest of its kind in Canada, attracting chefs, mixologists and guests from around the globe.
Part of what has made Dine Out such a success is its focus on the complete dining experience, says celebrated restaurateur Vikram Vij. “Last year, we did one event with Dine Out, and I was so impressed with Tourism Vancouver,” he says. “They had done a great job of creating an actual experience for people, not just a cheap-eats menu.”
This year, having settled into its new, larger space on Cambie, Vij’s is participating full-on in Dine Out, offering a $40 three-course menu in the upstairs rooms. (First come, first served, as per the restaurant’s standard no-reservations policy.) “It’s not just about putting bums in seats. For that, I could just reduce my prices and quality,” Vij continues. “Tourism Vancouver has done a great job of evolving with the times. It’s about giving people the Vij’s experience, to realize this is an extension of our homes and fully appreciate what we’ve created. And I’m in good company this year. Hawksworth and Bishop’s are also part of Dine Out this year. The scope and quality of this event has really evolved.”
Robin Kort, owner of Swallow Tail Culinary Adventures, agrees. “Being part of a festival gives you something to be excited about at a slow time of year.”
Kort, who organizes “underground” supper clubs, sources unusual venues and then partners with chefs, mixologists, brewers, wineries and distilleries to create an interactive experience that goes beyond just a good meal. Previous sites have included a police museum, antique stores, and the Bloedel Conservatory. Guests are whisked around to multiple locations in a single evening on a trolley, and are encouraged to dress up in Prohibition-era attire. “It’s a great way to meet people and have fun,” says Kort, laughing. “You dress up in your zoot suits and flapper dresses, and because of the long-table-style seating and format, you end up meeting people and making friends.”
Kort finds new venues and partners every year, to make sure the experience is fresh each time. This year, she is again working with chef Jacob Deacon-Evans, who helped her create sold-out events last year. Expect to see partners like Odd Society Spirits, Lakebreeze Winery and Luppolo Brewing added into the mix.
The months of preparation, however, aren’t just limited to special events. “We started talking to our suppliers back in November,” says chef Jack Chen of Royal Dinette, a downtown restaurant with a strong farm-to-table ethos. “We wanted to work with what was abundant and could be used up. We do a lot of preserving, so that’s also being heavily used.”
Chen has also used the event as an opportunity to play with new ideas. “It’s such a busy event, but it also gives us time to plan and experiment with our spring menus,” he explains. Those experiments not only shape the new menus, but have enticed first-time customers to become loyal guests. (Chen is leaving the restaurant to pursue other opportunities, but his long-time sous chefs, Tom Yamasaki and Alden Ong, will be holding down the fort until an official replacement is announced.)
Even those restaurateurs who are not participating in Dine Out see the value of the event. “It’s a great advertisement for a restaurant,” says David Gunawan, owner of Farmer’s Apprentice and Grapes and Soda, and the opening consultant for Royal Dinette. “It’s a way to attract a new demographic – customers who might not have tried a place before.”
“Best foot forward” seems to be the watchword for most chefs who are participating in Dine Out this year. The new price points of $20, $30 and $40, plus the leeway to offer optional add-ons, gives chefs the flexibility to create value-based menus that still accurately reflect their menu during the rest of the year. And the plethora of events to choose from (which are selling out, FYI, so get a move on) can make for a riotous couple of weeks.
Here are some of this year’s can’t-miss restaurants and events.
$40 Menus
Vij’s Restaurant
Vij’s famous no-reservations policy means you might be waiting a while, but the friendly lounge is a great place to enjoy a cup of chai and complimentary pakoras while you wait for your table. The menu is loaded with delicious options, like braised “vegetarian lamb” (AKA jackfruit) in ground-cardamom-and-cumin curry, braised beef shortribs in Punjabi-style curry, and almond rice pudding.
Royal Dinette
Locavore, farm-to-table, and eminently West Coast, the choices here run the gamut from glazed Humboldt squid with kohlrabi and Thai pesto to Wagyu beef tartare, kasu-marinated pork loin with fermented barley grits, ling cod with potato gnocchi, and black-pepper fusilli with squash carbonara. A trio of desserts to choose from includes Bosc pear tart, elderflower sorbet with rum-preserved berries, and celeriac mousse with celery sorbet and candied walnut.
$30 Menus
Campagnolo
Chef Robert Belcham’s rustic Italian fare includes highlights such as crispy chickpeas, “Nonna’s” meatballs, carnaroli risotto with Dungeness crab sabayon, and classic Margherita pizza.
Maenam
One of the best restaurants in the city and the tops for Thai food, chef Angus An is serving up hot-and-sour halibut soup, braised beef cheeks in green curry, chicken cashew stir-fry, and banana roti.
$20 Menus
Gyoza Bar
Offering lunch and dinner menus, as well as a separate vegetarian menu, Goya Bar specializes in dumplings and bowls with a pan-Asian focus. Don’t miss the chicken ramen and the Korean-spiced pork rib bao board.
Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co.
This perennial family favourite sticks to its organic, locavore roots and serves up pizzas, pastas and soups that will warm the cockles and the palate. Don’t miss the smoked bacon and three-cheese penne, or the basil and blackberry salad.
Events
Secret Supper Soirée
Hosted by Swallow Tail Culinary Adventures, this gastronomic road trip will see you picked up in a 1930s trolley and whisked off to multiple secret locations for drinks and a multi-course meal. $125. Multiple dates.
Swallow Tail owner Robin Kort makes a Moonshine cocktail | Photo: Dan Toulgoet
Vancouver World Chef Exchange: Mexico City
Join Cacao chef Jefferson Alvarez as he welcomes Mexico City’s Jair Tellez and Miami’s Nidal Barake for a collaborative dining experience. $196.50. Two seatings on January 21.
Robbie Burns Celebration and Dinner
Award-winning mixologist Lauren Mote and chef Jonathan Chovancek are bringing their popular Bittered Sling Bistro pop-up to Yew Seafood + Bar for a collaborative whisky master class and dinner with Yew chef Weimar Gomez, along with special guest and James Beard award-winner Charles Joly from Chicago. $135. January 24-25.
For full details on all events and participating restaurants, visit DineOutVancouver.com.
Anya Levykh is a freelance food, drink and travel writer who covers all things ingestible. Find her on Twitter and Instagram @foodgirlfriday.
