Chef Bardia Ilbeiggi didn’t set out to be a chef, though Vancouverites are certainly glad he changed course. The chef/owner of Delara came to Canada at 19 to study engineering. “I was good at math and it’s typical in Iran to study engineering, medicine, etc.,” says the affable Ilbeiggi.
Below, we ask Ilbeiggi on how his studies influenced his future profession, what makes Iranian cuisine so compelling, and what's next. But before you dive in, check out what our Inspectors had to say here.
Bardia Ilbeiggi wasn’t just good at math—he studied aerospace engineering, and excelled. “I liked it, I was getting high honors and was a teach assistant, but something was missing.” During his third-year co-op program, he moved to Toronto and quickly realized what he was missing: cooking. “I spent a lot of time watching the Food Network and thinking ‘this is kind of fun, changing things that are familiar.’ I found a passion for working with my hands.”
Passionate, yet practical, Ilbeiggi returned to finish his studies. He went to work for IBM for several years, paying off student loans and planning his next move: culinary school. He moved to Paris with his then-girlfriend, now wife, and jumped into his studies, mastering French culinary techniques and traditions. After graduating, he took a job at One MICHELIN Star Frenchie because it would allow an even deeper dive. “It was just me and the chef. I knew it was going to be an intense learning experience, and it was.”
With his girlfriend’s visa soon to expire, the two returned to Canada and Ilbeiggi spent a decade working in Vancouver’s restaurants, including L’Abattoir. He also did a stint in Copenhagen at a now-shuttered restaurant, all the while accumulating knowledge. “I gathered as much information as I could—not just how to run the business but how relationships worked in the kitchen, etc. I have Moleskin notebooks full of observations.”
One day, he planned to put those observations to work—for himself. During a trip to Iran, “something sparked and I realized, I should do a modern approach to Iranian food.”
He opened Delara, which means “she who brings beauty to hearts,” in 2021. “We are very proud of our culture and our food in Iran, but it’s mostly enjoyed in homes. It’s these wonderful memories of how your mother made it. I wanted to bring that humble approach from home but with an elevated approach.”
Using the techniques he’s learned throughout his career, Ilbeiggi delivers food “from the heart.” That feeling is evident immediately upon entering Delara, and is due in part because his mother also works here, both in the kitchen and in the front-of-house. Having her here is a point of pride for the chef. “I spent 18 years away from her (she lived in Iran while he was in Canada) but that bond was always there.” It’s a connection that Ilbeiggi brings to all touchpoints at Delara. “Sometimes, I’ll send her out with a dish to give to a table and she doesn’t come back for a while. I’ll look and she’s there, sitting with the guests. She’s everyone’s mother,” he laughs.
For someone who started a career based in numbers, one thing certainly adds up. “When we opened, I was looking around and everything—every aspect I had a part of—and I thought to myself, ‘Wow, I’m actually standing inside my own dream. Not many people can say that.’”
