Bao Bei

Bao Bei may mean "precious," but there's nothing twee about this brasserie located at the edge of Vancouver's old Chinatown. Instead, Chef Joël Watanabe shows off his playful, creative cooking style, delivering food that's inventive and fun. Far from traditional, these unique takes on classic Chinese cuisine are crafted from top-notch ingredients. Take the "kick ass fried rice," their savory and a tad sweet version of the ubiquitous standard. This dish punches above its weight with an ingenious blend of prawns, bitter melon, masala-preserved mushrooms and papadam. Mantou buns filled with braised pork, hoisin, pickled ginger and miso-serrano aioli are positively irresistible, and even seemingly simple plates, like braised pea shoots with garlic, bring the flavor.