Along with new award recipients, the 2023 MICHELIN Guide Vancouver Ceremony also brought along with it a brand new One Star and five additional Bib Gourmands. From neighborhood faves to innovative approaches to udon, our Inspectors combed through Vancity to discover everything the city has to offer. So whether you're in the mood for Indian food in a relaxed environment, sushi served in a minimal space, or delectable dim sum, the full 2023 Vancouver selection has got you covered. Bon appétit!
Farmer's Apprentice
Cuisine: Contemporary
Farmer's Apprentice is a true neighborhood gem. This tiny space with rustic appeal brings people together over innovative dishes like shrimp-crusted striped bass with XO sauce or radish and Sieglinde potato salad with chili-miso-tamarind vinaigrette. Fresh sourdough bread is baked daily— served with chicken asiento, it's a can't-miss. Local produce is feted, as in kale rapini with lush vadouvan butter, accompanied by lemony labneh, smoked pickled raisins and toasted hazelnuts. On weekends, Chef Alden Ong switches gears and serves Basta Barbecue at lunch, inspired by Tausug-Filipino cuisine. The 63 Acres beef cheeks with buttery lettuce leaves, nouc cham and sunchoke kimchi will have you planning a repeat visit before your plate is clean.
Karma Indian Bistro
Cuisine: Indian
Wood planks, plush banquettes and rustic lighting set a sophisticated tone at Karma Indian Bistro, but its elegant setting isn't the only reason to make a reservation. The food is as pleasing as the surroundings, and the chef's serious vision is outlined on a menu of wonderfully delicious traditional dishes interspersed with bold, innovative plates.
Expect richly spiced favorites such as chicken Madras, a fragrant specialty of South India. Coconut rice is the perfect sidekick to sop up all of that delicious, creamy sauce. Savor each bite of the mouthwatering jumbo prawns in a pureed spinach curry, but do leave room for dessert—perhaps the saffron rice pudding or a cooling mango ice cream.
Motonobu Udon
Cuisine: Japanese
It's worth frequenting this spot, where a simple, light-flooded dining room buzzes with tables full of diners slurping bowls of noodles and savoring sides. As the name hints, it's all about udon here, where the noodles are handmade and cut fresh to order. Traditional varieties are available hot or cold, served with tempura bits and fresh green onions or with mentsyu sauce and tempura egg. Specialty bowls, such as the spicy tanton with braised pork belly, Shanghai bok choy in a spiced chicken and dashi broth, are equally enticing. Peruse the add-ons and you may find yourself topping your bowl with piles of tempura treats, and inari and pressed sushi round out the menu. Don't see something you want? Ask, as the accommodating staff aims to please.
Seaport City Seafood
Cuisine: Chinese
Enter off Cambie Street and climb a set of stairs to reach Seaport City Seafood, an elegant dining room where pristine fish tanks entice and enchant. It's an upscale setting that attracts a moneyed crowd, with tables set with white cloths and gleaming chandeliers overhead. It is best known for dim sum, which leans traditional while also delivering a fresh and elevated perspective. Case in point? The black truffle fried wild rice, an exciting and contemporary take on an old favorite. Bubbling congee is the ultimate comfort dish; steamed pork ribs are crispy-creamy with irresistible umami; and baked barbecue pork pastry is a winner. Stir-fried cumin lamb shank is a can't miss meal, and if you still have room left for dessert, choose the durian mochi or sponge cake with taro paste.
Keep an eye if ordering off the menu, since dim sum offers the value at both lunch and dinner.
Sushi Hil
Cuisine: Japanese
Natural light floods the dining room at Sushi Hil, where blonde wood furnishings set a clean, contemporary tone. The best seats are naturally at the counter, where guests can watch the talented and engaging Chef Hil Nguy craft his jewel-like pieces with great care and efficiency. Seasonal ingredients and high quality fish shine, as in a dish of Japanese sweet prawns accompanied by the just-removed head, served simply over crushed ice with a dab of wasabi. Aka Isaki, or red grunt, is served with orange to underscore the power play of salinity and citrusy sweetness, while aji (mackerel) from Kagoshima has an added zing with grated ginger-scallion. Other standouts include otoro, ikura and chopped tuna, and black throat perch.
Hero image: Vancityeats/Karma Indian Bistro
