It came out of the blue about a year ago, an email, quiet and courteous, asking if I would be interested in meeting with then-senior editor Michael White to chat about becoming a judge for the Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards. It seemed like a good fit. My work reviewing restaurants and writing about the hospitality industry for more than a decade means I regularly dine out at places old and new, and try to keep my finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the city, region and province.
I figured my dining schedule might get a little more intense. I was wrong. It got a lot more intense. In case you weren’t aware, the panel of judges are divided into smaller “pods” for each category. Each category will have up to five or six members. You start with a list of around 15-20 restaurants for each category. After some eating and lots of talking, that list gets whittled down to 10. More eating. Lots more talking. Some arguing. Even more eating. Finally, we arrive at our top five. Bear in mind, most judges are on 10-13 pods each. That’s a hella lot of eating. Sometimes we go in groups, sometimes we go on our own. We then revisit those top five where necessary and eventually arrive at the moment of truth – our individual votes.
On April 13, the votes were revealed at what was probably one of the most raucous ceremonies I’ve attended in the last five years. A whole lotta “fuck yeahs” punctuated the speeches and applause, and perhaps with good reason. Change was rife, but it was all for the good. While some categories remained dominated by long-standing – and much-deserved – winners (Hawksworth for Best Upscale, Cioppino’s for Best Upscale Italian, Le Crocodile for Best Upscale French), several upsets happened in some of the biggest areas, including Best Restaurant. Traditionally a duel between the winners of Best Casual and Best Upscale, this year the criteria expanded to include the top three names from both categories, as well as the top three from Best New. This meant we had up to nine restaurants to choose from.
Best Restaurant this year by a landslide thus became Maenam (which also won gold for Best Thai and bronze for Best West Side). It was the first time in over 20 years that an Asian restaurant won in this category. It hopefully won’t be the last. Best Upscale Japanese was another upset, with Zest beating out long-standing Tojo’s for the first time (last-year the two tied for gold).
This year, the focus on the “small guys” was everywhere, from Kalvin’s Szechuen’s bronze for Best East Side to Cinara’s gold for Best Downtown (a category formerly dominated by larger chains). It also saw long-time “hidden gems” get the attention they deserved. L’Ufficio tied for gold for Best Casual Italian, as well as winning gold outright for Best West Side. Tiny Molli Café won Best of the Americas. And Mr. Red Café took home Best Vietnamese.
Best of all, however, was the praise and attention given to two chefs who have long worked under the radar. Hamid Salimian, culinary instructor at VCC, member of Culinary Team Canada, former executive chef at Diva at the Met, was recognized for his extensive history of culinary excellence and leadership with the Mentorship Award. And, Tina Fineza, who passed away earlier this year after a long battle with breast cancer, was honoured for her incredible and wide-ranging influence on the city’s culinary landscape as a restaurant chef, consultant and mentor.
It’s humbling to be part of such an amazing group of judges and share responsibility for what is arguably Western Canada’s most important restaurant awards program. As we gear up to begin this year’s round of dining due diligence, I’m reminded and heartened by the fact that the only constant in the restaurant industry is change. Dining in this city is never boring and there’s always a new dish and a new room around every corner. Cheers to that.
