From hipster to hip: for the last five years, Gastown has been the hot and happening neighbourhood in Vancouver. It is what Yaletown was in its prime, and while both areas cater to very different markets, theres increasing instances of overlap.
New restaurants want to be in Gastown and old restaurants are trying to stay here. The same goes with the people. Its the heart of Vancouver culture, a site for gentrification, and home to some excellent eats.
While Gastown has changed over the last 10 years, there are restaurants that set down stakes before the hype. They were there when the main appeal for tourists was the steam clock.
Vancouver is not an easy place to open a restaurant, and its a milestone for any business to make 10 years let alone anyone in the restaurant business.
While newcomers are welcome (depending on who you ask) and change is constant, lets take a moment to reminisce about the restaurants that have been there since long before Gastown got cool.
Guu started with two restaurants in Vancouver. It now has six locations locally and another two in Toronto. The Gastown location opened in fall 2003 and it was embraced from day one. The Maguro with five-colour sauce (chopped tuna and avocado, wasabi, mango, cucumber, and yuzu pepper sauce with crispy wontons), Salmon with 7 Friends (wild sockeye salmon with miso and garlic sauce, natto, Japanese pickles, garlic chips and egg yolk served with roasted seaweed), and Nikuzyaga Croquette (panko breaded mashed potatoes with stewed beef and tonkatsu sauce) have been on the menu for 10 years and are only available at Guu Gastown.
105-375 Water St.
Italian chef and owner Eduardo remembers what business was like in Gastown when he first opened his little café in April 2003. Although rent has gone up, hes still trying to provide Gastown locals with affordable meals at under $10 for lunch and $20 for dinner. His signature panini and Eggplant Parmesana, with eight layers of baked eggplant, have been on the menu since opening. His favourite is the Italian sausage, which he makes in-house and serves on house-baked focaccia, sourdough or baguette.
401 West Cordova St.
You cant talk about restaurants in Gastown without acknowledging the Irish Heather. Its a Godfather restaurant in the neighbourhood and restaurateur Sean Heather has made Gastown home to the bulk of his restaurants. The Irish Heather opened in 1997 and moved to its current location across the street in 2008. The fireplace in the restaurant is from the old Irish Heather and has been enjoyed by Heather patrons for 16 years. The Bangers & Mash, featuring handmade sausage by master butcher Drews Dreisen, garlic mash-potato and onion demi is the 16-year-old mainstay.
210 Carrall
Find Mijune judging gingerbread at Gingerbread Lane at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver on Nov. 27. In the evening she will be judging caterers at the annual BC Wedding Awards. Find out more about Mijune at FollowMeFoodie.com or follow her on Twitter @followmefoodie.
