Acclaimed taco purveyor La Taqueria will be opening its fifth location in April, downtown at 586 Hornby. The new outlet will be the largest of the group, seating 90, with both take-out and dine-in. Expect a similar menu to other locations, but with the addition of burritos. LaTaqueria.com
Paramount Foods, a popular Ontario-based restaurant chain (with additional locations in Alberta, the U.S., Lebanon and Pakistan) that focuses on fast-casual Middle Eastern dining, will be opening its first West Coast location in Vancouver in late March. Look for a halal menu that includes mezze, saj wraps, shawarma and more. ParamountFineFoods.com
Sad news. After more than three years in business, Bambudda has announced it is closing its doors on Sunday, Feb. 19. Its Gastown home, which houses Bambudda and another restaurant, is being renovated to add a new lobby, underground parking and further amenities. Until closure, the restaurant is running an extended happy hour daily, from 5:30-7:30pm, that offers $4 bottles of Asahi and Tiger beer, $5 glasses of red or white wine, $7 classic cocktails, and 50 per cent off small plates, including house-made BBQ pork buns, sesame noodles, and XO prawns. Bambudda.ca
Also in Gastown, Bauhaus has a new weekday lunch special that includes featured items such as meatballs with rice and caper sauce, wiener schnitzel with potatoes and cucumber salad, and veal with spätzle and mushrooms, for $22 each. As well, on Fridays only, enjoy the wiener schnitzel with a German beer, also for $22. Bauhaus-Restaurant.com
Mamie Taylor’s is offering a special Mardi Gras-themed menu from Feb. 17 to Mar. 3, in addition to its regular dinner menu, that features a daily fresh sheet with items such as turtle soup, jambalaya, gumbo and king cake. All items are available à la carte. MamieTaylors.ca
On Thursday, Feb. 23, Odd Society Spirits is presenting The Renaissance of Vermouth, hosted by Shaun Layton, from 7pm to 9pm. Paying homage to the Mediterranean tapas bar, this stand-up event includes an aperitif cocktail to start, a vermouth flight and Italian and Spanish-style canapes prepared by chef Jesse McMillan of Campagnolo Roma. Tickets $65. Email [email protected].
On Mar. 4, chefs David Gunawan (Farmer’s Apprentice) and Dan Cheung (Nourish) will be teaming up for the four-course “Eat. Learn. Gather.” dinner, in support of Project Chef, a school program that teaches kids from kindergarten to grade 7 about healthy food. The event takes place at Nourish cooking school and café (3742 W. 10th), and will see Gunawan demonstrating the preparation of each dish served during the dinner, plus a pasta workshop. Tickets $150 per person, with all proceeds going to Project Chef. NourishVancouver.ca
Get ready for an epic curry fight! On Mar. 13, chefs Vikram Vij (Vij’s, Rangoli, My Shanti) and Angus An (Maenam, Fat Mao) will face off in a culinary showdown at My Shanti in South Surrey. The two chefs will collaborate on canapés and dessert, but will duel it out in the meat, seafood, rice and noodle courses, highlighting the differences and similarities between Indian and Thai curries. The one-night-only “Mae Shanti” meal will include five courses and wine pairings; tickets $125 per person. Email [email protected] with the subject line “Mae Shanti” for reservations.
