Wrestling with the concept of what makes a dish distinctly Canadian could give you a moose-sized headache. Depending on the season, region and chef, almost anything, it seems, could be considered. With such wide-ranging criteria, how do we distinguish our culinary ethos from that of Italy, France, India, Japan, Greece, et al? Is it simply using Canadian-based ingredients? Is it the recipes? Yes. And no.
Like Canadian values, I don’t think our cuisine can be pigeonholed into a single checkbox or list. There’s a lot more involved than just using Saskatoon berries or serving up yet another iteration of poutine. Last month, I visited Victoria to explore some local odes to Canadiana. In that spirit, I’ve rounded up a list of Vancouver restaurants that seem to be redefining what Canadian cuisine is all about. This is not an exhaustive list, but it’s a pretty good start.
BURDOCK & CO.
Chef/owner Andrea Carlson has been quietly dishing some of the city’s most innovative and delicious food for several years now. Her unique, plant-forward, locavore menu doesn’t eschew animal proteins, but it doesn’t revolve around them either. Instead, there’s a strong sensibility that seems to say, “Seasonal doesn’t equal spare.” Take the rice congee, for instance. Made with rice grown in Abbotsford by Masa Shiroki (of Granville Island’s Artisan Sake Maker), it’s an unctuous dish made more so by the addition of a fried egg and house-made sea urchin XO sauce. The flour used in the sourdough bread is milled in-house. The fried chicken with pickle mayo is so good that it’s often sold out. And who knew a celery root salad could be this exciting? Pair it with something tasty from the list of naturalist wines chosen by wine director Matthew Sherlock. burdockandco.com
FARMER’S APPRENTICE
Chef/owner David Gunawan has won plenty of awards for his farm-to-table cuisine. The prix-fixe dinner menu is available as either an herbivore or omnivore meal for $55 per person. The seven-course meal might include a beet and blackberry salad, Berkshire pork, quail egg with sunchoke, beeswax ice cream, and more. Even the weekend brunch menu (à la carte) offers up some interesting twists on eggs and hash, like spaghetti squash with ricotta, eggs and honey, or the rutabaga “pastrami.” farmersapprentice.ca
JUNIPER
Executive chef Josh Gale has a solid pedigree after helming the stoves at restaurants like Wildebeest, Fable and Nicli’s Next Door. Who better to reinvent the Cascadian-themed menu at Juniper? Earthy dishes like roasted bone marrow with grilled octopus sit along more delicate items like nori-crusted tuna with broccolini gomae and ryeberries. Barley risotto with roasted root vegetables might not sound exciting, but a little brown butter and Parmesan give a welcome richness. It’s a menu that teeters toward fine dining without tipping over, making it a perfect match for the gin-forward cocktail menu run by Max Borrowman. junipervancouver.com
TIMBER
Chef Chris Whittaker’s first restaurant, Forage, was a natural testament to his personal interest in sustainable harvesting, fishing and hunting. Then, two years ago, when Whittaker opened Timber, Forage’s more casual little sister, he redefined what “comfort food” meant in a Canadian sense. Almost outlandishly rich and rustic, the food here is on the extreme end of “casual” in terms of taste, but high value in terms of quality. Deep-fried cheese curds and pepperoni sticks might sound like nothing much, but when they’re cultivated and made in-house, they’re realized into something more refined and infinitely delicious. And, yes, there is poutine on the menu, and the smoked pork gravy and bits of chicharron (deep-fried pork rinds) are eye-rollingly good components. As are the lamb-bacon BLT and the Turtle Valley bison burger, natch. Cocktails are available, but sip from the excellent draft and whisky selection instead. timbervancouver.com
SALMON N’ BANNOCK
There’s nothing more Canadian than food that’s inspired by First Nations cuisine. Owners Inez Cook and Remy Caudron have created dishes that speak to their origins, and it’s a tasty story. Bannock is baked in-house daily, and can be ordered on its own with a side of cedar jelly. With a menu that focuses on wild fish and game, except to see dishes like wild-boar meatballs and bison back ribs. The bannock even shows up as a flatbread topped with squash, parsnips, mushrooms and peppers. And don’t miss the game sausage with sage-blueberry preserve. It’s a nice nosh of a dish that’s perfect with a glass of wine from from Nk’Mip Cellars. salmonandbannock.net
THE MACKENZIE ROOM
Chef Sean Reeve takes a decidedly playful attitude to his seriously locavore menu. Almost everything comes from this province, and almost everything that can be made in-house is done so. The menu changes frequently, depending on what’s available, but the mastery of a simple mixed vegetable dish served with a bagna cauda (a warm dip made with anchovies and garlic) makes for a heady experience in this hyper-casual room. And if you’re worried about pretentiousness, think again. It’s really hard to be pretentious when serving up a pig’s head on a large wooden board. Instead of deciding what to get, just go for the “I Want It All” menu – at around $57 per person (minimum of four guests), you get the whole kit and caboodle off the daily menu (pork head not included). themackenzieroom.com
• Anya Levykh is a freelance food, drink and travel writer who covers all things ingestible. Find her on Twitter and Instagram @foodgirlfriday.
