I love off-the-grid dining! Far too often we forget about restaurants not located within the downtown core or popular neighbourhoods. Often we don't bother to look outside our own bubble. We wait for word-of-mouth to spread, because let’s face it, who wants to be the guinea pig?
Lucky for you, I do!
Sure, finding a hidden gem or off-the-beaten path restaurant isn’t everyone’s calling, but I’m all for it! I love discovering something new or never talked about, and I am willing to travel (far) for food.
However, for the sake of Westender, I’m keeping my proximity within the Vancouver city limits with the following “off-the-grid” recommendations:
Farm 2 Fork Pop-Up Restaurant
Hurry, because this will literally be off-the-grid soon. I had the pleasure of dining at Farm 2 Fork as an underground restaurant, but from now until Feb. 2 it is a not-so-secret pop-up restaurant in Gastown (315 Abbott). Chef and owner Nicolas Hipperson, previously executive chef at C Restaurant and Raincity Grill, has taken his “secret supper club” from his loft to the street. The temporary 27-seat space offers a sophisticated West Coast three-course prix fixe menu for $38 with optional wine pairings. Reservations recommended 604-347-5495 or [email protected]
Shameful Tiki Room
Two words: Hot mess. It opened in 2013 in the Riley Park area of Main Street and it has a cult following of…I don’t even know who or what. The whole thing is very random. From the moment I walked in I felt like a tourist. It looked like a dingy and very cheesy Polynesian bar, actually that’s exactly what it was, but people were having fun and it wasn’t long before I got sucked into the hot mess, too. I haven’t tried the food, but the highlight was “The Mystery Bowl” which was what got me there in the first place. It’s a mystery cocktail served in a share bowl (meant for two) and it arrives dramatically with a gong and smoke from the smoke machine, followed by an enthusiastic crowd of customers saying “Mmmmyyysstterrryy booowwll”. I was out of my element, but the place is a hoot and unexpectedly unpretentious.
The Narrow Lounge
I discovered it in 2011 through geeky food research, and it's still one of my favourite finds in the city. The sign is very discrete and almost illegible and you’re better off looking for the red light to find the entrance. Yes, the Narrow has many traits from my list of 10 Characteristics of a Hipster Restaurant, so it is that kind of place, but I enjoyed it. I’m not the clientele, but the food is good, it has a nice list of whiskeys, bourbons and scotches, and overall it offers great value.
• Find Mijune at the Visa Infinite Chef Collaboration dinner at L’abattoir on Jan. 30. and at Vancouver Magazine’s Big Night on Feb. 6. Find out more about Mijune at FollowMeFoodie.com or follow her on Twitter and Instagram @followmefoodie.
