Big Trouble
237 Union
604-336-1698
BigTroubleYVR.com
Open Tuesday-Saturday, 5:30pm-10pm.
Yes, it’s that good. Yes, you really should run. Now. And often. This is the kind of trouble, truly, you want to be in.
Big Trouble is a restaurant re-boot of what was formerly The Parker, a popular and much-lauded vegetarian restaurant started by local industry vet Steve da Cruz. The Parker opened at a time when vegetarian fine dining was non-existent, and offered beautiful plant-based (and often gluten-free) dishes paired with da Cruz’s excellent cocktails and well-thought-out wine list. It was one of the earliest champions of naturalist, organic and biodynamic wines, and had one of the most progressive green programs, producing less than a pound of waste per month.
The green program, wines and cocktails are still in place, as are the many gluten-free options, but meat is now on the menu as well, and, thanks to chef Felix Zhou, it’s a beautiful thing.
Zhou has serious cred. He began his restaurant career working at West under David Hawksworth and later, Warren Geraghty. After working at Market by Jean-Georges at the Shangri-La Hotel, Zhou moved to London to work at Michelin-starred La Chapelle before returning to BC to work at Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler. He eventually took over as EC at The Parker and has turned what was very good food into something sublime.
His cookery is even more impressive when you realize that the “kitchen” is a tiny corner at the end of the bar (if there’s more than 12 square feet, I’d be surprised). Everything is necessarily made fresh (minimal storage space) and in-house, and the simplicity of some dishes is part of their success. Local finger radishes ($12) are dressed in kalamata “dirt” and herbed oil. A salad of 15 different varieties of biodynamic greens ($15) is garnished with shaved carrot strips and a sherry vinaigrette that is punchy and perfect. Peking quail ($18) is glazed in five-spice and sits over a beautiful red beet tartare that is itself encircled by a golden beet puree, the whole sprinkled with puffed wild rice.
If you want a real deal, indulge in the chef’s tasting menu for $39 per person, which offers four courses plus dessert. Our lamb breast was compressed à la pork belly. It was juicy and rich, and paired well with locally-foraged mushrooms and summer squash. Eggplant dumplings were so silky and lush that eating them became a bloodsport, as we vied for the last ones.
Desserts were stunning. A deconstructed pineapple upside-down cake was topped with coconut sorbet, while a “cheesecake” with pickled rhubarb and torn pieces of fresh shortbread was littered with edible flowers.
The food here is light but filling, elegant yet approachable. It’s a path that has spelled success for places like Burdock and Co., and Farmer’s Apprentice, and will likely do the same here. The only trouble I foresee is limiting my repeat visits.
All ratings out of five stars.
Food: ★★★★★
Service: ★★★★★
Ambiance: ★★★★
Value: ★★★★
Overall: ★★★★1/2
• Anya Levykh has been writing about all things ingestible for more than 10 years. Hear her every Monday on CBC Radio One’s On the Coast and find her on Twitter @foodgirlfriday and Facebook.com/FoodGirlFriday.
Big Trouble chef Felix Zhou leads the all-star team behind Big Trouble. Katie Huisman photo
