Big and bold, large and lavish; these types of restaurants spring easily to mind when thinking of places to celebrate the season. But, what about for a more intimate experience? Here are six tiny spaces that are creating some of the biggest and boldest flavours around.
Dock Lunch
Owner Elizabeth Bryan has what can be assumed to be one of the city’s smallest restaurants. At only 16 seats, Dock Lunch is hidden away in Mount Pleasant on East 11th Avenue. It looks like a favourite aunt’s living room (which, in a sense, it is, as the furnishings were Bryan’s for over a decade). Hours and menu are equally tiny. Dock Lunch is open for lunch Monday to Friday, and brunch on the weekend, as well as one dinner every Friday. The food can best be described as “global comfort” and it’s very comforting, with dishes like meatballs subs or banh mi for lunch and West African beef stew for dinner. It changes every day, and there are no substitutions, but Bryan has built up a well-deserved and devoted following.
Latab
Kris Barnholden (formerly of Mis Trucos) has taken over the tiny space on the west side of the Wall Centre downtown and turned it into a temple of culinary coolness. This little wine bar seats no more than about 20, but it’s warm and friendly, with a funky Nordic vibe, and a killer cocktail and wine list (all available by the glass) thanks to GM Eryn Dorman. Barnholden’s food is fun and innovative, like the Humboldt squid with caramelized yeast and crabapple leather over a buttermilk-infused sauerkraut. Everything is made in-house, from the bread to the preserves and butter (Barnholden evens mills the grains for his flour). Prices are equally tiny. Most items on the menu run $7-$12, with a couple around the $15 mark. Don’t miss the duck cotechino with clams and the stellar desserts.
Fat Mao
Chef Angus An is well-known for his celebrated Thai eateries, Maenam and Longtail Kitchen. Recently, he added another venue to his growing empire, this time with a focus on noodles. Fat Mao is a narrow rectangle on East Georgia that doesn’t do ramen, but does do almost everything else. Taiwanese beef noodles, Chang Mai curry, dan dan and cold sesame are part of the handful of pan-Asian flavours on the menu. Each day the restaurant opens at 11:30am and closes when they run out of the daily handmade noodles. An’s mother also comes in daily to make the scallion pancakes, which are light, crispy and delicious. Pair it with some of the tasty sides, like century egg or braised beef tripe salad, and a large bowl of noodles, like the koh soi, for a hearty lunch or dinner.
Masayoshi
Japanese holes-in-the-wall are in no short supply in Vancouver, but places that offer a slightly more elevated experience are less common. Chef Masayoshi Baba (formerly of Tojo’s) serves up excellent sushi and contemporary Japanese fare with elegant touches and a bit of molecular gastronomy in his eponymous restaurant. The house dashi (made at your table in a coffee syphon) is one of the best I’ve tried in the city, and, while the prices might feel a bit steep compared to your typical sushi joint, it’s the flavours that are the big stars here.
Bistro Wagon Rouge
Not as new as some of the other tiny spaces listed here, Bistro Wagon Rouge in Strathcona serves up punchy French bistro fare with innovative twists, all made with local, sustainable ingredients. Crispy pork belly is paired with apple-fennel salad and blood orange slices. Beef cheek bourguignon is served with pillowy gnocchi and barbecued green onions. It’s a seasonally rotating menu, so expect lots of new items every month or so, along with a daily fresh sheet. Pretty much everything is under $20, so it leaves your wallet room to splurge on the fantastic by-the-glass list.
The Sardine Can
Situated in the heart of Gastown, The Sardine Can delivers bold Spanish flavours in small portions in a tinier space. Part of Andrey Durbach and Chris Stewart’s collection of casual eateries, it also boasts a fantastic Spanish beer, sherry and brandy list. The menu is ever-evolving, but classics like sardines on toast, chorizo cooked in sherry, octopus-potato-chorizo casserole and other Iberian delights are in for the long haul. Dishes like lamb with preserved lemon and apricots veer toward Spain’s Moorish roots, and pair perfectly with a sherry flight or three. Open nightly until the food runs out.
Hear Anya Levykh every Monday on CBC Radio One’s On the Coast. Find her on Twitter @foodgirlfriday and Facebook.com/FoodGirlFriday.
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