I used to live in the heart of Kitsilano. I loved my rooftop patio, the short walk to the beach and shopping at all the independent stores. While I'm pretty happy in my Fraserhood digs these days, with all the great coffee shops and restaurants, I sometimes venture out to visit my old neighbourhood. Kits hasn't lost its luster and drinking there is even better than when I called it home.
Maenam
There is no contest for best Thai food in the city. This is one restaurant that keeps me coming back to Kits. Chef Angus An's food offers so much depth, flavour and nuance. He also takes the wine program just as seriously. The selection is currently under the direction of Tess Whitford and is completely appropriate for the complex, intense, often spicy fare. Whites focus on aromatic varieties, many sporting modest alcohol as well as un- or lightly oaked wines. I'd happy drink the by-the-glass pour of 2015 Vincent Raimbault, 'Belair' Vouvray Sec with just about anything on the menu. There's also a page of reds including plenty of light to medium bodied examples with soft tannin.
AnnaLena
I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I didn't make it to AnnaLena for the first time until this summer. It wasn't for lack of trying. But given that I'm fairly last minute, it was always booked. Anyway, I was finally able to plan ahead and ended up being completely charmed. It's classically Vancouver with fresh local ingredients and a quirky wine list of off the beaten track gems. This includes local and international bottles that are mostly sustainable, organic and biodynamic with a healthy dose of natural and orange wines for those who are so inclined. I thoroughly enjoyed every sip of the 2015 Bernard Defaix, Chablis 1er cru Côte de Léchet. It's still on the list even if the delicious halibut I had isn't. I am sure it's been replaced with something equally tasty and look forward to returning to find out.
This is going to sound like a column of confessions but I haven't actually been to Mak n Ming yet. However, it is top of my list the next time I dine out anywhere, not just in Kits. Getting into Mak n Ming might be difficult now given that they just made it to the number four spot on enRoute magazine’s Best New Restaurants in Canada list (https://canadasbestnewrestaurants.com/en/). While that is a great endorsement, I've wanted to check it out ever since I learned that Roger Maniwa was taking care of the drinks program. He belongs to that large group of my favourite Vancouver sommeliers. I would definitely opt for the “dealer's choice” wine pairings here. (That means letting Maniwa choose for you.)
Kitsilano Wine Cellar
The one thing I miss in my new environs is not having a wine store just steps away. Kitsilano Wine Cellar is literally just around the corner from my old apartment. So now it's a destination store when I am looking for wines not found on B.C. Liquor Stores shelves. I make an evening of it and take a pre-dinner stroll through the aisles to check out what's new. I usually make a beeline for the Champagne as they typically carry cool small growers like Henri Billiot, Pierre Peters and Varnier Farnier. From there, I head to the rest of the French section, which is well stocked with Beaujolais and Loire Valley gems.
I may no longer live in Kits but I still feel completely at home there when I am enjoying a glass of wine.
