If you're eager to brush up on your cooking skills while practicing social distancing, but could use the assist of some professional help, fear not: Several Vancouver restaurants are here with the assist.
In addition to fully-prepared meals for take-out or delivery, many restaurants are opting to offer meal kits where you're in charge of the cooking and assembling. Try your hand at rolling sushi, follow a video to turn out a French meal for two, bake up some delectable croissants, or whip up a hearty pasta or pizza feast.
We're compiling a list of Vancouver restaurants that are letting you take the wheel, with their expert guidance and top-quality ingredients. We'll keep updating the list, too, so bookmark this page or check back often to see what other culinary skills you can sharpen thanks to Vancouver's many celebrated restaurants.
Update: April 29, 2020: We've added a few more places to the list!
Nightingale
Downtown Vancouver's Nightingale will have you upping the calibre of your quarantine kitchen with their impressive array of meals that you finish at home, and many are as simple as just heat and serve. Dishes have been designed by Chef David Hawksworth and Nightingale Head Chef Alan Tam, to incorporate family favourites with robust flavours made from the highest quality ingredients. Pop a decadent lasagna in the oven, or "whip up" a rich tomato-braised bison cheek with creamy polenta, no problem! Put the finishing touches on soup or veloute, and enjoy a home cooked meal cooked by some of the best in the biz. Each order will include a $2 donation to Nightingale’s 'Feed the Frontlines' program, too. Currently frozen family meals are available to order directly online or by phone or email for pick up, or can be added to Door Dash or Uber Eats orders. Select items are also avaialable through Legends Haul grocerty delivery service as well.
Coast
Missing your usual visits to your favourite Vancouver sushi spot? I know I am! Thanks to Coast's Sushi Kit you can try your hand at rolling your own at home, featuring the chef's choice of premium seafood. Plus, customers have the option to add a $10 charitable donation to your bill to help support Glowbal Restaurant Group's COVID-19 community outreach efforts. Available for delivery via DoorDash and pick-up (at sibling spot Italian Kitchen) from noon to 9 p.m. weekdays and 3 to 9 p.m. weekends.
Fairmont Pacific Rim
Under the culinary direction of newly appointed executive chef Damon Campbell, Fairmont Pacific Rim now offers a menu of take-home meal experiences filled with all the ingredients and instructions to test culinary chops at home by re-creating signature dishes from the award-winning collection of restaurants and bars at the Coal Harbour property: giovane café + eatery, Botanist and The Lobby Lounge and RawBar. Each experience will be accompanied by recipe instructions to create gourmet restaurant-style dining and drinking experiences at home. Orders can be made for contactless pick-up through Ritual, or delivery by DoorDash.
Tacomio
Photo: TacomioTacomio's Family-Style Taco Kit comes with all the trimmings for an epic put-it-together taco feast. Available in kits for two ($25) or for ($45) people, you'll get your choice of three taco fillings plus rice, beans, tortillas, and an array of sauces, salsas, and pickled veg to create the ultimate taco bar in your own home. Their take-out window is located at 1245 Glen Drive, Vancouver for pick-up, or order for delivery via Skip the Dishes, Foodora (until May 11), DoorDash, Uber Eats, and ClickDishes.
Westcoast Poke
WCP has just launched a fresh store, featuing groceries as well as meal kits, available for pick up and delivery. Get in the kitchen to make baked salmon, tuna tartare, or a poké bowl. They are also donating a portion of sales to the Vancouver Food Bank.
Forage
Robson Street's Forage has added some DIY food kits to their menu of pick-up dishes. Put together a bison steak dinner with professional results, or try their DIY sourdough kit to get in on the bread baking action. Limited delivery available (2km radius), or order via Tock for pick-up at the restaurant.
Hy's Steakhouse
Photo courtesy Hy's Steakhouse
The classic Canadian steak house has developed a new take-away menu that includes gourmet at-home meal kits. Tuck into a BBQ dinner for two, Beef Wellington, and of course their iconic Cheese Toast and more from the "finish at home" portion of the take-home menu. You can even order up a baller Prime Rib dinner kit for four to six people to put together in your own kitchen. Orders are picked up from Hy's at 637 Hornby Street in Vancouver. All tips received on takeout orders will be donated to Greater Vancouver Food Bank.
Gotham Steakhouse & Bar
One of Vancouver's favourite power lunch and date night spot is re-opening starting April 24 to offer a new take-out menu of prepared meals and DIY dishes. Go with Gotham will be available from 3 to 8 p.m. for pickup from their downtown location; place orders online. Tuck into steakhouse classics at home, or fire up the grill for one of their meal kits. They have wine and beer available too. For a limited period, customers will receive 20% off regular food menu prices as part of an introductory guest appreciation offer. All tips received on takeout orders will be donated to Greater Vancouver Food Bank.
Torafuku
Put together Torafuku's awesome Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup for two via their new menu of make-at-home dishes and meal bundles. Photo by Leila KwokTurn your home kitchen into Mama Kuan's kitchen thanks to Torafuku's new at-home menu, inspired by chef/owner Steve Kuan's family recipes. Put together their perfectly slurp-worthy Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup, heat up some of their soul-satisfying stews, or sizzle up some pork belly. The line of dishes and meal bundles focus on restaurant favourites like Three Cup Chicken, and Zongi - a bamboo leaf wrapped glutinous rice dumpling, filled with mushrooms and marinated pork shoulder.
Stable House
South Granville's Stable House wine bar and restaurant is now operating as the Stable House Walk-Up - a market and take-out window that features a number of DIY kits. Make your own foccacia, bake cookies, try your hand at a galette, or put together meals like a marinated chicken dinner for two, or even brunch, plus pizza and pasta.
Autostrada
Pasta sauces are among the items available for take-out from Autostrada. Photo: Autostrada Osteria/FacebookVancouver's downtown location of this Italian restaurant are offering take-out options that include a number of meals that you can prepare or just heat and serve. Put together a dinner for two or more comprised of things like shortribs, lasagna, or meatballs, or get pasta kits with all you need for a big feast or several days of delicious eats. Find them under the "add-ons" section of their menu (via Tock). Call their Main Street location to arrange take-out orders.
Tap & Barrel
Tap & Barrel has launched a selection of Take-and-Make meal kits. Offerings include pizza kits, mac and cheese meals, burgers, sandwiches, and cookies. They're also offering grocery basics like racks of ribs, chicken, eggs, butter, and more. Available in Vancouver and North Vancouver.
Mackenzie Room/Say Mercy
Trailblazers among Vancouver restaurants for launching the "Staff Meal" program that has since seen many others sign on to participate (a donation is added to each order for the Food Bank, plus you can order a meal for someone in need), the team behind these two terrific spots have now added on another option - Family Meal. Get all you need ready to fire up at home for a meal for four - they prep it, you cook it. Their online marketplace is available for pre-orders Tuesday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. for same-day pick-up at Say Mercy on Fraser in Vancouver.
Provence Marinaside
Learn French cooking at home thanks to this Vancouver restaurant. Photo: Provence MarinasideBrush up your French cooking skills and create a dinner for two from Yaletown's Provence Marinaside. They've got a French Cooking Made Easy program. Priced at $40, their kits consist of the recipe for a selected dish plus enough ingredients to make two servings, plus each kit also includes half of a French baguette. Bonus: Each kit has a demo video showing the preparation of the dish so you can follow along at home.
Toptable2U: Elisa, Blue Water, CinCin, Thierry
Each of the four Toptable Group restaurants in Vancouver are offering variety of meal kits featuring dishes right from their menus and their impeccable ingredients. Make Blue Water's signature miso sake glazed sablefish to enjoy at your own dinner table or take home cooking to the next level with Elisa's whole truffle roasted chicken. The full menu is available to view via Toptable2U, where you'll find details about pick-up and delivery. Pick-up is from Elisa restaurant, located in Yaletown.
Livia
Order today, pick up tomorrow from Livia's bakery restaurant on Commercial Drive. Their meal kits feature items from their pasta menu, priced per serving, and include bread, dessert, and salad. Plus their website includes a video for each of their three dishes to walk you through cooking.
BLVD Provisions
The Sutton Place hotel's Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar is now offering BLVD Provisions, a pick-up and delivery service. Here you're doing some mix-and-match building of proteins and sides, or heat-and-serve, to create your own meals. Add on salads with their dressing, soups, and so on to build your elegant at-home feast from one of the city's most acclaimed restaurants. Order online via Tock.
Caffe La Tana
Commercial Drive's Italian cafe and mini-grocer is selling DIY Pizza Kits. Each kit comes with two balls of dough, sauce, and toppings like anchovies and sausage. Fun for the whole family!
Miku
Get a Ramen kit from a Gyoza Bar chef. Photo: MikuReady to try your hand at making sushi or ramen? Miku is now offering two Aburi Meal Kits. They've got a Tamari-Shoyu Tonkotsu Ramen Kit, created by Gyoza Bar ramen master Woojin Kim, which includes everyting you need for your next comforting bowl of ramen, like the broth, house-blend noodles, that ramen egg and more. You can also get a Temaki Sushi Kit, which includes three to five servings, featuring Miku’s chefs’ choice of sockeye salmon, maguro, spicy salmon, and cooked ebi, tsukemono accompaniments, sushi rice, nori, and more. Each kit is meant to be enjoyed within 48 hours, and is available via pre-order for pick-up at at Miku Restaurant (70-200 Granville Street) by calling 604-568-3900. Miku says they plan to expand the line-up soon, too.
Nook: Pasta Room
Pasta plus sauce equals a wonderful meal. Nook is offering up kits of fresh handmade pasta and their sauces through their Pasta Room, which is located on West 1st Ave in Vancouver (between Burrard & Cypress) beside their seafood restaurant, Oddfish. The space is open Tuesday thru Saturday from 4-7 p.m., and you can pre-order and pay online before pick-up.
Chez Christophe
Want to try your hand at baking, but with much less effort? Chez Christophe is offering take-and-bake frozen pastries, like sweet and savoury scones and croissants. The packs come frozen, with instructions for baking up hot in your own kitchen. The frozen pastries are available for take-away from their Burnaby location, which is also offering delivery for orders of $35 or more within a limited radius in Burnaby/Vancouver.
La Taqueria
Missing your Taqueria fix? Order meal kits online from their new Cyber Taco Shop and pick-up at their Yukon location in Vancouver. Meals serve two to four people, with optional add-ons as well as beer and margs.
JOEY
Through JOEY's new "Market" offering, the Canadian chain has not only a broad list of groceries, from pantry essentials to proteins, as well as some of their own dressings, but also a set of meal kits. You can order up items like Butter Chicken for two, a guacamole kit, a bake-it-yourself apple pie or pan of brownies, and more. Available for pickup and delivery.
Local Public Eatery
Like sibling spot JOEY, Local's Vancouver outposts are offering what they are calling the "Local Corner Store," which includes everything from fruits and veg to pantry items to booze and even toilet paper. They also have meal kits to help you put together your own nacho platter, brunch dishes like Eggs Benny, and even bar mixes to whip up a batch of their Caesars.
Nuba
Yes, you can even score a couple of bars of gold - aka rolls of TP - with a meal kit order from Vancouver's Nuba. Photo courtesy NubaFor an option light on the cooking - but that still has you assembling your meal - Nuba has two meal kits available. Score these kits via advance order Mondays through Sundays exclusively for delivery. One clever option that comes with the most sacred item of all: TOILET PAPER! For direct delivery of Nuba menu items, wine and beer in the Downtown Vancouver and Kitsilano areas, go to Nuba's site and choose delivery during checkout or call the location nearest you. Guests located outside of the direct delivery radius can also order delivery through DoorDash, Foodora and Uber Eats.
V.I.A. now has a special new listings section: Take Home Vancouver. This index is FREE for local businesses to use to add their listing. If you operate a food business and would like to be included, get in touch with me via e-mail (lindsay@vancouverisawesome.com) and I'll connect you to our easy online submission form. Restaurants, please also feel free to reach out to me directly to be included in any of our ongoing Fresh Sheet or food service roundups.
This articile was originally published on April 13, 2020 and has since been updated.
