Aboriginal Dining: First Nations Cuisine in Vancouver

September 4, 2010 By Remy Leave a Comment

Photo: WhatDoVegansEat.blogspot.com

Finding authentic cuisine from around the world is rarely a problem in Vancouver. The city boasts the best Chinese food in North America, more sushi joints per capita than just about anyplace outside Japan and Persian and Indian restaurants that cater to the demanding tastes of the huge immigrant populations that call Vancouver home.

But Aboriginal cuisine – the traditional dishes enjoyed by Vancouver’s own First Nations communities – has always been hard, if not impossible, to find here. Bannock bread and candied salmon are sometimes available at special ceremonies (like at the Aboriginal pavilion at the Olympic Games), but – at least during the last few years – not a single restaurant in Vancouver has offered a menu dedicated to Aboriginal cooking. Until now.

Earlier this year, a new restaurant called Salmon ‘n’ Bannock opened on West Broadway, near the South Granville neighborhood. It’s run in part by members of Vancouver’s First Nations communities and the dishes served represent some of the staples of the traditional Aboriginal diet, from salmon to less well-known plates like wild deer stew.

Photo: SalmonAndBannock.net

Inside the restaurant, which occupies a small space on Broadway, the walls are painted bright red and decorated with First Nations paintings and carvings. Service is attentive and the menu highlights both the “greatest hits” of Aboriginal cuisine and dishes that many diners may be unfamiliar with.

The meat and fish served are either wild or certified organic. There’s also a selection of NK’Mip wines from the Osoyoos Indian reserve in the Okanagan Valley. Go hungry and you can try the tasting platter to start, which includes salmon mousse, Indian candied salmon, baked and fried bannock and clam fritters. From there, move on to the signature wild salmon burger or get a bit more adventurous with the wild deer stew or a wild buffalo burger. The menu itself isn’t that extensive, and prices aren’t cheap (the salmon burger is $15), but the restaurant has earned positive reviews on DineHere, Yelp, UrbanSpoon and the city’s other restaurant review sites. Plus, it’s filling a significant void in the dining scene by offering Vancouverites an option for authentic First Nations cuisine. Anyone else been to Salmon ‘n’ Bannock? What did you think of the First Nations food being offered? Can anyone suggest another option in the city for people interested in trying Aboriginal cuisine?

Filed Under Food & Wine, Inside Vancouver Posts, Vancouver, blog entry Tagged With aboriginal, cuisine, dining, First Nations, Food, Vancouver

In Search of Real Pizza in Vancouver

September 1, 2010 By Remy Leave a Comment

Editor’s Note: This post was originally written for InsideVancouver.ca.

When it come to pizza, Vancouver might not have the storied past of a New York – with its signature big slices – or a Chicago – with its deep dish bragging rights. But that doesn’t mean the city is a pizza wasteland.

In fact, owing to Vancouver’s sizable Italian population (plus some unique contributions from its Greek community) good pizza is available all over the city, from mom ‘n’ pop joints on Commercial Drive to erstwhile souvlaki houses on Broadway and fancy Italian bistros downtown. But what I want to know is where to get great pizza in Vancouver. Not just a good slice but a phenomenal one.

I’d like to put in my own nomination for Vancouver’s best pizza: Bella, which has locations in Yaletown and the West End, plus a few branches in the ‘burbs. Now I know that any talk of pizza supremacy is bound to stir up controversy. Some people like thin crusts. Others like thick, doughy crusts. There’s the issue of toppings – from pepperoni to arugula and everything in between – which can make or break an otherwise decent pie. Not to mention the whole murky terrain of pizzas without cheese and pizzas without sauce and low-carb pizzas that don’t have any crusts at all.

Click here to read the full article on InsideVancouver.ca.

Filed Under Food & Wine, Inside Vancouver Posts, Vancouver, blog entry Tagged With pizza, Remy Scalza, Vancouver

In Search of Mexican Food North of the Border

August 28, 2010 By Remy Leave a Comment

Wanted: Real Mexican Food

Editor’s Note: This post was originally written for InsideVancouver.ca.

While many ethnic cuisines from around the world are well represented in Vancouver, Mexican isn’t one of them. For anyone who’s spent time in Mexico – or who knows what a really good taco tastes like – the city can sometimes feel like a no man’s land.

Now there are, of course, a few Mexican places out there in Vancouver. You’ve got your burrito joints – Steamrollers and Red Burrito come to mind – which are great for a big fat tortilla loaded up with beans, rice and marinated steak or chicken. But this is more of a Californian take on Mexican cuisine, rather than the real deal. Then, you’ve got your sit-down restaurants, with the requisite sombreros on the wall and oversized margarita glasses, like Las Margaritas and Primos. Nothing wrong with these places either, if you’re in the mood for a slightly Canadian take on enchiladas or fajitas.

But when I think of the essence of real Mexican food – correct me if I’m wrong on this – I think of tacos. Not the crunchy, Taco Bell kind but soft corn tortillas – handmade and petite enough to fit in the palm of your hand. And inside: not just the standard stuff, but a whole range of savory meats, from pastor (marinated pork) to the delicacy which is lengua (beef tongue).

It’s not exactly rocket science, but – for whatever reason – it’s not easy to find real Mexican tacos around town. So, if you know of a good little taco joint, please spread the word and leave a comment below. I’ll start the ball rolling with a little discovery I made recently: Salsa & Agave, a taqueria in Yaletown (of all places).

Click here to read the full post on InsideVancouver.ca.

Filed Under Food & Wine, Inside Vancouver Posts, Vancouver, blog entry Tagged With Mexican food, Vancouver

Cheap Brewery Tours in Vancouver

August 19, 2010 By Remy Leave a Comment


Photo: Remy Scalza


Editor’s Note: This post was originally written for InsideVancouver.ca.

From its modest beginnings, Vancouver’s microbrew scene has exploded in recent years, with dozens of craft brewers now operating in and around the city. For fans of Vancouver beers, there’s nothing more exhilarating than a brewery tour – getting an up close look at how our local brews are lovingly crafted and – ideally – trying a few afterward.

The only problem is that brewery tours are few and far between in Vancouver. Information on tours is hard to find and often sketchy. With that in mind, I’m issuing a call to to local beer fanatics out there: Do you know of any microbrewery tours being offered in Vancouver? If so, please share the wealth by leaving a comment below.

I’ll start things off by spreading the word about the one tour that I’ve been on myself, the Granville Island Brewing tour. Now purists will protest that GIB is no longer a microbrewery and is, in fact, owned by industrial beer giant Molson. True enough. However, GIB’s special seasonal beers are still made in small, hand-crafted batches at the Granville Island facility where the tour is offered.

Click here to read the full post on InsideVancouver.ca.

Filed Under Food & Wine, Vancouver, blog entry Tagged With brewery tours, Granville Island Brewery, Vancouver

Beyond the Slopes: Culinary Touring in Whistler

August 10, 2010 By Remy Leave a Comment


Photo: Remy Scalza


Editor’s Note: This post was originally written for FoodNetwork.ca.

Once upon a time – in the late ‘60s when Whistler was just a gleam in developers’ eyes – chili, poutine and other ski bum staples defined the culinary scene.  Fast-forward a few decades and the resort town, firmly ensconced as North America’s premier ski destination and still flush with Olympic afterglow, is a certified foodie mecca, known nearly as well for its fine dining as its world class slopes.

I checked out Whistler’s summer dining scene over the weekend, on a whirlwind, belly-busting tour that embraced everything from burgers to pork cheek ravioli.  A few big trends are evident across the board.  First, the hundred-mile diet is alive and well in Whistler.  Every bistro, snack shack and restaurant I tried emphasized local ingredients, specifically, fresh produce and meats from nearby Pemberton and from the Fraser Valley.  Second, snooty is out; casual and casually elegant is in.  Even fine dining spots have revisioned their looks, aiming for an informal, welcoming atmosphere that appeals to locals and well-heeled out-of-towners alike.

Here’s a quick run-down of my culinary adventure in Whistler:



Photo: Remy Scalza



Araxi: Now a household name thanks to Gordon Ramsey’s Hell’s Kitchen, Araxi is a superlative restaurant hitting on all cylinders and clearly at the top of its game.  Ambiance and service are impeccable – a real model for other restaurants to emulate.  Chef James Walt’s menu – while rooted in West Coast standards like wild BC salmon and Qualicum Bay scallops – also wholeheartedly embraces locally grown produce and locally raised pork and lamb.   The encyclopedic wine list – 42 pages, with its own table of contents – is a bit overwhelming but sure to please the most discriminating of winos.

Click here to read the full post on HGTV.ca.

Filed Under Food & Wine, Vancouver, blog entry Tagged With Araxi, Food, HGTV, HGTV.ca, Whistler
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