Downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Just revealed is that October 5 will be the announcement of the 2023 version of the Michelin Guide to Vancouver. Michelin had already expanded its 2022 guide to the city in July by adding an additional 10 restaurants—and hinted that some of them might be awarded with stars or Bib Gourmand status in their forthcoming 2023 guide.
Michelin’s inaugural guide to Vancouver
Michelin’s inaugural ceremony for its first guide to Vancouver, in October 2022.
Michelin’s first Vancouver guide came out in October 2022. It featured 60 restaurants, granting eight with Michelin stars and honoring a further dozen as Bib Gourmands. The Bib Gourmand designates a restaurant as offering excellent value for money; the title comes from the company’s mascot, Bibendum, more commonly known as the Michelin Man.
Latest Michelin-recognized Vancouver restaurants
In July 2023, Michelin added 10 Vancouver restaurants to its 2022 guide. Diners—and chefs—will have to wait until the next invitation-only ceremony on October 5, 2023, to learn whether any of these new additions will be bestowed with a star or Bib Gourmand designation.
Whether or not they receive further recognition, the 10 are very illustrative of Vancouver’s dining scene. All exhibit the Pacific coastal ingredients and international influences for which the city is known. Many just opened in 2022 while others, surprisingly, were left off Michelin’s original list and are finally getting their due.
Vancouver adores its sushi.
Given the city’s Pacific location and residents’ love of sushi, it’s no surprise that four of the new entries are Japanese restaurants. Three offer omakase sushi—translating as “leaving it to you to decide what’s best” where the tradition is for diners to put themselves in chefs’ hands and for chefs to adjust their offerings based on how guests react to their first course. Okeya Kyujiro, in Yaletown, offers dinner and weekend brunch (visitors to note: it’s just a block away from fab boutique hotel, Opus Vancouver, also recognized by Michelin in its hotel list). Another that’s close by is Sushi Jin, though Michelin’s updated list means that the tiny spot’s status as an insider secret is now over. Sushi Hil, in Mount Pleasant, has both menu and omakase options at lunch and dinner. Michelin also recognized Motonobu Udon, a more casual spot focused on traditional Japanese udon noodles—a shift from the city’s love affair with ramen—which chef Shin Iawmoto handmakes from a family recipe.
Michelin is showcasing Vancouver’s chefs’ creativity.
Several of the new Michelin listings are restaurants that opened just in 2022. Hānai is one, a spot that celebrates the cuisine between Japan and Vancouver. This Hawaiian restaurant on Commercial Drive features the flavors of the islands and Pacific-sourced ingredients like Humboldt squid. Pacific coastal foods, though this time with a Canadian focus, are also on offer at Archer. This downtown restaurant was open for less than a year before Michelin took notice.
Other new-in-2022 restaurants on Michelin’s updated list, both in the Kitsilano neighborhood, are Folke and Karma Indian Bistro. Folke’s menu is completely vegan and chef-owners Pricilla Deo and Colin Uyeda impress even carnivores (and include hospitality in their pricing). Karma Indian Bistro also got the Michelin call out for its Indian fusion selections; it’s a new rival to Vancouver’s most famous Indian restaurant, Vij’s, which is on Michelin’s 2022 Bib Gourmand list.
Rounding out the 10 restaurants getting the nod in Michelin’s updated Vancouver guide are two that many of the city’s chefs and diners thought should have been on the inaugural list. They are the much-lauded Bao Bei, in Chinatown, by the same team at Michelin-starred Kissa Tanto plus the deceptively relaxed Farmer’s Apprentice which serves farm-to-table cuisine.
Up next for Michelin in Vancouver
Vancouver currently has 70 Michelin-recommended restaurants. With its new guide to be announced in an October 5 ceremony at the Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel (itself a recipient of several Michelin awards in 2022), expect that number to rise and for new names to receive Michelin’s coveted stars.
As Gwendal Poullennec, the director of Michelin’s international guides said in a statement, “Our famously anonymous inspectors were again impressed with Vancouver and its delightful restaurants. It’s evident that the Michelin Guide means a lot to the city, which has responded with a laser-sharp focus on world-class fare.”
Bibendum, the Michelin Man. Joel Saget /
