With the news that Michelin has just released their list of Michelin star restaurants in Toronto, the excitement is building in Vancouver, as we anticipate the announcement of which Vancouver restaurants will be receiving stars in the next month or so. So I thought I would have a bit of fun and provide my predictions on which restaurants will receive Michelin stars in Vancouver.
Given that Toronto only has 13 Michelin star restaurants, it would make sense that Vancouver, with a smaller population, would have fewer. I expect that Michelin will be handing out stars to between six to ten restaurants in Vancouver.
I hope I am incorrect, but unfortunately, I do not expect that any Richmond restaurants will be receiving stars. There are many great restaurants in Richmond, so I expect a few of them will be listed in the Michelin guide, or given a Bib Gourmand rating to recognize the great value for money they offer. I hope to highlight some of my favourite Richmond establishments in future articles.
I believe Hawksworth, St. Lawrence, Kissa Tanto, Botanist and Tojo represent some of the finest and most unique cuisines that Vancouver has to offer and are likely to receive stars. I also believe Cioppino and Vij’s may also be in line to receive a Michelin star, as their chefs, Pino Posteraro and Vikram Vij respectively, are internationally recognized chefs. It is also hard to ignore Published on Main, which was voted Canada’s Top restaurant in 2022, even though it is a fairly new restaurant.
The restaurants above represent, in my opinion, the restaurants most likely to receive Michelin Stars. Below are a few other very good restaurants which may warrant consideration for a Michelin star — some because of their chefs’ long-standing history of quality, and some because their cuisine is so unique. Please note that I am only commenting on restaurants that I have personally eaten at.
Italian restaurants: Salvio Volpe, La Quercia, Ask for Luigi
Japanese restaurants: Tetsu
West Coast: Boulevard, Bacchus
How about Chinese restaurants? There are some magnificent Chinese restaurants in Vancouver and if a Chinese restaurant is awarded a star, the most likely candidates would be Mott 32, Sun Sui Wah, Chef Tony and Dynasty Seafood Restaurant (Broadway).
These are just my predictions. Let’s see how I do in a few months! All this talk of food has me getting thirsty, so my wine recommendation in this article is a new product in B.C liquor stores this month. Check out the Louis Latour 2020 Macon Lugny Les Genievres, priced at $30.99. It is a white wine from the value Burgundy region of Macon from a well-known negociant. This wine is made from 100% Chardonnay grapes and will offer you immediate drinking pleasure.
Until next time, happy drinking!
