NEW AND GONE
Restaurants and food ventures came and went.
By no means a complete list, 2022’s numerous notable newcomers include Yoursa modern Peruvian restaurant helmeted by Lima-born chef Ricardo Valverde; Zarak (late 2021), sister restaurant to South Surrey’s Afghan Kitchen; Yasma (ghost kitchen no more, with the eatery specializing in Levantine cuisine finding a home in Coal Harbour); Monarchchef Francisco Higareda’s modern Mexican place in Gastown; Nightshadea vegan resto and MICHELIN Bib Gourmand headed by Chanthy Yen, the Trudeau family’s personal chef; Delara, chef Bardia Ilbeiggi’s MICHELIN Recommended modern Persian restaurant; and Moltaqa YaletownMimo Bucko’s second location of the restaurant serving halal Moroccan cuisine, complete with belly dancing on weekends.
Then there’s the city’s plethora of new Italian-focused food ventures. Of more than a dozen, they include acquafarina (MICHELIN Recommended) , Isetta Café Bistro, NOX, Carlino (MICHELIN Recommended), and Fiorino Italian Street Food (MICHELIN Recommended).
Often times, the blame for closures lied squarely with exorbitant rent or lease increases. Among the several spots that Vancouver lost this past year, sadly, are iconic Bishop’s (which closed on December 31, 2021 after 36 years), Gramercy Grill, Super Hiro’s, The Whip (replaced by Bar Susu) Do Chay Yaletown, Martini’s (after 52 years in business), Fets Whiskey Kitchen (which opened in 1986), Terra Breads Kitsilano (after 30 years), Huang’s Beef Noodle (after 25 years) and Slickity Jim’s Chat N Chew (after 25 years), Café Deux Soleils (after nearly 30 years), and The Keefer Yard.