Where Vancouver's chefs, managers, and owners dine

With files from Matt Burrows, Yolande Cole, Michelle Da Silva, Martin Dunphy, Shadi Elien, Carlito Pablo, Jennie Ramstad, Craig Takeuchi, and Stephen Thomson

Vikram Vij craves some healthy competition. The co-owner of Vij’s and Rangoli restaurants has swept the best Indian category in the Georgia Straight’s Golden Plates awards for years. And although his rendition of modern Indian cuisine remains popular, he believes there’s room to up the ante.

“Somebody should come up with a new concept,” he told the Straight. “The Indian diaspora is so big that somebody can create a new style of Indian food, and it will be awesome.”

Vij isn’t afraid of losing business. “There’s enough for all of us to go around,” he said. “It’s almost like, ”˜Bring it on. Let’s see who’s more creative.’ It gets the juices flowing.”

Vij’s Restaurant topped the readers’ choice best Indian ballot again this year. It was also named best Indian by the Straight’s restaurant-industry poll.

For the restaurant-industry survey, a team of Straight staffers called up more than 100 local restaurateurs, chefs, and managers, and asked them to name the best restaurants in Vancouver in 11 categories. (They weren’t permitted to vote in their own category.) To ensure they spoke freely—without judgment or repercussions from colleagues—we recorded their votes anonymously. Here are the survey results, along with some comments interviewees wanted to make public.

The restaurant industry chose L’Abattoir as best new restaurant of the year. The stylish Gastown establishment, owned by general manager Paul Grunberg and chef Lee Cooper, opened last summer. It serves West Coast fare with a French influence; recent menu items have included pan-fried veal sweetbreads on toast, cheese soufflé, and roasted Pacific cod with oxtail dumplings.

Hapa Izakaya’s owner Justin Ault sings L’Abattoir’s praises, starting with its “well-constructed menu”. Although it’s not large, “almost everything on it you’d be happy to order,” he said. “The combination of food, price point, service, the atmosphere—they seem to hit it on every note.”

In other industry-choice categories, oldies but goodies once again ranked highly. Le Crocodile took best French, Tojo’s topped best Japanese, and Sun Sui Wah was named best Chinese.

Restaurant-industry insiders voted Bishop’s Restaurant, run by John Bishop, as best West Coast Restaurant. Georgia Straight readers voted Bishop's best for service and fine dining.

Bishop’s again claimed the number one spot for West Coast cuisine. “The food is always fantastic,” said Tim Ellison, sommelier and director of food and beverage service for Bistro 101 at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts. “But the way they make you feel is what you will always remember”¦.They always make you feel like you’re the only person in the world, even if there’s movie stars in the room.” (Bishop’s also won the best service and the best fine dining categories in the Straight’s readers’ choice survey.)

Owner John Bishop shared his philosophy on good service. He told the Straight that it’s all about “the sense of giving. It has to come from the heart. It’s about wanting to have relationships.” Good service is also in the details. “A good server has to be instinctive, intuitive, anticipating things,” he added. If a customer came in chilled, he might hand her a warm cup from the espresso machine. If she stood up mid-meal, he’d lead her to the restroom. “It helps because we’re a small place. If somebody sneezes, we give them a Kleenex.”

Many of those interviewed commented on the importance of good service. According to Hiroaki Masuda, general manager of Kamei Royale, “Service staff must be like air. We’re always there but we’re always invisible. We are invisible until the customer wants us.”

“There’s really no service left in the service industry,” lamented Gord Martin, chef and owner of Bin 941 and Bin 942. He reminds his staff that “when you go out to dine, it’s an experience, and the service is part of it, just as the food.”

Manuel Ferreira, owner of Le Gavroche, believes that good service is crucial to a restaurant’s success. “If you have passable food but very good service, you will go back and try it again,” he asserted. “But if you have bad service, you’ll never go back.”

For David Wolowidnyk, bar manager at West, “the entire experience of taste happens when you first walk in the door.” From the restaurant’s vibe to the mood and grooming of the staff to details such as polished glassware, “It’s an overall experience for the guest. They don’t come here just for the food or for the drink. It’s the big picture, the big package.”

Maria Huynh, owner of Chau Kitchen & Bar, also emphasized that warm, attentive service defines a good dining experience. “Whether you’re at a cheap place or expensive place, I think it’s all a matter of caring,” she said.

Mark Brand, co-owner of Boneta, the Diamond, and Sea Monstr Sushi, praised Phnom Penh restaurant for how the owners treat customers like family. He also complimented the kitchen’s consistency. “I’ve been there well over 200 times and I’ve never had any variance in any of my dishes,” he said. The industry voted Phnom Penh tops in the best other Asian category (which excludes Chinese and Japanese restaurants).

Industry insiders were bursting with accolades for their favourite hidden gems. The list of responses in the best cheap eats category and the most-underrated category was too long to name winners.

In fact, Rick Takhar, owner of Ashiana Tandoori, declared that “every restaurant on the East Side” is underrated. “It’s true,” he said wryly. “The East Side is ignored by the media.”¦Most reviewers, they stay on the West Side.”

The restaurant industry’s recommendations for cheap eats throughout the city can be found here.

Follow Carolyn Ali on Twitter at twitter.com/carolynali