46 VANMAG.COM MAY 2017
Th e Acorn has
not only defi ned
the category in
Vancouver, but
also across the
entire country.Best
Japanese
Zest
2775 W 16th Ave.
zestjapanese.com
Masayoshi
4376 Fraser St.
masayoshi.ca
Kinome Japanese Kitchen
2511 W Broadway
HONOUR ABLE MENTIONS
To j o’s , M a r u t a m a2
3Our judges covered a lot of culinary ground this year,
and the category winners refl ect a broad spectrum
of price points and approaches. Gold winner Zest
has “a classic Tokyo vibe.” Its “understated modern
serenit y is an elegant backdrop for chef Yoshia ki
Maniwa and Tatsuya Katagiri’s sharply executed
dishes,” says one judge. Their menu refl ects “a sense
of elevated rigour in which a ll the details mat ter,”
adding up to a “sing ular dining experience.” At
Masayoshi (Silver), the focus is on omakase; in
the words of one judge, “it’s all about surrender-
ing yourself to chef Masayoshi Baba’s meticulous,
mindful culinary journey.” Kinome (Bronze) has
fun with sushi and izakaya dishes, but judges unani-
mously praised “the serious passion that’s poured
into their handmade soba noodles and dashi.”Best Vegan/
Veget a r ia n
The Acorn
3995 Main St.
theacornrestaurant.com
Spicy Vegetarian Cuisine
4200 No. 3 Rd.,
Richmond
Chau Veggie Express
5052 Victoria Dr.
chowatchau.com
HONOUR ABLE MENTIONS
Bandidas Taqueria, Zend
Conscious Lounge2
3This new category taps into one
of the big trends grabbing the
cit y right now. The w inner is
scant surprise: since it opened
in 2012, Shira Blustein’s The
Acorn has not only defi ned the
categor y in Vancouver, but a lso
across the entire country. And
a city of hungry vegetarians
and non-vegetarians agree
—a line sna kes out of this
spot almost every night of
the week. More surprising is
the Silver medal winner—but
Richmond’s Spicy Vegetarian
Cuisine underscores the fact
that our Chinese restaurants
nailed no-meat cooking long
before it became fashionable.
Bronze goes to Victoria Drive’s
Chau Veggie Express, which
is bring ing them in in droves
w ith its Vietnamese ta ke on
(mostly) vega n cuisine.RESTAURANT AWARDS