Vancouver's best restaurants awards announced

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Vancouver's best restaurants awards announced

Mia Stainsby, Vancouver Sun

Published: Tuesday, April = 15,=20 2008

VANCOUVER - Vancouver Magazine's 2008 Restaurant Awards were = announced today=20 in what might be considered the city's culinary Oscars.

And in keeping with the metaphor, the Oscar for "Best Picture" goes = to West,=20 which took top spot for Restaurant of The Year. Judges said "the = restaurant=20 gives a nod to trends but is never dictated by them."

David Hawksworth, who was the chef through 2007 (the period which the = award=20 covers) handed over the kitchen to Warren Geraghty last February.

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Judges, comprised of local food and restaurant journalists gave kudos = to the=20 leadership behind West owner Jack Evrensel: "Guided by the steady vision = of Jack=20 Evrensel, there's little doubt that Vancouver's favourite room will make = the=20 transition between accomplished chefs with ease."

Vancouver Magazine editor-in-chief Gary Ross (suffering somewhat from = the=20 previous evening's partying) said in an interview that 2007 saw = "tectonic=20 changes in the fine dining scene, in terms of David Hawksworth leaving = West and=20 Rob Feenie leaving Lumiere. The Restaurant of The Year and The Chef of = The Year=20 award are the ones which everyone anticipates. It means a lot in terms = of=20 bookings and how they are perceived."

The Chef of The Year award went to Pino Posteraro of Cioppino's.

"The genius of his cuisine lies in its simplicity," said one judge. =

Jamie Maw, former restaurant editor for the magazine was honoured = with a=20 Lifetime Achievement Award.

"He was crying," says Ross. "He didn't know it was coming."

Ross says the Asian influence on Vancouver cuisine was duly noted = this year.=20

"We talked to 20 chefs in the city, from high-end on down. It's = astonishing=20 the extent to which it has influenced our cuisine. Even with Pino = [Posterero,=20 who cooks classic Italian], it's there. It's subtle but pervasive."

And of course, James Barber, who died earlier this year, was = remembered for=20 his enormous contributions to the restaurant industry as a writer, cook, = television personality.

Here, then are some of the highlights of the restaurant awards. For a = full=20 list of recipients go to www.vanmag.com

Restaurant of the Year

Gold: West

Silver: Cioppino's

Bronze: Blue Water Cafe

Best New Fine Dining

Gold: Fuel ("The most exciting, yet mature and reserved cooking to = debut in=20 Vancouver in a long time.")

Silver: Chow

Bronze: So.Cial

Best New Informal

Gold: Boneta ("Young chef Jeremie Bastien's whimsical menu captures = the=20 spontaneity of the room.")

Silver: Pied-a-Terre

Bronze: Cobre

Best Service

Gold: West ("So smoothly executed, you don't even know how they did = it until=20 you realize you're not walking out of the restaurant, you're floating.") =

Silver: Bishop's

Bronze: Boneta

Best Regional

Gold: Aurora Bistro ("[Jeff Van Geest] is a chef's chef, one of the = best of a=20 particularly elite breed.")

Silver: Raincity Grill

Bronze: Bishop's

Best Seafood

Gold: Blue Water Cafe ("What keeps diners coming through the door is = Frank=20 Pabst's expert, understated way with wild and sustainable species and = faultless=20 sushi from Yoshihiro Tabo.")

Silver: C

Bronze: Go Fish

Best Formal French

Gold: Le Crocodile

Silver: Bacchus at the Wedgewood Hotel

Bronze: Lumiere

Best Indian

Gold: Vij's ("Vikram Vij is an alchemist who has conjured the perfect = formula=20 for success."

Silver: Mauyra

Bronze: Rangoli

Best Formal Italian

Gold: Cioppinio's ("Entrees like dry-aged rib-eye with sauteed = spinach and=20 chickpea frites are outstanding."

Silver: Il Giardino

Bronze: La Terrazza Best

Formal Japanese

Gold: Tojo's ("Tojo's sets the standard for innovation that remains = true to=20 Japanese ideals of simplicity and freshness.")

Silver: Raw Bar at Blue Water Cafe

Bronze: En

Best Southeast Asian

Gold: Phnom Penh ("Devotees continue to pack the house for lemon = pepper squid=20 and deepfried chicken wings."

Silver: Spice Islands

Bronze: Banana Leaf

Best Small Plates (Tapas)

Gold: Bin 941/Bin 942 ("The food looks great, tastes better, and = flies out of=20 the kitchen as late as 2 a.m.")

Silver: Cru

Bronze: Salt Tasting Room

Best GVRD Destination

Gold: The Pear Tree (Burnaby) ("Modern, elegant, perennial winner in = this=20 category.")

Silver: La Belle Auberge (Ladner)

Bronze: Bacchus Bistro at Domaine de Chaberton (Langley)

=C2=A9 Vancouver Sun

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