A new MICHELIN-Starred restaurant, five new Bib Gourmand and 12 new Recommended restaurants crossed the stage Thursday night at the Fairmont Pacific Rim to highlight the announcement of the 2023 MICHELIN Guide Vancouver.
The MICHELIN Guide also revealed four special awards at the ceremony. Overall, the MICHELIN Guide inspectors awarded Stars to nine restaurants – eight of which earned Stars in 2022. The full 2023 selection comprises 77 restaurants and 21 types of cuisine.
“The famously anonymous MICHELIN Guide inspectors once again were impressed with the culinary community here,” said Gwendal Poullennec, the International Director of the MICHELIN Guides. “This sort of steady growth is what we often see in second-year selections, and it is definitely a harbinger of great things to come. We are very proud of the passionate chefs and restaurant teams here in Vancouver, and they make their city very proud.”
Okeya Kyujiro, helmed by Chef Takuya Matsuda, earned one MICHELIN Star for the first time. Here are the inspector notes (inspectors’ comments in full on the MICHELIN Guide website and mobile app):
Okeya Kyujiro (Japanese cuisine)
Hosts dressed in stunning traditional clothing guide you to a dark room, lit only by the faintest glow from votive candles. A black curtain is raised ceremoniously only when the clock strikes the precise minute of your seating. These are the first clues that this is far from your typical omakase. From the premium, hyper-seasonal fish to the demonstration of sasagiri (traditional Japanese bamboo leaf carving), it is a memorable show from start to finish. Highlights include chawanmushi with cherry blossom, shatteringly crispy tempura sandbar fish, spicy firefly squid on a bamboo skewer and a presentation of two uni petals from different Japanese waters served with seaweed jam.
Bib Gourmand
The MICHELIN Guide inspectors added five restaurants to the Bib Gourmand list, which recognizes eateries for great food at a great value: Farmer’s Apprentice, Karma Indian Bistro, Motonobu Udon, Seaport City Seafood and Sushi Hil.
Special Awards
In addition to the Bib Gourmands and Stars, the Guide announced four special awards:
The MICHELIN Guide Ceremony is presented with the support of Capital One. Transportation provided by Mercedes-Benz.
Hotels
The restaurants join the MICHELIN Guide selection of hotels, which features the most unique and exciting places to stay in Vancouver and throughout the world.
Each hotel in the selection has been chosen by MICHELIN Guide experts for its extraordinary style, service and personality — with options for all budgets — and each can be booked directly through the MICHELIN Guide website and app. The selection for Vancouver features the city’s most spectacular hotels, including design-forward luxury boutiques like the Douglas, standouts from our “Plus” collection like the Loden and the Opus, old-world elegance like the Wedgewood, and dependable luxury stalwarts like the Fairmont Pacific Rim.
The MICHELIN Guide is a benchmark in gastronomy. Now it’s setting a new standard for hotels. Visit the MICHELIN Guide website, or download the free app for iOS and Android, to discover every restaurant in the selection and book an unforgettable hotel.
