The Top 5 Tasting Menus Near Starla's Tavern
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Rank 1. Sumibiyaki Arashi
Yakitori Japanese
Peter Ho tends a 14-seat binchō-tan grill with the focus of a monk, rotating heritage chicken skewers inches from the coals until skin crisps and meat yields to the gentlest pressure. The omakase unfolds across impeccably butchered cuts—thigh, heart, oyster—each one glossed with a decades-old tare that tastes less like seasoning than like time itself.
- Canada's 100 Best 2025 · #1 · Best New Restaurants
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- Air Canada 2025 · Top 10 · Best New Restaurants
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Rank 2. Masayoshi
Edomae Sushi
Chef Masayoshi Baba's jewel-box counter in Vancouver channels the ceremonial precision of Tokyo's finest sushi bars, each course arriving like a small act of reverence. British Columbia's local catch guides his Edomae-style nigiri, from uni-studded openers to abalone soft as custard—a succession of small, perfect moments.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- World Culinary Awards 2025 · Nominee · North America's Best Japanese Cuisine Restaurant
- Vancouver Magazine 2024 · Silver Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Upscale Japanese
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Rank 3. Burdock & Co
Contemporary
Andrea Carlson's corner room on Main Street moves through the seasons with thematic precision—June's florals yield to October's bitter greens and Salt Spring Island citrus—each plate a study in ingredient clarity. A celeriac akimono glazed in yuzu or tuna with fermented rosehip and sudachi arrives as the culmination of that philosophy, accomplished and inventive in equal measure.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- Air Canada 2013 · Finalist · Best New Restaurants
- Canada's 100 Best 2026 · #33 · Best Restaurants
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Rank 4. Nero Tondo
Farm-to-table New American
Devon Latté and Lucas Johnston build their cooking around British Columbia's seasonal bounty, where a bowl of kohlrabi might arrive glossed with caramelized honey and makrut lime, and albacore tuna speaks for itself across two preparations. The wine list honors the same provincial commitment, and in this small room of counter and table seats, the restraint feels intentional.
- Air Canada 2025 · Top 10 · Best New Restaurants
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Vancouver Magazine 2026 · Bronze Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Informal Contemporary
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Rank 5. The Mackenzie Room
Contemporary
A narrow downtown room with concrete and steel serves seasonal dishes built on local ingredients and a wry sensibility—kelp preparations and house-cured proteins arrive in generous portions, the kitchen's ambitions tempered by restraint. Tasting menus shift with the market and your party size; cocktails match the kitchen's playful precision. The vibe is relaxed, the cooking unshowy but serious.