Chambar, one of the city’s most beloved and important restaurants, turned 20 this year. No better time, we felt, to quiz chef and co-founder Nico Schuermans on his must-eat spots in the city. Schuermans divides his time between East Van and Gambier Island, where he’s busy cooking up a farm-to-table dining venture—“I’m growing food, building a pizza oven, clearing trees to open up the land”—but when he’s in the city, you can probably find him on Commercial Drive. “There is no other street in Vancouver where, as a foodie, you can have a coffee, buy your groceries and support so many local independent businesses. I just love it.”
Chancho Tortilleria
2096 Commercial Dr.
“So simple, so good.” Schuermans goes to this counter-service spot for tacos; specifically, one of the three different pork offerings, maciza, panza, or campechano, (shoulder, belly, or a shoulder-belly mix) all of which you order by weight to pair with fresh, housemade heirloom corn tortillas. “And all the little salsas they serve with it are so tasty.”
Eternal Abundance
1025 Commercial Dr.
This 100-percent organic grocer and eatery has a steady stream of regulars and a strong set of ethics around its food and produce. “It’s awesome. I’m not vegan but I have no problem eating it. They have wonderful produce and nuts, and I buy seeds there when I plant my garden. I was there a couple weeks ago with a friend on a rainy day for salad, soup and smoothies—we felt so great after.”
Cadeaux Bakery
172 Powell St.
Croissants, cookies, carrot cake and custom cakes keep him coming back to Cadeaux (also, pastry chef/owner Eleanor Chow Waterfall used to work for Schuermans at Chambar, like so many of the city’s top talent). “It’s a bit hidden, just down the street from the No. 5 Orange, but Eleanor can make any cake you want at all. She did a Lego cake for my kid’s birthday—it was so well done my kid started crying.”
Mediterranean Speciality Foods
1824 Commercial Dr.
“[When shopping], I always say you gotta go to a place where people know what they’re talking about. That’s this place.” The chef stocks up on harissa, pomegranate molasses, preserved lemon, red pepper paste, and filo pastry, along with spinach pies, feta cheese, and olives. “It’s the kind of place you go twice a year to sort out your pantry. I used to hang out with the prior owner, Jack, at the back a lot.”
St. Lawrence
269 Powell St.
“It’s important to have a few people who can really do classics—that’s St. Lawrence. Quality French food with incredible, professional service.” Aside from taking his son there for a stellar 19th birthday meal, Schuermans has some serious nostalgia here. “I remember going at the beginning—all my friends worked there—and they served a pork trotter, which is pig’s feet, kind of deboned and stuffed. Really insane stuff. To this day it was the best thing I’ve eaten in Vancouver.”
Tandoori Palace
1439 Commercial Dr.
“Nobody knows about it,” says Schuermans of this blink-and-you’ll-miss-it casual Indian spot on The Drive. “It’s straightforward, you can eat in or take-out. I go with my kids and we always get naan with butter chicken.”
Pizza Carano
4241 Fraser St.
This Fraserhood joint’s Funghi pizza with white sauce, mushrooms, fior di latte, and truffle oil is the winning order for Schuermans. “The crust has lots of semolina, and the meatballs and salads are great too.”
Ginger Sushi
1437 Commercial Dr.
“A few years ago we tried all the sushi spots [on The Drive]. Hands down, our favourite was Ginger.” The order? Whatever his kids are craving that day.
Barbara
305 E. Pender St.
This Michelin-starred, 13-ish seat restaurant isn’t as easy to get into as it used to be. “But I’m still surprised more people don’t know about it,” he says. “It’s great for a special date night. And I love that you have direct contact with Pat [Hennessy, the owner/chef], so you can talk to the chef which I love. Go for the table d’hote; everything is delicious.”
Livia
1399 Commercial Dr.
“They do a great sourdough—her bread is incredible. I even stopped making it at Chambar and just started buying from her.”
Fiorino
212 E. Georgia St.
Schuermans tried this Chinatown spot on a recommendation from his girlfriend. “Every single thing was delicious. It was not the classic Italian that everybody does—they had, like, super crispy beef ribs, served with a demi-glace which I thought was super smart. I actually saved one for my kid who loves that kind of thing. He was like, ‘you only saved me one!?’”
