April’s Best Food Events in Vancouver—Where to Dine This Month

Spring is rolling in fast: the cherry blossoms, the picnics, the new season of Farmers’ Markets, all ready to feed your soul and eat your credit card alive. (Trout Lake and Riley Park summer markets kick off this month). Roll right along with it at a special taiko drumming sushi dinner, a DJ-filled snack party in Chinatown, a whimsical tea featuring cotton candy clouds floating above your table and more. 

All-Star Snack Party at DD Mau 

If you love snacks and parties as much as we love snacks and parties, we’ll see you at DD Mau Chinatown’s 7th anniversary party. Expect a rotating cast of talented local DJs, specialty cocktails and the return of beloved DD snacks like Charlie’s Chicken Sliders and Shrimp Skewers.

WHEN: Sunday, April 20
WHERE: 145 E. Pender

Around the World in 80 Days Afternoon Tea at H Tasting Lounge

Imagine a small hot air balloon with an editable cotton candy “cloud” suspended from your table; a Dream Tea which pours blue and changes to purple when you squeeze in lemon; and a lobster dish served in a tiny tin you must open to enjoy. Everything at this themed tea pays tribute to Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days, following in the footsteps of the legendary Phileas Fogg. If you have kiddos in your life, bring them for a sugar-fueled core memory they’ll never forget. 

WHEN: Weekends until May 10
WHERE: 1601 Bayshore Dr.

Elem x Chef Ron McKinlay Dinner

Everybody’s loving Elem, one of the city’s best restaurants, and together with S. Pellegrino, it will host its first-ever four-hands collab dinner. What’s that, you say? Exactly as it sounds. Another two hands will join cook/owner Vish Mayekar in the kitchen—in this case, chef Ron McKinlay, formerly of Canoe in Toronto. If you do snag one of these hot tickets, definitely opt in to the cocktail and wine pairings by beverage director/partner Winnie Sun and sommelier Daniel Klintworth.

WHEN: Wednesday, April 16
WHERE: 2210 Main St.

Flour and Water: A Pasta Master Class

Grab a friend and learn (finally!) how to make pasta like a pro at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts. We’re talking fettuccine, linguine, pappardelle, and pillowly stuffed pastas, too. Bring a few containers along to take your precious creations home.

WHEN: Saturday, April 19
WHERE: 1505 W 2nd Ave

Utage at Sushi Mahana 

Taiko drumming meets temaki at this special cultural explosion of rhythm and cuisine, taking over the Sushi Mahana dining room for the second annual Utage. Dine on a special omakase menu to the beat of two world-renown drummers, Koji Hada and Keita Kanazashi, during one of two seatings (5:30pm and 8pm).

WHEN: Friday, April 11
WHERE: 175 West Third St., North Vancouver

Brewhalla Beer Festival

More than 25 beer, cider, and spirits vendors will be pouring at the 4th annual Brehalla in North Vancouver. Paired with food trucks, bands and DJS, it would be impossible to not have fun at this perfect-for-date-night evening event. 

WHEN: Friday, April 11
WHERE: The Shipyards, North Vancouver

The Reverence Dinner at Hawksworth

A trifecta of stars will take to the Hawksworth kitchen for one night only: Michel Jacob, the French-born chef who started this city’s famous Le Crocodile in the ’80s; Thomas Haas, the chocolatier and pastry icon of our time; and needs-no-introduction chef David Hawksworth. Tickets were almost sold out at time of writing, so act fast.

WHEN: Tuesday, April 15
WHERE: 801 West Georgia St.

Mission Hill Wine Dinner at The Teahouse

Now more than ever we’re supporting B.C., and that obviously includes wine. Enjoy some of the Okanagan’s best vintages at this special evening with the best of the best—Mission Hill Winery—and a five-course paired dinner of classics like Salmon Wellington and Lemon Meringue Pie. 

WHEN: Tuesday, April 9
WHERE: Ferguson Point, Stanley Park

Chef Ned Bell x Kurtis Kolt Pop-Up

ICYMI, we already wrote about this pop-up featuring wine expert Kurtis Kolt and chef Ned Bell, which will feature exclusively non-alchoholic drink pairings. If you’re a non-drinker, this is perfect for you; if you’re a drinker, it’s probably even better, allowing you to discover new ways that food and wine can complement each other with the clarity of a zero-proof experience. 

WHEN: April 3–26
WHERE: 4190 Hastings St.

Better Shuck Luck Next Time…

Want to impress your pals with oyster-shucking skills? An Oyster Shucking 101 class at Fanny Bay Oysters, put on by Girls Who Shuck x Bad Academy, is all sold out for their April 3 event, but if you want to learn how to shuck ‘em like a pro (and take home your very own shucking knife) then sign up for Bad Academy newsletters to be alerted of the next session.