What to Eat on Granville Island, According to Vancouver Chefs

With every variety of “monger” you can imagine here, it’s no wonder Vancouver chefs are drawn in by Granville Island’s charms. Chef Martin Vargas (Alimentaria Mexicana), chef Alex Chen (Boulevard, Wild Blue) and host and food columnist Shiva Reddy (Not Your Butter Chicken; CBC Radio) hit the market with our team to introduce us to their favourite suppliers, do a little shopping and make a few doughnuts along the way.

Chen found fish and friendship at Seafood City. “Brian at Seafood City—he and I have been talking since I was an apprentice. He saw me grow up. We talk about food, we talk about our families.” Reddy found her favourite fish there, too. “They’ll take the time to walk you through everything. Starting with ‘what are you making’ and then they make recommendations, like, ‘oh, you need mackerel.’”

Oyama made Vargas’s dreams come true. “Patés, sausages, bacon, everything is so good. One of the staples at the restaurant is green chorizo with crispy potatoes. We wanted to do it ourselves but casing sausages takes so much time, so we just came here with a recipe and now they make it for us and it’s amazing. We’ve been using it since day one.”

READ MORE: Our Editors’ Favourite Granville Island Treats

Vargas has a doughnut hack when he visits Lee’s. “They don’t have a peanut butter and jelly doughnut but you can get a peanut butter doughnut and ask for it with strawberry jam and crushed peanuts on top.”

At La Bise, Reddy found herself bonding over baked goods. “I love the origin story behind the canelé. Wine makers would use egg whites to filter their wines, and would donate the egg yolks to the orphanage, where nuns would then make canelés. I got obsessed with canelés, and then learned about La Bise through the grape vine. Nicole Scriabin, the founder, worked for the Food Network internationally until she had to come back to Vancouver to care for her mom who had dementia. Canelés became an escape for her. She is definitely one of the best!”

READ MORE: The Best Granville Island Patios

Vargas makes purple French toast with a special loaf from Terra Breads. “They have a walnut sourdough loaf. I cut it in half and it was purple. I thought I accidentally bought a blueberry loaf or something, but they told me, no, it’s an enzyme process with the yeast that turns the dough purple. It’s absolutely delicious and makes the best French toast.”

Chen knows how to throw together a picnic. “I love all the Alpine cheeses they have at Benton. For a picnic I’d grab those, some pickles from Hobbs, a little marmalade, some spiced nuts, whatever focaccia they have at Terra. And seasonal fruit, of course.”

Chen sources global essentials at South China Seas. “I grab taco shells and dry chilies when I want to make tacos. The Mexican ingredients remind me of the cooks I worked so closely with at the Beverly Hills Hotel in L.A.”

READ MORE: What to Do on Granville Island Between Meals

Vargas always finds what he needs at Armando’s. “Mexican food is about beef tongue and salsa verde, bone marrow with a piece of skirt steak. Armando’s always has the offcuts I want. They’re so nice and so polite, and if they don’t have something they’ll go and source it for you.”

For a moment of zen, Reddy heads to Benton Brothers. “The cheese counter is a great place to slow down in the market. They will take the time to make sure that you get to try the cheeses you’re curious about. One of my favourite things to grab from Benton is actually their butter! I love that they have such a range, from cow to goat’s milk, butter coming from France and a range across Canada. One of my faves is St. Bridgid’s from Ontario.”

WHERE THE PROS GO  FOR LUNCH

“As we were opening the restaurant, every lunch we’d go, okay, let’s go to Kaisereck. They have the patio, they sell German beer, it’s amazing.” —Chef Martin Vargas

“If I’m starving, I go to Oyama first. I grab a snacking sausage and some prosciutto to fend off the hanger. Then I do a 180 and grab a little salmon lox bagel from Siegel’s, extra toasted with lots of pickles!” —Sommelier Shiva Reddy

“I’ve been coming here since I was 13, and when I came with my mom and dad, we would all get fish and chips. Now, I head for Sen Pad Thai.”—Chef Alex Chen