Eaters Gotta Eat: June Bar Manager Satoshi Yonemori’s Fave Eats Around Town

Satoshi Yonemori spent time behind many a bar (The Diamond, Grapes and Soda—where he was our 2018 Bartender of the Year—and The Keefer) before joining the star-bar-trio at June on Cambie. Now, along with beverage director Amber Bruce and head bartender Riley Maggs, Yonemori is busy brainstorming new creations for June and its sumptuous underground speakeasy, Lala. (His current fave? June’s Genmaicha Clover Club, with brown rice green tea, horseradish, raspberry and a grappa-gin base—yum.) When the bar manager and father of three gets a chance to eat out, here’s where he hits. 

Oku Izakaya

2 Water St.
“The best karaage in town,” says Yonemori of this Gastown izakaya joint. “If I have a day off, or if I have chef friends in town, I always go here.” He orders the hand-rolled temaki sushi–served open-faced, taco-like, on nori—and the pork belly. “I was actually working in the kitchen for a bit while they were still opening June, so I know behind the scenes how much passion goes into everything. [Owner Takeshi Hasegawa] runs a very serious kitchen, very intense! If you go, sit at the bar to watch him do his magic.”

READ MORE: Best Japanese Restaurants in Vancouver 

Pax Romana

1670 Commercial Dr.
“A chef I really respect is Justin Song-Ell, who used to be at Elephant and now does a pop-up at Pax Romana on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.” Yonemori describes his friend like a superchef, who often has 20 different items on his menu, all cooked by himself. “Lots of labour-intensive stuff made from scratch.” Recent highlight? A fingerling potato salad with shaved house-made albacore kasabushi. 

READ MORE: The Best Italian Restaurants in the City

Niwa

1875 Powell St.
“Every time I eat Chef Darren [Gee’s] food it is comforting. We both worked at Farmer’s Apprentice together for a while and I just love his style of cooking. When he was at Ugly Dumpling, Darren had this seared beef liver tataki that I still think about… I hope he brings it back.” Memorable dishes at Niwa? Yonemori had an excellent duck entree and a Japanese-style roll cake dessert with kinako powder (roasted soybean powder). “They have a great collection of sake, too. Every time I go in, Robin [Corbett, the GM] picks just the right sake to pour and we chat.”

Bun Cha Ca Hoang Yen

5155 Victoria Dr.
One of the most popular Vietnamese soup noodle spots in town, the Victoria Drive location of Bun Cha Ca Hoang Yen is a fam-fave. “I have three kids, so we can be a bit messy and noisy. The servers are great, you never have to ask for side plates or high chairs, they just bring it all over right away. I always get the #24: housemade fish cake pho with lots of dill. My kids don’t love too many veggies, so I supersize my bowl by adding all of theirs into mine.”

READ MORE: Where to Eat in Vancouver’s Little Saigon Neighbourhood

Noah’s Cafe

1096 Denman St.
This Japanese-Western fusion bistro, run by Yonemori’s friend Cliff Chi, has a menu that is downright mouthwatering. “They make a great housemade pasta with lots of sea urchin in it [the Uni Creme Pasta with prawns and truffle oil],” he says. “He’s also known for this Omelette Hayashi Rice, where the omelette is served on top of this hashed beef stew.”

Cultivate Tea

2208 Main St.
“I love the room, and [owner Jude Wang] is so sweet. I met him back when he was making a really clean kombucha, with no vinegar flavour, I remember I just kept going back and asking questions. Now, I’ll book ahead and do a tea tasting,”  he says. “The vibe at Cultivate gives me the same feeling I get from Niwa—so clean and calm.” 

Balance Botanical & Quidditas Health

4341 Main St. & 1906 Commercial Dr.
To craft housemade liquors and infusions, Yonemori stocks up at these hidden-gem bulk shops, with jar upon jar of teas, herbs, spices, and roots lining the shelves. “They have all the unusual things I need, things like dried artichoke, sassafras, gentian root, wormwood, and Devil’s Club.”