Richard Wolak is featured as a monthly (and sometimes more often) guest on The Jill Bennett Show on CKNW 980 AM talking food, restaurants and more! You can listen to past shows here (most recent at the top).
September 1, 2023
Some new restaurants in Vancouver and beyond
Vivace on the Drive
Toloache Mexican Kitchen
Ramen Kounotori
The Bay Gibsons
August 4, 2023
Talking about some diverse restaurants in the Westend
VanLove Sushi & more
Latin Square
Gurkha Himalayan Kitchen
Bombay Kitchen
July 7, 2023
Date Night (and day) restaurant experiences!
Five Sails — fine dining, tasting menu
Acre — fine dining, afternoon tea
L’abbatoir –chefs tasting menu
Missing Chopsticks – fine dining, tasting menu
BCD Culinary Academy – cooking class
June 2,2023
Some new Restaurants that I have eaten at in Vancouver and Richmond
Tagine Moroccan Arabic restaurant –51 W. Hastings Street — instagram @taginegastown
Missing Chopsticks — 13880 Wireless Way #130, Richmond — instagram @missingchopsticks
Mum’z Rasoi & Bar — 1480 W. 11th Avenue — instagram @mumzrasoiandbar
Little Karp – 8631 Alexandria Rd #130, Richmond — instagram @littlekarprichmond
Bombay Kitchen — 1061 Denman Street –instagram @bombaykitchenondenman
May 5, 2023
April 7, 2023
Some new restaurants that have opened in the past few months that I have eaten at
Wildlight Kitchen and Bar
-107-5380 University Blvd, Vancouver –- Instagram @wildlightrestaurant
Tamaly Shop
– 2525 Main Street, Vancouver— instagram @tamalyshop
Gastronomy Gastown
–62 East Cordova Street, Vancouver — instagram @gastronomygastown
Momo Hut
— 6372 Fraser Street, Vancouver — instagram @momohutfraser
Taco’N Todo
–6196 Fraser Street, Vancouver — instagram @tacontodo10
Sempre Uno
— 1 Lonsdale Ave, North Van — instagram @sempreuno
Machete
–1007 Main Street, Vancouver — instagram @machete.mhf
March 24, 2023
Asian restaurants
Crab Hot Lau (Northern Vietnamese) 2141 Kingsway 1-1/2 years ago
Crab spring rolls, Crab noodle soup, Vietnamese hot pot
Win Win Chick-N (Filipino) 8197 Main St, — opened a few years ago
Fried Chicken, Filipino style macaroni
Genki Eki (Japanese) 693 W Broadway,–opened within the past year
Build your own noodle bar, Oden (fish cakes), Takoyaki (Japanese fried snack with ocotopus)
Latin American restaurants
Maizal RMF (Mexican) 2815 Main St,– opened about 6+ years ago
Tortillas from scratch in-house. Mole chicken tacos, and Plantain, Carnitas and Asada tacos, Empanadas, Tortilla soup, Horchata and Churros.
Union Latinos Foods (Colombian) 1149 Granville St,- opened 2 years ago
Empanadas, Arepas, many of the entrees come with plantain, beans and rice
Tamale Shop (Mexican) 2525 Main Street – opened a month ago (actually opened 2 years ago in commissary)
Tamales –savoury and sweet, made from scratch; also has tacos, tortas and more
Brazilliant cafe & catering (Brazilian) 552 Seymour St, — opened a month ago
- Cheese balls, Brigadeiro aka large chocolate truffle), Coxinha with various savoury fillings,
Taco’N Todo (Mexican) 6196 Fraser Street — opened 2 months ago
They have all the Mexican favourites – I had the Sopes with chicken; they also offer
Enchiladas, Molettes, burritos, flautas, quesadillas, tacos and more.
La Bakeria (Mexican bakery) 417 Industrial (commissary based) — open 1 year ago
Conchas – plan and filled
March 3, 2023
Vancouver restaurants that have been around for a long time that I have eaten at recently.
L’Abattoir
— 12 years
Coast restaurant
— 20 years
Fishworks
— 12 years +
Sun Sui Wah
–35 years
Ban chok dee thai — Langley
— 10 years +
Lift bar & grill
— 17 years
Via Tevere Pizza
— 10 years+
Jam jar
— 9 years
Shaughnessy Restaurant
–40 years
February 3, 2023 New restaurants that have opened in the past couple of months
Mann & Co Bakeshop — 13411 71A Avenue, Surrey — instagram @mannandcobakeshop
Lemon Fusion Kitchen –575 West Georgia Street — instagram @lemon_fusionkitckenandbar
Brightside –3040 W. Broadway — instagram @drinkbrightside_
Pindi Dhaba – 10252 City Pkwy #100, Surrey — instagram @pindidhaba
Momo Factory — 1143 Davie Street — instagram @momofactorycanada
Zubo Ramen — 869 Hornby Street – instagram @by.zubu
Novella –– 2650 Main Street—-instagram @novella_coffeebar
January 6, 2023 Women owned and run Restaurants that have opened within the past few years around Metro Vancouver!
- Crab Hot Lao
2141 Kingsway, Vancouver
Owned by Cherry
- Genki Eki Noodle Bar
693 W Broadway, Vancouver
Owned by Gigi
- Food by Fanta
20542 Fraser Hwy #102, Langley
Owned by Parinya
- Ofra’s Kitchen
1088 Denman St, Vancouver
Owned by Ofra
- Nostos Taverna
3162 W Broadway, Vancouver,
Owned by Eleni
- Viet Family
1431 Commercial Dr, Vancouver
Owned by Ling and her mother
- The Modern Pantry
2232 Marine Dr Unit 102, West Vancouver
Owned by Kendall
- Vanilla Bean Bake Shop
11900 Haney Pl #101, Maple Ridge
Owned by Taylor
December 9, 2022 Festive Dining Experiences
Holiday Afternoon tea at Notch 8 Restaurant
Shaughnessy Restaurant Festival of Lights menu
Apertivo at Armani Afternoon Tea at Holt’s Cafe
Reflections Winter Terrace
Holiday Lunch Buffet at Showcase Restaurant
Holiday brunch popup at Modern Pantry
December 2, 2022 International Restaurants in Vancouver
- Union Latino Foods – Colombian
- Saba Foods– Yemeni
- Ofra’s Kitchen — Israeli
- Cayenne Bistro & Grill — East African/Indian fusion
- Zarak on Main – Afghan
- Moltaqa Moroccan Restaurant Yaletown – Moroccan
- Baby Dahl Roti Shop – Trinidadian
- Arabesque Cafe & Bakery– Syrian
November 4, 2022 New Restaurants
Local Pizzaiolo – Kitsilano
Planted Love Truck
Archer Dining — Downtown Vancouver
Impostori Trattoria – South Granville
Mount Pleasant Vintage and Provisions –Mount Pleasant
Afuri Ramen and Dumplings _- Mount Pleasant
Eva Schnitzelhaus – Victoria
October 28, 2022 Michelin Awards
Feature on the restaurants in Vancouver that received a Michelin start