If you have followed chef David Gunawan’s career to his award-laden Farmer’s Apprentice and wine bar Grapes & Soda via Belgium, Seattle and Chicago, you’ll know he likes to keep it simple.
But simple doesn’t mean unsophisticated; his farm-to-table eco-smart culinary inventions are some of the best conceived and executed we’ve ever had. At his opening-this-month (read: July 2015) Royal Dinette, he pushes the boundaries even further. Take his now-signature, quirky staccato menu descriptions (“Beans. Hazelnuts. Egg. Herbs”) that translate beautifully in the elegant-yet-comfortable cream-and-gold room. There’s lunch, dinner, drinks and everything in-between. The feeling is French, so the $25 noon-time prix-fixe is a natural choice, and we’re happy to see his famous buvette made the menu migration to the new spot.
While some ingredients seem challenging (caramelized whey naps with the ling cod) others, like smoked olives, are so darn perfectly simple we dare you to eat just one. —Sarah Bancroft
Royal Dinette, 905 Dunsmuir St., Vancouver, 604-974-8077, www.royaldinette.ca
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