Going Wild for Pan Asian at Torafuku

Since Torafuku opened its doors, the chefs continue to explore the borders of Pan Asian food at their modern-Asian eatery.

Sitting pretty on Main Street, Torafuku, which means lucky tiger in Japanese, debuted in summer 2015 and quickly became a favorite with lovers of both clean, clean interiors and flavorful Asian dishes meant to be shared.

“What a journey it has been,” says Chan, Torafuku chef and co-owner. “When Steve (Kuan) and I opened Torafuku, all we wanted to do was bring playful and elevated modern-Asian food to the city.” Then they made the shortlist for enRoute’s coveted Best Restaurants in Canada in 2016. The nomination from enRoute “is definitely icing on the cake, and we couldn’t be more proud,” says Chan.

The Look
Designed by local architects Scott & Scott, the minimalist, 50-seat restaurant on the edge of Chinatown is packed practically every night it is open. There’s a concrete-cast communal table that runs most of the length of the dining room. From the bench diners can take in the theatrics going on in the open-concept kitchen while sipping handcrafted cocktails. The Ipanema Sunset is a refreshing concoction of cachaça, lemon, Giffard Banane Du Bresil, 33 Acres of Ocean Pale Ale, and a punch of cayenne and sea salt. On a drizzly Vancouver night, the cocktail is the closest you’ll get to being transported to a sexy beach in Fernando de Noronha (look it up and book a flight there immediately).

The Menu
“The menu at Torafuku is very focused on seasonal ingredients, working with local farms, sustainable seafood, organic meats as well as urban farming,” explains Kuan. “At the same time, the flavours are bold and kick-ass.” The same playfulness found on Le Tigre Food Truck menu is still here. The main difference is that one is street food meant to be eaten on the run while at Torafuku the dishes are meant to be shared. And you’ll share them in a simple but well thought out room.

The Vibe
The colourful, kick-ass dishes are the star in a room that is all raw concrete and timber. Clever panels on the white walls wrapped in denim and felt serve as hipster decor and for sound absorption. Hanging from the ceiling above the communal table is a leather-accented linear pendant. Vancouverites, Kuan tells us, are not too keen on the communal table concept. “However, we’ve noticed once they sit down and drink a few cocktails or beers, they get really friendly with their neighbours,” he says. Before long, diners get talking with their neighbours about the dishes or the food they have in front of them. “In the end, they love the experience.”

Chan and his team continue to showcase the best of BC’s bounty, sourced from local farmer’s markets and producers. Here are a few we like.