by Andrew Morrison | Former Market server Ray Loy is set to open his Bambudda eatery at 99 Powell Street in Gastown this evening. Here’s my skinny from when we broke the news of its coming back in February:

[…] the 8,000 sqft. space has been split into two addresses by the landlord, with one larger than the other. Both have already been leased. The bigger space, which is liquor primary, is apparently being turned into a nightclub [update: this is The Alexander/Brooklyn], which is to say that it’s the smaller spot that interests me. It’s slated to become a restaurant, and a likely a good one at that.

It’s called Bambudda. It will be a 55-60 seat contemporary Chinese joint dishing mostly Cantonese-inspired plates (plenty of nouveau dim sum) in a more stylish environment than we normally see from the milieu; expect a more fashionable design, darker lighting a more relaxed ambience, an audible soundtrack (ie. not a mere din), considered cocktails, et cetera (if you think that sounds a little like Bao Bei a few blocks to the south, I agree, except that in this case we’re talking about Cantonese rather than Shanghainese/Taiwanese). There will also be a sidewalk patio outside and a 400 sqft private room for up to 18 people.

Behind Bambudda is front of house lifer Ray Loy, who worked at “C”, Joe Fortes, and Bacchus before he became part of the opening team at Market by Jean George in the Shangri-La hotel, where he has been ever since. His parents brought him to Vancouver from Hong Kong when he was an infant some 40 years ago. He was raised in Strathcona/Chinatown, and opening a restaurant has been a lifelong dream. Where does the name Bambudda come from? “It’s a mix of two of my favourite things.” Loy explains. “Bamboo and buddha”.

The chef, Keev Mah, is a self-described “food nerd” who found a passion for the culinary arts in the kitchens of his grandmothers. Apparently, one grandma would cook Cantonese Chinese-inspired dishes with a Kelantanese-Malaysian slant and the other would cook Fujian-Chinese and Vietnamese-influenced food informed by her Nyonya-Peranakan heritage. Malaysian-born and French-trained, Mah worked at several restaurants in Vancouver (Hy’s, Malarkey’s, Circa) before landing this gig. He might be unknown to the fooderati, but I’m told he’s well travelled, well schooled, and a super keen perfectionist who likes to innovate.

The menu looks really interesting, and as you can see the space itself has turned out exceptionally well. They worked through two soft openings over the Canada Day long weekend and tonight is zero hour — the real deal. Check out the menu and ex-Maenam barman Buck Friend’s cocktail list (isn’t that a great name for a bartender?) amidst the photos below. The hours are 5:30pm to midnight, Tuesday through Sunday.

ALL ANTICIPATED OPENINGS

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Andrew Morrison is the editor-in-chief of Scout and BC’s Senior Judge at the Canadian Culinary Championships. He contributes regularly to a wide range of publications, radio programs, and TV shows on local food, culture and travel. He live and works in the vibrant Strathcona neighbourhood, where he also collects inexpensive things and enjoys birds, skateboards, whisky, shoes, many songs, and the smell of wood fires.