First timers Chau Huynh, Quang Huynh and Michael Gatasi have taken possession of a brand new space in Richmond and are getting set to open a new, design-forward, cocktail-savvy Vietnamese restaurant there called Com.
I was given the nickel tour of the 2,400 sqft space a little over a week ago by Chau and Michael as they were still up to their eyes in construction. Also showing me around were Floor Supervisor Nghi Tran and GM Kevin Cook (who speaks Mandarin fluently and is working on his Vietnamese). When Com – “rice” in Vietnamese – is finished at the end of this month, the 75 seater will sport some of the highest ceilings I’ve ever seen in a Lower Mainland eatery (like, Nightingale high), along with an 8 seat bar featuring a cocktail card developed by the exceptionally busy Shaun Layton (who is on the very verge of launching his own spot). Come summer 2019, it will also feature a 20 seat patio.
To create the look and feel of the modern Vietnamese restaurant, Com’s owners enlisted local branding wizards Glasfurd & Walker, who are once again working with Ste. Marie Design Studio. The two firms have paired up many times over the years, collaborating on some of Vancouver’s most beautiful restaurants – eg. Kissa Tanto, Botanist, St. Lawrence, Savio Volpe, to name just a few – so I think it’s fair to expect the place to be attractive. (I haven’t seen any design renderings that show what it might look like, but I saw enough on my walk-through to get an educated inkling.)
The Huynh siblings might be first timers, but their family has been in the trade for almost their entire lives. Growing up in New Brunswick, their mother, Loan Dao, operated Vietnamese restaurants in Moncton and Dieppe. Originally from Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), she’s developing the recipes for Com with Chau, who will be working as Kitchen Manager. I’ve seen a draft copy of their menu, which is characteristically long and featuring all the south/central greatest hits (Pho Ga, Bun Bo Hue, Banh Xeo, etc.) alongside Huynh family favourites like garlic chicken wings and dry-tossed noodles. The emphasis is going to be on family-style sharing.
From a design slant, I’m really excited to see how it all fleshes out and finishes, but I’m just as jazzed about Loan’s recipes, and particularly psyched about sinking my teeth into whatever it was that she was cooking for the construction team as I was on my way out the door. The place was starting to smell really good, and I can only imagine how deliciously aromatic it will be during the height of dinner service. I’ll report back when it’s imminent or just opened, but in the meantime, take a look at what I saw…
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It is a very modern stylish restaurant in an upscale neighborhood. I had the opportunity to be invited for lunch by the owners when they were closed. Quang and Mrs Dao where in the kitchen preparing some stuff for the next day, and had graciously fed our hungry souls. The food was excellent. I got a tour of both front and back of the restaurant. Thank you Chau and Mike for the special invite. I will definitely be coming back to try everything on the menu.