The Goods from Bacaro

Vancouver, BC | Bacaro is delighted to welcome a new executive chef: culinary star Chanthy Yen, whose experience includes working in some of the world’s best restaurants, serving as personal chef to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and opening the restaurant Nightshade in Vancouver (MICHELIN Bib Gourmand for two consecutive years in 2022 and 2023). Immediately upon stepping into the role, Chef Chanthy has started preparing Bacaro for participation in the 2024 Dine Out Vancouver Festival (January 17 – February 4, 2024) Vancouver World Chef Exchange, which will be hosted in collaboration with Chef Andres Giraldo Florez of Oakland, California’s Snail Bar on February 2, 2024.

Chef Chanthy, whose parents immigrated from Cambodia to Canada in the 1980s, developed a passion for cooking in his grandmother’s kitchen in Windsor, Ontario. After travelling the world to learn from acclaimed chefs, including Chef Andoni Luis Aduriz at Mugaritz and Chef Ferran Adrià at Bullipedia in Spain, he settled in Montréal, Quebec. Here, Chef Chanthy opened his first restaurant, Fieldstone – where he was named Chef of the Year by Eater Montreal – and served as executive chef at the British-style pub Parliament. When the pandemic forced Parliament to temporarily close, he pivoted to open a successful Cambodian street food pop-up on the same site. After pandemic restrictions eased, Chef Chanthy moved to Vancouver to reunite with his husband and open Nightshade, a vegan eatery that earned a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand. In 2021, he was asked to be the personal chef to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, a role that required cooking for family meals and state dinners, and representing Canada at the Club des Chefs Summit in Madrid.

Now, Chef Chanthy is bringing his global expertise to the Venetian-inspired, MICHELIN Recommended Bacaro, operated by Kitchen Table Restaurants. In preparation for the role, he travelled through the Veneto region of Italy, sampling regional fare whose ingredients and flavour combinations will heavily influence Bacaro’s revamped offerings. The menu will emphasize Venetian dining culture, including a focus on seafood, as well as cicchetti (small bites) and an in-house mozzarella program. Wine will also feature prominently, with regional varietals thoughtfully selected to complement the food. Under Chef Chanthy’s leadership, Bacaro will execute three seasonal menu changes, with some featured items offered throughout the year.

Chef Chanthy joins Bacaro as the restaurant prepares for the 2024 Dine Out Vancouver Festival, Canada’s largest food and drink festival. One of four restaurants to participate in the festival’s flagship Vancouver World Chef Exchange event, Bacaro will join forces with the MICHELIN Bib Gourmand Snail Bar, where Chef Andres Giraldo Florez – who has also worked at Per Se, French Laundry, WD40 and Saison – oversees a seasonally focused menu paired with natural wines. Together, Chef Chanthy and Chef Andres will present an 8-course dinner, hosted at Bacaro on February 2, 2024.

“I’m excited to join the team at Bacaro, particularly in the lead-up to Dine Out Vancouver Festival’s Vancouver World Chef Exchange,” said Chanthy. “We’re creating a unique experience that shares stories through food, with each flavour combination and wine pairing leading diners down new and exciting paths. The Vancouver World Chef Exchange is the perfect opportunity for diners to sample Bacaro’s culinary stories, enhanced by Chef Andres’ unparalleled expertise. It will truly be an unforgettable evening.”

Tickets to Bacaro’s Vancouver World Chef Exchange dinner cost $295, inclusive of taxes and gratuity, and are available for purchase online.

For more information, visit www.bacarovancouver.com.

Bacaro

Neighbourhood: West End

1029 W Cordova St.

604-687-9887

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