THE GOODS FROM UGLY DUMPLING

Vancouver, BC | The Drive is gaining two new hospitality vets to its tight knit community today as Dachi’s Miki Ellis and Stephen Whiteside are joining forces with Ugly Dumpling’s (Ugly) Darren Gee as co-owners.

“We love Darren and his incredible food at Ugly,” says Ellis, who co-owns Hasting-Sunrise’s Dachi with colleague Whiteside. “Every week we’d go for post-work Staff Meal and shoot the shit together, so this partnership came about quite naturally for us. Stephen and I are thrilled to be a part of the team, and share our love of hospitality.”

Ellis and Whiteside will split their time between Dachi and Ugly, with Ellis bringing her friendly and warm front-of-house service to Ugly. They will both contribute to the evolving wine, sake, and spirits list at Ugly to complement Gee’s rotating, seasonal menus.

“Owning a restaurant is exactly as you would imagine it to be – chaotic, full of joys, all the exciting things, and all the heartbreaking things,” adds Gee, who opened Ugly in 2018. “But, it’s also where I am in my life right now. The food is what I want to cook, what I want to eat. Miki, Stephen and I would just hang out and chat on our Sunday dinners. I know I can trust them to do things with the same intentions I live by.”

Ugly is known for its commitment to British Columbia’s farmers, artisans, and vendors, highlighting as local of ingredients as possible, in a very simple, organic, yet skillful way. Its inspiration comes from staff meals, food chefs cook for each other before and after service, every day – filled with creativity and lots of love.

Currently, Ugly offers both dine-in and take-out options for its a la carte menu, as well as a special omakase ($55 per person), featuring a unique selection of shared dishes curated by Gee from on-menu items and off-menu specials. In-season dishes currently include Mochi Stuffed Tofu Pockets with komatsuna mustard, katsuoboshi and kinome leaf broth; Chili Garlic BC Ling Cod with purple daikon, wild cauliflower mushroom; and Fried Green Tomatoes with coriander, herbs, and fish sauce glaze.

Ugly Dumpling is open Thursday to Monday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m for dine-in and takeout. Its bottle shop is open during business hours. All COVID-19 measures are in-place, including mandatory masks for staff, hand sanitizers, socially distanced tables, and contact tracing.

For reservations and for more information, please visit www.uglydumpling.ca.

Ugly Dumpling

Neighbourhood: Commercial Drive

1590 Commercial Dr.

(Closed)

604-258-0005

WEBSITE