BCBusiness

decembeR 2015 BCBusiness 59 iLLustRation: maRk atomos PiLon Jean-Georges vongerichten tipped his three-star Michelin chef's hat to his ‚rst restaurant in Canada in 2009, but Market by Jean-Georges has undergone some subtle yet notable changes of late. The Shangri-La Hotel's restaurant—a high-octane vision of gold columns and velvet banquettes—now has a more generous dollop of B.C. †avours, thanks to new executive head chef Ken Nakano. In recipes envisioned by Vongerichten's New York-based kitchens, the Vancouverite is swapping ahi for albacore tuna and giving more starring roles to root vegetables and game. "It's all about planning with the local farmers and producers and showing them o as much in the winter as in the summer within this classic menu," says Nakano, previously at the Rosewood Hotel Georgia and Fairmont Empress. While he insists favourites such as sable‚sh and molten chocolate cake will stay, he generally sees "a freshening up" at the popular lunchtime haunt. Power to the pedallers! Hungry Vancouverites eager to increase their intake of local organic food can now decrease their carbon emissions by having their groceries delivered free–and free of guilt–by bicycle. Be Fresh Market Cafés, the brick and mortar shops of sPud (sustainable Produce urban delivery), have three locations in kits and downtown where locals can shop and snack. though the cafés may look small for the kind of one-stop shopping time- starved urbanites crave, they can deliver the goods–a virtual inventory of thousands of items from sPud's warehouse. Here's how it works: shop online from home or office. Go to the café and add perishables: fresh produce and ready-to-eat (if it's not there, order by in-store kiosk). those who live within a two-kilometre radius and don't feel like lugging their order home can have every- thing delivered to the door via cool-looking, zero-impact bikes. and no worries about stocking the larder: these bikes can carry up to 600 pounds (more than 270 kilos) each. downtown foodies no longer have to trek south for a taste of Meinhardt. this south Granville gourmet mainstay–acquired by the Jim Pattison Group of companies in 2012–has spun off a new satellite at the southwest corner of Granville and dunsmuir: meinhardt Pacific centre, just steps away from the skytrain. –Mary Beach SPUD pedals grocery delivery, and Meinhardt goes downtown Starting Fresh Best tABLe unless you're part of a pack and scored either the market or alberni rooms, the chandeliered private dining rooms, slip into a coveted half-moon white leather booth for rock-star seating–complete with a backdrop of golden chains. Must-trY orDer While gastro- minded diners would revolt if lust-haves such as black truffle fontina cheese pizza and tuna tartare slipped off the menu, the kabocha cheesecake (with honey ice cream and ginger sauce) and venison poire au lard are seasonal crackers. DrinK uP market is rife with handcrafted aromatic gins such as the grapefruit-and-lemon- centric endeavour (with green peppercorn, to boot). its selection of non-alcoholic drinks is none too shabby, either, so sip on soda blitzed with exotic hits like yuzu fruit. insiDer tiP tisn't the season to linger while talking shop? market offers an "express lunch" delivered within 45 min- utes. if time isn't money, however, move the party to shangri-La's blue moon theatre and luxuriate in a late-afternoon film. Market's new chef makes the menu more local by Lucy Hyslop P o w e r L u n c h N e w + I m p r o v e d hOTEL EaTING Market's space in the Shangri-La

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