With Vancouver International Airport (YVR) expanding rapidly, we are not just expecting new terminals but also the continuously enhanced culinary experiences. 20 new food and beverage concepts featuring fresh, local and healthy options are being added to the roster at YVR in 2020. This is such an exciting news for travellers around the world.
New Food and Beverage Concepts at YVR in 2020
The new restaurants or gourmet outlets that are coming to YVR will include: Dirty Apron (@dirty_apron), Asian Heritage Eatery (@eatheritage) and Pacific Farms Market featuring gourmet food and beverage products from Pure Bread (@purebread_canada) and 49 Parallel Coffee Roasters (@49th) and local beer from Steamworks (@steamworksbeer), Red Truck Beer (@redtruckbeer) and Whistler Brewing (@whistlerbrewing).
The #TasteYVR Tour
I was invited to attend the Taste YVR Tour, a chauffeured culinary adventure at the airport. The itinerary would include the recently opened Sal y Limon (@salylimonvan), Lift (@liftbarandgrill) Joe & The Juice (@joeandthejuice), and Stanley Park Taphouse(@stanleyparkbrew), as well as the classic luxurious dining destination, the Fairmont Hotel YVR (@fairmontvancouverairport). Each stop featured delicious bites or sips that are offered exclusively to YVR. And in between stops, we were shown the new cites where the other new restaurants would be,
Sal y Limon (Gate E88)
We had a warm welcome with traditional Mexican live music performance, followed by Scott Norris, VP, Commercial Development, addressing the questions on the future of food and beverage at YVR. The Sal Y Limon has been a long term local favourite in Fraserhood and a go-to spot for authentic Mexican cuisine. The Classic Margarita and the variety of Tacos they offered today were as solid as they could get. My favourite flavour had to be the Fish Taco!
Lift Bar & Grill (Gate D71)
We hopped on the chauffeured carts and headed to the next stop, Lift Bar & Grill.
The original Lift Bar & Grill is known for their Pacific Northwest dishes and the incredible location with the breathtaking views of woods, mountains and the ocean. But here you have a great underwater view of the famous YVR Aquarium. And they have brought the PNW flavours to the airport. Here we indulged ourselves with sushi prepared with the freshest local salmon and albacore tuna, prawn tempura, deep-fried squid and Asian-inspired BBQ short ribs, and washed down with some Bloody Caesar, another Canadian classic cocktail. The quality of the seafood ingredients is impeccable.
Joe & the Juice (Gate C45)
Next, it’s juice time! Imported from Scandinavian, the Joe and the Juice concept is about healthy and organic food and drinks. They also prepare fresh sandwiches, shakes, juices and coffee all from scratch. The winner for me is the Go Away Doc (carrot, ginger, apple) and the Energizer (grapefruit, ginger, apple), probably because ginger is such a magical ingredient that tastes good and makes you feel good!
Stanley Park Taphouse (Gate B12)
This newly renovated dining room is located in the domestic terminal post-security near gate B12. The chefs gave us a warm welcome and presented us the latest dishes including starters, share plates, healthy salads, and many more options for a quick bite before heading off to your travels. And they always have a BC wine and a craft beer, served exclusively at YVR locations that makes you feel special. A tip – the Stanley Park Wheels Up IPA goes really well with the Butter Chicken!
Globe@YVR, Fairmont Hotel YVR
Our final stop of the tour was at the Fairmont Hotel YVR. We came to Globe, one of their fine dining restaurants with an open kitchen. This is one of the finest airport hotels in the world, and one of Vancouver’s very first 5-star hotels. The Fairmont quality was showcased when we were offered their most popular fine dining dishes, the Scallop Oscar, the Herbed Rack of Lamb, and the Classic Dark Chocolate. Another tip – this is the place if you are craving for the finest cocktails you could find at YVR!
Final thought
It’s so exciting for me to share such incredible Taste YVR experiences and these amazing gourmet options at YVR with travellers around the world. And I will be back to cover more new restaurants and gourmet outlets at the airport.
* All food and beverages tasted in this post were complimentary. Opinions are on the reviewer’s own.
