At Nightshade Restaurant in Yaletown, Even the Cocktails are Vegan!

Nightshade, Vancouver’s newest plant-based restaurant, is now open in Yaletown! With last fall’s long tease on social, it feels great to finally let everyone know that the doors are open and plates are on the table just waiting for you.  With its inaugural menu, the restaurant explores the boundaries of vegan cuisine, focusing on hyper-local, farm-to-table ingredients with a global twist.

Behind the Nightshade Launch

“We’ve drawn on techniques and flavours from a lot of different places, including India, Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos. The kitchen will also be using some strict Japanese techniques in certain dishes” says opening Executive Chef Chanthy Yen. “It’s not exactly molecular gastronomy but the restaurant is looking at ingredients from a different perspective.”

Yen is an Ontario-born chef with Cambodian roots who trained at the NorthWest Culinary Academy in Vancouver and apprenticed at Spain’s two-star Michelin restaurant, Maguritz. After cooking alongside notable local chefs like Jefferson Alvarez and Ned Bell, Yen opened Montreal’s award-winning Fieldstone restaurant and the pop-up Touk. Since launching Nightshade, Yen has taken a position as the personal chef for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family.

Adventurous Menu Offerings

Nightshade’s menu features dishes like Braised Salsafy & Burdock with garnishes of puffed wild rice, garlic, and lavender oil; Fennel Congee/Rice Porridge with sake and scallion dressing; Jicama Ceviche with kelp infused cucumber, dill and salsa verde; and Fried Cassava and Lotus Root with mint puree, sweet red curry, and coconut. Desserts are a Creme Brulee with lavender vegan custard and a Rosewater Apple Tart with spiced milk foam.

The bar menu includes wine and vegan cocktails made to order as well as some, like Old Fashions and Rum Aged Manhattans, on tap. An elevated experience for those who enjoy both proof and zero-proof beverages. Made with intricate syrups, spirits and liqueurs that flaunt flavour forward profiles. Their naturally focused wine program provides some of the best BC has to offer on an organic front.

“The goal is also to look beyond the ingredients and flavours while being mindful about our footprint. The team at Nightshade is committed to reducing the impact on the planet and being thoughtful about what we consume.”

Welcome to Lightshade, Your Private Cosmic Bar

The 150-seat restaurant also features a private 20-seat wine bar and tasting room at the back, Lightshade, that is inspired by the flare of the 80s & 90s.  This cosmic pop-up wine bar, with an intimate speak-easy-inspired setting, is a phone-free zone, giving patrons a quiet space to enjoy and relax. A 30-seat patio will be added this spring!

Nightshade can be found at 1079 Mainland Street in Yaletown. The room has been designed by Sean Sherwood, a former restaurateur turned furniture maker. The sophisticated decor gives a nod to floral-inspired motifs while still paying homage to Yaletown’s traditional brick and beam architecture.

Make your reservations by booking online or calling 604.566.2955.
Open Wednesday to Sunday from 5pm to 10pm.