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Sweet Potato

A digital magazine exploring the who, what, why and how of food in British Columbia's Lower Mainlan
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11/27/2022

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THE MAIN HUB: A GIVEAWAY⁠
⁠Inspired by ’s future at and contribution to The Granary at .⁠
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To be entered to win a $100 Gift Card to Four Winds Brewery:⁠
⁠🍺Tag your favourite beer-lovers — one per comment, unlimited entries!⁠
🍺 Follow & ⁠
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This SP x Four Winds giveaway closes at midnight on Tuesday, November 29th with one winner drawn at random & contacted by DM on November 30th, 2022.
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The Granary, a collaborative vision which brings urban and country living together:
“The Brewhouse will act as a main hub and gathering place for the whole Tsawassen community” says Craig Stanghetta of , a key member of the team bringing the project to life. ⁠
Cheers and good luck!
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11/19/2022

Ubuntu – an ancient African word meaning 'humanity to others' – is doing things differently. ⁠
Founder Dave Gunawan explains that “Being a “restaurant” is not necessarily about commodifying a particular version of food to serve the capitalistic system, but rather serving food that serves the people who cook it, produce it, and the community itself. This is the basis of food sovereignty.”⁠
Located in the Riley Park neighbourhood of East Vancouver, was designed to encourage their chefs to express their identity through the food they create. Dave’s goal in creating this space was that the chosen team could transform into the best version of themselves in their personal and professional lives.⁠
Dave explains that the breakthrough in his self journey had him realize how important it feels to belong. “To feel accepted and be embraced by our innate creativity, I began to find gratitude in everything around me… began to utilize my experience to help my staff find their relationship with themselves through food. To retrace their way back home and find their sense of self”⁠.⁠
A personal essay on .⁠
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FINDING YOURSELF THROUGH FOOD⁠
Story by Dave Gunawan⁠
Photos by Johnathan Spooner.⁠
Link to read more in stories.

11/18/2022

: a simple hashtag with a big impact on the future of food that also serves as the ethos for , a Vancouver-based bakery, flour mill, coffee shop, pantry, and all around powerhouse, co-founded by and .⁠
⁠Since opening their doors in August 2019 in the Cedar Cottage neighbourhood of East Vancouver, [having added a Hastings St. location since this story was first published] they have become a staple of the community in terms of quality and sustainability. Everything Flourist makes, sells, or endorses is traceable and sourced in a way that allows the consumer access to the freshest and best product available.
⁠One of biggest draws is the freshly milled-on-site flours. They use two stone mills made by Osttiroler Getreidemühlen Green in East Tyrolia, Austria, and a third by in Vermont, U.S. ⁠
⁠(Stone milling flour helps retain the grain's nutrients by milling slowly, which maintains a low temperature between two large rotating stones.)
With the holiday baking season fast approaching, even if you’re not in the Vancouver area, you can buy bags of Flourist's freshly milled flour online, where they ship anywhere in North America!
For more info, visit online…
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FRESHLY MILLED
Story by .
Photos by , & Vren Lagadi.  [link in stories]

11/13/2022

Nestled between the Coast Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, and located on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, Vancouver is a city that was made for exploration. From lush temperate rainforests, beautiful beaches, and vibrant neighbourhoods, it’s one of the most diverse culinary scenes on the West Coast.
With a dining destination for every heart-of-the-action, False Creek-adjacent neighbourhood — from English Bay to Yaletown, on to Chinatown, Gastown, Olympic Village and Kitsilano — consider this a guide for the gastronomically inclined including stops at local favourites…
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Read more on online…
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BEST OF THE WEST
Story by Michelle Lee
Illustration by Justine Wong
Link in bio!

11/11/2022

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Steamed, boiled, or fried, the soft, pillowy parcels of stuffed dough we know as dumplings are delectable and delicious.
Offering not just traditional, but the unconventional with shrimp and scallop options for pescatarians; vegetarian medleys for plant-based eaters; and chicken and ginger creations — Vancouver’s are currently collabing with on a Detroit style pizza topped with their handmade pork & chive dumplings, crispy shallots, cilantro, green onions, a drizzle of chili oil & a sprinkling of sesame seeds!
Two classic comfort foods, together at last.
Only 🔛 until Sunday, November 14th at Pepino’s.
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I DREAM OF DUMPLINGS
Story by .
Read more online now!
Link in stories.

11/06/2022

“Nestled in the dense forest of Galiano Island, B.C. is an understated, cottage-like building—if you were travelling by too quickly you might miss it—blending almost seamlessly into its wild surroundings. With its timber shell and amber lit inside, the warmth alone draws you right in. And you’ll want to stay for the food, people, and especially their stories…”
Read more about , Chef , and what sets this cottage-like food chapel apart from the rest.
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FORAGING IN THE FOREST
Story by
Photos by &

10/27/2022

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PIEROGI PARTY
A nostalgic love affair with an Eastern European delicacy.
Story: Monika Markovinovic

The creation of pierogi is made with the simplest of ingredients: Flour and warm water (and sometimes an egg).
Hand crafted and simple, this pride and comfort of Eastern Europe is so deeply loved that it transcends geography. From the classic Ukrainian pierogi of Ladner’s and the Sunshine Coast’s , to the tex-mex inspired fusion of , to a village in Alberta constructing a 26,000-pound steel and fibreglass sculpture of a pierogi (complete with fork), these little puffs of starch represent a collective familiarity for so many people.
In the words of , “People want simple things that taste like home.”
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Read more on !
Link in stories.

10/25/2022

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PIEROGI PARTY
A nostalgic love affair with an Eastern European delicacy.
Story: Monika Markovinovic

Although its origins are murky, the pierogi is believed to have first been seen in Poland’s first ever cookbook, published in 1682.
Another legend traces its origins to the year 1238 where Poland’s Saint Hyacinth was thanked for ending a famine with a plate of golden half-moons of stuffed dough. He was naturally later named the patron saint of pierogi.
Unpretentious in nature, it has stood the test of time through history. It has outlived invasions, fallen empires, and the use of parachute pants as an acceptable form of fashion.
These tiny pillows of starchy joy are a mainstay in Eastern European and Polish culture and have connected families across countless generations, gathered in comfort and joy with these humble dumplings.

Above all else, the pierogi persists.
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Read more on !
Link in stories.

10/18/2022

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GRILL AND CHILL
Kerrisdale Lumber has built a family legacy of outdoor living.
Story: Ayesha Habib

When Kerrisdale Lumber split its operations into two different store locations in 2020, the company made one of the largest decisions in its 100-year history. Founded in 1921 as a simple neighbourhood hardware store, Kerrisdale Lumber has thrived with time, evolving into an expansive operation specializing in contractor supply, home decor, and outdoor living…and that’s where the party starts.

“We have a great in-house team who are very passionate and love to cook for customers, and love to show them how it all works,” shares Tessa Ross, Kerrisdale Lumber’s marketing strategy and business development manager. “One of our general managers is super passionate about cooking, and a lot of the time clients will invite him over when the outdoor kitchen is finished so he can give them a bit of a tutorial and they can have a nice meal together.”
It’s a stark difference to the big-box stores, but that’s entirely the point.
Find out more about how this four decades of family-run business began toying with the idea of outdoor cookery on sweetpotato.com.
Link in stories/bio.

10/15/2022

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Thank you to & of for their generous Prado prize in this week’s Sweet Potato GIVEAWAY!
Says Andrea, “We don’t take our customers for granted. Especially after the last few years, and even more so now, that they choose to spend their money on coffee. That is a really important moment in people’s days, and we just want to make it an entire experience.”
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10/11/2022

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THE ULTIMATE NEIGHBOURHOOD CAFÉ: A GIVEAWAY!
Inspired by ’s dedication to connection and community.

To be entered to win a $100 Gift Card to any Prado location:
☕️ Tag a fellow coffee-lover — one entry per comment, unlimited entries!
☕️ Follow & !

This SP x Prado collab giveaway closes at midnight Thursday, October 13th with one winner drawn at random & contacted by DM on Friday, October 14th.

For more on Prado, including the company’s connection to iconic Parallel Coffee Roasters, read THE ULTIMATE NEIGHBOURHOOD CAFÉ by Ayesha Habib with photography by Rachelle Daminelli.
Link to sweetpotatomag.ca in bio.

10/09/2022

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THE ULTIMATE NEIGHBOURHOOD CAFÉ
Head to Prado for coffee, cookies, and community.
Story: Ayesha Habib
Photography: Rachelle Daminelli

The plan at Prado
is to create a specialized menu that highlights locally-sourced ingredients from Southlands. “We would like to get much more connected to the farm and seasonal items for our menu,” says Piccollo. But like all other Prado locations, Southlands is, above all, a definitive neighbourhood joint. “Prado Southlands is a meeting place for the neighbourhood to come and enjoy each other,” says Andrea. “We don’t take our customers for granted. Especially after the last few years, and even more so now, that they choose to spend their money on coffee. That is a really important moment in people’s days, and we just want to make it an entire experience.”
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10/08/2022

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THE ULTIMATE NEIGHBOURHOOD CAFÉ
Head to Prado for coffee, cookies, and community.
Story: Ayesha Habib
Photography: Rachelle Daminelli

Prado café’s Southlands expansion in 2020 was a step further into their commitment to locality. The Tsawwassen development—an emerging agricultural neighbourhood—is deeply ingrained in sustainable farming operations, and the businesses that operate there are similarly engaged. Access to nature, farm-to-table practices, and pedestrian-forward planning are core tenets of the development’s values.

“The Southlands development was simply an exciting opportunity to be involved in a neighbourhood from the very beginning,” Piccolo says. “Prado is all about connection and community. And the design for this neighbourhood and its connection to farming and food seemed like a natural fit for us.”
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10/07/2022

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THE ULTIMATE NEIGHBOURHOOD CAFÉ
Head to Prado for coffee, cookies, and community.
Story: Ayesha Habib
Photography: Rachelle Daminelli

On the corner of Commercial Drive and 4th, a microcosm of East Vancouver sensibility is at play. The tattooed and tote bag-clutching customers of Prado Cafe amble about benches outside, a light blue espresso cup in one hand and a dog leash in the other. Through the large windows, a bustling scene of first dates, lone second-hand book readers, and how-have-you-been catch-ups unfold inside amid the scent of fresh coffee and baked pastries.
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Prado’s Commercial spot, the cafe’s original location, has become a fixture of its signature neighbourhood’s character, whether it’s in the backdrop of an iconic Seasons of East Van photo or as a gathering space for artists, musicians, and families. This specific locality is something owner Sammy Piccolo envisioned from the start, and has repeated with each new Prado branch across the Lower Mainland.

“My vision for Prado was to be a place of connection for people in the heart of the Drive,” he says, adding that nothing has changed as the brand has expanded, whether it’s the groups of Simon Fraser University students studying at Prado’s Hastings Street corner spot, or the cottage-like vibe at their latest Southlands location.
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10/04/2022

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FRESH STEMS: A Sweet Potato Photo Essay.

Tucked away on Westham Island in Delta, where the Fraser River flows into the Salish Sea, sits River & Sea: a certified organic flower farm operated by Rachel Ryall since 2016.

Here, in less than two acres, Ryall grows more than 70 different varieties of flowers that arrive in the spring and overflow into the fall. While climate change has presented many worrisome challenges for British Columbia agriculturalists, she still finds flower farming incredibly rewarding. Beyond knowing that her products will create joy for her customers and that their biodegradable nature makes them a sustainable gift, Ryall cherishes the way flowers connect her to other people and to the land itself.
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‘Fresh Stems’ by Andrea Marván
Photography: Andrea Marván,

Link to the online magazine in stories.

09/29/2022

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FOOD OF HEART AND HISTORY
The visionary behind Mr. Bannock is lifting Indigenous cuisine to new heights.
Story: Michelle Hopkins
Illustration: Karlene Harvey
Renowned for his unique fusion of flavours and textures while employing traditional cooking methods such as stone baking, smoking, and curing, Paul Natrall, aka Mr. Bannock’s street food has become what legends are made of. You need only go on his social media feeds to read what people say about his famous bannock waffles, drenched in fresh Fraser Valley juniper berries, whipped cream, and maple syrup, or his meat tacos and smoked salmon, to get a sense of his popularity. “What makes my smoked meats so tender,” he says, “is that I slow cook them for 18 hours.”
Natrall’s food encompasses a lot of soul, a lot of skill, a lot of flavour, a lot of history, and, frankly, a lot of fun.
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Read more on !
Link in stories.

09/28/2022

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FOOD OF HEART AND HISTORY
The visionary behind Mr. Bannock is lifting Indigenous cuisine to new heights.
Story: Michelle Hopkins

Inspired by stories told to him as a young child about his great-grandfather, who was a Red Seal chef trained in the army, Paul Natrall, developed a passion for cooking from an early age. He spent endless hours watching both of his grandmothers cook rustic homestyle cuisine on the unceded and traditional territory of the Coast Salish people—specifically the Squamish Nation.
“Using traditional ingredients, my grandmothers would cook shepherd's pie with elk and a variety of berry pies,” Natrall recalls. “When I was 11, my dad died, so I started cooking for my mother, grandmother, and my siblings.”
Thanks to the hunting of his uncles, he learned how to cook elk, venison, moose, deer and bison. “My earliest memory of eating game meat,” he says, “was a deer chow mein that one of my grandmothers cooked.”
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Read more on !
Link in stories.

09/27/2022

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FOOD OF HEART AND HISTORY
The visionary behind Mr. Bannock is lifting Indigenous cuisine to new heights.
Story: Michelle Hopkins

After several attempts to reach Mr. Bannock, aka Paul Natrall, I finally get the award-winning Indigenous chef on the phone. Engaging and soft spoken, the 38-year-old Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Nation member apologizes profusely for not calling me back sooner.
After a few minutes of chatting, I understand why it took him quite so long: this second-generation chef and director at the Indigenous Culinary of Associated Nations is a very busy man.

Besides running Mr. Bannock Indigenous Cuisine—Metro Vancouver’s first Indigenous and wildly successful food truck—Natrall sells products online (like his cinnamon bannock mix) and runs a catering company. And still, he finds time to volunteer with Indigenous youth through the non-profit association I Can.
“Through a number of initiatives, I Can ensures our children are healthy and safe,” says Natrall, who is raising six kids with his partner Kelley Lloyd-Jones.
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Read more on !
Link in stories.

09/25/2022

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CHEF TERRY PICHOR’S FAMILY AFFAIR
How Il Posto became Ladner’s favourite casual Italian eatery.
Story: Ayesha Habib

Chef Terry Pichor and his wife Julie Marcopoulos opened Il Posto with a specific vision in mind: this was going to be a casual neighbourhood spot with good food and good vibes. Not a special occasion splurge, but a place to go back to again and again. Shifting from fine dining executive chef to restaurant owner has been “humbling,” says Pichor. “You really can’t compare working as a chef in someone else’s restaurant versus owning your own place. Everything falls on us, and the learning curve is steep when it comes to the business side of things. But I am proud of how much we have learned in our first few years. We have a team of about 40 now, and that also makes me proud. It’s really cool to be able to employ so many local people.”

Still, some things haven’t changed much. “This menu allows me to use similar products to what I was using in fine dining foods,” Pichor says. “I'm still using some of the same suppliers like Two Rivers Meats. I also use some of the local produce here, like Schoolhouse Farms. A lot of my ingredients are imported from Italy as well.”

With Pichor in the kitchen, Marcopoulos running operations, and the couple’s two sons making occasional appearances on the restaurant’s Instagram page, Il Posto is a beautiful (and tasty) family affair.
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Read more on !
Link in stories.

09/24/2022

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CHEF TERRY PICHOR’S FAMILY AFFAIR
How Il Posto became Ladner’s favourite casual Italian eatery.
Story: Ayesha Habib

If you’ve ever been a regular at your neighbourhood pub or coffee shop, you’ll know that feeling of comfort and community well. These are the places where you know the menu by heart, where you have your very own “the usual,” and where mundane moments turn into nostalgic memories. For many residents of Ladner, Il Posto, a light-filled Italian-American restaurant, has become exactly this kind of neighbourhood staple.

Helmed by chef Terry Pichor, the Ladner Village restaurant is a love story disguised as a casual eatery lined with dark red tones and rustic wood. Pichor, known for his expansive career in fine dining at some of the most exclusive B.C. resort restaurants, opened the joint with his wife Julie Marcopoulos in 2018. It was a decision, he says, that came with starting a family and wanting to shift to a simpler format. “It was something I had been thinking about for years. I originally wanted to do a really small simple pizzeria with a wood-burning oven,” the chef recalls. “That was food I really enjoyed eating.”
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Read more on !
Link in stories.

09/19/2022

LET’S GO OUT TO EAT : A Giveaway!
Inspired by Tannis Ling’s obsession with food.

To be entered to win a $100 Gift Card to Ms. Ling’s first baby, Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie…
🥢 Tag a fellow food-obsessed fan — one entry per comment, unlimited entries!
🥢 Follow &

This SP x Bao Bei collab giveaway closes at midnight Wednesday, September 21st with one winner drawn at random & contacted by DM on Thursday, September 22nd.
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For more on Tannis, including what she was referring to when she said, “the weirder the better”, read LET’S GO OUT TO EAT by Sara Harowitz with photography by Jeremy Jude Lee.
Link to sweetpotatomag.ca in bio.

09/19/2022

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LET’S GO OUT TO EAT
After shutting down her latest restaurant, Vancouver dining powerhouse Tannis Ling is taking a breath—but not for long.
Story by Sara Harowitz
Photography by Jeremy Jude Lee

In 2018, the space below Kissa Tanto became available, and after some debating, Ling—along with Jian Cheng and, once again, Alain Chow—decided to take it.
They came up with Nancy Go Yaya: a Singapore-style eating house and cafe open for breakfast and lunch, serving the likes of nasi lemak and laksa.
With lineups often down the street, Nancy seemed like it was a runaway hit. But with the rising cost of ingredients, low liquor sales, and hospitality staff shortages, it proved to be more of a challenge behind the scenes.
In July of 2022, Ling and her partners made the tough decision to close down.
The ghost of Nancy will live on, though, because Ling and team are already planning what will open in its place. And while she won’t reveal anything about the concept just yet, she confirms that it will be an evening spot, and “it’s going to be fun, and it’s going to provide people with the same sense of escape that they get when they go to Bao Bei or Kissa Tanto.”
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09/17/2022

LET’S GO OUT TO EAT
After shutting down her latest restaurant, Vancouver dining powerhouse Tannis Ling is taking a breath—but not for long.
Story by Sara Harowitz

II/III
After Bao Bei came Kissa Tanto, in 2016, which merges Japanese and Italian cuisine in a way that is at once elevated and playful. “I walked by this space one day and I looked up—I’ve always been obsessed with really old things that have lots of patina, things that have a lot of character and history—and was really intrigued by the whole feel of the building,” Ling remembers. “So I got in touch with the landlord and negotiated the lease, and then Kissa Tanto happened.”

Kissa Tanto’s whole fried fish has become a hallmark dish, while the Tajarin (butter-roasted mushrooms, miso-cured yolk) really sings as an intersection of two cultures. The room here is more speakeasy, more sexy; there are pink booths, blue walls, and plenty of texture. It’s hard to get a table, and there’s good reason for that: this is a place of escapism, of understated luxury.
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Link to the full story in stories!

09/15/2022

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LET’S GO OUT TO EAT
After shutting down her latest restaurant, Vancouver dining powerhouse Tannis Ling is taking a breath—but not for long.
Story by Sara Harowitz
Photography by Jeremy Jude Lee

Tannis Ling is the visionary behind popular restaurants Bao Bei and Kissa Tanto (the latter of which she owns with chefs Joël Watanabe and Alain Chow), both located in Vancouver’s Chinatown neighbourhood. When she opened Bao Bei in 2010, there was nothing like it in the city; it brought classic Chinese dishes to the setting of a sultry late-night bar.

“The idea for Bao Bei had always been in the back of my mind,” says Ling, who spent a decade bartending before opening her own restaurant. “I was always thinking, ‘Why isn’t there a place to eat Chinese food in an atmosphere like the restaurants I had been working at: loud, fun, good wine, good cocktails?’ At that point, you could only eat Chinese food in Chinese restaurants, which as we all know means large tables and bright lighting—and it’s fun in its own way, but not in that intimate kind of way that I like to dine with my friends. So I just decided I was going to do it.”

Bao Bei excels in its simplicity. With homestyle Chinese dishes (the fried rice with pork belly and fermented chili is the stuff of dreams, while the marinated eggplant with soy, ginger, and garlic is pure unpretentious bliss), well executed cocktails, loud music, and a rustic, cozy-yet-sophisticated room, this is a place it’s easy to lose track of time in. And that’s how it’s best experienced: with friends, when the night stretches out before you and tomorrow does not exist.
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Link to the full story in stories!

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https://www.sweetpotatomag.ca/

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Coming soon to Sweet Potato: ROOTED, Prince Edward County. A two-part series exploring the people, their practices, the place and the part food plays in a post-pandemic world. Led by Coulson Armstrong (@coulsoncooks), Culinary Director of Sons and Daughters (@sonsanddaughterssf). Explore with us, 11.08.21. 🍠 #Rooted #sweetpotatomag