Vancouver's new globally inspired restaurant and bar opens today — here's what to order
Vancouver’s South Granville neighbourhood has quickly become a foodie hot spot. Whether it’s the Michelin-approved Gary’s or the recently opened cafe inside of the Vancouver-based home-goods store Fable, there are plenty of exciting things to eat and drink. Now, a new player is entering the scene, and it’s bringing with it globally inspired eats, a solid cocktail program, and a top-notch front-of-house team to boot.
We had the chance to visit Bar Asra before its opening to chat with the team and try some of the dishes and drinks.
Located at 1480 W 11th Ave., Vancouver, Bar Asra is opening in an iconic 100-year-old building, which is most notably the former address of Vij’s Rangoli, which closed in 2020. The interior has since been entirely redone, and the approximately 1800 sq. ft. restaurant now boasts 60 seats, with six seats on the bar in the back and a patio in the works as well.
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The menu was created by co-owners and chefs Kanwardeep Ahluwalia and Baldeep Singh. Each item on the menu features inspiration from around the globe while highlighting local ingredients.
Take the lamb quiche, for example, which is wrapped in a Ceylon paratha shell and paired with a mangetout and goat cheese salad meant to pay tribute to the culinary blending that followed the Ottoman migration to the Indian subcontinent.
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Another favourite was the ahi tuna crudo, which is an adaptation of the Thai Nam Khao salad, using local seafood and citrus. We were particularly fond of the jasmine rice truffle it was served with.
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But the overall fan-favourite at the table was the ramen bowl. While this is meant as a love letter to all the ramen shops throughout Vancouver, don’t expect your traditional bowl of noodles. A coconut broth with lemongrass and galangal (a spice in the ginger family) is poured over ramen noodles alongside a house-made chili peanut oil. Think of a Thai coconut curry but as a bowl of ramen. Perfect for those rainy Vancouver days where all you want to do is warm yourself over a bowl of soup.
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“There isn’t a dish that you can say is from one particular region or one particular country or a cuisine style. At the end of the day, the style of cooking is all the same around the world,” said Ahluwalia. “When you come to the culinary terminologies, they’re all the same. It doesn’t matter which part of the world you’re in.”
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This lends itself to one of the most noteworthy parts of our visit: simply hearing the inspiration behind each dish. Once open, General Manager Johann Hart and his team will explain exactly why each element is on your plate and where the global inspiration for each item comes from.
This global inspiration has also influenced the cocktail program led by Bar Manager Mathew Locke. Just like the food, Locke has created a drink program featuring ingredients and flavours from all over the world. Think drinks like a white port and tonic highball reimagined in the Porto Spritz to the silky, tart, and refreshing Tokyo Silk made with calpico and nigori sake.
Bar Asra opens its doors today, April 15, 2025. It operates Tuesday through Sunday from 3 to 11 p.m., with a happy hour from 3 to 5 p.m.
Bar Asra
Address: 1480 W 11th Ave., Vancouver
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