New Korean restaurant to join buzzing Vancouver block of award-winning restaurants
Something delicious is coming to the former home of the now-closed Aleph Eatery ā and it’s bringing with it traditional Korean dishes with a no-nonsense approach.
Introducing Nabi House, a new restaurant brought to us by chef and owner Daniel Lee.
Dished spoke with Lee to learn more about this new concept and what people can expect when it’s open.
Nabi House
“Nabi House is a restaurant where you can experience everyday Korean foods meant to nourish and inspire,” said Lee.
Here, patrons can expect plenty of shareable plates with healthy portions. But Lee made sure to emphasize that the food he’s planning on serving isn’t exactly the same as the kind found back in Korea.
“Nothing [on the menu] is really that ‘out there’ if that makes any sense,” he said. “Much of the menu is derived from something that I learned from my family or just hanging out, cooking with friends, not something you would see on most Korean menus in the city.”
He explained that the core of these dishes would remain faithful, with staple ingredients like gochujang and doenjang staying the same, but instead opting to use different proteins and vegetables that you wouldn’t typically see in Korean cuisine.
Highlights from the menu include a salmon platter, which Lee said is how they would eat sashimi in Korea. The dish is served much like you’d be presented a platter at a Korean BBQ place, with the addition of ssam sauce, banchan, and lettuce for wrapping, alongside a “secret” sauce that Lee wouldn’t go into detail on, but said would go great with the dish.
Nabi House
As for the name of the restaurant, Lee said that “Nabi” is Korean for butterfly.
“As the metamorphosis from a caterpillar evolves to its final form, we hope to show a form of Korean cuisine that carries the heart of our heritage, and yet takes flight with new ideas,” he explained.
But, by opening on Powell Street near heavyweights like Niwa (one ofĀ Air Canada’s Top 10 Best New Restaurants) and the Michelin-recommendedĀ Nero Tondo, we had to ask if awards like Michelin were already on the radar for Lee.
“We’ll see how it goes,” he said. “I want to keep things as simple as possible. Just make this an everyday restaurant.”
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An exact opening date for Nabi has yet to be shared, but it is aiming to softly open before the end of December. Once open, it will operate from Wednesday to Sunday from 4 to 10 p.m., with the potential for brunch and lunch service to be added later on.
Nabi House
Address: 1889 Powell St., Vancouver
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