Vancouver's lively new Japanese dining bar was 20 years in the making, and it opens today | Daily Hive

Iberico Tomahawk (Hanna McLean/Dished)

We’ve been lucky enough to dine in plenty of restaurants pre-opening. There are typically a few common threads one can expect during that stage: The team? Antsy, ready to roll. The menus? Crisp, straight off the press. The energy? Palpable, cut it with a knife.

Our latest sneak peek had all of that, plus something that couldn’t be created in the lead-up for the first rounds of guests: an origin story that went back two decades. This layer of history adds an extra spark to an already exciting restaurant debut, even before the food and drink hit the table.

Nomo Nomo, Vancouver’s newest dining bar and cocktail club, is poised to open its doors on Sept. 17, but its story began 20 years ago, when co-owners Benedict Lim and Wayne Chow first cooked up the beginning of this yōshoku-inspired venture.

The culinary director and beverage director, respectively, were unwinding in an izakaya together after what they describe as a “really, really hard day.” It was then, the now hospitality vets decided, “We should do this one day. This feels really good.” What exactly this was, at the time, was left to be seen, they admitted. Now, two decades later, that idea has come to fruition with the launch of Nomo Nomo on Commercial Drive.

In addition to Chow and Lim (the latter also co-owns wildly popular dining destination, The Lunch Lady), this restaurant has a powerhouse team of seasoned professionals behind it. The roster includes Chef de Cuisine Heedong Choi, Bar Manager Lucas Szaraz, Service Manager Gian Mancenido, and the expertise of co-owners Kostas Segounis, Michael Tran, and Bernard Lim.

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“I hope this place finds itself as a staple in the community, in the industry, so that we can keep feeding the Vancouver community amazing hospitality,” Lim shared during our first look at the restaurant.

And what a look it was. Every area of the 794-square-foot, 26-seat restaurant offered something interesting to look at. The space, designed by Jennifer Kurtz of Kurtz Design and built by Amini Construction, features modern tables and chairs, a small TV playing animated shows, and playful nods like figurines and toys from Japanese culture.

While it’s not large in square feet, the decor here makes a big impact. Particularly, the pop-art and anime-inspired artwork, including a quirky reinterpretation of the Mona Lisa. That’s our personal favourite.

Hanna McLean/Dished

Hanna McLean/Dished

The handful of tables in the space are available for reservations, and the Nomo Nomo team tells us the bar will be left for walk-ins. This is where we situated ourselves for the evening, directly across from the glass-front fridge glowing with bottles of sake neatly lined up inside.

That evening, the bar team was firing on all cylinders. House cocktails were mixed, sake was poured, and Japanese whiskey highballs were being enjoyed by all 26 of us in there. It was a true symphony of service from the moment we sat down.

Sherman Chong

Picking a drink was no easy task, as they all sounded great. Naturally, we had to have a few.

The Ringo, made with Calvados, umeshu, bitter liqueur, and Fuji apple shrub, was bright and layered. Another sip, the Kuri, crafted with St. Remy Signature, tawny port, chestnut makgeolli, lemon, pear, and Hokkaido milk, brought that comfort factor.

Our highlight drink-wise was the Suika. It’s a clarified combo of Solmano mezcal, junmai sake, The Irony horseradish, watermelon, and Hokkaido milk. This one is a true can’t-miss beverage.

Iberico Tomahawk (Hanna McLean/Dished)

When it comes to food, we have to start with a heavy-hitter: the ibérico tomahawk. This cut was introduced to us as being from “the happiest pigs alive,” who spend their days roaming fields and eating acorns.

A bone-in 9-oz chop landed on the bar, accompanied by some caramelized apple and dangerously addictive housemade apple kimchi. A true showstopper, and if you’re a pork lover, perhaps your next obsession. You’ll have to be the judge of that.

Prawn Toast, Tamago Sando, Croquette (Hanna McLean/Dished)

Hanna McLean/Dished

Share bites like a croquette with King salmon and ikura, prawn toast made with a Chinese donut, and an open-face tamago sando added a playful spirit to the lineup.

The Bigeye tuna arrived rich and buttery with fresh avocado salsa and shimeji on a Chancho corn tortilla. We’d safely say this is a no-brainer, whether you’re visiting solo or with a dining mate.

Bigeye Tuna (Hanna McLean/Dished)

Carrara wagyu, yuzu kosho, and tsukemono combine to make one delectable steak tartare, which is another must-order we tried.

All the food is designed to be enjoyed with the cocktails. Dishes are seasonal, shareable, and put a global spin on Japanese comfort eats.

While Nomo Nomo draws on the lively, eclectic spirit of Japanese dining bars, it delivers a vibe entirely its own. Everything is done with a delightful flair; it’s evident the team had fun putting everything together. As cheesy as this might read, with everything going on in the world these days, fun is the main thing we’re looking for in our next dining experience.

Sando made with white chocolate cookie, matcha gelato, strawberry & red bean coulis (Hanna McLean/Dished)

Nomo Nomo provides a charming retreat for us patrons and represents a longtime dream for its team.

“To be standing in this space now, 20 years later, to be like we finally did this. We feel super blessed, super super privileged,” says Lim.

Nomo Nomo already feels like a welcome addition to Vancouver, and more specifically, The Drive. It’s in good company, as it’s tucked in on the same block as no-reservations pasta joint, Magari by Oca, and Miami-inspired hideaway The Flamingo Room.

Walk-ins are accepted, but so are reservations if you’d like to plan ahead. You’ll find this eatery open Tuesday to Sunday from 5 p.m. to midnight.

Nomo Nomo

Address: 1268 Commercial Dr., Vancouver

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