Whenever I meet someone new they usually ask "what kind of restaurant do you have?"

 

I've never actually had any answer for that.  

Why does a restaurant have to be ethnic or classified by political borders whence it came? A true Canadian restaurant, in my understanding of the words, is a gathering of favourites from all over the world, and creations that come from combination of those roots. a crucible, if you will, of food culture.

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My Story

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Growing up in Canada I've eaten all types of food from all cultures. Some I liked, some I did not.

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Over time I imagined mixtures of one's texture and the other's scent, prepared a certain uniqueness and subtle differences.  You may order what you think are banger and mash in my restaurant but you will find it is not what you thought it would be, but wonderful and unique in its own way; reinvented, if you will.

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I dream of food.  From a child I studied textures, flavours, scents, and the pure beauty of each ingredient.  Still today my wife is astounded how I stare at and feel a cut of meat that catches my eye for a long while as if I am speaking to it and asking it what it wants to be.  What I see is the look of the final dish as art, the combination of all the ingredients, the taste and textural effects the spices will have on the meat, the timing of it all coming together in a perfect point in time to inspire the senses.

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A good chef, through great ideas, inventiveness, and art creates sustenance for the body and soul.  

 

I see a meal as an expression of the person preparing it.  The final result of any dish made by any chef includes an unseen ingredient one never purchased. I always say the love a chef has for his art can be actually and intangible that makes a dish more than a sum of its parts. 

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On the other hand, I also believe certain classic recipes should stay true to their nature and roots, true to their history and spirit, and not be experimented with, as these are the ones which evoke the nostalgic memories.

 

The Muse

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My partner's life has been about love of music.  From when she was a child she has been training, studying and collaborating to create, discover, and understand great music.

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From her beginnings in the soviet system and advanced studies in Russia to continuing that love in our own University of British Columbia, and finally transferring that passion to her many talented students in North Vancouver her journey has been long and storied.

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This marriage of the love for food and music is something you will feel as soon as you sit down in our "living room" at Mer's Kitchen.

The "Living Room"
 

As you know by now North Shore is my town and always has been. My love for this wonderful piece of earth drives me to support its uniqueness and to spur on its creativeness.

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When you walk in you will notice the walls are adorned by art created by several local North Shore artists.  My doors and business is always open to anyone who shows great promise and willing to further North and West Vancouver art scene. They are free to bring in and hang art we agree on as a team.  Whomever interested in any of the art on our walls or classes from these artists may contact us to pass the information on.

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The acoustics, design, lighting and use of technology bring together a old and new, creating a comfortable yet functional venue for music and art.

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Guests tend to linger at tables for hours listening to our live performers as if they are at our home for tea.  

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We love it that way. We want our place to be a gathering for art, music, discussions, and great food.