Star Chefs to Launch Restaurant in Repurposed Shipping Containers on Vancouver’s Granville Island

Written by Carly Whetter

Once an industrial stomping ground in the 1900s, Vancouver’s famous Granville Island was transformed in the late 1970s into a hotspot for food and culture that now draws over 10.5 million visitors each year. Home to some of the city’s best distilleries, breweries, grocers, artisans, theaters, and restaurants, the island expects a creative new addition as early as summer 2018: Popina Canteen.

This gourmet counter-service restaurant will be housed in three re-purposed shipping containers, hearkening back to the island’s industrial past, and is the brainchild of four award-winning chefs: Angus An (Maenam, Freebird Chicken Shack, Sen Pad Thai, Longtail Kitchen), Robert Belcham (Campagnolo, Campagnolo Roma, Upstairs at Campagnolo, Monarch Burger), Hamid Salimian(Earls Kitchen + Bar, Diva at the Met), and Joël Watanabe (Kissa Tanto, Bao Bei).

“We have been playing with the idea of a collaboration project for years,” says Angus An, co-founder of Popina Canteen. “Popina Canteen is a project that distills our years of fine dining experience into something that is casual and fun. To be able to share and launch this concept on Granville Island, an iconic Vancouver landmark, is a dream come true”.

The menu is yet to be announced, but expect everything from falafel to lobster rolls to ice cream. Think quick, delicious food and drink in an outdoor venue with an exceptional view of False Creek and Downtown. The official opening date will be announced late spring.