Market by Jean-Georges Vancouver

at the newly opened Shangri-La Hotel

Preview by City Food Magazine

Yesterday it was Atlanta, and next week it will be Dubai, but this weekend, the latest restaurant to open in Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's expanding empire is right here in Vancouver. Market by Jean-Georges begins taking reservations for dinner this weekend (Saturday, January 24, 2009), and in a very non Vancouver-like fashion, it's opening right on time.

As of this afternoon however, when we take these snapshots, the place is still bustling with work crews, all of them trucking furniture about, cleaning glass, wiring lights in, etc. Even the Shangri-la Hotel brass can't resist stopping every couple of minutes to plump pillows on the lounge settees or realign the coffee tables. One stops to give a massive tropical flower display a 2 degree tweak to the left; the next passerby gives it a 4 degree to the right. Meanwhile, the man himself, Mr. JGV is downstairs at the Urban Fare, hurrying to pick up a last minute shopping list of ingredients. Amusing observation ... for a store supposedly devoted to foodies, not one customer or staffer recognizes him. For certain the restaurant's first customers will do better.

Here's a quick tour of what the early birds can expect to see.

Entrance and Reception Area

Visitors step off the Shangri-la elevator into a darkened hallway lit only by a brightly glowing Market restaurant sign which points the way to a circular, white reception area. No doubt it's a soothing decompression zone, designed to separate the relaxed ambiance of the restaurant from the pace of hotel business just beyond, and fortunately, it's only this photo that does the area the injustice of making it look like the entry to an airport lavatory. Not so. The inlaid marble floor, mustard coloured couch and the porcelain sea anemone of a chandelier hovering overhead are all genuinely stylish. From this starting point, one may turn right into a more casual bistro eating area (with tables overlooking the hotel courtyard below), or turn left to the entrance of the lounge and bar area.










































Bar and Lounge

The bar, to be presided over by mixologist Justin Tisdale, formerly of Boneta, is all cool and space-y metallics, almost chem lab in the rows of uniform glassware in the wall cases, as well as the pattern in the lounge upholstery. (Those yellow-bottomed tumblers could be a wee bit disturbing.) But break that up with vivid red throw cushions that are firm but furry mysteries (dyed cowhide?) Again, you can't tell this from the photo, but the panels above the bar area are actually tiny, inlaid squares of mother-of-pearl. At the end of the lounge there is a curvy conversation nook beneath another designer light fixture, this one resembling an exploding Sputnik of empty bundt cake tins. Intriguing. We're dying to see this place at night.

























































Main Dining Room

Then it's on past the nook to the 140-seat main dining room. But first, one must pass by a couple of concave pillars with surfaces that have been papered to a soft, silvery burnish via layers of tissue-thin silver leaf, each 3-inch square section applied by hand and sealed with a tiny brush dipped in varnish. (See the workman applying the painstaking process at right.) In the dining room the look switches to a warmer, light drenched atmosphere. Complexions are going to look gorgeous in here. Even the interiors of the lamps positioned over the tables have been covered in a gold finish to reflect a rosy aura over anyone seated below. In fact, the more you look around this room, the more you can appreciate the amount of care and expense that has gone quietly into the details. Such as the use of lush fabrics and carpets and extra insulation around the seating areas to absorb sound and create greater privacy. Also the labour intensive extras like the hand strung curtains of 2,400 minute gold beads behind the banquettes. Unlike other restaurants that use faux finishes to mimic marble, Market seems to be using a fair amount of the real stuff to simulate less expensive materials such as wood or stone. At the far end of the dining area, the room branches off into two small private dining areas. One with windows overlooking the street scene below. We spy a pile of printed menus on a table. Should we pinch one? The temptation is strong, but we don't.













































































Hotel Lobby at Street Level

Downstairs in the hotel lobby, Shangri-la staffers are putting operations through trial runs. Both at the bar (more metal curtains hanging overhead) and in the cozy corners of the tea lounge. (Check out the unusual and beautiful china pattern. There is a story behind that and we will tell it to you later.) As you can see from the photo of the three woman partaking in an afternoon cuppa, it's the high ceilings, silk embroidery art, and glittering crystal chandeliers that dominate the room -- even in one particularly unexpected place. Hint: if you use the washrooms, be sure to look up. You'll get something to contemplate all right. All this is impressive, no question. But what strikes us most of all, is the sincere graciousness extended by the lovely, shy hostesses who greet everyone at the door. Such excellence of hospitality we haven't seen since our last visit to Asia. But then, why be surprised? This is the Shangri-la after all. Note: we love the young ladies' demure and simple brown gowns with their saucy flash of crimson concealed in the lining.



















































































Street Signage Outside the Hotel

Located above the street level, the restaurant may be accessed via exterior staircase and through the hotel. Plans for Market include a 60-seat, outdoor terrace eating area, which should be operational by this summer.

Scout Magazine Review by Andrew Morrison

My friend Owen and I went in for a first pass to the highly anticipated Market in the new Shangri-La hotel last night. They’d only just opened for their first public service after back to back “friends and family” test runs, but it filled up fast (they had 80 in the book, and were accepting plenty of walk-ins). We found many familiar faces from West, Le Crocodile, and Feenie’s/Lumiere working the room and kitchen. Of course, former Chambar manager Paul Grunberg (interview) was there, too, and ex-Boneta bartender JT was rocking the drinks (as you can see above). Jean-Georges Vongerichten himself was also in full effect, and was gracious enough to walk me through his restaurant’s first hours…

Opening of Market in the Shangri La from Andrew Morrison on Vimeo.

In our discussions it quickly became clear how genuinely excited he was about working with local boy executive chef David Foot, and very enthusiastic about the ingredients that the coast was bringing to his kitchen. His passion for the project was evident by way of non-stop gesticulation, and those among his staff that I spoke to were just as bubbly (not only about serving their first guests but also about working for an international legend like Jean-Georges).

I’d met Jean-Georges only briefly before at a party a couple of months back. I’d never tasted his food or been inside any of his many far-flung properties. Accordingly, I went in with seriously empty slate expectations. Designers H. Jay Brenner and Cynthia Penner of Box Interiors (whose previous credits include Whistler’s sexy Adara Hotel and local restaurant lookers like Trattoria Italian Kitchen and Watermark) did a fine job of breaking Market up into four distinct zones: a cafe, sizeable raw bar and lounge, a sleekly formal restaurant, and an expansive patio). I really loved the lounge. The acoustics seemed to tolerate the mix of music, voices, and myriad hard surfaces everywhere, and the lighting was soft and gentle. We sat, dined, and mingled here for the duration, so I’m looking forward to test driving the dining room proper in the coming weeks.

On the food front, the butternut squash soup and the black truffle and fontina pizza were definite standouts, but truly every dish I tried was of a very high calibre: very clean and exquisitely balanced flavours with expressive presentations. Pure Vongerichten, from what I’ve heard.

I think I was pleased most by the price points. Expecting menus priced in the stratosphere, I found them in Earls territory instead: roughly $12-28, with a $65 multi-courser set piece that screamed come hither. It’s not often that you come away from a top tier dining experience for two (with beers and cocktails) and end up spending less that $100. I’d be interested in knowing if that was always part of the plan, or whether they considered the economic downturn and retooled to fit the times.

Source:
Scout Magazine

Additional related recent postings:
Shangri-La Hotel Vancouver Opening, January 22, 2009.
Celebrity Chefs working with Hotels, January 7, 2009.
Jean-Georges to open first restaurant in Canada, September 9, 2008.