Vancouver Restaurants Bring Green Dining to the Forefront

"Built into the fabric of how they cook and operate, The Acorn practices strict locavore and zero-waste principles: if it doesn’t grow locally they don’t use it, they preserve peak‑season produce so items like tomatoes and peaches can appear in winter without flying anything in, recycle comprehensively, receive grower deliveries in reusable totes, and keep their carbon footprint low. The team finds flavour through technique and creativity, turning kitchen trim into cocktail ingredients and favouring a wine list of sustainable, minimal‑intervention producers. A signature example of their whole‑ingredient approach is the shiitake dish—locally grown shiitake roasted with Haida Gwaii seaweed, stems fermented into an XO‑style sauce, fresh ginger made into a silky emulsion, and ginger leaves finished as an aromatic oil—showing how nothing is wasted and every element contributes to the dish." - Sophie Mendel