Joël Watanabe

Coming Up

Since 2010, Joël Watanabe has held the executive chef role at Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie, a position built on consistency over time rather than novelty. He is also chef-owner of Kissa Tanto, which he has led since 2016, and chef-owner of Meo Chinatown.

Where They Are Now

Watanabe’s work sits in Vancouver, with his current roles spanning Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie, Kissa Tanto, and Meo Chinatown. The throughline is breadth across formats, with ownership and kitchen leadership working in parallel.

Signature

Watanabe’s signature plates move across sweet, savory, and textural contrast. They include plum wine-soaked tofu tiramisu, charcoal udon with Dungeness crab and Calabrian chili butter, deep-fried whole Pacific rockfish, and Mascarpone, honey gelato, caviar.

In Their Words A diverse background is part of the frame for Watanabe’s cooking; he has said it has kept him open to cuisines from around the world. He has also pointed to consistency as a working standard, saying, “Now our food quality is always consistent.”

Honors

Watanabe’s recognition includes #10 in Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants (2018), #4 in TimeOut’s 22 Best Restaurants in Vancouver, One MICHELIN Star, Chef of the Year award, and Bronze at Vancouver Magazine’s Restaurant Awards.