Tl;dr – As part of my Vancouver and British Columbia adventures, I enjoyed a meal at Published on Main – a Michelin-starred restaurant in Vancouver. It was a great experience, and I highly recommend checking this restaurant out.
Published on Main is a restaurant from Chef Gus Stieffenhofer-Brandson that focuses on leans heavily into the realm of foraging, with homage to cuisines of Scandinavia, Northern Europe, and Canada. I hadn’t heard about the restaurant until a few weeks before my trip when I stumbled upon Canada’s 100 Best list, which listed it as the #1 Best Restaurant in 2022. It’s since gone on to receive various accolades. This is a review of my meal back in November 2023.
Published on Main
Located in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood of Vancouver, Published on Main has a lively yet reserved atmosphere.
After checking in, we were seated quickly at a longer table in the center of the restaurant. When I made the reservation, there wasn’t space for the tasting menu, so we opted for a la carte seating. That turned out to be a great decision – everything we ordered was phenomenal.
We started with a few cocktails – I believe one might have been titled ‘Blossom Print.’ Both drinks were well-made – they both had body, finish, and flavor.
On the server’s advice, we decided to order seven dishes to share. We went with the following:
Bee Pollen Milk Buns
Yellowtail Tataki
Winter Squash
Ribs
Broccolini Salad
Mascarpone & Corn Cappalletti
Additionally, Published on Main’s signature dish – the Ableskiver – did not disappoint. It’s three savory Danish donuts stuffed with stewed herbs and served on top of a fresh herb emulsion.
In case you’re wondering – this is what the Ableskiver looks like inside (I had to search online to find a photo).
Notably, Publish on Main changes its a la carte menu weekly (though you’ll find some consistent staples on it), particularly with the seasonality of some of its foraged ingredients.
Though we were pretty full, the server made a solid pitch about two ‘must-try’ desserts, so the meal concluded with the “Hay” (hay custard, apple, chamomile) and the “Chocolate” (chocolate, peanut butter, banana) – both of which were outstanding.
Throughout the evening the service was super sharp and friendly.
Should you find yourself in Vancouver and looking for a really quality dining experience from start to finish, check out Published on Main.
