Vancouver’s dining scene is vast and exciting, ranging from inventive fusion and stylish waterfront steakhouses to shopping mall banquet halls serving excellent dim sum. With the new MICHELIN Guide selection unveiled this year, four restaurant professionals took home extra honors: the 2026 MICHELIN Guide Vancouver special awards.
At Elem, Chef Vish Mayekar’s unique global perspective earned him the coveted Young Chef prize.
Yash Shah, the general manager of Kavita was recognized for the enthusiasm he instills in his team at the Indian fine dining spot.
Mark Taylor of Bacchus won for wine, with a commendable approachability alongside his impressive Old World and local collection.
And for cocktails, Chris Enns’ India-meets-France creations at Peya wowed our Inspectors the most for the category.
Read on to learn more about the career paths and philosophies of this year’s awardees.
2026 MICHELIN Guide Vancouver Young Chef Award winner: Vish Mayekar of Elem
2026 MICHELIN Guide Vancouver Young Chef Award winner: Vish Mayekar of Elem
Born in Mumbai and trained at culinary schools in India and Canada — with experience in kitchens cooking contemporary and Italian food — Chef Vish Mayekar has a gastronomic perspective like few others.
At Elem, the restaurant he opened in Mount Pleasant in 2024, he’s synthesized all those potent components into a mixture that’s entirely distinct.
“I didn’t want to put myself into one specific box or define the restaurant by a single cuisine,” he says. “It’s the first time I’ve been able to take everything I’ve learned, from Mumbai to Canada and everywhere I’ve travelled and worked, and put it onto one plate in a way that feels completely personal to me.”
The restaurant is a celebration of local British Columbia (B.C.) producers through the lens of Mayekar’s memories. Dishes can feel nostalgic and festive in the same way that food was always the center of lively gatherings in Mumbai. There is a focus on simplicity and the integrity of an ingredient — a style of cooking he learned from stints at some of the city’s most popular Italian spots.
“I’ve spent a lot of time working with Italian food, and it taught me to really respect ingredients and understand that you don’t always need to do a lot to make something great,” he says.
On a plate, that point of view looks like Mayekar’s elk tartare, a slyly grand dish served inside a roasted bone with its marrow and a side of potato chips.
“It brings together a lot of the things I enjoy as a chef — great Canadian ingredients, contrasting textures, richness, acidity and a little bit of playfulness,” he says.
The open kitchen and braised veal cheeks. © Pacific Solutions | © Aditya Pawar/Elem
2026 MICHELIN Guide Vancouver Service Award winner: Yash Shah of Kavita
2026 MICHELIN Guide Vancouver Service Award winner: Yash Shah of Kavita
Order the AMMAkase menu at Kavita in Mount Pleasant and step into the world of a traditional Indian home. The portmanteau combines the word amma, meaning “mother” in Indian culture, with the Japanese dining concept of omakase, where the chef doles out courses according to his or her whim.
At Kavita, that looks like about a dozen small dishes, adjusted often as the weather changes, and delivered with warmly told backstories.
“The idea comes from the way many of us experienced food growing up in Indian homes: you sit down and trust the person feeding you,” says general manager Yash Shah. “Our responsibility as a service team is to make [guests] comfortable enough to give us that trust.”
Shah, who came to Canada from India for his studies, initially began working in restaurants for extra income alongside a job in sales and marketing. As he learned the values of service at some of Vancouver’s finest restaurants, he saw in it a future career.
Kavita’s executive chef, Tushar Tondvalkar, also happens to be his best friend.
“Kavita was a dream that Tushar and I had for a long time, and together we were able to turn that dream into a reality. We take a lot of pride in what we do, and we genuinely love every part of it,” Shah says.
That sense of pride and ownership is key to the service philosophy that Shah imparts on his team, who move through the stylish space with visual enthusiasm.
“The biggest thing for me is to read the room,” he says, citing the Indian Hindu concept of Atithi Devo Bhava, or “the guest is God.”
“To me, it means that once someone comes into your space, you take responsibility for looking after them. I tell my team that hospitality cannot be completely scripted,” he says.
Yash Shah getting ready for service. © Sherman Chong/Kavita
2026 MICHELIN Guide Vancouver Sommelier Award winner: Mark Taylor of Bacchus
2026 MICHELIN Guide Vancouver Sommelier Award winner: Mark Taylor of Bacchus
With oil paintings on the walls and gilded Venetian decor, Bacchus, set in the One-MICHELIN-Key Wedgewood hotel, strikes an especially elegant note. But Mark Taylor, the restaurant’s sommelier, doesn’t want guests to feel intimidated.
Check the wine tab on the restaurant’s website and a link to email Taylor directly pops up.
“Wine can sometimes feel intimidating, and I never want that to be the experience at Bacchus,” he says. “If someone is celebrating an anniversary, planning a special dinner or just wants some guidance with wine, I want them to know they can reach me directly.”
The wine list at the fine dining European restaurant is classic and extensive, with a focus on France and the Old World, alongside a selection of bottles from British Columbia.
“I love important bottles, but I am equally interested in wines with character, a great story or something unexpected,” Taylor says.
One pairing where that element of surprise comes into play: a pan-seared local halibut with an acid and mineral-forward Felton Road Bannockburn Chardonnay from New Zealand. The dish, served with a prawn risotto and Champagne beurre blanc, is beautifully rich, Taylor says, and the Chardonnay keeps everything fresh.
“I also love the pairing of a beautiful B.C. ingredient with a Chardonnay from Central Otago. It is classic, but a little unexpected,” he says.
The extensive wine options at Bacchus. © Bacchus/Wedgewood
2026 MICHELIN Guide Vancouver Exceptional Cocktails Award winner: Chris Enns of Peya
2026 MICHELIN Guide Vancouver Exceptional Cocktails Award winner: Chris Enns of Peya
What happens when the eyebrow-raising flavors of Indian spices and sophisticated French liqueurs meet in a glass? There may be only one place to find out: Peya, a lively fusion spot in East Vancouver.
Chris Enns, the bar manager, is behind a cocktail list that translates the restaurant’s unusual concept into remarkable creations. There’s the Corpse Reviver No. 1, with black cardamom and fig leaf adding heft to French brandy, Calvados and Rouge Vermouth. And the Sanskrit 75, with fennel and hibiscus punching up the richness of Calvados and Sauternes.
“The goal was to create a natural synergy where bold Indian spices, tropical fruits and herbal botanicals are balanced by the structured elegance of classic French liqueurs, wines and brandies,” Enns says.
One of Canada’s most celebrated bartenders, Enns got his start at the age of 10, sifting through the condiments in his fridge as he experimented with virgin Caesars, the classic Canadian Bloody Mary riff.
His drink list today reflects the same curiosity about flavor layering — along with the deployment of some cutting-edge techniques. On the New Frontiers section of the menu, cocktails come with airs, foams and custom-flavored ice that slowly transforms a drink’s taste as it melts.
“Ultimately, my style isn’t about pushing one specific flavor profile; it’s about using technique and thoughtful flavor pairing to meet the guest wherever they are that evening,” he says.
The fun Bollywood Hills cocktail and bar at Peya. © Peya
Hero image: Meet the Winners of the 2026 Michelin Guide Vancouver Special Awards
Written by
David Shortell
David Shortell is a contributing writer for The MICHELIN Guide, based in Mexico City. His news and travel reporting has appeared in publications including The New York Times, CNN, and Travel+Leisure.
Dining and Cooking