{"id":36952,"date":"2026-10-07T07:14:14","date_gmt":"2026-10-07T07:14:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/36952\/"},"modified":"2026-10-07T07:14:14","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T07:14:14","slug":"meet-the-winners-of-the-2026-michelin-guide-vancouver-special-awards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/36952\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Winners of the 2026 Michelin Guide Vancouver Special Awards"},"content":{"rendered":"

Vancouver\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

At Elem, Chef Vish Mayekar\u2019s unique global perspective earned him the coveted Young Chef prize.<\/p>\n

Yash Shah, the general manager of Kavita was recognized for the enthusiasm he instills in his team at the Indian fine dining spot.<\/p>\n

Mark Taylor of Bacchus\u200b won for wine, with a commendable approachability alongside his impressive Old World and local collection.<\/p>\n

And for cocktails, Chris Enns\u2019 India-meets-France creations at Peya wowed our Inspectors the most for the category.<\/p>\n

Read on to learn more about the career paths and philosophies of this year\u2019s awardees.<\/p>\n

\"2026
\n \"2026<\/p>\n

2026 MICHELIN Guide Vancouver Young Chef Award winner: Vish Mayekar of Elem<\/p>\n

2026 MICHELIN Guide Vancouver Young Chef Award winner: Vish Mayekar of Elem<\/p>\n

Born in Mumbai and trained at culinary schools in India and Canada \u2014 with experience in kitchens cooking contemporary and Italian food \u2014 Chef Vish Mayekar has a gastronomic perspective like few others.<\/p>\n

At Elem, the restaurant he opened in Mount Pleasant in 2024, he\u2019s synthesized all those potent components into a mixture that\u2019s entirely distinct.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t want to put myself into one specific box or define the restaurant by a single cuisine,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s the first time I\u2019ve been able to take everything I\u2019ve learned, from Mumbai to Canada and everywhere I\u2019ve travelled and worked, and put it onto one plate in a way that feels completely personal to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

The restaurant is a celebration of local British Columbia (B.C.) producers through the lens of Mayekar\u2019s 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 \u2014 a style of cooking he learned from stints at some of the city\u2019s most popular Italian spots.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve spent a lot of time working with Italian food, and it taught me to really respect ingredients and understand that you don\u2019t always need to do a lot to make something great,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt brings together a lot of the things I enjoy as a chef \u2014 great Canadian ingredients, contrasting textures, richness, acidity and a little bit of playfulness,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\"The
\n \"The<\/p>\n

The open kitchen and braised veal cheeks. \u00a9 Pacific Solutions | \u00a9 Aditya Pawar\/Elem<\/p>\n

\"2026
\n \"2026<\/p>\n

2026 MICHELIN Guide Vancouver Service Award winner: Yash Shah of Kavita\u200b<\/p>\n

2026 MICHELIN Guide Vancouver Service Award winner: Yash Shah of Kavita\u200b<\/p>\n

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 \u201cmother\u201d in Indian culture, with the Japanese dining concept of omakase, where the chef doles out courses according to his or her whim.<\/p>\n

At Kavita, that looks like about a dozen small dishes, adjusted often as the weather changes, and delivered with warmly told backstories.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe idea comes from the way many of us experienced food growing up in Indian homes: you sit down and trust the person feeding you,\u201d says general manager Yash Shah. \u201cOur responsibility as a service team is to make [guests] comfortable enough to give us that trust.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u2019s finest restaurants, he saw in it a future career.<\/p>\n

Kavita\u2019s executive chef, Tushar Tondvalkar, also happens to be his best friend.<\/p>\n

\u201cKavita 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,\u201d Shah says.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe biggest thing for me is to read the room,\u201d he says, citing the Indian Hindu concept of Atithi Devo Bhava, or \u201cthe guest is God.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo 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,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\"Yash
\n \"Yash<\/p>\n

Yash Shah getting ready for service. \u00a9 Sherman Chong\/Kavita<\/p>\n

\"2026
\n \"2026<\/p>\n

2026 MICHELIN Guide Vancouver Sommelier Award winner: Mark Taylor of Bacchus\u200b<\/p>\n

2026 MICHELIN Guide Vancouver Sommelier Award winner: Mark Taylor of Bacchus\u200b<\/p>\n

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\u2019s sommelier, doesn\u2019t want guests to feel intimidated.<\/p>\n

Check the wine tab on the restaurant\u2019s website and a link to email Taylor directly pops up.<\/p>\n

\u201cWine can sometimes feel intimidating, and I never want that to be the experience at Bacchus,\u201d he says. \u201cIf 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love important bottles, but I am equally interested in wines with character, a great story or something unexpected,\u201d Taylor says.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI also love the pairing of a beautiful B.C. ingredient with a Chardonnay from Central Otago. It is classic, but a little unexpected,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\"The
\n \"The<\/p>\n

The extensive wine options at Bacchus. \u00a9 Bacchus\/Wedgewood<\/p>\n

\"2026
\n \"2026<\/p>\n

2026 MICHELIN Guide Vancouver Exceptional Cocktails Award winner: Chris Enns of Peya<\/p>\n

2026 MICHELIN Guide Vancouver Exceptional Cocktails Award winner: Chris Enns of Peya<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Chris Enns, the bar manager, is behind a cocktail list that translates the restaurant\u2019s unusual concept into remarkable creations. There\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe 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,\u201d Enns says.<\/p>\n

One of Canada\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

His drink list today reflects the same curiosity about flavor layering \u2014 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\u2019s taste as it melts.<\/p>\n

\u201cUltimately, my style isn’t about pushing one specific flavor profile; it\u2019s about using technique and thoughtful flavor pairing to meet the guest wherever they are that evening,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\"The
\n \"The<\/p>\n

The fun Bollywood Hills cocktail and bar at Peya. \u00a9 Peya<\/p>\n

Hero image:\u00a0Meet the Winners of the 2026 Michelin Guide Vancouver Special Awards<\/p>\n

\"\"\/
\n \"\"\/<\/p>\n

\n Written by
\n David Shortell\n <\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Vancouver\u2019s 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\u2019s unique global perspective<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":36953,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[33,34],"class_list":["post-36952","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-best-restaurants","tag-best-restaurant","tag-best-restaurants"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/vive.im\/@dnc\/117398392395617178","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36952","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36952"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36952\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36953"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36952"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36952"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36952"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}