Kissa Tanto

Vancouver, Canada

Kissa are niche Japanese jazz haunts that first flourished in 1960s Tokyo, a design touchstone that informs the moody yet eclectic colour scheme of this Chinatown modern classic. Advertised with a neon sign to bring diners up to the first floor, here they will find barstools the same shade of pink as the Singapore Slings mixed behind the counter. Tanto, meanwhile, is the Italian word for ‘much’, and the idea here is to prepare Italian dishes with a Japanese ethos and ingredients – an approach that has a long tradition in Japan but can be a mess in inexperienced hands. Half-Japanese chef Joël Watanabe has a head start in understanding the technique, though arguably his cooking is so assured that he has evolved the fusion into a style unique to himself, in the likes of tajarin (Piedmontese tagliolini) transformed into something more like a noodle dish with butter, roasted mushrooms and miso-cured yolk.

Key Information

• Average price per person $100
• Tasting menu from $112
• Dinner: Weds – Sun
• +1 778 379 8078
• Visit Kissa Tanto's Website

Location

63 E Pender Street, Chinatown, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6A 1T8