The spotlight shines on seafood at Bar Bravo. While the menu shifts with the seasons, at its core is the bounty of the sea, from freshly shucked oysters to expertly seared scallops.
Bar Bravo’s Beginnings
Bar Bravo opened in 2023 on a street in Vancouver that is increasingly becoming a foodie destination: Fraser. While ideas were tossed around for a number of years, when the time came to bring Bravo to life, it happened quickly. The team got the keys in April and opened in August.
Their corner location at 26th and Fraser was previously occupied by Ubuntu Canteen. The team did the renovations themselves, building an oyster and cocktail bar from a pastry display and POS station at the front. Along the way, they discovered Japanese maple that was repurposed for the wall panelling. Their corner lot allows for plenty of natural light, yet the interior still feels intimate, even on a sunny day, thanks to their branded blinds. The dining room is comfortable and masculine with dark green and touches of gold.
Seafood is the Star
The menu at Bar Bravo is elevated and on the shorter side. There is a selection of share plates ranging from crudos to pastas. In charge of the kitchen is Partner and Head Chef Jonah Joffe, although the seafood theme of Bar Bravo comes more directly from Partner and Operator Jon Merrill. Merrill grew up in Halifax and shucked his way through some of Vancouver’s most renowned oyster spots before opening his own. His vision was something that felt like an oyster bar in Chicago or New York.
“The whole fish thing is really the brainchild of Jon,” explains Joffe. “He always talked about opening his own oyster bar.”
Now, at Bar Bravo, Joffe and his team construct beautifully colourful dishes. The flavours are equally as creative and bright. Joffe likes acid, be it citrus or vinegar. But that isn’t to say the dishes are one-note. The tartness of hibiscus, the saltiness of a dollop of feta, or the sweetness of fresh fruit rounds out the acid in his dishes. Acid is still high, but it is skillfully balanced with spice, sweetness, and bitterness.
Of course, dishes come and go or different iterations grace the menu as the seasons change. “We do big changes twice a year,” says Joffe. He adds that smaller, more incremental seasonal changes happen throughout the year as well. And, there are also weekly features. These changes keep it interesting for the staff as well as any regulars.
Keep It Simple Stupid
There are beloved dishes that remain untouched on the menu lest those regulars riot. For example, the Tofino King Salmon. It’s hard to miss the dry aging fridge behind the bar, in which hang the salmon. This dry aging is a Japanese technique which improves the texture and flavour of the fish that is showcased in one of Bar Bravo’s most signature dishes. Served raw, the salmon comes in a maple, ginger, and tamari sauce with dots of creamy, vibrant avocado. Other tried and true classics on the menu are the Spanish Octopus with brava sauce, salsa verde, labneh and the Humboldt Squid Bolognese.
As wildly colourful as the dishes are at Bar Bravo, there is an elegant restraint to Joffe’s cooking. He is playful with flavour but is also careful not to overpower his more subtle proteins.
“It sounds so simple and stupid at the time, but it’s really simple flavours,” he shares. “For fish especially, when you’re trying to let a product show, I think just simpler ingredients- just let them show off and play together.”
The culinary team at Bar Bravo exercises deliberate restraint, which results in some particularly elegant dishes, especially for Bar Bravo’s price point. Most dishes range between $15 and $30.
Fresh and Fruity
As mentioned, especially with their current summer menu, fruit features more than I would have expected in savoury seafood dishes. The Hokkaido scallop crudo comes with thinly sliced fresh kiwi as well as crispy plantains. It feels wrong to say that this dish eats like a fruit salad, but because the scallop is so mild and delicate, it almost does.
Another dish that features fruit is the Canary Rockfish. This is also served raw. It comes with a salmorejo, which is a cold Spanish soup typically made from tomato, as well as compressed melon, serrano, and mint. The sweetness of the melon and the saltiness of the whipped feta that dots this dish is a delectable combination.
You can also find the creative seafood cuisine of the Bar Bravo team at their new spot. Barnacle opened in the Time Out Market at Oakridge in May. Never have I ever had freshly shucked oysters in a food court until I checked out Barnacle. Even in a faster food setting, Bar Bravo holds the bar high.
