JEAN-CHRISTOPHE POIRIER
ST LAWRENCE RESTAURANT VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA
St Lawrence Restaurant is a passion project for Quebec-born Poirier. After two years of delays, he was able to open his little piece of Quebec in Vancouver and carve out a unique niche in Vancouver’s dining landscape. He has drawn from his culinary schooling and his experience working at Les Remparts in Old Montreal and Toqué — a Québécois haute-cuisine restaurant focussed on seasonality and terroir — to create a space that is 100 percent French, from the food style to the ambience and even the music. At St Lawrence Restaurant, Poirier combines old-school French cooking techniques with Quebecois cuisine to create dishes that embody food from his childhood.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME A CHEF?
Food can connect people of all ages, no matter their sex or race. Its power is the same all around the world. Food culture is the number one thing that brings people together and it’s often the number one conversation subject. To cook well, you need to love eating and you need to love the people for whom you are cooking. I have always cooked to give pleasure and joy, and to bring the people I cook for and myself closer together. This is what I try to do every day at St Lawrence. It’s why I became a chef and that’s what inspired me to be better.
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO OPEN A RESTAURANT IN BC?
I have often thought about returning to Quebec, but I have too much going on in BC. St Lawrence was my opportunity to build something as close as possible to the idea of coming back home. I saw the chance for me to represent my culture and the people of Quebec in a different province.
HOW IS THE CULINARY SCENE IN VANCOUVER DIFFERENT FROM THE ONE IN QUEBEC?
In general, the food scene in Quebec is more laid back and fun yet maintains a high standard for products and execution. Restaurants on the West Coast take themselves way too seriously.
HOW OFTEN DO YOU CHANGE UP YOUR MENU AND WHAT INFLUENCES THE SELECTIONS YOU MAKE?
I only change the menu twice a year. Instead, we do features every night. Seasonality, ingredients and collaboration with other cooks influence my decisions.
HOW DOES FOOD BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER?
Food is about tradition, history and culture. We have the responsibility to honour the people that came before us by looking at their work and those who will come after. The past and the future are connected, and so are the people and the food representing them. People are usually proud to share their knowledge and dishes that represent who they really are.