Cocktails, Shaken - and Stirring | Edible
A well-made cocktail isn’t just a delicious drink. It is a story, a journey, an adventure in a glass. It takes science and culture, adds ice, and shakes it all up into something exciting and new. A cocktail can be light and refreshing, dark and complex, sweet and deceptively boozy or virtuously alcohol-free. Most of all, a cocktail marks the end of the workday and the beginning of fun times.
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Good Thief
From Chinatown in the north to Little India around 49th Avenue in the south, Main Street is home to some of the most exciting food and drink in Greater Vancouver, including the Michelin-starred restaurants Burdock & Co and Published on Main, as well as Suyo Modern Peruvian, which Michelin recognized last year with its Exceptional Cocktails Award.
But day in and day out, year after year, the longest lineups are outside Anh and Chi, the modern Vietnamese restaurant in the heart of Mount Pleasant that’s owned and operated by the sister- and-brother duo Amelie and Vincent Nguyen. For years they’d been dreaming of opening a cocktail bar, too, and in July, their dream finally came true in the perfect location — right next door.
Good Thief introduces Vancouver to the concept of “nhau,” the culture of gathering for food, drink and conversation, connecting with family, friends and even strangers. “It could be friends catching up over beer and peanuts — or it could be people in business suits closing a multi-million-dollar deal,” says Amelie Nguyen. “It’s been a tradition in Vietnam for hundreds of years and it’s so inclusive.”
The 40-seat space is a chic homage to ’70s bars in Vietnam; its décor, also designed by Studio Ste. Marie, is fresh, playful and modern, but with a vintage vibe that includes lots of sage green, potted plants, brass accents and a pretty, gleaming curved bar. Oh — and don’t forget the gorgeous glassware. Each of the 14 different cocktails comes with its own unique glass, and all 2,200 individual pieces (Amelie counted) are stored in the freezer.
She describes Good Thief as the “rebellious younger sibling” to “the perfect children” Anh and Chi. In many ways, it’s Vincent’s place (they’re both co-founders, but he’s named as the owner and head of operations, while she’s the creative director). As Amelie says, “My brother has two sisters and a mom who is the matriarch. He’s always doing so much for the family. He wants a place where it’s OK to be different, where even being an outcast, you’re celebrated.”
They’ve expanded “the family” with an impressive lineup of talent that includes chef de cuisine Jonathan Lee, formerly of Blue Water Café, and beverage director Ben Kingstone, who recently moved to Vancouver from Toronto, where his resumé includes roles as director of operations at Mother Cocktail Bar and beverage director for Harlo Entertainment. He was also a finalist in World Class Canada.
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The food that pairs with these creative cocktails is equally complex and delicious, and much of it is designed to be shared as snacks. That could mean triple-fried pomme frites with Thai chili aioli; crispy frogs’ legs with a fish sauce glaze; halibut in a dill and turmeric soubise; or the whelks and escargots that remind Amelie of street food in Vietnam.
“We’re taking inspiration from all over the world and bringing it all back,” chef Lee says. “I’m collaborating a lot with Vincent and Amelie and taking inspiration from their childhood memories.”
It may be inspired by the Nguyens’ memories, but Good Thief is different from Anh and Chi’s traditional Vietnamese fare. “Here, we’re mixing everything. We’re borrowing from around the world,” Amelie says, adding that, like the cocktails, “The food, it’s a journey.”
Good Thief
3336 Main St., Vancouver
goodthief.ca | 604.428.3336| @goodthief.ca
By Joanne Sasvari, Edible | 2024/11/19