Chef Youssef Jbari refines and absorbs ideas without ever losing his own point of view.
Before the first dish arrived, chef Youssef Jbari had already shared the story of growing up in Morocco, changing careers and eventually finding his way to Vancouver. But it wasn’t until I took a seat at the counter inside Fairmont Pacific Rim’s Lobby Lounge & RawBar and watched him cook that those stories began to make sense.
Every movement was deliberate. Every garnish seemed to have a purpose. The precision felt unmistakably Japanese.
Then the food arrived.
The first plate was lightly torched king salmon, still beautifully raw through the centre, served with seasonal greens, toasted sesame seeds and a vibrant goma dressing. Tiny kale leaves added freshness while the acidity cut cleanly through the richness of the fish. It was restrained, elegant and beautifully balanced.
Before long, it became obvious I wasn’t simply tasting technical precision. There was a quiet confidence to the cooking that hinted at years of experience, curiosity and refinement.
‘In Morocco, everything is family style’
Born and raised in southern Morocco, Jbari learned early that food was never just about eating. Meals were built around family, conversation and sharing.
“In Morocco, everything is family style,” he tells me. “The food is always in the middle.”
His childhood revolved around slow-cooked tagines, vegetables harvested from the garden and a pantry scented with cumin, paprika, preserved lemons and fragrant argan oil. Those flavours became part of his palate long before he ever stepped into a professional kitchen.
“We cook slowly,” he says. “That is how I grew up.”
Jbari studied sociology before taking a part-time job in a kitchen while attending university. Somewhere between prep lists and dinner service, he discovered a profession that completely changed his life.
“I found cooking exciting,” he says. “Everyone was shocked when I changed careers.”
Over the following years, he immersed himself in Thai, Italian and Japanese cuisine, steadily building a foundation that would eventually lead him to Nobu Marrakech, where he became executive chef.
Along the way, one of his most influential mentors was Peruvian, challenging him to think differently about balance, acidity and flavour. Rather than treating every kitchen as a separate discipline, Jbari learned to build upon each experience.
Japanese technique became his foundation, but every mentor and every chapter of his career added something new. The result is a style that feels thoughtful, balanced and unmistakably his own.
Moving to Vancouver led to love of Canadian seafood
After years leading one of Morocco’s most celebrated Japanese restaurants, Jbari felt it was time for a new challenge.
“I wanted to discover North America,” he says. “I wanted to go outside my comfort zone.”
That search for something new eventually brought Jbari to Vancouver, where he found another opportunity to continue evolving as a chef, introducing him to Canadian seafood.
It wasn’t until I returned to that first plate of salmon that everything Jbari had told me began to click. The precision I had noticed wasn’t simply technical. It reflected years of learning, refining and absorbing ideas without ever losing his own point of view. Every plate that followed reinforced that impression.
No dish captured Jbari’s cooking more completely than the lobster carpaccio.
As much as I love lobster, I usually gravitate toward sweet B.C. spot prawns or Dungeness crab whenever they’re in season. This dish, however, completely changed my mind.
Thin slices of lobster were paired with julienned papaya that had been lightly cured and pickled, retaining just enough crunch to contrast the delicate seafood. Small dollops of mango purée introduced gentle sweetness, while frisée contributed a subtle bitterness that pulled the entire dish into balance. As I ate, I found myself thinking back to Jbari’s years cooking Thai cuisine.
I’ve eaten some exceptional seafood this year. This was among the very best.
Some dishes restrained, others unapologetically indulgent
There’s also a reason guests continue to order the spot prawn nigiri and the signature wagyu roll crowned with foie gras. The spot prawn nigiri showcases pristine B.C. seafood with remarkable restraint, while Jbari’s addition of fresh lime zest introduces the brightness and acidity he so often looks for in his cooking.
The wagyu roll delivers exactly what you’d hope for: rich, luxurious and unapologetically indulgent. They have become two of the restaurant’s most sought-after dishes, and after tasting them, it’s easy to understand why.
Beyond individual plates, menus evolve constantly, and if he believes something can be improved, he’ll change it. More than anything, he wants guests to leave having experienced something unexpected.
“I like making guests curious when they eat my food,” he says.
Jbari isn’t trying to recreate the food of his childhood, nor is he chasing tradition. Instead, he has spent a career collecting ideas, techniques and flavours from every kitchen he’s called home, shaping them into a style that is thoughtful, balanced and unmistakably his own.