Located in the former Bistro Wagon Rouge space at 1869 Powell Street in Vancouver’s East Village, the intimate new eatery and cocktail bar opened on July 29, 2020.

A fourth-generation chef and restaurateur, Chef Chris Lam has worked in the industry for more than 12 years. After graduating from the Culinary Program at Vancouver Community College, he went on to hone his gastronomic talents at the original Provence Mediterranean Grill in Point Grey, quickly working his way up the ranks to become Executive Sous Chef at the award-winning restaurant. The talented young chef also worked in the kitchen at the Westin Bayshore during the 2010 Winter Olympics and more recently served as a Sous Chef at Gastown favourite Nuba.

At Straight and Marrow, Lam will pay homage to his Asian heritage while championing a sustainable, nose-to-tail dining philosophy that reduces food waste by highlighting unique and unusual cuts of meat and offal.
“My vision for Straight and Marrow is to provide a casual, affordable experience that doesn’t sacrifice on quality,” says Lam. “When it comes to meat, many parts of the animal are often overlooked or seen as waste. I want to show Vancouver diners that these cuts – when treated with the proper care and respect – can be quite delicious.”

Rounding out the front-of-house team is General Manager Marc Dumouchel. A Montreal native, Dumouchel began his hospitality career in the four-diamond dining room at Fairmont’s Jasper Park Lodge in Alberta. He relocated to Vancouver in 2010 and has refined his wine knowledge and management skills over the last decade at a number of notable dining rooms across the city, including Provence, La Belle Auberge and Raincity Grill.

A long and narrow space, Straight and Marrow’s interior design is the handiwork of Lam’s former colleague and friend Genevieve Legg of Formed 4 Design and Vancouver-based artist Leah Bradley. The talented team collaborated to develop a creative vision for the intimate dining room, which includes a 12-seat bar, striking light fixtures, and custom-built wall panels showcasing decorative copper and wood elements.