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Filipino-Canadian restaurant in Vancouver included in Michelin Guide

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Rowena Papasin | TFC News Vancouver

<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zwPpdd1oTzk?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>It&#x27;s just a little past 6 p.m. on a rainy Tuesday evening and Little Bird Dim sum + Craft Beer in Kitsilano is already filled with diners.The 54-seater restaurant is owned by Jonathan Lee, the son of Filipino-Canadian restaurateur Joseph Lee, who owns the Flamingo Restaurant in Vancouver.Lee said that it was in 2019 when he and his siblings pooled their resources to open Little Bird. The restaurant has since been a go-to place for residents in the Kitsilano neighborhood.It was not too long that Michelin took notice. When he learned that Little Bird got a &quot;Bib Gourmand&quot; rating last year, Lee said he could not wipe the smile off his face.&quot;The funny story is, I got an invite [but] I didn&#x27;t think we&#x27;d win,&quot; Lee said. &quot;I thought they were just inviting a lot of restaurants and I didn&#x27;t even actually show up for the event. The next day I got phone calls from people congratulating me.&quot;The Michelin Guide describes Little Bird as a hip lair with a contemporary feel, with its floors, tables and walls partly created from recycled chopsticks.Michelin’s must-order from the restaurant is its sticky rice with savory pork and chicken and sweet Goji berries.&quot;It&#x27;s a mixture of a unique dining experience where we&#x27;re bringing in classic, traditional dim sum,&quot; Le added. &quot;And something that BC loves which is beer and then dining experience.&quot;Famous Vancouverites Seth Rogen and Finn Wolfhard of Stranger Things, as well as actors Grant Gustin and Tom Cavanagh of The Flash, are among the famous stars who have dined at Little Bird.Lee said he owes the success to the pioneering spirit of his grandfather, who moved to the Philippines some 50 years ago and brought dim sum outside of Vancouver&#x27;s Chinatown.&quot;If you work hard, there&#x27;s a good chance you&#x27;ll be successful,&quot; he said. &quot;Success, from my standpoint, is more around making sure that my grandfather&#x27;s legacy continues, and that I make my parents proud.&quot;Lee admitted that their staff felt the pressure after the restaurant received the Michelin rating.But at the end of the day, he said that all they want is to serve their neighborhood in the best way they can.

Michelin’s must-order from Little Bird is its sticky rice with savory pork and chicken and sweet Goji berries.