Canada’s first contemporary Cambodian restaurant
Touk was the name of the Cambodian pop-up that carried chef Chanthy Yen through the pandemic in Montreal. The 2024 Top Chef Canada winner is launching a more permanent Touk on Vancouver’s glittery Alberni Street. Set to open December 19th, Touk will “take diners on a journey,” says Yen, “honouring my roots while pushing the boundaries of what Cambodian food can be.”
Yen’s international creds include the likes of El Bulli and Mugaritz, but he now draws inspiration from a deeply personal place: his grandmother and the Cambodian community in Windsor, where his family arrived as refugees in the 1980s. He has since explored Cambodia’s regional cuisines and indigenous ingredients, which will shape Touk’s bistro staples as “a hybrid of B.C. ingredients, French techniques and Cambodian soul.” Expect cameos from some of the pop-up’s beloved dishes, such as pomelo salad with grilled fish and coconut and malted milk ice cream.
The word touk means “boat” in Khmer. On Alberni, Touk has been upgraded to a yacht. Upon entering, a large work by Cambodian artist Fonki greets guests, and a staircase leads up to bar Loolaa, where Tara Davies (Vancouver Magazine Bartender of the Year 2025) brings a zero-waste approach to cocktails for both spaces.
Wild Boar Tomahawk with Cambodian Mole
Wild Boar Tomahawk with Cambodian Mole
Photography: Luis Valdizon
–Charlene Rooke
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