It is no secret that Vancouver is filled with sushi restaurants – and there is a new one opening soon in the Joyce-Collingwood area.
BUT this one has someone with serious credentials behind it!
Set to open in early to mid-August, Blue Coast is taking over the former Liberte Café & Restaurant space with a vision that blends fine dining experience, wine culture, and casual neighbourhood charm.
At the helm is Su Young Kim, a Korean-born hospitality veteran whose local resume includes Miku, LIFT, Brassfish, and The Victor at PARQ.
But this marks his first solo venture and it’s been two decades in the making.
Before turning his focus to sushi, Su Young built his career in front-of-house hospitality.
He shared with Noms Magazine that he studied hotel management, served as a sommelier at a four-star hotel in Korea, and trained in Bordeaux, France.
Eventually, he switched to the back-of-house, mastering sushi prep and seafood cuisine across some of the city’s top restaurants.
Now he’s combining all of it.
He shared that Blue Coast will serve traditional Japanese sushi alongside more eclectic seafood bar fare, like oysters, ceviche, and seafood towers.
Signature dishes will highlight premium ingredients like bluefin tuna, Japanese wagyu, and foie gras.
But Su Young teased that the real standout might be their “Salmon Noodles,” a creative, textural dish made entirely from salmon.
If it is what we think it is…it was an item that went viral back in Asia, the last couple of years.
On the beverage side, guests can look forward to a 26-bottle wine list, personally curated by Su Young and priced with accessibility in mind, plus a wide variety of non-wine drinks.
The 2,000 sq.ft space will seat up to 50 guests in a room designed to channel the calm elegance of a coastal getaway.
Think bright, blue hues and casual sophistication.
Su Young describes it as a “captivating blue seaside retreat” that’s cozy enough for your neighbourhood dinner and polished enough for a glass of white Burgundy with oysters.
“The menu designs are inspired by the colours you can see when you’re standing on the beach. Like the sand, sky and sea.”
The restaurant is slated to open in August.
The restaurant now joins the wave of upcoming new spots in the city, including UCHU, Daan Go Cake Lab Vancouver, and Matcha Matcha.
For more new and upcoming food spots in Metro Vancouver, take a peek at our tracker here, and subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.
Address: 3670 Vanness Ave, Vancouver, BC V5R 0G7