Tucked away in North Vancouver’s industrial area at the corner of Mountain Highway and Oxford Street, Tour de Feast is a casual contemporary bistro featuring French-inspired brunch, lunch and dinner. At this family-run bistro, it’s all about sharing good-quality food at a decent price. “I want my customers to think of Tour de Feast as the go-to place for a great meal that doesn’t break their wallets,” says Dhruv (“DJ”) Jhanjee , head chef and co-owner of Tour de Feast.
After graduating from hotel and restaurant school in India, DJ mastered French culinary techniques under the tutelage of French-trained chefs at a Relais & Châteaux property in Charleston, South Carolina. From there, DJ went on to work at Daniel in New York, one of just a handful of restaurants in North America awarded the coveted Michelin three-star rating.
“In 2009, I was lucky enough to move to Vancouver when my parents immigrated here,” says DJ. Joining the city’s five-star restaurant and hotel scene, DJ worked at Lumière and the Four Seasons before deciding to venture off on his own in 2012. He and his wife, Nupur, along with his parents, opened the doors of Tour de Feast to offer Vancouverites high quality but fairly priced local, sustainable dishes. Since opening, the restaurant has attracted a loyal following and many positive reviews from North Shore News food critics.
“We haven’t done much advertising so it’s mostly been through word of mouth. They call us a hidden gem,” smiles DJ, proudly. “Because of my customers, I was lucky enough to be called out of the blue by CTV. So I was there live on the 12 o’clock news cooking my signature confit duck cassoulet: crispy Fraser valley duck leg, organic beans with boudin blanc, Swiss chard and artichoke. I was very happy—not a lot of people get that chance.”
This out-of-the-way spot on Mountain Highway offers French bistro classics at affordable prices and lets you bring your own bottle of wine. Tour won’t wow you with the decor or location, but it’s known to exceed expectations in every other way. The food is simple, yet delicious, with mouth-watering dishes like cassoulet, octopus three ways, short rib sandwich and charcuterie. Just don’t tell anyone about Tour de Feast so it stays a North Van secret.
One of the best French restaurants in North Van is located in an unassuming place with a patio befitting its style. Simple, well executed and hard to come by in the area: that describes their menu and patio. Stop in early to grab a seat on the patio for the excellent lunch menu or book a reservation for the entire outdoor dining experience with friends and family. Daily menu specials are advertised on their website.