Joël Watanabe

Chef Joël Watanabe, chef-owner of Kissa Tanto and Meo Chinatown; and executive chef of Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie in Vancouver, BC.

Upon opening its doors in Chinatown in 2010 with Chef Joël at the helm, Bao Bei garnered immediate acclaim with its nostalgic take on modern Chinese cuisine, earning the #2 spot on the enRoute Magazine ‘Canada’s Top Ten Best New Restaurants’ list, among other notable honors.

In 2016, Kissa Tanto, Chef Joël’s innovative Japanese-Italian homage to his Japanese and Corsican heritage, claimed ‘Best New Restaurant in both Canada’s 100 Best and enRoute Magazine’s ‘Best Of lists, going on to consistently rank in the top tier of both publications *Canada’s Best lists in the years since. Most recently Chef Joël & co. opened Meo, a stylish cocktail and snack bar concept, situated street-level, below Kissa Tanto.

Having worked in professional kitchens since the age of 17, Chef Joël has developed a unique approach to Asian ingredients by incorporating classic French, Italian and Japanese techniques to imbue his dishes with signature nuance. Among his restaurants’ many accolades, including a glowing New York Times review in which Pete Wells recognized him as “a chef who understands that simplicity can be luxurious” and Kissa Tanto as having “imagination all over the place”, Chef Joël’s keen and creative leadership in and out of the kitchen proudly clinched the Michelin Guide Vancouver Service Award for his Kissa Tanto team and was ultimately bestowed one of the city’s first Michelin stars in 2022, which he has retained ever since for 2023 and 2024.