Downtown Vancouver’s acclaimed Glowbal Restaurant is marking an exciting new chapter this month with the appointment of Alex Kim as the restaurant’s new executive chef. Born and raised in the South Korean capital of Seoul, Alex brings more than a decade of culinary experience to his new role at Glowbal Restaurant Group’s flagship spot located in Vancouver’s landmark TELUS Garden. The talented chef will be a familiar face to Vancouver’s foodie set having served as chef de cuisine for more than three years at the esteemed MARKET by Jean-Georges at the Shangri-La Hotel.
Alex cultivated his love fresh ingredients and seasonal cuisine at a young age while visiting his grandparents in the countryside of South Korea. His childhood summers were spent tending to their property’s fruit farms and vegetable gardens and learning how to make kimchi, miso, gochujang and soy sauce with his grandmother. When Alex emigrated to Canada for his studies at age 16, the burgeoning chef followed his passion for cooking by enrolling in the Culinary Arts program at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology. After graduating, he worked on the line at Alberta’s top luxury hotels including Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise and Fairmont Hotel MacDonald – training under chef mentors from Europe, Asia and North America – before joining the back-of-house team at MARKET in May 2017.
In his new post as executive chef at Glowbal, Alex will draw inspiration from his global background to add his own creative twist to Glowbal’s signature North American continental cuisine. Refreshed for the spring season, Glowbal’s dinner menu includes Snake River Farms wagyu tartare; Maple Hill Farms Crispy Half Chicken accompanied by charred broccolini, parmesan, and chili; radiatore “carbonara” with Salt Spring Island mussels and clams; Haida Gwaii Halibut with herb crust, caramelized sunchokes, and sweet corn nage ‘nduja piperade; BC Wild Mushroom Risotto with enoki fritters, snap peas, and parmigiano-reggiano; and a rotating vegan pan-seared cauliflower dish.
Alex has also put his personal stamp on Glowbal’s famous weekend brunch service, which features a delectable assortment of sweet and savoury fare in addition to complimentary mini doughnuts and fruit smoothie shooters. Available Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 a.m., the celebrated brunch menu includes breakfast classics and signature daytime dishes such as house-baked brioche French toast with maple walnut mascarpone cheese; fluffy buttermilk waffles topped with strawberry marmaletta and lemon basil cream cheese; 7oz prime striploin Steak Frites served with twice fried parmesan kennebec frites; and a Vancouver Island salmon frittata with enoki fritters and bonito sauce.
“It’s an honour to be joining the dynamic culinary team at Glowbal this month as the restaurant’s new executive chef,” said Alex. “I am looking forward to bringing some exciting new flavours and regionally inspired dishes to the restaurant menu and delivering a truly memorable dining experience for all our guests.”
Re-opened at TELUS Garden in 2015, Glowbal has quickly become one of Vancouver’s go-to dining destinations thanks to its bold North American gastronomy, relaxed upscale atmosphere and weekly features. The venue’s must-try Happy Hour service is offered daily form 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. and showcases an assortment of sharing plates, oyster features, and drink specials on draft beer, wines, sangria, martinis and highballs. During Glowbal’s weekly Big Cut Thursdays, diners can go big on large-format steak specials with a choice of US Prime Chateaubriand or 40 oz. grilled Porterhouse steak paired with jumbo garlic shrimp and a selection of most savoury side dishes.
Glowbal Restaurant is located at 590 West Georgia in the TELUS Garden building. The dining room is open Monday to Friday from 11:30 a.m. until late and on Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 a.m.
To learn more about Glowbal Restaurant and to make a reservation, visit www.glowbal.ca.
