JJs Restaurant at VCC

Name: JJs Restaurant at VCC
Address: 250 Pender St W, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6B 1S9
Telephone: (604) 443-8479
Price range: CAN$31 to CAN$50
Rating: 4.7

4.7

241 Reviews

CAN$31 to CAN$50

Canadian

Top tags:

JJ’s Restaurant is a Vancouver institution. Both the kitchen and front of house are run by students who are in their 2nd level of cook training. Enjoy a three-course a la carte lunch which is reasonably priced and produced with the highest level of passion and care by students with the guidance of their Chef Instructors. If you are interested in a group booking please email culinaryarts@vcc.ca.

Please note that JJ’s and Chef’s Table service may be interrupted by inclement weather, including extreme heat or significant snowfalls. VCC makes this precaution to keep the staff and customers safe. Thank you in advance for your understanding.

Make a reservation

Party Size

2 people

DateTime

Dec 3, 2023

7:00 p.m.

Experiences are available.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
CAN$31 to CAN$50
Cuisines
Canadian, Contemporary French / American, International
Hours of Operation
Lunch Mon–Thu 11:30 am–12:30 pm Dinner Tue–Thu 6:30 pm–8:30 pm
Phone number
(604) 443-8479
Website
http://www.vcc.ca/services/eat-shop--more/jjs-restaurant/
Payment Options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Dress Code
Casual Dress
Executive Chef
Tobias MacDonald

Location
250 Pender St W, Vancouver, BC V6B 1S9
Neighbourhood
Chinatown
Cross Street
Hamilton
Parking Details
street parking also available
Public Transit
Stadium/Chinatown Sky Train Station
Additional
Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

Chef's Table
$55.00 per person
Prepaid
Multiple dates available
The Chef's Table dinners, are one of Vancouver's best-kept secrets! Enjoy a gourmet five-course meal designed by Chef Hamid Salimian with optional selected wine pairings, served in a unique group setting with only 10 seats available per night. The Chef's Table dinners are run by students, led by award winning instructors in Vancouver Community College's International Culinary Arts Program. Thank you for supporting VCC students-gratuities help the VCC Foundation create awards and bursaries. Dietary restrictions and preferences may be accommodated with at least 24 hrs notice. Please direct requests to culinaryarts@vcc.ca. Please note that Chef’s Table service may be interrupted by extreme heat. Thank you in advance for your understanding.

What 241 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7

4.7 based on recent ratings

4.8Food
4.6Service
4.5Ambience
4.9Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Vancouver / British Columbia
Best Food
Vancouver / British Columbia
Best Value
Vancouver / British Columbia
Canadian
Vancouver
Best Food
Vancouver
Best Value
Vancouver
Canadian

241 Reviews

OT
OpenTable Diner
Toronto
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 3 days ago
overall5food5service4ambience5
Well worth it! Excellent experience. Fabulous food and the price is incredibly reasonable for what you get. Large portions, exquisite flavours all round.
Is this helpful?
C
Carol
Vancouver
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined 4 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Very enjoyable experience, all the staff and servers were very attentive and knowledgeable .Food fantastic, we were looking forward to rack of lamb, soldout alas, but found excellent alternatives for mains. We'll get there earlier next time.
Is this helpful?
K
Kidab
Seattle
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined 4 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
I would not have known it was a culinary school had I not been told from the beginning. Service and timing of food served was excellent from the moment we walked in the door to the very end where we probably delayed the students' clean up process by staying too long. Food was tasty as was presentation and doneness of the different meats served. Better than some nice restaurants in town. Was fun to be the only table in the dining room. Decor/lighting/ambience could be improved upon but hey, this is a school so that's ok.
Is this helpful?
AW
AndrewW
Las Vegas
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on November 21, 2023
overall4food4service4ambience5
I came by myself as I was interested to see how the food would taste like from culinary students and because the value looked great. I was seated at a table for 2. It wasn't until the food was served that the 2nd set of cutlery and dishes were removed. Other than that service was good and attentive. The dishes were plated nicely and were enjoyable for the most part. The braised short rib potato foam sauce could have been less thick. There was a lot of attention to detail to n the lamb dish, especially the vegetables. Overall an interesting experience that I would finally l definitely try again
Is this helpful?
YM
YasukoM
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on November 1, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
The service was great and all the plates were very tasty. We enjoyed our lunch very much!
Is this helpful?
S
Svalena
Vancouver
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on November 1, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Excellent menu, food, drink, service and the organization of this event! Good luck in the future. Always happy to visit you again.
Is this helpful?
BB
BethB
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on October 26, 2023
overall5food5service4ambience4
Thank you for the lovely lunch and for accommodating our tight timeline between meetings! Our out of town guests were impressed!
Is this helpful?
SK
SKYVR
Vancouver
7 reviews
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on October 25, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Met some old friends here for lunch and we had the most wonderful meals. Portions were big, food was perfectly cooked and the presentation of each dish was spectacular. Service was very attentive and polite, and it was very good value for the three-course lunch. You also have an option of choosing a la carte (one or two items) if you don't have room for three courses. It was also great to see young chefs in training, getting real life experience in a restaurant setting. We will definitely return.
1 person found this helpful
J
Jeff
Vancouver
15 reviews
3.0
15 reviews
Dined on October 25, 2023
overall3food4service2ambience3
The restaurant was 10 minutes late in opening. When we did confirm our reservation, the manager handed the host our menus and then host began walking away with acknowledging that we were to follow them. We were seated at a nice table by the window and our server came by to take our beverage order. My friend ordered the pineapple juice mocktail and I just a Perrier. The server returned to give my friend his mocktail but forgot my Perrier. We then received our artisan bread and butter but the butter was hard. When it was time to order, I asked for the terrine and my friend requested the pork wellington. The server returned to state the terrine was not available so I ordered the pork wellington as well. The server still forgot my Perrier. Our meals came and the wellingtons along with the sides were exquisite, however there wasn't any mushroom duxelle to bind the pork with the wellington so it easily came apart. There was no quality check from our server. She stood on the side talking with her colleagues nearly the whole time. I had to flag her down to request my Perrier and then request the bill three times before we received it. I know this is a training establishment and I will continue to support it but there must some intuition instilled on quality service where anticipation is inherent. In addition, room to make mistakes as most of the staff seemed very timid and almost fragile in their interactions.
Is this helpful?
DC
DonC
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on October 19, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
It's fun to watch young people working to master a craft, and producing an excellent and very different meal! And the food was excellent! Smiles all around!
Is this helpful?
CJ
CecileJ
Vancouver
8 reviews
5.0
8 reviews
Dined on October 18, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
The staff was very attentive and food was amazing. Thank you for the wonderful experience.
Is this helpful?
D
Dudley
Frankfurt
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on October 12, 2023
overall4food5service5ambience4
An outstanding food which opened new horizons to us. Superb kitchen, excellent service. We shall return. Heinz
Is this helpful?
JG
JonnaG
Vancouver
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on October 3, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Overall it was a great dining experience. Every bite of the food was exceptional and the students provide exceptional service. I appreciate that the instructor (chef) come to our table and provide details about the food that was serve. We had the 3 course meal lunch. We are looking forward to book for the chef’s tasting dinner menu.
Is this helpful?
RM
ResshennaM
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on September 21, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Staff are awesome, the ambiance. The food are absolutely amazing.
Is this helpful?
J
James
Vancouver
49 reviews
vip
5.0
49 reviews
Dined on September 19, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience3
After a less-than-ideal chef’s table experience, I decided to return to see what lunch was like here. So glad I did! The food was marvelous, the service careful and attentive, and delivery of courses was well paced (which it had not been for evening chef’s table). Bravo!! A really lovely experience.
Is this helpful?
J
James
Vancouver
49 reviews
vip
3.0
49 reviews
Dined on September 15, 2023
overall3food4service3ambience1
Culinary school meals are always a mix of pluses and minuses. The pluses here? The staff here are enthusiastic and the food was very good overall. The minuses? First the room is really quite unappealing. Second the service felt rushed. Third, the elaborate plating process often meant that the food was served more than a bit on the cool side. But still a fun experience.
Is this helpful?
PC
PaulaC
Vancouver
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on August 31, 2023
overall4food4service4ambience4
Quite a nice value for having a nice 3 courses meal.
Is this helpful?
EI
EdInTheWestEnd
Vancouver
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on August 30, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
It's always a pleasure to visit JJ's. The students are very Earnest and trying their best, but sometimes they are so nervous that they make some little mistakes which are easily and quickly corrected.
Is this helpful?
AG
AlexG
Vancouver
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on August 21, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Easily my favourite restaurant, not just in Vancouver, but in the world! (And I've been to Michelin star restaurants too)
Is this helpful?
T
Traveller47
Vancouver
9 reviews
4.0
9 reviews
Dined on August 18, 2023
overall4food5service4ambience3
A lovely experience. The staff were very engaged in their work and the artful presentation of the food.The dishes on which it was served were most interesting. The food was delicious and probably quite impossible for me to reproduce at home. The wine pairings were interesting. There were just 5 couples when we were there.The room is quite large so it was blissfully not noisy and the music was good. We had been wanting to go for some time and we were not disappointed.
Is this helpful?
YM
YifatM
Vancouver
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on August 18, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great fine dining for 2. We had so much fun. A fantastic dinner for a great price.
Is this helpful?
EI
EdInTheWestEnd
Vancouver
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on August 16, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Absolutely delicious! Be patient as the students are doing their best to make it perfect for you.
Is this helpful?
DB
DonnaB
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on August 15, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
We had an excellent lunch. The food was delicious and the staff amazing!! Everyone was helpful, attentive and friendly. Congratulations to these culinary students! They did a great job!!
Is this helpful?
Y
Yuliya
Vancouver
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on August 14, 2023
overall5food5service4ambience3
I love coming to J.J's Fine Dining - the food is extraordinary and very inexpensive. I enjoy supporting students and help build their confidence as they move through their program. Fine Dining at a decent price, ENJOY!
Is this helpful?
AW
AnnieW
Vancouver
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on August 9, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Our JJ's 3 course lunch was wonderful. The service was great and the food was delicious. Glad to know they try to source their ingredients locally as much as possible. We will be back!
Is this helpful?
B
Brenda
Vancouver
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on August 9, 2023
overall5food4service5ambience5
My son and I didn't like the dessert, Chai Ganche.
Is this helpful?
C
Chun
Vancouver
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on August 3, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience4
We’ve always enjoy going to JJ’s. We can always count on being served good quality food, well prepared and beautifully presented. We are always greeted by polite and friendly servers. Most importantly, we know we are helping the students to gain valuable experience.
Is this helpful?
EE
EErwin
San Francisco
6 reviews
vip
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on July 25, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience4
This is a hidden gem, and I am so glad we found it! What a fantastic experience! I would recommend this to anyone who wants a fabulous meal and experience at a very reasonable rate! It's an amazing experience for the students as well as the guests!
Is this helpful?
CM
CynthiaM
Vancouver
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on July 24, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
A lovely experience from start to finish! Beautiful plating and delicous flavours, all prepared and presented by the very attentive and gracious team at JJ's. I loved the atmosphere of learning and earnest efforts by the culinary arts students, making the meal extra special. What a wonderful dining experience!
Is this helpful?
KT
KeikoT
Vancouver
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on July 11, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Excellent food, and services, we will be back again。
Is this helpful?
GD
GigiD
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on June 23, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience3
Lovely 5 course meal with wine pairings. The attending students were cute and did their very best to make our meal memorable. The chef who described the courses was very informative, friendly and professional as he guided the students through their training.
Is this helpful?
g
gordmet
Vancouver
52 reviews
vip
5.0
52 reviews
Dined on June 8, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience4
A hidden restaurant upstairs in Vancouver Community College, JJ's offers an excellent Chef's table dinner for a very reasonable price. The restaurant staffed with students and taught by award winning chef's offers unique dishes with innovative techniques, fresh local ingredients, and excellent flavours and presentation. The chef's table is limited to only ten guests per night to allow students to prepare more complex dishes. Our dinner started with a unique freeze dried foie gras fluff served with a freshly made brioche followed by the highlight of the night a great tasting sous vide steelhead wrapped in a tender scallop mousse served on a sauerkraut dill consomme with asparagus puree, and sauteed root vegetables, followed by a tender venison sirloin with a oxtail tart served with cherries three ways, jus, compote, and a charred cherry skin powder coating on the sirloin. The main course did not disappoint with a sous vide lamb sirloin wrapped in bacon served with a celeriac oyster mushroom layered square, a caramelized onion tart, and a slow cooked lamb neck meat compress, with a balsamic glaze. Dessert followed with an interesting individual tiramisu dome creation dusted in cocoa and accompanied with a rich expresso icecream with chocolate shavings.
Is this helpful?
LL
LiamLoxton
Vancouver
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on May 26, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Such a hidden gem! Definitely a great place to have a food experience.
Is this helpful?
QL
QueenieL
Vancouver
3 reviews
4.0
3 reviews
Dined on May 25, 2023
overall4food4service4ambience4
All food presentation excellent and , taste very good
Is this helpful?
S
Smallcar
Exclusive
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on May 25, 2023
overall4food4service5ambience4
Only very limited seats available as it’s a student run restaurant, have to book in advance
Is this helpful?
r
robertp
Vancouver
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on May 10, 2023
overall5food5service4ambience4
A gem of culinary delight & a unique experience of molecular cuisine & extremely great value in this day and age, well worth a visit
Is this helpful?
JL
JonathanL
Vancouver
7 reviews
4.0
7 reviews
Dined on May 4, 2023
overall4food5service3ambience3
I enjoyed going to JJ restaurant very much so, and they even decorated the writing happy birthday on my dessert plate. Thank you to the entire team, students and instructor/dining room manager included of course!
Is this helpful?
S
Smallcar
Exclusive
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on May 2, 2023
overall4food4service5ambience3
Students run restaurant so not expected a professional service provide. The food were pretty good for the value.
Is this helpful?
L
Lily
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on April 27, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Had lunch here a week ago and the place was full. Despite this, service was impeccable and the food was as great as ever! Every menu item was worth its price. Kudos to Dennis for running a tight ship and the students for a job well done, both in the kitchen and in the dining room. Another pleasant dining experience! :)
Is this helpful?
H
Hossein
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on April 27, 2023
overall3food3service3ambience3
The price for the quantity (portion amount) was too expensive. We felt almost hungry when we left !!!!! Not worth it... will not come back again and will not recommend anyone either! It was really a nano/micro eatery.
Is this helpful?

Safety precautions

Cleaning & sanitising
- Common areas deep-cleaned daily
Physical distancing
- Limited number of seated diners

FAQs

JJs Restaurant at VCC is rated 4.7 stars by 241 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

Party Size

2 people

DateTime

Dec 3, 2023

7:00 p.m.

Experiences are available.

250 Pender St W, Vancouver, BC V6B 1S9

Additional information

Cross Street
Hamilton
Neighbourhood
Chinatown
Hours of Operation
Lunch Mon–Thu 11:30 am–12:30 pm Dinner Tue–Thu 6:30 pm–8:30 pm
Price
CAN$31 to CAN$50
Cuisines
Canadian, Contemporary French / American, International
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress Code
Casual Dress
Parking Details
street parking also available
Public Transit
Stadium/Chinatown Sky Train Station
Payment Options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Executive Chef
Tobias MacDonald
Additional
Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.vcc.ca/services/eat-shop--more/jjs-restaurant/
Phone number
(604) 443-8479

JJs Restaurant at VCC

Make a reservation

Additional information

Chef's Table

Appetizers

Kale & Arugula Salad

Poached Shrimp and Scallop

Beef Carpaccio

Braised Short Rib

Entrées

Seared Steelhead Trout

Rack of Lamb, Shoulder Terrine

Pork Wellington

Crispy Cornish Game Hen

Desserts

White Chocolate & Chai Masala Ganache

Chocolate Cashew Bar

Lemon Tart

Apple & Brie Cheesecake

Drinks Menu

Wine

Gray Monk BC

Cedar Creek

Craft Beer

Parallel 49$7.00

Mill St.$7.00

Whistler Brewing$7.00

Yellowdog

Cider$7.00

Cocktails

Caesar$9.00

Cosmopolitan$9.00

Lime Margarita$9.00

Mocktail$5.00

Highballs

Rye

Vodka

Gin

Rum

Scotch

Non Alcoholic

Perrier Water$3.25

Coffee or Tea$3.00

Espresso$4.00

Cappuccino$5.00

Latte$5.50

Hot Water & Lemon$1.25

Soda

Pepsi

Diet Pepsi

7-Up

Ginger Ale

Ice Tea

Juice

Lemonade Pink Grapefruit

Apple

Orange

Tomato

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Cleaning & sanitising

Physical distancing

FAQs

How is JJs Restaurant at VCC restaurant rated?

Is JJs Restaurant at VCC currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information