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V.I.A.'s Home Grown features only the most awesome companies in Vancouver. From tiny, single-person operations to the big players, we profile our favourite businesses and interview their owners and operators.

One thing Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­isn’t short on is restaurants, This city has everything from Japanese to Indian to Pacific Northwest to Italian to even Burmese. Then there’s Sanafir Restaurant & Lounge, where Corporate Chef Darren Brown and Executive Milton Tanswell combine North African, Asian and Middle Eastern spices to create a whole new taste and flavour.

And not only is the menu awesome, so are the 25-foot ceilings and the Moroccan-style décor in both dining areas.

So we’re really stoked to profile Sanafir, which we can definitely say helps keep the restaurant bar high in this foodie town of ours.

We caught up with John-Paul Lamb, VP of Marketing for Glowbal Group Restaurants, for a few questions...

The Dining Beds on our upstairs level. It’s a totally unique dining experience that you can't find anywhere else in Vancouver.

Aside from your own, what’s your favourite Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­business, and why?

I love heading down to Hy's Encore for a steak. The room has so much character and really is a true Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­institution. Aside from some of the best steaks in town - and exceptional service - I always find myself wondering, "If these walls could talk…", then I long for the days of three-martini lunches.

What’s your personal favorite dish and drink at the restaurant?

All our Trios feature the theme of the Silk Route, with flavours inspired from three regions of the world. For Mediterranean, there’s the Kanafa-wrapped Tiger Prawns served over Fattoush Salad topped with Watercresss Crème Fraiche. For Asian, there’s the Prawn Salad Roll served with mustard green and lemongrass peanut sauce. Then for Indian, there’s the Jumbo Vindaloo Tiger Prawns served up with grape tomatoes and sugar snap peas. These are flavours not for the light of heart – it’s intense.

		If Sanafir is known for only one thing amongst it’s customers, what would it be?

What keeps you here? Like what’s the best thing about Vancouver?

I've been fortunate to have my work take me to some of the best cities in the world, but there is something about Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­that tops them all. Maybe it’s the combination of water, mountains, and fresh air. Maybe it’s the Seawall, or the fact that you can snow ski and waterski in the same day. But maybe it's because this is one of the best dining cities in the world!