Restaurants

Breaking: Top Chef Canada Winner Chanthy Yen Bringing a Cambodian Concept, Touk, to Downtown Vancouver

Alberni Street, get ready for some star power.

By Stacey McLachlan /

“Touk” means “boat” in Khmer, which feels appropriate, because we’re just afloat with joy hearing the announcement that season 11 Top Chef Canada winner Chanthy Yen is opening his first Vancouver restaurant.

That restaurant—named Touk, if that wasn’t clear—will be Yen’s first venture as executive chef and co-owner (restaurateurs Dave Loeuy of Song and Terrance Fend of Kin Kao are the other two on the ownership team), and will focus on contemporary Cambodian flavours in a 2,295-square foot space on Alberni Street.

Inspired by Yen’s pandemic pop-up in Montreal, Touk will feature dishes that draw on local ingredients and take inspiration from both Cambodian and French cooking. Vanmag Bartender of the Year for 2025, Tara Davies of Chupito, is hard at work developing a cocktail program to complement the menu; a mostly natural wine list will be available, too, curated by Jayton Paul of Chez Celine and Virgine Semery of St. Lawrence.

And in case this dream team of food and beverage pros wasn’t enough to entice you, the renderings of the space look pretty compelling: think earth tones and a striking trio of murals from Cambodian artist Fonki. The main dining room will seat 55; a standing bar on the second floor (called Loolaa) will host another 20 with a focus on Davies’ cocktails and complimentary snacks (we’re listening…).

READ MORE: The Winners of the 2025 Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards

No specific dishes have been announced yet, nor an opening date, but we’re more than ready to float on down whenever the time comes.

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