Restaurants

Downtown’s Gone All Vegas with New Glowbal

There's a leather-lined room with studded outlines of nude ladies.

By Jennifer Elliott /

There’s a leather-lined room with studded outlines of nude ladies.

It’s been hard not to notice the decidedly huge, metallic, snake-like structure being erected during the past two years at downtown’s new Telus Garden complex. Longtime Vancouverites have watched with anticipation as the massive room beneath it grew to outrageous proportions and was adorned with accessories comparable to Alice in Wonderland (think human-sized bird cages and meat displayed in jewellery cases).A decade ago, it was hard to get in to Glowbal Grill Steaks & Satay on Yaletown’s Mainland Street unless you knew someone on the door. Parent company Glowbal Restaurant Group closed it down in 2014, always with the intention of relocating it to the new 17,000-square-foot Telus Garden site, but permit issues delayed the grand opening until this summer.Glowbal—also owners of Black+Blue, Trattoria Italian Kitchen, and Coast—have brought in Vegas mega-chef Pedro Gonzalez to manage the back-room team of 65. Menu specials include chilli and garlic-fried sea bass; and miso-marinated sablefish with shiitake consommé, soba noodle salad, and sesame. Everything about the place—from the décor, to the staff, to the menu—screams big and bold. If Glowbal wanted to make a statement with this re-opening, it’s sure achieved its goal. Glowbal 590 W. Georgia St., 604 602 0835 Glowbalgroup.com