They arrived anxious and hungry.
“We had prepped for hour and hours and when Saturday rolled around at 10 a.m. eight people showed up and we fed them,” Malloreigh Hamilton recalled of that January morning. “Then at 11 a.m. another eight people showed up and we fed them.”
But the opening wasn’t for a restaurant. Rather, the 25-year-old converted her modest 400-square-foot East Vancouver apartment into the city’s latest underground eatery, collecting a $10 donation per plate.
It’s a growing enterprise that has caught the eye of health officials and raised a debate about whether inspectors belong in the personal dining rooms of the people like Hamilton.
“Vancouver is a city that is rife with regulations,” says Hamilton. “It’s really tough. You go to other cities, these vibrant older cities, there are pockets of culture in all sorts of different places around town."
When inspectors sniffed out Hamilton’s secret club, they put her on notice but then backed off because she serves friends.
Using social media as her reservation line, the Simon Fraser University student keeps the guest list small – only friends and friends of friends are allowed entry although each one donates some cash to cover the fare.
Once inside, diners are treated to vegan delights. Hamilton’s menu often includes fluffy freshly baked biscuits topped with homemade veggie sausage, eggy tofu patties and spring greens under a coconut cream-mustard hollandaise sauce for a delectable Benny.
She’s serving a niche that she says is flourishing in other cities.
“You can walk down a street and it’s residential, residential, residential and then – boom – there’s a cute little business. It’s independent. It’s flying because the people in the community are supporting it. You don’t have that in Vancouver.
“You have several main streets that are full of commercial and then you have these residential areas. There’s not a lot of walking traffic in the residential areas because there’s nothing to do and the commercial space is overpriced.”
Hamilton’s complaint, one way or another, seems to be common among other underground restaurateurs who have turned their apartments into dining rooms.
VCH estimates at least four secret supper clubs are open and accepting reservations. Some serve three- or five-course meals at prices cheaper than many restaurants. Others are known for the mastery of one particular ingredient such as pork belly.
No matter the menu, the health authority still cautions against going to such unregulated eateries because it’s nearly impossible for inspectors to follow up on complaints.
“They are illegal and do skirt the provincial health regulations,” said Richard Taki, regional director of health protection. “It is a concern that they are doing this but unfortunately, because of their nature, it’s out of our control. You just have to ask, how does one offering a service protect the public’s health?”
Hamilton doesn’t want to keep her living room filled with dining tables seating 12. Aside from her studies, she’s been reading up on health and safety regulations and has a business plan almost ready to open a legitimate operation by fall.
“I do find it really disheartening that the situation in Vancouver is dismal as far as rents go and as far as licensing goes, but I’m not willing to compromise making something in my city,” she said. “I’m really passionate about this city and I want to improve this city. The only way I’m going to do that is by trying to do the best I can within what I have to work with but also being vocal about what I think I needs to change.”