El Gato Gab Gab. Read that again. The new restaurant in Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant neighbourhood has a name that necessitates a double take, and that’s by design. “When you’re talking about it to someone, they have to ask twice—like, what did you say?” Joe Casson explains. “It’s fun, it stands out, it’s playful and it’s taking a risk, which is exactly what we’re trying to do.”

Casson is the cocktail bar’s beverage director, but he is also responsible for much of the interior (he has an educational background in architecture and worked as a junior designer for a few years before transitioning to hospitality). When El Gato Gab Gab moved into the former Novella Coffee Bar space—a transition for Boxset Collective, the restaurant group that also owns Published on Main and Bar Susu—Casson says the aim was to take the new restaurant far away from Novella’s more minimal, monochromatic look. “We said, look, let’s do as much different as possible,” he recalls. El Gato Gab Gab’s bright interior is splashed in teal and burnt orange, with gold, rattan and grainy wood details. “We thought the space should reflect how our food tastes: it has to be punchy, it has to be in-your-face, but it also has to be layered,” says Casson.

Executive chef Christian Chaumont points out the obvious: “We’re not in Mexico.” So instead of mimicking authentic dishes, he’s using inspiration from his Mexican roots in combination with fresh West Coast ingredients. The chorizo con huevo, for example, came from a childhood comfort food (one of his favourites growing up was his grandmother’s chorizo with scrambled eggs). The El Gato Gab Gab version is closer to a chawanmushi, with steamed egg, juicy sidestripe shrimp and pops of ikura.

Boxset Collective’s restaurant resumé is full of award-winning, all-star restaurants, and co-founder and operating partner Cody Allmin says this new concept is laser-focused on fun. “Our company’s always been very serious in its approach to its programs,” he says. El Gato Gab Gab is less polished, more playful: “We’ve got a slushy machine; we’ve got stuff topped with ice cream.”

ONE-OF-A-KIND FINDS
Local artist Dominique St. Jean thrifted a collection of vintage mirrors and picture frames, and worked with Sarah Annand (a local photographer, and Cody Allmin’s wife) to create the art prints for the gallery wall.
STYLE SUPLEX
The subtle wrestling cat imagery throughout the restaurant gives the space a sense of humour. “While we’re in no way a cat-themed bar, there’s an ode to the fact that we are named after a luchador cat,” beverage director Joe Casson says.
NOT SO SERIOUS
El Gato Gab Gab isn’t the cocktail bar that takes itself too seriously; with its vibey interior and creative-yet-nostalgic menu, it’s a fresh take on a familiar concept. “It’s definitely a big shift from that ‘twisty mustache’ cocktail bar that was common in the early 2010s and faded out,” Allmin says.
SIT, STAY
Casson says the restaurant’s seating has a countryside hacienda feel—there are five different chair styles, and each one has a historic, handed-down vibe.
THROWING SHADES
Casson estimates that St. Jean used around 18 different hues to create the textured look on El Gato Gab Gab’s walls. “Luckily, the paint store is next door,” he quips.

On the Menu

Flautas Ahogadas Ahogado roughly translates to “drowned” in English—“It’s smothered in salsa,” says executive chef Christian Chaumont. El Gato Gab Gab uses B.C. Dungeness crab and Asian-inspired flavours like tobiko and dashi in this whimsical dish.

Flautas Ahogadas

Sake Charred Cabbage Taco 

“We’re taking the humble cabbage and transporting it to something meaningful, both palate-wise and experiential-wise,” says Chaumont. This oft-overlooked veggie is braised in sake, grilled over charcoal and tossed in Chintextle XO sauce.

Sake Charred Cabbage Taco

Pinoy to Piña

According to beverage director Joe Casson, this cocktail is an ode to the Philippines’ influence on mezcal and tequila distilling. Rum, banana-infused  mezcal and calamansi soda come together in this ube ice cream-topped drink (Pamilya’s Delights, the Filipino bakery next door,  supplies the ube).

Pinoy to Piña

Alyssa Hirose

Alyssa Hirose

Alyssa Hirose is a Vancouver-based writer, editor, illustrator and comic artist. Her work has been featured in Vancouver magazine, Western Living, BCBusiness, Avenue, Serviette, Geist, BCLiving, Nuvo, Montecristo, The Georgia Straight and more. Her beats are food, travel, arts and culture, style, interior design and anything dog-related. She publishes a daily autobiographical comic on Instagram at @hialyssacomics.