He’s cooked in Michelin-starred kitchens around the world, his multi-awarded Kitsilano restaurant Maenam has won accolades locally and internationally, and he splits his executive chef hours between Vancouver and New York City. Chef Angus An shows no signs of slowing though — this May, he’ll launch a brand-new venture at River Market: Longtail Kitchen.

Inspired by its waterfront setting on the Fraser River, and by the Thai water taxis from which it takes its name, Longtail will feature seaside Thai street food. But it’s more than that; the restaurant marks an innovative new direction for An, who is best known for his classically trained cooking chops. Longtail is designed as a multifunctional, energetic kitchen, serving casual seafood by day, plus a retail shop offering An’s signature curry sauces, spices, cookbooks and cookware. At night, it will play host to private dinners and cooking classes. “I see it as kind of a culinary playground for established and emerging chefs to interact directly with customers in a fun, approachable way,” explains An.

For River Market, the opening of Longtail adds to its momentum and ambition as a world-class destination for feast and fun. “I’m a longtime fan of Angus’ cooking. He and I have talked a lot about the future of restaurants,” says River Market Director Mark Shieh. “One of our goals at the Market is to reconnect with food in a meaningful and playful way. Angus’ imagining of a restaurant as a multifunctional seaside kitchen is a great fit with our approach.”

An did his culinary training at New York’s French Culinary Institute, and has worked in legendary kitchens such as Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s legendary Jo-Jo, The Ledbury, The Fat Duck, and Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, before taking a position working under Chef David Thompson at Michelin-starred Thai restaurant Nahm. The latter has influenced An’s own menus at Maenam, which opened in May 2009. The restaurant has been named the city’s Best Thai by Vancouver Magazine’s Restaurant Awards each year since it opened, and in 2011, it was the only restaurant in Canada and the U.S. to make the New York Times’ list of “10 Restaurants Worth Leaving the Ship For.” Last summer, An also took on an executive chef/consultant role at the famed Thai restaurant Kittichai in New York City.

Longtail Kitchen will have its official opening in May 2013. Stay up-to-date at rivermarket.ca, and on Twitter: twitter.com/rivermrkt, twitter.com/longtailkitchen.

About River Market at Westminster Quay

Food and fun come together every day at River Market, where the hungry and curious gather to eat, shop, and play. First opened in 1985 as Westminster Quay Public Market, the 72,000-square-foot marketplace on the Fraser River underwent a food-led revitalization in 2008 to become a hub for community life. Today, it showcases 20 of B.C.’s best independent shops and restaurants all under one roof. Find out more at rivermarket.ca.