HOSPITALITY SPOTLIGHT
/HANDSON STEAK AND FRITES
A New French-Style Bistro on Denman
by Jacqui Birchall
(click images to enlarge)
A delightful and delicious new French-style bistro, Handson Steak and Frites, held its grand, sold-out opening at 847 Denman Street on August 27.
Chef Kyle Lee at Handson Steak and Frites. (Jacqui Birchall Photo)
Located where the popular, thirty-year-old, Ma Dang Goul Korean restaurant was, the charming chef/owner of Handson, Kyle Lee, paid homage to MDG in a notice of great respect to the former owners, which he posted on the front door. Seeing the notice, I knew I had to meet this new owner.
In an interview with Chef Kyle, he revealed that he originally opened Handson Steak and Frites on August 8, planning for a temporary soft opening, imagining a table or two; however, postings of his new restaurant became viral, the restaurant was busy, and he closed for two weeks to tweak the menu and finish the interior.
Chef Kyle brings years of experience in Michelin-starred restaurants around the world and in Vancouver. In Vancouver, he worked CinCin, Elisa, and DB Bistro. He recently returned from the UK, where he worked as a chef at the three Michelin-starred restaurant L’Enclume. At around $550 per person for a tasting menu, this very exclusive spot is so isolated that Chef Kyle had to walk 50 minutes to work a shift that started at 7 a.m. and finished at 1 a.m.
Handson’s Menu.
In my opinion, our restaurant owners are the most energetic and creative business owners in our community.
Chef Kyle heard of the closing of MDG while working at CinCin, where a co-worker, related to the owners of MDG, informed Kyle of the upcoming sale of the business.
While working at L’Enclume, Kyle's brother emailed him regarding the final availability of the space and said, ‘let’s go!’
And go they did.
Chef Kyle had been saving up for 10 years to buy his own restaurant.
He stored the furnishings for Handson Steak and Fries in his home, jamming his space.
Chef Kyle cleaned the location and painted and redid the washroom. He is happy to say he has touched every corner of his new spot. Instagram photos attest to his diligence. Chef Kyle is passionate about his new space, emphasizing that it is his home, not just his workspace, and he wants his customers to feel that experience.
His friend Lysha, a sommelier working at Black and Blue, trained his front-of-house staff. Kyle and Lysha joke that, due to their work history, the kitchen is run by the Top Table Group, and front of house by Global, two local restaurant conglomerates. Lysha helps Kyle after her shift at Black and Blue, frequently not getting to bed until 6 a.m. Kyle gives a big shout-out to head chef Andrew Richardson of Elisa, who has been his mentor.
Mussles and frites.
Lysha emphasizes that the staff work as a team, with little division of labour.
Kyle shares that Handson is hands-on — use your fingers to eat your frites!
The menu is delightful. I had a hard time deciding between a steak and the mussels. The mussels are fresh from Salt Spring Island, where “their unique plump and sweet briny flavour set them apart.”
The steaks come from True North Farms in Armstrong, B.C. (“grass fed, grass finished, raised in the best regenerative farming way where steers are up to their shoulders in alfalfa and mixed forbs, a herbaceous flowering plant.) and Blue Dot Reserve in PEI, where the beef is “AAA Grade with excellent marbling, fine texture and rich flavour. The beef is hand-raised and hand-picked from small family farms in PEI.” Both sources are hormone-free.
The frites are cooked in a true French style. They are triple-cooked, boiled, chilled, cooked at low heat, chilled and then deep-fried at high heat.
I chose the very elegantly prepared steak tartar as a starter. Kyle shares that he uses beef tallow melted through a scorching hot metal cone to fill the dish with rich, smoky fat. For my main course, I chose the mussels and frites. The mussels were delicate and delicious. I spooned up all the broth in the bowl. The mussels are steamed in white wine, with shallots, fennel, garlic, parsley and shrimp garum. The broth was so delicious, I even submerged my frites in it.
Steak Tartar and frites.
A great deal of time has been spent on both the menu choices and the very affordable wine list.
Want to bring your own bottle of wine? No problem. There is a $30 corkage fee.
The interior is intimate, French bistro-like, with an open kitchen where customers can observe Chef Kyle and his two very personable cooks. Be prepared for Kyle or one of his cooks to bring you your meal and answer any questions you may have.
The menus are illuminated. Fabulous. No reaching for a cell phone light to read the menu when the lights are low.
Kyle wants Handson to be a late-night gathering place for restaurant folks who have few places to choose from to socialize and have a glass or two of wine that won’t break the bank. And he hopes his new restaurant will become a special dining place for West Enders, not expensive and high-end, but delicious, intimate and affordable.
The restaurant is open Wednesday to Sunday from 5 p.m. until closing. There are plans for brunch and happy hour.
Handson Steak and Frites
847 Denman
Instagram
Reservations through OpenTable
