Real Talk with Steph Wan

Steph Wan brings her passion for food and over 12 years of experience in hospitality and design to her role as co-owner of Okini Restaurant & Bar. In this interview, she shares her journey from being a food blogger to a successful restauranteur, discussing her approach to running a diverse and inclusive kitchen and the impact of her design background on her restaurant’s success. Steph’s genuine enthusiasm for creating memorable dining experiences and her dedication to her team and guests make her story an inspiring read for anyone interested in the food and beverage industry.

Before owning your own restaurant Okini Restaurant & Bar, you were immersed in Vancouver’s foodie scene as a popular food blogger. What was the turning point for you to want to take your passion to the next level?

Growing up in an extended family of foodies, food has always been our love language and our way of connection. Trying new recipes and techniques with my parents, recreating dishes, and gathering around the dinner table are some of my favourite childhood memories. So I never recognized it as a passion, it just seemed like a way of life that I was the most fond of.

Finding my blog and Instagram was a creative extension of that, a way for me to recount all the fascinating conversations I had around the dinner table while following the endless coverage of food across the globe. Over the years, I gained some experience by working alongside other small business owners which taught me the importance of knowing how to show up as a hostess, cashier, busser, server, HR, marketing manager, accountant, janitor, creative manager depending on the day and quite often multiple roles at the same time. I didn’t know it then but learning from all the players, gaining perspective, and articulating my ideas surrounding a topic so close to my heart was my form of education and continues to teach me so much about myself.

Perhaps that level of dedication and bravery was why I’ve only fantasized about owning a restaurant as a retirement plan during my full time profession as Digital Product Designer. Ironically a restaurant opening opportunity came up during the global pandemic and maybe because of the funny timing, we had all the key players on board. It felt like “now or never” so my partner and I — largely driven by my love of restaurants and his passion for cooking — took a leap of faith in our vision and ran with it. Having said that, I played it safe and actually didn’t leave my career in Tech after Okini was opened for over one and a half years and we were in a pivotal stage of opening a sister restaurant.

In addition to employing talented female bartenders, you also have a primarily female kitchen team at Okini Restaurant & Bar. How do you feel this diversity helps drive quality at your restaurant?

Thank you for noticing! When it comes to hiring, our goal is employing the right people for the position. We seek out people with new and different experiences to add to our team with fostering a more positive work environment in mind. The gender is rather irrelevant and having a primarily female team at Okini just happened by chance.

When I was still in university and interviewing for my first co-op placement, I tried to make an impression by presenting an “edible resume” instead of a hard copy (you see, I always turn to food as a form of connection). My manager at the time, who to this day I still consider a mentor, hired a more qualified candidate over me for the position I originally applied for. However, he also tailored an additional role specifically for me with my skill set in mind and later shared that he recognized my personality would enhance the team dynamic too. Two weeks in, I was promoted and tasked to design a flagship app experience for millions of users from the ground up. So even today, I find myself hiring in a similar way and am inspired to help individuals realize their potential as I am so indebted to people who've given me the same.

This leads to why we make sure all our employees are all treated fairly and given equal opportunity for growth, advancement, and recognition. After all, it is our combined unique backgrounds with our mutual appreciation for hospitality that has encouraged diverse ideas, better decision-making and has consistently been the driving force of the creativity and quality that we deliver at Okini.

Can you share some of your most impactful food memories that played a pivotal role in inspiring you to turn your passion for food into a lifelong career?

If I was having a rough day, my parents would suggest baking a batch of macadamia shortbread cookies together. If I was under the weather, they would show up with a plate of cut fruits. If I had good news, we would pop a bottle of champagne and eat cake. Food was how we displayed love and affection in our household. Restaurants brought me a familiar sense of warmth and feeling of being taken care of, accompanied with an inviting bite or sip. When I pieced it together, it made me realize how much human connection meant to me and it was the dining room that constantly offered opportunities to form authentic connections. So eventually I made it my goal to create a dining experience that provided a special, unique, delicious, butterflies-in-stomach sense of welcome for my guests. And of course, it just so happens that my fiancé is the chef :) 

You have a rich background working in user experience and product design, how have these skills helped to complement your journey to successful restauranteur?

There are definitely many parallels between product design and designing a restaurant. The ability to empathize with our potential audience and clientele by factoring their feelings, needs, motivations, obstacles, in addition to understanding how they experience the world before they even step foot into our establishment is a superpower I’m always exercising. My design background has also reminded me to focus on what’s important and not to do too much at once, influencing the purpose, execution and storytelling behind each item on our food and beverage menu. When it comes to fostering an efficient work environment, working in user experience and product design also taught me the true definition of cross-collaboration. And perhaps the most evident is how my software skills and tech instincts have paid off from all the branding, graphics, website design, print and marketing materials to onboarding new software like POS and reservation systems. Having said that, I’m always still learning in this ever changing industry and I never want to stop evolving with the times. I think that’s a huge part of the excitement and challenge in being an architect of a bigger picture. Working in tech was very similar in that sense too.

What has been the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received and who was it from?

My dad is my role model and constantly reminds me, “Never stop learning”. So that would explain why I am curious by nature and his words heavily influenced my work ethics for as long as I remember. I realize now that this has continuously empowered me to make informed decisions, improve my critical thinking skills, and exposed me to different outlooks. So I try to pass on the same advice to my team members, by teaching everything I know and encouraging them to ask all the questions, in hopes that they will start building their own perspective, tap into their creative ingenuity and end up teaching me new tricks.

As I’m stepping out of my comfort zone and actively trying to overcome my perfectionism this year, I owe it to my mentor Marion Harper Treskin (who I met graciously through WORTH) for her guidance and gentle reminders. “Don’t let perfectionism rob you of the ability to make a decision and get in the way of your happiness,” is one of the inspiring quotes from a podcast she recommended that I will be taking into account for the foreseeable future.

In light of your prominent social handle, 'Steph Wants,' what specific changes do you want to see in the food and beverage industry to increase diversity and inclusion? 

I believe that we can all be kinder to each other. We all have something in common whether we’re ambassadors of the hospitality industry or as a diner on the receiving end — we’re human. One of the underlying issues that I’ve observed is the significant lack of sensitivity towards our workers (including myself), especially those who don’t fit a certain mold and unfortunately, stereotypes still play a big part. No one should be taken less seriously in their professional environment because of their appearance, how they dress, or have their capability and authority challenged because of their perceived age. Just because I’m not wearing a chef’s jacket, that doesn’t signify that I don’t know where our food is sourced, how it’s prepared, or how the dish came together. It is also apparent that this is still something women and non-male identifying people have experienced far more than men. I would love to see everyone in the dining room be a little more mindful about their interactions and offer our service community the mutual respect they deserve.

Over the last year you’ve gone through a lot of professional changes with rebranding Land & Sea to Okini Restaurant & Bar and closing your second spot Darkside. What’s your guiding compass for making these big decisions?

My guiding compass is making sure every big decision I make either aligns with my personal or business goals and objectives. It was honestly a wild idea to open a second restaurant after only a year of opening our first to begin with. While it was heartbreaking to walk away from our sister restaurant Darkside, this was a key decision that contributed towards our most important long-term goals: taking over complete ownership of our first restaurant (hence the rebrand to Okini), providing our undivided attention to our restaurant, having a better work-life balance so we can show up better for our team and ourselves. I truly believe that everything happens for a reason and Marilyn Monroe said it best, “Sometimes things fall apart, so that better things can fall together,” and this certainly isn’t the last of our second concept.

What exciting things can we expect to see from you and the Okini Restaurant & Bar over the coming year?

So many things! Since our rebrand to Okini is still fairly fresh, we are focusing on strengthening our brand recognition this year along with even more personable and interactive dining experiences. Our featured dishes are driven by the seasons while continuing to showcase our local vendors and farmers is a priority so we’ve been spamming our social media with behind the scenes of all sorts. We also just launched a daily Happy Hour, finalized new cocktail creations inspired by our recent trip to Japan, look forward to patio season, monthly promotions and collaborations driven by our team’s creativity. Most of all, we’re always excited to tailor tasting menus upon request.

More About Steph:

Steph Wan is the co-owner of Okini Restaurant & Bar, nominated as ‘Best West Coast’ by the Vancouver Magazine in 2022 following with the ‘Best Kerrisdale Restaurant’ in 2024, and ‘Best Kerrisdale Restaurant’ by Georgia Straight’s 27th Annual Golden Plates Awards. Before opening her own restaurant, she was the digital product designer behind PayByPhone’s flagship parking app experience and built digital solutions for multiple start ups. When she’s not at her own restaurant or working on a creative project, she enjoys exploring the city with her dogs, learning a new skill, and seeking inspiration through her travels.