Richmond-born Top Chef winner Nicole Gomes opens Lucky Lily Asian Brasserie at Vancouver airport
The airport restaurant honours her grandmother and features pan-Asian cuisine, from dim sum to kimchi grilled cheese, with a full bar and grab-and-go market.
Sources · local media reports
The day's top stories, food & events — every morning at 7. Unsubscribe anytime.
Top Chef Canada: All-Stars winner Nicole Gomes has opened Lucky Lily Asian Brasserie in Vancouver International Airport's domestic terminal after security, near Gate C46. The restaurant pays homage to her grandmother, Lily—a major culinary influence on Gomes—and to her newly adopted daughter who also carries the middle name Lily.
Gomes, a Richmond native who trained at Vancouver's Dubrulle French Culinary School, has spent 32 years in the culinary industry and has competed on Top Chef Canada twice, Top Chef U.S., won Beat Bobby Flay, and was a finalist on Iron Chef Gauntlet. She frequently judges on Top Chef and Fire Masters. Lucky Lily is her second airport restaurant; her first is Wander Kitchen and Bar in Calgary International Airport. She also owns Cluck N Cleaver, a fried chicken restaurant with two Calgary locations.
The pan-Asian menu reflects Vancouver's diverse Asian food scene—a conscious choice, Gomes said, to bring more representation of the city's culinary landscape to YVR. Offerings include dim sum, wonton noodles, kimchi grilled cheese, zhajiangmian (tossed noodles with pork ragu), Hong Kong-style baked pork chop rice, and Asian breakfast sandwiches. A signature Lucky Lily burger comes with hoisin sauce, house-made pickles, and American cheese. The bar features sake, curated local beers including a rice lager, and B.C. wines.
A "Lily Market" section offers grab-and-go items: rice bowls with fried egg, green onion sauce and Chinese sausage; steamed buns; Bangkok-style curry rice; and milk bread sandwiches.
Gomes explained the airport location as a strategic choice. "An airport is a lens into what the city has to offer," she said, noting that street-side Asian restaurants are saturated in Richmond. Her mother owned a travel agency in Richmond for more than 40 years, and Gomes grew up travelling frequently—"It's serendipitous that I have restaurants in an airport because I was always in an airport."
Lucky Lily is open daily from 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. The restaurant is still only six weeks old, and Gomes hinted at future menu additions, potentially including chicken wings.
Good to know
Where is Lucky Lily Asian Brasserie located?
Lucky Lily Asian Brasserie is in Vancouver International Airport's domestic terminal after security, near Gate C46, at 1428 Granville St Unit 130, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1N2.
What are Lucky Lily's hours?
Lucky Lily Asian Brasserie is open daily from 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
What kind of food does Lucky Lily serve?
Lucky Lily Asian Brasserie serves pan-Asian cuisine including dim sum, wonton noodles, kimchi grilled cheese, zhajiangmian, Hong Kong-style baked pork chop rice, Asian breakfast sandwiches, and a signature burger with hoisin sauce, house-made pickles, and American cheese. The venue also has a grab-and-go market with rice bowls, steamed buns, curry rice, and milk bread sandwiches.
Does Lucky Lily have a bar?
Yes, Lucky Lily Asian Brasserie has a full bar featuring sake, curated local beers including a rice lager, and B.C. wines.
