Meeru Dhalwala & Shira Blustein

Meeru Dhalwala is co-founder of Vij’s and Lila restaurants, both in Vancouver, BC.  For 30 years, she created all the recipes and ran the kitchen at Vij’s (and Rangoli for 17 years).  In April 2024, Meeru received the Restaurants Canada Award for Culinary Excellence.  

In May 2024 Meeru opened Lila, a modern Indian pescatarian/vegetarian restaurant with a strong focus on “small is beautiful”, with co-founder Shira Blustein (of the Acorn restaurant).

Meeru is a self-taught chef who erased traditional boundaries within Indian cooking to create her style of original cuisine.   She holds a Master of Science in Development Studies from Bath

University, UK, and brings her passion for economic development and humanity into her business practices.  She is one of Vancouver’s most prominent promoters of women in business, food sustainability, and healthy food accessibility to all people.  

Vij’s received the Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2022 and 2023.  Meeru also wrote the three Vij’s cookbooks.  

In addition to her intellectual curiosities and enjoyment of all things that bring the world of humans together through food, Meeru enjoyed being a chef/judge on Food Television Network’s “Wall of Chefs” for two seasons.

Meeru is current or past board member of many organizations that focus on food.  Notably she is on the Faculty Advisory Board for Land and Food Systems at the University of British Columbia (UBC).  Meeru also works closely with Food Stash Foundation, a charity that redirects rescued fresh foods (produce, dairy, meats, poultry and seafood) from grocery stores to people in need.  For six years she was on the board of Vancouver Farmers Markets.  One of her most enjoyable activities has been as a judge for Canadian (as well as BC) Outstanding Young Farmer for farmers aged 40 and under.  

In winter 2022, Meeru founded and piloted My Bambiri Foods, an online organic baby and toddler food company.  All recipes are original and sourced from BC organic farms.  My Bambiri foods are sold via a three-tiered pricing, where parents select their price relative to their incomes and financial agency.  

For her work, Meeru has received honorary doctorates from UBC and Simon Fraser University.

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Shira Blustein’s journey from musician to celebrated restaurateur is as dynamic as her approach to food. Before founding her first restaurant, Shira toured extensively through Europe and North America as a member of punk and indie rock bands. As a vegetarian on the road, she encountered the full spectrum of culinary experiences—from discovering fresh, lovingly made street food to struggling with uninspired vegetarian options. These experiences ignited Shira’s passion to create a dining experience where vegetables take centre stage, celebrated for their inherent creativity and uniqueness. 

In 2012, Shira realized her vision by opening The Acorn, a vegetable-forward restaurant in Vancouver that quickly gained international acclaim. The Acorn’s commitment to showcasing British Columbia’s local farms, foragers, and wineries in a zero-waste setting earned it a place among the world’s best plant-based restaurants, including being named the Number 1 best vegan restaurant in the world by Big Seven Travel. The  Acorn was honoured with a Michelin Recommend, further cementing its status as a must-visit dining destination. 

Building on the success of The Acorn, Shira opened The Arbor in 2016, a casual sister restaurant that brought creative vegetarian comfort food to Vancouver’s Main Street.  The Arbor quickly became a beloved neighbourhood spot, serving the community until its recent closure in 2024. 

Shira’s influence extends beyond her restaurants. She is also the co-author of a celebrated cookbook that captures the essence of the Acorn’s culinary philosophy,  bringing their vegetable-driven creations to home kitchens around the world. 

In 2024, Shira expanded her culinary footprint with the opening of Lila Restaurant in  Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant neighbourhood. A collaboration with Chef Meeru Dhalwala of Vij's. With this new venture, Shira and Meeru continue to push the boundaries of what sustainable dining can be. 

When she is not busy running her restaurants, Shira is lovingly parenting her two young daughters, crafting restaurant plates at the ceramics studio, and playing keyboards in several Vancouver bands.