A White Rock waterfront staple is celebrating its 40th anniversary this Thursday.
Uli’s restaurant, which has occupied the same Marine Drive space across from the seaside city’s iconic pier and waterfront promenade since 1986, was the first in the area to have an espresso machine and to offer unique menu items that weren’t common in the ’80s, such as avocado, raw oysters and paella.
German entrepreneur and French-trained chef Ulrich Blume — the father of current owner Tyson Blume — was a trailblazer and epicurean visionary who opened his bistro amidst a homogeneous stretch of fish-and-chip spots, his son said, and was intent on providing Marine Drive with the “jouissance and sophistication” of European dining.
Uli’s eventually embedded itself in the cultural fabric of White Rock, and as the restaurant gained a following, it soon became a popular hotspot for European fine dining, prompting lines out the door and even customers dancing on the table tops, Blume said Tuesday (May 12), recalling how his dad used to flambé some dishes tableside for customers.
“My father trained all over Europe as a chef. He brought little pieces of different parts of Europe with him, whether it be the schnitzel or the paella … those items have always been on our menu,” Blume said, noting how it’s the local community that has kept Uli’s in business for 40 years.
“We’re always there for the locals … (we’ve always tried to) create an environment that’s kind of like an extended kitchen for the locals of White Rock and South Surrey and a bit further … then everything in the summer (is a) bonus, and we kind of always kept that mantra,” Blume said. “We’ve seen generations come and get older and pass on, and new generations come in, and that’s been a pretty amazing experience.”
Many regular customers remember Blume himself as a teenager, when he started by peeling potatoes in the Uli’s kitchen, with his father paying him $5 per milk crate he filled with the peeled spuds, or cut-up onions and bell peppers, he remembered.
After studying, travelling and working at other restaurant including Joe Fortes and a Michelin-rated hotel, as his dad encouraged him to get experience at other places, Blume bought the restaurant in 2008, during a recession, after his father was diagnosed with leukemia.
After he introduced a new menu item — the Uli’s burger, which was awarded Best Burger by the Surrey-Now Leader and others, more than once — around 2010, Uli’s was featured on the front page of a Vancouver daily newspaper.
“And then we were off to the races. We were selling so many burgers it was crazy,” he said.
These days, most eateries offer a decent burger, so things have mellowed out in that area, Blume noted, but he’s also introduced items such as craft cocktails and an upgraded wine list, as he’s a sommelier, and still sources high-quality ingredients from as many local sources as possible.
He credits his general manager, Jennie Silk, as being “his rock” to help him manage things part-time from Salt Spring Island and keeping the restaurant running smoothly.
He also gave credit to the area’s residents for keeping them in business for so long, especially in an area where many restaurants don’t always make it.
“The beach has not always been kind to restaurants over the years, but we’ve persevered, and that’s in large part (due) to the local community,” Blume shared, adding he hopes to see many regulars at their Thursday (May 14) celebration, which is sold out. “Thank you. Just the biggest ‘thank you’ to everyone who continues to support us.”