The northwest corner of Commercial Drive and East 11th has been notably less lively in recent weeks following the closure of a beloved East Vancouver eatery.
Trinidadian restaurant, Baby Dahl, permanently shuttered on May 13, taking with it the spirited Soca music and scent of warm roti that beckoned patrons through its doors.
After over five years on the Drive, Dana Mohammed, co-owner of the restaurant, told Vancity Lookout that she was saddened to leave such a supportive and enthusiastic community. “I knew people would miss the restaurant,” she said, “but I don’t think I was expecting that much community to come out [on our closing night].”
Dana Mohammed and patrons outside of Baby Dahl on their final night. Photos by Gaby Farmer
The “bittersweet” final days at Baby Dahl reflected the kind of festive, community-oriented atmosphere it was known for; new friends and familiar faces alike packed the restaurant, spilling out onto the sidewalk and around the block to load up on their favourite Caribbean dishes for the last time at 2707 Commercial Drive.
“The last few days were literally a party,” she said. “I just wanted people to hang out, play dominoes, so many people met each other for the first time within the community, so that was incredible to see.”
While Mohammed was busy cooking for most of the festivities, she estimated that on their final night, she probably made over 500 doubles, a classic Trinidadian street food usually made with curried chickpeas served on two fried flatbreads.
Dana Mohammed making doubles at Baby Dahl. Photos by Gaby Farmer
Over the years, she said doubles were consistently among Baby Dahl's most popular dishes. “It’s really hard to get them in Vancouver, so especially for [customers] from Toronto or Trinidad, they would lose their minds and order like 10 at a time.”
Unlike many restaurants that struggle to remain afloat in the face of steep rents and intense competition in Vancouver’s bustling culinary scene, Mohammed told Vancity Lookout that a lack of demand was not behind Baby Dahl’s sudden closure.
She said ultimately, “unresolvable differences” with her business partner spurred her decision to close. “That included difficult staffing decisions; we just had to let everybody go,” she said, noting that for the last several months of operations, clients may have noticed irregular and shortened hours. “Continuing with that structure didn’t make sense, so I made the decision to step away,” she added, “but it pushed me to reset and refocus.”
Carrying on a culinary legacy
Patrons at Baby Dahl. Photos by Gaby Farmer
Mohammed is just the latest in her family to carry on the legacy of restaurant ownership. After immigrating to Canada from Trinidad, Mohammed's family eventually settled in British Columbia when she was seven years old.
Fifteen years ago, Mohammed’s father, Shak, opened D Roti Shak in New Westminster, where she worked as a server and manager until she set out to build her own culinary enterprise in 2021. “I grew up learning all the recipes and food, [cooking Trinidadian food] was second nature,’ she said. “But it was a big learning experience running a whole restaurant.”
Mohammed originally planned to cook frozen roti shells for a delivery business, not set up a brick-and-mortar restaurant. But after a friend in real estate showed her the Commercial Drive property, things fell into place somewhat serendipitously.
“The space was [previously] occupied by Jamaican Pizza Jerk. [The owner] Chef Bounty was there for about 20 years before he passed away,” said Mohammed. “It felt like such a beautiful idea to move into a Caribbean space that was already there for so long and be able to continue that lineage.”
Despite opening just a year into a global pandemic, Mohammed said it wasn’t long before the neighbourhood took notice. “[At the time] the barber shop, Ice Kol Kut, was right next door, so it was a vibe. There was such a sense of community in that little slice of block that we had.”
“Something that feels like home”
Baby Dahl was in many ways an homage to Trinidadian culture. Caribbean pop and Trini soca music could be heard whenever the restaurant was open; even its walls were adorned with murals depicting Lord Kitchener, Calypso Rose and Mighty Sparrow, pillars of Trinidadian Calypsonian music.
But for Mohammed, the heart of the small island nation’s culture lies in its food.
“[Cooking Trinidadian food] is not a rushed process,” she said. “The spices we add… the marinades we make by scratch, the pepper and tamarind sauce… even the dough needs to sit for a while,” adding that for Baby Dahl, it was important to her to make everything in-house. “It’s very laborious, but those little touches are what make it so special.”
Even though Baby Dahl is no longer, Mohammed said that she is far from finished feeding the community.
She is still available for private catering and has cooked for several events over recent weeks. Mohammed also plans to serve familiar favourites at Caribbean Days at Town Centre Park in Coquitlam on July 25-26.
And she has no intentions of stopping there.
“A lot of my customers have been with me since D Roti Shak… It’s really lovely to see, and I don’t want to abandon them like that. That’s why I want to come back ten times stronger.”
The former Baby Dahl owner has something new in the works and is ready to launch. Although she would not reveal specifics, Mohammed said she hopes to announce a new culinary project by the end of June.
“It was really beautiful seeing the connection that people had to Baby Dahl… I want to continue giving the community something that feels like home, something familiar, comforting and rooted in culture, [and] I want to give back to them again.”
