The story of NOX.
NOX is the passion project of Alejandro Diaz and Sam Fabbro. They’ve been working together and collaborating for over 6 years on New West’s el Santo and Amaranthus and decided it was time to create a new culinary player in the Vancouver restaurant scene. Although they come from different backgrounds, they found a lot of parallels between Alejandro’s Mexican heritage and Sam’s Italian heritage in terms of cultural, social, and religious values, and through these similarities the idea for NOX was born.
The power behind the name.
NOX is the Goddess of night in Italian Mythology known for her exceptional power and beauty, and it is believed that she is the beginning of all things. At NOX, we believe that food has power—the power to nourish the body, the power to bring people to together, to fuel celebration, connections, and growth. It is also the begging of powerful things, like meaningful conversations, hilarious stories, budding friendships, and lasting love stories. Come discover the power of NOX for yourself and see what new beginnings come to light.
More about NOX.
NOX was inspired by the rich traditions of Italian cuisine and the fresh and bright flavour profiles found on the West Coast of Canada. Upscale plates in a down-to-earth space lets everyone know they are welcome to pull up a chair—a place designed as much for special occasions as for spontaneous pop-ins.
Our menu will change with the seasons as we embrace the temperamental nature of the West Coast and its micro-seasons, aligning with the Italian philosophy of using what is in your own backyard. We will source as much as we can close to home and use imported Italian goods when needed.
Meet the Team
Sam Fabbro, Corporate Chef
Sam’s greatest passion is cooking, and he’s been sharing his love for food with others for as long as he can remember. He started professionally at Cobre in Gastown while still in high school, then completed the Culinary Arts program at Vancouver Community College. Right after graduation, Sam joined the team at the West Coast-inspired Restaurant 62 in Abbotsford, before moving on to Raincity and CinCin in Vancouver. Sam has been the Executive Chef at el Santo since 2017, and Amaranthus since its opening in 2019. Now as Corporate Chef at NOX, Sam will draw heavily from his Italian heritage and combine it with his affinity for local West Coast ingredients.
Alejandro Diaz, Managing Director
Alejandro has been in love with hospitality ever since his childhood days spending holidays with his uncle who worked at various hotels in Mexico. He moved to Canada from Mexico City in 1996 and has been hustling in the restaurant industry for over 26 years working his way from dishwasher to Director of Finance and everything in between. After so much in-depth experience he decided to forge his own path and opened el Santo in New Westminster in 2015, a restaurant that celebrates cuisine from his native Mexico. Not long after, he opened Amaranthus specializing in plant-based food, and now he’s taking on the mighty Italian scene with NOX.
Lucy Nahácka, General Manager
Lucy has over a decade of industry experience working in fine-dining restaurants across Europe and Canada. A passion for wine is an understatement as Lucy holds a WSWT level 3 and has completed the Bourgogne Master-Level at the Wine Scholar Guild. As such, she is the perfect fit to run the much-anticipated wine program at NOX. She will focus on bringing on boutique wineries from Italy and British Columbia which are not only of the highest quality but have a sustainable approach to wine making.
