For an izakaya, you could go to Suika - which is an offshoot of Kingyo, an excellent izakaya. Good thing about izakayas is that there are a ton of non-fish/shrimp options. Of course, if you're downtown, go to Kingyo.

For dim sum, you could go to Kirin in City Square mall. It's not the best but certainly not the worst. Perhaps above average. It's better and different than the downtown Kirin as it focuses on Cantonese cuisine.

As alternative asian resto options, you could try the Tropika branch on Cambie or Banana Leaf on W Broadway. Both are SE Asian but have flavour profiles guaranteed to make "whities" happy. If you're in the mood for Indian, there's Vij's - which has won a ton of awards.

For Sun Sui Wah, and this is my opinion (collaborated with friends), only the Richmond branch is worth going to. Ever since the Main St branch moved to larger digs (a long time ago), quality took a dive and has never recovered. This has been confirmed throughout the years via various wedding banquets that I was obligated to go to. Of course, that's just an opinion.

Finally, for something completely off topic, if you want very good French food but at a super reasonable price, go to Salade de Fruits. It's located in a facility with a French school but is owned separately. No, it's not Michelin 3 star but it's really good French food for a great price and a very relaxed atmosphere. This is one resto that bucks the whole price/quality relationship.