Vancouver BC Dining Opportunity
 

Now that the FT'ers have been so helpful with dining suggestions for the Seattle and Portland area, I have to ask about another metro we're visiting in July: Vancouver BC.

Our best type of restaurant is relatively inexpensive and informal, and something of local flavor.

Lots of salmon I am sure, but I imagine there are good choices for Thai/Asian as well.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

There are so many great Thai and other Asian places that I no longer remember names.

For a "local treat" take the sea taxi from the downtown waterfront across to Lonsdale Quay Public Market. Walk through there and have a beer. Then walk up Lonsdale 3 blocks to 3rd and have dinner at Pasparos Taverna -- great Greek food. Make a reservation for the front patio area.

http://www.vancouverrestaurantguide...._van/pasparos/

I've been starting to frequent a place called "Go Fish!". It's not really a restaurant but rather kind of a "shack" on False Creek Fisherman's Wharf which is located just off of Granville Island (walking distance along a seawall). Seating is limited and is all outdoors. The menu is also a bit limited with a few varieties of fish & chips (cod/halibut/salmon), sandwiches (halibut/oysters), grilled fish, soup (yum!), daily specials, etc. (And I keep hearing about fish tacos but never sea them on the menu.) Cost is reasonable: My gf and I were just over $20 for lunch. They're only open until dusk or when they run out of stock. As word gets out, the lines are also getting longer however. The last sunny Sunday we went, it was 20 mins to order and another 20 mins to get our food.
You can also hop over to Bridges on Graville Island if Go Fish isn't your thing. They have a nice patio in the summer.

I'm not a big Thai eater but when we do go, we usually go to Thai Away Home on Commercial. Tasty and good value (can easily be sub $10 per person). It's an "order at the counter and they'll bring the food out to you" place however. There are a couple of locations (Google it.) If you go to the Commercial Drive location, there are a bunch of other restaurants up and down the block if it's not what you're looking for.

For Chinese, I'd recommend Kirin or Sun Sui Wah. Not really cheap but not totally expensive either (they're also clean which is not what you can say about a lot of Chinese restaurants). Lots of sushi places. My favourite of the moment is Toshi, located on 16th Ave? (just off of Main St). Decent variety and good quality. Typically sub $35 for gf and I.

Thanks for the advice! The Public Market will certainly be on our agenda now, and "Go Fish" sounds interesting too!

Good to know that finding a good fish/Asian place won't be a problem!

Thanks!

If you want to go where the locals normally go and don't mind a some laughter abuse from the waiters & owners, then head over to the Elbow Room Cafe located at 560 Davie Street: www.theelbowroomcafe.com. They have excellent breakfast at incredibly low prices.

For Sun Sui Wah, I would recommend going to the Richmond location as the food are much better than the Main Street branch: www.sunsuiwah.com

I checked the Elbow Room's website, that looks really cool! I think we are also going to try out that place. (With all the great places FT'ers have suggested, we are going to come back 50 lbs heavier! Luckily we have lots of hikes planned)

Thanks again!

Will be in YVR in August .. I think I try "Go Fish" and "Elbow Room".
Thanks ... ^

For those who plan on coming to the Elbow Room, be sure to walk in on an empty stomach. The portions are the size of those with a gluttonious hunger. Should you fail to finish your plate, be prepared to make a donation to the "Loving Spoon" foundation that the owners have been raising for charity.

And last of all, get there early. A 1-hour wait is normally expected during the busy hours.

Go Fish and Elbow Room it is, at the very least! Lonsdale Quay also will probably be checked out. Of course I might have to also save room for Boston Pizza, Western Canadian chain I have liked in the past (and eaten at in YVR too), though I see they are starting to appear in the Toronto area as well

Don't forget the Japanese "pub" or izakaya food craze -- like En, Guu with Garlic, or Hapa Izakaya. Ezogiku is a noodle cafe with quite a few branches in downtown Vancouver (there is one close to the Westin Grand and Hampton Inn) which are popular. Of course there is the highly touted Tojo's for sublime and expensive "omakase" style dinners of sushi, sashimi and cooked items.

"C" Restaurant is notable for its higher end seafood and rated one of Vancouver's best restaurants; and Feenie's, the casual restaurant of Rob Feenie, the chef-proprietor of Lumiere which is next door, is also highly recommended.

Banana Leaf in West Broadway is great Malaysian food and is known for its chili crab. Sala Thai in Cambie Street serve very good Thai food.

Also try Memphis Blues, Vancouver's version of Memphis style barbeque.... there is another branch in Commercial Drive.

Enjoy!!

Last time I visited SSW, my GF and I managed to eat an entire 6LB alaskan snow crab. IIRC, we had half steamed with garlic and the other half fried with salt & pepper.

Since we were both stuffed, we ended up giving the only other dish we ordered, a clay hot pot, to some bum.... who had the gall to ask for a quarter as well.

Fun town. Pretty aggressive bums (compared to SF at least).
-g

For those planning to go to the Lonsdale Quay I would highly recommend that you travel there via the Seabus which takes you directly to the spot from the Waterfront Centre. By taking the Seabus will give you the opportunity to snap beautiful pictures of the West-End skyscrapers, the Burrard Inlet, as well as the Lions Gate Bridge.

I enjoyed the Liliget Feast House. It's a First Nations restaurant...a very cool restaurant and good food too.

Another dim sum outlet that I would recommend as an alternative to the Sun Suih Wah, is the Floata also located in Richmond inside the Parker Place Mall. But I must warn that parking is extremely difficult for the mall during the weekends.
www.floata.com

Floata is the only place I've ever been to where people were queued up by the kitchen door and swarming the dim sum carts the moment they came out. I noticed last Aug when I went back there, they had switched to ordering dim sum off the menu - not as much fun.

Every time I'm in Vancouver, I stay at the Sheraton Le Soleil and make time to hit (I think it's called...a couple blocks away, I always have to ask the concierge) The Imperial for dim sum. I don't know if it's the best, or even stands out in the city, but I love that place with the view and great food.

Malaysian food there's Tropika in Richmond, Banana Leaf on W.Broadway (don't go to the one on Denman St)

Thai, Thai House Restaurant on Kingsway, Metrotown area has divine lunch specials.

Tomokatsu on W.Broadway for great all you can eat sushi.

Something unusual, head down to W. Broadway and Cambie for authentic Afghan food at the Afghan Horsemen. There's also a Mongolian and Russian restaurant close by.

Dim sum - my choice would be Big Lai on Kingsway, opposite the Crystal Mall. Pretty big dumpling for cheap price.

Avoid downtown area, especially on Robson St... I don't really like the food there, it is expensive and they cater to the tourists. Definitely ask around for local opinions, as they can point out the best and most affordable restaurants around.

Enjoy your stay in Vancouver!

Mmmm, Dim sum! Didn't even think of that as an option! Melissa loves Dim Sum, so we will have to try Big Lai (wow, we are going to either have to say in Vancouver for a long time, or eat a lot!!!! Thanks again to all the wonderful FT'ers

Many restaurants are switching to the "ordering dim sum from the menu". Not only in Vancouver but in Hong Kong as well. In a sense, its to avoid congestion along the pathways in between tables caused by the moving carts.

It's not the greatest and certainly way too overpriced for a restaurant serving average quality at very stingy portions. View is great (which somewhat contributes to the expensive prices), but not worth it IMO when there are many other great ones around the metropolitan area.

i know Belgian food isn't what most people think of first, but Chambar is wonderful

http://www.chambar.com/

For great sushi selections (but not Buffet Style), I have found Tojo's to be among the best. www.tojos.com

I see several posts regarding Richmond.
Is it worth going ... not only for food. What else should/could I see?

BTW, I had never a "super first class meal" in any Chinese restaurant...it was mostly saucy and cooked to "death". I would like stir-fry-food with the vegetables still "al dente". The "best" I ever had was in Hunan or Szechuan (Chinese) restaurants. The best Asian/Chinese meal I remember, was at Betelnut in SFO.... they call it "Asian Street Food"

Most people head to Richmond for the quality of Cantonese cuisine as well as it's array of Hong Kong style malls along the strip of No. 3 Road. But unlike the Chinatown located East of Downtown, Richmond is a Chinatown that is mainly patronized by local residents. Not to say that tourist doesn't pour in, but more or less it's a chinatown for the chinese.

And no, Richmond is not just limited to Hong Kong stuff:
www.tourismrichmond.com
Have you ever been to those Cantonese Seafood Dinners serving abalone, shark fin, lobster, etc.? These meals are as super first class of a meal as you'll ever get.

Off the top of my head, Richmond's main attractions are (in no particular order):
- The River Rock Casino
- Steveston (former fishing village with fish sales off the dock, little shops, some decent fish & chip joints, etc.)
- A couple of malls (Richmond Centre, Lansdowne, Aberdeen, Yohan Centre, Parker Place, etc) though not sure if I'd want to go there if I were a tourist.
- Lots of Asian restaurants.

Big Lai's pretty good but not the cleanest. I still eat there once in a while though.

I haven't been to Imperial but my fiancee who works downtown has been a few times. She says it's ok but is a bit overpriced compared to other options.

It has never really been a heavy tourist spot. They are mainly malls for the locals to shop, hang out, and eat.

rejunivated & Jay71:

Thanks for all the information. I'll have a rental car ... I guess I drive to Richmond and check it out.

Thanks again ^

Richmond is right by the airport. So exploring and getting there should not be much of a problem as you can do it immediately upon arrival, or before you leave, or any other time as a matter of fact. ;) Regardless, I'm sure you'll have a wonderful stay. Take Care!

I wouldn't go out of my way to see Richmond, unless you really want to go to a casino. Otherwise, it is one big strip mall. If you decide to go to Steveston, it is much faster to bypass Richmond by taking the freeway most of the way.

For great sushi and interesting Japanese tapas in Vancouver, try Yuji's on 4th Avenue. While Tojo's is still one of the best sushi restaurants in North America, and recognized as such, you pay a big premium for it. Yuji's is slightly more expensive than the average sushi restaurant, but you get what you pay for. They use only wild sockeye salmon in their salmon sushi and it makes a big difference.

Article in NY Times. How is this restaurant?

http://travel2.nytimes.com/2005/07/1...s%2FRoad+Trips

You may have to register - it's free!

I've not ate here yet (just made a reservation), but West restauant seems to have a pretty good bargain for early diners. The restaurant, which has won quite a few awards and gets good reviews, has a three-course prix fixe menu until 6 p.m. for just CAD $35 a person. Their regular five- and six-course tasting menus look to be about $70-$95.

http://www.westrestaurant.com/westrestaurant/

YES! Tojo’s was a sushi epiphany for me ^ ^ ^
If you love sushi, the meal to get is the "Omakase" at Tojos. Basically you are letting the chef (Tojo) serve whatever he likes. There were three price points from $50-150 a person. Upon recommendation I did not hesitate and ordered the $150 Omakase.
Epiphany is the word I need to use to describe what was served to me. If you consider yourself a sushi lover, THIS IS MY NEW TEMPLE OF SUSHI. Sushi in Japan did not come close to Tojo's IMO.
I've never really appreciated the salmon sushi I've had, but here it is an unworldly delicious experience.
Yes there were a couple of ok items in the 12 items I was served, but then again 10 epiphanies out of 12 is not too shabby.

Phnom Penh Restaurant, 244 E. Georgia St, serves some DELICIOUS meals. Definite musts are the lemon-pepper fried squid and the seafood hot pot. The squid is tender w/a hint of black pepper that you dip into a lemon sauce. At first bite your thinking "oh fried calamar, nothing special" but then the flavors take over and you realize that this is a very special squid dish. The seafood hot pot is a wonderful hot/sour soup stocked w/seafood and a myriad of tastes, just incredible.

Joe Forte's is a very loud and busy restaurant that serves some very good seafood.
There was a long wait for a table so the wife and I headed to the oyster bar to sit down and dine there.
Our caretaker/raw bar man was Oyster Todd (it said so on the check and his name badge). Oyster Todd was a cocky young guy who felt he knew everything about oysters and steered you to his favorites that were in season at the time. There were some varieties that I had not had before and Oyster Todd was not opposed to providing a free sample to sway me to his tastes. He did not disappoint, selections were great.
Wife and I both had fresh fish that were done just the way we requested and tasted delicious. Although Joe Forte's may seem like a tourist-trap restaurant, it proved a very rewarding dining experience on our evening.
Joe Forte's
777 Thurlow Street
Vancouver, BC
Phone: 604.669.1940

Although not necessarily a tourist trap to begin with, Joe Forte's just like the Imperial has over priced meals that just does not match the quality of the food that you're paying for IMO. If they were priced slightly lower than what they are currently charging, then it would be worth my money. Tourist seem to flock this joint all the time, but for many local folks such as myself, we tend to frequent other establishments that offer quality seafood meals at the "right" price.

for awesome malaysian seafood, try banana leaf on broadway
personally i recommend the sea bass with onion and black bean sauce, but the variety is good with your choice of flavors and style-

as for dim sum, try kirin on alberni street in downtown, it's right parallel to robson street and the dim sum is top notch

both of these places are authentic chinese and malay

for a bit of the continential flavors, and i might add some of the hottest waitresses in all of bc, try try sammy J peppers at granville island, food is good but the eye candy is best.

of course yaletown now sports the trendest bars and restaurants-

for some absynth, try the granville room in downtown on granville street-

and if you'd like to sit at a amsterdam style coffeeshop, there's amsterdam city cafe on hastings in downtown as well-

duh547

Just wondering if you have been to West since you posted. We were in Vancouver in April and West was our best experience. Chambar and Vij's were also first rate. C was disappointing.

Forte's may be a bit overpriced, but it is still some of the best seafood I have found. It's not worth becoming a regular spot, but it's definitely worth stopping by once.

Could some of the knowledgeable FTs look over this list ... and give their opinion ... and may be list 3 to 4 restaurants of them NOT to miss:

http://www.cmos2005.ubc.ca/van_restaurants.html

Thanks

On our to do list are now:

-C Rest. (fish), may be GO Fish
-Elbow room (breakfast)
-And may be one of those: Cafe de Paris, Le Bistro Chez Michel ...?
-a good Indian ... how is Vij's, 1480 West 11th Ave?

For a top end choice, Lumiere or Bishop's would be my choice. Note that you can go to Feenie's, immediately next door to Lumiere and is Lumiere chef-proprietor's casual off-shoot, for a lot less money but the food comes from the same kitchen. At Feenies, I had one of the best apple tarte tatins in Vancouver here; the calamari sandwich is awesome. Both restaurants offer complimentary valet parking which is a nice touch. Elixir in the Opus Hotel and Diva at the Met at the Metropolitan are supposed to be very good -- I have not yet been so I cannot vouch for them.

Bishops cooks mainly with all organic ingredients and is very special. John Bishop, former chef for Umberto Menghi, is owner-host, and a very gracious host at that.

For Japanese cuisine, Tojo's or Chiyoda, are two of the best. Us local Japanese-Canadians find Tojo's way overpriced and our family would prefer Chiyoda instead. Hapa Izakaya or Guu (with Garlic/Otokomae) are excellent "izakaya" restaurants -- a new craze in Vancouver featuring Japanese "pub" food. Gyoza King is cheap and fun also.

For Indian food, Vij's is probably the best, but Maurya is pretty good too. For Thai food, I prefer SalaThai or Simply Thai, instead. The Roasted duck curry at Simply Thai was almost as good as the one I had at Spice Market in the Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok!!

Memphis Blues for barbecue -- no reservations, but large portions of good bbq for very reasonable prices. Highly recommended.

Hope this helps!!

luxury:

Thanks for all the recommendations. Your top end choice mirrors the Mobil 4-star restaurants :cool:

I like it a little more casual ... and have put Feenie's on our list. ^
Thanks again..

Yes, I just had dinner there this week. I was very pleased and would definitely eat there again. I'm glad you enjoyed it too.

Another place I very much enjoyed for breakfast was Lilykate in Yaletown. They either offer breakfast only on Sundays or weekends (I ate there on Sunday, but tried to return on Wednesday and found them closed). Not a low-cal breakfast, but wonderful treats.