CONTENTS Latin American Cuisine mexican central and south american Asian Cuisine dim sum noodle houses other chinese restaurants sushi ramen other japanese restaurants korean bubble tea vietnamese malaysian indian sri lankan filipino Breakfast and Brunch Coffee and Tea coffee tea Vegan, Vegetarian, and Raw Diners and Delis diners delis Pizzerias
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This restaurant guide has been brought to you by Emily Carr University of Art + Design Student Services Design by Stephanie Broder
MEXICAN Vancouver is loco about tacos. Taquerias have been popping up steadily these past few years, and you won’t hear me complain about it! Sal Y Limon 701 Kingsway (at 16th Ave.) Authentic Mexican food in a casual atmosphere. La Casita Gastown 101 W Cordova St. Family-owned restaurant serving authentic and fresh Mexican food. La Taqueria Pinche Taco Shop 322 W Hastings St. and 2549 Cambie St. Authentic Mexican tacos. Tacofino Gastown 15 W Cordova St. They have a burrito bar! Grab one to-go and head out to Crab park. Chipotle Mexican Grill 818 Howe St. A popular Mexican food chain.
CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICAN Chicha 136 E Broadway (Mount Pleasant) Cozy restaurant specializing in Peruvian tapas, weekend brunch & pisco cocktails. Good happy hour! Quejos Cheesebuns 4129 Main St. (Riley Park) Wheat and gluten-free baked goods made just like in Brazil! Their sandwiches are amazing. Grab a bag of cheap day-olds.
Riconcito Salvadoreno Restaurant 2062 Commercial Dr. (Grandview) One word: PUPUSAS. Open 4pm to 10pm. El Inka Deli 3826 Sunset St. (Burnaby) Perhaps best summed up by 4amVie on Zomato: “Authentic Peruvian / Columbian food in a seemingly deserted stripmall on a tiny side street behind a hospital.” Don’t let the location fool you: this hole-in-the-wall is AMAZING. Andina Brewing 1507 Powell St.(Grandview) BRAND NEW! Vancouver’s first (I think?) Latin brewery, and the first in Canada to use Patagonia malt! They make their own beer and also serve ceviche, pachos, arepas and chifles! Guanaco Food Truck Location Varies Salvadorean cuisine on wheels! Pupusas are $9-$10 and are served with yucca frita. Open for lunch in various locations--check the Street Food App to find them! Panaderia Latina Bakery 4906 Joyce St. Chilean bakery close to the Joyce-Collingwood Skytrain station. They sell tasty to-go meals like the Chacacero sandwich, as well as empanadas and decadent items like the Tres Leches Millhojas cake. They also have a small section of Latin American groceries.
DIM SUM Dim Sum is an awesome alternative to the usual egg brunch, and is served with tea instead of coffee. Expect a meal made of a variety of savory and sweet Cantonese dumplings, buns, and congees, all served from wheeled carts in steamer baskets or small plates. Dim Sum is designed to encourage sampling and sharing, so going with a group is way more fun, as you can try a lot more stuff! Below are some of our favorite Dim Sum spots in Vancouver. Victoria Chinese Restaurant 1088 Melville St. (Downtown) Good and cheap, but be ready to wait as this restaurant gets busy, especially on weekends. (v) Po Kong Vegetarian Restaurant 1334 Kingsway Ave. All-vegetarian menu, including dim sum. Dai Tung Chinese Restaurant 1050 Kingsway Lively, busy restaurant offering delicious comfort food, including dim sum. Peaceful Restaurant Multiple locations: Kitsilano, Fairview, Mount Pleasant, West End, and Downtown A Vancouver favorite. Dim Sum, noodles, soup, rice dishes and more. Northern Chinese comfort food at its best! (v) 3G Vegetarian Restaurant 3424 Cambie St. Vegetarians rejoice! 3G has an awesome selection of vegetarian dim sum.
NOODLE HOUSES Hon’s Wun-Tun House 268 Keefer St. (Chinatown) or 1339 Robson St. (West End) Hon’s (House Of Noodles) is a Vancouver institution. Cheap and tasty Asian comfort food.
Legendary Noodle House 1074 Denman St. (West End) Thin, thick or flat noodles made to order. Always delicious. ShaoLin Noodle House 656 W Broadway (Fairview) Always packed with locals. Watch the cooks expertly pull, shave or cut the noodles right before your eyes!
OTHER CHINESE RESTAURANTS New Town Bakery & Restaurant 158 E Pender St. (Chinatown) Affordable and convenient. Their Siopao (steamed buns) are world-famous and SO delicious! Ken’s Chinese Restaurant 1097 Kingsway Award-winning Chinese food at affordable prices. They do Hot Pot! On Lok Restaurant 2010 E Hastings St. No-frills, affordable Chinese cuisine.
SUSHI
RAMEN
There is no lack of sushi restaurants in Vancouver! There is a concentration of them in the West End, but they can now be found pretty much anywhere.
Nothing says comfort like a bowl of ramen.
Fujiya Japanese Foods 1050 W Pender St. (Downtown) or 912 Clark Dr. (Grandview Woodlands) Technically not a restaurant, Fujiya is a Japanese grocer with a super affordable and tasty ready-to-eat section. Toshi Sushi 181 E 16th Ave. (Mount Pleasant) This place has a line-up on any given day. It has a cult following amongst Vancouverites, and it is worth the wait. The sushi is amazing. Try their Nasu Dengaku (eggplant baked with miso.) Samurai 1108 Davie St. (West End) or 6428 Fraser St. Cheap and tasty Japanese cuisine. Always busy! Shizenya 985 Hornby St. (West End) Japanese restaurant serving healthy dishes made with organic and sustainably-sourced ingredients. The Eatery 3431 W Broadway Funky and over the top sushi! Sushiyama 371 E Broadway Great, affordable sushi.
The Ramen Butcher 223 E Georgia St. (Chinatown) Tonkotsu-style ramen restaurant chain, all the way from Japan! Ramen Jinya 270 Robson St. (Downtown) or 2129 W 41st Ave. (Dunbar) This world-famous Tonkotsu Ramen restaurant had a cult following even before it opened! Amazing dishes, including vegetarian and vegan options! Motomachi Sokudo 740 Denman St. (West End) One of the best ramen restaurants in town. You will feel like you have just been teleported to Tokyo! Ramen DANBO 1833 W 4th Ave. (Kitsilano) or 1333 Robson St. (West End) The line-up might be long, especially at lunchtime, but their Fukuoka-style ramen is worth the wait.
OTHER JAPANESE RESTAURANTS Zakkushi 823 Denman St. (West End) or 4075 Main St. (Riley Park) Very popular charcoal BBQ restaurant chain. Shishinori Japanese Eatery 2328 Cambie St. Rice bowls, light Japanese dishes, ice cream and more.
KOREAN
VIETNAMESE
Bibimbap is a dish typically made of rice and sautéed vegetables served in a hot stone bowl, and is often topped with a fried egg and sliced beef.
Vietnamese phở is one of Vancouver’s favorite comfort foods. This soup is made of a delicious clear broth, rice noodles and thinly sliced rare beef, and is served with a side of sprouts, basil, hot peppers, lemongrass and lime. Add some or all of these sides to the soup… and don’t forget the hot sauce!
Seoul Doogbaegi 1031 Kingsway Delicious traditional Korean cuisine. Their bibimbap is delicious and affordable at under $10. So Hyang Korean Cuisine 6345 Fraser St. A little family-owned gem on South Fraser. Try their Japchae! Kobob Burger 1019 Main St. (Chinatown) Korean restaurant famous for their ‘rice patty burger’. Affordable, filling and delicious!
BUBBLE TEA If you haven’t tried this Taiwanese treat yet, prepare for your mind to be blown! There are a gajillion different kinds, from the classic black tea to mango to Ferrero Rocher. Bubble tea typically consists of a tea base mixed with fruit or milk. The huge straws are to allow you to suck up the chewy tapioca balls and fruit jelly that sit at the bottom. Yum! Gong Cha 386 Robson St. A worldwide bubble tea chain with fresh ingredients. Milk & Sugar 3365 Kingsway Delicious bubble tea but breakfast and some Asian food.
Phnom Penh 244 E Georgia St. (Chinatown) Affordable Cambodian and Vietnamese cuisine. Pho Thai Hoa 1625 Kingsway (Kensington) Some say this is where you can find the best Pho in town! Mr. Red Cafe 2234 E Hastings St. (Grandview) If you need a change from the usual pho... Mr Red serves tasty and affordable Northern Vietnamese Cuisine. Cafe Phin 976 Denman St. (West End) Awesome Vietnamese subs, pho, and salad rolls. Anh and Chi 3388 Main St. Beautiful restaurant serving Vietnamese classics. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options available. Pho Tan’s Vietnamese 2076 W 41st Ave. (Kerrisdale) Cheap and tasty. Large Pho for around $7! Cafe Mai-Mai 8636 Granville St. (Marpole) Vietnamese restaurant serving MSG-free Pho. Au Petit Café 4851 Main St. (Riley Park) No-frills, authentic Vietnamese cuisine. Cheap Banh mi sandwiches.
MALAYSIAN
INDIAN
Laksa is a spicy noodle soup that is sure to clear up any sinus congestion you may have.
You will find lots of Indian restaurants, as well as shops sparkling with saris and bangles, in Vancouver’s Punjabi Market district, or “Little India”. This colorful area of the city is concentrated around Main St., south of 49th Ave. There are also lots of Indian restaurants throughout the city offering different types of Indian cuisine, from Southern to modern.
Hawker’s Delight 4127 Main st. (Riley Park) Inexpensive and authentic Singaporean and Malaysian cuisine. Their fritters are amazing! Laksa King’s Bubbles’n Bits 2546 E Hastings St. (Hastings Sunrise) This restaurant is owned and operated by the sweetest family and serves affordable Malaysian and Burmese delights in a 50’s diner decor. Try the laksa, a spicy noodle soup. Cash only. Fresh Bowl 360 Cambie St. (Gastown) or 1128 Pacific Blvd. (Yaletown) Modern Malaysian fast food in the heart of Gastown. Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options.
THAI Bob Likes Thai Food 3755 Main St. (Riley Park) Thai food in a hip atmosphere. Try their duck curry! Sawasdee Thai Restaurant 4250 Main St. (Riley Park) This restaurant is loved by locals and always busy. Thai Away Home 3315 Cambie St. A great place to get delicious Thai take-out. Bangkok City Cafe 2953 W 4th Ave. (Kitsilano) Cozy restaurant specializing in curries and noodle dishes.
All India Sweets & Restaurant 6560 Main St. A Vancouver institution, this restaurant has been serving amazing Indian dishes and colorful sweets for over 20 years. They also have a vegetarian buffet! Vij’s Rangoli 1488 W 11th Ave. (Fairview) Vij’s is one of Vancouver’s most famous chefs. Eat in or buy one of his ready-made curries! Mirchi 7964 Granville St. (Marpole) Tasty Indian and Pakistani cuisine. Dosa Factory 1345 Kingsway (Kensington) Specializing in Indo-Chinese, North Indian and Tandoori dishes. A ‘dosa’ is the Indian version of a French crepe made with rice and lentil. They are served with a variety of savoury fillings (they serve over 100 varieties of dosas with lots of vegetarian options). Cheap, delicious, and the portions are always generous. Open late (3am). (v) Sargam House 955 W Broadway (Fairview) Beautiful and affordable Indian cuisine. Their lunch buffet is only $12 on weekdays. Bring your appetite!
SRI LANKAN Canra Srilankan Plus International Village (Tinseltown) Food Court, 2nd floor, 88 W Pender St. One of Vancouver’s best fast food joint. The location is a bit unexpected but their curries are worth the escalator ride.
FILIPINO Hapag Ihaw-Ihaw 5432 Victoria Dr. (Kensington) Meat, meat, meat! Delicious Filipino BBQ dishes. Symphonie Restaurant 1140 Pender St. (Downtown) Family-owned and operated, they offer deli sandwiches, all-day breakfast and daily Filipino lunch specials. Super affordable, especially considering its location. Open 6:30am to 3:30pm, closed weekends. O! Taho 4223 Fraser St. (Kensington) Specializing in Filipino-style soya pudding, which I hear is the BEST.
FAVORITE BREAKFAST SPOTS Bon’s Off Broadway 2451 Nanaimo St. A true ‘greasy spoon’. All-day breakfast is super cheap. Known for its $2.95 breakfast deal. Nice Cafe 154 E 8th Ave. Cheap and tasty breakfast in Mount Pleasant! Also known as the ‘hungover hipster hangout’, but don’t let that deter you. Save On Meats 43 W Hastings St. In the heart of the Downtown Eastside, this diner has been in operation since 1957 and is heavily involved in the community. They employ a lot of residents of the DTES, and their token program allows customers to buy a breakfast for a person in need. Argo Cafe 1836 Ontario St. Where chefs eat. Cheap and tasty. Yolks 1298 East Hastings St., 546 West Broadway, and Food Truck on Burrard (location varies) Yolks serves local coffee, fresh juice, and handcrafted breakfast. A quick peek at their Instagram will have you drooling and running to one of their three locations! Deacon’s Corner 101 Main St. The original Gastown Diner. Popular breakfast joint. Sophie’s Cosmic Cafe 2095 W 4th Ave. (Kitsilano) A popular breakfast spot. (v) Bandidas Taqueria 2781 Commercial Dr. Tasty, all-vegetarian mexican dishes in a warm atmosphere. Great breakfast!
COFFEE SHOPS Vancouver did not escape the coffee craze of the last couple of decades. There is an abundance of coffee chops around town, from authentic Italian espresso bars to high-tech hipster hangouts. The coffee shops listed below are all independent and locally-owned. The Taste & See Shop 129 - 1628 W 1st Ave. (Kitsilano) Tiny shop with a strange alley entrance. They are hard to find, but the owners are lovely and their coffee is the best I’ve ever had! Joe’s Cafe 1150 Commercial Dr. (Grandview) If you are not a fan of hip coffee shops, Joe’s is for you. European-style, no-frills cappuccinos you can sip surrounded by old regulars. Revolver 325 Cambie St. (Gastown) Coffee nerds rejoice! Revolver serves coffee that adheres to the highest standards. Matchstick 3 locations Local coffee shops full of trendy people working on their MacBooks. Consistently good coffee surrounded in beautiful airy decor. Prado Cafe 4 locations Great coffee and pastries. Pallet Roasters 323 Semlin Dr. (Grandview) and 1398 Kingsway A new player in the Vancouver coffee scene, Pallet is getting rave reviews and is worth a visit. Bows X Arrows 4194 Fraser St. A sunny spot on Fraser St. with a long communal table. They are licensed and serve beer, wine and cocktails as well as coffee.
49th Parallel Coffee Roasters & Lucky’s Donuts 2902 Main St. How can you go wrong when coffee and donuts are under the same roof? Timbertrain 311 W Cordova St. (Gastown) Locally-owned coffee shop in beautiful Gastown. Aubade 230 E Pender St. Small independent coffee shop specializing in Aeropress brewing. Voted Best Coffee Shop in Vancouver for the year 2016. Kahve 1822 W 1st Ave. (Kitsilano) Meticulously-brewed coffee in a bright minimal decor.
TEA SHOPS Granville Island Tea Co. 1689 Johnston St. (in the Public Market) Buy loose tea for home, or order a cup to go! The knowledgeable staff will help you pick from their huge selection of teas. Their Chai is amazing. Finch’s Tea and Coffee House 353 W Pender St. Beautiful tea house serving to-die-for baguette sandwiches. Vegetarian and vegan options available. O5 Tea 2208 W 4th Ave. (Kitsilano) Modern tea house for serious tea lovers.
VEGAN, VEGETARIAN, AND RAW
serving vegetarian (mostly vegan) dishes. The halloumi salad is insane.
No meat, no problem! There are lots of vegetarian restaurant options in Vancouver, and establishments are typically happy to offer substitutions to customers who do not eat meat. Vegan and raw options are not as bountiful, but can be found with a bit of research. Below is a list of our favorite vegetarian, vegan and raw food restaurants.
(v) The Arbor 3941 Main St. (Riley Park) The Acorn’s little brother, it is located a few doors down and offers cheaper plant-based comfort food. Open 11am to midnight every day.
(v) Bandidas Taqueria 2781 Commercial Dr. (Kensington) Tasty, all-vegetarian mexican dishes in a warm atmosphere. Great breakfast! (v) Budgie’s Burritos 44 Kingsway (Mount Pleasant) Close to the new campus, Budgie’s offers cheap and filling burritos with a side of cool East Van attitude. Try the ‘Blair Stanley’ with crunch! (v) Po Kong Vegetarian Restaurant 1334 Kingsway Ave. (Kensington) All-vegetarian Chinese cuisine, including dim sum. (v) 3G Vegetarian Restaurant 3424 Cambie St. (South Cambie) Vegetarians rejoice! 3G has an awesome selection of vegetarian dim sum. (v)(vg) Caveman Cafe 80 W Pender St. (main floor of International Village) Paleo, vegetarian and vegan dishes. (v) The Naam 2724 W 4th Ave. (Kitsilano) Vancouver’s vegetarian food mecca! Even passionate meat-eaters love it there. Try their famous fries with miso gravy. Open 24 hrs. (v) The Acorn 3995 Main St. (Riley Park) This restaurant is pricy, but it’s so good we had to include it. Locally-owned restaurant
(v)(vg) Chau Veggie Express 5052 Victoria Dr. Healthy and fresh Vietnamese dishes in a casual atmosphere. Lots of vegan options. (v) Meet 4288 Main St. (Riley Park) and 12 Water St. (Gastown) All-vegetarian ‘chiggin wings’ and delicious fries are a few of the highlights. Quirky decor and friendly vibe. (v) Dharma Garden Veggie Deli 3195 Kingsway (Renfrew-Collingwood) Vegetarian South-East Asian food, self-serve style. Choose from a small but solid menu that includes vegetarian Banh Mi sandwiches and vegetarian Pho. Vegan options available.
DINERS
DELIS
Duffin’s Donuts 1391 E 41st Ave. (at Knight St.) Open 24 hours, this Vancouver institution serves the best spicy fried chicken in town. Their menu is diverse, from teriyaki pork to tortas, and everything is very affordable.
Meat & Bread 370 Cambie St. (Gastown) Tasty sandwiches; the menu changes daily. Open for lunch only.
Wally’s Burgers 2661 E 49th Ave. A Vancouver must. Everything is cooked to order using fresh, local ingredients. Delicious burgers, milkshakes and onion rings. ACME Cafe 51 W Hastings St. (DTES) Cool ‘mom & pop’ diner. Red Wagon Cafe 2296 Hastings St. (Hastings Sunrise) A popular neighborhood restaurant, famous for its brunch. Their pulled pork pancakes with Jack Daniel’s maple syrup have been tasted and reviewed by GUY FIERI (gasp!) on an episode of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. Glenburn Soda Fountain & Confectionery 4090 Hastings St. (North Burnaby) Old school soda shop with a cult following! Ice cream, floats, sundaes, milkshakes and more! Ovaltine Cafe 251 E Hastings St. (DTES) A DTES institution under new ownership. $5.99 cheeseburgers! Open until midnight. Keep an eye out for artworks in the glass showcases. The Templeton 1087 Granville St. (Downtown) Organic, old-school diner fare in a cool decor. Moderne Burger 2507 W Broadway (Kitsilano) Vancouver’s favorite diner, complete with ‘50s decor.
Siegel’s Bagels 1883 Cornwall Ave. (Kitsilano) Classic bagels and corned beef sandwiches. Open 24h. Hubbub 859 Hornby St. (Downtown) Make your own custom sandwich! Their pulled pork sandwich is highly rated. Kim Chau Deli 1327 Kingsway (Kensington) Amazing Vietnamese subs, and super cheap at $4 each! La Grotta De Fromaggio 1791 Commercial Dr. (Grandview) Italian grocer with a deli counter where you can get the best sandwich you’ll likely ever eat in your entire life. Ba-da-bing!
PIZZA Nothing beats a hot slice of margherita pizza from one of the many Neapolitan Pizzerias in town. Pizzeria Farina 915 Main St. (Chinatown) Authentic neapolitan pizza. Go early–they are open from 5pm and close when they run out of dough! Straight Outta Brooklyn NYC Pizzeria 648 Main St. (Chinatown), 701 Kingsway (Mount Pleasant), and 350 Robson St. (Downtown) Pizza pies like the ones sold in Brooklyn, NY! Don’t Argue Pizzeria 3240 Main St. (Riley Park) This hip pizzeria quickly became a favorite hangout spot in the neighbourhood. Pizza Garden Various locations A local chain serving authentic Neapolitan pizza. Uncle Fatih’s Various locations If thin crust is not your thing, if you love lots of toppings, try Uncle Fatih’s! Free delivery where applicable, or buy by the slice at one of their many locations. Pizzeria Barbarella 654 E Broadway (Mount Pleasant) A little fancier than its counterparts listed above, Barbarella serves delicious Neapolitan pizza and has great happy hour specials. Via Tevere 1190 Victoria Dr. (Grandview) A bit removed from the hustle and bustle, this beautiful pizzeria serves thin-crust pizza cooked in their amazing tiled oven. Their famous blue food truck can also be found on the corner of Burrard and Pender St. from Tuesday to Friday.
Al Buco Pizzeria 2638 Hastings St. A brand new addition to Hastings Sunrise offering a variety of authentic Italian pizzas.