Eating and Drinking Guide 2016

Eating & M AGA ZINE

12 TH ANNUAL

GUIDE 2016

+ 900 RESTAURANTS, BARS & MORE REVIEWED

THE MOST DELICIOUS STUFF IN THE CITY & BEYOND—FROM FOOD TRUCKS TO FINE DINING PLUS NEW AND AWARD-WINNING WINES, CRAFT BEERS & SPIRITS

Nopalitos from Los Amigos

ÌÌÌ FEATURING

VANCOUVER’S BEST TACOS PAGE 11

Tacomio’s carnitas taco

Fish taco from Tacofi no Commissary

Tacomio’s tinga de pollo

La Taqueria’s al pastor

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Eating&

Contents EAT DRINK

2016

GUIDE EDITOR Michael White ART DIRECTOR Naomi MacDougall ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR Jenny Reed DRINKS EDITOR Christina Burridge CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Karen Ashbee, Sunita Bassra, Jeffrey Bichard, Shira Bick, Ian Bullock, John Burns, Christina Burridge, Jennifer Cockrall-King, Catherine Dunwoody, Alexandra Gill, Chris Gonzalez, Henry Gould, Mike Green, Michael Harris, Day Helesic, DJ Kearney, Joie Alvaro Kent, Anna Killen, Kurtis Kolt, Deana Lancaster, Anya Levykh, Alexa Love, Rhona MacInnes, Jami Makan, Lee Man, Brendon Mathews, Stacey McLachlan, Neal McLennan, Fiona Morrow, Angela Murrills, Maia Odegaard, Rebecca Philps, Mark Philps, Anicka Quin, Kate Reid, Treve Ring, Gary Stephen Ross, Darcy Smith, David Scholefield, Shelora Sheldan, Shannon Smart, Jennifer Van Evra CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Andrea Fernandez, Lucas Finlay, Clinton Hussey, Vishal Marapon, Andrew Querner, Carlo Ricci, David Strongman, Milos Tosic, Luis Valdizon EDITORIAL INTERNS Julie Kanhnha, Claire Roskey, Jamie Yeung PRODUCTION MANAGER Lee Tidsbury ADVERTISING DESIGNER Swin Nung Chai PUBLISHER & GENERAL MANAGER Tom Gierasimczuk SENIOR SALES MANAGER, WESTERN CANADA Edwin Rizarri ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Eve Abrams, Deana Bartolomeu, Lory Couroux (Victoria), Judy Johnson, Carly Tsering SALES CO-ORDINATOR Jenny Murphy BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Dale McCarthy

ypnexthome.ca PRESIDENT Jacky Hill DIRECTOR, NATIONAL SALES & CHANNEL MANAGEMENT, LIFESTYLE Nadine Starr NATIONAL SALES DIRECTOR Moe Lalani DIRECTOR OF CONTENT Susan Legge

RESTAURANTS

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Hundreds of the best—and best-value— rooms in British Columbia reviewed African & Middle Eastern...............................8 Americas ........................................................9 Barbecue ...................................................... 13 Belgian.......................................................... 13 Café and Brasserie ...................................... 14 Casual Chain ................................................ 17 Chinese......................................................... 18 Contemporary West Coast .........................20 Diner .............................................................26 Filipino ..........................................................28 French ...........................................................28 German .........................................................30 Greek ............................................................30 Indian ............................................................30 Indonesian & Malaysian ..............................33 Italian ............................................................34 Japanese ......................................................40 Korean .......................................................... 47 Pan Asian...................................................... 47 Portuguese...................................................48 Pub & Lounge ...............................................48 Seafood ........................................................52 Spanish.........................................................54 Steakhouse ..................................................54 Thai ...............................................................54 Tibetan and Burmese ..................................56 Vegetarian & Vegan......................................56 Vietnamese & Cambodian ...........................57 Wine Bar .......................................................59 Greater Vancouver .......................................60 Whistler & Squamish ...................................70 Vancouver Island .........................................72 Gulf Islands ..................................................84 Sunshine Coast ............................................86 Okanagan .....................................................86

FOOD SHOPS

Bakers...........................................................90 Butchers .......................................................94 Caterers ........................................................94 Cheesemongers ..........................................96 Chocolatiers.................................................96 Coffee & Tea .................................................97 Cookware ...................................................100 Delicatessens ............................................100 Fishmongers ..............................................100 Greengrocers ............................................. 101 Ice Cream ...................................................102 Large Markets ............................................102 Health Foods & Special Diets ...................103 Prepared Foods .........................................103 Specialty Ingredients ................................104 Vancouver Island .......................................104

NIGHTLIFE

108

Cocktail Lounges .......................................108 Bars & Pubs ................................................108 Hotel Bars ................................................... 111 Wine Bars ................................................... 111 Live Venues ................................................ 112

WINE, BEER & SPIRITS 115 5 Wines Under $15 ..................................... 115 15 Wines Under $25 ................................... 115 5 Wines Over $25 ....................................... 116 B.C. Beers .................................................. 118 B.C. Spirits .................................................123

Plus TOP 5 Filipino Foods...............................................36 Teas...............................................................46

YELLOW PAGES DIGITAL AND MEDIA SOLUTIONS LTD. VICE-PRESIDENT & CHIEF PUBLISHING OFFICER Caroline Andrews

INDEX

Eating & M AGA ZINE

12 TH ANNUAL

V A N C O U V E R M A G A Z I N E E AT I N G & D R I N K I N G G U I D E TO T H E C I T Y & B E YO N D

GUIDE 2016

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+ 900 RESTAURANTS, BARS & MORE REVIEWED

THE MOST DELICIOUS STUFF IN THE CITY & BEYOND—FROM FOOD TRUCKS TO FINE DINING PLUS NEW AND AWARD-WINNING WINES, CRAFT BEERS & SPIRITS

Nopalitos from Los Amigos

ÌÌÌ FEATURING

VANCOUVER’S BEST TACOS PAGE 11

Tacomio’s carnitas taco

Fish taco from Tacofi no Commissary

Tacomio’s tinga de pollo

ON THE COVER A selection of tacos from La Taqueria, Los Amigos, Tacofino Commissary, and Tacomio REVIEWS BEGINNING ON PAGE 9

La Taqueria’s al pastor

PRICE $9.99

Photograph by CLINTON HUSSEY

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VANCOUVER MAGAZINE’S EATING & DRINKING GUIDE is published once a year

by Yellow Pages Homes Ltd.. Copyright 2015/2016. All rights reserved.

No part of this magazine may be reproduced without publisher’s written permission.

Not responsible for unsolicited editorial material. Back issues $10, including postage and handling. All figures in Canadian funds. Indexed in the Canadian Magazine Index by Micromedia Ltd. and also in the Canadian Periodical Index. International standard serial no.

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E AT I N G & D R I N K I N G G U I D E

VANCOUVER MAGAZINE

5

A PASSION FOR EXCELLENCE, NATURALLY.

IT’S IN OUR DNA For over three decades, Toptable Goup has defined elegant yet approachable dining and this year, we celebrate several milestones including the 25th anniversary of CinCin Ristorante and the opening of Bar Oso and The Cellar, by Araxi in Whistler.

The finest regional ingredients – crafted by extraordinary culinary talent and delivered with an unparalleled level of hospitality – is what sets Toptable Group apart. But it is you, our guest, who continues to inspire us in our ongoing pursuit of excellence.

toptable.ca

Eating

LUIS VALDIZON

It’s good to be spoilt for choice. Whatever one’s craving, budget, or whereabouts, Vancouver’s dining scene caters to please.

From affordable neighbourhood sushi to a fine-dining splurge, our hundreds of diverse eateries offer it all.

Discover the city’s best in the pages that follow

Invitro // pg.15

2016

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R ESTA UR A N T S

VANCOUVER

Restaurant reviewers are paid by Vancouver magazine. THERE IS NO CONNECTION TO ADVERTISING .

All restaurants listed are recommended

Restaurants

A F RI C AT C AENGORY & M I DDL N A MEEEHAEST RE E RN

WHETHER YOU live in or near Vancouver and have picked up this guide to keep on hand for regular reference, or you’re visiting and are seeking some guidance to the region’s dining landscape, these pages are testament to just how plentiful and diverse our eating and drinking options are around here. Each year, when this magazine is expanded and refreshed to reflect dozens of new arrivals (we also revisit some choice perennials whose offerings

have changed), the resident gourmands who write these reviews almost invariably come back raving.

Indeed, the only hard part of their job, they say, is that it sometimes feels like there’s just too much good stuff for their schedules—and waistbands—to accomodate. Lucky you—you now get to exploit their gastronomic research in the best way possible: by purusing their verdicts, making your choices, and getting out there and getting full. consommé with soba noodles sparkled with raw freshness; dramatically blackened snapper yielded succulent, clean flavors; and maple-soy pork belly balanced wonderfully against house-made kimchee. Service is breezy and friendly.

A F R I CA N & MI DDL E EASTERN How To Use This Guide

Addis Café $ 2017 Commercial Dr., Commercial Drive, 604-

254-1929. Cafeaddis.com This winsome café serves up some of the best Ethiopian food in town. Awazed Tibs comes with beef, lamb, or chicken sautéed with Ethiopian red pepper sauce, onions, and green peppers. The original veggie combo is presented as a palette of generous-sized dollops of stewed spinach, fasolia (beans and potatoes with garlic, onion, and ginger), yellow split peas, cabbage, and lentils.

Both are served on injera, a spongy and slightly sour flatbread that is a staple of Ethiopian meals, serving as both plate and eating utensil to soak up the Awaze spices of hot peppers, cardamom, and clove. Buffet Friday and Saturday nights.

‫ ۻ‬

Aw ard wi nni ng

‫ۻ‬

Go o d val ue Great wi ne l i st Go o d spo t fo r dri nk s Great vi ew Pati o

Chai Lounge $$-$$$ 4433 Main St., South Main, 604-5654401. Eastiseast.ca Persian tapestries and vibrant cushions cover every surface, and the low stage in the corner of the sprawling Main Street space plays host to sitar players and belly dancers nightly. It’s a mix of the proprietors’ other ventures (see East Is East, below), big enough to host you and a hundred of your closest friends, cozy enough to spend all night tucked in the corner sipping almond chai, with spicy, flavourful Afghani/Indian plates to explore and share. The Chai Feast is a neverending parade of dishes (many vegetarian- or vegan-friendly).

Open fo r l unch

Afghan Horsemen

Deafined

$$ 202–1833 Anderson St., South Granville, 604-

$

873-5923. Afghanhorsemen.com Afghanistan is a nation of foodies with a cuisine as rich as its history, and at the Horsemen, the past comes alive. Dolmah—made with cabbage instead of grape leaves—and salads with feta give nods to the Greeks, while the lentil-based dahl pays homage to India. Afghanistan’s national dish is kabuli palaw, rice topped with sautéed carrots, raisins, and almonds, and it’s a worthy accompaniment.

Ask for seats in the Afghan room, with its low tables and cushions on the floor.

Pri ce rang e

$......... U N D E R $ 1 5 $$ . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 1 5 - $ 2 5 $$$ . . . . . . . . . . $ 2 5 - $ 4 0 $$$$ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 4 0 +

Argan Bistro $$ 795 Jervis St., Downtown, 604-563-8466.

Arganbistro.com Though there are Moroccan touches, the menu at the restaurant formerly known as Morocco West surveys a wide range of cuisines that reflects the diverse tastes of local West End clientele. There is a sense of trying to be all things to all people, but the sharp execution of the talented kitchen makes Argan Bistro a worthy destination along a stretch of Robson filled with dining options. A salad of chilled tomato-water

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VANCOUVER MAGAZINE

Visit our website for up-to-date reviews, listings, videos, and feature stories that supplement this guide.

E AT I N G & D R I N K I N G G U I D E

$$ 2340 W. Fourth Ave., Kitsilano, 778-379-

4551. Deafined.ca Deafined offers employment opportunities for the deaf, and an intriguing dining experience for everyone. Ordering (with help from the American Sign Language codes in the menu) is a bit of an adventure, like you’re cracking a code, but pointing and gesturing works just as well. A bit of a novelty, to be sure, but the Mediterranean-fusion fare is solid regardless: think watermelon-and-grilledhaloumi salad; skewers of spiced chicken; and mountains of crispy pita bread and chickpeas smothered in yogurt and charred vegetables.

Dark woods and cool whites, alongside elaborate tiles and Moroccan lanterns, create a sophisticated vibe. Closed Tuesdays.

East Is East $$ 3243 W. Broadway, Kitsilano, 604-734-5881; 4433 Main St., South Main, 604-565-4401.

Eastiseast.ca East Is East “Organic Living” is a three-room complex with the décor of a hurricane-ravaged killim shop. Order à la carte around low tables from a menu long on Middle

2016

VANCOUVER

Eastern protein-forward curries and roti rolls.

Ghandara Blues (baked eggplant, tomatoes, and fresh herbs) and Lion of the Desert (peas and paneer) are both tasty vegetarian options. At lunch, go for one of the rib-sticking shakes, like the dense Turkish Chill (espresso, chocolate, hazelnut, and cinnamon). Service at both locations is dreamy.

Lunch offers wraps (fried-to-order falafel delivers epic crunch) and salads (chickpea lentil is a fortifying protein powerhouse), while dinner adds heaping plates of beef-okra stew, lamb shank, a daily fish, and more. Clever cocktails and a brief but thoughtful wine list will make you want to linger. ‫ ۻ‬ $$ Various locations. Nuba.ca This ridiculously

RE STA U RAN TS

Kurshid Khan serves recipes he once cooked for friends back home in Kenya (including halal dishes). Share the chef’s special, a large dish that includes mishkaki (skewers of marinated lamb and beef), kuku choma (chicken tenders), spicy jumbo prawns, and sides of spinach curry, saffron rice, salad, and naan. Also great are dishes like minced chicken kebabs, and coconut fish curry.

Nuba Fassil $-$$ 736 E. Broadway, South Main, 604-879-

Harambe Restaurant $$-$$$ 2149 Commercial Dr., Commercial Drive, 604-216-1060. Harambes.com Richly spiced Ethiopian dishes top a blanket of flat, spongy injera bread. Harambe’s combination platters are the best way to go: yebeg wot is a piquant stew of lamb slowly simmered in berbere sauce, and misir wot is its vegetarian counterpart, made with red split lentils. Adventurers should try kitfo, a version of steak tartare amped up with a potent kick. Ethiopians don’t traditionally eat sweets, but the banana tibs is a simple yet delicious dessert.

$-$$ 2616 E. Hastings St., East Side, 604-6207078. Tamam.ca Palestinian food is a rare find in Vancouver, which is precisely why this momand-pop spot is such a breath of fresh air. Mutabal, a baked eggplant dip with olive oil and a sprinkle of ground sour-berry sumac, will whet your appetite. At lunchtime there’s sambusec, a baked flatbread pocket filled with chicken, beef, spinach, or cheese. Roasted free-range chicken is well seasoned and invariably fork-tender, served with freekeh (toasted green wheat with almonds) or mujaddarah (rice and lentils with caramelized onions).

Simba’s Grill

Bandidas Taqueria

A FRI C AENGORY &AM DDL NH AE ME EEHAEST RE E RN CATE GORY N MIE RE C AT

2001. Fassil.ca Authentic Ethiopian food. Order the meat or vegetarian combo, both consisting of several spicy stews, delivered on top of injera (flatbread) the size of a lazy Susan. Special dishes for the seasoned diner can be ordered in advance, and so can the coffee: after a half-hour’s preparation, the coffee ceremony is performed at your table. While the room is worse for wear and the electrical cords should be covered, it’s not Yaletown, and neither are the prices.

Tamam

accomplished Lebanese chainlet has cornered the market on Middle Eastern cool. The Main and E. Third location does breeze-block chic with straight-from-the-’70s earth tones and a soundtrack of Persian funk. The latest spot (the old Orestes taverna) gives biggest bang: a vast Escher-like cavern of treasures with intersecting staircases and fronded open spaces across which to glimpse intriguing future companions.

At all locations: lemony baba ganoush, vampireslaying hummus, and Najib’s Special (smoky cauliflower with tahini and sea salt) mezze satisfy; mains include lamb hushwie, sautéed with onions, pine nuts and spices, and served with hummus and avocado. Vegetarians and vegans will find plenty to choose from. Outrageously good, and good value.

AM ERIC AS

$$ 825 Denman St., West End, 604-974-0649. Sim

$ 2781 Commercial Dr., Commercial Drive, 604basgrill.com It’s all about meat and exotic beer at 568-8224. Bandidastaqueria.com Young owners this East African barbecue joint, where owner Jackie Avery and Aiyana Kane swapped lesson

Jamjar // pg.9

Jambo Grill $-$$ 3219 Kingsway, South Vancouver, 604-4335060. Jambogrill.ca Jambo Grill serves a vast array of East African- and Indian-inspired dishes, including a sumptuous selection of vegetarian curries and salads. Their motto, “You can’t rush good food,” sets the tone for a leisurely meal, and you won’t have to keep your compliments to yourself—the owner tends to circulate amongst his guests, making sure everyone is happy. Tuck into tender chicken tikka—cooked in a tandoori oven, and served with soft and savoury masala potatoes—or the popular jungle ribs and mogo fries. Be sure to order a creamy, lightly sweet mango lassi to cut perfectly through the spice. Weekly specials, such as Thursday’s allyou-can-eat deal, offer a chance to indulge your inner glutton.

DAVID STRONGMAN

Jamjar $-$$ 2280 Commercial Dr., Commercial Drive, 604-252-3957. Jamjaronthedrive.com Years ago, Nuba introduced to Vancouver its elevated notion of Lebanese food: falafel, hummus, shish tawook, and other usual suspects, but prepared with local, organic ingredients and an uncommon attention to detail. Jamjar, the brainchild of two immigrants who moved here from Lebanon, offers a still more sophisticated take that’s attracting packed houses. Jamjar takes its name from the Lebanese tradition of using surplus produce to make jams and spreads that are dispensed into jars and shared with friends and family. That practice is expressed here with a selection of “cold mezze”—most vegetarian or vegan—that are uniformly fresh and vibrant.

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PHOTOCREDIT HERE

Meat City // pg.12

VANCOUVER

plans for kitchen inventories when they left elementary-school teaching for the restaurant biz. Bandidas, in the dreary stretch of Commercial at 12th, is all Sally Ann lamps and mismatched plates, but the food is exuberant Mexicana—with one crucial exception: everything is vegetarian/vegan. Burritos are ample, but opt for tacos or enchiladas so you can try the housemade soft corn tortillas, almost injera-like in their delicacy. The place is frequently packed, so bring a Carlos Fuentes novel or sit at the bar with a cerveza or grainy horchata (cold rice milk).

Baru Latino $$ 2535 Alma St., Point Grey, 604-222-9171.

‫ۻ‬ $$ 428 Carrall St., Gastown, 604-568-5882.

Calabash

LUIS VALDIZON

Calabashbistro.com This vibrant, music-driven Caribbean restaurant is a pleasant spot on a notso-inviting block of Carrall Street. Chef Cullin David serves up curries that are hot and heavy, but it’s his Jamaican jerk cooking that makes the strongest impression, adding its distinct heat to everything from prawns and chicken to mayonnaise and a poutine loaded with gooey brie.

Impressive rum list; cocktails shaken with confidence. Saturday nights see a reggae theme in the 40-seat basement lounge.

El Camino’s $$ 3250 Main St., South Main, 604-875-6246.

Elcaminos.ca “Nothing like a revolution to cure thirst and hunger” translates the Spanish phrase emblazoned across the wall at El Camino’s. On Taco Tuesdays, a pinché taco duo sets you back only $5—try the pescado with fried baja cod. Arepas and bocadillos pair with a pint of Main St Pilsner for $10 on Wednesdays and Sundays, respectively; these crispy grilled masa pockets and Mexican-style sub sandwiches are perfect beer snacks, filled with juicy carnitas (achiote pulled pork), chorizo sausage, or carne guisada (braised beef short rib). Wine list focuses on Chile and Argentina, while Nick Devine’s cocktail list leans heavily on Latin classics backed by a comprehensive tequila selections.

Fets Whisky Kitchen $$ 1230 Commercial Dr., Commercial Drive, 604-

255-7771. Whiskykitchen.ca The freewheelin’ Drive, where locals intently focus on keeping it real, is an odd choice to house the city’s premier collection of rare whiskies, but owner’s Eric and Allura Fergie somehow make the dichotomy work. The menu skews toward southern comfort—the food style, not the sweet liqueur— perhaps in an effort to pair with the 50-or-so bourbons on offer. (The Scotch selection goes deep into the hundreds.) But generally, this place works best when you let the whisky be Chicha $-$$ 136 E. Broadway, East Side, 604-620-3963. whisky and the food be food and don’t try so Chicharestaurant.com Billed as “modern Pe- hard to “pair” them. Across the board, the food ruvian tapas,” this 40-seater from former Bin is better than it needs to be and is very well 941/942 chefs Shelome Bouvette and Allison priced (almost everything is under $20), which Flook is a category pioneer. In a buzzy, energetic leaves more money for the main attraction: the room whose décor gives few clues as to the expe- rare and wonderful drams. rience in store, approachable street-level dishes arrive impressively fast: cassava fries with spicy Havana Café huancaína sauce (traditionally thickened with $$ 1212 Commercial Dr., Commercial Drive, saltines, but with bread here); classic ceviche 604-253-9119. Havanarestaurant.ca Havana with lime, cilantro, and corn; antichucho skew- has hubbed the active north end of Commerers, smoky from the grill; causa potatoes and cial Drive for more than 25 years. It’s home to a empanadas in flaky crust with savoury chicken contemporary art gallery, a 60-seat theatre (used filling. Delicious and unpretentious. mostly for local poetry readings, plays, and musical events), and, most prominently, a thriving Cuban/Latin café. The streetside patio is centre Cuchillo $$-$$$ 261 Powell St., Railtown, 604-559-7585. ice for people-watching with a glass of red, white, Cuchillo.ca Stuart Irving makes his return to or champagne sangria. Go for the jerk chicken pan-Latin fusion in this long, lean industrial wrap and don’t forget a side plate of their famous space marked by exposed brick walls and Mexi- yam fries. can wrestling posters. Belly up to one of the wooden high-top communal tables and imbibe La Casita with an Estaban Canal: thyme- and cilantro-in- $-$$ 101 W. Cordova St., Gastown, 604-646fused Pisco with pear nectar, lime juice, honey, 2444. Lacasita.ca Owner Cazador de la Torre egg whites, and bitters. Small plates for sharing promotes the Yucatan in fluffy homemade torare Irving’s strong suit: Lois Lake steelhead trout tillas, chocolatey moles, and enchiladas. The ceviche with a lychee, chayote, cucumber, and chile rellenos rate with a blended margarita or jalapeño salad; mole lamb albondigas tacos; an ice-cold Dos Equis. The room provides an blue-corn bread with guajillo chili butter. atmosphere of tequila-fuelled conviviality, but know that the casual service loses its cha-cha ‫ ۻ‬ during prime time. A downstairs room has exDuffin’s Donuts $ 1391 E. 41st Ave., East Side, 604-325-5544. tra seatings on weekends.

2016

La Mezcaleria $-$$ 1622 Commercial Dr., Commercial Drive, 604-559-8226. Lamezcaleria.ca You’ve probably gone on a few getting-to-know-you dates with La Taqueria’s pinché tacos, but the wellrounded menu of food and drink at La Mezcaleria definitely takes things to second base.

No Tex-Mex here—straight-up Mexican fare is the order of the day. Start off with casual favourites such as chunky guacamole and ceviche callejero. Accompaying tortilla chips are hand cut and fried fresh daily, gluten-free for those watching their wheat intake. Don’t miss the queso fundido, a cheesy fondue topped with chorizo and served bubbling in a hot volcanic rock molcajete. The eponymous mezcal and its cousin tequila take centre stage on the drinks menu— a Mezcal Sour is ideal for the uninitiated, with lemon, egg white, and agave to take the edge off. ‫ۻۻ‬ $-$$ 322 W. Hastings St., Downtown, 604-568-

La Taqueria

A M E RI CM AS C AT E GORY NA E H E RE

Barulatino.com An expansive menu covers food from Tierra del Fuego to the Darien Gap, which means there’s a lack of focus but a surplus of choices. Some of the best include three kinds of ceviche (Baru, Ecuadorian, and Mexican), the ominously named Cartegena-crusted halibut (the crusting is plantain chips), and sancochito, traditional Colombian chicken soup with cheese and chorizo.

The torta subs (all for under five bucks) are the best thing going here—fresh, house-baked buns loaded with shredded lettuce, tomato, avocado, and hot peppers. Try the spicy shredded beef machaca, chorizo and egg, or the carne azada, a savoury chicken schnitzel. The doughnuts—especially the honey dipped—are delicious. This is one of the city’s best spots for cheap eats.

RE STA U RA N TS

4406; 2549 Cambie St., South Cambie, 604-5582549. Lataqueria.ca. There are two ways to spot these taco shacks: the towering street-side mural of the Virgin of Guadalupe or the queue of people waiting to get in. A blackboard above the cash register offers 12 options wrapped in warm corn tortillas ($2.50 each or four for $9.50). Pollo con mole (chicken with spicy chocolate sauce), al pastor (marinated pork with chili, achiote, and pineapple), and tender asada (flank beef) are dynamite. Licensed.

Las Margaritas $$ 1999 W. Fourth Ave., Kitsilano, 604-734-

7117. Lasmargaritas.com Find lineups out the door almost every night at this Kits institution, where dishes hail from northern Mexico and the Baja. Rounding out the usual gringo faves (enchiladas, tacos, burritos, fajitas) are more refined options like the pollo chipotle: chicken marinated in lime juice, tequila, triple sec, and cilantro, grilled and then topped with chipotle cream sauce and served with house salad and black beans. In fine weather, the patio is great for people-watching with a cerveza or three. ‫ۻ‬ $ 3353 Cambie St., South Cambie, 604-569-1402.

Las Tortas

Lastortas.ca This cute hole-in-the-wall, adorned with Mexican movie posters, serves up delicious tortas, piled high with tomato, cabbage, pickled onion, jalapeños, guacamole, and refried beans, for around $10. They really satisfy. You’ll need both hands for the choriqueso (chorizo and Oaxaca cheese) and the pierna (Mexican spice-rubbed pork thigh). Simply mark your order on a pre-printed to-go bag and hand it to the cashier.

Lolita’s $$ 1326 Davie St., West End, 604-696-9996,

Lolitasrestaurant.com On the once-sedate western tip of Davie Village, this “South of the Border Cantina” quickly established itself as one of the most popular (and lively) eateries in the neighbourhood. The tiny space makes up in character what it lacks in size: bottles of Mexican beer and fresh-fruit cocktails (try one of the exemplary margaritas) flow freely.

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bracingly citric seafood ceviche to cleanse your palate in anticipation of an enormous chicken enchilada slathered in ancho chile sauce and melted cheese. Bring a group and share one of the city’s best nachos platters with plenty of authentically puckering margaritas. Lunch on Los Cuervos Taqueria & Cantina $ 603 Kingsway, South Main, 604-558-1518. Los weekends only. Closed Mondays. cuervos.ca What began as a hip little taco and tequila room has built enough of a following to Ouisi Bistro expand into the space next door. Those from $$ 3014 Granville St., South Granville, 604-732south of the border may scoff at paying up to $5 7550. Ouisibistro.com One of the few places in for a taco, but we gringos are happy to fork over Vancouver to find authentic Cajun/Creole cuia relative premium for a funky space that throws sine; it also sports a secluded back courtyard. cocktails and cool tunes into the mix. From a The New Orleanian sandwiches are a great pick menu that takes the odd strange turn (tuna with for lunch or brunch, especially the popular wasabi crema, for instance), the classic options Ouisi po’ boy (blackened chicken with Cajun reap the best returns. The Lomo Cantinero taco tartare sauce on a baguette). For the post-shopis a pillow of perfectly pulled pork, brightened ping/pre-Stanley Theatre dinner experience, try up with pineapple-tinged pico de gallo; the the jambalaya or the seafood gumbo.

Suadero sees beef brisket given real depth from an achiote-and-beer marinade. Vegetarians are The Reef catered to with uncommonly inventive options. $$ 4172 Main St., South Main, 604-874-5375; 1018 Commercial Dr., Commercial Drive, 604568-5375. Thereefrestaurant.com Mojitos are Mamie Taylor’s $$ 251 E. Georgia St., Chinatown, 604-620-8818. available by the pitcher (as are many of the Mamietaylors.ca You’d better bring a date to cocktails)—grab a few friends and settle in for rustic-modern Mamie Taylor’s, because the the night. Deep-fried, deliciously soft, sweet menu of comfort food nibbles and smartly in- johnnycakes come with all entrées, like the terpreted Down South classics is best shared— traditional ackee and saltfish (served with rice, though your neighbours at the tall communal peas, and slaw). The jerk chicken captures the tables make for good company if you’re flying essence of Island cooking. solo. Chef Tobias Grignon cut his teeth at the Wedgewood Hotel and Bistro Pastis, but here Rinconcito Salvadoreño Restaurant ‫ۻ‬ things are expertly executed yet wonderfully $ 2062 Commercial Dr., Commercial Drive, 604casual: sweet, perfectly crumbling cornbread 879-2600. José and Ana Herrera’s breezy little slathered in jalapeño bourbon butter; spoonfuls Latin American spot shouts sunny tropics. At of creamy white-cheddar grits topped by juicy about $3 each, Ana’s pupusas—a Salvadorean grilled mushrooms and a bright egg yolk; per- specialty of beans, cheese, and pork stuffed into fectly crunchy fried chicken served alongside a homemade corn tortilla—are a great start bewatermelon salad. fore tucking into carne asada: grilled steak with rice, beans, and fresh avocado. Newly popular are the corn-tortilla-based huaraches; for desMeat City $ 1074 Davie St., West End, 778-379-6328. Meat sert, fried plantains with cream transport you citysandwiches.com Former BC Lions player Jon down the Pacific coast.

Hameister-Ries has always had a passion for meat, but his stint on MasterChef Canada was Sal y Limón ultimately what inspired him to open Meat City. $ 5–701 Kingsway, South Vancouver, 604-677This small sandwich shop is an ideal stop on the 4247. Salylimon.ca This casual eatery is a gallery way to English Bay, where one can take in the of sorts, its vibrant green walls hung with works ocean view with a fresh-baked baguette packed by Vancouver’s Mexican artists. Lunch and dinwith prime rib or porchetta. Or grab some ner hours often see the 20-or-so seats filled, but friends and opt for one of the platters, which sizeable burritos and tortas are ideal grab-andfeatures all the varieties of roasted protein on go. Garnish your quesadillas and tacos with an offer, as well as a sampling of sides like the pop- array of housemade salsas that span the capsiular chile-lime corn on the cobb and decadent cum spectrum; recommended fillings include macaroni and cheese. al pastor (marinated pork with pineapple) and pollo pibil (slow-roasted chicken breast). And sopes, also known as huaraches, are crisp-fried The Mexican $-$$ 1049 Granville St., Downtown, 604-569- masa rounds piled high with your toppings of 0955. Themexican.ca Chef/owner Ana Dander choice—try the cordero al cilantro (marinated studied at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts lamb) or the pierna (slow-roasted pulled pork). and worked in the kitchen of Brix. Yet this, her ‫ ۻ‬ first restaurant, is a pointedly unpretentious Salsa & Agave Mexican Grill tribute to the filling, delicious street food of her $ 1205 Pacific Blvd., Yaletown, 604-408-4228. homeland, in a sparingly appointed room that Salsaandagave.com Tables are often filled at this might be considered a hole in the wall if the food tiny Yaletown eatery, but the authentic central weren’t so distractingly good. Be forewarned: Mexican food is worth the wait. If you’re feeling arrive hungry, and know that the menu’s low snackish, lighter choices include corn tortilla prices aren’t indicative of portion size. Taco fill- sopes paired with a long list of toppings, includings—braised pork, beef tongue, oven-roasted ing pastor (pork in a spicy red sauce) and pollo poblano peppers in creamed corn sauce—are la- (chicken), or vegetarian options. Menu standdled onto rustic corn tortillas; follow them with outs include chicken chilaquiles with green

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Mexi-mainstays (tacos, enchiladas, taquitos) are all accounted for, but the kitchen excels at seafood; try the beautifully fresh and astringent ceviche habañero.

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sauce, strips of tortilla topped with sour cream, queso, and onions. Quench your thirst with a bottle of Jarritos (Mexican soda pop), available in refreshing flavours like guava and pineapple.

Silvestre Gusto Latino $-$$ 317 Water St., Gastown, 604-558-2825.

Silvestregustolatino.com Just steps away from the steam clock, this bright little spot offers a Peruvian oasis among Gastown’s panoply of tchotchke shops. The dishes reflect the broad spectrum of ethnic influences on Peru’s cuisine. Top marks for flaky empanadas and fresh, vibrant ceviche. Gargantuan sandwiches are a filling lunch-in-hand for the business crowd: western and Peruvian selections range from a classic BLT to bitufarra (signature cured ham).

Traditional main dishes include tamales verdes with chicharrón, and estofado de res, a rich and comforting tomato-based beef stew. Alfajores— sugar-dusted cornstarch cookies filled with dulce de leche—are a delicate sweet treat. Spanish chatter from restaurant patrons and a steady stream of Latin music comprise the soundscape.

Sliders $ 546 W. Broadway, South Cambie, 604-5590040. Slidersinc.com The branding is dull and the menu concept seemingly years late, but Sliders plates a convincing argument as to why its namesake comestible hasn’t yet worn out its welcome. This unremarkable-looking space was clearly created with the aim to replicate itself into a fast-food empire. Luckily, whatever it lacks in aesthetic character it makes up for with a diverse menu of addictive hand-held flavour bombs. An Original Beef slider is more than the sum of its parts: properly charred beef, aged cheddar, good pickle, and the clever addition of Hickory Sticks—an excellent burger, diminutive or not. Better still are the Oyster Po’ Boy (with pickled onion and horseradish aioli) and Mushroom & Goat Cheese, a vegetarian option that rivals many of the meat-centric counterparts. Each palm-sized slider costs around $4, which might seem steep given that you’ll need two to make a meal, but their uniform deliciousness forgives this, as does the option of adding a fountain soda and a hillock of fries for a toonie. ‫ۻ‬ $$ 2327 E. Hastings St., East Side, 604-253-8226.

Tacofino Commissary

Tacofino.com Tacofino’s pair of food carts were the cream of the crop during Vancouver’s first phase of street dining, and now they’ve made the jump to tenanthood. The move is logical: the food, while sublime, was always a tad expensive for mobile dining—thankfully, their sparsely beautiful room in the East Village is only marginally more expensive than the trucks, and offers more options over the famed ling cod fish tacos—fried chicken and squid or a jar of pickled whatever’s-in-season. And it all can be washed down with a margarita or one of many other refreshing cocktails.

Tacofino Gastown $$ 15 W. Cordova St., Gastown, 604-899-7907.

Tacofino.com Let’s sidestep exactly why soft tacos and surfing are so central to the hipster imagination and just accept that Tacofino finds itself at the heart of various Venn diagrams of

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options available, too. While you wait for your grub, you can keep occupied with a variety of arcade games, take in a Blue Jays game above the bar, or admire the extensive collection of Vancouver punk paraphernalia.

BARBEC UE Buckstop $$ 833 Denman St., West End, 604-428-2528.

BA RBE CM U E H E RE C AT E GORY NA

Buckstop.ca Barbecue (the noun, not the verb) done right is a thing of beauty, but B.C.’s litany of laws and regulations conspire to turn a cuisine that’s supposed to be relaxed, communal, and cheap into something far more uptight and pricey. Thankfully, some die-hard lovers persist, and the proprietors of this spot have created a room that’s an ode to the idea of barbecue rather than a slavish devotion to the craft. The result wouldn’t cut it in Austin or Greensboro (both places that would demand venison from a place called Buckstop), but in Vancouver, their pulled pork—paired with a pint of beer or a well-priced whisky—is a welcome addition. ‫ۻ‬ $-$$ Various locations. Memphisbluesbbq.com If

Memphis Blues

you want to prank vegetarian friends, take them to Memphis Blues and remove the blindfolds just as the Priscilla platter hits the table: a glorious, heaping mess of the usual smoked meats (pulled pork, beef brisket, chicken, sausage), along with oysters, catfish, and shrimp. It’s enough to feed the starting lineup of a baseball team, and it’s the city’s best barbecue. The growth of the chain, from an outlet on Broadway to six locations today, attests to the winning combination of meaty fare, low prices, and an appealingly funky vibe.

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Peckinpah $$ 2 Water St., Gastown, 604-681-5411. Peckin

cool. This explains why a roadside stand from Tofino could open two locations here—one in East Van, and this one, off Blood Alley—to such boisterous acclaim. The Gastown spot combines a takeout window (on Cordova) and a big, noisy, perpetually slammed dining room in back where endless fish tacos are prepped and eaten.

Are they good? Happily, yes, as are many of the other proteins (octopus, steak, lamb) paired with variations on earthy vegetables and sweet cremas. ‫ ۻ‬ $ 435 Abbott St., Gastown, 778-868-7041. Taco

ANDREW QUERNER

Tacomio

mio.ca Vancouver isn’t short of taco options; at Tacomio, the style is rustic and perhaps more traditional than that of other local contenders.

The fillings—around 10 choices on any given day—are mostly stewed, and served from large pots behind the counter. Cochinita pibil (slowroasted pork) is generous with the achiote, and nicely brightened by pickled red onion; on a damp day, picadillo de carne (beef and root vegetables) with pickled jalapeno hits the spot.

But top billing must go to the vegetarian rajas con crema, with roasted poblano and creamed corn—its creamy sweetness and touch of heat scream Mexico. Try one of the rotating house-

pahbbq.com The Carolina-style barbecue served made agua frescas and a side of good guacamole here is solid, with both the pulled pork and the to round things off. brisket acquitting themselves admirably. The room’s lively, and if you’re in the mood there are more than 30 bourbons from which to choose.

Topanga Café $$ 2904 W. Fourth Ave., Kitsilano, 604-733-3713. Here’s a Gastown bite that is relaxed and a little Topangacafe.com This Kitsilano institution is messy. And the servers won’t bombard you with touchingly careworn in the best, most authentic where their potatoes were grown. sense of the word. The place is always packed, the beer is reliably ice cold, and while such classics as carne norteña and chile con carne will likely never inspire, they will also never disapBELGIAN point. (The ultra-moist chocolate cake, on the ‫ۻ‬ other hand, is worth the trip alone.) When a Chambar place has been around since eight years B.E. $$-$$$ 568 Beatty St., Gastown, 604-879-7119.

(Before Expo), you know they’re doing some- Chambar.com Following a dizzyingly successful thing right. decade, during which it single-handedly kicked off the neighbourhood we now know as Crosstown, this perpetually buzzing room moved two What’s Up? Hot Dog! $ 2481 Hastings St., East Side, 604-879-8364. doors down to a vastly bigger, multi-level space.

Whatsuphotdog.ca Quality dogs piled high with The handsome brick and warm woods of the origcreative toppings are the focus of this converted inal remain, and it’s still just the spot for a pre- or East Side diner (if the name of the establish- post-event nosh—its proximity to the big arenas, ment doesn’t make that clear enough), but here and its excellent bar program of Belgian beers and they’re served with a side of baseball and a dash inventive cocktails, make it a no-brainer for a liveof punk rock. North Vancouver’s Two Rivers ly night out. The food—Belgian by way of North Specialty Meats provide the dogs—made with Africa—is serious, and seriously good. Don’t miss beef free of antibiotics, hormones, and chemical the mussels Congolaise, fired up with smoked additives—but there are vegan and vegetarian chilies and brightened with cilantro and lime.

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C A F É & BR ASSE R I E Aphrodite’s Organic Café $$-$$$ 3598 W. Fourth Ave., Kitsilano, 604-

733-8308. Organiccafe.ca One of the few spots that can bill itself as all organic, all the time—many items come straight from a Glen Valley farm that morning. The farmhouse-y joint hops most evenings, with conscientious locals strolling over from the new-age bookshop across the street. Every item is in season, from house-baked breads to soup. The chicken is from Bradner Farms and the vegetables are unfiddled; handmade spelt-flour pizza carries a tumble of wild mushrooms and aged cheddar cheese. Pick up one of the chef’s fruit pies next door (the raspberry rhubarb is excellent).

Bel Café

Caffè Cittadella

‫ ۻ‬

$ 2310 Ash St., Fairview Slopes, 604-568-5909.

Caffecittadella.com Housed in a beautifully restored 1895 Queen Anne-style home—the oldest heritage building in Fairview Slopes—Caffè Cittadella is a charming neighbourhood outpost. Owners Filip, Dejan, and Aleks have more than 25 years of experience in the coffee industry between them, and their expertise highlights the locally roasted 49th Parallel coffee on offer—particularly in a cappuccino or Spanish latté. Lunchtime lineups bespeak the popularity of the grilled sandwiches and hearty housemade soups. Gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan options abound; savouring pastries on the treelined patio is a lovely al fresco indulgence.

Commune Café $$ 1002 Seymour St., Downtown, 604-681-2551.

Revolver // pg.17

a warm European café-style setting. In addition to the brunch and lunch fare, Danica’s also offers a selection of baked goods that are free from processed sugars and often steer clear of gluten or dairy products, providing options for many dietary restrictions and preferences. Linger over a leisurely meal while enjoying fresh-pressed juices, locally roasted coffee, or a well-deserved mid-morning mimosa.

Ed’s Daily $ 686 Powell St., Strathcona, 604-424-8708. Eds

daily.com The main problem with Ed’s is that it’s not exactly en route to much. Another bummer: it’s only open Monday to Friday. But the bright and airy cafe-slash-commissary in Railtown— which boasts a saucy history as a Chinese gambling den—may be worthy of a pilgrimage. Retro tile work and a collection of tabletop cactuses offer a charming backdrop for grabbing inventive breakfast options to go (like cups of caramelized pineapple jam topped with fluffy cottage cheese; or slabs of fresh rye toast piled with prosciutto, ricotta, and honey). Or grab a chair at one of the tiny window-side tables and dig into a hearty salad. (We loved the Brussels sprout and apple with albacore tuna.) The coffee’s top-notch, too.

Communecafe.ca This clean and cool Yaletown café is a great place for some serious peoplewatching whether you drop in for breakfast (eggs, omelettes, benedicts, etc.), lunch (sandwiches, salads, rice bowls) or dinner (everything from mussels and sliders to pan-roasted lamb).

The modern space is sparsely decorated with beautiful cork lanterns, bright red chairs, and a wooden cafeteria-style table as the centerpiece. Faubourg The wraparound patio provides ample extra seat- $-$$ Various locations. Faubourg.com This bising and is heated and covered. tro/coffee shop/bakery comes with Gallic street cred (French owners Franck & Linda Point also opened the luxe children’s shop Jacadi across the Danica’s Cafe $-$$ 556 Beatty St., Gastown, 604-336-3554. Dani street at the original Kerrisdale location) and cascafe.com This popular downtown brunch serves exquisite Viennoiserie and other authenspot, which occupies Café Medina’s former digs, tic French baking (baguettes are eight ounces, serves up an array of healthy organic dishes, in- per French dictates) made onsite multiple times cluding several gluten-free and vegan options in a day (mais oui, the last baking time—3 p.m.—

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ensures a fresh, warm baguette for evening appetizers). In lieu of homemade to-go sandwiches or to-die-for Musetti coffee, sit down on custom French chairs for an elegant or lunch. The only thing missing are the Gauloises.

Feast $$-$$$ 2423 Marine Dr., West Vancouver, 604-

922-1155. Feastdining.ca Dundarave Village’s self-billed “neighbourhood table” brings a sliver of metropolitan bustle to the community’s suburban nighttime hush. The dining room— an immaculate Restoration Hardware fantasy of dark woods and foraged antiques—fills up with couples, families, and girlfriends enjoying a night away from their men. They all come out for some of chef Kayla Dhaliwall’s unpretentious yet elevated comfort food. The former Top Chef Canada contestant understands her audience here, so the menu brims with familiar names among a few gentle flights of fancy. Plating is artful without tipping into avant-garde, while flavours are honest and rich. Combined with very good cocktails and a shockingly deep wine list, downtowners might wish they had Feast on their side of the bridge.

Finch’s $ 353 W. Pender St., Downtown, 604-899-4040.

Finchteahouse.com This dainty teahouse, all lace curtains and mismatched salvaged furniture, proudly boasts the slowest service in town— but bite into the blue brie, prosciutto, and pear baguette sandwich and you’ll understand why customers will gladly wait for the hipster sandwich artists to artfully compose their midday meal. The giant cookies are a necessary indulgence. Closed Sundays.

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$-$$ 801 W. Georgia St., Downtown, 604-6737000. Belcafe.com David Hawksworth’s homage to an authentic boulangerie is practically perfect—from pain au chocolat and macaron to crusty sandwiches and serious coffee. A spicy Viennese espresso lives up to its name, a dollop of whipped cream added to temper the flavourful and angry darkness below. The swell room— all dark wood playing off French tiles accented with Gallic blue—has more to offer than meringue discs. In all, Bel Café is that rare bird: a place that perfectly channels France without the confines of being French.

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$-$$ 750 Hornby St., Downtown, 604-688-2233.

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Even the weird-sounding breakfast “cupcake” —a deep pastry shell filled with bacon or sausage, tomato/red pepper confit, cheese and a sunny-side egg—is dangerously delicious. All of this in addition to a wide selection of cookies, cakes, pies, and more. Gluten-free options available, plus afternoon tea service.

Meat & Bread $ 370 Cambie St., Gastown, 604-566-9003; 1033

W. Pender St., Downtown, 604-336-1416. Meat andbread.ca This sandwich shop’s original Gastown location does its historic bones proud—the use of glossy-white subway tile and a magnetic strip of carving knives contributes to its oldschool-butcher vibe. On offer: four sandwiches: corned beef, a vegetarian option, a daily special, and the magical porchetta—the combo of fresh ciabatta from the wonderful Swiss Bakery, expertly diced pork and crackling, and a dollop of salsa verde (anchovies, capers, and pickles balanced with fresh green herbs) is the champ.

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uniform hash browns, and two fluffy pancakes.

Pay up at the counter, and a tattooed server Thegallerycafe.ca Like the gift shop below, the peddling hot sauce or HP delivers plates minsecond-floor Gallery Café can be visited with- utes later. Then it’s just man vs. food. There’s out having to pay admission to see art. The café something to be said for pushing that last bite terrace is a favoured lunchtime getaway for area of breakfast sausage through the maple syrup office workers and law court denizens. Don’t be dregs, then bolting. put off by the cafeteria trays: there are no curly ‫ ۻ‬ fries or chicken fingers; the menu is, instead, Homer St. Cafe and Bar a more refined mix of panini and salad, soup $$$ 898 Homer St., Yaletown, 604-428-4299. and quiche. You can’t go wrong with the cap- Homerstreetcafebar.com On a downtown correse panino (bocconcini with Roma tomatoes, ner (Homer and Smithe) that’s somehow both roasted peppers, and sun-dried tomato oil) or neglected and busy, find one of the city’s most rare ahi tuna salad bowl. Grab a Stella or a glass handsome eateries. The dining room sprawls of Mission Hill wine and settle in. over several levels, each with their own vibe, though thankfully it never feels cavernous nor corporate. The team here works under the Giovane $ 1038 Canada Pl., Downtown, 604-695-5557. capable (and underrated) hand of chef MarcGiovanecafe.com At Giovane—the striking André Choquette, and they turn out dishes like Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel’s café designed by beautifully hued rotisserie chicken, and gorlocal outfit MGB—all the rustic baked good are geous slow-cooked pork cheek with buttermilk made from scratch. Start the day with a luscious potatoes. The menu can veer into pricey, but sour cherry/white chocolate scone or a hearty they definitely deliver quality. blueberry-yogurt muffin. After work, nab a loaf of the artisanal bread, noteworthy for a crack- Invitro ling crust, perfect crumb, and subtle nuttiness $$ 2211 Manitoba St., East Side, 604-992-6224. In that comes from using a real biga starter. The vitrorestaurant.com The project of Sarah Kashani, undisputed star, however, is the signature sugar a two-decades-plus veteran of the restaurant inbun, a buttery soft brioche filled with vanilla dustry, Invitro looks and feels nothing like the pastry cream. At night the room transforms beakers and test tubes its name evokes. Located into a wine bar, offering excellent Italian by- inside an old house, the warm, inviting dining the-glass selections. room is in fact quiet and homey. The brief menu reads like dishes you could tackle at home— baked Brie; a Bolognese; herb-rubbed chicken; Greenhorn Espresso Bar $ 994 Nicola St., West End, 604-428-2912. beer-glazed pork chop—but everything is artful, Greenhorncafe.com The constant lineups and precise, personal, and flavourful. According to buzzy room might lead you to believe Green- Kashani, offerings will become more ambitious horn has always been here—because shouldn’t in time, but this is a perfectly delicious base from the West End have always had sweet little which to begin. Within months of opening, there neighbourhood spots like this one? Elbow in to were already regulars, and you’ll see why. Lunch the vintage-modern space for a window seat or by reservation only. a spot at the communal table—takeout seems uncalled-for here—and grab a weekend brunch La Brasserie of shakshuka baked eggs with olives and al- $$ 1091 Davie St., West End, 778-379-5400. monds, or the Spanish-style tortilla layered Labrasserievancouver.com Among Davie Village’s with soft potatoes and topped with sweet salsa most beloved restaurants since it opened in fresca. But the real star is the coffee: from local 2009, La Brasserie was shuttered in 2014 followroaster Moja, it’s good enough to want to pull ing a sudden and precipitous plunge in quality. up to the bar for a doppio.

It bloomed again a year later, after being handed over to a new proprietor. Wisely, no one has toyed ‫ ۻ‬ with what made it an enduring success. LongGrounds for Appeal $ 845 Cambie St., Downtown, 604-681-8558. time chef Kai Sengewitz is leading the kitchen Grounds for Appeal, in the Law Society of B.C. once again, and the menu of hearty Franco-Gerbuilding, is not just a caffeine oasis for cubicle man fare is more or less unchanged from its glory monkeys. At lunch, the lineup snakes out the days. Consequently, the 35-seat room (which door with in-the-know legal eagles: less than leaves enough space between tables to facilitate $10 buys a plentiful bowl of curry, which may intimate chatter) fills up early most nights. Bistro include tomato-rich butter chicken, korma, ro- staples—French onion soup, rotisserie chicken, gan josh, or chana masala, with a plate of but- frites of both the moules and steak varieties—are tery, cumin-seed-and-pea-studded rice, and a consistently good. Staff strike the right balance round of fluffy naan, all served unceremoniously between polished and nonchalant. (save for a pretty napkin) on a cafeteria tray. So sue us if the milkshake-thick mango lassi ensures The Last Crumb you sleep though those afternoon meetings. $ 3080 Main St., South Main, 604-872-0195.

Lastcrumb.ca There’s an exceptionally light ‫ ۻ‬ hand oversseing the baking in this airy, modernHeidi’s Café $ 5943 Fraser St., East Side, 604-639-6317. Af- looking neighbourhood café. Scones—served ter a late night, or a long week, someone else with butter and/or jam, or in place of bread as a needs to do the thinking. So follow this simple “sconewich”—are stellar. Go savoury with bamantra: weekend breakfast, head to Heidi’s. con, cheddar, and scallion, or stay sweet with From the limited menu, go for the jumbo com- the daily creation (we love the apple pie scone). bo: eggs how you like ’em, bacon and sausage, Quiches (meat or veggie) are delectable, too.

The Gallery Café at the VAG

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‫ ۻ‬ $-$$ 780 Richards St., Downtown, 604-879-3114.

Medina Café

Medinacafe.com Virtually since the day it opened in 2008, Medina has been one of the most consistently busy breakfast and brunch spots in Vancouver—repeat visitors know to expect the sight of a queue out the door. But the wait is worth it.

The relative intimacy of the former Beatty Street room is gone (and with it any chance of a quiet meal), but the menu’s star attractions remain, plus some delicious additions: short-rib fricassée (or a vegetarian version with sherry roasted mushrooms), warm little Belgian waffles with addictive toppings (milk-chocolate lavender should be sold in bottles), poached eggs with spicy lamb meatballs, superb coffee. Service remains as polished as ever, and a full bar means you can now enjoy a civilized adult beverage.

Mosquito $$ 32 Water St., Gastown, 604-398-3188. Mos

quitodessert.com This swank, intimate dessert bar is a must-visit in the neighbourhood. Its banquettes, petite bar, and French navy decor feel as cozy as the jazz-standards playlist. The concept is dessert and champagne, but there are savouries, too (cheese and charcuterie plates, toasted piri-piri Marcona almonds, truffled popcorn), which flatter the concise list of sparklers. Desserts are immaculate: artful, balanced, and textured, and their sweetness levels respect the dry bubbles with nutty, salty, and crunchy interplays. Cocktails, beer, and a few non-fizzy wines offer choice beyond the reasonably priced selection of champagne, crémant, and prosecco.

$ 1055 Mainland St., Yaletown, 604-684-6239;

Phat

Phatdeli.com Getting a good cheap lunch can be a tall order in Yaletown. Not so at Phat, right in the belly of the bling beast. They’ll serve you a gin martini to pair with your all-beef kosher smokie, or a cold beer to loosen the lox. Counter service is remarkably swift. The patio is arguably one of the least expensive people-watching digs in the city. Still, the Montreal smoked meat is the main draw; it’s arguably the best this side of the Great Lakes. (Second location: 1055 W. Georgia St., Downtown, 604-559-6744.)

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$ 397 Railway St., Railtown, 604-428-0800. Rail

LUIS VALDIZON

Salty Tongue Café $ 210 Carrall St., Gastown, 604-688-9779.

Saltytongue.ca Well-groomed designers and inthe-know travellers are served by a staff that exceeds expectations for such a casual room, and everyone eats at the 40-foot-long Douglas fir table. For $10, face down a full Irish break-

beach location is the crown jewel. The menu has been nicely brought up to date recently with the likes of miso-crusted wild halibut and Thai-style crab cakes.

Browns Socialhouse

$$

Various locations. Brownssocialhouse.com Browns’ something-for-everyone menu balances casual dining standbys (two-fister burgers heavy on the bacon and cheese, a steak sandwich on garlic toast) with lighter, healthier options. Asian influences are prevalent: Thai chicken and rice soup; lemongrass-crusted albacore tuna salad in a cilantro-ginger dressing; shrimp and chicken pad Thai. Weekend brunch is satisfying (and sure to quell a hangover) with $6 Caesars and mimosas, waffles with blueberry compote drowning in maple syrup, and breakfast buns loaded with cheese and bacon.

$$ Various locations. Burgoo.ca There’s nothing

Burgoo

better on a rainy day than a steaming bowl of Burgoo’s hearty comfort food, like beef bourguignon, ratatouille Provençal, or even good ol’ mac and cheese with aged white cheddar. Big-cup soups like a rich mushroom medley with truffle oil and corn-and-chicken chowder with cilantro crème fraîche fill you up without emptying your wallet.

The Main Street location has an excellent patio.

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fast, complete with plump black pudding, baked beans, toast, and proper bacon. Drown it with towncafe.ca Denizens of the mini design district some of the finest coffee in the ’hood. At night, that dominates a three-block stretch of Railway the café hosts special dinners from owner Sean Street make this soup-and-sandwich joint their Heather’s next-door gastropub. regular lunch spot. Don’t let the cafeteria-style lineup fool you, though; this place caters to a de- Tractor manding set. Try a chicken club with bacon and $$ 1903 W. Fourth Ave., Kitsilano, 604-222avocado on fresh, housemade focaccia (built to 2557; 335 Burrard St., Downtown, 604-979order by a swamped-but-smiling staff). Or opt 0500. Tractorfoods.com As the name suggests, for their super-abundant salad bar, where you’ll this is healthy, vegetarian-friendly, organic, lopoint out toppings from more than 50 options. cally sourced food. Salads like kale with granny Do grab a large of the iced-tea concoction, which smith apples, radicchio, and white balsamic changes daily and is kept low on the sugar scale. vinaigrette or grilled asparagus with broccoli, The space is also HQ for a catering service that butternut squash, pecans, ricotta cheese and dishes decidedly pretty plates (see Railtownca champagne vinaigrette are served cafeteria style; tering.ca). sandwiches, like Rossdown Farms free-run organic chicken breast with tomato, fennel, basil, and provolone, are grilled to order. Wine and Rainier Provisions $$ 2 W. Cordova, Gastown, 604-558-2473. Rainier beer on offer are a nice indulgence. provisions.com This is Sean Heather’s seventh Gastown room, and one step inside is proof that Trafiq Café & Bakery some people just know how to run restaurant. $ 4216 Main St., South Main, 604-648-2244.

Its airy, slightly upscale butcher/deli style doesn’t Trafiq.ca A decade ago, Mexican-born Sergio Sallook like Heather’s other spots (Salt, Irish Heath- amonovitz was running the beautiful little Aber, etc.) but the feel—homey, relaxed, effortlessly solute Sugar Bakery in the basement of Harbour cool— is right on point. Here Heather’s channel- Centre when he hit up against a problem: leftover ing the way a neighbourhood store used to be— croissants. He couldn’t sell them—nothing could everything made from scratch, knowledgeable be day-old—so he cut them up and rebaked them counter crew, and dry goods from producers who with banana and chocolate. The Chunky Monstill do things the old-fashioned way. key was born, and even when he and Shauna MacNeil opened their first Trafiq in West Van ‫ ۻ‬ (since sold away) and the second in Riley Park, Revolver $ 325 Cambie St., Gastown, 604-558-4444. Re the Chunky Monkey was on their backs: everyvolvercoffee.ca A gorgeous chapel dedicated to one loves that golden goose so much, they now the art of coffee-making from four brothers, sci- bake croissants expressly to dry out and recast ons all of the Giannakos family that begat West with banana and cacao. It’s tasty, but so is everyVancouver’s always busy Crema. The room is a thing else hand-made at this charming, laptoptestament to how much vintage, woody charm friendly, communally tabled 32-seater: seasonal can be squeezed into a diminutive, kitchenless pastries and cakes; terrific quiches; healthy sand50-seater. Coffee and pastries are had on ceil- wiches; croissants and pains au chocolat; and reing-suspended bench booths under three world viving coffees from Los Beans. maps painstakingly created with silver and copper-coloured nails. The crew love their classic Tuc Craft Kitchen vinyl, so expect to hear some. Few do coffee this $$ 60 W. Cordova St., Gastown, 604-559-8999. seriously—and even better, they aren’t the least Tucrestaurant.com Recycled industrial/nostalgia evangelical, despite their seven different brew decor and tiny tables only serve to amp up the methods and curated beans ground à la minute noise and intimacy of this hopping two-storey per order. It’s expensive but rapturous. neighbourhood favourite. Unfussy but pro service, really solid food, and a value-priced wine list—don’t expect stemware (it’s chunky tumRoundel Cafe $ 2465 E. Hastings St., East Side, 604-253- blers all the way), but that’s fine because they 2522. Roundelcafe.com The space stays true to suit the mood and the food. Homey comfort is its 1964 roots with vintage booth seating (com- the theme: highlights include a perfectly dressed plete with lemon-yellow Formica tabletops) salad of pickled radish and greens; wine-braised and a central bar surrounded by seven fixed beef cheeks served in a cast-iron skillet atop rich stools. The menu is more modern, grounded by gratin potatoes and lemony wilted spinach; utmostly organic ingredients and simple dress- terly delicious smashed-then-fried potatoes; and ings that let them shine. Brunch is the feature parsnip fries with fragrant, addictive coriander presentation: omelettes, Bennies, huevos ran- ketchup. Save room for crispy sugared doughcheros (our fave), etc. Dinner is served only on nuts with rum-caramel sauce.

Thursday and Friday nights and pickings are slim, but there is this: a burger (beef or spicy tofu) and a pint for $13. We’ll drink to that.

Railtown Café

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‫ۻ‬ $$-$$$ Various locations. Cactusclubcafe.com A

Cactus Club Cafe

few years ago, Cactus Club opened its English Bay location, and with its killer view, elevated wine list, and take-out stand with perpetual lineups, it seemed like casual fine dining had its Mt. Olympus. Well, meet the new boss. The chain’s Coal Harbour location is in many ways more impressive. Despite its cavernous space (it seats 600) it’s always packed with acolytes of chef Rob Feenie’s sablefish or his barbecue duck clubhouse. The best part (other than the view) is the juiced-up wine list, which features such enticers as Caymus Special Selection at less than double markup.

Café Crêpe $-$$ Various locations. Cafecrepe.com These busy little locations offer Parisian-style crepes, burgers, and baguette sandwiches fast and fresh. Hungry shoppers and on-the-fly moviegoers dig into the variety of hot crepes like the spinach and feta or the Europa ham and Swiss. Or satisfy a sweet tooth with a specialty: a warm crepe stuffed with Nutella, Grand Marnier, and banana.

Caffé Barney $-$$ 2975 Granville St., South Granville, 604-

731-6446; 2526 Main St., South Main, 604568-0426. Be prepared to line up for weekend brunch; the portions are worth it. The room is funky, worn, and noisy; the food—burgers, soups, chicken caesar salads, and such— straight-ahead and well prepared. Prices, muCASUAL C H AIN sic, and vibe appeal to a hip young clientele.

Good draft beer, quality coffees, and a hidden The Boathouse $$-$$$ Various locations. Boathouserestaurants. gem of a patio out back. ca This local mini-chain has a strict playbook: find body of water, build restaurant overlooking Earls said body of water, serve fish that could conceiv- $$-$$$ Various locations. Earls.ca After a failed ably have come from the body of water. The Kits fling with faux sophistication, this pioneer of

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Joey

location near GM Place is popular for pre-game expect to cool your heels before getting seated. nosh, while the patio on Davie is prime ogling The mouth-watering array is worth the wait.

Warm shrimp dumplings nestle in delicate skin real estate. of translucent rice flour; signature salted chickRocky Mountain Flatbread Company en stands out amongst an impressive selection $$ 1876 W. First Ave., Kitsilano, 604-730-0321; of egg tarts, gyozas, gai lan, and congee. Bring 4186 Main St. South Main, 604-566-9779. Rocky cash—at lunch, that’s all they take. mountainflatbread.ca If you love organic, kids, ‫ ۻ‬ and pizza—in that order—then this mini-chain Dinesty Dumpling is for you. The rub is that if you are childless $ 1719 Robson St., West End, 604-669-7769. or think this whole save-the-earth thing is Dinesty.ca The 16-page menu is slightly overoverrated, then shelling out over $20 for a whelming, but stay focused: you’re here for the 13-inch Parma ham and mango pizza might dumplings. Steaming baskets arrive at the table not sit well. But grow a heart: the Main Street to deliver little bundles filled with flavourful location features an open room where you broth and tender shrimp, pork wontons served can watch your flatbread be created, plus an in a surprisingly complex sour-chili sauce, and “environmentally friendly” kids’ play area. plump packages of spicy vegetables and soft egg.

(Flaky fried radish cakes and chive pancakes are respectable alternatives.) The modern room Vera’s Burger Shack $ Various locations. Verasburgershack.com With makes for a great date spot, too—alongside the well over a dozen locations, Vera’s has been typical bring-the-whole-family-sized dim sum collecting awards and accolades for its burgers tables, there’s a row of cozy seats for two. since opening on West Van’s Dundarave Pier in ‫ۻ‬ 1977. But with franchises popping up every- Dynasty Seafood Restaurant where, its owners can’t inspect every burger $$ 108–777 W. Broadway, South Cambie, 604that comes off the grill. Sadly, despite big, fresh, 876-8388. Dynasty-restaurant.ca Sharply exhigh-quality patties and unparalleled fixins, ecuted Cantonese cooking draws high-powered there’s a growing fast-foodiness to these places. Chinese diners from across the Lower MainTwo very un-fast-food-like features, though, are land. Fresh and imaginative takes on Chinese liquor licences and prices. vegetarian cooking include Buddha’s Feast, with a hot wok vigour. Crispy-skinned sesame chicken, and fried rice with threads of eggs and dried scallops, are must orders. Staff have honed their skills at some of the best Chinese rooms CH IN ESE in the city, balancing efficiency and friendliness.

$$-$$$ Various locations. Joeyrestaurants.com

Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie

“casual fine dining” has returned to its highquality comfort-food roots. The dry ribs are back, the bread is made from scratch, and the tomatoes taste juicy again. A test kitchen, helmed by a collective of accomplished local chefs, keeps menu evolution fresh—you can taste their works-in-progress at the Hornby Street location, which offers great lunchtime deals.

Some of the winning dishes have rolled out to all restaurants. But most, including a to-die-for Wagyu beef burger and a lobster Cobb salad, are reserved for flagship locations. And there’s the catch: consistency should be a chain’s calling card. At Earls, there’s still a disconnect between the flagships and everywhere else. ‫ۻ‬ $ Various locations. Hubbubsandwiches.com Af-

Hubbub

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ter several years of semi-obscurity on a small but busy block of Hornby (lawyers coming back from court love the spot), this sandwich shop has put its eyes on expansion—first it added a spot at Robson and Homer, then in Cambie Village. But the equation remains the same: five sandwiches (prawn, veggie, pulled pork, turkey sausage, chicken breast), five sides. In the era of the $13 food-truck lunch, it’s a winning formula: the $9 sandwiches are made fresh; they’re just the right size; and if they don’t have the pyrotechnics of a dripping porchetta, they can be enjoyed several times a week without negatively impacting your health. (The addictive all-natural potato chips, maybe not so much.)

In the world of casual fine dining, Joey, under executive chef Chris Mills, is staking a solid claim. The inviting menu, with good takes on standards like grilled chicken caesar salad, along with smart upgrades like Bombay butter chicken and sashimi tuna salad, delights. Cocktails are showy, wines well-priced, high-definition screens tuned to sports channels. Competition among the chains is intense, which makes drinkers and diners the real winners.

‫ۻ‬ $$ 163 Keefer St., Chinatown, 604-688-0876. Bao-

bei.ca With its nostalgic décor, youthful wait staff, and smart cocktail list, you may worry the food at Bao Bei is an afterthought. But sit down and you’ll hear the iron clanging of good wok technique coming from the kitchen. Flavours are brightly balanced: crispy sesame shao bing is the perfect slider of lamb sirloin and cilantro; crispy pork belly is smartly tamed with buttered pickled ramps and Vietnamese dressing; and the seasonal “Kick-Ass House Fried Rice” is flavourful yet feather light on the tongue—the mark of expert Milestones $$-$$$ Various locations. Milestonesrestaurants. stir-frying. This is a true reflection of how Chinese com Among the big local chains, each new open- food has matured in Vancouver. ing represents a chance to raise the stakes in the ‫ۻ‬ casual-fine-dining arms race. Milestones has typi- Congee Noodle House cally focused more on family and less on flash, $ 141 E. Broadway, South Main, 604-879-8221. but the Cambie and Broadway location has intro- An all-purpose Chinese eatery with a staggerduced a large patio with stunning views looking ingly extensive menu of casual Cantonese fare. back over False Creek to the downtown towers, The eponymous house specialty, congee (rice plus an increasingly sophisticated menu. Long- broth), is traditionally a breakfast item but is aged steaks and braised short ribs bring high style now eaten around the clock. Beefy sliced osto comfort food. The wine list balances New and trich, bone-in chicken, or mixed seafood conOld World, and is well priced. And all the standby gee is properly cooked à la minute to a creamy share plates—baked goat cheese, wings, spinach finish, maximizing natural sweetness. The broand artichoke dip—plus generously sized bellinis thy wonton noodles are perfectly toothsome, and mojitos, keep diners coming back. while dried fried beef rice noodles arrive flashseared and piping hot. Late into the evening, the cash-only menu features spare ribs with Moxie’s $$-$$$ Various locations. Moxies.ca When you’re chili and salt, beef with ginger and green ondealing with an indecisive group, Moxie’s is a ions, and diced chicken with cashews. safe bet. The wide-ranging menu, lengthier than ‫ۻ‬ any of its casual-chain competitors, has every- Dai Tung thing from clubhouse sandwiches and chicken $-$$ 108–1050 Kingsway, South Vancouver, wings to cookie-cutter fusion like Sichuan 604-872-2268. Inexpensive and bountiful oldgreen beans and tandoori chicken pizza. The school Cantonese dim sum draws crowds, so

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Floata Seafood Restaurant $$-$$$ 400–180 Keefer St., Chinatown, 604-602-

0368. Floata.com This massive eatery seats up to 1,000 people. The last of Chinatown’s dim sum palaces, Floata offers a huge lunch menu that ranges from well-made classics (steamed rice rolls and shrimp dumplings) to more daring fare (jellyfish and pig’s trotters). Deepfried wontons are light and crisp, and come with a drizzle of sweet and sour. Try the moist steamed sponge cake (locals always choose the edge pieces). The clientele is an animated mix of Chinatown old-timers, tourists, and local businesspeople.

Fortune Garden $$ 1475 W. Broadway, South Granville, 604-

736-6868. This comfy room with soft lighting and swift service is a few rungs above average.

Start with the jumbo-sized shrimp dumpling and the braised bean curd. Then make mini sandwiches with the little “doves” that accompany the beef with honey sauce. For taste and tender texture, the hot pot of diced chicken with black-bean chili excels.

Golden Ocean Seafood Restaurant $$ 2046 W. 41st Ave., Kerrisdale, 604-263-8886.

Loud and more than a little unruly, Golden Ocean transports the spirit of old Chinatown into the heart of tony Kerrisdale. The dim sum lunch is particularly boisterous, with neighbourhood soccer moms, Hong Kong expat families, and Chinese food lovers of all stripes competing for tables. One of the last places in the city to offer full dim sum cart service, it fea-

VANCOUVER

tures all the classics, with black-bean chicken feet, pan-fried dumplings, and deep-fried taro puffs particularly well done. The dinner atmosphere is more sedate.

Good Choice $$ 6007 Fraser St., East Side, 604-325-9788.

With a change in ownership and management from the old Super Happiness team, and a kitchen helmed by the previous sous chef, this neighborhood gem has regained much of its original lustre. The chui chow duck, gently poached in an anise-scented soy braise, and the salt-baked chicken (which must be pre-ordered) cooked in a clay pot (to simulate a clay oven) are both stellar. The Dungeness crab with ginger, scallions and supreme soy sauce is still a must-have.

Grand View Szechuan Restaurant

Green Lettuce $-$$ 1949 Kingsway, Kingsway, 604-876-9883.

Greenlettucerestaurant.ca This is Chinese food the way Indian people eat it. On weekend nights, Indo-Canadian families line up and squeeze in for a taste of home. Just as Chinese immigrants to Canada tailored local ingredients to suit their palates (and created Chinese-Canadian cuisine), India’s Chinese immigrants infused their recipes with Indian spices and heat. The result is dishes like gobi Manchurian: crispy battered cauliflower with a sauce of chilies, onions, and cumin. Sinus-clearing green beans and dumplings are terrific washed down with a cold one, or green tea. Always busy. ‫ۻ‬ $$ 6236 Fraser St., South Vancouver, 604-324-

$$$-$$$$ Various locations. Kirinrestaurants.com

Kirin Restaurant

If you ask what kind of food they serve, the Kirin team will tell you it’s Vancouver cuisine, not Chinese. This simple notion informs every aspect of the dining experience. Local ingredients are given gold treatment and dim sum menus change monthly to reflect seasonality. Traditional standbys such as Peking duck two ways and singing chicken hot pot exhibit clean flavours. Local seafood is well represented with pan-fried black cod and live lobster that can be prepared a number of ways. Kirin strives for a professionalism that puts it in the upper echelon of Vancouver restaurants, with unsurpassed consistency in the kitchen.

Alaskan king crab are selected with equal care.

The sticky fried rice is the best you’ll ever have.

Overlook the faded ’80s décor: an excellent latenight menu draws visiting Hong Kong celebrities and music stars.

Legendary Noodle House $-$$ 1074 Denman St., West End, 604-669-8551.

Legendarynoodle.ca China-trained chefs stretch dough into gossamer strands. Cooked to order, the noodles have a delicate bite and chew, the unmistakable hallmark of freshness. The lamb shank noodle soup is delicate yet warmly satisfying. Try the crispy, chewy green-onion pancakes, and add an order of handmade dumplings filled with chopped pork and vegetables to complete the carb trifecta. The rustic décor and gentle cooking sounds are totally evocative of China. ‫ ۻ‬ $-$$ 1537 W. Broadway, South Granville, 604-

Lin Chinese Cuisine & Tea House

733-9696. Linchinese.ca South Granville and cheap eats don’t typically go hand in hand, but the lunch special at Lin ($7.99, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) gives you the choice of 18 different meat, seafood, and vegetarian dishes, including crowd-fave ginger beef and chef specials like honey prawn. You’d be a dang fool to miss out on an order of the city’s best xiao long bao (Shanghainese soup dumplings)—five bucks ‫ ۻ‬ gets you six thin-skinned beauties encasing a Koon Bo Restaurant $$ 5682 Fraser St., South Vancouver, 604-323- lightly spiced ground-pork lozenge and a squirt 1218. Tucked away in a nondescript mini-mall, of deeply flavoured, piping-hot broth.

Koon Bo is a favourite with large families.

Chicken salad is a textural wonder of hand- Lok’s Chinese Restaurant shredded chicken, housemade pickles, sesa- $-$$ 2436 W. 41st Ave., Kerrisdale, 604-266me-dressed jellyfish, and crispy wonton skins. 0788. Loksrestaurant.com The focus here is on The housemade pickles make another appear- homey flavours: slow-simmered soups, a genance stir-fried with beef and young ginger. The tly warming spicy beef satay hotpot, and stirroasted squab is one of the best you’ll ever bite. fried tender gailan (Chinese broccoli) studded Honey garlic pork is served in a basket of fried with garlic. The kitchen easily handles more noodles surrounded by deep-fried pepah tofu. demanding dishes, too. Save room for live spot Order a plain green vegetable to balance the prawns (when in season) that the chef pan-fries strong flavours, and look to the specials sheet with sweet soy, and celebratory Peking duck. for more ideas.

Service is deft.

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$-$$ 4181 Fraser St., South Vancouver, 604-8798885. Grandviewrestaurant.com Best mu shu crepes in town, as well as a bevy of unconventional Sichuan dishes. Try the stuffed eggplant with peking sauce, and the chicken with cashew nuts tucked into a potato bird’s nest. The hotand-sour soup here is the cure for all that ails, and complimentary at lunch. Closed Mondays.

Not open for lunch on Sundays.

stay for years, and lineups stretch out the door even on weekday evenings. The menu incorporates Taiwanese, Shanghainese, and Sichuan dishes—an odd yet highly successful confluence of flavours. Midday sees almost every table with an order of five-spice beef and green onion rolled in Chinese pancake. Shredded pork in garlic and chili sauce is piquant and laced with enough minced garlic to drive off any post-meal conversation. Fried sliced fish in XO sauce is softly flavoured and served with snow peas and straw mushrooms.

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Ho Yuen Kee

8855. Crab dishes here are remarkable: try it fried whole over lotus-leaf-perfumed sticky rice studded with corn and tobiko. Standing room only well into the evening as the latenight menu shifts to lighter small-plate dishes. Deep-fried “silverfish” served with chilies and garlic chips showcase the well-executed wok cooking. Don’t miss the house-specialty dessert of steamed-to-order silken tofu with sweet ginger hot milk.

Hon’s Wun-Tun House $ Various locations. Hons.ca Chainlet of quick,

efficient, budget-conscious Chinese food. Hon’s is known for its potstickers: pork, beef, chicken, or vegetarian served pan-fried, steamed, or in broth. The special vegetarian menu is vast, featuring items such as vegetarian goose (bean curd skin roll) and hearty hot-and-sour soup.

Hon’s are always packed, the kitchen is always in a hurry, but the price is right.

Kalvin’s Szechuan Restaurant $$ 5225 Victoria Dr., Kingsway, 604-321-2888.

Diners have been packing this East Side main-

Kwong Chow Congee Noodle House

Long’s Noodle House

$-$$ 3163 Main St., South Main, 604-876-8520.

$-$$ 4853 Main St., South Main, 604-879-7879.

Serving a happy mix of rustic Shanghainese and Sichuan foods, this little neighbourhood favourite keeps busy throughout the day. Handcrimped steamed pork buns burst with housemade stock. The drunken chicken is served warm, which brings the Chinese rice wine to the fore. The beef pancake roll, light yet chewy, is nicely dressed with hoisin sauce. Sandy, the one front-of-house person, acts as charming hostess, efficient waitress, and speedy busperson, all with amazing, gregarious energy.

The large menu features a slew of Cantonese home-style choices that are a step above usual noodle-house fare. If you’re daring, try chitterlings (deep-fried pork intestines) and spicy duck tongue appetizers. More down to earth is the sweet broth of pork soup, punctuated with the slight bitterness of mustard greens and salted duck egg. The Peking pork chops have a dark vinegar tang, while lean ostrich meat is stir-fried with spicy, briny XO sauce. For a quick meal, the house special chicken congee is well crafted and flavourful.

Ningtu Restaurant Landmark Hot Pot House $$$ 4023 Cambie St., South Cambie, 604-872-

2868. Landmarkhotpothouse.com Hot pot dining hits all the right notes: fresh, easy, and family friendly. What sets Landmark apart is its impeccable seafood and high-quality meats. But topquality ingredients come at a serious price: local geoduck clams—selected for sweetness and ivory purity, and sliced gossamer thin for easy cooking in the hot pots—are a glorious treat at $50 a pound. Dungeness crab, Atlantic lobster, and

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$$ 2130 Kingsway, Kingsway, 604-438-6669.

Nintu.ca Tea-smoked duck balances crispy skin and succulent flesh with a smokiness that underlines rather than overwhelms. Fish fillets are dipped in light nori-flecked batter and deep-fried to a golden crispness; served with a traditional dark vinegar, it’s a fusion take on the English fish fry. A generous dish of preserved vegetables braised with dried bean curd and edamame demonstrates the many ways that soybeans appear in Northern Chinese dishes.

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Peaceful Restaurant $$

Various locations. Peacefulrestaurant.com Authentic cooking, hole-in-the-wall funkiness, and attentive service make their mark here. The menu is extensive but easy to navigate, with an emphasis on Northern Chinese sweetness and spice: beef rolls with tender flaky flat cakes, thinly sliced beef, and a light hoisin dressing are the best in Vancouver. Lamb is stirfried with darkly rounded spicy bean paste and bright with green cilantro; greens are sautéed with malt vinegar and peppercorns for Sichuan A-Choy. Regulars swear by stir-fried potato in spicy vinegar sauce.

Pelican Seafood Restaurant $ 1895 E. Hastings St., East Side, 604-251-3395.

C AT E GORY C H I NNEASE M E H E RE

Pelicanseafood.com Pelican Seafood is a perfect example of the new breed of family restaurants found all over Hong Kong. Dim sum features cleanly wrought flavours and a compelling value proposition: an order of village-style braised duck includes bone-in leg, thigh, and breast for $11.80. Stir-fried sticky rice has a wonderful arborio chew and is mixed with diced shiitake mushrooms and cured meats. The shrimp spring rolls are crisp and fresh. Free-range chicken with ginger sauce is lovely; sautéed lotus root with garlic is an exotic change of pace.

Peninsula Seafood Restaurant $$$-$$$$ 140-650 W. 41st Ave., South Main, 604428-9999. Bandao.ca A showcase for top-flight live B.C. seafood aimed at a seriously moneyed clientele, the stratospheric prices and relentless upselling here can be a bit daunting. But the blessedly shark-fin-free menu is worth exploring for some of the more accessibly priced dishes, and to experience dining in modern China’s Gilded Age. Pettitoes (piglet hocks) are braised in a rich, sticky sauce; mixed prawns and jumbo scallops are perfectly stir-fried and dressed in a surprisingly well-rounded fivegrain sauce. If you feel spendy, the (in)famous three-figure Big Boss fried rice is actually a deal when you factor in the cost of abalone, fish maw, and scallops.

Prince Seafood Restaurant $$-$$$ 2881 Grandview Hwy, East Side, 604-

430-6808. Princeseafoodrestaurant.com Strong value, great cooking, and speedy service keep the lineup steady outside this Chinese family favourite—a cut above many other East Side restaurants and worth a trek across town, especially for dim sum. The midday meal features an excellent mix of small plates. Chow mein with shredded beef and bright pickled vegetables balances savoury and tangy.

Red Star Seafood Restaurant $$-$$$ 8298 Granville St., South Granville, 604261-8389; 2200–8181 Cambie Rd., Richmond, 604-270-3003. Redstarvancouver.com Among high-end Cantonese restaurants, Red Star has a secret weapon: spectacular in-house-roasted meats. Despite rather soggy pancake wraps, the crisply lacquered Peking duck, followed by lettuce wraps, is divine. The roasted suckling pig has a seismically crackling skin and, for an over-the-top experience, can be pre-ordered whole, head and all (minimum two days’ no-

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tice). The dim sum lunch is justifiably popular, with all the classics amply represented.

chef Robert Wong, the bar for Sichuan authenticity has been raised. There’s Peking duck, and the toothpick-speared beef comes buried in a pile of fagara chili peppers. Call ahead for deepSai Woo $-$$ 158 E. Pender St., Chinatown, 604-568-1117. fried lychee fortune chicken: addictive morsels Saiwoo.ca The space that once housed long- of heat, spice, and sweetness. Service is friendly. standing Chinatown institution Sai Woo Chop Suey House has been reborn after extensive renovations as an ultra-modern dining room with serious visual wow factor: high bricks walls, C ON TEM PORARY original fir floors, skylights, and the neighbourWEST C OAST hood’s coolest hideaway bar downstairs. The culinary directive is pan-Asian, but mostly not

in a way you’ve experienced before: duck tacos AnnaLena with maple hoisin, Sichuan cured tuna, pork $$-$$$ 1809 W. First Ave., Kitsilano, 778-379belly braised in fermented red tofu taro purée. 4052. Annalena.ca Chef Michael Robbins (forCocktails are equally inspired, and are well merly of Oakwood Canadian Bistro and Top complemented by affordable items from the Chef Canada) has described his creations here as “bites” menu. Closed Mondays. “modern comfort food,” and this seems to bear out in the playful and welcoming space: a recroom-chic bar, Lego light fixtures, a Darth Vader Shaolin Noodle House $-$$ 656 W. Broadway, South Cambie, 604-873- alarm clock, casual but attentive service. But cast 1618. Shaolinnoodlehouse.com Shalinnoodle your eyes upward and note a crucial detail: high house.com This bare-bones spot serves su- on a shelf are a copy of the Noma cookbook and perior Northern Chinese noodles. Addictive all five volumes of the 2,400-page gastrotech me“cutting noodles,” sliced off mounds of dough, ga-tome Modernist Cuisine. That’s your cue that are fried with meats and vegetables (and lots of dinner will likely be more modern than comfort. garlic). “Pushing” noodles are cut into strands, But rest assured, everything will be excellent. blanched, and served in seafood soup, while Robbins and his kitchen do ingenious things “dragging” noodles are hand-spun and served with proteins and vegetables that are surprising in a clear stock with spiced beef. All arrive but never offputtingly clever. Meanwhile, bar within minutes. A good lunch bet. manager Kevin Brownlee’s stellar cocktails encourage pulling up a stool at the bar after work.

One of 2015’s best new restaurants.

Sunny Spot Cafe $ 2543 Main St. South Main, 604-872-1816. It ‫ ۻ‬ doesn’t get more mom-and-pop than this little Bacchus hole in the wall. The owners started out with a $$$$ 845 Hornby St., Wedgewood Hotel, Downstall at the Richmond Night Market, and they town, 604-608-5319. Wedgewoodhotel.com Dinbring their signature Xi’an sandwiches and ner as channelled through a Henry James novel. hand-pulled noodles to a permanent (albeit Everything here is classic, from the room’s heavy humble) space. Don’t come looking for swank wood décor to the impeccable service to the real surroundings or an extensive menu, but do live chap tickling the ivories. The food rises to come for those aforementioned sandwiches: the occasion: nothing genre-busting, but everybraised pork or marinated beef in house-made thing is exceptionally sourced and prepared, flatbread—the rich, spicy filling and crispy from grilled wild salmon to rack of lamb with shell make for a perfect quick lunch. Boiled rosemary jus. Not the spot for a light dinner, but dumplings have a generous, well-balanced if you’ve just closed a deal or are celebrating a ratio of pork to vegetables. The “biangbiang” 25th anniversary, they have you covered.

Shangxi thick noodles have just the right chew.

Many dishes are available as vegetarian.

Beach Bay Café and Patio $$$ 1193 Denman St., West End, 604-685-7337.

Beachbaycafe.com South Beach meets ScandinaSun Sui Wah Seafood Restaurant $$$ 3888 Main St, South Main, 604-872-8822; via at this breezy successor to the late, beloved 102–4940 No. 3 Rd., Richmond, 604-273-8208. Raincity Grill. Just steps from English Bay beach, This legendary spot was the first to marry the the minimalist room is washed in white and pale bounty of our local waters with Cantonese tech- wood, and offers high-top tables and a heated paniques honed to highlight the inherent sweetness tio to take full advantage of the waterside vista. of live seafood. Local diners keenly anticipate the (These are some of the best seats in town for the annual Alaskan king crab promotion in March— summer fireworks.) The kitchen pays homage to a dining experience that cannot be replicated at its predecessor’s pioneering locavore roots with such a reasonable price. Dim sum is prepared garden-fresh produce, sustainable seafood, and in-house to exacting standards: shrimp har gow grass-fed beef raised on the owner’s ranch. Deare translucent and fresh (the steamed prawn constructed dishes, lightly laced with bold musdumplings are topped with local Dungeness crab tards and tangy vinaigrettes, are haute-healthy meat), and the baked tapioca pudding steams un- nods to modern Nordic cuisine. A wide-ranging wine list also contains lots of B.C. lusciousness. der a crackling crust.

Szechuan Chongqing Seafood Restaurant $$-$$$ 88 W. Pender St., Chinatown, 604-734-

$$$$ 2183 W. Fourth Ave., Kitsilano, 604-738-

Bishop’s

2025. Bishopsonline.com Many of B.C.’s most 1668. Szechuanchongqing.com With the return formidable talents have toiled at this venerof family scion and Hong Kong award-winning able Kitsilano eatery over the past 25 -plus

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years, with several moving on to change the way we dine here (Vikram Vij and Michael Allemeier, to name just two). Owner John Bishop added another to this crowded pantheon with the excellent Ron Shaw, who continues the restaurant’s tradition of using locally sourced ingredients. Service—the province of omnipresent Abel Jacinto—never misses a beat, while the wine list is full of hard-to-find local labels. The menu changes often to reflect what’s in season.

oozes European charm. Secluded, beautifully lit, and resplendent with greenery, it’s one of the prettiest outdoor dining areas in the city. Inside, young oenophiles quaff everything from Old World Spanish wines like Ribera del Duero to Italian negroameros, and snack from compelling small plates against a backdrop of funky artwork.

Main dishes honour the region’s bounty, from local lingcod to cornish game hen from Maple Hills Farm. Bonus points for the secret stairwell that leads down to George Ultra Lounge.

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Blacktail

$$-$$$ 1944 W. Fourth Ave., Kitsilano, 604-732-

1322. Fablekitchen.ca Top Chef notable Trevor Bird packs ’em in with a concise seasonal menu that keeps it real on the price point. While some entrees skirt the $30 mark, the place never feels pricey—just casual, jocular, and relaxed. The wine list is good because it doesn’t overreach, favouring the interesting over the obscure and keeping the mark-up fair. ‫ۻ‬ $$-$$$ 1535 W. Sixth Ave., South Granville, 604-

Farmer’s Apprentice

$$$ 200–332 Water St., Gastown, 604-699-0249.

Burdock & Co.

Blacktail.ca Housed in a cursed location, this formerly modernist temple to Canadian cuisine has been given a new—and exceptionally promising—lease on life. Calgary Top Chef alumnus Geoff Rogers has ditched the previous menu’s mushroom “soil,” “pop rocks” garnishes and other fizzled flights of fancy, and replaced them with his own exacting, classic technique. Newfangled tools are used judiciously: a sous-vide circulator, for example, infuses gently plumped Kusshi oysters with their own briny liquor. Succulent duck breast, meanwhile, is cooked in good old cast iron until its exquisite scored fat is rendered into melting, crispy tenderness. With inventive cocktails, an all-B.C. wine list, and a tighter focus on service, Blacktail deserves another chance.

620-2070. Farmersapprentice.ca Chef David Gunawan’s diminutive dream room has been full at virtually every seating since sweeping three categories (including Restaurant of the Year) in our 2014 Restaurant Awards. Equal parts hole-inthe-wall comfort station and mad scientist’s lair, it pulses with energy as Gunawan and his cooks square-dance around the kitchen, which is so open you almost feel like you’re eating in it. Yes, it’s all farm-to-table, but that earthy sensibility is always refracted through layers of technique and flavour combinations. Menus change frequently to reflect the seasons and chef’s whims, but what you can always expect is to be offered something you’ve never seen before (and posChaise Lounge $$-$$$ 4444 Main St., South Main, 604-874-7114. sibly never will again).

Chaiseonmain.com Seriously funky: mismatched furniture, velvet wallpaper, and a purple couch Five Sails beneath a graffiti-covered wall scream East Side $$$-$$$$ 999 Canada Pl., Downtown, 604-844chic—even before you take the servers’ ward- 2855. Fivesails.ca The panoramic view over Burrobes into account. The crew behind Burgoo has rard Inlet and the North Shore defines this room crafted a menu of comfort classics: try the mac but is by no means its only attraction. In, but no and cheese, and mud pie for dessert. A streetside longer of, the Pan Pacific, Five Sails still exemplifies a bit of the hotel fine-dining conundrum: patio and a fun vibe pack them in. how to appeal to the widest possible range of diners? Proprietor/chef Ernst Dorfler dependEdible Canada $$-$$$ 1596 Johnston St., Granville Island, 604- ably executes a menu that takes few risks, which 682-6681. Ediblecanada.com With the motto means you may never be dazzled but you’ll nev“Sightseeing for your taste buds,” this cel- er be disappointed, either. Service is professionebration of our native cuisines cycles through ally attentive and intuitive. Desserts are almost the regions and seasons with shifting menus as exquisite as the summer sunset. that highlight meats, seafoods, and produce.

From East Coast lobster to Dungeness crab, The Flying Pig with stops along the way for Albertan steak $$$ Various locations. Theflyingpigvan.com With and Peace Country lamb, birch syrup and all a combination of warm bistro cooking, local things bacon, from a loaded duck poutine to ingredients, and a great value proposition, the pepper-candied strips with rye-chocolate dip- Flying Pig has played to packed houses since ping sauce, it’s a crash course in the new way opening in Yaletown. The Gastown location conwe’re eating and—especially—drinking. Smart tinues its winning ways, with a noticeably meatwines at smart prices, all by the glass, trumpet ier edge: red-wine-braised short rib; pork rack the best of the Okanagan, with plenty unusual with pulled-pork poutine, tenderloin in brandy and hard-to-source; beers are a fine overview; peppercorn sauce. Save room for the caramel pie. the ciders will—like the food—give you a new ‫ ۻ‬ reason to love this land.

Forage $$-$$$ 1300 Robson St., West End, 604-661-1400.

Foragevancouver.com A meal at Forage is not just Exile Bistro $$ 1220 Bute St., West End, 604-563-8633, Ex a celebration of the local larder—though there’s ilebistro.com It’s not surprising that the cock- plenty to love in a seasonally changing menu ditail menu at Exile is an inventive one: the cozy vided into sections such as Land, Sea, and Soil.

West End room is owned by Vanessa Bourget, Forage is also a case study for the way forward: former beverage director for Nuba and Heir- this is a hotel restaurant that must serve two meals loom. Here, she remixes the classics with weird per day, seven days a week, to accommodate tourand wonderful ingredients—the NEOgroni ists, yet commits to an ambitious energy-saving incorporates artichoke spirit, while the Green and waste-reduction program, and gives its chef Ceasar trades Clamato for cold-pressed juice. freedom to create intriguing, complex dishes. ImThe mostly vegetarian menu makes the most of pressive indeed. fresh West Coast produce, but options like tender elk steak will satisfy the meat-and-potatoes Grain Tasting Bar crowd, too. Open for brunch on weekends. $$$ 655 Burrard St., Downtown, 604-639-4768.

Bottleneck $$ 870 Granville St., Downtown, 604-739-4540.

Thebottleneck.ca Look carefully and you’ll find this delightful gem tucked in next to the entrance for the Commodore Ballroom. A long, narrow hallway opens on a charming room with high ceilings that give it an open feel, despite the lack of windows. The menu offers a welcome take on pub food with snacks like beet fries, and chorizo meatballs with grilled baguette. Larger plates such as the house burger and skirt steak with fries won’t disappoint, and their Bottleneck Bloody Caesar is a meal in a glass. Keep an eye out for weekly drink specials and theme nights.

Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar

‫ ۻ‬ $$$-$$$$ 845 Burrard St., Downtown, 604-642-

2900. Boulevardvancouver.ca No expense was spared in the creation of the Sutton Place Hotel’s anchor restaurant: the 290-seat dining room is among the most opulent in the city, yet somehow it feels neither too formal nor too selfconsciously modern. Hotel eateries invariably face the challenge of attracting tourists while winning and retaining the loyalty of locals.

The talents of executive chef Alex Chen (who placed in the top 10 at the 2013 Bocuse d’Or) help to ensure it achieves this balancing act, as does a menu that aims to please the many and the few. Impeccably fresh seafood more than justifies a splurge: ahi tuna tartare prepared tableside; just-shucked oysters; a head-turning seafood tower. Be sure to explore Justin Taylor’s signature cocktails and the organic/sustainableminded wine list.

Brix $$-$$$ 1138 Homer St., Yaletown, 604-915-9463.

Brixvancouver.com Access this 1912 heritage building via an enclosed courtyard patio that

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2702 Main St., South Main, 604-879-0077. Bur dockandco.com Chef/owner Andrea Carlson has been well schooled in celebrating our provincial larder (first at Sooke Harbour House and Raincity Grill, but making her mark at Bishop’s, where the kitchen still mourns her loss), and the prettily constructed dishes that emerge from the kitchen are embellished with plenty of regional glory. Menus change seasonally, so recommendations are moot, but you can be sure that whatever comes to your table will delight and surprise. The room is warm and inviting, the service genial, and the food smart if earnest.

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WINE & COCKTAIL BAR

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Grainvbc.com With a few exceptions (Hawksworth and…did we say Hawksworth?), Vancouver has never been much of a hotel restaurant city. And while some chains continue to throw around wheelbarrows of money to lure diners up an escalator to their temple of dining, sometimes the best course is to simply stop trying to be great and settle for good. Grain, in the Hyatt, is never going to contend for Restaurant of the Year, and it’s doubtful that it’s even trying to—but instead it turns a central location overlooking the bustle of Burrard into a casual place with solid food at prices that won’t offend. The menu is heavy on cured meat and small plates and it’s just as ambitious as it should be. The wine list is all B.C. and hotel priced.

Gramercy Grill $$-$$$ 2685 Arbutus St., Kitsilano, 604-730-

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5666. Gramercygrillvancouver.com Dark woods, daffodil-coloured walls, and a streetside patio with flowerboxes make for a cosy environment where friendly servers greet guests by name and the uncomplicated West Coast fare really satisfies. Chef Dennis Huang keeps his regulars happy with progressive takes on comfort classics like the Gramercy seafood bowl, piled high with fresh shellfish. Weekend brunch brings a smoked-salmon scramble with fried capers. ‫ۻ‬ $$$ 801 W. Georgia St., Rosewood Hotel Georgia,

Hawksworth

Downtown, 604-673-7000. Hawksworthrestau rant.com The food is fresh and contemporary, light on butter and cream, long on intelligent proteins. In many dishes, deft Asian notes (sesame, tamarind, miso) only enhance a menu confidently straddling the Pacific. The bar adjacent to the dining room pours magnificent cocktails and offers savvy snacks. The second-floor York Room hosts some of the most exclusive private meals in town. ‫ ۻ‬ $$$ 217 Carrall St., Gastown, 604-568-1701. La-

L’Abattoir

battoir.ca Owners Lee Cooper and Paul Grunberg (both formerly of Jean-Georges’ Market) have a winner with this French-backboned, elegant but entirely unfussy gem that plays host to both the neighbourhood hipsters and the city’s big-money players. Cooper’s menu reads simply, which adds a wow factor to every plate delivery (local, seasonal ingredients are given ingenious treatment, like an elevated take on the classic steak Diane). Seats at the bar are highly prized. Arguably Gastown’s finest.

Lift Bar and Grill $$$ 333 Menchions Mews, Coal Harbour, 604-

689-5438. Liftbarandgrill.com Perched on a quiet pier with superb sunset views of Stanley Park, this nautical room’s wraparound patio and rooftop firepit beg for a slow summer evening to show off Vancouver to out-of-town guests. The menu is widely pleasing, if lacking in surprises.

Opt for a bottle from the near-encyclopedic wine list and a few small plates—mussels, oysters, and some of the maki sushi rolls.

$$$-$$$$ 1115 Alberni St., Downtown, 604-695-

Market by Jean-Georges

1115. Shangri-la.com The extensive Pacific

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Northwest-inspired menu has something for everyone: picky eaters, a celebratory crowd, out-of towners. The salon-like room glitters elegantly and the service is smooth and unobtrusive (befitting the Shangri-La Hotel’s newly minted AAA five-diamond rating); the patio, on the other hand, has an L.A.-meets-South Beach vibe. Try the tuna tartare with its spicy gingerradish dressing, the decadent truffle burger, or any local seafood under the banner “Simply Cooked.” ‫ۻ‬ $$$-$$$$ 2042 W. Fourth Ave., Kitsilano, 604-739-

Mission

2042. Missionkits.ca While there’s no shortage of farm-to-table/nose-to-tail/root-to-stem restaurants in Vancouver, Mission truly stands out from the crowd by delivering the consummate modern fine-dining experience. The simple white-brick room with arched cathedral ceilings is neither too fussy nor too fancy. Affordable tasting menus come in four or six courses, with dainty plating, a special emphasis on vegetarian creations, and all the extras (amuse bouche, palate cleansers, a choice of cheese course or dessert). Natural-wine pairings are transformative yet approachable (not too geeky or musty).

Service is extraordinarily attentive and knowledgeable. Everything is made in-house, from sourdough bread to grilled-apricot-infused gin for well-made cocktails.

669-9030. Vancouverdine.com This massive, nautical-themed restaurant with sweeping views of False Creek might be touristy, but it has items of note. Wok squid, lightly battered and peppered with chili, garlic, and shallots, remains a crowd favourite, and the sushi chefs’ numerous creations are pleasingly fresh.

Seasons in the Park $$$ Queen Elizabeth Park, Cambie St. and W. 33rd Ave., South Cambie, 604-874-8008. Vancouver dine.com/seasons It perches on the highest point in Vancouver (168 metres above sea level), so of course the views are outstanding. But Seasons in the Park has been working to be more than just a handy stop for impressible relatives en route to YVR. Renovations have upped the room’s game, especially in the wine bar. The menu has also moved to include lower-priced, more casual fare (pizzas, burgers). But because we love glam nightscape views and bargain savings, we’re especially partial to the Sunday night prime rib deal.

Shaughnessy Restaurant $$ 5251 Oak St., South Cambie, 604-261-0011.

Shaughnessyrestaurant.com Set in VanDusen Gardens, this restaurant is a pretty step back in time. Chef Sean Sloan’s menu caters to the tea-and-lemon-tart set, but is well executed.

Salads are kale caesar and Greek, appetizers include crab-and-shrimp cakes, and daily soups feature seafood chowder. For mains, things are a Oru at Fairmont Pacific Rim $$-$$$ 1038 Canada Pl., Downtown, 604-695- little more interesting; try pan-roasted Lois Lake 5500. Orucuisine.com This hotel dining room steelhead with scallops. Fifty-five acres of tended is one of the prettiest in town—its all-white gardens await you post-prandially. palette lends drama and pomp to a meal. The ‫ۻ‬ menu flits about the Pacific Rim, but the focus Tableau is local, sustainable seafood. The prices are not $$-$$$ 1181 Melville St., Downtown, 604-639cheap, but quite reasonable given the setting 8692. Tableaubarbistro.com A back-to-basics and the lovely service. An excellent sake menu neighbourhood bistro. The 70-seat dining room and a well-chosen (if expensive) wine list cover features classic French brasserie elements like everything the deep-pocketed could want to warm woods, polished brass, and leather banimbibe. The Lobby Lounge Terrace features an quettes to complement chef Marc-André Choelegant raw bar offering seafood towers, sushi quette’s menu. French onion soup with a cloverolls, and sashimi bowls. scented broth oozes gooey gruyère, and a rabbit terrine enrobed in apple compote is a Gallic ‫ ۻ‬ gem. The approachable wine list is full of midPacific Institute of Culinary Arts $$ 1505 W. Second Ave., Granville Island, 604- range buys, and the inviting bar is worth a stop 695-5500. Picachef.com A for effort. PICA is ad- before heading into the dining room. junct to a culinary school and offers the hook of catching the next Rob Feenies on their way Teahouse in Stanley Park up—your food is prepared and served by the in- $$$ Ferguson Point, Stanley Park Dr., West End, stitute’s students under the watchful care of chef 604-669-3281. Vancouverdine.com After its ill-fatJulian Bond. The result blends genius with the ed run as the Sequioa Grill, the Teahouse returns mundane. Lunch and dinner are best enjoyed in to its roots with the new-old incarnation helmed three-course prix fixe mode, with prices nicely by chef Alan Tse. Here he works with killer views, in step with the apprentice atmosphere. The a steady clientele, and an expansive vegetable menu changes weekly. garden that means the rosemary on your striploin travelled about eight feet to get to your table. The wine list is well priced.

The Refinery $$ 1115 Granville St., Downtown, 604-687-8001.

Therefineryvancouver.com This 75-seat lounge Trafalgars Bistro upstairs from Sip offers build-your-own plates $$-$$$ 2603 W. 16th Ave., Kitsilano, 604-739of cheese and charcuterie, small and large tapas 0555. Trafalgars.com The set design—forestthat are equally suited to sharing, and an exten- green awnings, butter-coloured walls, oak sive cocktail list. A stylish crowd roars late into woodwork—is picturesque. At brunch you’ll the night, but this is grown-up fun that rises find hip mommies, old friends, and neighbourabove Granville riff-raff. hood denizens nibbling modern bistro fare: poached eggs with hollandaise and house-cured ham, a juicy lamb burger with aged cheddar and The Sandbar $$-$$$ 1535 Johnston St., Granville Island, 604- red onion jam. At dinner, sides like bistro fries

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TUNA TATAKI seared ocean wise™ albacore, papaya slaw, pine nuts, yuzu vinaigrette, micro cilantro.

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with parmesan and truffle oil and entrées like ling cod and Yarrow Meadows duck breast show the same careful flourishes. A four-page dessert menu—courtesy of the restaurateurs’ next-door bakery, Sweet Obsession—does the same skip between refined elegance (light, creamy lemon dacquoise) and dishy comfort (decadent chocolate hedgehog cake).

Twisted Fork Bistro $$ 1147 Granville St., Downtown, 604-568-0749.

C ON T E M P ORA RY WE ST C OA ST

Twistedforkbistro.ca This hospitable haven has high wood ceilings, warm red and yellow walls, and a very open kitchen. Service is attentive but breezy, and the menu favours affordable West Coast dishes with a B.C.-only wine list. Twisted Fork’s owners, who ran The Wood in Fernie, admit a fondness for cream and butter. Start with duck breast. Move on to mussels steamed in a herbed cream broth that begs to be sopped up using the accompanying fries. Richly sauced and seasonal mains are all around $20. Desserts alone justify a trip.

$$$-$$$$ 2881 Granville St., South Granville,

West

604-738-8938. Westrestaurant.com. The former honcho at C and Diva at the Met, Quang Dang— who once trained under chef David Hawksworth at West—returns this elegant room to prime form. Salmon, sablefish, and tuna are always a nice choice; crispy duck salad is a delcious way to start. The duo of Fraser Valley pork with pappardelle is outstanding. The wine list, as at all Toptable restaurants, is impressive, if light on inexpensive choices. Impeccable desserts from Rhonda Viani, polished service, and an Elements menu which let’s you temper Sabrine Dhaliwal’s excellent cocktails with small plates from chef Dang’s kitchen, mean West is also excellent for a quick pre-theatre stop. ‫ۻ‬ $$-$$$ 120 W. Hastings St., Gastown, 604-687-

Wildebeest

6880. Wildebeest.ca The tall, dark, and handsome space has the requisite salvaged-heritage touches (reclaimed wood, vintage tiles) that befit a Gastown resto (the light fixtures make clever use of curtain pulleys rescued from the Pantages Theatre). The menu is “meat-centric, off-cut farmhouse fare,” which translates to small plates of puffed-up pork cracking dusted with spicy salt and large meaty plates like Angus striploin with hay-infused jus. Excellent cocktail program under co-owner Josh Pape. Brunch on weekends.

D I N ER Acme Café $ 51 W. Hastings St., Gastown, 604-569-1022.

Acmecafe.ca This gloriously bright and highceilinged Art Deco space in the renovated Paris Block building instantly became the Downtown Eastside’s best draw for those seeking highquality, honest-to-goodness comfort food. Musthaves include the meatloaf sandwich, which is smeared with gravy, and also the flaky-crusted chicken pot pie, to be washed down with an extra-thick vanilla milkshake (note that the

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soothing powers of their apple pies can’t be over- for its signature submarine sandwiches. Owner stated). Breakfasts are satisfactory, but the café John maintains a steady stream of patter while shines best at lunch. keeping the coffee cups full for his colourful cast of endearing regulars that include city workers, local families, and commuting suburbanites.

Argo Café $ 1836 Ontario St., South Main, 604-876-3620.

Argocafe.ca Vancouver has plenty of homages The Elbow Room to 1950s lunch counters, but the Argo is the real $ 560 Davie St., Yaletown, 604-685-3628. Theel deal. Half a century of diners’ elbows have worn bowroomcafe.com Expect to be taunted mervisible marks into the café’s lime-green arborite cilessly by sardonic servers for such grievous countertop. The stools, booths, and other décor infractions as ordering incorrectly or not obhave changed little. The menu definitely has. serving The Rules, featured prominently above Breakfasts are as expected (egg dishes, flapjacks), the entrance. Famous Elbow Room pancakes as are lunch staples like burgers and a clubhouse. are available in either six- or 12-inch diameter.

But things get interesting with daily specials— Those unable to finish those whopping breakeverything from curries to Cajun snapper. fasts will incur the server’s playful wrath. (And if you don’t finish your food, a donation will be collected to go to the charity A Loving SpoonBon’s Off Broadway $ 2451 Nanaimo St., East Side, 604-253-7242. ful.)

This East Van institution—with its bat‫ ۻ‬ tered booths, frayed carpets, and poster- Jethro’s Fine Grub plastered yellow walls—is always full, serv- $$ 3420 Dunbar St., Point Grey, 604-569-3441; ing its famous all-day breakfast for less than 3455 Fraser St., South Main, 604-620-5292. Je you’ll find in your couch cushions. Just $2.95 throsfinegrub.com At this out-of-the-way diner (the same price for 25 years) gets you a heap- on Vancouver’s underserved West Side (and in ing helping of eggs, sausage, hash browns, and the burgeoning South Fraser ’hood), be pretoast, plus a front-row seat to serious people- pared for three things: (1) Lineups—cheap watching—from Bon’s motley crew of servers food plus two-dozen seats only works out scurrying to handle the overflow to bleary-eyed one way; (2) Regret—those mountainous bapatrons eating themselves out of a hangover. nana pancakes stuffed with caramel, pecans, and streusel are delicious…for the first half; (3) Photographs—ordering from affably noThe Cannibal Café $ 1818 Commercial Dr., Commercial Drive, 604- nonsense owner Emily-Jane Stuart, and then 558-4199. Cannibalcafe.ca Its very name seems receiving your Southern-tastic chicken-fried to be a taunt directed toward the Drive’s virtu- steak with gravy, hash browns, and toast sends ous vegan heritage, while inside, happy patrons everyone reaching for the iPhone. unhinge their jaws to devour outsize burgers that are an unashamed tribute to gluttony. But look Moderne Burger closer: this is no run-of-the-mill diner. The beef $ 2507 W. Broadway, Kitsilano, 604-739-0005. is organic and grass-fed, and toppings run the ModerneBurger.com This much-loved Kits diner gamut from sriracha-scallion mayo to avocado is a minimalist ’40s and ’50s wonder to behold, to kimchi. Abide by tradition and plump for with mint, stainless steel, and creams flashing the American Classic with namesake processed with chrome and deco motifs. The 100 percent cheese, or be daring and order a Bacon Bad (the additive- and preservative-free beef burgers are patty is stuffed with cheddar and, yes, bacon). An the main draw, with soft buns, unseasoned patexcellent veggie burger confirms inclusiveness. ties made fresh throughout the day, and house Whatever you choose, be sure to make room for sauce. A little pricey for a burger joint, but you a side of stellar parmesan-dusted onion rings. get what you pay for. Milkshakes, sodas, and Plenty of inexpensive beers on tap. malts are the real deal. Potatoes are farm fresh and hand-cut minutes after you order your fries. ‫ ۻ‬ $ 101 Main St., Gastown, 604-684-1555; 3189

Deacon’s Corner

W. Broadway, Kitsilano, 778-379-3727. Deaconscorner.ca Diner classics in mammoth portions at cheap and cheerful prices—Deacon’s Corner has all that and more, but the real reason to roll in on a weekend morning is for the buttermilk pancakes. They ladle ’em out big, stack ’em high, and throw on a side of bacon, sausage, or ham. Breakfast not your thing? Perch on a classic chrome-ring barstool and tuck into mac ’n’ cheese or a hefty garden burger.

Dockers Family Restaurant $ 6094 Fraser St., South Vancouver, 604-3276713. Mammoth portions at minuscule prices have made this engaging greasy spoon a local favourite. (Dockers as we know it has been open since 2004; the restaurant space has been there since 1959.) Heaping helpings of breakfast are served all day, with a rotating special that is rarely over 10 bucks, and folks flock from all over

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Paul’s Place Omelettery $$ 2211 Granville St., South Granville, 604-7372857. Paulsomelettery.com This worn-aroundthe-edges neighbourhood spot does brisk business specializing in the most important meal.

Signature omelettes are paper thin, stuffed with inventive goodies (order from the menu or create your own), and the coffee is strong and plentiful.

All the generous breakfast fare is under $10—except the Lumberjack, which is served by forklift—and lunch brings a solid selection of soups, burgers, and sandwiches. Paul’s is licensed, just in case your morning meal requires a little hair of the dog. Expect long lineups on the weekend.

The Red Wagon $$ 2296 E. Hastings St., East Side, 604-568-

4565. Redwagoncafe.com Owner Brad Miller has breathed new life into this little diner while remaining true to the neighbourhood ethos that demands real, approachable food. The Reuben

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Open 7 days a week 8am-5pm 2409 Marine Drive West Vancouver BC V7V 1L3 temperpastry.com @temperpastry

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sandwich is a stunner: succulent, thin slices of housemade corned beef between slices of toasted and buttered rye, topped with sauerkraut and a generous dollop of Thousand Island dressing.

Housemade potato chips and pickle spears are the friendly accompaniments. Breakfast is served seven days a week, with the added allure of pulled-pork pancakes, stacked three high and drizzled with Jack Daniels-infused maple syrup. ‫ ۻ‬ $ 43 W. Hastings St., East Side, 604-569-3568.

Save On Meats

steak sandwich. In other words: this place is go- kangkong (sautéed water spinach with chunks ing nowhere fast, and we should all be thankful. of roast suckling pig). Neophytes seeking an easy introduction should opt for value combinations featuring barbecued chicken or pork skewers and chicken adobo.

FILIPIN O

‫ ۻ‬ $ 5179 Joyce St., Kingsway, 604-435-4508. Busi-

Cucina Manila

ness is brisk; cooking is homey; flavours are full, bold, and authentic. Counter staff ably guide you through the myriad dishes (there’s no printed menu), and food comes cafeteria-style.

Best spooned over rice, monggo is a warm, comforting mix of mung beans, shrimp, tomatoes, tofu, coconut milk, and a sizable presence of garlic. Tortang talong is an eggplant omelette with seasoned ground beef, and bistek is onions sautéed with strips of flank steak tart from a soycalamansi marinade. Longganisa, laden with nuggets of porcine goodness, are thumb-sized sausages that are sweet, sticky, and spicy.

DI N E R

Saveonmeats.ca A 50-year legend on a sketchy stretch of Hastings was reborn under the banner of restaurateur Mark Brand’s Gastown empire.

The address is split between a well-stocked and efficiently serviced butcher/fishmonger on one side and a licensed diner/lunch counter on the other. Both provide great bang for every buck.

Green leather-wrapped booths and bar stools give the latter an aged patina helped along by wooden table and bar tops, old vending machines, and original brick throughout. For edibles, stay close to the club sandwiches, Reubens, Goldilocks burgers, shakes, banana splits, and cold beers. $ 2833 Main St., 604-876-2464. Goldilocks.ca One of only two Canadian outlets for this chain

of popular bake shops from the Philippines (the The Templeton $ 1087 Granville Street, Downtown, 604-685- other recently relocated to Burnaby), Goldi4612. Thetempleton.ca Assertively charming locks is known for fanciful towering cakes and service, delicious, heaping portions, pocket- baked sweets. But it also offers Filipino fare, friendly prices, and local, organic ingredients packaged for convenient grab-and-go meals. make this one of Vancouver’s premier retro Expat favourites include skewers of sweet bardiners. The BBB burger is done properly: the becued chicken or pork and fresh lum pia, an kitchen isn’t afraid to show a little pink in the egg-crepe wrap of vegetables, hearts of palm, organic ground beef, and it’s served with your and tofu all drizzled with a tangy garlic sauce. choice of chunky fries, soup, salad, or garlic mashed potatoes. Six-dollar shakes are big Josephine’s enough to share. $-$$ 2650 Main St., South Main, 604-876-8785.

There’s often a lineup during prime time at this popular cafeteria-style Filipino restaurant, and The Wallflower $-$$ 2420 Main St., South Main, 604-568-7554. for good reason: Josephine’s budget-conscious Thewallflowermoderndiner.com Unashamedly combination plate is a remarkable bargain. For aiming to appeal to as wide an array of cus- $8.25, you get a palate-awakening bowl of sinitomers as possible, the Wallflower has carved gang na baka (short-rib soup with tomato and out a successful niche in this fiercely competi- onion base) and rice, together with two entrées tive ’hood by offering a menu that’s positively of your choice. Try the lechon paksiw, a sweet diner-like in its sprawling diversity, but better and sour stew of roasted pork slow-simmered in than your average diner. Salads, wraps, burg- vinegar, soy, and lechon sauce. ers, mac ’n’ cheese, fried chicken—it’s all here.

Plus there’s a full vegan menu, gluten-free op- Max’s Restaurant tions, and brunch is served until 4 p.m. every $-$$ 3546 Kingsway, Kingsway, 604-435-3505. day. Extended hours ensure late-night cravings Maxschicken.com The popular restaurant chain don’t go unfulfilled. started out by serving food to American occupation troops just after World War II. Signa ture dish: fried chicken, not battered but well Yolk’s Restaurant & Commissary $ 1298 E. Hastings St., East Side, 604-428-9655. seasoned and typically more dry than its North Yolks.ca Yolk’s—like Tacofino and Re-Up BBQ American counterpart. Other traditional favoubefore it—proves that food trucks can have a rites include fresh lumpiang ubod (julienned second act: kitchens with a strong concept, a heart of palm, pork, shrimp, and crab meat smart chef, good ingredients, and reasonable wrapped in an egg crepe, served with sweet prices don’t need fixed plumbing to succeed, garlic sauce). Garlic rice is a must, as is a masbut they can settle down to solid success. The sive bowl of halo halo (shaved ice topped with baby blue trucks delivering Steve Ewing’s (ex- a mountain of Filipino fruit, sweet beans, ube Raincity Grill) ham- and portobello-heavy eggs ice cream, and rice crisps) to share for dessert.

Benny at the Chinatown SkyTrain stop and myriad farmers markets have lured fans back to Pinpin Restaurant HQ: the former Brave Bull steakhouse at Clark $ 6113 Fraser St., South Main, 604-322-3086. and East Hastings, where their poached-egg Pinpinrestaurant.com Communal tables are sandwiches and truffly hash browns are perk- packed during midday and evening rush as ing up a derelict corner. Weekend lineups are Filipino expats tuck into sotanghon (a bowl of epic; and the mobile menu is complemented by bean-thread noodles, chicken, and vegetables endless diner coffee and specials like a rib-eye in clear, well-seasoned broth) and ginisang

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FREN C H ‫ ۻ‬ $$-$$$ 2278 W. Fourth Ave., 604-569-2278.

Au Comptoir

Aucomptoir.ca Au Comptoir isn’t like a Parisian bistro; it is one, channelling the spirit of the City of Light unlike any other restaurant in the city. (Owners Maxime Bettili and Julien Aubin met in France at the start of their culinary training.) The food perfectly matches the ambiance—these are refined plates, but very approachable. Bistro warhorses like moules frites, herb-crusted rack of lamb, and grilled ribeye with Béarnaise justify becoming a regular, while at breakfast or lunch you can spoil yourself with a croque monsieur (or madame) sandwich, or pick a pastry from the carousel display case. Service is non-Parisian friendly and the napkins are of the paper variety, so come as you are, settle in, and order a second glass of Bordeaux.

Bistro Pastis $$$ 2153 W. Fourth Ave., Kitsilano, 604-731-5020.

Bistropastis.com In summertime the bistro is open to the sidewalk; in winter guests cosy around the fireplace, and Parisian owner John Blakeley plus the buzzy room’s artfully canted mirrors keep things Right Bank chic rather than Left Bank casual. Sip Ricard while you mull over the menu of elegant comfort food.

Try the housemade mushroom and goat cheese tart, and the steak frites with peppercorn sauce (or béarnaise, if you prefer). Daily specials are a reliable pick. ‫ۻ‬ $$ 1869 Powell St., East Side, 604-251-4070. Bis

Bistro Wagon Rouge

trowagonrouge.com Chef/owner Brad Miller’s inviting bistro feels grounded in local history rather than the illusion of Paris so many French restaurants attempt. The kitchen executes a menu anchored in blue-collar classics with vigour and sophistication. Attention is lavished on even the simplest dishes. Specials may be succulent grilled mackerel brightened with a sharp salsa verde, lovely little rice and escargot croquettes, or white-wine moules frites with epically crispy fries. Desserts are equally satisfying. The wine list delivers full French flavours at terrific value.

French Table $$ 3916 Main St., South Main, 604-689-3237.

Thefrenchtable.ca The evolution of Main Street takes a nice turn away from hip with this room, which serves classic bistro fare (escargots, onion soup, steak frites, duck confit cassoulet), reasonably priced, in a space that’s relaxed and commodious. The wine list is especially enticing if you love Burgundy. Proprietor Hervé Martin, who has serious French pedigree, runs front of house and is happy to explain exactly how they cook the coq au vin or to demonstrate the durability of the lovely Bopla! china

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LUIS VALDIZON

Mission // pg.24

he brought with him from The Hermitage. A runny yolks (the culinary money shot). Each bistro that’s the real deal, and just what this component on a dish of slow-cooked pork belly was sharply executed and coalesced into part of town needed. a greater, homier whole. (Open for dinner ‫ۻ‬ Wednesday to Saturday; brunch on weekends.)

Jules $$-$$$ 216 Abbott St., Gastown, 604-669-0033.

Julesbistro.ca Emmanuel Joinville’s remarkable La Cigale little spot in Gastown hits all the right notes, $$-$$$ 1961W. Fourth Ave., Kitsilano, 604-732conjuring hearty, unpretentious French bistro 0004. Lacigalebistro.ca How you feel about La fare in a room transported straight from Le Cigale will depend on how enchanted you are Marais. Start with the sizeable terrine de cam- by charm. There’s a portable chalkboard with pagne with grape chutney before moving to the the daily specials—en français, naturally. The palate-fondling beef tenderloin in a red wine waiters have that casual Montparnasse charm, sauce, or the duck confit with frisée salad. Fin- and tap water in an old-timey carafe is served ish with a vanilla bean crème brûlée. A daily without a spiel about its origin. The truth is three-course prix fixe (salad or soup; steak, Cigale may be the most authentic of the city’s salmon, or mussels with frites; and chocolate bistros: the menu is all French save for when terrine) for $29 makes this room as affordable it’s Algerian-French, and the dishes are well as it is authentic. executed if under-seasoned. The wine list is likewise all French, and it’s a hair overpriced— especially for a bistro—but there are bargains Kessel & March $$ 109–1701 Powell St., East Side, 604-874- lurking.

1196. Kesselandmarch.com One wouldn’t ex‫ۻ‬ pect a chef with Tony Marzo’s resumé (includ- Le Crocodile ing stints at Michelin-starred restaurants in $$$-$$$$ 909 Burrard St. (entrance on Smithe), London) to open an eatery along a seriously Downtown, 604-669-4298. Lecrocodilerestau industrial stretch of East Van. But in many rant.com A chef’s chef, modest Alsatian Michel ways, the location reflects his deeply honest Jacob consistently draws fans (and not just from cooking. Chicken liver paté has a satiny rich- Vancouver) to his sunny, yellow-walled room. ness that reveals sharp technique, and is served Food displays the consistency that marks a great with marmalade to deepen its savoury gami- restaurant, seen in not just the signature onion ness. Sardines and salad cream on toast has a tart and tomato-and-gin soup but also those lovely sharpness to balance against richness. glorious prawns with pasta, and grilled quail A brunch dish of chorizo hash features grilled with pan-seared duck foie gras. Think modern summer corn and poached eggs with radiantly French freshness with a thoroughly Gallic use

2016

of cream—and that applies to the service, too.

As in France, plats du jour are always a good bet.

Left Bank $$ 751 Denman St., West End, 604-687-1418. Left

bankvancouver.com The makeover of this longstanding Denman Street bistro (formerly home to Café de Paris and Le Parisien) is just what the neighbourhood ordered. Much more casual now—with window-hugging counters and stools for people-watching, and a snug lane-side covered patio—it’s an inviting atmosphere for dining and sipping. Expect café essentials with curveball spicing and creatively modern plating from chef Spencer Watts. Steak frites with Szechuan peppercorn sauce is solid; duck confit is moist and deeply flavourful with its twist of five-spice tempura. Finish with chocolate tort with tangerine crème anglaise. Delightful beer selections and a compact, value-priced wine list round things out. Brunch on weekends. ‫ۻ‬ $$ 663 E. 15th Ave., Kingsway, 604-873-9733.

Les Faux Bourgeois

Lesfauxbourgeois.com The room is a delightfully unpolished gem devoid of tablecloths, linen napkins, or uniformed wait staff that offers budget-friendly bistro classics that appeal to our most base desires. Daily blackboard features supplement a fetching menu that rarely exceeds the $20 mark. Oenophiles masquerading as servers maintain a spirited atmosphere. ‫ۻ‬ $$-$$$ 3369 Cambie St., South Cambie, 604-873-

Pied-à-Terre

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3131. Pied-a-terre-bistro.ca Andrey Durbach (along with business partner Chris Stewart) has quietly cornered the mid-range market, consistently filling his tucked-away neighbourhood rooms, even midweek. Pied-à-Terre is a 34-seat modern French bistro whose name is a nod to its bijoux dimensions. The food, however, is on a grand scale. All the classics are here; start with Durbach’s famous, decadent foie gras parfait before moving on to crisp roast cornish hen.

Provence Marinaside

Hartmann also hails from Germany, where his own restaurant earned him a coveted Michelin star. His is classical European fare, executed to perfection. Sauces lead the plates, and are rich and deeply savoury; broths are aromatic and intense. It’s priced at the city’s high end, but this is serious cooking. Wine pairings are also topnotch. Cocktails are inventive and playful, and bar snacks offer a gentle entry into the Bauhaus experience. Lunch is great value. The room has been spruced up beautifully, and manages a cool, modern vibe without any sense of stuffiness.

$$$ 1177 Marinaside Cres., Yaletown, 604-681-

C AT E GORY F RE N A CM H E H E RE

4144. Provencevancouver.com Find one of the best breakfasts in town here: strong press coffee, flaky croissants, and (yes) the greatest French toast we’ve ever tasted. The big room expedites a long menu, for the most part expertly and with a Gallic touch. Huge seafood and chilled shellfish menus dominate, but rack of lamb and AAA beef tenderloin with frites easily satisfy those wishing to remain on land. And the people-watching from the expansive patio is second to none—observe the beautiful Yaletowners (and their little dogs, too) in their natural environment.

Provence Mediterranean Grill $$$ 4473 W. 10th Ave., Point Grey, 604-222-1980.

Provencevancouver.com Locals pack this Point Grey locale, golden as Charentais melons, that offers haute cuisine without the prices or pretense. The afternoon Grand Thé is a treat; at dinner it’s hard to move beyond those intensely flavoured antipasti (but do, and try the prawn Provençal). The lemon tart is a city classic. Chef Essex Balce extracts every ounce of flavour from fresh, simple ingredients and bright-green olive oils. Brunch is one of the best in the city, and good weather has people flocking to the pretty garden patio. ‫ ۻ‬ $-$$ 1551 W. Seventh Ave., South Granville, 604-

Salade de Fruits Café Bistro

714-5987. Saladedefruits.com Don’t let the humble French Cultural Centre setting dissuade you. The rich scents of brothed mussels and proper shoestring frites jet you instantly to the Boulevard St. Germain and, aided by the unobtrusive service and no-fuss house wine list, time slows wa-a-a-y down. The grilled steaks are no-fail and the daily six-inch pizza showcases seasonal ingredients cooked with the patience only a maman could have. Atmosphere comes to twinkling life at night, with weekly specials like Cajun tuna, grilled quail, duck leg confit, and porterhouse steak. Note: cash only, closed Sundays and Mondays.

G E RM AN Bauhaus

$$$$ 1 W. Cordova St. Gastown, 604-974-1147.

Bauhaus-restaurant.com Housed in the original location of the much-missed Boneta, Bauhaus opened in spring 2015 amid much fanfare, largely due to the eccentricities of its owner, German B-movie director Uwe Boll. More notable, however, is the chap manning the stoves: chef Stefan

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Maria’s Taverna $$ 2324 W. Fourth Ave., Kitsilano, 604-731-

4722. Mariastaverna.ca Maria’s Taverna is the most classic version of the city’s Greek eateries—the menu features the usual superfluous baked pasta and pizza options (ah, the Greek classics), the red wine is always served way too warm, and everybody seems to be enjoying themselves regardless. Basics such as chicken souvlaki and saganaki are better than the competition, and the Cornish game hen is terrific.

Saloniki Green Taverna

Bestie $ 105 E. Pender St., Chinatown, 604-620-1175.

$$-$$$ 1815 Commercial Dr., Commercial Drive, 604-254-2533. Salonikitaverna.com This raucous and roiling Greek taverna drives locals back for its authentic cuisine, live entertainment, and even livelier patio. Housemade moussaka and two different types of calamari are sought-after signatures, and the whopping two-course feasts would satisfy Dionysus himself. Throw in live music every weekend and a sizable martini list, and you’ve got the makings for a night of Olympic-sized fun.

Bestie.ca Ah, zee Germans. They love their fancy eyewear and teutonicaly designed bank vaults on wheels, but when they want to unbutton their tightly fitting jackets, what do they eat? Currywurst: a mash-up of sausage and curry and sauce and fries. It’s delicious and cheap and, thankfully, Bestie has faithfully imported it here, using artisanal sausage (pork, turkey, bison), tossing in small but excellent beer and wine selections, and keeping true to the relaxed concept. The Gastown ethos may be easy to Stepho’s Souvlaki Greek Taverna mock, but when the freewheelin’ vibe works, as $-$$ 1124 Davie St., West End, 604-683-2555; it does here, it makes for a great place.

1359 Robson St., Downtown, 604-685-9977.

Long lineups appear daily at the Davie Street location for plates piled high. There’s nothing all that redeeming about the burn ’n’ turn food or service here—it’s a cheap-eats-and-volume GREEK thing. The menu covers the usual suspects, such as spanakopita; calamari; lamb, chicken, beef, Apollonia $$ 1830 Fir St., Granville Island, 604-736-9559. and prawn souvlaki; and roast lamb.

Apolloniagreekrestaurant.com Among the area’s ‫ ۻ‬ very few off-Granville Island dining options is a Takis’ Taverna sweet Greek restaurant as serene as the Mediter- $ 1106 Davie St., West End, 604-682-1336. ranean vistas on the wall. No surprises on the Takistaverna.com A West End staple where the menu, but the souvlaki has a nice charred smo- staff are friendly and welcoming. Outstanding kiness, and the lamb (slow-roasted shoulder) is fried haloumi cheese or afelia (pan-fried lean flavourful. Hearty moussaka sees silky bécha- pork in a red wine sauce with hints of coriander mel, fragrant meat, eggplant, and zucchini lay- and garlic) are perfect for sharing with hummus ers in a thin-sliced potato shell. Locals take out and tzatziki. Traditional souvlaki or kleftiko the thick, crisp pizzas. Closed Mondays. (roast lamb) will satisfy meat lovers; vegetarians will enjoy the fresh spinach pie or the vegetarian moussaka.

Athene’s $$ 3618 W. Broadway, Kitsilano, 604-731-4135.

Athene’s is smack in the heart of Broadway’s Hellenic district and the food is solid, which means that in addition to such gems as arni psito (slowIN DIAN roasted lamb shoulder) and kalamaris skaras (marinated, charbroiled squid), there is the Akbar’s Own requisite baked lasagne and 16 different pizza $$ 1905 W. Broadway, Kitsilano, 604-736-8180. selections. Stick with the traditional items and Akbarsown.com A restrained classical Indian you’ll do just fine. eatery located on a quiet stretch of the Broadway corridor. This is a restaurant that is largely ‫ ۻ‬ defined by what it isn’t—no fresh nouvelle apThe Greek by Anatoli $$-$$$ 1043 Mainland St., Yaletown, 604-979- proach like Vij’s or Rangoli, nor does it have 0700. Thegreekbyanatoli.com If the North the timeless style and presentation of MauShore’s Anatoli Souvlaki is the godfather of clas- rya. What it does have is a solid approach to sic taverna Greek cuisine in Vancouver, this is traditional Mughlai and Kashmiri specialties his party-hardy, bad-boy love child. When the like calamari pakora lightly fried, and reliable club music is ramped up on weekends, shots of standby butter chicken. The dishes are well exfrozen ouzo go down (far too) easily. Surpris- ecuted and the service professional. ingly, the nightclub atmosphere doesn’t detract from unusually bright and fresh country cook- All India Sweets and Restaurant ing, from mainstays such as souvlaki and mou- $ 6507 Main St., South Main, 604-327-0891 Find sakka to surprises like bacon-wrapped lamb tables overflowing with neon Indian sweets “popsicles.” Light tapas dishes and family-style up front and buffet steam tables at the back. roasts are ideal for sharing with all the new Try the hyper-sweet gulab jamun: pastry balls friends you’ll make. made of powdered milk that are deep-fried and

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CELEBR ATE SIMPLY beautiful FOOD

with local and seasonal ingredients 68 East Cordova Street Vancouver BC • 604 669 6985 N IC L ISN E X T D O OR .C OM

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Sai Woo // pg.20

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dipped in honey syrup. Skip the buffet and order savoury items à la carte. Indo-Canadian families take a break from browsing the nearby sari shops to load up on snacks of samosas with chutney and chickpea curry. ‫ۻ‬ $$ 147 E. Broadway, South Main, 604-872-2228.

Chutney Villa

$$ 1157 Davie St., West End, 604-684-6342. In

diabistro.ca Pillowed booths, soft lighting from jewelled lanterns, and an authentic taste of India make this casual and popular Davie Street bistro a gem. India-born owner Kamal Mroke offers a varied menu of meat, seafood, and vegetarian selections that are both accessible and affordable. The lamb methi with fenugreek and garlic curry is sublime, as is Mroke’s housemade naan.

Jolly’s Indian Bistro

flower and potato pakoras with spinach channa daal share nicely, but you’ll want to keep the lamb in cumin and light cream curry all to yourself. Take home an assortment of Vij’s unique curries and prepackaged meals, available in convenient to-go formats. ‫ ۻ‬ $-$$ 955 W. Broadway, South Granville, 604-

Sargam House

732-7700. Sargamhouse.com Here’s a strictly vegetarian South Indian room that we happily recommend to even staunchly carnivorous friends. The menu at the Vancouver outpost (it’s an international chain) has upward of 80 items, so look to the friendly staff to guide you. Or just go for one of the chef’s special dosas, like the two-foot-long paper masala, a crispy-thin rice and lentil crepe filled with spiced potato and onion, lathered in ghee, accompanied by three chutneys (coconut, chili mint, and fennel-dotted tomato), and a bowl of lentil soup.

$ 2928 W. Fourth Ave, Kitsilano, 604-734-9110.

Jollysindianbistro.com Owner Jolly Kumar serves dhabas (street café)-style dishes that are inspired by his Northern Indian upbringing.

Start things off with the aloo ki tikki (potato patties served with chutney) or crispy coconut-coated prawns. All main dishes come with Copper Chimney 567 Hornby St., Downtown, 604-689-8862. Cop naan bread (a Frisbee-sized portion), rice, and perchimney.ca Downtown is the perfect place to salad with tangy mango dressing; choose from get a steak, but good tandoori? Not so much— 12 different curries. Over half of the menu Shanti’s Curries which is why this baroque explosion of a room, items are veg or vegan. $ 4191 Main St., South Main, 604-568-7699. tucked into the discreet Hotel Le Soleil, is such Shantiscurries.com With its crisp design and a find. Technically it’s an Indian fusion room, Maurya concise menu, this Southern Indian spot is so in addition to such staples as samosas two $$ 1643 W. Broadway, South Granville, 604-742- pitched perfectly at the Main Street crowd. ways and seared tandoori salmon, you get play- 0622. Mauryaindiancuisine.com The room is an Named after chef and co-owner Danila Shaw’s ful hybrids like chickpea-battered onion rings airy ode to colonial décor, and if you squint you mom, Shanti’s pays homage to the homestyle and the hugely popular naan flatbread sand- can imagine you’re interloping in the officers’ curries Shaw enjoyed as a child. Everything is wiches (chicken tikka salad sees dried cranber- mess in Bangalore. The cuisine eschews nou- scratch made with organic produce and freeries, toasted cumin, and diced celery lifted with velle flourishes in favour of traditional Indian range proteins. You can taste the love in the curry aioli). Lunch and dinner prices are the cuisine. Offerings such as chicken chettinad golden pastry surrounding a traditional potatosame, which makes the former not cheap and and malai curry jumbo prawns will not dazzle and-pea samosa—more so if you go for the chaat the latter a pretty good deal by downtown hotel you with their ingenuity, only their taste. The option, in which those same samosas are topped standards. As an added bonus, it has a nice and patio features its own chef working on an out- with onion and cilantro, and drizzled with tangy well-priced cocktail program. tamarind chutney. Malabar fish curry is redodoor tandoori oven. lent of red and green chilies, and balanced out by coconut milk; chicken curry uses thighs in a Dosa Corner Nooru Mahal $$ 8248 Fraser St., South Vancouver, 604-324- $$ 4354 Fraser St., South Vancouver, 604-873- smooth, spicy gravy. For milder flavours, try the 3672. Dosacornervancouver.com We were sur- 9263. Noorumahal.ca. Sri Lankan-style kingfish vegetable korma in a cashew-cream base. prised when Dosa Corner, next to Fraserview curry is light and brothy compared to the gra‫ۻ‬ Hall in the block below Southeast Marine vy-like stews you’ll be served in the north. It’s Vij’s Drive, turned out to actually be open. The a sharp one-two bite of tangy tamarind and hot $$$ 1480 W. 11th Ave., South Granville, 604-736website does not inspire confidence, and the chilies. Sop it up with a fistful of flaky south- 6664. Vijsrestaurant.ca Rightly considered one of person who answered the phone…well, all ern-style paratha bread. Nooru Mahal’s idlly— the world’s preeminent Indian restaurants, Vij’s was forgiven back at home when the takeout fluffy, sourdough-like steamed rice cakes—are draws epicures, travelling culinary enthusiasts, containers were opened and they puffed out perfect models. Singaporean staff have also and effusive praise from the Food Network to the their pungent scents. Do order from among the lent their touch to the menu: Sri Lankan string New York Times. Finely nuanced interpretations namesake dosas: crepes made from rice batter hoppers—patties of fine rice noodles—get a of contemporary Indian cuisine conjure brightly and black lentils, stuffed with all manner of de- Singaporean treatment with coconut and palm coloured, intensely flavoured creations—B.C. licious things. But don’t stop at dosas: go, too, sugar to make puttu mayam. “Only in Cana- trout in coconut and fenugreek masala delights. for the eggplant curry (beautifully balanced da,” says chef Raj Aiyathurai of his creation.

Accessible great-value wine options perfectly elwith ginger, garlic, and tomato), and a biryani evate the spicy fare. Locals lament the long lines in which every component, from the basmati Raga caused by the no-reservations policy—get over on up, was exquisitely cooked—even factoring $ 1177 W. Broadway, South Granville, 604-733- it. Sit in the sexy lounge and enjoy chai and Indithe long drive home to eat it.

1127. Raga-restaurant.com This West Side in- an snacks as you wait your turn. Note: A move to stitution, which opened in 1981, serves food South Cambie may have happened by the time fit for the legendary Mughal emperors. Raga’s you read this.

House of Dosas $ 1391 Kingsway, Kensington, 604-875-1283 charcoal-fired tandoor produces luxuriously Nestled amongst Kingsway’s plethora of ethnic tender meat: chicken is juicy; prawns are food options is this Indian restaurant that spe- plump and tender. Light curries allow the spiccializes in the giant, savoury crepe that gives it es to sing—this is why you fell for Indian food IN D ON ESIAN / its name. Dosas are served here in a long, loose in the first place. Many veg options available.

M ALAYSIAN roll with a rich filling of your choice and a va‫ۻ‬

riety of chutneys on the side. Dosas are slightly Rangoli crispy on the outside but soft on the inside, and $$ 1488 W. 11th Ave., South Granville, 604- Banana Leaf Malaysian Cuisine are best eaten by tearing off pieces and using 736-5711. Vijsrangoli.ca Fast, accessible, and $-$$ Various locations. Bananaleaf-vancouver. them to scoop up your filling. Fun fact: most easy on the eyes, this younger sib knows how com Of the five locations, the Broadway spot dosas are conveniently gluten-free, made with to satisfy, retaining the innovative approach between Cambie and Oak is still the most cona rice batter and lentil dhal mixture. All dosas and dazzling flavours of Vikram Vij’s epony- sistent in both food and service. Roti canai is are $5.99 on Mondays, so beware of long lines. mous next-door fine-dining spot. The cauli- the best in town and bespeaks Indian influences

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Chutneyvilla.com. This is South Indian cuisine that’s been pumped up with whole spices and roasted for a crunchy, nutty flavour. A quartet of chutneys might include freshly made apple, coconut, and pineapple. The dosas are crispy, pancake-like, and ideal for mopping up lamb poriyal or any of the deeply spiced curries. R&B beer is on hand (along with a few Indian bottles), wine selections, and fresh sweetened lime juice. South Indian brunch on weekends.

India Bistro

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on this eclectic cuisine: fluffy, flaky flatbread dipped into sweet curry. Follow up with crisp sambal green beans tossed with shrimp and tomatoes. For a dose of protein, there’s braised lamb shank in cumin and star anise—fragrant, deeply spiced, and tender. But it’s the Singapore chili crab that keeps them coming back for more. Finger-lickingly phenomenal.

of downtown. Adesso follows that mellow vibe with a serene patio that’s perfect for killing a few hours (and a few bottles of prosecco). This is the spot to sample such dishes as Linguine alla vongole—a classic with clams, white wine, garlic, and chili.

Arriva $$ 1537 Commercial Dr., Commercial Drive, 604-

Hawker’s Delight

‫ ۻ‬

$ 4127 Main St., South Main, 604-709-8188. Au-

thentic Malaysian and Singaporean cuisine— and ridiculously inexpensive. The mee goreng—fried noodle with egg, bean sprouts, tofu, and diced potatoes—is a wonder at less than five bucks. Everything is made from scratch, such as lamb in a rich coconut-milk-based curry, and the simple set-up “keeps the overhead down,” says owner Annie Tan. Penang Delight

‫ۻ‬

3885 Rupert St., East Side, 604-566-9898; 1316 W. 73rd Ave., Marpole, 604-599-9898. Penangde light.com The crowds spilling out onto the sidewalk at the East Side location are the first clue there’s something special going on. Inside, 20some tables string out through the small, skinny space, and the reason for the crowds quickly becomes obvious. Platters heaped with interesting, authentic Malaysian food fill every table: whole crispy-skinned fish in soy sauce; Kari beef brisket in red curry; Hainanese chicken rice; stir-fried water spinach. Prices are excellent.

251-1177. Arrivarestaurant.ca An old-school room that’s been a regular haunt for traditional Italian food on the Drive for more than 25 years.

The gamberi piccanti is neatly spiced, and the porcini base to the fettuccine al funghetto is robust, almost beefy. If it’s in season, go for the rombo al radicchio (halibut with radicchio and tangy white sauce), a chiffonade of radicchio, perfectly prepared fish, and a side of roast potatoes and vegetables. ‫ۻ‬ $$ 305 Alexander St., Railtown, 604-428-2544.

Ask for Luigi

IN CDON AT E GORY E SI A NN /M AM A LEAYSI H E RE AN

Askforluigi.com This postage stamp of a room seats a mere 32, its décor has an airy vibe with a dose of rec-room casual, and its menu features just 10 appetizers and six pasta dishes.

J.C. Poirier, whose bare-bones Pizzeria Farina in Strathcona is always packed, looks to replicate the successful formula here with relatively straightforward dishes made with high-quality ingredients and exacting care. A simple spaghetti and tomato dish uses hand-made noodles and an authentic sauce, turning a punch line of a dish into something pure and primal. Wine by the glass isn’t quite the deal—they use those Italian bar glasses that, even when full to the Pondok Indonesian $-$$ 2nd floor, 950 W. Broadway, Fairview, 604- brim, hold less than your standard model—but 732-7608. Pondokindonesia.com Pondok rolls there are steals to be had by the bottle. out hearty home-style Indonesian food. Accents across the menu hit all the expected notes: gar- Bella Gelateria lic, galangal, lemongrass, shallot. Best value in $-$$ 1089 Marinaside Cres., Yaletown, 778-737this capacious second-floor perch are the rice 7890. Bellagelateria.com James Coleridge’s tables, $29-$35 for two at lunch or dinner. An universally (and deservedly) acclaimed gelato imposing cone of rice anchors a quartet of dish- finds another home at a plum location overes like barbecue chicken or braised beef in coco- looking False Creek. But unlike his Coal Harnut curry; steer for one that includes tahu sayur bour outpost, this pristine room is closer to a isi—soft tofu triangles stuffed with vegetables, full-fledged Italian bistro; in addition to a rodeep-fried, and served with peanut sauce. Ser- tating selection of extraordinary ice creams, a vice is attentive and heartfelt. full lunch and dinner menu features very good Neapolitan-style pizzas from a wood-burning oven, plus panini, salads, antipasto, and a full Tropika $$ Various locations. Tropikagroup.com All loca- bar (the much-touted “gelatinis” are strictly tions play the coolness of frosted glass against for those who like their cocktails sweet and the warmth of rich, dark wood. Malaysian, Sin- colourful). Breakfast and weekend brunch gaporean, Thai, and Indonesian influences all keep the rather too-close-for-comfort seating factor into the menu. Satay sticks with peanut area and patio hopping from morning to night. sauce and chicken curry puffs are tasty lead-ins; Expect line-ups whenever the sun is shining. more adventurous palates sample kachang ikan bilis, a sweet-and-salty mix of peanuts and sun- Bibo dried anchovies. K.L. (for Kuala Lumpur) crab, $$ 1835 W. Fourth Ave., Kitsilano, 604-568-6177.

Tropika’s signature dish, is deep-fried and blan- Thebibo.com At a time when cheap and cheerful keted with crushed dried shrimp. is all the rage, Bibo stands out. It boasts carefully sourced ingredients, an open, tastefully designed room, and excellent Italian fare, from thin-crust Neapolitan pizzas and traditional pastas right down to superb espresso, served I TA L I AN in tiny little cups, and excellent tiramisu. Ev‫ ۻ‬ erything—from the non-generic soundtrack Adesso Bistro $$ 1906 Haro St., West End, 604-568-9975. Ades- to the Fellini films playing on the walls to the sobistro.net The leafy streets of the West End animated gesticulations of the staff—says realhave always birthed restaurants that seem to deal Italiano. The wine list is short, apt, and operate on a more relaxed gear than other parts smartly priced.

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Café Il Nido $$$ 780 Thurlow St., West End, 604-685-6436.

Cafeilnido.ca This comfortable room, hidden in a courtyard at Robson and Thurlow, has long been a favourite of West Enders and tourists who made a happy discovery after a long day of shopping. A freshening-up of the lounge and patio area makes the latter the perfect answer to the always-full rooftop patio at Joe Fortes across the street. The menu features classic trattoria dishes (carpaccio and caprese to start; spaghetti vognole or lasagna for a main) but swings into modern times with Ocean Wise certification and the option of gluten-free pasta. ‫ ۻ‬ $$ 1020 Main St., Chinatown, 604-484-6018.

Campagnolo

Campagnolorestaurant.ca Routinely packed at dinner despite a limited reservations policy. The décor is upscale basement (concrete walls, barebulb-styled fixtures, moulded-wood chairs), but the food is traditional northern Italian with touches of local inventiveness. Crispy chickpeas are a favourite to start. A nice selection of pizzas and pastas (all under $20), and a few carefully chosen mains for not much more. The changing side dishes are inspired. Behind the main room is a small bar and a few tables, fun for watching games on the TV or clustering with a group.

Campagnolo Roma $$ 2297 E. Hastings St., East Side, 604-569-0456.

Campagnoloroma.com This restaurant boldly ventures where few upscale rooms have gone before (ignore the drycleaner next door and the Church’s Chicken kitty-corner). The menu is Roman rather than northern, and is a little less expensive (pastas are $12-17) than Campagnolo, and simpler: antipasti, pasta, and pizza but no mains. This is the place for rigatoni all’ amatriciana (tomato sauce with cured pork) or strozzapreti cacio e pepe (spaghetti-like pasta with pecorino and pepper). Great Italian aperitifs along with. Open for lunch Monday to Friday and brunch on weekends. ‫ ۻ‬ $-$$ 2610 Main St., South Main, 604-877-8582.

Charlie’s Little Italian

Charlieslittleitalian.com This multi-regional Italian spot is a wise re-imagining from the team behind Habit (whose former digs Charlie’s occupies) and the Cascade Room (the next-door neighbour cocktail destination whose food was always a little too similar to Habit’s). Now there’s no confusion between the menus, and South Main gets a welcome dose of Italy to go with all those craft IPA purveyors. Charlie’s offers good value—order an organic mixed greens salad, classically executed spaghetti and meatballs, and a glass of chianti, and you’re having that rare treat in Vancouver: a solid, filling Italian dinner for around $40.

Cibo Trattoria $$-$$$ 900 Seymour St., Downtown, 604-602-

9570. Cibotrattoria.com This sexy Italian trat in the Moda Hotel turned plenty of heads even before enRoute named it Canada’s best new restaurant in 2009. Housemade pastas redolent of fresh herbs and first-press extra-virgin olive oils are never in short supply on the captivating menu that changes often. The three-course pre-

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a bit faux, pasta a bit overproduced), you’ll find serious culinary commitment. Chef Andrew Richardson shows a deft touch with everything from Margherita pizza from the wood-fired oven to the goat’s milk ricotta ravioli with truffle, parmesan, parsley, and hazelnut. Desserts are especially notable—try the excellent, not-overlyCinara $$$ 350 W. Pender St., Downtown, 604-428-9694. sweet tiramisu. The deep wine list offers great Cinara.ca Even if you don’t know chef Lucais value, and the leafy patio, above the street comSyme and the approachable northern Italian motion, is ideal for a leisurely summer dinner. fare he served at La Quercia and La Pentola della Quercia, you’ll know from the name of this Cioppino’s Mediterranean ‫ۻ‬ Crosstown restaurant (Latin for “artichoke”) Grill & Enoteca that simplicity is a core value. The room is casu- $$$-$$$$ 1133 Hamilton St., Yaletown, 604-688al (wood floors, exposed brick, grandmotherly 7466. Cioppinosyaletown.com. Consistency is mismatched china), the service is friendly and underrated in our fad-happy age. This Yaletown prompt, and the menu matches the vibe. The room has been the gold standard for years and menu Syme and his wife—fellow chef and co- years. Chef Pino Posteraro runs it with military owner Gillian Book—offer changes often to precision, ensuring that every bowl of his peerreflect what’s fresh and in season, so anything less spaghetti alle vongole is exactly al dente, we might recommend likely won’t be available each portion of roasted scallops with tomato when you drop in. But their creations are always confit and artichokes perfectly drizzled with grounded in traditional European cooking, still preserved winter truffle vinaigrette. Pay close emphasizing northern Italy but with a greater attention to additions to the menu: here you’ll sense of adventure than before. The simplicity find chef at his innovative best. The wine list championed here might seem too understated is a mile deep, the staff polished and attentive. at first, but when the kitchen makes the most of Well-heeled diners from far and wide make two or three familiar ingredients and presents Cioppino’s a must: Italian food doesn’t get any with exemplary care and technique, it’s worth better than this. more than all the show-off cooking elsewhere.

L E F T: L U I S V A L D I Z O N ; R I G H T: C L I N T O N H U S S E Y

theatre menu may impress more than the show that follows. Look for adjacent sister spot Uva, a cosy bar with a smart list of wines by the glass and well-made cocktails by award-winning bar star Lauren Mote.

concise beer and wine selections. The End. If not for the oven (left over from former tenant Rebellious Tomato), you might think this is simply a bar, but the room began filling up with grateful neighbourhood families while we tore into our grub. Partner Graham Marceau is on top of things in the kitchen, having had a hand in the offerings at Bufala and Pizzeria Farina. We especially enjoyed a funky marriage of bacon, Brussels sprouts, capers, and an action painting of chili aioli, while a four-cheese pie (with fresh and smoked mozzarella, provolone, and goat cheese) was a model of simplicity.

The Distillery Bar $$ 1131 Mainland St., Yaletown, 604-669-2255.

Mjg.ca/paulies Italians are great at so many things, but with the exception of the negroni, making cocktails ain’t one of them. Yet somehow this mash-up—well executed drinks and affordable, rustic Italian food—seems to work.

Don’t expect note-perfect regional cuisine here: this is Italian food made—and, thankfully, priced—the way it used to be. They call it a meatball bar, which is an apt handle, and it steers you toward the menu’s star attraction.

Steady crowds and high ceilings make this place feel alive in a Yaletown sort of way.

Don’t Argue! Pizzeria $$-$$$ 3240 Main St., South Main, 604-876-

Corduroy Pie Company $$ 758 W. 16th Ave., South Cambie, 604-709-

5408. Dontarguepizzeria.com Swimming against 0200. Corduroypie.com Corduroy Pie Compa- the Neapolitan tide that’s swept through the 7338. Cincin.net Beneath the touristy Robson ny’s name lays bare its focus: pizza. Roughly a city, Don’t Argue! instead celebrates the AmeriStreet trappings (music a bit schmaltzy, décor dozen pies (including rotating specials), plus can pie, with a style closest to New York: nicely CinCin

$$$-$$$$ 1154 Robson St., West End, 604-688-

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On the Flip Side

5

Oddly underexposed, Filipino cuisine is a bold mélange of flavours from China, Spain, Malaysia, America, and India combined with indigenous influences from the Philippines’ 7,000-plus islands

C AT E GORY I TA LNI A M N E H E RE

Comfort food of the highest order, sotanghon soup is the Filipino cure-all equivalent of matzoh-ball soup (a.k.a. “Jewish penicillin”).

Pinpin serves up a bathtub-sized bowl chock full of carrots, cabbage, chicken, and cellophane noodles flavoured with the earthiness of toasted garlic and annattoinfused oil. Pinpin Restaurant 6113 Fraser St., South Main, 604-322-3086; 8140 120 St., Surrey, 604-593-2258. Pinpinres taurant.com Longsilog

Filipinos mean business when it comes to breakfast, and this much-loved combination plate proves it. The longsilog portmanteau includes links of sweet, garlicky pork sausage, garlic fried rice, and fried egg. Fliptop’s riff on the traditional iteration is topped

with atchara (pickled green papaya and carrot) and crispy slivers of fried leek. Fliptop Filipino Fusion Food Truck Facebook.com/ FliptopTruck Pandesal

Although translated as “bread of salt” from Portuguese origins, these swoon-worthy breakfast rolls are, in fact, delicately sweet.

A lightly crisp crust studded with breadcrumbs yields to tender, airy chewiness. Serve them warm and fragrant, drizzled with condensed milk, slathered with butter, or dipped into coffee in Filipino fashion. Aling Mary’s 2656 Main St., South Main, 604-873-6005; 8085 Park Rd., Richmond, 604231-1918; 13979 104 Ave., Surrey, 604-930-6059 Crispy Pata

Cholesterol be damned—the

chewy, but with a welcome crunch. A standout is the Pesto Ricotta with housemade basil/ rocket pesto, ricotta, mozzarella, and fresh basil on a bechamel base. Sausage Kale is also a winner, as is the Margherita, with its creamy fior di latte and brightly acidic tomato sauce. Décor is hipster-minimal, with benches lining the walls and pizza-making in view. Small craft beer and wine selections on tap, and free sparkling water.

Slices available at less busy hours.

Famoso Pizza $$ 1380 Commercial Dr., Commercial Drive,

604-251-2292. Famoso.ca The cheek of this Edmonton chain, rolling into town and setting up a pizzeria on Commercial Drive—hallowed Italian ground—would be tough to take if the entire concept wasn’t so agreeable. This is Napoli pizza with a thin(-ish), bubbly crust and fresh Campania sauce—minus the disapproving hipster servers. Stay away from New World offerings like Thai and Barbecue and you’ll be

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siren song of pork crackling is irresistible. Meaty foreshanks are slow-simmered with herbs and seasonings until tender, then cooled down before being deep-fried until the skin reaches crunchy perfection. Served with a soy-vinegar dipping sauce to cut the richness, it’s porcine Nirvana.

Hapag Ihaw Ihaw Restaurant 5432 Victoria Dr., East Side, 604-428-0097. Facebook.com/ hapagihawihaw

fine. These fellas have brought their Albertan love of affordable beer and wine to bear on a list that’s more than sufficient.

Federico’s Supper Club

Taho

Mornings in the Philippines are punctuated by the shouts of neighbourhood taho vendors down in the street. Here, expats head to this no-frills shop for a nostalgic taste of home. Warm and deeply comforting, taho combines soft, silky tofu with tapioca pearls and a rich brown-sugar syrup called arnibal. O! Taho 4223 Fraser St., East Side, 604-720-9604

7770. Francescos.com Walking through Francesco’s doors, one is transported back in time roughly 25 years, thanks to décor that’s a little outdated yet somehow charming. Clearly, the focus is on gourmet Italian food—nothing newfangled or avant-garde. (Hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.) Perfect for family gatherings or celebratory meals, Francesco’s menu—decadent pastas, stuffed chicken dishes, or carni di selvaggina (game meats)—offers an almost overwhelming number of options. When in doubt, consult the well-seasoned wait staff for an informed suggestion. Keep your eyes peeled for celebrities, or simply enjoy the extensive gallery of famous former guests who have dined at this iconic establishment.

$$$ 1728 Commercial Dr., Commercial Drive, 604-251-3473. Federicossupperclub.com A oneof-a-kind night out, and the neon marquee at this beloved dining and dancing venue burns a little brighter these days. Federico still brings the house down with his Vegas-style revue, while the kitchen pumps out Old WorldItalian dishes fast and furious, leaving you plenty of time for the dance floor. À la carte options abound Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, while busy Fridays and Saturdays see exclusively prix-fixe menus. Pastas are great, and Nutella-stuffed puff pastries close things Italian Kitchen out on an appropriately indulgent note. $$$ 1037 Alberni St., Downtown, 604-687-2858.

Glowbalgroup.com/italiankitchen A fashion-forward and showy two-level room from the folks Francesco’s $$-$$$ 860 Burrard St., Downtown, 604-685- who brought us Glowbal and Coast. The main

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floor is boisterous with a lounge atmosphere, while the upstairs dining room is only slightly more reserved. Both are gorgeous and hypermodern, with zero Italian kitsch. Lunches are packed with hurried corporate types while dinner is ruled by local glitterati and their hangerson. A place in which to see and be seen.

La Buca $$ 4025 Macdonald St., Dunbar, 604-730-6988.

Lombardo’s $$ 1641 Commercial Dr., Commercial Drive, 604-

251-2240. Lombardos.ca Lombardo’s succeeds (and has for more than 25 years) because of the pizza that emerges from the wood-burning oven: its crust always delivers the right mix of chewy and crispy. Traditional pies, like the classic funghi (all pizzas are $15 for medium, $26 for large), are best, but choose wisely; they all La Pentola della Quercia $$$ 350 Davie St., West End, 604-642-0557. sound like classics in vowel-y Italian: Salmone, Lapentola.ca From the underrated Elixir to vari- Vegetariana, etc. The homemade focaccia is perous pop-up concepts, the Opus Hotel has long fect dipped in some bracing balsamico. struggled with its dining program. La Pentola puts an end to the gimmickry. A comfortably L’Ufficio welcoming room, it relies not on glamour or $$$ 3687 W. Fourth Ave., Kitsilano, 604-676shtick but on the sort of simple, well-priced, 1007. Laquercia.ca With long wait lists (and perfectly executed Northern Italian dishes that only 32 seats to the room), something had to make the original location, La Quercia, so popu- give with our former restaurant of the year, La lar. The dinner menu changes often, but expect Quercia. Enter L’ufficio, the little “office” next classic pastas like spaghetti Bolognese alongside door, whose joint kitchen means the same a selection of proteins and a daily market fish. award-winning dishes with less of a reservaThe award-winning wine list is brief, carefully tion headache. In contrast to the clean blackand-white décor of La Quercia, L’ufficio’s cozy chosen, and reasonable. wooden walls make it feel more like a Piedmont trattoria than a Kitsilano wine bar. By-the-glass La Piazza Dario Ristorante $$$ 3075 Slocan St., East Side, 604-430-2195. options are exclusively Italian, but prices stay Lapiazzadario.com This old-school haunt, in moderate and the varietals plentiful. Offerings the Italian Cultural Centre, is serious about its from the kitchen rotate with the seasons, but food. The room is large and open, yet the linen- many of their popular dishes (piquant vitello clad tables still manage to feel intimate. During tonatto) are brilliant and always available. the day, businessmen in Italian suits press the ‫ۻ‬ flesh; at night, starry-eyed couples sip Chianti Lupo Restaurant & Vinoteca to the strains of opera, occasionally punctu- $$-$$$ 869 Hamilton St., Yaletown, 604-569ated by a crooning Dean Martin. Chef Claudio’s 2535. Luporestaurant.ca Owner/chef Julio Gonmenu features a stellar selection of meats, sea- zalez Perini delivers in the charming heritage food, fowl, and pasta, and the wine list strolls house that he built into one of Vancouver’s finfrom Piemonte to Calabria. est, as Villa del Lupo, back in the ’90s. But this is no retro redux. The old romantic hideaway ‫ ۻۻ‬ has been brightened up (in white paint splashed La Quercia $$ 3689 W. Fourth Ave., Kitsilano, 604-676-1007. with abstract art) and scaled back (less pretenLaquercia.ca If La Quercia is not perfect, it’s defi- sion, lower prices). Lusty Italian classics are renitely the most honest place in town. There are invented with local, seasonal ingredients. Pasta no PR flacks milling about, no air kissing, and no lovers will be torn between pappardelle with semi-ironic taxidermy. Instead there are two pro- duck ragout and raviloi stuffed with spinach prietors—Adam Pegg and Lucais Syme—who and bufala mozzarella. Spectacular desserts will take a yeoman-like approach to the craft of run- entice you to linger. ning a first-rate restaurant. One gets the impression that nothing leaves the kitchen that they Marcello’s don’t approve of. The predominantly Northern $$-$$$ 1404 Commercial Dr., Commercial Drive, Italian menu changes frequently, with classics 604-215-7760. Marcellopizzeria.com An imposlike Branzino with fennel and vitello Tonnato ing pizza oven stars front and centre in this popmaking frequent appearances. The wine list is ular Drive-side eatery that boasts soaring ceilall-Italian and full of interesting bottles. ings, an open kitchen, and a warm atmosphere.

Over 20 varieties of thin-crust Neapolitan-style pizza are on offer; supple gnocchi in a rich quatLa Terrazza $$$-$$$$ 1088 Cambie St., Yaletown, 604-899- tro formaggi melt in the mouth. Ample portions

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and great value are as prevalent as the carafes of rustic vino da tavola and the alluring aromas of roasted garlic. Service can be spotty, as Marcello’s waitstaff struggle to handle the overflow at peak hours (which, due to its popularity, can be frequent). Our advice: roll the dice. Marcello’s is a lot like their famous pizza—when it’s good, it’s very good, and when it’s bad…well, it’s still quite good. ‫ۻ‬ $$-$$$ 62 E. Cordova St., Gastown, 604-669-

Nicli Antica Pizzeria

6985. Niclipizzeria.ca Authentic Neapolitan pizzas are the centrepiece in this stark-white, modern Gastown room. The pizzas come fast and fresh out of the wood-fired oven (made from stone from Mount Vesuvius...really), the crust blistering and charred, the toppings minimalist and authentic (the pomorodoro is made with San Marzano tomatoes, naturally). The wine list includes some decent buys; the service is efficient and friendly.

I TA LNI A M N E H E RE C AT E GORY

Labuca.ca This Mackenzie Heights resto fills its 32 seats almost every night by being as reliable as Cal Ripken. The vibe has just the right amount of din—and the slight liquor service seems a small price to pay for atmosphere. The food is solid without being flashy; a bistecca a la Fiorentina is a nice hulking slab of grass-fed beef on a bed of arugula; simple but timeless pastas like spaghetti with genoa salami and pecorino Romano are highly recommended.

Going to the bathroom requires a Goodfellaslike trek through the kitchen, but here it just makes you feel like you’re one of the gang.

4449. Laterrazza.ca A big, busy, mainstream Italian room that draws tourists and all manner of locals adept at tossing Porsche keys to the valet.

Inside, a comfortable bar serves as a cosy way station en route to dinner. Executive chef Gennaro Iorio, wine expert Giulio Miceli, and front man Iqbal Grewal run a well-choreographed operation perfectly suited to Yaletown. Strozzapretti bolognese is the signature pasta dish, and servings are so generous you’d better bring an appetite if you also plan to tuck into veal scalopine or rack of lamb served over polenta fries.

The wine list is extensive and well-curated; the two private rooms are excellent for parties, wine tastings, and customized menus.

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Nicli’s Next Door $$ 68 E. Cordova St., Gastown, 604-669-6985.

Niclisnextdoor.ca It’s got an aesthetic similar to big-brother restaurant Nicli Antica Pizzeria (plenty of brick and wood, chic Euro-modern chairs), but this spin-off room (located next door to the original) trades in pizza for Italian small plates. We hope you like sharing. Start with a board laden with fresh mozzarella di bufala, 18-month-cured prosciutto, and honeyglazed figs, then work your way to oversized aranci slathered in cheese and San Marzano tomato sauce. The menu is a little bread-heavy— most dishes come garnished with a slab of house-made focaccia or sourdough—but that’s all the better for sopping up leftover marinara from your bowl of braised meatballs. Pair the lot of it with a well-curated wine flight. ‫ۻ‬ $$$ 81 Denman St., West End, 604-568-4554;

Nook

1525 Yew St., Kitsilano, 604-734-3381. Nookrestaurant.ca Riding the success of the original location on Denman Street (as well as sibling restaurant Tavola), Nook’s second home, in Kitsilano, has quickly become one of the neighbourhood’s busiest spots. Easy to see why, with a formula aimed at keeping the uber-casual, beach-going clientele happy and well fed. There’s a dining room and a separate takeout space, allowing guests to wait for a table (no reservations) or just grab a pizza and salad to go. Mains are carb-based, but sides of meatballs in rich tomato sauce and daily salami keep the protein quotient up. Pizzas are great—nicely charred and authentically sparse of topping—while pastas like tonnarelli cacao pepe are simple yet effective.

Notturno $$-$$$ 280 Carrall St., Gastown, 604-7203145. Notturnogastown.ca To the envy of other neighbourhoods, Gastown has become unfairly blessed with an abundance of small, sophisticated boîtes where one can nibble tapas while sipping great drinks. This Italian arrival hits higher than most. Chef/owner William Robitaille whips up crave-worthy cicchetti plates—seasonal, market-fresh, and meant for sharing—in a tiny bar-side kitchen. Yes, there

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are the requisite meats and cheeses, thoughtfully curated boards with five selections. But be sure to delve deeper into the regularly changing menu for feature pastas and seasonally appropriate delights like an heirloom tomato salad or something wonderful done with local seafood and proteins. An all-Italian wine list includes many intriguing oddities by the glass.

Novo

‫ۻ‬ $$-$$$ 1600 Renfrew Dr., East Side, 604-255-

Osteria Napoli

6441. Osterianapoli.com A monthly ritual and a favourite with those in the know: Joe Briffa roasts a suckling pig to crackled perfection and the whole joint parades around.

Wednesday to Sunday is music and a sing-along.

La Familia-style service lights up supersize tortellini and points south to traditional Sicilian rustics: penne primavera with tomato, onion, garlic, and basil; and delightful linguini with prosciutto.

Straightforward entrées include feather-light fillet of sole, and a satisfying rack of lamb.

Pizza Fabrika $ 1680 Robson St., West End, 559-1680. Pizzafab

rika.ca “Fabrika” is a European term for factory, and this diminutive room’s Spartan aesthetic, hard surfaces, and buzzing atmosphere do the concept proud. Pizza, obviously, is the focus here, and Fabrika’s menu touts the virtues of its pies: sauce made with San Marzano tomatoes, sourdough crust, and a cheese blend of full-fat mozzarella and Danish fontina. Of the roughly dozen iterations, simplicity is the way to go—a Margherita boasts fresh basil, fior di latte, and yellow and orange tomato; Flammkuchen tastefully limits itself to double-smoked bacon, crème fraiche, and carmamelised onion. Toppings are occasionally too meagre, but every ingredient is of a higher quality than you’ll find at the chains. Take your order to go, or plant yourself and watch the Robson bustle with a glass of dirt-cheap house wine or Steamworks draught.

Pizzeria Barbarella

LUIS VALDIZON

$$ 654 E. Broadway, South Main, 604-210-6111.

Pizzeriabarbarella.com No frills, no fuss, just excellent Napoli-ish pizza with a blistery, chewy, slightly sour crust and minimal toppings (it’s a tad denser than traditional Neapolitan pizza), a good-value drinks list, and a really great caesar salad made with red and green romaine and house-smoked pancetta. The room is sparse but for a few framed photos, which keeps your attention focused on your dining companions (never a bad thing). The service is friendly and casual, the room is buzzy, and the food always

delivers—all the makings of your new favourite style and offered alongside a full range of gelato hangout. flavours and espresso drinks, they’re authentic: go for the full-flavoured pizza-like margherita, mozzarella, and Roma tomato version for rusPizzeria Bufala $$ 5395 West Blvd., Kerrisdale, 604-267-7499. tic simplicity. Focaccia—topped with pancetta, Bufala.ca Historically, smart/casual hasn’t been Provolone, parmesan, and caramelized onion— the Kerrisdale way, so the ’hood clearly ap- is tasty, cheap, and filling. preciates Bufala: it jumps most evenings with families too bushed to cook (lots of kids at start Siena of service), and later, intrepid sojourners from $$ 1485 W. 12th Ave., South Granville, 604-558downtown and the East Side. They’re mostly 1485. Eatsiena.com Siena is tiny, so getting a coming for thin(ish)-crust pizzas that don’t table on a Saturday night can be a trick if you slavishly adhere to the use of 00 flour and San don’t have a reservation. But a few minutes at Marzano tomatoes but have fun with revered the bar with an inexpensive bottle of Prosecco meats like braised oxtail and fennel sausage. and the time flies. There’s a paper menu suppleThe pies are nicely loaded, if pricey. There are mented by a chalkboard listing daily specials— also strong, bitters-built cocktails (try the Bou- everything is generally first-rate. The wine list is short but quite well-priced (bottles are half off on lavardier) and affordable bottles of wine.

Mondays). It’s the most inviting South Granville restaurant to come along in a long time, and perPizzeria Farina $ 915 Main St., Chinatown, 604-681-9334. Piz- fect for the pre-theatre crowd attending a show at zeriafarina.com Tiny Farina opens at 5 night- the Stanley just around the corner. ly and keeps at it until they run out of pizza dough. On day one, they made enough for just Straight Outta Brooklyn over 60 pizzas and promptly sold out. They’re $-$$ 350 Robson St., Downtown, 604-559-3500. now making enough for nearly 100 pies a night Straightouttabrooklynpizza.com While Vancouand they’re still running out. Popularity has ev- ver certainly has no shortage of pizza places, erything to do with the simplicity and quality this little parlour aims to bring a taste of New of reasonably priced facsimiles of Italian clas- York’s most fashionable borough to Robson sics like the Funghi (with lashings of arugula) Street. Brooklyn is known for a classic thinand the Calabrese (with dollar bills of soppres- crust pie with a light layer of tomato sauce and satta). J.C. Poirier’s dough is Neapolitan in its fresh mozzarella, plus an assortment of simple thinness but slightly firmer than most, giving additional toppings. Here you’ll find around it a chewier consistency that isn’t unwelcome. eight iterations, which can be taken away or enjoyed in the bright, friendly shop. For passPronto Caffé ersby, there’s a variety of slices available. Don’t $$ 3473 Cambie St., South Cambie, 604-722- be alarmed by the higher-than-average price— 9331. Prontocaffe.ca The room takes its cues these are generous “quarter pie” slices, meant from a traditional diner with its wooden for folding and stuffing into your face. booths, counter and stools, and a menu board possibly lifted from Woolworths. But from this Trattoria Italian Kitchen modest space come wonderful Italian sand- $$-$$$ Various locations. Trattoriakitchen.ca wiches and pasta dishes: the $8 porchetta sand- This usually buzzing room—sister to Italian wich is a rich, herby feast of meat cubes in a Kitchen—has won a devoted following by light but chewy bun; housemade pasta selec- combining a happening ambiance with food tions change daily. Limited wine and beer, and that’s reasonably priced and sometimes exmore suited for meeting friends than business ceeds expectations: linguine carbonara, for example, is not the sloppy, overcooked mess you lunches or special-occasion dinners. find in some rooms but rather a beautiful balance of ingredients. Veal piccata—often overRed Card Sports Bar & Eatery $$ 560 Smithe St., Downtown, 604-689-4460. sauced—is similarly exacting and restrained.

Redcardsportsbar.ca This eye-popping Euro-style A seat at the counter makes for fun, sometimes spot, in a beautiful 1908 heritage building, is out- frantic, kitchen-watching. fitted with high-backed banquettes, red leather ‫ ۻ‬ chairs, lacquered tabletops, and a stunning illu- Trilussa minated quartzite bar. Along with two 106-inch $ 4363 Main St., South Main, 604-558-3338. Tri screens, TVs are as plentiful as the beers on tap, lussa.ca While Neapolitan style is all the rage, and solid fare will keep going ’til overtime. Sig- remember that we live in a democratic nation, natures include crisp, bubbly-edged pizzas from and it is your right to choose from an array of a real Italian Marana Forni alder-burning oven. flatbread-with-toppings options. You’re at TriTry the Hat Trick with sausage, pancetta, bres- lussa for pizza al taglio (pizza by the slice), the aola, Milano salami, pepperoni, tomatoes, and ubiquitous street food of Rome, and a formula mozzarella. that calls for a thick, bubble-riddled foundation upon which simple ingredient combos—like the ‫ ۻ‬ Capri with potatoes, pesto, and pecorino; or the Sciué $-$$ Various locations. Sciue.ca Power lunch- Vancouver, served cold, with smoked salmon ing took a turn for the cheap with the arrival of and salad—are built; the rectangular slab is then this modern room. The theme of Roman street cut into regular (five inches) or large (seven inchfood eaten on the quick gels well with the fi- es) slices. You’d do well to start the day here, too, nance wonks queuing up at the Pender Street with a coffee and the Buongiorno panino: eggs, location for excellent Italian flatbreads (“pane ham, and provolone are insulated by a freshly romano”) and solid panini. Served cafeteria- baked housemade panino bun.

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I TA LNI A M N E H E RE C AT E GORY

$$ 2118 Burrard St., Kitsilano, 604-736-2220.

Novopizzeria.com As la vita Neapolitana overruns the city, we become ever more anxious about authenticity. Is the kindling too aromatic? Has the Type “OO” flour been finely enough ground? Novo’s Carmine Paradiso is not free of this angst, but the simplicity he brings to the menu—built on the pillars of cheese, meat, and dough—keeps dining honest. The salami/ olive pie comes nicely charred and generously topped, the fior di latte cheese the key to the harmonious flavours. The room hops on weekends, service is solid, and the wine list is focused.

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‫ۻۻ‬ $$ 1190 Victoria Dr., Commercial Drive, 604-

Via Tevere

336-1803. Viateverepizzeria.com Vancouver’s ongoing pizza craze was born from a perfect storm of food fetishism and a belt-tightening economy. Of the many worthy contenders for sexiest pie, we’re crushing on Via Tevere, which pulls off that neat trick of being planted in its neighbourhood but atmospherically transporting: the room has a buzzy, cozy bonhomie, but the yawning, teal-tiled, wood-fired oven at the centre of the room announces that the pizzaioli mean biz. Purists can rest easy: the blistery, minimalist margherita—with its tangy tomato, creamy fior di latte mozza, and aromatic basil— shows how brilliant a few simple, quality ingredients can be.

Zefferelli’s Spaghetti Joint

six locations are at the bar, which provide an entertaining glimpse into the frenetic kitchen.

Bistrosakana.com Popular lunch specials en- Check out the rotating daily specials and eclecsure brisk business during the midday rush, tic cocktails to get things started, then slide into but dinner hour shows off the full breadth of the creamy almond tofu for a satisfying finish. chef/owner Etsuko Needham’s “neo Japonesque” approach to sushi and izakaya. Patio Gyoza Bar + Ramen seats are prime spots for Yaletown people- $-$$ 622 W. Pender St., 604-336-5563. Gyozabar. watching while sampling from Bistro Sakana’s ca This 80-seater is all about scrupulous depremium sakes by the glass. Signature plates sign: it’s a big and bustling space with polished include black-sesame albacore with yuzu brick, pine-beetle wood, ’70s-evocative ceramic sauce, delicately flavoured ume-shiso smelt, bowls, and pressed-fibre plates in vintage Meland shiro miso toro aburi (the fish is lightly mac colours. And from the first chorus of the torched using Japanese charcoal). Fusion in- staff’s greeting (“Irasshaimase!”) when you fluences are evident in dishes like the capresé walk in, you’ll feel its pulsing rhythms. The gyoroll, a combination of scallops, basil pesto, za are basic—pork, shrimp, tofu—but they’re tomato, and mozzarella drizzled with olive oil nothing like your typical izakaya mysteryand an aged balsamic reduction. meat dumpling: the pork in the teppan gyoza is Berkshire, and the little parcels are beautifully crisped in a cast-iron pan before plating; the Blowfish Sushi $ 107–2828 E. Hastings St., East Side, 604-258- chili shrimp gyoza, served with a disc of pick7500. Blowfish101.com Ensconced along the led daikon and a dab of wasabi chimichurri, are fly-by commuter strip of East Hastings, this even better. Bowls of ramen cost a little more Japanese-run sushi spot is a casual pit stop for than elsewhere, but they tend to be worth it. The grab-and-go eats or a quick bite en route to a excellent free-range chicken ramen comes studGiants game. The simple menu covers all the ded with purple lettuce, broccolini, and justbasics but harbours a few gems. Friendly, ear- poached bok choy, and the sous-vide chicken is nest service and thoughtfully priced combina- cooked just through without a hint of dryness. tion meals have endeared Blowfish to the locals.

Bistro Sakana

$$ 1123 Mainland St., Yaletown, 604-633-1280.

C AT E GORY J A PAN A EM SEE H E RE

$$ 1136 Robson St., Downtown, 604-687-0655.

Zefferellis.com The wooden interior and wellworn rugs lend the joint a homey feel. The dinner menu lists the usual suspects well made, like crispy, fresh bruschetta and tomato bocconcini salad on a bed of fresh basil, as well as generous portions of crab in the roasted red pepper and artichoke linguini. Creamy spaghetti carbonara, chicken parmesan, and veal osso bucco round out the all-hits list. At lunchtime on weekdays they offer a truncated menu heavier on pizzas and salads. The wine list is a nice mix of old and Ebisu new world with a clear favouritism for Italy. A $ 2nd floor, 827 Bute St., West End, 604-689-8266; welcome escape from the bustle of Robson.

16–601 W. Broadway, South Cambie, 604-8763388. Ebisu.ca Overlooking Robson Street’s hustle and bustle, the patrons of the downtown location are a curious mix of adventurous tourists and Louis Vuitton-toting, besequined Asian J A PA NE SE cool kids. The drinks-and-shooters menu defi‫ۻ‬ nitely caters to the latter, tilted toward cloyingly Ajisai Sushi Bar $-$$ 2081 W. 42nd Ave., Kerrisdale, 604-266- sweet concoctions with kitschy monikers like 1428. Tucked away along the quiet corridor of Red Dragon. Standbys such as chicken karaage a retail plaza, Ajisai is worth seeking out for its and Japanese poutine mollify less adventurous deftly executed traditional fare. There’s often a palates, but there are izakaya gems to be found. lineup for one of the 30-or-so seats at this pocket- Order the asparagus bacon twirl and a mini brasized restaurant, but the exquisitely fresh sushi zier appears at the table, sending the ethereal and sashimi are more than wait-worthy. Pique aroma of sizzling bacon wafting through the air. your palate with the tartness of an ume shiso roll, Creative sushi rolls, too. and follow up with the smoky sweetness of unagi battera (barbecued eel sushi comes pressed, The General Public Osaka-style). The absence of a hot kitchen forces $-$$ 3289 Main St., South Main, 604-558-4676. creativity—corn flakes rather than batter add Thegeneralpublic.ca With its “Miso Horny!” crunch to the crispy tuna roll. Closed Mondays. theme (yes, you read that correctly) and live DJs on Fridays and Saturdays, this is hardly your traditional sushi joint. A sibling of longtime KitsiBasho Cafe $ 2007 E. Hastings St., East Side, 604-428-6276. lano upstart The Eatery, General Public goes big Bashocafe.com There’s almost no way you’ll stum- on fun—pop-culture heroes donning antlers is ble across this micro lunch spot, and unless East the main design theme—but doesn’t hold back Hastings is your stomping grounds you’re prob- on flavour. The inventive rolls are where the ably disinclined to make the trek for a menu with action is; combos can include everything from only three bowls on it. But you owe it to your- tempura banana to yam fries. But don’t let the self to meet the Kawai family (dad Hiroshi, mom crazy talk fool you: there are more refined opMiju, daughter Moeno). Tuna, pork, and veggies tions (the tuna menu is a good place to start), with salad or rice are the whole pantry, though for so strive for balance when ordering. Numerous a few dollars more you can supersize up to a just- vegetarian and vegan offerings. so tray with soup, green tea, and cookies. Tuna ‫ ۻ‬ tataki is simply seared and sauced, the pulled Guu pork is more heavily teriyaki’d, and the veggie set $$ Various locations. Guu-izakaya.com Tasty offers carefully cooked items separately sauced. shared plates reign supreme in these rooms All three are tasty and filling, but leave room for teeming with hungry ESL students and thrillthe East/West pastries (the matcha mochi brown- seeking foodies. The authentic Japanese tapas ie is surprisingly decadent and marshmallowy); come fast and furious, encouraging you to call every moment and item here is charming. for another bottle of sake. The best seats at all

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‫ۻ‬ $-$$ 1508 Robson St., West End, 604-669-8278.

Gyoza King

Gyokingroup.com When Vancouver’s chefs dine out on their days off, Gyoza King is a frequent destination. The house favourite is, of course, gyoza—plump Japanese dumplings. Choose from six different varieties, such as chicken and vegetable, pork and chives, or a veggie version with spinach. Ramen or udon soup is popular, with the nabeyaki udon tops—it’s packed with pork, egg, prawn, and fish cake.

Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ $$-$$$ 888 Nelson St., Downtown, 604-558-3885; 950 W. Broadway, Fairview, 604-558-3898. Gyu kaku.com Gyu-Kaku has capitalized on the universal allure of grilled meat with its worldwide chain of yakiniku restaurants, and Vancouver is home to its only two Canadian outposts. Meals here are a communal and do-it-yourself affair, cooked atop tabletop grills; servers are adept at guiding newcomers through the sizeable menu of numerous mix-and-match options to please every palate. Pre-marinated protein selections lean heavily toward various cuts of beef but also include pork, poultry, and seafood. There are veggies for grilling as well as steaming in foil packets, while starch offerings satisfy rice and noodle lovers alike. Cost-conscious value combos and happy hour deals stretch dining dollars whether you’re feeding two or a crowd. Whet your whistle with fun, fruity cocktails and Japanese beer on tap, or choose from a slate of sake.

Gyu King Teppanyaki $$$ 219-755 Burrard St. (enter off Alberni),

Downtown, 604-688-7050. Gyukingteppanyaki. com Japanese grill food: the real deal is the usuyaki, an all-you-can-eat lunch for $19.95 on weekdays ($21.95 on weekends). There’s edamame, salad, miso soup, seafood, chicken, beef, rice, and vegetables, with the chef cooking it up right in front of you. Evenings see a

At the crossroads of classic winemaking and California innovation lies Sonoma’s legendary La Crema. Long known for producing some of the finest Sonoma wines, La Crema’s Chardonnay and Pinot Noir set the bar for California’s

operated winery has focused exclusively on cool-climate coastal appellations, where grapes ripen slowly and develop complex flavours each possessing of a unique personality, consistent flavours and silky mouthfeel.

Like us on Facebook to receive recipe and pairing information. / L AC R E M AW I N E RY

Impress the tough to impress this season.

Can’t make it out to the winery?

Purchase online at cedarcreek.bc.ca cedarcreekwine | kelowna, b.c.

lacrema.com ©2015 La Crema, Windsor, CA

beloved coastal appellations. For more than 30 years, this family-owned and

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similar theme with the Chef Special Teppanyaki Course—it’s not all-you-can-eat, but the portions are large. Those who prefer à la carte can opt for ribeye or chicken teriyaki, or add sides such as foie gras, conch, or lobster.

as Kerrisdale denizens pack the small room for lunch and dinner. The menu moves beyond standard Japanese fare with izakaya offerings like tuna and salmon isobe age and asparagus beef. Check the specials menu.

‫ ۻ‬ $$ Various locations. Hapaizakaya.com Hapa

Japadog

blends casual Canada and young Tokyo to a soundtrack as modern and loud as the dark, super-cool room. Homesick ESL students and local foodies seek out and share home-run Japatapas like the negitoro, sweet spring onion mixed with roughly chopped tuna belly. Must-haves include the ika (a grilled whole squid marinated in sake, soy, and garlic), and the best-selling ebi mayo (deep-fried prawns slathered in a spicy drizzle).

want hot dogs with Japanese-inspired toppings and trimmings like bonito flakes, shredded seaweed, or miso mayo once had to make the pilgrimage to the little cart at Burrard and Smithe.

Now they can also go to an actual bricks-andmortar location at 530 Robson St. for the “Meat Lovers” (a pork sausage topped with a sauce of beef and pork meat, plus cheese) or Japanese ice cream (matcha, sesame) served in fried hot dog buns. A one-of-a-kind experience that no true Vancouverite can go without.

Hapa Izakaya

‫ ۻ‬ $ 203–1610 Robson St., West End, 604-633-1884.

Hida Takayama

C AT E GORY J A PAN A EM SEE H E RE

Hidatakayamaramen.com The place, in a kiosk on the upper level of the Robson Public Market, has a Dawn of the Dead vibe, but it also follows that ol’ cheap-eats dictum that the more fluorescent the lighting, the better the grub.

The thin but firm noodles, which maintain that all-important delicate snap, are made in-house, and the ratio of noodles to cha-shu is liberally calibrated. The broths go beyond the typical offerings and include natural rock salt (a clean, bright flavour), white sesame, and tomato. On fair days, retreat to the small outdoor terrace.

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka $ 1690 Robson St., Downtown, 604-681-8121.

Santouka.co.jp/en Ramen aficionados queue up at all hours for a bowl of noodle magic transplanted from Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido. Creamy pearl-coloured tonkotsu broth—deeply flavoured by slow-simmering pork bones for 20 hours before introducing additional ingredients—is the base for the shoyu, shio, miso, and kara miso (spicy soybean) soups. The real draw, though, is Santouka’s signature toroniku ramen: a jumble of toothsome noodles served with a full complement of condiments and tender, buttery slices of melt-inyour-mouth pork cheek. It’s usually elbow-toelbow in this pocket-sized eatery, but the close quarters detract little from a transcendent ramen experience.

Honjin Sushi $$ 138 Davie St., Yaletown, 604-688-8808.

Honjinsushi.com This city has no end of decent sushi restaurants, but for quality and value it’s hard to beat the Dinner Boat for two at Honjin. For less than $25 a person, you get two sunomono salads, two miso soups, 10 pieces of sashimi (tuna, salmon, red snapper, sweet shrimp, octopus), eight pieces of sushi (tuna, salmon, prawn, surf clam), tuna and salmon rolls, a plate of tempura, two deep-fried gyoza, two pieces of spicy deep-fried tofu, and four pieces of chicken karaage. ‫ ۻ‬ $$ 2260 W. 41st Ave., Kerrisdale, 604-266-9332.

Irashai Sushi

Sleek and polished, with dark wood accents, this neighbourhood restaurant has a community feel, with photos of sponsored little-league teams covering the walls. Seats are at a premium

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$ Various locations. Japadog.com Those who

runs through the fresh sheet, the room’s tone is more contemplative (read: less yelling). Buoyant, nutty buckwheat noodles—made in-house daily from organic grains—are spectacular, and reflect Japanese cuisine’s deep respect for simplicity and craft. (The noodle-cooking liquid is served as a surprisingly delicious broth.) When you order chilled sake (from the well-edited list), a glass is set within a wooden box and filled until it overflows—a beautiful grace note of generosity and hospitality. ‫ ۻ‬ $ 788 Denman St., West End, 604-682-7568.

Kintaro Ramen

The weekend queues at Vancouver’s definitive ramen house move quickly. Aim for a prime counter seat rather than one of the few tables if you’re interested in chef’s technique. The décor may be bare, but the flavours are decidedly not.

Cheap, delicious gyoza by the half-dozen are plumply satisfying, but the main event lies in Jinya Ramen Bar 2129 W. 41st Ave., Kerrisdale, 778-379-8889; 270 the restorative soups. The miso soup is a surefire Robson St., Downtown, 604-568-9711. Jinya-ra hangover solution, but any one of the shoyu or menbar.com Long lineups during prime dining shio broths is delicious. hours attest to the popularity of Jinya Ramen Bar’s west side outpost. Its warm, welcoming dé- Kishimoto cor is a sharp contrast to its spare, modern coun- $$ 2054 Commercial Dr., Commercial Drive, 604terpart on Robson Street. Pork, chicken, and 255-5550. Osaka-born Akira Kishimoto puts his vegetable broths are the base on which to build “eat with your eyes” philosophy on full display your slurptastic bowl. But the claim to fame at his spot on The Drive. The room’s décor is for this L.A.-based ramen chain is its tonkotsu clean and spare, placing the focus squarely on black ramen, so named for black garlic oil that Kishimoto’s artfully plated dishes. Sushi is playgives the broth its colour. Bump up your meal ful and creative—the Mamenoki Roll combines with nibbles that include takoyaki and Brussels edamame and avocado with carrots and cornsprouts tempura, or grab a chashu rice bowl if flakes for a textural counterpoint. Don’t overnoodles don’t pique your palate. look the donburi: exquisitely trimmed sashimi atop truly craveworthy chef’s special rice that incorporates shiitake mushrooms, sesame, shiKadoya $-$$ 1063 Davie St., West End, 604-608-1115. so, ginger, and pickled daikon.

Kadoya.ca A cosy little joint serving inventive sushi rolls. Try the coconut-sprinkled Snow Marulilu Cafe White Roll with shrimp tempura (but pass on $ 451 W. Broadway, South Cambie, 604-568-4211 the soy sauce; it ruins the delicate flavours), the It’s not a place you’d go on your anniversary, Rainbow Roll topped with colourful masago, or but despite its modest look and cafeteria-style the Stanley Park with yam, unagi tempura, and food, Marulilu offers some rare Japanese treats. green roe. Décor is minimal, though a wall of It’s one of the few places in town offering travisitors’ comment cards provides plenty to look ditional okonomi-yaki, a fried pancake of cabat (one haiku reads: “Tiny Kadoya / Your colour- bage, seafood, and egg topped with mayo, boful walls entice / Another fish dies”). nito flakes, and sweet sauce that is one of Japan’s favourite casual meals. Marulilu is also home ‫ ۻۻ‬ to yoshoku—essentially, Western food reinterKingyo $$ 871 Denman St., West End, 604-608-1677. preted for Japanese tastes. The results—such Kingyo-izakaya.ca This West End room sets as a delicious pork cutlet sandwich—still manthe standard for Japanese tapas with efficient, age to turn out distinctly Japanese. Go for the friendly service, sake-fuelled conviviality, and breakfast that comes with rice, scrambled eggs, a diverse menu of delicious small plates. The a piece of salmon, miso soup, and the choice of sleek space conjures romantic images of feudal tofu or natto.

Japan; the communal table at the centre is surrounded with green bamboo, creating a private Marutama Ramen space within a boisterous space. Go for grilled $ 780 Bidwell, St., West End, 604-688-8837. Japabeef tongue, chicken karaage with three types nesenoodle.com The first North American outof salt, vegetarian age-dashi tofu, and fresh as- post of this Japan-spawned mini-chain is not sorted sashimi artfully presented on a long shaft unlike many other ramen houses in the city: a of bamboo. small room, a small menu, raucous atmosphere, ridiculously happy servers. Where Marutama stands apart is in the bowl: unlike the porkKinome Japanese Kitchen $$$ 2511 W. Broadway, Kitsilano, 778-379- based broths found elsewhere, the specialty 1925. Facebook.com/kinomejapanesekitchen In here is a rich rendition made of chicken, rena city rife with Japanese restaurants, Kinome dered cloudy from the use of feet and abdomiuses local, sustainable, and wild ingredients to nal meat as well as bones. Aosa seaweed adds drive home a deeper sense of authenticity and saltiness, while options such as pork fillet, sea philosophy. While an izakaya-like playfulness lettuce, and/or a perfectly soft-boiled egg lend

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2229 Folkestone Way, West Vancouver, BC Reservations: 604.926.3212 www.salmonhouse.com

BRUNCH

Saturday & Sunday, 11:00 am – 2:30 pm

DINNER

Monday to Thursday, and Sunday, 5:00 pm – 9:30 pm Friday and Saturday, from 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm

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further flavour dimensions. Bring friends so you lights up his bar in dishes entitled Yellow Subcan sample various small plates such as grilled marine (a roll of mango, yellowtail, tobiko, and tempura with an edamame “telescope”) gyoza and marinated white radish. . and the Sushi Pocket (a choice of fillings enveloped in rice and a colourful soy sheet).

Menya $ 401 W. Broadway, South Cambie, 604-873-3277. The omakase menu of kaiseki dishes, which Menyaramen.com For when you don’t need gour- changes frequently, is masterfully delivered; met, but just a good bowl of ramen, Menya is the more conventional tuna sashimi, sunomono answer. This small restaurant feels like a little salads, and nom uni sushi are also amongst patch of Tokyo, except for the distinctive B.C. the city’s freshest. tree-stump stools. It specializes in tonkotsu ramen—the kind made by boiling pork bones into Osaka Teppanyaki a rich, almost milky broth. Nagasaki chanpon $$$-$$$$ 103–1788 W. Broadway, Kitsilano, 604is the deluxe bowl, with seafood, pork bits, and 733-8258. Osakavancouver.com Will teppanyaki more. enjoy a fondue-like comeback? Until that happens, Osaka is perfect for those holdouts who associate Japanese food with grilled meat. TepMiku $$-$$$ 70–200 Granville St., Downtown, 604- panyaki is fun—especially if you are expansive 568-3900. Mikurestaurant.com Miku introduced enough to order the Osaka special, with its cavaburi (flamed, seared) sushi—from the ancient alcade of flesh: steak, lobster tail, shrimp, scalcity of Hakata, now part of Fukuoka on the Japa- lops, and more. Or opt for the more traditional nese island of Kyushu—to Vancouver in 2008. filet mignon.

Seigo Nakamura, president of Tora Corporation, which owns a small chain of restaurants Pepper Lunch on Kyushu in addition to Yaletown’s Minami, $ 5951 No. 3 Rd., Richmond, 604-285-5933. Pep has translated it neatly into the Vancouver ver- perlunchcanada.com Since its founding in Japan nacular, in a room that’s slick and sleek, with in 1994, Pepper Lunch has expanded to more a wraparound patio that’s packed in summer. than 200 locations throughout Asia. This, its The must-order is aburi salmon oshi: distinc- first Canadian outlet, was bombarded from the tively vinegared pressed rice with two layers first day. Despite ostensibly serving fast food, of sockeye salmon, dabbed with mayonnaise, Pepper Lunch offers a much more sophisticatblowtorched, and finished with a ring of jala- ed experience A protein, rice, vegetables, and peño. There’s a short, well-chosen wine list, as optional accompaniments are brought to your well as a couple dozen sakes and some premium table (after you order from a counter just inside shochu. Service is affable, informed, and adept. the front door) in a sizzling iron pan heated to 260° C. Mix the ingredients with chopsticks until everything is cooked to your liking, then Minami $$-$$$ 1118 Mainland St., Yaletown, 604-685- consume the elegant mess with frenzied plea8080. Minamirestaurant.com A sweeping but sure. A hamburger steak served with a fried minimalist room (sister restaurant to Miku) egg, long beans, bean sprouts, and a “special” provides the setting for an elegant meal of flavoured margarine is an assemblage of humble aburi (flame seared) sushi, the centerpiece of components that becomes more than the sum of the menu. Start with a classic: aburi salmon its parts, especially when proprietary garlic-soy oshi sushi with pressed local salmon, jalapeño, and honey-brown sauces are liberally applied. and house sauce, before moving on to, say, the Minami roll with spicy prawn and cucumber Rajio Japanese Public House wrapped in short rib. A good wine list, elegant $-$$ 3763 W. 10th Ave., Point Grey, 604-558cocktails, and charming service make it a smart 1679. Rajiopublichouse.com This izakaya shares choice for a client lunch or an impressing-the- a similar quirkiness with older sibling Kingyo. in-laws date.

Adventurous eaters will be charmed by cartoon signage touting braised trotters as the ultimate ‫ ۻ‬ anti-aging food, “full of plumping collagen that Motomachi Shokudo $ 740 Denman St., West End, 604-609-0310. lift up your wrinkles.” But this tightly squeezed In contrast to the pork-based Tokyo-style ra- neighbourhood pub is more piglet than porky, men served at sister restaurant Kintaro Ramen, with a focus on tiny tapas plates and “kushikatchef-owner Daiji Matsubara takes a lighter, su” (deep-fried skewers). Try the curiously admore health-conscious approach here. Fla- dictive anchovy edamame, and chewy seared vour choices for the chicken-based broth are stingray fins. Both go down swell with draught threefold: miso, shio with all-natural import- Sapporo served in frozen glasses, or bottles of ed salt, and shoyu with unpasteurized raw soy wine priced only $10 above retail. Ebi mayo, sauce. The smoky flavour and dark grey colour chicken karaage, and other izakaya staples are of the charcoal miso ramen are derived from available, but the daily fresh sheet is a better bet. its namesake ingredient, a traditional Japanese ‫ ۻ‬ digestive supplement and toxin cleanser.

The Ramen Butcher $ 223 E. Georgia St., Chinatown, 604-806-4646.

Theramenbutcher.com When this tonkotsu-foOctopus’ Garden $$-$$$ 1995 Cornwall Ave., Kitsilano, 604-734- cused ramen shop first opened in Chinatown, 8971. Octopusgardensada.com With hundreds the lines were around the block. It’s the first of Japanese restaurants in Vancouver and the North American location for the huge Menya internationally celebrated Tojo’s just a few Koji Group, the noodles and gyoza are handmiles away, why the Garden? First, no dour made daily and the prices are low. That initial cut-man is head chef Sada San; his humour hysteria has died—it turns out our existing ra-

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men joints are pretty great, too—but the lack of a line doesn’t mean this spot isn’t worth a visit. The “classic” pork ramen is still best, and the okonomiyaki-flavoured gyoza is weird and wonderful. A pitcher of Sapporo is a bit of a bargain, too.

Ramen Koika $ 1231 Davie St., West End, 604-336-2779. Ra

menkoika.com Vancouver is, of course, not lacking for ramen houses, but Ramen Koika is the first to set down in Davie Village, a neighbourhood only beginning to enjoy options beyond fast food, pubs, and middling ethnic eateries.

It knows better than to deviate from the script: prices are low (most of the dozen-plus bowls are under $11), service is enthusiastic but blunt, and a consummate lack of atmosphere (not even music when we visited) encourages you to eat fast and get lost. We especially enjoyed Black Garlic Ramen: heady and complex but without overpowering garlic notes that outstay their welcome. Takoyaki (breaded, fried octopus balls) are an ideal bar snack—if only there were more than beer and one sake on offer.

RawBar at the Fairmont Pacific Rim $$-$$$ 1038 Canada Pl., Downtown, 604-6955300. Fairmont.com/pacificrim High-end Japanese restaurants have an inherently glamorous tension: the opulence amplifies and heightens the beautiful simplicity of the food. Tucked in a marble-clad corner of the Pacific Rim’s Lobby Lounge, RawBar ups the ante (and prices) by serving only 100-percent Ocean Wise sushi. Restrained embellishments bring dimension and sparkle to the fore: halibut tightened with a light pickling, sablefish made buttery with gentle grilling, raw scallops invigorated with a jolt of shiso. The real highlight, incongruous for a raw bar, is steamed-to-order Manila clams, their impeccable freshness deepened by the clean, resinous sweetness of Granville Island craft sake.

Give the room a pass on Friday and Saturday nights, when scene-making is at full volume.

Instead, come for a civilized lunch.

Sake Maki Japanese Restaurant $-$$ 1414 Commercial Dr., Commercial Drive,

604-568-3632.Sake-maki.ca Though the décor is best described as a not-so-chic Athensmeets-Osaka, Sake Maki is a notch above the myriad subpar sushi joints on the Drive. Taking top billing are the chef’s special sushi rolls: stick to savoury options like the Columbia, a B.C. roll tarted up with a topping of tuna tempura and tobiko. Sashimi and chirashi are fresh and well trimmed; cooked selections such as the Yuto hot pot and the karubi (barbecue beef short ribs) are solidly executed.

Shizen Ya $$ 985 Hornby St., Downtown, 604-568-0013; 1102

W. Broadway, Fairview, 604-569-3721. Shizenya.ca Finally, a restaurant that nails brown-rice sushi.

These two rooms offer plenty of vegetarian options, organic ingredients, Ocean Wise-approved seafood, signature rolls (like the Natural Bomber roll with whole-wheat-tempura prawn, fresh crab, organic avocado, cucumber, and housemade sweet sauce) and an excellent value lunch

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ANDREW QUERNER

Gyoza Bar + Ramen // pg.40

menu that includes a sushi-and-udon combo many years as an itamae at Shiro, refining his craft under one of Vancouver’s finest sushi with salad for $9.95. chefs. His own venture is an unassuming little spot; the nondescript location belies his precise, ShuRaku Sake Bar & Bistro $$ 833 Granville St., Downtown, 604-687-6622. traditional approach to Japanese cuisine. Both Shuraku.net Classically grounded Japanese fare the chef’s choice sashimi and the omakase are a set against the Granville Street vibe. The interior delicious adventure—Nagaya certainly doesn’t is all warmth and clean lines: dark, rustic wood disappoint with salmon toro nigiri, negitoro accented by a backlit washi paper wall and a gunkan topped with a quail egg, and expertly striking wave-formation sculpture. The menu trimmed hamachi toro sashimi. Kitsune udon focuses on izakaya-style small plates like barbe- hits the spot on a cold evening, and keep an eye cue back ribs—perhaps the best barbecue you’ll on the specials board. ever eat, succulent and fall-off-the-bone tender. ‫ ۻ‬ Pair inventive sushi creations and spectacularly Sushi Hachi fresh sashimi with a selection from the impres- $ 2245 W. 41st Ave., Kerrisdale, 604-263-1877. sive sake list.

In the 400-strong universe of Vancouver sushi restaurants, that means that not everyone can be Hidekazu Tojo. But what is needed day in, day Suika Snack Bar $$ 1626 W. Broadway, South Granville, 604-730- out, is a clean, well-lit place that serves sound 1678. Suika-snackbar.com Fun Japanese food fish at humane prices. In Kerrisdale, find Sufrom the people who operate the much-admired shi Hachi, where the menu runs to an inspired Kingyo in the West End. Suika takes more kooky green-bean tempura roll hiding among the stalchances and has more of a contemporary, party warts. Cut the sake off when the giant octopus atmosphere. Favourites include the Chinese mural on the wall recalls 20,000 Leagues Under poutine (topped with spicy ground pork sauce, the Sea. mozzarella, and chili oil), and corn kakiage (organic niblets fried with cilantro, soy sauce, and Temaki Sushi butter). Few items are above $15. $ 2–2156 W. Broadway, Kitsilano, 604-738-4321.

Temakisushi.ca It’s easy to dismiss Temaki as just another budget sushi joint along a beige retail Sushi By Yuji $-$$ 2252 Kingsway, Kingsway, 604-434-0033. strip. But chef-owner Hilary Nguy dispels the Facebook.com/sushibyyuji Yuji Nagaya spent notion that price-conscious necessitates com-

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promised quality, focusing on fresh seafood with an accent on presentation. Nigiri sushi ranges from $1.50 to $3, and the most elaborate sushi roll tops out at $13. Top picks include the Chef’s Roll, flavour-packed with mango, cucumber, tuna, and masago. ‫ ۻ‬ $$$$ 1133 W. Broadway, Fairview, 604-872-8050.

Tojo’s

Tojos.com Repeat winner of the Vancouver magazine award for Best Formal Japanese, Hidekazu Tojo has recited his brand of Japanese seafood haiku at his eponymous restaurant for more than 25 years. At the dramatic (and quiet) premises, signatures of albacore tuna tataki, baked sablefish, and sautéed halibut cheeks shine. A sake bar, omakase bar, and tatami rooms rim the room. Stars and moguls abound—bring money if you want to keep up. Sushi-bar stools are amongst the most coveted in town, and sushi is what Tojo is renowned for. But he works magic on the stovetop too: witness his smoked black cod in a slightly sweet broth, and sea urchin tongues baked au gratin with rich chunks of smoked sablefish, geoduck, and crab, brightened with fresh yuzu and served in the spiky urchin shell on a blanket of sea-salt snow. ‫ ۻ‬ $$-$$$ 181 E. 16th Ave., Mount Pleasant, 604-

Toshi Sushi

874-5173 Long lines don’t always deliver great food, but the folks prepared to hang out on the

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corner of Main and 16th know the wait for Toshi is worth it. Pristine fish—at a price point that won’t make your wallet bleed—is draped across well-seasoned, perfectly packed rice for excellent nigiri. The maki have a good ration of filling to rice—try the unusual box sushi, with its pressed combo of prawn, scallop, salmon, and a tiny sliver of lemon to brighten up your palate.

Cooked offerings are a must, including baked black cod and the addictive nasu dengaku (sweet miso-glazed Japanese eggplant). You’ll likely have to wait (for up to an hour), but your patience will be rewarded.

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$ 1333 Robson St., West End, 604-568-2998.

Cheap pitchers of Sapporo and Okanagan Spring Pale Ale draw crowds of students to this laid-back izakaya for after-school snacks and camaraderie. Food is served in the traditional small-plates style, and many dishes come divided into five—consider yourself warned if you show up with an even-numbered party. Elegantly presented salmon sashimi melts in the mouth and offers a lighter alternative to the plethora of fried items. Try the Russian Roulette Takoyaki (bite-sized balls of fried octopus topped with a sweet sauce and fish flakes) for a spicy surprise, but be sure to have a fresh pint on hand.

O5 Tea

Yuji’s From Japan

‫ۻ‬ $ Various locations. Zakkushi.com Charcoal-

Zakkushi Charcoal Grill Diner

grilled meat on sticks is what it’s all about at this tiny, charming yakitori-ya, warm and rustic in its simplicity. Umeshiso tsukune (minced chicken topped with shiso leaves, sour plum and Japanese basil) and pork mé maki (garlic bolts wrapped with thinly sliced pork) are two of the best. A steady stream of students, tourists, and locals keep both locations hopping. ‫ۻۻ‬ $-$$ 2775 W. 16th Ave., Kitsilano, 604-731-9378.

Zest Japanese Cuisine

Zestjapanese.com With a dearth of restaurants along the W. 16th corridor, evenings often find Zest filled to capacity with well-heeled West Siders and Japanese expats. The understated, serene aesthetic marries spare Japanese elegance with organic West Coast elements. Menu items are a mix of the traditional and the adventurous, and presentation is decidedly modern. Gomaae tofu agedashi is a combination of seasonal vegetables and tofu, deep-fried and served in a dashi stock. Carpaccio duck is maple-roasted and in-

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Turn a New Leaf Tea tends to be given short shrift in this coffeeobsessed town. One of these unconventional brews could make you a convert Balhyocha Noeul

This oolong from South Korea’s Gyeongsangnam region is only produced in one 30-kilogram micro-batch each year.

Steep lightly and often, and enjoy the increasingly prominent notes of cacao and honey that balance the deep charred-oak taste. O5 Tea 2208 W. 4th Ave., Kitsilano, 604-558-0500. O5tea.com Organic Yuki Matcha

afternoon (in a good way, natch). Find it at Vancouver’s tiniest tea shop, inside Donald’s Market. Steam Tea House 2342 E. Hastings St., East Side, 778-877-7553.

Steamtea.ca Pu-Erh Prestige

Taste your way through the full Pu-Erh line (vintage and non-vintage) for a proper comparison, then go with this nonvintage long-leaf variety, which only uses leaves picked from the top of the plant. Its long, subtle scent and dark, earthy palate make for a deeply satisfying quaff on a blustery day. The Urban Tea Merchant 1070 W. Georgia St., Downtown, 604-6920071. Urbantea.com

Full props to the Tsuen family from Kyoto, who have been producing this traditional stone-ground tea since 1160.

(That’s not a misprint.) The vivid, almost neon-green powder transforms into a rich, foam-topped pour that needs no accompaniment other than the cup. ShakTea 3702 Main St., Main Street, 604-873- CBC Radio 60th Anniversary Blend 5151. Shaktea.ca Because, duh: CBC. For those who have trouble deciding, this is a politically correct mix of Ceylon and China black, Bourbon Vanilla Rooibos Okay, it’s technically not a tea. But, hey, along with jasmine green and a slight dolwe’re suckers for a rubbed vanilla rooibos lop of lemon bitterness. Murchie’s Multithat smells like a distillery on a Friday ple locations. Murchies.com

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DAVID STRONGMAN

$-$$ 2083 Alma St., Point Grey, 604-428-4688.

Yujis.ca Kits residents who lamented the closure of Yuji Otsuka’s spot on West Fourth are flocking to his Alma Street restaurant, a friendly neighbourhood space for expertly crafted sushi and creative izakaya-style dishes. Sushi or sashimi omakase is a must; Otsuka meticulously presents skillfully trimmed pieces of raw fish as works of delicate art. Maguro mari-ne is chunks of albacore tuna served with a spicy chili sauce.

Whimsical savoury standouts include cornflake-crusted deep-fried prawns, miso-baked eggplant with mozzarella, and spicy curry calamari with kale tempura. Japanese beer and premium sake, together with a well-curated wine list, offers ample choice for serious sipping.

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‫ ۻ‬ $$ 867 Denman St., 604-632-0022; 770 Bute St.,

Damso Modern Korean Cuisin

604-806-0945. The big, easy flavors of Korean cooking have been enthusiastically embraced

by North American chefs, sometimes sloppily so. What makes Damso a perennial favourite is the focus and subtlety with which Korean and Western influences are remixed. Korean tacos are underpinned by the lovely tug and chew of hand-pulled tortillas, while a filling of 18-hour sous-vide beef tongue balances tender meatiness against the fresh brightness of scallion and pickled radish. Korean fried chicken is the ideal marriage of succulent, crackling-crusted thigh meat and sweet/spicy/pungent sauce—perfect with icy Korean beer. Late-night dining evokes the same timelessness of a classic diner: sitting by the window, watching people walk by, winding down the evening’s adventures with friends.

Jang Mo Jib

$$ Various locations. Jangmojib.ca Jang Mo Jib’s downtown location is popular with ESL stu-

PAN ASIAN Bambudda $$$ 99 Powell St., Gastown, 604-428-0301. Bam

budda.ca Proprietor Ray Loy—whose front-ofhouse résumé includes C, Bacchus, and Shangri-La’s Market—marries sophisticated glamour and an ambitious cocktail program with a menu that smartly executes Chinese classics. Go for excellent pork dumplings, then step up to roasted cod fillet with crispy oysters and lemongrasslime cream. The fantastically louche cocktails are smartly balanced and well constructed. The décor is ambitiously elegant, and the service is equally on point.

Bao Down $ 12 Powell St., Gastown, 778-379-3611. Bao

down.ninja In a city that seemingly can never spawn (nor ingest) enough iterations of Asian street food, the only questionable aspect of Bao Down is why no one thought to do it sooner. The quick-service eatery specializes in myriad unconventional renditions of the bao—essentially, an Asian variant of the soft taco in which a pliant, lightly sweet steamed “bun” (actually more of a disc) stands in for a tortilla. The fillings here buck tradition in consistently delicious ways; we were especially taken with Two Worlds Collide, in which a duo of pork belly (one braised and tender, the other crisp-skinned) mingles with jalapeño, scallions, and the Korean fermentedchili condiment gochujang. Baos and sides top out at $6, while more substantial “street sandwiches” are $10 to $12.

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fused with an aromatic black-sesame balsamic. dents looking to soak up the night’s drinking with rib-sticking Korean fare. Every country has “Tuna in Three Ways” is the must-order item. its dumplings, and goon mahn doo, pan-fried and filled with ground pork and scallions, are Zipang Provisions $$ 3068 Main St., South Main, 604-428-5700. Korea’s. Jab che is a delicious tangle of transluZipangpro.com While the creative, modern su- cent sweet-potato noodles seasoned with sesashi rolls bring a touch of whimsy (try the cute me and tossed with shiitake mushrooms, juliCaterpillar, with BBQ eel, cucumber, and avo- enned carrots, spinach, and thinly sliced beef. cado), the quality of the classic rolls has created For a starch fix, dol sot bee bim bahb is a spicy a loyal following. The cooked food, however, jumble of preserved vegetables, beef, a fried egg, is where Zipang distinguishes itself: the sweet and house-made hot chili paste on steamed rice silkiness of the nasudengaku (miso grilled egg- that crisps in a hot stone bowl. plant); okonomiyaki (Japanese pizza); grilled kama (fish collars), and made-to-order chawa- Kobob Burger nmushi. For a different take, try the inventive $ 1019 Main St., Chinatown, 604-569-3939. salads—tofu and bacon or the gingery pork Facebook.com/kobob.burger It shouldn’t work, shabu-shabu. There are also decent sake and but it does—to a ridiculous degree: a selection shochu lists, as well as a few Asian-influenced of meats and vegetables sandwiched between cocktails. Lunch on weekends only. nori-flecked “buns” of pressed rice. What they lack in neatness (help yourself to many napkins; you’ll need them) they make up with some of the most unique flavour collisions to be found for less than 10 dollars. (Add kimK O RE A N chi, cheese, avocado, or a fried egg for even more eye-rolling pleasure.) Seafood-stuffed Book Kyung Ban Jeom $-$$ 1638 Robson St., West End, 604-629-8822. Korean pancakes and spicy “ramyeon” with Expanded to include a karaoke room, this oth- shrimp dumplings and are also bargain-priced erwise tiny restaurant boasts some of the best winners, but the namesake attraction is why Korean-Chinese food in the downtown core: so many have quickly become regulars at this the hearty ja jang-myun (noodles in black bean diminutive storefront. Seating is extremely sauce with ground beef and vegetables) is a bar- limited, but take your order to go—you have gain; the jam-bong (seafood noodle soup) has too much dignity to be seen acting so gluttona spicy kick. Points off for inconsistent service ous in public. (spotted: server with lollipop in mouth), but the free side dishes, including pickled radishes and Seoul Dookbaegi kimchi, are a tasty bonus. $$ 1031 Kingsway, Kingsway, 604-879-1515.

Large communal tables bespeak the popularity of this casual spot for family dining. Tuck into Cho Sun BBQ Korean Restaurant $ 3486 Kingsway, East Side, 604-434-1222. Cho a bowl of kimchi jigae: kimchi stew with pork sunkoreanbbqvancouver.com Loud, lively chat- and vegetables served bubbling on a burner. ter is the backdrop as large groups of Korean Haemool pajun is the Korean equivalent of okoexpats and like-minded carnivores gather for nomiyaki, a golden pancake of assorted seafood survival-of-the-fittest eating. Tabletop grills are crisp-fried but tender on the inside. Served sizhot and portions generous, so bring your ap- zling on a cast-iron platter, jeyuk bokum is pork petite. Lead with sushi, but don’t fill up on the and vegetables stir-fried in a spicy sauce. A Cass side dishes of panchan that accompany your Korean beer will help douse the flames your meal—instead, enlist a friend to help you tackle feast is sure to stoke. the spicy seafood and vegetable soup for two.

RE STA U RAN TS

Café Kathmandu

$$-$$$ 2779 Commercial Dr., Commercial Drive, 604-879-9909. Cafekathmandu.com Abi Sharma is a charming guide to Nepalese cuisine and culture, welcoming guests to this soothing room.

The menu reflects Nepal’s multi-ethnicity and influences from neighbouring China, India, and Tibet. Bhatmaas is a surprise for the palate: crunchy toasted soybeans quick-fried with minced ginger, garlic, and chilies and tossed with cilantro. Main dishes are a variety of curries, more delicate than Sura Korean their Indian counterparts. Khasiko maasu is goat Royal Cuisine $-$$$ 1518 Robson St., West End, 604-687-7872; meat simmered until tender in a rich curry, and 4151 Hazelbridge Way, Aberdeen Centre, Rich- kaauli is an earthy dish of turmeric-infused caumond, 604-370-5540. Surakoreancuisine.com liflower with fenugreek potatoes. Finish off your Unlike the city’s many student-targeted Ko- meal with a steaming cup of Nepali chiya (chai). rean restaurants, Sura takes an uncommonly refined approach, presenting more finely tuned Laksa King flavours in elegant surroundings. Little side $ 2546 E. Hastings St., East Side, 604-428-0155. dishes (banchan) are a good indicator of the Laksaking.com Though the menu expertly trakitchen’s conscientiousness, and here they’re verses Malaysian, Singaporean, and Thai cuiwell thought out and unusual (spicy deep-fried sines, it’s the Burmese dishes that are the stars. burdock root, for example). Barbecue galbi The fermented tea leaf salad (lahpet thoke) is a beef ribs are classically cut, the meat unfurling buzzy mix of pungent tea leaves, tomatoes, fried from the rib bone to deliver a more open and garlic, crispy lentils, and cabbage tossed with a tender grain. Bossam pork belly may omit the spicy-sharp lime dressing. The intensely satistraditional chopped oysters, but the marriage fying mohinga (the national dish of Burma), a of meaty pork, kimchi funk, and braised napa heady mixture of slow-simmered fish stock, garcabbage is spot-on. Set lunches are an excep- lic, ginger, lemongrass, tender banana stems, and tional deal, featuring 13 to 15 dishes that man- noodles, evokes the rich flavours of old Rangoon. age to strike a balance between gluttony and delicacy. (Note: The Richmond location fea- The Noodle Box tures tabletop grills and can more easily handle $$ Various locations. Noodlebox.net This Southlarge groups.) east Asian noodle house hips it up with high

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ceilings, cool music, and a straightforward, one-dimensional food concept: fast, flavour-forward noodles served in classic Chinese takeout boxes. The soy- and ginger-washed egg noodles with roasted peanuts and prawns (Thai chow mein) is just one of many variations. Stay in or take away; you’ll likely return even if the wokhandlers failed remedial spice school (medium means incandescent here).

P O R T U G UE SE Casa Verde $$ 3532 Commercial St., Commercial Drive,

C AT E PGORY U B & LNOU A MNEGE H E RE

604-876-7647. Casaverdevancouver.com Walk through the door on any given evening and you’ll find the room abuzz with lively Portuguese conversation as families gather. Try the lulas grelhadas for a meal opener, beautifully tender squid that is first grilled and then panfried in garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice. Refreshing vinho verde accompanies the carne de porco alentejana, a mélange of pan-fried marinated pork cubes, chouriço slices, and steamed clams tossed together in a garlicky house sauce and, like Portuguese poutine, ladled over a rumpus of housemade fries.

P U B & L OUNGE ‫ ۻ‬ $$ 157 Alexander St., Gastown, 604-623-3383.

Alibi Room

Alibi.ca The two-level space is a clean treatise on the joys of craft beer with a well-pedigreed chef—Greg Armstrong, formerly of Habit Lounge—backing it up (try his smoked trout pâté and his mountainous, beer-friendly juicy beast of a burger spiced with smoked onion mayo). There are close to 50 beers on offer, over half of them local craft creations. Prices can be as low as $3 for a small glass and as high as $25 for some rare bottles. If you can’t decide, go for the Frat Bat Sampler, a quartet of small sleeves.

Belgard Kitchen $-$$ 55 Dunlevy Ave., Railtown, 604-699-1989.

Belgardkitchen.com The formerly cavernous Vancouver Urban Winery has been rebranded as the Settlement Building and carved up into a number of duchies—including Postmark Brewing—but its anchor is Belgard Kitchen, set up smack in the middle of it all. The ceilings still soar, but it now feels infinitely more welcoming and alive, and the tight menu of share plates (charcuterie, salads, bacon-wrapped dates, meatballs) is in sync with the relaxed vibe. Wine remains a justifiably major draw, and if you can’t find something on tap here that suits your taste, you probably should get over yourself. Lunch Monday to Friday; brunch on weekends.

Biercraft $$ Various locations. Biercraft.com Vancouver is

blessed by the number and quality of its artisan beer temples. Many make a virtue of the local; when your thirst feels like roaming, though, you want Biercraft. These twin towers of Belgian beership are long on exotic brews, shorter

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on food. (The dinner menu has around a halfdozen solid mains; the tapas menu is stronger, with a focus on mussels and shareables like wings.) No matter how feverish you can get on yeast strains, seek counsel from the staff. Not only will you learn about obscure breweries and glass etiquette, you’ll glean the night’s cask special and guest beers on tap.

Chill Winston Restaurant & Lounge

Chaise

Dockside

$$ 4444 Main St., South Main, 604-874-7114.

$$$ 1253 Johnston St., Granville Island, 604685-7070. Docksidevancouver.com. This hotel restaurant pulls off some fine food to go with its great Granville Island setting and renovated mega-patio—featuring love seats and sectionals for pre- and post-dinner lounging. Kudos for use of responsible Ocean Wise-sourced seafood. The wine list, though not long, has some thoughtful selections and the service is certainly friendly. But the yacht-side location, with seating now extending to pier’s edge and views over Yaletown’s towers, is inarguably the selling feature.

$-$$ 3 Alexander St., Gastown, 604-288-9575.

Chillwinston.ca When warm weather hits, the hipster party spills onto the streetside patio at Chill Winston—ensconced at Gastown’s cobblestoned crossroads, it boasts one of the city’s liveliest spots for al fresco dining. The vibe is decidedly cool and sexy, and the menu is built around well-priced shared plates of seasonally Bitter $$ 16 W. Hastings, Gastown, 604-558-4658. Bit changing comfort food. tertastingroom.com Sean Heather (Shebeen, Salt, and more) beefs up his brand with Bitter, Colony a minimalist, buzzy beer temple on a still-dicey $ 3255 W. Broadway, Kitsilano, 604-559-6070. stretch of Hastings. The painstakingly curated Colonykits.com This rustic-modern room is hip beer selection spans obscure labels from B.C. but homey, mixing the usual wood tabletops, to New York to Belgium, priced from as little as exposed beams, and industrial-cool seating $6.50 all the way into the high 30s. Choose a with plenty of personal character. The fare that busy night (quiet ones feel like café study time), accompanies the mostly local beer selection ofand sample the kitchen’s snack menu: Scotch fers pleasantly inventive twists on classic pub egg, charcuterie, a pulled-pork sandwich—ev- dishes: beer-battered lemon-pepper fries (from erything that encourages another round. the “Fry Bar” section of the menu); pulledchicken tacos; prawn and pesto flatbread. The burgers are cumbersome, but worth the mess— The Blackbird $$-$$$ 905 Dunsmuir St., Downtown, 604-899- elevated variations on the classic cheeseburger 4456. Donnellygroup.ca/the-blackbird The Don- (though that’s there, too) upgrade juicy patties nelly Group’s ever-growing empire of night- with additions like parmesan aioli and cilantroclubs, bars, and dining rooms reaches a new sesame slaw. level of sophistication with this mecca for afterwork tie-loosening. Although very much “come Craft Beer Market as you are,” the attractive two-level establish- $$ 85 W. First Ave., Olympic Village, 604-709ment aspires to a comparatively refined experi- 2337. Craftbeermarket.ca The long-vacant Salt ence. A diverse but not unwieldy menu runs the Building had finally been brought back to life: an gamut from appetizers such as meat and cheese Olympic Village-speed sports bar with a heavy boards plus a dozen kinds of chicken wings, to emphasis on artisanal suds, which translates mains including a house-ground burger, steak into plenty of room (400 seats, but still beware frites, and bangers and mash. Nothing is tran- weekend lineups), TVs on mute, and chat-comscendent, but neither is anything not solid; if, patible music from the ’80s and ’90s. The food is like most of the clientele, you’ve come with a titch above pub fare, with burgers and smallish friends and colleagues to unwind and avail flatbreads for dudes and (warning: messy) letyourself of the vast scotch and beer selections, tuce wraps for the ladies, but you’re not here for you might even be pleasantly surprised. nachos (served here on a cask lid). You’re here for the beers—140 on tap, not a bottle in sight.

Stick to the 13 rotating taps, or hit up Cask TuesBurrard Bridge days, starting at 4 p.m.

Marine Bar & Grill $$ 1012 Beach Ave. (under the Burrard Street Bridge), West End, 604-676-2337. Burrard The Diamond bridge.com The former Fiddlehead Joe’s loca- $$ 6 Powell St., Gastown. Di6mond.com With a tion now flies the Jolly Roger. This revamped bird’s-eye view of Maple Tree Square, this hisFalse Creek spot, known as the Pirate Pub, toric space boasts a stylish ease, with a striksets sail with the requisite nautical bric-à-brac, ing glass chandelier offsetting the well-worn comely wraparound patio, and galley stocked charm of exposed brick walls. The impressive with Ocean Wise seafood. Try Whistler Lager- yet modestly priced cocktail list draws its inbattered fish and chips or an oyster po’ boy spiration from the Prohibition era, offering over 20-ounce pints of local brews. The list of a modern take on traditional drinks. A tight rum cocktails will keep you yo-ho-ho-ing into menu card (ceviche, charcuterie, a big ol’ Cuthe wee hours. ban sandwich) is consistently affordable.

Chaiseonmain.com This SoMa watering hole continues to evolve right along with the neighbourhood. Remaining bits of street art and velvet wallpaper accent a sleek and comfy dining room serving juicy, cheap-for-Vancouver, big-asyour-head burgers (try the pirogi burger—yes, it’s what you think), a surprisingly decent house salad, and laudable pub standards (perfect yam fries, pint-worthy wings). Bar-side, find good crafts on tap and a handful of great hockey-game perches, or hit the street-side patio for the new weekend brunch.

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Banana Leaf W W W

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B A N A N A L E A F

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C O M

Come experience the best that Malaysian cuisine has to offer: A display of diversity with culinary inspiration from the crossroads of Asia.

THAI RESTAU RANT ( on Burrard)

Immerse yourself in the great tradition of classic and authentic Thai dining.

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PER PERSON. MINIMUM

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Catering, Take-out and Delivery orders available.

Fully Licensed.

Semi-Private & Private Room Booking Options.

102-888 Burrard Street | 604.683.7999 | salathai.ca Friday-Saturday 11:30am-10:30pm Sunday-Thursday 11:30am-10:00pm

www.chefhungnoodle.com Aberdeen Store: 2800-4151 Hazelbridge Way, Richmond, BC T 604.295.9357 Ambleside Store: 1560 Marine Drive, West Vancouver, BC T 778.279.8822 UBC Wesbrook Store: 102-3313 Shrum Lane, Vancouver, BC T 604.228.8765

Multi-Award-Winning Restaurants, 5 Locations To Serve You. 820 W. Broadway 3005 W. Broadway 1096 Denman St. 1043 Davie St. 1779 Robson St. 6 0 4 - 7 3 1 - 6 3 3 3 6 0 4 - 7 3 4 - 3 0 0 5 6 0 4 - 6 8 3 - 3 3 3 3 604-669-3389 604-569-3363

Beach Bay Café and Patio // pg.20

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Eight ½

The Narrow Lounge

$$ 151 E. Eighth Ave., South Main, 604-568–

$ 1898 Main St., South Main, 778-737-5206.

Jericho Sailing Centre

LUIS VALDIZON

$-$$ 1300 Discovery St., Point Grey, 604-2221331. Thegalley.ca A short walk west along the beach from the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club— but infinitely more affordable and less exclusive—is the Jericho Sailing Centre and its nifty patio/eatery, The Galley. Whether the salt on your brow is from ocean spray, disc sports, or desk toil, everyone lays equal claim to a frontrow seat for the glorious 180-plus-degree view of downtown and the North Shore. Order good honest clubhouse food with a fresh version of the “beer and burger” standard; the Galley Patio Lager is made just for them by R&B Brewing Co. and their premier burger is natural beef.

Lion’s Pub $$ 888 W. Cordova St., Coal Harbour, 604-4888602. Lionspub.ca Expat Brits steer here for well-made fish and chips and bangers and mash.

Nine big screens and a great selection of beers (28 on tap), whiskeys, and (surprise) martinis make this a hit with the after-work crowd.

Local Public Eatery

$$ 2210 Cornwall Ave., Kitsilano, 604-734-3589.

Localpubliceatery.com All the action faces the open garage-style glass doors and 100-seat patio set against picturesque Kits Beach. Attractive barkeeps serve cocktails and 18 types of ice-cold draft from a huge inside-outside oval bar that dominates a room boasting TVs hanging from evThe Greedy Pig $$ 307 W. Cordova St., Gastown, 604-669-4991. ery inch of the exposed-brick walls. The kitchen Thegreedypig.ca A cozy, dark space with a long, cranks out requisite pub fare from an open kitchsocial bar and all manner of interesting nooks. en—and does it well. Solid weekend brunch.

Wine, cheese, and charcuterie bolster a short menu filled with sandwiches, pot pies, mac and Malt + Marrow cheese, meatloaf, and other comfort foods. (The $$ 1269 Hamilton St., Yaletown, 778-379-6678. kitchen is the size of a phone booth.) The bar pro- Maltandmarrow.com If this room near the bitter gram is short and simple, but the cocktails are end of Yaletown doesn’t succeed, it won’t be for first-rate, developed as they were by Nick Devine, lack of trying. The menu is a case study in ofa Vancouver magazine Bartender of the Year. fering it all: “M&M Pierogis” (don’t worry, it’s a visual thing), wonton soup, seafood pasta and, ‫ ۻ‬ as promised, bone marrow are all on offer. If you The Heatley $-$$ 696 E. Hastings St., Strathcona, 604-336- can’t find something that at least sounds good, 3958. Facebook.com/theheatley Finally, Vancou- you aren’t looking hard enough. As for the malt ver’s oldest neighbourhood finally gets a decent part of the equation, there are nine rotating taps pub to feed its increasingly gentrified yet still of craft beef on offer, and though the much-lessgritty working-class soul. Decked out with com- than-a pint pours won’t win over the thrifty, the munal banjos and guitars and a vintage juke- well-priced selection of scotches and bourbons box, the vibe is laid-back and lively. Take the evens things out nicely.

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Narrowlounge.com Call it a modern-day speakeasy. There’s sometimes a sandwich board advertising its location, sometimes not, but look for a red light bulb above an unmarked door— when the room is open, it’s lit. The interior feels like a gutted-out shipping container designed

by David Lynch, with antlers and an axe on the wall and The Smiths cranked up. With just 30 seats, the room threatens to burst most nights with Main Streeters throwing back pints of R&B stout and shots of bourbon. You could order from the edited menu of comfort-food faves (mac ’n’ cheese, fish tacos, nachos), but this is a watering hole of the first order.

The Oakwood Canadian Bistro $$ 2741 W. Fourth Ave., Kitsilano, 604-5581965. Theoakwood.ca Chef Ryan Murphy turns out elevated comfort food like crispy pork belly with pan-fried calimari, wild salmon in smoked oyster cream, and even decadent starters like the “all-Canadian” poutine (served with slabs of brisket and so much gravy it verges on soup territory). The pretty interior is one strategically placed canoe away from being a Roots store—all exposed brick and rough-hewn wood.

PGORY U B & LNOU C AT E A MNEGE H E RE

kids for hot dogs and a jam session, or stop in after work for craft beer and baked wings. Live 2703. Eightandahalf.ca This is one of those cute acoustic sets and DJ nights lure cool cats from neighbourhood pubs that makes you think, across town. A lack of deep fryers keeps the clasWhy don’t I come here more often? Nestled in sic pub grub relatively healthy. a heritage building on Eighth, half a block off ‫ ۻ‬ Main (hence the name), it’s staked a claim in Irish Heather Mount Pleasant with unpretentious, carefully $$ 212 Carrall St., Gastown, 604-688-9779. prepped food. Menu selections are of the free- Irishheather.com Old Gastown brick lines one range, organic, or Ocean Wise variety. Delec- side of the elongated room, while hammered table mini perogies come with ancho-chipotle copper lines the other. Silver chairs sit on hardsauce, sour cream, and chorizo from D-Origi- wood floors made from old Guinness vats, and nal Sausage Co. Along with a stellar beer selec- vintage Irish posters bring splashes of colour. tion, the drink list includes handmade cocktails. Chef Brendan O’Dowda keeps the menu rooted in authentic gastropub territory, with steakand-Guinness pot pies and juicy bangers. Too Falconetti’s $$ 1812 Commercial Dr., Commercial Drive, 604- many beers and whiskeys to count.

251-7287. Falconettis.com Two words: killer sausages. The kind that are housemade, nestled Jackalope’s Neighbourhood Dive into pillowy buns, and buttressed with sautéed $ 2257 E. Hastings, East Side, 604-568-6674. Jack peppers and sauce. The narrow room, often alopesdive.com Though the room has been hastiroaring with live music, bursts at the seams; the ly decorated (perhaps by a 15-year-old goth girl) upstairs patio (with beautiful views of the city with black paint, taxidermy rabbits, and Iron skyline) offers welcome respite.

Maiden plaques, Jackalope is well-trafficked by the growing numbers who have migrated to the reasonable rents of Hastings-Sunrise. It’s worth The Five Point $-$$ 3124 Main St., South Main, 604-876-5810. a visit simply to take in the fascinating/horriThefivepoint.com Like any good neighbourhood fying fashion-models-with-dog-heads collage pub, the Five Point is a melting pot, a collegial that plasters the bathroom wall, but you may mix of hipster, jocks, and old-timers enjoying as well stay for a cheap-and-cheerful meal, too. sleeves of Guinness and weekday specials. The The vaguely Southern-inspired menu is full of tuna bites with sesame-ginger aioli are worth a hearty comfort food staples—grits and roasted trip. Excellent value, and the patio is prime for veggies smothered in mushroom gravy, forktender beef brisket, crispy fried chicken—and people watching. the beer list features a decent selection from Phillips Brewing and beyond.

The Galley at the

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The Parlour $$-$$$ 1011 Hamilton Street, Yaletown, 604-5683322. Theparlourrestaurants.com Cactus Club Cafe alumni Sean and Chris Holland, along with La Bodega’s Paul Rivas, pooled their collective industry expertise to launch this Yaletown hotspot. Pizza is the house specialty—certainly not authentic, even the menu boldly declares “Not From Naples—but tasty nonetheless with an inventive slate of toppings.” Case in point: the Yaletown pie, with albacore tuna, red and green onion, avocado, cilantro, and spicy aioli.

Small plates are hit-and-miss, but stacked short ribs in a hoisin and tamarind marinade earn a thumbs-up. Seven craft beers on tap and a lineup of cocktails lubricate any evening’s festivities. Raucous and packed to the gills on Friweekend nights; more chill during the week.

The Pint Public House

$ 455 Abbott St., Gastown, 604-684-0258.

Thepint.ca At times, the Pint feels like a caricature of a pub—they serve up beer in 20-ounce glasses; there are 40 flavours of chicken wings; the $10 “Hangover Brunch” is served up every weekend. It’s not surprising to find the space packed with college kids, crowded around high tables, boot-shaped glasses in hand, drawn by its friendly vibe, fair pricing ($4 drink specials almost every day), and reassuring predictability (hockey games, vaguely Irish wall art, etc). But a bar-themed bar certainly has its charms when only a cold mug of Red Truck in a dark room will do. Grab a spot by the garage-style doors on a sunny afternoon and stay a while.

The Portside Pub $ 7 Alexander St., Gastown, 605-559-6333.

Theportsidepub.com Formerly a nightclub, the strobe lights and bottle service have been swapped for live bands and craft beer, turning this unique Gastown space into a bustling East

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Coast-inspired pub. VIP booths are gone, and in their place sit unfinished wooden beams and nautical accessories. The formula seems to be working, as weekend lines stretch down the block and both pints and seats are full during the week. Many of Canada’s best beers can be found on tap, as well as hard-to-find Belgian ales. Also unique to Portside is their quasi-concession stand in the basement of the bar, serving up shareable as well as solo-worthy snacks.

Revel Room $$ 238 Abbott St., Gastown, 604-687-4088. Rev

C AT E PGORY U B & LNOU A MNEGE H E RE

elroom.ca A casual lounge that specializes in the convivial sip and nibble. The renovated heritage space features exposed brick walls illuminated by funky lighting, hightop tables downstairs, and more intimate areas in the loft above. Plates fly out of the kitchen as late as 1:30 and sturdy libations flow until 2:00—when they serve warm chocolate chip cookies as a parting gift. Sweettea-marinated fried chicken and a short-rib sandwich with onion horseradish purée are hits on a menu that features wide-ranging global influences.

Romer’s Burger Bar $$ Various locations. Romersburgerbar.com Almost a dozen creative burgers—all made with organic, fresh-ground B.C. beef—are the main draw here. Keep it classic with the Man’s Man (maplesmoked bacon, amber ale cheddar, onion strings) or go relatively lighter with free-range turkey and avocado. Vegetarians are looked after: a “KeenWa” patty can be substituted for any burger. A good variety of share plates and snacks makes bellying up to the bar for local pints an attractive option.

Shamrock Alley $$ 102–1184 Denman St., West End, 604-4284414, Shamrockalley.ca All things Irish prevail at this beachside pub in the heart of English Bay. With an unbeatable location and a menu filled with pub classics, Shamrock Alley is surprisingly accommodating to large party drop-ins and dog-walking passersby. Can’t find a spot on the patio? Not to worry—the large garage-style windows open up all the way so that everyone can admire Sunset Beach. The popular chicken pot pie topped with rich puff pastry will fill your belly and provide a cushion for that second pint.

Splitz Grill $ 4242 Main St., South Main, 604-875-9711.

Splitzgrill.com The mountain-sized burgers are legendary in Whistler, and the Vancouver joint also draws steady crowds for its home-cut fries, whopping banana splits, and meat bombs the size of five-pin bowling balls. Customize your burger (beef, chicken, lamb, spicy lentil, or wild sockeye salmon) or Bavarian smokie with everything from salsa and baba ganoush to sauerkraut and banana peppers. The service is friendly, the shakes are thick, and the game’s usually on.

St. Augustine’s $$ 2360 Commercial Dr., Commercial Drive, 604-

569-1911. Staugustinesvancouver.com A destination for the legions of craft beer lovers. The staggering selection of 60 microbrews on tap rotates weekly to emphasize freshness. Head

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over on Cask Night Mondays and sample rare Tap and Barrel specialty brews. Food is decent, but you’re here $$ Various locations. Tapandbarrel.com At first for the beer. blush this spot looks like another outpost of an upscale casual chain (red umbrellas, hostess station), but on closer inspection there’s much more The Stable House Bistro $$ 1520 W. 13th Ave., South Granville, 604-736- on offer. Like, at the Olympic Village location, 1520. Thestablehouse.ca Watching this off- two enormous False Creek-facing patios so large Granville spot evolve has been a pleasure. Small they dwarf the interior space. Like the taps— (40 seats, half at the bar), atmospheric, long on seemingly endless rows dispensing a rogue’s galcharcuterie and wine—it’s been a bright light lery of pretty much every available local brew. on a somewhat dim stretch, and has only grown Like the two-footed jump into the nascent trend more luminous with the addition of chef Brad of wine on tap with 14 options. The food veers Hendrickson, who’s worked in many rooms back to the causal fine dining mould—burgers, around town. Meat and cheese boards are still pizzas, salads, all well done—but you’re here for available, but the carnivore-pleasing menus the amazing view and array of drinks. lean more nowadays to confit chicken thighs, and braised pork belly with corn risotto. The West Oak kind of after-theatre spot where drinks get con- $$-$$$ 1035 Mainland St., Yaletown, 604-629versation flowing, but the nightly food specials 8808. Westoakrestuarant.com Accomplished invite as much discussion as that evening’s play. chef Tim Cuff (Nita Lake Lodge, West) oversees this Yaletown spot with a forgettable name and a menu that tries to cover a lot of bases (steaks, Stackhouse Burger Bar $$ 1224 Granville St., Downtown, 604-558-3499. pasta, fish). In the hands of a lesser chef it could Stackhouseburgerbar.com How do you know be Meh-ville, but the dishes that emerge from the when you’re not in a mainstream burger shack open kitchen are well-executed, albeit not overly anymore? When the bartender makes a mean ambitious. That theme continues throughout the Delmonico and a wall sports a 20-foot wolf mu- operation: the décor is nice, if expected; the wine ral. An insanely juicy Kobe burger, topped with list broad, if pricey. It’s a restaurant that appears black-and-white truffle aioli, is the signature to be after a fun, wealthy, blingy vibe, and it sucmenu item—and well worth the splurge. Minced ceeds in this goal—so much so that Jimmy Kimprime rib, lamb, and venison burgers are fine mel reportedly had his stag party here. second choices. Don’t forget a side of bocconcini poutine doused in truffle demi-glace or a spring The Whip mix salad splashed with lavender-infused honey $-$$ 209 E. Sixth Ave., South Main, 604-874-4687. citrus vinaigrette.

Thewhiprestaurant.com Cheery service and a gallery of rotating artwork make a potent potable called The Whip—two parts urban loft, one part Steamworks Brewing Co. $$-$$$ 375 Water St., Gastown, 604-689-2739. English public house. Great local microbrews on Steamworks.com This expansive Gastown spot tap, a small but carefully chosen wine list, and affords beer drinkers the rare pleasure of down- sangrias. The watering hole has kicked it up a ing a few pale ales in the building where they notch, offering a menu as eclectic as their growwere actually brewed. Recognizing the need for ing clientele. Weekends boast booming brunch variety to accommodate walk-in tourists and business, and Real Ale Sundays draw a crowd. cruise ship crowds from the nearby port, they maintain a huge menu, with everything from a Yaletown Brewing Company steak and stilton salad to miso-crusted Pacific $$ 1111 Mainland St., Yaletown, 604-681-2739. halibut. The Angus burger with bacon and aged Mjg.com Yaletown’s original brewpub remains cheddar is a standout. a raucous refuge from its hoity-toity neighbours. The redesigned brick-and-beam interior sees modern accents like Tiko Kerr paintings, Steel Toad ‫ ۻ‬ ponyskin barstools, and reconstituted butcher Brewpub & Dining Hall $-$$$ 97 E. Second Ave., Olympic Village, 604- block tables while maintaining the heritage 709-8623. Steeltoad.ca Does Olympic Village feel. Gone are the incongruous Asian influences really need another beer-focused spot? The con- (well, mostly); instead, find an emphasis on sistently full house at Steel Toad suggests it does. hearty homecookin’ that appeals to our basest The historic, expensively refurbished Opsal desires. Impossibly tender braised short ribs, Steel building has an insatiable desire to please: duck confit pizza with crumbled Roquefort, and live music, big TV screens, and a food menu that Mumbai curry chicken wings are a fine match aspires to haute levels. The food is better than for a local pint or three. it need be. (The chef, Robbie Robinson, worked at Claridge’s and Le Crocodile.) You can keep it simple if that suits you: warm pretzels with ale mustard, cheese and charcuterie boards, and SEAFOOD thin-crust pizzas abound. Or step up to Rob‫ ۻ‬ inson’s “bistro” menu, where the unexpected Blue Water Cafe likes of chicken liver parfait and market seafood $$$-$$$$ 1095 Hamilton St., Yaletown, 604-688specials are of a quality that merit considerably 8078. Bluewatercafe.net Consistent freshness, higher price points. Young brewmaster Chris high quality, and meticulous preparation are the Charron has settled into a nice groove, with op- hallmarks of this Yaletown institution. Like raw? tions that range from the very topical (a sauvi- The sushi is every bit as fresh and impressive as the gnon saison that uses New Zealand hops) to the bounteous array of oysters. In the kitchen, execunicely authentic (Yorkshire Best Bitter). tive chef Frank Pabst has a wonderful touch with

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sablefish, lingcod, yellowfin tuna, and much more.

Celebrating? Iced towers of gorgeously fresh, unadorned shellfish are the ticket. Entertaining out-of-towners? Here they’ll experience the embodiment of Vancouver’s culinary sensibility. For private bookings, the adjoining wine room (with access to the patio) seats up to 80.

Cardero’s

Chewies $$ 2201 W. First Ave., Kitsilano, 604-558-4448;

110–1055 W. Hastings, Coal Harbour, 604-6207634. Chewies.ca Rodney’s Oyster House has long ruled the shucking scene, but others have sprung up of late, including this gem whose staff (and owners) cut their teeth at the rowdy Yaletown joint. Chewie’s channels the Rodney’s vibe (tumbler wine glasses are filled to the rim, buff guys in tight tees deliver the bivalves), but the menu ranges further—there are Cajun and Southern U.S. influences (po’ boys, shrimp and grits, étoufée) in addition to the solid selection of East and West oysters served with housemade habañero sauce.

Coast $$$ 1054 Alberni St., Downtown, 604-685-5010.

Coastrestaurant.ca This $4.8-million spot from the Glowbal Group has soaring aquamarine walls with ivory and wood accents flanking a magnificent central feature: a towering circular raw bar teeming with fresh seafood and booze galore. Chic fireplaces bookend the seats on the streetside patio, and balcony tables look down on the action below. The sizable menu (both in selection and physical heft) offers almost everything from under the sea. Adjoining Vegas-style ‘O’ lounge is a playpen for Vancouver’s glitterati. ‫ ۻ‬ $$ 221 Carrall St., Gastown, 604-569-2215. Cork

Cork & Fin

andfin.ca Francis Regio, long front-of-house at the defunct Tapastree, opened this casual, good-looking Gastown seafood house, an old brick-walled brasserie that tables a respectable raw bar of local oysters and fully loaded towers of Dungeness crab, mussels, Manila clams, and more. The menu of “sea” and “farm” dishes changes throughout the year, but high quality is consistently maintained. Excellent sidewalk patio in summer. Wine list and food prices invitingly inexpensive.

an extra side of the tangy tartare sauce) are well worth the salty seawall walk. Unlicensed, and the Finestatsea.com Tucked away in Kerrisdale, weekend lines can be fierce. this three-in-one deli, grocery, and bistro offers arguably the best fish ’n’ chips this side of the Joe Fortes pond. Chef Bruno Born serves only sustainable $$$-$$$$ 777 Thurlow St., West End, 604-669B.C. seafood: salmon has a classic British no- 1940. Joefortes.ca Oh, Joe Fortes, you silverfuss batter and is served with seasoned fries, tar- haired fox. You manage to keep the joint hoptar sauce, and slaw; crab cakes provide a light- ping year after year, and every one of your Hugo er—though still satisfying—lunch served with Boss-clad patrons seems to be having a super chipotle mayo and greens. Bisque is a bargain. time. If they mind the absurd markups on the Great for a casual lunch or early dinner. The otherwise stellar wine list, they don’t say so; ditGranville Island location offers fresh fish only. to the $20-plus price tag for six Kumamoto oysters—which, to be fair, are probably the city’s ‫ ۻ‬ best. It must be the consistently solid service or Fish Café $$ 2053 W. 41st Ave., Kerrisdale, 604-267-3474. the chance to glimpse a Hollywood A-lister on Fishcafe.ca Not dumpy enough to be a crab shack the swell seasonal rooftop patio. and not near fancy enough to be a West Side equivalent of Joe Fortes, this Kerrisdale staple Merchant’s Oyster Bar nonetheless gets an honest ‘A’ for effort. The menu $$$ 1590 Commercial Dr., Commercial Drive, 604is written on a large chalkboard, they serve glasses 258-0005. Merchantsoysterbar.ca Freshly shucked of wine for $5 or so, and they craft a mean hali- oysters and small sharing plates are the focus at but burger with square-cut fries so thick they look Merchant’s; bivalve lovers pack the 30-seat heated like Lincoln logs. The anachronisms, like asking patio nightly to take advantage of buck-a-shuck if you want your fish blackened, are just part of pricing from 5 to 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. to close. the charm.

Fret not, carnivores: sous-vide flatiron steak poached in butter is sinfully tender. Premium wines by the bottle or choice sips by the glass, The Fish House in Stanley Park $$$ 8901 Stanley Park Dr., West End, 604-681- included well-made cocktails and a short but all7275. Fishhousestanleypark.com This room is winners beer list. a requisite stop for out-of-towners. Light from large bay windows and even sunnier service Oyster Express make up for a room that might otherwise be $-$$ 296 Keefer St., Chinatown, 604-684-3300. showing its age. Sip something light and aromat- Oysterexpress.ca A sexy pine-lined room lit by ic from the B.C.-focused list and dig into Dunge- porthole windows sets the stage for platters of ness crab cakes or excellent clam chowder. Im- fresh, briny oysters. Take a seat by one of the possibly moist arctic char from Washington State Chinatown-merchant regulars and follow his and a sampler trio of grilled fish are showstop- lead by ordering a cup of green or white tea pers. Everything on the menu is certified Ocean to accompany (or something stronger durWise—a bold and significant move for a tourist- ing Happy Hour). Offerings rotate but we’ve driven room. enjoyed Pacific Virginicas from Washington, Golden Mantles from the Sunshine Coast, and Royal Miyagis from Quadra Island. Buck The Fish Shack $$ 1026 Granville Street, Downtown, 604-678- a shuck from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., Tuesdays 1049. Glowbalgroup.com/fish-shack This room through Thursdays. could have been predictably pulled together (with its captive Granville Street crowd), but in- Rodney’s Oyster House stead the Glowbal Group delivered a fresh spin on $$-$$$ 1228 Hamilton St., Yaletown, 604-609an old-school seafood joint serving oysters from 0080; 52 Powell St., Gastown, 604-685-2005. both coasts, fresh-sheet fish that’s blackened or Rohvan.com. A no-nonsense fishing shack dedgrilled and served with fries and coleslaw, steam- icated to the glories of bivalves. Flirty counters of mussels and clams, and crispy-battered fish ermen work their magic on cougars and West ’n’ chips. Full-size wooden pallets tile the double- End boys, shucking over 7,000 oysters a week. height walls (and the roof, too, in its loft); chalk This place is serious fun: the staff is genuinely drawings of fish on offer make for practical deco- friendly in a way that sometimes goes unappreration. The design takes liberty with enormous ciated here. A po’boy sandwich for lunch on a scale but it retains an intimate character. It seems Friday or the chef’s-choice chowder and a pint to say, “Come, eat, party.” of Guinness are a terrific way to wind down the week. “Low tide” specials from Monday ‫ ۻ‬ to Saturday mean $1.50 cheap oysters, clams, Go Fish $-$$ 1505 W. First Ave., False Creek, 604-730- and more between 3 to 6 p.m. No room at the 5040. Salmon tacos might sound the alarm for always-jammed Yaletown location? Head to traditionalists, but at this False Creek seafood the two-level Gastown digs. shack on the western approach to Granville Island, they’re very good. A construct of smoky WildTale Coastal Grill tortilla, grilled wild salmon, chipotle crema $$-$$$ 1079 Mainland St., Yaletown, 604-428and fresh salsa, they’re still redolent of the sea. 9211. Wildtale.ca Chefs/entrepreneurs John They should be: the fisherman who caught the Crook and Erik Heck, who created the hugely main ingredient berths beside the restaurant’s popular Flying Pig casual eateries, procured the year-round patio. Granville Island beer tempura- space that once housed the original Glowbal battered cod (or halibut or salmon) and chips are Grill (where they first met) and transformed it the city’s best, and simple grilled seafood (order into this welcoming temple of seafood. All traces ‫ ۻ‬ $ 4675 Arbutus St., Kerrisdale, 604-266-1904.

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SE A FNOOD C AT E GORY A M E H E RE

1583 Coal Harbour Quay, Coal Harbour, 604669-7666. Vancouverdine.com/carderos. In a city whose dining public can be trend-obsessed to a fault, the likes of Cardero’s—veteran, dependable, straightforward—are easily taken for granted. Yes, the neighbourhood’s hotels direct scores of tourists through its doors, but more locals should pull up a chair next to them.

Aside from lovely harbour views and a tight but smart wine list, the kitchen turns out seafood standards (prawn cocktail, grilled scallops, sesame-crusted tuna) and other familiar attractions (New York strip loin, oversized salads) with great respect for well-sourced ingredients.

In summer or after a long workweek, order some fresh-shucked oysters and a glass of Okanagan pinot gris, lean back, and thank your lucky stars you live where you do.

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of Glowbal’s pulsing nocturnal mood have been obliterated, replaced with a room that—perhaps unwittingly—evokes a tony country club in Boca Raton. Happily, this atmosphere of cleanliness and composure complements the menu’s straightforward pleasures: all manner of marine provisions—raw and cooked—prepared with a minimum of fuss. Thyme-scented chowder delivers a lovely note of ocean-like pungency; fresh oysters are presented atop a mound of crushed ice and are accompanied by excellent horseradish-spiked cocktail sauce (we dipped our frites into it); grilled albacore tuna (from a rotating fresh sheet) arrived perfectly seared yet rare within.

Yew Seafood + Bar

C AT EST GORY E A KH NA OU M SE E H E RE

$$$-$$$$ 791 W. Georgia St., Downtown, 604692-4939. Yewseafood.com This metropolitan room, all soaring ceilings and blond wood, is the most exciting seafood restaurant in the city. And while a tad pricey, the dishes are superlative—when paired by discreet but übercompetent service it makes Yew one of the city’s unsung heroes on the fine-dining scene. The paella with Ocean Wise seafood is excellent, as is the sablefish with gnocchi and B.C. blueberry compote. And the menu offers some surprises—a vegan lunch and dinner program that gives animal-free eating the white-glove treatment (the mini tacos are the bomb). The wine list is huge and has some impossible-to-source gems but spends scant time on anything under $60. It is, after all, the Four Seasons Hotel.

S PA N ISH España $$-$$$ 1118 Denman St., West End, 604-558-

STEAKH OU SE

$$$$ 615 Seymour St., Downtown, 604-605-8282.

Gotham Steakhouse

Gothamsteakhouse.com This swank Americanstyle room features high ceilings, sweeping murals, and a mouth-watering array of perfectly marbled Canadian Prime cuts. Carve into a 24-ounce juicy bone-in rib-eye and plentiful sides like fresh asparagus and Lyonnaise potatoes. Private rooms, an expansive patio, and a TH AI luxurious cocktail bar attract captains of industry; the professional waitstaff will help you navi- Bob Likes Thai Food gate the enticing wine list. $$ 3755 Main St., South Main, 604-568-8538; 1521 W. Broadway, South Granville; 604-558‫ ۻ‬ 3320. Boblikesthaifood.com Hipsters and Thai Hamilton Street Grill $$-$$$ 1009 Hamilton St., Yaletown, 604-331- food lovers queue patiently for a seat in Tai Ke1511. Hamiltonstreetgrill.com The Hammy, as attivanichvily’s comfortable eatery. The succinct regulars have affectionately dubbed it, has been menu includes popular dishes like green papaya an outpost of meaty goodness since 1997. Car- salad with green beans and tomatoes and tradinivores go weak at the knees for the 20-ounce tional pad Thai that derives its sweetness from New York striploin and the red-wine braised tamarind paste instead of ketchup (a cutting-corlamb shank, but Pacific halibut or grilled wild ners trick often used by Thai takeaways). Eggsalmon will surely tickle any pescatarian’s pal- plant pad ka pow loaded with Thai holy basil ate. Chef-owner Neil Wyles’s burger is second to packs a fiery, flavourful punch. none: a half-pound of Angus beef fresh-ground ‫ ۻ‬ daily, topped with house-smoked bacon and Kin Kao Thai Kitchen aged cheddar, and served with Kennebec fries $$ 903 Commercial Dr., Commercial Drive, 604and Cajun mayo. For the dessert-crazed, the 558-1125. Kinkao.ca Unfussy, smartly priced gingerbread pudding with pumpkin-ginger ice food is the order of the day at Kin Kao, named cream is an object of cultish devotion. Monthly after an everyday Thai greeting that translates casual, cost-conscious wine tastings and com- to “Have you eaten yet?” Co-owners Terrence munal dinners invariably sell out.

Feng and Tang Phoonchai split the workload at this pocket-sized spot: Feng deftly manages ‫ۻ‬ front of house with first-come, first-serve seatHy’s Encore $$$$ 637 Hornby St., Downtown, 604-683-7671. ing, while Phoonchai helms the kitchen with Hyssteakhouse.com Hy Aisenstat’s legendary spot recipes learned from his grandmother. Spare, still turns out one of Vancouver’s best steaks in modern décor is just as pared down as the sucone of the city’s authentically retro dining rooms. cinct menu. There’s a quartet of green, red, yelThe colour scheme runs to black and red, and so low, and Penaeng curries along with standbys do the main-event steaks, expertly trimmed and like phat Thai and papaya salad. Deep-fried grilled. While the 22-ounce porterhouse may be sour-cured pork ribs are a standout, almost ina model of understatement, the tableside caesar variably selling out daily. Order your meal “Thai salads are pungent and deep. Portraits of retired hot” if you’re feeling adventurous, and quench waiters line the walls; those still working are all the flames with local craft beer on tap. pro. The wine list favours U.S. and French reds.

4040. Espanarestaurant.ca A small (as it should be) tapas joint that finally gave Denman Street something it needed: one more excellent room that serves food late, offers an intriguing wine and sherry list, and sends truly excellent dishes—Iberian ham croquettes, smoked sardines, a daily paella—flying out of the kitchen. Chef Neil Taylor’s broad interpretation of Spanish cuisine means you could see Middle Eastern The Keg and North African influences, too. $$-$$$ Various locations. Kegsteakhouse.com David Aisenstat, aka the King of Steaks (the family also owns the upmarket Hy’s chain and The Sardine Can $$-$$$ 26 Powell St., Gastown, 604-568-1350. Gotham) bought the Keg chain 15 years ago, Thesardinecan.ca Blink and you might miss and now his outlets stretch from Victoria to Tothis skinny little room looking onto Maple Tree ronto and south all the way to Dallas (our faSquare, which would be a pity, because here’s vourite remains the Yaletown room strictly for where you’ll find the most authentic Spanish its excellent rooftop patio). The Keg is his prêttapas experience in the city. Watch the chef prep à-manger line: along with more conventional dishes in a tiny workstation behind the bar (a steakhouse fare, you’ll find well-made shrimp couple of hot plates, a small countertop oven) cocktails, crab and lobster cakes, ribs, tempura and deliver them in the tiny pots they were snap peas and asparagus, and teriyaki chicken. cooked in. Everything is fresh and flavourful, Most are here for the beef: 28-day-aged Canada but be sure to order smoked sardines on toast, AAA steaks and prime rib. chorizo sausage cooked in sherry, and patatas bravas with garlic aioli and tomato—a lesson The Roof at Black + Blue in just how good simple, traditional dishes can $$$$ 1032 Alberni St., Downtown, 604-637be. You’d be crazy to skip the brick of chocolate 0777. The-roof.ca Black + Blue’s rooftop takes terrine dusted with sea salt and chili, sprinkled the steakhouse out of ersatz dark-panelled with floral olive oil, and served with grilled rooms and jolts it with West Coast glamour baguette—a savoury dessert you’ll be dreaming and lightness, and a menu that ripples with about for days. freshness and vigour. Skewers of chicken and

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seafood, grilled over glowing mesquite, emerge with a smoky lusciousness, served on beds of virtuous quinoa. The blazing hardwood lends a rich crustiness to the succulent dry-aged steaks. Even the desserts show admirable restraint. The beautiful, airy patio grooves with the friendly vibe of a Coal Harbour block party, and the warmly vigilant service makes everyone feel like a VIP.

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‫ ۻ ۻ‬ $$-$$$ 1938 W. Fourth Ave., Kitsilano, 604-730-

Maenam

5579. Maenam.ca Maenam (which translates as “mother water”) dishes some of the most authentic Thai food Vancouver has yet seen.

Chef Angus An, who trained under chef David Thompson at the world’s only Michelin-starred Thai restaurant (Nahm in London), applies his affections for locally sourced and seasonal ingredients to the traditions of the Thai royal house. Beyond the real-deal pad Thai, aim for the grilled Thai sausage with crispy rice, followed by whichever curry is currently being served (cross your fingers for duck). ‫ ۻ‬ $ 1206 Davie St., West End, 604-689-9980. Man

Mango Thai

gothai.ca Until Portland’s Andy Ricker opens a Pok Pok North, we’ll rely on quality takeout for our cheap-eats Thai fix, and nowhere offers better value than Mango Thai. Daily lunch specials—served with rice, a shatteringly crisp spring roll, and salad—include coconut-rich curries and signature chili-paste-based stir-

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Steel Toad Brewpub & Dining Hall // pg.52

Sawasdeethairestaurant.com Tasty Thai food served in a simply styled restaurant with attentive service. Start with stuffed spiced chicken wings, beautiful flower-shaped chicken dumplings, and papaya salad. The pad Thai is nicely sauced, as is the roast duck curry. The house favourite is the crying tiger beef; it’s delivered a Pink Elephant $$-$$$ 1152 Alberni St., Downtown, 604-646- perfect medium rare—sliced and marinated in 8899. Thaihouse.com A dazzling room that hot hot hot sauce (they’ll oblige with less spice). stands out like its namesake would. Ornate chandeliers hang from soaring ceilings in a Simply Thai room bathed in stark whites and hot pinks, $$ 1211 Hamilton St., Yaletown, 604-642-0123. centred by a 20-seat communal table. Mod- Simplythairestaurant.com You know you’re in ern Thai tapas dominate a menu with spice Yaletown when your Thai restaurant has a 19to spare—bring friends and order liberally. page wine list with rare Turley Zinfandels. The Jumbo tiger prawn tempura nestled in a crispy basics, such as a stellar pad Thai, are flawless, potato basket, panang curry with coconut rice, but let yourself be steered off the beaten path to and Pad Kee Mao (a tangled mound of rice such unique flavours as the pla lard prig (whole noodles studded with beef, Thai chilies, and fried tilapia in pineapple, bell peppers, and threebasil) will have you reaching for a cooling Co- flavour sauce) to see the difference between this conut Surprise martini. and most of the city’s other Thai spots. fries. In the kitchen, the energetic Thai chefs cook Bangkok-style (itself the melting pot for regional delicacies), eschewing the sugary, ketchup-laced pad Thai favoured by competitors for something tangier and more authentic.

$$-$$$ 102–888 Burrard St., Downtown, 604-

LUIS VALDIZON

Sala Thai on Burrard

683-7999. Salathai.ca Golden shrimp cakes and gaeng pa-naeng (sautéed tiger prawns, scallops, coconut meat, and kaffir lime leaves in a fiery red curry) are as authentic as they come.

Terrific value at lunch. Watch for daily specials.

Sawasdee Thai $$ 4250 Main St., South Main, 604-876-4030.

love him for. Try the succulent gai-yang (chargrilled chicken marinated in coconut milk and spices) or yum-nua, a fresh salad of mint-loaded beef larb. (If you like things hot, be sure to ask for the spice to be kicked up.) Vegetarians are well looked after, with meat-free reprisals of many of the classic stir-fries and curries.

U & I Thai Restaurant $$ 3364 Cambie St., South Cambie, 604-875-

6999. Uandithai.com Ui Ratsomjit and chef Maitee Yangsuwan’s distinct regional backgrounds make for a menu influenced by both northeastern Isaan and southern Thai flavours.

The modern space has seen a considerable facelift, its saffron walls punctuated by red accents and dark wood—a marked improvement from its tired predecessor. Fan the flames with the tiger beef salad (yum neau), tender strips of marinated beef grilled and tossed with cucumber, tomatoes, chilies, onions, and greens.

Stir-fried dishes are bright and fresh; pad bai gaprow is a garlicky jumble of green beans, Thai Cuisine by Montri $$ 2585 W. Broadway, Kitsilano, 604-221-9599. bell peppers, carrots, Thai holy basil, and your Thaicuisinebymontri.com Now in his third lo- protein of choice. Red curry duck balances the cation, Montri Rattanaraj has been serving up deep heat of red chilies with sweet lychees. his take on Thai to the denizens of Kits and Point Grey for almost two decades. (Although Urban Thai Bistro he officially retired in 2006 to return to his $$-$$$ 1119 Hamilton St., Yaletown, 604-408homeland, the pull back to Vancouver was too 7788. Thaihouse.com Patrick Chen’s expansive great.) The menu is classic Montri—which is Thai House menu pays tribute to all the Thai to say, exactly what his customers know and classics but kicks it up a notch with creative fu-

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Alibi Room // pg.48

T IB E TA N & B UR ME SE Amay’s House $-$$ 5076 Victoria Dr., East Side, 604-327-2629.

Myanmar’s food is heavily influenced by neighbouring China, India, and Thailand, with regional variants nuanced by its own ethnic minorities. Burmese cuisine is a delicious mashup of sour, sweet, earth, and funk from ingredients such as fish sauce, lime, dried shrimp, and fermented tea leaves. Start off with fluffy, sweet egg prata and an order of tomato salad, a tasty jumble with cabbage, onion, and cilantro bumped up by the crunch of crushed lentil cakes. Mohinga is an aromatic bowl of straight-up comfort food—rice noodle soup in a catfish broth with banana tree root and lemon grass. The velvety sweetness of Myanmar milk tea softly tempers the vibrant flavours.

the British army, Gurkha Himalayan Kitchen introduces adventurous diners to a distinctive blend of spices that focus on flavour versus heat.

Top marks for the taas: chunks of tender grilled lamb tossed with puffed rice, green onions, and cucumber. Tibetan-style dumplings dipped in chutney are another popular pick: try steamed lekaali taama stuffed with bamboo shoots, potatoes, and black-eyed peas. Round out your meal with dudhbari, a creamy dessert similar to India’s rasmalai made with ricotta cheese and sprinkled with pistachios. Closed Mondays.

V E GE TA RIAN & VEGAN

The Black Lodge $$ 630 Kingsway, South Main, 604-620-7070. Cult

’90s nostalgia (the space is an homage to David Lynch’s Twin Peaks) and vegetarian food aren’t exactly in the Martin and Lewis league of inspired pairings, but this quirky oddball room on Fraser manages to pull it off with cooking that’s just interesting enough (like chickpea and lentil sliders) without pushing the no-meat envelope too far. (In the local vernacular, it’s more Season 1 than Fire Walk With Me.) The vegetarian selections aren’t going to sway any Acorn aficionados, but then again, the Acorn doesn’t have a picture of the Log Lady on the wall. And of course, there’s that delicious cherry pie.

Budgies Burritos

The Acorn $$-$$$ 3995 Main St., South Main, 604-566-

$ 44 Kingsway, South Main, 604-874-5408.

Budgiesburritos.com The walls of this tiny takeout joint are lined with kitschy black-velvet paintings—but thankfully the menu is straightahead. Hulking vegetarian (or vegan) burritos are the thing here, and for $8 or less you get a massive two-pound bomb stuffed with an array of mix-and-match meatless items and toppings like guacamole, chipotle, cream cheese, and hot sauce. (Beans not your thing? Substitute garlicky mashed potatoes.)

9001. Theacornrestaurant.ca The best vegetarian restaurants are ones where the food surprises you—and the chefs here are mad tofu-loving scientists who eschew the idea that meatless food should riff off carnivore staples. There are no veggie burgers on the menu, but rather beautifully plated, seasonally changing inventions that are as satisfying as any protein. The drink menu is short but sweet: try one of the signature cocktails. The room—a warm blur of trendy minimalist wood and white—is lively and buzzing, even late on a Café Deux Soleils Gurkha Himalayan Kitchen $$-$$$ 1141 Davie St., West End, 604-565-7965. Tuesday, so come prepared for a wait. Reserva- $ 2096 Commercial Dr., Commercial Drive, 604Gurkha.ca Named after elite Nepali soldiers in tions only for six-plus; closed Monday.

254-1195. Cafedeuxsoleils.com Vegan-friendly

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sion fare like spicy ostrich and basil stuffed lettuce wraps. Have the drunken prawns in ginger and Thai chili sauce as hot as you can take it— the lychee and coconut milk cocktails will cool your palate. Service is attentive, and daily lunch specials are the best deal in Yaletown.

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dishes and live music and spoken-word performances attract young, friendly crowds to this café—a nighttime hotspot on the Drive to listen and be seen. Expect an even younger crowd during the day: fruit smoothies, inexpensive veggie burgers, friendly service, and a children’s play area make this a popular breakfast and lunch spot for parents toting kids. Vegans will appreciate the tofu scramble—one of few breakfast items that doesn’t involve eggs.

The Foundation $ 2301 Main St., South Main, 604-708-0881.

Graze $$ 3980 Fraser St., South Main, 604-620-8822.

Grazerestaurant.ca Though an “all-plant-based menu” is just a fancy way of saying vegan, Graze passed on the granola vibe in favour of elegantly executed, compassionate dining.

Start with the daily soup (always inventive and delicious) and follow with whatever strikes your fancy on the seasonal menu. Cocktails designed by Bittered Sling’s Lauren Mote are obviously meat-free too, but you won’t hear carnivores complaining: the Graze Spectrum ($11) is a delicate mix of gin, grapefruit and hops bitters, and salted chamomile flower syrup, best enjoyed seated at a low booth beneath the romantic, vintage-inspired garden mural.

Heirloom $$$ 1509 W. 12th Ave., South Granville, 604-

733-2231. Heirloomrestaurant.ca A beautiful room with ingredients and presentation that display moments of excellence. The space, formerly Primo’s Mexican Grill, is freshly whitewashed and bright by day, softly candlelit (and packed) at night. The food is international, with curries, chilies, salads, pastas, and a tempeh Reuben rubbing shoulders. Favourite dishes include avocado fries dusted with paprika, and veggie burgers that even a carnivore would love. Excellent spot for brunch.

The Naam $-$$ 2724 W. Fourth Ave., Kitsilano, 604-7387151. Thenaam.com This vegetarian institution hasn’t changed much over the years, and the lineups during peak hours indicate that’s a good thing. The atmosphere and service are as relaxed (at times excruciatingly slow) as ever, and wholesome food is still served 24/7. Quesadillas and the dragon bowls are perennial favourites (as is anything with their famous miso gravy), but vegan entrées, macrobiotic dishes, and a respectable selection of desserts are also popular among the Kits set.

Theparkervancouver.com The room is tiny, nicely designed, liquor-friendly, and crammed—the ballet required to cook in a four-foot cone of space off the bar is remarkable. The menu changes frequently, but rest assured that this ain’t no hippie food. This is confident, assertive cooking that celebrates not just an eating philosophy, but geography and sensuality.

meat of your choice, and served on a crusty baguette. Pick up two bánh mì and a coconut water to wet your whistle, and you’ll still get change back from $10.

‫ ۻ‬ $ 121–633 Main St., Chinatown, 604-662-8108

Hai Phong Restaurant

Bao Chau $ 2717 E. Hastings St., East Side, 604-251-6956.

If a restaurant proclaims itself to be “The Spring Roll Special House Inc.,” it had better be on its A-game. Bao Chau’s deep-fried spring rolls don’t disappoint; the blistered and crisp cha gio cuon are packed with minced pork, rice vermicelli, V I E TN AM ESE & and shredded carrots. Rice vermicelli bowls CAMBOD IAN offer numerous try-it-all-at-once options. No. 36 on the menu is heaped-high porcine goodness: shredded barbecued pork, spring rolls, Angkor Restaurant $ 4884 Victoria Dr., Commercial Drive, 604-568- and grilled garlicky Vietnamese sausage with a 0770 The nondescript location (in a drab strip smattering of julienned carrots, cucumber, and mall) of this family-run restaurant belies the bean sprouts. solidly executed Cambodian dishes. Beef ball rice noodle soup with rare sliced beef is clean Cambie Vietnamese Restaurant and light, while the bright herbed tartness of $ 4136 Main St., South Main, 604-872-3455. green papaya salad offsets the garlicky crunch of Forgive the uninspired name—this pho spot is deep-fried chicken wings. Hai Nam chicken rice memorable in all the right ways. Go for appetizreflects the influx of Chinese immigrants to Cam- ers like fried prawn on sugar cane and steamed bodia—the meat is simply poached and served rice crepes filled with pork and mushrooms, with a ginger-chili puree. For a softly sweet fin- plus generous soup noodles and entrée portions. ish, try the bananas and tapioca in coconut milk. Enthusiastic greetings of “Super friend!” “Beautiful lady!” and “My brother!” from owner Brian and his staff will make you feel loved.

Au Petit Café $ 4851 Main St., South Main, 604-873-3328.

Aupetitcafe.com On a cold, drizzly Vancouver Delicious Pho day, a visit to this little gem is like slipping on $ 255 Robson St., Downtown, 604-559-4088. a flannel shirt. The rich, red tomato beef stew High ceilings and an abundance of natural light with carrots, tinged with star anise and served set this cheap ’n’ cheerful pho spot apart from its with perfectly fluffy rice, will cure whatever ails neon-bathed counterparts, and its array of dishyou. The adored bánh mì sandwiches marry es definitely offer bang for the buck. A “small” astonishingly crusty baguettes with savoury bowl of seafood pho, with loads of noodles and Vietnamese meats and cold cuts spiked with fresh broccoli, is easily shared between two, and pickled daikon and sliced jalapeños. (They sell the house-made chili sauce featured tableside— out quickly on weekends.) The Tlinhs are the along with hoisin and Sriracha—allows you to most charming restaurant family you are likely customize your broth. Salad rolls are satisfying to meet; with unfailing politeness and genuine and come with thick, decadent peanut sauce. warmth, they make every visit a treat.

The vermicelli bowl with skin-on chicken offers sweetly seasoned meat and crisp, lightly pickled ‫ ۻ‬ cucumber and daikon, which cut through the Bahn Mi Saigon $ 5397 Victoria Dr., 778-379-9992. The bread, richness perfectly. baked in-house throughout the day to ensure maximum freshness and toastiness, is phenom- Got Pho? Thien Kim enal, with a crackling crust and a tender inte- Vietnamese Restaurant rior that has just the right amount of pull and $$ 2523 Nanaimo St., East Side, 604-253-8239. chew. In the morning, long baguettes are sold Ignore the cheesy name—this modest restauindividually to take home, but they’re best put rant is home to a remarkably diverse selection of to use as the perfect foil for luscious banh mi fill- authentic Vietnamese fare. Banh cong, a deepings. The generously filled meatball sandwich is fried muffin-shaped fritter of prawns, taro, and particularly succulent, with pickled vegetables mung beans, is a choice lead-in. House specialty and jalapeno providing sharpness and heat. soups vault beyond conventional pho offerings; Dark made-to-order iced coffee, grassy sugar- standout bowls include hu tieu bo kho laden cane juice, or spritely tamarind drink all pair with chunks of slow-braised beef, shredded bawonderfully with the sandwiches. For an un- nana blossom, lemongrass, and chili, and bun compromisingly Asian dessert, try the surpris- rieu, a spicy soup with crab, prawns, tomatoes, ingly refreshing Six Colors Cup with crushed and tofu. A succulent grilled lemongrass pork ice, sweetened lentils, various jellies, and coco- chop is served atop broken rice with shredded nut milk. pork and a slice of steamed egg meatloaf.

Ba-Le French Sandwich

A photo board helps to decipher the succinct Vietnamese menu, but newcomers needn’t look any further than the bánh mì. The Vietnamese

equivalent of a sub sandwich, it’s filled with The Parker $$ 237 Union St., Chinatown, 604-779-3804. pickled carrot and daikon, cilantro, and the

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Retro décor, down-to-earth attitude, and a menu of countercultural references, puns, and double-entendres give character to this paradise for plant eaters. Begin with the nachos—piled high with black beans and cheese.

Discover the bliss of the Tropic Option—a complex curry that’s even better when served on quinoa in place of rice. Finish with chocolate fruit fondue, best shared among friends.

Many vegetarian and vegan entrées.

RE STA U RA N TS

$$ 1246 Kingsway, Kingsway, 604-872-3828; 186 Keefer Place, Chinatown, 604-559-8897.

Haiphongrestaurant.com Hai Phong is a standout among the innumerable Vietnamese restaurants lining Kingsway’s Little Saigon strip. You’ll almost invariably have to queue up for a table dur-

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Pho Thái Hôa $-$$ Various locations. Phothaihoa.com A change in ownership brought a much-needed face-lift to both the décor and the menu of this no-frills chain restaurant, with a new focus on healthy options. Start with the green papaya salad tossed with strips of sweet beef jerky in tangy vinaigrette. House special pho dac biet is a slurptastic beef-lover’s delight: a jumble of brisket, soft tendon, tripe, and meatballs with noodles in light, clean broth.

Song Huong Vietnamese Restaurant $ 1613 Nanaimo St., East Side, 604-568-1196.

Song Huong is a popular spot for Vietnamese food devotees seeking bo 7 mon (seven courses of beef). Traditionally a celebratory meal, it’s the perfect excuse to belly up to a table with two or three friends for a carnivorous gorgefest. Favourite courses include bo la lot (seasoned ground beef wrapped in betel leaf with a sweetly pungent man nem dipping sauce), and bon nhung dam (thin slices of raw beef dipped in bubbling broth before being wrapped in rice paper with a variety of herbs and vegetables).

Song Huong’s owners hail from central Vietnam, and their bun bo hue—spicy beef noodle soup with beef shank and Vietnamese ham—is exceptional and authentic.

VI ECTAT NA E SE & AE M BODI EM GORY N ACM H E REA N

the components are here: fragrant herbs, searing chilies, tart lime juice, pungent fish sauce, and servings large enough to feed a group.

Goi gà is a heaping platter of poached chicken breast, crisp white cabbage, roasted shallots, and shards of peanuts to garnish, dressed in a thin but piquant sauce. Southern-style kho to (caramelized meat) is intensely salty but meant to be eaten with lots of rice, a way of stretching a little protein a long way; it’s cooked and served in a hand-hammered metal pot so that Kim Phung Vietnamese $ 5764 Victoria Dr., South Vancouver, 604-327- the sugars in the sauce caramelize into a deli4490. It’s often standing room only at lunch hour, ciously sticky shell. as Vietnamese soup aficionados flock to this ‫ ۻ ۻ‬ tiny hole-in-the-wall for what’s considered by Phnom Penh many to be Vancouver’s definitive pho. The rich $ 244 E. Georgia St., Chinatown, 604-682-5777. broth is the main attraction, and $8.50 buys you Every restaurant boasts a signature dish, and a bowl packed with rice noodles and morsels of Phnom Penh has two: spicy garlic squid and beefy goodness. Garnish to taste from your plate deep-fried chicken wings. Lightly battered, of fresh bean sprouts, basil, chilies, and lime. they’re cooked to a perfect crisp and served Strong Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk with tangy lime-pepper dipping sauce. These served over ice delivers a one-two punch, but try insanely irresistible morsels have earned plaua jackfruit shake for something exotic. Cash only. dits from Anthony Bourdain and Julia Child.

Melt-in-your-mouth butter beef sees thin slices barely kissed with a sear then artfully fanned Le Do ‫ ۻ‬ and topped with cilantro, garlic chips and a Vietnamese Restaurant $ 2292 E. Hastings St., East Side, 604-253-3508. pungent lime-nuoc mam (fish sauce) dressing.

A steady stream of diners fills the seats at this Cambodian-style dry egg noodles topped with bright and bustling East Side eatery. Pho is the pork, prawns, green onion, and garlic oil are mainstay of any Vietnamese restaurant, and pho the real deal—enjoy them as they are, or add tai bo vien is an approachable initiation: rice broth to taste. noodles immersed in a subtly seasoned broth with meatballs and thinly sliced rare beef. Gar- Pho Hoang Vietnamese Restaurant nish to taste from the accompanying condiment $$ 3388 Main St., South Main, 604-874-0832. plate of crisp bean sprouts, basil sprigs, a slice of Phohoangrestaurant.ca Good pho is a life-suslime, and chili. Goi kho bo is a flavourful hay- taining meal that manages to combine most of stack of contrasting tastes and textures—shred- the major food groups in one bowl. From the ded green papaya topped with sweet beef jerky encyclopedic pho list, choose pho tai nam. and basil in a piquant dressing. Refresh your Long-kettled beef bones produce the base broth palate with a tall glass of icy da chanh—and be (which we’ve found inconsistent, but when it’s sure to ask for added soda. Cash only, closed good, it’s very good). It’s clarified, then transWednesdays. ferred to litre-size service bowls. Sliced rare beef and braised brisket are added over rice noodles, ‫ ۻ‬ whole stems of basil leaves, and a dice of fresh Mr. Red Café $ 2234 E. Hastings St., East Side, 604-710-9515. chilies. Char-grilled chicken leg and pork chop Chef Hong Ngyuen offers uniquely North Viet- are divine; chilled Vietnamese coffee is a must. namese dishes at this unassuming café, with flavours that are lighter and subtler than the Pho Long usual pho-house fare. Crispy crab-and-pork $ 3370 Fraser St., Kingsway, 604-872-2879. spring rolls are lusciously stuffed with hand- Bring a pair of sunglasses—you’ll need them in picked crab and brightened with cilantro, mint, defence against the magnificent array of neon and lemon verbena. Turmeric sticky rice topped lights ringing the interior and reflecting off the with shredded chicken, house-made paté, and mirrored walls. Open until 11 p.m., the Fracrumbled mung beans is rich with texture and ser Street location (the old Main St. location savour. The comforting chicken pho with shii- is now under different ownership) is ideal for takes and pork meatballs is given a citrus-y lift a late-night pho fix. Broth is lightly seasoned, from fine fronds of makrut lime leaves. Bun and popular alternatives to the beef-based usucha Hanoi is undoubtedly the star of the show: al include seafood and lemongrass chicken or grilled pork is steeped in a bowl of sweet-and- pork. Cash only. sour vinegar spiked with fish sauce and sugar, and served with rice noodles and herbs—a flaw- Pho Tan Vietnamese Restaurant less balancing act of vivid flavours. $-$$ 4598 Main St., South Main, 604-873-3345.

Well-executed traditional Vietnamese fare ‫ ۻ‬ makes this family-run restaurant an unexpectMui Ngo Gai $$ 2052 Kingsway, Kingsway, 604-876-8885. ed gem on the Main St. corridor. Ga uop xa is Muingogai.ca The name means “coriander succulent chunks of grilled chicken delicately scent,” and to co-owner Nghi Do—who left scented with lemongrass, guaranteed to disapVietnam 30 years ago and worked in restau- pear as soon as it hits the table. Available only rants across North America until opening his after 3 p.m., banh xeo is worth the wait—a own—it’s not unimportant: on a stretch of delicate turmeric-laced rice-flour crêpe studded Kingsway nicknamed Little Saigon, authentic- with shrimp and scallions, encasing a filling of ity doesn’t set you apart; it ensures survival. All bean sprouts and mixed seafood. ing peak dining hours, but it’s worth the wait.

Garlic butter chicken wings are a must—don’t even think about getting the half order. With a hint of coconut milk in the batter, bánh xèo is a game changer; the light, crispy crepe is studded with pork and shrimp, and accompanied by a stack of fresh greens. House specialties include tamarind crab and grilled chicken pho with quail eggs in a clear, flavourful broth.

RE STA U RA N TS

‫ ۻ‬ $ 5497 Victoria Dr., Commercial Drive, 604-

Thy Pho

325-0878. This tiny hole-in-the-wall is a sea of formica, and $10 buys more than enough food to fill a hungry stomach. The pho is light and clean—pair it with tea and bánh mì for just a little more. The lemongrass chicken served with steamed rice and salad kicks KFC to the curb. Cash only.

WIN E BAR Grapes and Soda $$ 1541 W. Sixth Ave., South Granville, 604-336-

2456. Grapesandsoda.ca The little (25-seat) wine bar next door to David Gunawan’s awardwinning Farmer’s Apprentice nails it in every way. The concept is simple: wines are the focus, and they must be natural, organic, or biodynamic; serving temperatures are fussed over.

Executive chef Ron Shaw (ex-Bishop’s) is in and out of the open kitchen, and his menu of small plates—which changes more or less daily, based on what’s fresh and local—is cleverly suited to the offbeat, eclectic list of thoughtfully chosen, mostly Euro wines. Cocktails and a crackerjack spirits list suit the farm-to-table ethos.

The Wine Bar at Provence $$ 1167 Marinaside Cres., Yaletown, 604-6814144. Thewinebar.ca Owners Jean-Francis and Alessandra Quaglia wanted to revamp the front stretch of their Provence Marinaside restaurant in Yaletown. The answer came from sommelier Rachelle Goudreau, who proposed a more casual, wine-focused adjunct to the Quaglias’ venerable temple to Southern France. The resulting space is long and thin, with 30 seats

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stretching along the view-greedy windows and, against the back wall, an inviting bar with three champagne-cup chandeliers above and the star of the show behind: two separate wine-dispensing units (a by-the-glass system for high-end bottles, and wine taps) serving the city’s largest selection. Small plates—pissaladière, risotto balls, calamari—are $5 or $6; bigger plates (moules frites, tenderloin tartine), $18. In summer, the patio makes room for rattan recliners to overlook the marina’s busy doings. La belle vie!

GR E AT E R VA N COUV E R BURNABY

Abdul’s Barbeque CGRE AT EAT GORY E R VA NA NM C OU E HVEERE R

$ M I D D L E E A S T E R N 4500 Kingsway, 604-431-9498.

Welcome to the house Abdul built, centred around rotating spits of succulent meat. Bright neon signage proclaims this small venue’s strengths: falafels and shwarmas. It’s a takeout affair, or plunk down at one of the few utility tables. Recommended is the shwarma platter offering all three meats, rice, salad, hummus, tabbouleh, coleslaw, and pita spread with Abdul’s secret spicy garlic sauce. Everything is made from scratch. Go early, when the meat is at its juiciest.

Alvin Garden $$

‫ۻ‬

4850 Imperial St., 604-437-0828.

Many Chinese restaurants promise hot and spicy; Alvin Garden delivers with a vengeance.

This is real rustic Hunan cooking, where chilies are used in all their untempered glory.

There is a greater use of braising and smoking in Hunan cuisine, and the dishes are deeper and stronger in flavour and colour. Ask for big heat and you’ll get it. Start with a plate of sliced pig heart (charcuterie on spice overdrive), or a salad of celery and tofu skin glistening with chili oil. Beef stir-fried with pickled pepper has fantastic wok heat, while the Hunan smoked pork with bamboo shoots hums with warmth.

Though not all dishes feature Fear Factor heat, it’s best to have rice and icy beers on hand.

CHINESE

Anatolia’s Gate $$

MIDDLE EASTERN 7084 Kingsway, 604-525-2519.

Anatoliasgate.ca This spot gives you a taste of real Turkish food by mixing Mediterranean freshness with the warmth of Middle Eastern spices. A mezze of housemade starters, including a knockout smoky eggplant salad, gives way to dishes cooked in a blazing stone oven: crispy cheese bread (pide), crackling flatbread with ground beef (lahmajun), baked casseroles, and a mix of meaty koftes and kebabs. The lavash, a gargantuan puff of exquisitely crisp bread brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with sesame, is worth the trip alone.

Broken Rice $

VIETNAMESE 4088 Hastings St., 603-558-3838.

Brokenrice.ca Don’t let the remnants of the previous tenant—a Greek eatery—fool you: Broken Rice serves up some serious Vietnam-

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ese delights. Starters like crispy spring rolls and refreshing green papaya salad are perfect for sharing. Try the house vermicelli with grilled chicken and pork brochette, served with crisp cucumber, lightly pickled daikon, bean sprouts, and nuoc cham dipping sauce. The traditional namesake dish here is indeed made from fractured grains of rice, once favoured by those who could only afford cast-off grains; today, it’s been given a modern touch and is a staple of Vietnamese cuisine. The broken rice with pork three ways is a popular choice during the busy lunch service.

simple and delicious. Move on to mixed seafood plates of fried oysters, prawns, and scallops, or richly warm Japanese curries. The space charms with understated touches; the spring-time flowering cherry blossoms in the courtyard are lovely.

Hours are set around the seniors’ schedule: 11:30 a.m.-3.p.m., 6:15-8:30 p.m.

No.1 Beef Noodle House $

‫ ۻ‬

4741 Willingdon Ave., 604-438-6648.

Jynoodle.com The name of this out-of-the-way Taiwanese eatery may seem boastful, but its signature dish makes a convincing case: noodles cooked to chewy perfection, served in a dark, rich broth, accompanied by tender beef brisket Crystal Mall Food Court $ CHINESE 4500 Kingsway, 604-438-6263. Thecrys and fresh leafy greens. Over 100 bubble tea and talmall.ca For a quick mid-shopping bite, skip fruit drink choices, and tasty snacks like crispy generic Metrotown and go next door to Crys- salt-and-pepper chicken and wonton in chili tal Mall, where the food court directory reads sauce, draw young, lively crowds till closing like a Lonely Planet guide. Countless variations time. on noodles, rice, and dim sum—from Sichuan, Shandong, Huaxi, Taiwan, and beyond—testify Paradise Vegetarian Noodle House to the diversity of China’s cuisine. The Shang- $-$$ V E G E T A R I A N / V I E T N A M E S E 8681 10th Ave. (in the hainese vendor in the back corner, serving res- Crest Plaza), 604-527-8138. Paradisevegetari taurant-quality xiao long bao, is a reliable place an.com Don’t be fooled by the number of “meat” to start, but be adventurous. dishes on the menu: everything’s vegan, so the ham, chicken, barbecue pork, and salmon are all imposters, built from soy and wheat. Don’t F.I.S.H. (Fresh Ideas Start Here) 7515 Market Crossing, Burnaby, 604-431-9392. miss the spicy lemongrass chicken, sizzling Eatfish.ca Growing up as part of her family’s salmon (although the accompanying pineapfish-processing business inspired Jenice Yu to ple chunks in the mushroom sauce makes for open their first retail location in 2008. Her focus strange bedfellows), sesame eggplant tofu, and rests squarely on directly sourcing top-quality the faux-pho beef noodle soup.

Ocean Wise seafood for both home cooks and a

slate of noteworthy eateries, garnering F.I.S.H. The Pear Tree a Supplier of the Year accolade from the Chef’s $$$-$$$$ C O N T E M P O R A R Y W E S T C O A S T 4120 E. HastTable Society of British Columbia. Seasonal hal- ings St., 604-299-2772. Peartreerestaurant.net ibut, salmon, lingcod, and Dungeness crab all The Pear Tree is an oasis of understated elegrace her display cases, along with sustainable gance on a well-worn stretch of East Hastings. local delicacies including sea urchin, Sawmill The menu relies on sustainable, organic, local Bay clams, Read Island gem oysters, and house- bounty assembled into a year-round offering as smoked salmon candies. F.I.S.H. also stocks refined as the 50-seat room. To start, try the choice meal accents such as Vancouver Island ultra-pure tomato-gin soup, deceptive in its Salt Co. sea salt and Domenica Fiore olive oil. simplicity, or a votive-like cup of prawn cap(Another location is scheduled to open in No- puccino, a rich, salty concoction with lumps vember 2015 at 2959 W. Broadway, Kitsilano.) of spot prawn hovering near the bottom. For mains, the rainbow trout from Mission’s Mir‫ ۻۻ‬ acle Springs is a revelation: pan roasted with Hanwoori Korean Restaurant $$ KOREAN 5740 Imperial St., 604-439-0815. The pomme dauphine and butternut squash. The faux-Tiffany lampshades set a ’70s pizza parlour best tables are in the middle of the room, where vibe, but the cooking is pure Korean comfort. clear sightlines into the gleaming white kitchGently attentive cooking is evident in the richly en offer views of award-winning chef Scott Jaerounded flavours underlining all the dishes ger working his magic. here. Gori Gom Tang (oxtail soup) is properly slow-simmered, with a slightly cloudy stock S&W Pepper House and clean, rich beef flavours. Bul Go Ki (thinly $-$$ C H I N E S E Various locations. SWpepperhouse. sliced grilled beef) is perfectly cooked with a com The food here is neither truly Sichuan nor touch of sweetness in the marinade. Kimchi stir- Hunan, more a hybrid, as the name S&W (for fried noodles feature spicy cabbage, pork, and South and West China) suggests. The rooms chewy noodles tossed in a rich chili sauce. The themselves are not much to speak of; the firewarm interior, comfortable booths, and friendly works are on the plate. Start with the peanut service attract a steady and loyal clientele. and cilantro salad: fried peanuts and fresh cilantro tossed in chili-specked dressing. Potato noodles are thin ribbons of potato parboiled to Hi Genki $ JAPANESE 6680 Southoaks Cres., 604-777-0533. retain a bit of crunch and dressed in a thin vinHot tip: the owners of the Fujiya Japanese food egary broth studded with Sichuan peppercorns. empire opened Hi Genki, located in the Nikkei Place senior centre, so that an elderly parent Sushi Garden could continue to enjoy honest Japanese home $-$$ JAPANESE 4635 Kingsway, 604-436-0104. cooking. Most entrées are less than $10, while Burnabysushi.com Generous portions of sashimi starters are less than $5. Agedashi mushrooms and sushi, and a tasty udon soup, make this dressed in shoyu broth and bonito flakes are Japanese eatery a find. The dynamite roll is truly

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Armsreachbistro.com A casual family- and wallet-friendly dining room that offers an excellent brunch—the “fruit bomb” with honey granola and yogurt or the weekend Benny—at portions that will keep you fuelled for the day. Lunch and dinner include a tasty Chad salad with CHILLIWACK greens, strawberries, blueberries, tomatoes, goat cheese, and cashews; spicy spaghetti with Bravo $-$$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 46224 Yale Rd., 604- chorizo sausage has just enough spice to please.

792-7721. Bravorestaurant.ca Thank transplant- The small but well-chosen wine list and friendly ed Vancouverite Louie De Jaegar for this un- service keep this bistro busy year-round. likely oasis. Beyond the undistinguished door lies a most un-Chilliwack-like room. Hefty, Honey Doughnuts well-priced cocktails and an unexpectedly deep and Goodies wine list ensure good libations. As a starter, $ CAFE 4373 Gallant Ave., 604-929-4988. Honey crispy cheese ravioli with marinara dip avoids doughnuts.com Maple, chocolate, or plain, Honthe too-rich trap. For mains, go for lamb osso ey’s soft and chewy cake doughnuts make it a buco or bison short rib with garlic mash. Warm Deep Cove institution (and worth the trek for pineapple upside-down cake with housemade downtowners). Small batches, made throughout coconut rum ice cream seals the deal. the day, are served to a lineup that’s long but fastmoving. Also on hand: gargantuan sandwiches on housemade potato bread.

COQUITLAM dynamite in size—try to eat a piece in one bite at your peril. Service is swift and (almost militantly) to-the-point. Expect a wait during peak hours.

$$

HARRISON HOT SPRINGS

301–403 North Rd., 604-936-3778.

Insadong, located at the epicentre of Korean restaurants on North Road at Lougheed, showcases the depth of Korean cuisine. Steamed sliced pork is combined with spicy kimchi with chopped oysters and Napa cabbage for do-it-yourself wraps that are homey but expertly prepped. Spicy tofu soup is chock full of seafood and boasts an underlying sweetness from the well-made broth. Deep-fried chicken wings are crisp and napped in a sweet, warmly spiced sauce, and short ribs are addictive.

KOREAN

John B. Neighbourhood Pub $$

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1000 Austin Ave., 604-931-5115.

Johnbpub.com Some of the best pub fare around.

Lots of old-school specials: hot wings, spinach and artichoke dip, and nachos, as well as a great sandwich/salad selection. Along with the many chicken, beef, rib, veggie, and fish burgers, the kitchen also swerves up a great beef au jus. Sit out on the surprisingly secluded summer patio and be sure to stop by the wine and beer shop next door—it has a well-edited selection of rare imports and B.C. bottles.

PUB & LOUNGE

Copper Room

street foods. Crispy deep-fried local oysters are paired with a rousingly vibrant dipping sauce (you’ll want to pour it over everything). The pad Thai, with buoyant noodles and plump shrimp, dressed in a sauce bright with tamarind and underpinned with chili heat, is simply the best in the city. Throughout the menu, the balance between the heat of bird’s-eye chilies, the sweetness of palm sugar, the sour of lime and tamarind, and the salty savour of fish sauce, is elegantly fine-tuned. The room is equally clean and fresh, with an open kitchen and service counter facing a seating area that unfolds onto a patio and lush river views.

Re-Up BBQ $$ 810 Quayside Dr., 604-553-3997. Reupbbq. com Though an unfortunate run-in with a bus brought their wildly successful food cart to an untimely demise, the Re-Up crew continues to spread the barbecue gospel at a bricks-andmortar location in New Westminster’s River Market. Carnivores in the know head straight for the low-and-slow-cooked ribs and pulled pork as their proteins of choice. Build your own platter from a list of sides that includes mashed potatoes and black-bean-and-corn chili; flaky buttermilk biscuits paired with white country gravy are a definite win. Succulent fried chicken rounds out the roster of temptations. Call ahead on Fried Chicken Friday to reserve your 10-piece “bucket” with coleslaw and biscuits— its discounted price guarantees a quick sellout.

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Insadong

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$$$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa, 100 Esplanade, 604-796-2244.

Harrisonresort.com This room, in the scenic Harrison Hot Springs Hotel, hasn’t changed in years and we wouldn’t want it any other way. It’s a flashback to more ceremonious times, when dinner out included turns on the dance floor.

The chef keeps the menu fresh by sourcing seasonal ingredients from the Agassiz farm belt. Tamarind Hill Malaysian Cuisine Stay at the charming hotel and take a dip in the $-$$ MALAYSIAN 628 Sixth Ave., 604-526-3000. hot springs to complete a romantic evening.

Tamarindhill.ca Tamarind Hill is a refreshing haven among the myriad mediocre ethnic restaurants in New West (also located in North Van).

LANGLEY Chef Robert Phua, formerly of Banana Leaf, brings

authentic Malaysian flavours and throws in IndiFlourishing Chinese $ CHINESE 20472 Fraser Hwy., 604-534-3335. Flour an and Indonesian influences for good measure. ishingchineserestaurant.com Finally, Sunday dim Green papaya mango salad tossed with jicama in sum in Langley. Pick and choose from up to 20 a piquant dressing is a choice lead-in. Ordering items, including dumplings with seafood, chick- seafood is a mix-and-match affair; narrow your en, beef, or pork; tofu rolls; tender short ribs; selection from an assortment of nine sauces and a sticky rice; and mango pudding. Weekday fare list that ranges from King prawns to halibut filet. includes soups, sweet-and-sour spare ribs, and Fill your starch quota with Malaysian-style fried ginger beef. Prices are great. And they’ll deliver— rice—chock full of shrimp, beef, egg, green beans, and tomatoes, it’s practically a meal in itself. just not to Vancouver.

Kulinarya Filipino Eatery

ANDREW QUERNER

$-$$

F I L I P I N O 114–2922 Glen Dr., 778-285-6577.

Kulinarya.ca Hidden away in Coquitlam’s tangle of suburban malls, Kulinarya feeds a steady stream of expats—it’s one of the only Filipino restaurants in the Tri-Cities area.

Snack on a dish of garlic-laced corn nuts as you peruse a menu of traditional favourites.

Sisig arrives at the table in dramatic fashion on a hot cast-iron platter—the minced pork and onion mixture, topped with a raw egg to stir in, sizzles to a perfect crisp. Priced at a budget-conscious $9, Kulinarya combinations available before 5:00 pm include chicken adobo or hearty beef kaldereta stew served with rice. Deep-fried banana spring rolls drizzled with caramel sate the sweet tooth.

DEEP COVE

The Arm’s Reach Bistro $$

PUB

107C 4390 Gallant Ave., 604-929-7442.

Vista d’Oro Farms $-$$

NORTH VANCOUVER

346–208 St., 604-514-3539. Vistadoro. com Take a drive in the country to this bucolic farmhouse winery and market, which has recently acquired an outdoor picnic licence. If the weather allows, take a seat on the shaded patio.

Enjoy a Farmhouse cheese plate or Oyama charcuterie platter, both of which come with Terra Bread demi-baguettes and Vista d’Oro artisanal preserves. Be sure to order a glass of d’Oro, the winery’s fortified walnut wine.

CAFE

Bravo Cucina $$-$$$

1209 Lonsdale Ave., 604-9853006. Bravocucinanorthvancouver.com Begin with simple dishes of scallops in a sun-dried tomato coulis, and prawns with fresh basil and capers. Then, twirl strands of fettuccine in a rich blue cheese and radicchio cream sauce.

Or choose from mains of veal scaloppini with mushrooms and red snapper with tomatoes, capers, and black olives. Tiramisu is a sweet finish to the meal.

ITALIAN

NEW WESTMINSTER

Canyon Longtail Kitchen

116–810 Quayside Dr., 604-553-3855. Longtail kitchen.com While Chef Angus An’s Maenam (in Kitsilano) introduced us to the subtle sophistication of Royal cuisine, his Longtail takes inspiration from Westminster Quay’s riverfront location and highlights Thailand’s spectacular

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$$-$$$ C O N T E M P O R A R Y W E S T C O A S T 3135 Edgemont Blvd., 604-987-8812. Thecanyon.ca The Edge, an Italian joint in Edgemont Village that showed a fondness for carved vegetables and vertical stacking of ingredients, is barely visible in noted local chef Scott Kidd’s reboot. Where the walls were pastel, the tables

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clothed, and the sauces goosed with wine (or worse, vodka), today’s incarnation is clean, modern, and simple. Lunch is moules frites or an exceptionally good BLT. Dinner sees a good trade in fall-off-the-bone shortribs and Ocean Wise fish. The wines, like the food, nod to B.C. but aren’t afraid to head into quirky. It’s simple food, all about the pleasure of noble ingredients.

The District $-$$

P U B 13 Lonsdale Ave., 778-338-4938. Eatat district.com At the District charred Roma tomato, chorizo sausage, tarragon, and dried guajillo pepper dance with Gulf Island mussels, and beef short ribs are braised to perfection.

Owner Paul Mon-Kau brings a fresh vibe to the neighbourhood with hopping tunes, more than two dozen artisanal beers, and his twist on the bloody caesar (infused with housemade bacon).

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Fishworks $$

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91 Lonsdale Ave., 778-340-3449. Fish works.ca After only two years, this Lower Lonsdale room is putting down firm roots in the fastchanging neighbourhood, with sepia-toned prints of nearby architecture adorning the walls and a menu that pays homage to the coast’s most readily available ingredients. Recommended dishes include pillowy honey mussels in a lemongrass and basil broth, and salmon Wellington constructed with a cranberry-almond crust. At lunchtime, try the albacore tuna sandwich layered with apples and almonds.

SEAFOOD

Gusto di Quattro $$-$$$

I T A L I A N 1 Lonsdale Ave., 604-924-4444.

Quattrorestaurants.com Now home to executive chef Nicholas Lim, the North Shore arm of the Corsi family’s Quattro group gets better with age. Expect fairly priced and thoughtful appetizers like grilled bocconcini wrapped with prosciutto and radicchio, leading into dependable main courses, some with portions that would befuddle Weight Watchers. Pastas are consistently excellent, as is the service. The wine list might well be the best on the North Shore—Italy is well represented and several are offered by the glass.

Hell Pizza $ I T A L I A N 1931 Lonsdale Ave., 604-986-6661.

Hellpizza.ca. The infamous Kiwi pizza chain arrived in Canada with little of the irreverent marketing that sets it apart in New Zealand but with the same deep, crisp crust and pizza boxes that fold into coffins “for your remains.” Pizza purists should skip Hell—it’s all about flavour delivered courtesy of devilishly wacky topping combos: the Pandemonium has chicken, brie, and cranberry sauce; the Damned layers mushrooms, spinach, avocado, pineapple, cashews, and brie.

$$ EASTERN EUROPEAN 71 Lonsdale Ave., 604-980-4316.

stuffed game birds, wild boar heads, and stag antlers nailed to the walls alongside portraits of Franz Josef and the Kaiser that make the Jagerhof an escape from the ordinary.

Kyung Bok Palace $$$

143 W. Third St., 604-987-3112. This understated room with tasteful Korean art spared no expense on décor, and it’s the perfect venue for high-quality, well-prepared food. The musthave dish? Beef lip—seriously. Lightly spiced with three main ingredients—soy sauce, chili, and garlic—it melts away and comes with all the fixings and two kinds of kimchi. The sliced and steamed pork with daikon kimchi wrap isn’t nearly as good, but the stir-fried Korean octopus with vegetables in a hot and spicy chili sauce brings the pow factor right back.

KOREAN

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Pier 7 Restaurant + Bar

$$$ SEAFOOD 25 Wallace Mews, 604-929-7437. Pier seven.ca It’s all about the view at this water’s edge eatery perched on the boardwalk of the Victory Shipyards in Lower Lonsdale. The kitchen sticks to crowd-pleasers, with an emphasis on sustainable and seasonal seafood. Slurp salty oysters on the half-shell from the raw bar, or dig into a mammoth bouillabaise or buttermilk fried chicken.

Order Salt Spring Island honey mussels or Manila clams by the pound, steamed in your choice of broth, or tuck into a land-based dish like New York striploin or coq au vin. A well-structured wine list is the best in the neighbourhood; when La Cucina $$$ ITALIAN 1509 Marine Dr., 604-986-1334. La the weather is fine, you’ll want to take it outside cucinarestaurant.net Wholesome Italian in a and hit the (two-storey) deck. warm trattoria with a pleasant outside patio covered by a grapevined pergola. Clean fla- The Portly Chef vours are revealed in best-quality parmesan on $$$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 1211 Lonsdale Ave., see-through carpaccio, capers, and mushroom 604-971-4377. Theportlychef.com. The restaurant sauce. Roast lamb sirloin au jus is delectable, name and tagline (“You can’t trust a skinny chef”) just like Sunday dinner. highlight the good humour that chef-owner Jeff Batt brings to his mid-Lonsdale room. The cozy space, epitome of the comfortable neighbourThe Little District $$ PUB 1336 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouver, hood bistro, plays host to a lively roster of offer604-770-2776. Thelittledistrict.com This joint ings that mash up ethnic cuisines and carefully nails the laidback neighbourhood vibe that sourced ingredients with classic techniques. SerNorth Van loves—more downhome than hip- vice is smooth, wine suggestions made unobtruster. The look and feel is pure Mississippi road- sively, requests met quickly. house, with a soundtrack of well-curated Delta blues immediately evoking a powerful hanker- Raglan’s ing for a mess of wings, which gangs of locals $-$$ PUB & LOUNGE 15 Lonsdale Ave., 604-988-8203. happily scarf back with a vengeance. There’s Raglans.ca A long-standing surf-and-tiki-ina too-good-to-be-true patio out back, service spired eatery, Raglan’s plates beautiful burgers, is super-friendly, and no food item costs more flatbreads piled with crispy onions and BBQ than 20 bucks. Is this North Van, or is this chicken, and six kinds of gooey poutine. The Heaven? Impeccably selected local beers, in- snowboard videos and A Tribe Called Questspirational wines on tap, and a definitive list meets-Bob Marley soundtrack fittingly compleof bourbons suggest the latter. Appetizers—all ment the laid-back charm of faux palm fronds very generously portioned—include grilled and tropical licence plates affixed to the walls. chorizo, warm mixed olives, deep-fried pickles, tremendous cod fritters, and the aforemen- Sushi Bella tioned hot wings. If that’s not enough, choose $$ JAPANESE 152 Lonsdale Ave., 604-987-8633. Su the monumental Fourteen Buck Chuck burger, shibella.com In a neighbourhood teeming with the Steak Friet (the fries are killer), or go hog run-of-the-mill sushi joints, Bella stands out wild with the chicken and waffle. with a pretty and polished room, well-informed service, and some imaginative flavour combinations. Choose between Hawaiian-style ahi Mythos $$ GREEK 1811 Lonsdale Ave., 604-984-7411. tuna poke and tuna tataki, and don’t miss the Mythostaverna.ca A cheery local favourite. takoyaki—fluffy egg dumplings of chopped ocLoyal clientele swear by the subtly spiced dips, topi served blessedly hot—because they’re delifrom feta pâté to silky tarama. The house spe- cious, and so you can say you’ve eaten octopus cialty roast lamb is a consistent winner, but balls. Skip the sushi pizza; even with a chewy diners would do well to order an off-menu clay rice “crust” and sweet sauce, it’s an ungainly pot lamb shank flavoured with bay leaves, fresh proposition. But do check out the list of chilled tomato, and Dijon. For full-on gorging, opt for sakes and sake-based cocktails. the Symposium, three generous courses ($29 per person).

Tamarind Hill

Malaysian Cuisine

Jagerhof Schnitzel House

Jagerhof is an institution on the North Shore.

Eighteen inexpensive versions of pork tenderloin schnitzel are served with potato or spaetzle and red cabbage (try the cordon bleu stuffed with ham and melted cheese). A selection of German and Czech beers adds further authenticity, but it’s the

or saganaki, and don’t miss the roast lamb. If you have an appetite, try the platters for two: roast lamb, moussaka, deep-fried calamari, dolmathes, and spinach pie with rice, potatoes, pita, tzatziki, and Greek salad.

Pasparos Taverna $$-$$$

132 W. Third St., 604-980-0331.

Pasparos.com There are reasons why this restaurant has been around for decades—succulent roast lamb and generous portions of authentic Greek cuisine keep North Shore folk returning.

Share appies such as steamed mussels, calamari, GREEK

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$$

MALAYSIAN 1440 Lonsdale Ave., 604-990-0111.

Tamarindhill.ca Authentic Malaysian cooking: ethereal roti canai sided by pitch-perfect curry dipping sauce; juicy green papaya and mango salad; spicy laksas loaded with vermicelli, prawns, chicken, and crunchy bean sprouts; and saucy curry lamb with a surreptitious heat. The

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RICHMOND

serviceable wine list is smartly weighted toward aromatic whites that can handle some spice. Save Bamboo Grove room for the coconut crepes. $$$$ CHINESE 6920 No. 3 Rd., 604-278-9585. Surprise! This traditional chop suey house features ‫ ۻ‬ some of the finest (and most expensive) food Tomahawk Restaurant $-$$ DINER 1550 Philip Ave., 604-988-2612. and wine in the city. The flavours are reminisTomahawkrestaurant.com The legend contin- cent of old Chinatown, but with a good dose ues almost 90 years after Chick Chamberlain of sophistication. It’s perhaps how Vancouver opened a drive-in restaurant on Marine Drive. Chinese food would have evolved without all The original counter stools remain in this cur- the Hong Kong influence—a less dogmatic rent location, alongside the collection of Native approach to dishes with a freer use of sauces artifacts Chick collected over the years. His son and vinegars. Wok-flashed tiger prawns with and grandson keep the hearty tradition alive sweet and spicy eggplant is a must-order, as is with all-day breakfasts of Yukon-style bacon the caramelized black vinegar pork spareribs. and free-range eggs, the towering Skookum Don’t shy away from the delicious pork stomChief organic beef burger, and fresh berry pies. ach soup with ginkgo nuts—white pepper heat Everything is made from scratch and carefully underlines the sweet broth. Owner David Jue’s wine list features trophy Bordeaux from stellar sourced with pride. vintages, with prices to match. Service is built on friendliness and discretion—private rooms Zeitoon Persian Cuisine $ MIDDLE EASTERN 1615 Lonsdale Avenue, 778-340- with quiet sliding doors have been set aside for 1500. Zeitoonrestaurant.ca Slicker than the the heavyweight clientele. counter-service kebab joints in this neighbourhood of Little Iran, Zeitoon offers a flower-be- Carmichael’s at the decked patio (perfect for people-watching), a Hilton Vancouver Airport glossy apple-green and dark wood interior, and $$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 5911 Minoru Blvd., 604an elegant private room for parties. The menu 273-6336. Beyond the lobby of this YVR maindoesn’t stray far from Persian favourites includ- stay is a comfortable room where warm service ing eggplant dip, barley soup, and a long list of and an Italian-inspired menu help take the sting juicy skewered meats. The succulent chicken out of a layover. Breakfast is solid, but dinner rekebab is a delight, and don’t miss the saffron and ally takes off. Start with a Caesar salad or the anrosewater ice cream. tipasto platter before tucking into squash ravioli

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in a tomato basil sauce. Filet mignon with mash potatoes, asparagus, and mushroom sauce for meat lovers.

Chef Hung Taiwanese Beef Noodle $

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4151 Hazelbridge Way, Chefhungnoodle. com 604-295-9357. When this noodle shop first opened in Aberdeen Mall, lineups were topping out at two hours for bowls of award-winning Taiwan-style beef noodles. The initial frenzy has subsided, and it’s worth waiting in the moderate queue to sample the glorious beef shank noodles that come with meltingly tender shin, a slow-cooked broth (gloriously MSG-free), and wonderfully buoyant and chewy hand-made flat noodles. The Taiwanese love little side plates and snacks; spinach-like chopped ma-lan with tofu, and marinated beef wrapped in crispy pancake, are top notch.

CHINESE

$-$$$ SEAFOOD 101–4600 No. 3 Rd., 604-279-0083.

Chef Tony Seafood

Cheftonycanada.com/en Chef Tony He was the original chef at Sea Harbour Seafood Restaurant, and the cooking here certainly recalls the same precision, ambition and swagger. Dinner highlights include ridiculously succulent roasted squab; chilled poached free-range chicken, opulent with shaved black truffles; and snappy sea cucumber dressed in olive oil and black vinegar. Dim sum is spectacular: try the sui mai

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dumplings (hand-chopped pork gives them magnificent texture), and chicken wings stuffed with goose-liver-scented sticky rice. Desserts at lunch are knockouts: astonishingly featherlight steamed sponge cake; crackling buns filled with custard; and warm, wobbly, yokeless egg tarts. The interior here is unapologetically flashy, but service is reliably spot-on. Reservations are a must.

Chop Steakhouse & Bar $$$$

Fisherman’s Terrace Seafood Restaurant

$$$-$$$$ SEAFOOD 4151 Hazelbridge Way, 604-3039739. Fishermansterracerestaurant.com Don’t be thrown by the Aberdeen Centre location: reservations are a must if you hope to snag a seat at one of Richmond’s most popular Hong Kong-style dim sum spots. Chef Tony Wong presides over a bustling kitchen that runs full tilt to keep up with the steady demand. His signature har gow—perfectly steamed rice-flour dumplings filled with plump prawns—are stellar. Taro dumplings are deep-fried to lacy crispness, while baked cha shao su (barbecue-pork pastries) are light, flaky, and delicately sweet. Dinner is decidedly spendy; heavy-hitting dishes include geoduck served either blanched or sautéed, and spicy “Aberdeenstyle” Dungeness crab studded with fried garlic, black beans, shallots, and chilies.

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10251 St. Edwards Dr., 604-2761180. Chop.ca The restaurant shares an address with a Steve Nash fitness club and a Shark Club.

It’s a perfect spot for a business dinner with colleagues flying out early the next morning; the lounge is packed with international flight crews on overnight layovers. Stylish design cues make this spot a grown-up oasis amongst its suburbanite competition. The menu features traditional steakhouse dishes, with Ocean Wise- Flying Beaver Bar & Grill certified fish rounding things out. $$ PUB & LOUNGE 4760 Inglis Dr., 604-273-0278. Mjg. ca/flying-beaver This popular and scenic bar and grill is perched on pilings over the Fraser River, Chuan Ku Bbq Restaurant 8291 Westminster Hwy., 778-297-5577. There’s a originally as a place to get a bite while waiting deep grilling culture in the Chinese provinces for seaplane flights to points more remote. It of Xi’an and Sichuan, influenced by Muslim Uy- has since been commandeered by boisterous ghurs, where meats are rubbed with cumin and post-shift airport employees as a convenient wachilies and cooked over charcoal braziers. At tering hole (warning: it can be loud later in the Chuan Ku, the lamb, chicken, and pork skew- evening). Food runs the gamut of Canadian pub ers are moist, and whole grilled quail delivers classics; nothing is too imaginative, but you’re juicy meatiness with every bite. Lamb ribs are here for the view (seaplanes buzzing past, seals rubbed with a sweet sauce and hot spices be- and beavers swimming underneath) and drinks. fore being chargrilled to glorious succulence. The Flying Beaver’s own shuttle bus takes drinkBrightly vinegared side dishes balance heat ing customers home if they live nearby. and spice; Sichuan pickles and a wasabi-tinged wood-ear mushroom salad are standouts. As for G-Men Ramen Shop beverages, chilled sour plum tea is traditional, $$ JAPANESE 1160–8391 Alexandra Rd., 604-276but we find beer the perfect cooling yin to the 8391. G-ramen.com Nan Chuu is the Richmond spicy yang of grilled foods. offspring of West End izakaya institution Gyoza King, and a worthy successor at that. Learned ‫ ۻ‬ preparation of prawn, pork, and chive gyozas Dinesty Chinese Restaurant $ CHINESE 160–8111 Ackroyd Rd., 604-303-7772. and juicy tori no karaage (fried chicken) keep This Shanghainese/Taiwanese restaurant is these classics timeless. New items, such as maalways packed—perhaps because they cook guro yukke (albacore tuna tartare served with a Shanghai cuisine with a little more sugar and quail egg) and atsugiri gyu tan (grilled beef spice than is traditional. A simple modern room tongue), are also great. Rustic décor and earthopens to a glassed-in open kitchen, where you enware are holdovers from the original, but can see cooks furiously wrapping, steaming, softer lighting and large semi-private tables in and frying. (You’d never guess the space once the back make this the more comfortable room. housed a 7-Eleven.) Don’t miss the excellent appetizer and dim sum selections; standouts in- Gingeri Chinese Cuisine clude cold wine chicken, partially deboned and $$ CHINESE 323–5300 No. 3 Rd. (in Lansdowne rolled into savoury roulades. Try the excellent Mall), 604-278-6006. This oft-winner of the Vanxiao long bao, with delicate wonton skins and couver magazine Best Dim Sum award delivers superb pork filling. clean and modern fare; everything is prepared inhouse, and the care pays off. Deep-fried tofu with spicy salt is crispy on the outside, creamy within, Empire Seafood $$$ CHINESE 200–5951 No. 3 Rd, 604-249-0080. and brightened with a brief dip in gingered vinEmpirerestaurant.ca The menu mixes banquet- egar. Try the rice ball rolled in coconut and filled style dishes (crispy Peking duck carved table- with molten black sesame—it atones for the sins side) with home-style fare. Dungeness crab of innumerable bowls of red bean soup served as is glazed in a golden sauce of salted duck egg dessert in lesser rooms. Reservations a must. yolks—order a bowl of rice to sop up the rich sauce. A hotpot of fried cod filets and tofu puffs Golden Paramount is comfort food elevated by precise cooking $$$ CHINESE 8071 Park Rd., 604-278-0873. Hong technique. Anise-scented braised pork belly is Kong-style Chinese food focuses on the dish’s served with braised bok choy and steamed buns. key ingredient. The skill is in concentrating and As at many Richmond restaurants, the more in- bringing forward the natural flavours without teresting items are on the Chinese-only menu, calling undue attention to the method or the acbut servers will guide anyone to seasonal spe- coutrements. This elegant little room turns out cials. some of the most sought-after Hong Kong-style

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Chinese food in Metro Vancouver, best seen in dishes like fresh oysters that are air-dried to concentrate their natural mineral brininess and then pan-fried with a touch of sweet soy; or sole two ways, stir-fried or steamed. No need to feel guilty succumbing to the pleasures of the sweetand-sour pork, which achieves the ideal balance of succulence and brightness.

Golden Szechuan $$ CHINESE 170–3631 No. 3 Rd., 604-288-0058.

Friendly servers help neophytes navigate myriad dishes featuring bright flavours enhanced by the piney, citrusy bite of Sichuan peppercorns. Chili-boiled beef is a rich, piquant stew with tremendous depth of flavour. Thin slices of pork belly are served cold, ready to be dipped in a fiery sauce—long strips of cucumber help quench the flames. Resist the urge to dial up the heat with every selection, though; milder dishes such as pea shoots sautéed in garlic counteract the spice and balance out your meal.

Hakkasan $$

C H I N E S E 110–2188 No. 5 Rd., 604-273-9191.

Hakkasan.ca A light-industrial park in the northeast corner of Richmond is a strange location for a fine-dining establishment (but makes a convenient stop after shopping at the Richmond Night Market). The wine list and décor are a step above your average brightlight Chinese room. Forgo the meatballs and lingonberry on your next trip to Ikea and, instead, have a glass of wine and some salt bake chicken (must be preordered). The cooking is skillful and refined. The inexpensive lunch specials offer real value.

Hoi Tong $$$

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160–8191 Westminster Hwy., 604276-9229 Chef Yiutong Leung honed his skills in Hong Kong in exclusive private dining rooms and clubs, where refined home cooking with impeccable yet humble ingredients is considered high art. His dishes seem simple (the maraschino cherry garnishes are a testament to his earnestness), but the subtle layering of flavours is arresting. Bitter melon, tamed of its harshness, works beautifully in an omelette. Milk and egg whites are stir-fried, tossed with fresh crab meat, and dusted with finely chopped dried ham and dried seafood. Traditional pork belly with preserved mustard greens balances sweet and sour notes. The room is tiny, so reservations are an absolute must, and though menus are Chinese only, there are pictures on the wall to help with ordering. Chef Leung is well into his 70s, but his love of cooking keeps him in the kitchen—get there before he hangs up his apron for good.

CHINESE

Jade Seafood Restaurant $$$

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8511 Alexandra Rd., 604-249-0082.

Jaderestaurant.ca In high-end Hong Kong kitchens, restraint and focus are paramount considerations, and heavy-handedness is considered vulgar. Jade Seafood epitomizes this approach, and dishes reflect a subtle and precise hand; the room is full of families enjoying quiet, elegant meals including dishes like the famous Grandfather Chicken (succulent with gentle soy smokiness), Dungeness crab, black cod hot pot, and pumpkin seafood soup. In winter, large parties order CHINESE

G R E AT E R V A N C O U V E R

$ CAFÉ 160–11780 Thorpe Rd., 604-278-4737. The

LA Chicken

best fried chicken (and we’ll suffer no argument) is found at Willie Mae’s Scotch House, but if the 4,600-kilometre trip to the Seventh Ward in New Orleans seems extreme (wimps!), consider a trip to LA Chicken in Richmond. Poker-faced staff make the juicy pieces to order, and a four-piece original or spicy chicken dinner comes with fries, salad (one of the three amigos: potato, coleslaw, macaroni), and gravy, all under $12. You’ll want to eat it right away, though the charms of industrial East Richmond are few (save for that ginormous new Ikea). En plein air be damned: this is parking-lot fodder and that suits us fine.

Sea Harbour Seafood Restuarant

is the best in Vancouver. And there is no better place to enjoy local spot prawns, wok-fried with sweet soy, the shells imbued with iron heat.

Shanghai River Restaurant $$

‫ ۻ‬

110-7831 Westminster Hwy., 604-2338885. Expansion added private dining rooms, but reservations are still highly recommended at this well-run Richmond favourite. Shanghai dumplings (bite-sized, thin-skinned, oozing with hot broth), excellent pot stickers, and goose-liver sticky rice sui mai are made to order in the glassed-in dim sum kitchen. Our favourites from the main kitchen include a doubleboiled duck soup with ham and bamboo shoots and crunchy, clean, sea-sweet stir-fried shrimp.

CHINESE

Shanghai Wonderful $$

CHINESE 9260 Bridgeport Rd., 604-278-8829.

The cooking team from Shanghai Wind has set up shop here too, which means more room to show their cooking prowess. Start with chilled and thinly sliced cured duck meat wrapped around salted duck-egg yolks—charcuterie heaven—or cold tofu topped with chopped pickles, preserved egg, and dried shrimp. Move on to deep-fried cake of shredded cured duck and taro root, or cured pork belly and tofu over braised bok choy. The kitchen crew makes a habit of starting up restaurants and moving on, so catch them before another location catches their eye.

E R VA NM C OU R CGRE AT EAT GORY NA E HVEERE

6632. What’s in a name? As it turns out, a good deal. The word “saga,” a homonym of sai ga (an ancient and prominent family in Cantonese), is a declaration that this is a branch of the Wellington Street original, widely regarded as the best wonton noodle house in Hong Kong. True to its pedigree, wontons here are dainty, delicately wrapped morsels packed with shrimp; houseKiriri Japanese Cuisine & Sushi Bar $$-$$$ JAPANESE 190–8780 Blundell Rd., Richmond, made noodles are thin but fabulously chewy.

778-297-4330. Sushiinrichmondbc.com It’s easy to Chef’s specials worth checking out include tasty pass by Kiriri’s unassuming mini-mall location, crab meat with sautéed pea tops. but the culinary skill and attention to detail go‫ ۻ‬ ing on inside are worth seeking out. The menu Max Noodle House features both familiar standbys and sparkles of $ CHINESE 185–8291 Alexandra Rd., 604-231-8141. modern sophistication: shiromi of white fish Its namesake (formerly McNoodle House) is an dabbed with yuzu chili, hamachi paired with ja- old-school wonton house in Hong Kong, where lapeño, and kimchi-wrapped sashimi each deftly only VIP customers order off-menu and grumpy balance heat against clean, fresh notes. Simple waiters speed you through your meal with hysashimi dishes are a showcase of spectacular per-efficiency. Luckily, this unrelated Richmond knife work: translucent squid is crosshatched resto takes a more democratic approach. Served with delicate scales; local salmon is sliced at long in small, Hong Kong portions, the noodles have angles to maximize the grain; toro is deeply yet a toothsome bite and the broth is deep and clear. almost invisibly scored so its outrageous richness Start off with the gold-standard wonton and blossoms on the palate. To finish, try the black- noodles in soup, and decide on your second sesame crème brulee, both delicious and witty plate as you finish your first—we recommend (we won’t ruin the surprise). beef brisket lo mein: tender brisket braised with star anise, nestled in noodles. Add a dish of steamed gailan with oyster sauce to round out Kiyo Sushi $$ JAPANESE 110–11590 Cambie Rd., 604-214- your meal.

1388. Kiyosushi.ca God’s in the details, and it’s the little things done well that elevate this neigh- Neptune Wonton Noodle bourhood favourite. Properly seasoned sushi $-$$ CHINESE 110–8171 Ackroyd Rd., 604-207rice, screamingly fresh seafood, and sure-handed 9889. Around the corner from its fancy sibling preparation will have you looking at old favou- room, Neptune Seafood Restaurant, this casual rites with renewed zeal. The cold udon noodles spot offers more than just traditional noodleare a standout—the rice noodles, accompanied joint specialties. A stark interior is enlivened by a zaru soba dipping sauce, have a satisfying by friends and large families gathered for wellchew, the hallmark of well-prepared noodles. cooked dishes like preserved vegetable and duck tossed with braised e-fu noodles, minced pork with greens, and stir-fried green beans Kumare Restaurant & Bakery $ FILIPINO 8130 Park Rd., 604-284-5111. Kumare. with an unexpected addition of salty black olca Kumare, loosely translated from Tagalog, is ives. Neptune Wonton Noodle better reflects a term describing the relationship between two the way Hong Kong residents usually eat. good friends nurtured over time and circumstance. As such, this bright, modern restaurant Rainflower Restaurant is a convivial gathering place, and tables are often $$ CHINESE 3600 No. 3 Rd., 604-278-7288. This overloaded with dishes in true Filipino fashion. dim sum palace draws hordes during the day for Garlic rice is a must, as is crispy pata (pork hock superb steamed items and a traditional menu, simmered until tender and then deep-fried un- but it’s empty at dinner. We say go at lunch. The til crackling crisp). Fulfill your veggie quotient location, once a big-box retailer, seats hundreds with laing: taro leaves simmered with chilies and in relative peace; the usual noise at dim sum is coconut milk. Dessert? Order a slice of sansrival: remarkably absent. The room is wallpapered in almond meringue layered with rich buttercream. a tribute to Versace; at least nine different patterns blend almost, but not quite, harmoniously. clay pots of rice, fragrant with cured meats and seasonal vegetables. Dim sum here is arguably the best in town; steamed mushroom dumplings, deep-fried radish cakes, and crisp rolls of prawns, century egg, and pickled ginger are favourites.

Service is formal but genuinely warm.

RE STA U RAN TS

Shiang Garden $$ C H I N E S E 2200–4540 No. 3 Rd., 604-273-8858.

Even by the standards of overblown Chinese restaurant design, Shiang Garden takes the cake with soaring ceilings, gigantic glittering chandeliers, and huge canvases of hunting scenes. The food follows suit. Look for classic Shanghainese-style dish of egg whites scrambled with pea tips and century egg, and beef tendon braised in abalone sauce. Dim sum aficionados swear by steamed shrimp dumplings and the pillowy barbecue-pork buns.

Sushi Hachi $$ JAPANESE 1278–8888 Odlin Cres., 604-2072882. Run by a husband-and-wife team, Sushi Hachi is an oasis of tranquil calm, with jazz playing quietly in the background. Remarkably fresh sushi and sashimi are served at a deliberate pace and remind you that sashimi is a special meal that should be savoured. The emphasis is on seafood, so the selection of hot foods is limited. Arrive early—the good stuff goes quickly.

$$$

CHINESE 150-8888 River Rd., 604-232-0816.

Seaharbour.com Guangzhou, with its access to seafood and fertile river delta, is considered the finest food region in China. Sea Harbour (part of a respected group from China) embraces the abundance of the region by using strong condiments and herbs (like fermented olive leaves) and emphasizing seafood, both dried and fresh.

The result is what the Chinese call “wild” flavours, as opposed to the restrained Hong Kong style of Cantonese cuisine. (The room, a riot of shine and glitter, is a little wild, too.) Local sea cucumber, sauteed with green onion, XO sauce, or salty chili, has the savoury flavour and texture of fresh shiitake mushrooms. Roasted McKim Wonton Mein Saga $-$$ CHINESE 1180–8788 McKim Way, 604-270- squab is deep-fried, braised, or stir-fried, and

2016

Top Shanghai Cuisine $$

‫ۻ‬

8100 Ackroyd Rd., 604-278-8790.

Topshanghaicuisine.com Top Shanghai delivers some of Richmond’s best Shanghainese food.

Chilled appetizers are a specialty of this northern cuisine. Cold jellied pork is served with a dark vinegar dipping sauce that cuts the richness and lifts the cured flavours. Braised or boiled free-run chicken is perfectly tender; the braised pork hock is succulent, rich, and epic in size. Garlic chili pork balances heat and sweet notes. Service, though, can range from perfunctory to rude. To see sharp elbows in action, drop by for lunch and watch competing patrons try to enforce reservations.

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Kingyo // pg.42

Gudrun // pg.69

G R E AT E R V A N C O U V E R

Tramonto at River Rock Casino Resort $$$-$$$$

CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 8811 River Rd., 604-247-8573. Riverrock.com/dining/tramonto Casinos and fine dining were once mutually exclusive. That was before the owners of the River Rock wisely decided to poach talent from some of the best rooms in town and create a spot that offers a welcome respite from the buzz downstairs—and some quality (if mainstream) fare. Try the char-grilled Tomahawk steak with duck-fat potatoes. The wine list is well-chosen and fairly deep, though pricey in spots. Enjoy il tramonto (the sunset), then go feed some coins into slot machines. Maybe they’ll pay for dinner.

St., 604-275-7811. Bluecanoerestaurant.com On Steveston’s trendy waterfront, the blue and white interior and deck hark back to wet-bathing-suit days; no detail has been missed, right down to the cozy blankets to ward off evening chill. Along with a sea-heavy menu, chef Danilo Ibarra’s social plates feature casual sharing items like mini burgers and moules frites.

SURREY

$$ 7-3331 Viking Way, 604-233-7769. Twochefs

Pajo’s Fish & Chips

andatable.com Though a pioneer of the burgeoning Downtown Eastside restaurant scene, Two Chefs and a Table quietly made a permanent move to the steadier climes of the suburbs. The menu retains much of its southern edge and brings much-appreciated big city ambition to this stretch of warehouses and furniture stores. Duck-fat tater tots are gloriously savoury; a southwest chicken salad comes dressed with addictive honey-lime dressing.

The buttermilk fried chicken and waffles balances salty crunch against glazed-pecan sweet; the burgers, made with their own butcher’s blend of Pemberton Meadows beef and Sloping Hills pork, pack a meaty punch. Closed weekends.

$

T O P : C L I N T O N H U S S E Y; B O T T O M : L U I S V A L D I Z O N

$-$$ PAN ASIAN 3700 No. 3 Rd., 604-231-0601.

Yaohancentre.com Fierce competition has made Yaohan Centre one of the cheapest places to fill your belly. Full-meal combos with rice allow you to choose three items from the heaping buffeteria steam tables—they’re peer-standardized at $5.50 from outlets like Chun Hing Cuisine and Golden Rice Bowl. Variety is offered at Pak Tak Chiu Chow Restaurant, which makes an authentic spice-poached duck; at Seoul Express, where you’ll find ramen bowls and bibimbap; and at The Curry House, if you fancy Malaysian-style curries and roti canai.

The place is not long on atmosphere, but the large fluorescent-lit seating area is a convenient place to rest after exploring Osaka Market across the foyer.

STEVESTON

Blue Canoe $$

CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST

140–3866 Bayview

‫ ۻ‬

Various locations. Pajos.com Pajo’s—a summertime staple in Steveston, and with three other Lower Mainland locales—has used the same recipe for over 25 years to serve up its tasty fried fish (cod, salmon, or halibut). Combine it with locally sourced skin-on crispy fries for the perfect seaside treat. Eschew fried foods? The grilled fish taco, shrimp skewers, and freshly made crab cakes offer delicious alternatives.

Hamburgers, hot dogs, and Pajo’s unique coleslaw (raisins and sunflower seeds) round out the menu. During the off-season, call first to see who’s open.

SEAFOOD

Steveston Pizza Company $

100–3400 Moncton St., 604-204-0777.

Stevestonpizza.com This tiny, critically lauded shop is for takeout only. Fans claim it’s Vancouver’s best pie—arguably an overstatement. Toppings run from traditional (like the Margherita), to artistic (such as the Black, with honey glazed chicken breast, fig, gorgonzola, mascarpone mousse, walnuts, and arugula julienne). Crusts are thin and crispy; only the lack of a wood-fired oven holds these pies back from true greatness.

ITALIAN

Ashiana Tandoori $ 8072 Scott Rd., Surrey, 604-593-5458.

Ashianatandoori.com Writing in Vancouver magazine way back in the early 1990s, James Barber called Ashiana’s “undoubtedly the best Indian food in the city.” And its northern-style classics are still earning gushing reviews. The menu and the prices have barely changed since 1992, but chef/owner Rick Takhar keeps reinventing his food. Try “Chef Rick specialties” like jaan-e-man: potatoes, jackfruit, cauliflower, and spinach cooked in peanut sauce. The sauce for his ginger-and-garlic-infused chilies chicken is sublime.

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Two Chefs and a Table

‫ ۻ‬

604-275-5188. Tapenade.ca The bouillabaisse and three kinds of mussels transport you to the Mediterranean at this charming and elegant room. Chef Kayla Dhaliwall’s housemade gnocchi, and the meltingly tender braised short ribs balance savoury, sweet, and astringent. Finish it off with crème bruleé.

‫ۻ‬

Gudrun

$$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 150–3500 Moncton St., 604-272-1991. Gudrun.ca Down an alley no easier to find than its Gastown inspiration, Salt Tasting Room, sits Gudrun, which offers a meaty yin to the neighbouring yang of local fish ’n’ chip shops.

The wine bar offers plates of cheese and meats, with a healthy selection of wines by the glass. Sit Tsim Chai Noodles $ CHINESE 50-8251 Westminster Hwy., 604-273- outside under the long communal table if weather 6288. In Hong Kong, Tsim Chai Noodles is right permits. across the street from its rival, Mak’s Noodle House. Tsim’s wonton noodles are more gener- Kisamos Greek Taverna ously sized than Mak’s; their secret weapon is $$ GREEK 3420 Moncton St., 604-277-5626. Noa luxuriously smooth congee, with full flavour frills Greek cuisine that satisfies in every way. achieved by cooking the raw ingredients in the Stop in for lunch specials served with friendly, base. Try the Hong Kong-style minced beef efficient service. Family dinners see tendercongee, served with scallions and crisp fried crisp calamari, saganaki, or garlic prawns. The peanuts, and order a plate of deep-fried bread Kisamos Platter for two is packed with dol(or “donuts”) to dip in the congee—a complete mathes, moussaka, tiropita, lamb chops, pork carbo-load experience. and chicken souvlaki, calamari, keftethes, tzatziki, and pita.

Yaohan Centre

RE STA U RAN TS

‫ ۻ‬ $$ 15869 Croydon Dr., South Surrey, 604-560-

My Shanti

4416. Myshanti.com It’s hard to miss My Shanti from beloved restaurateur Vikram Vij—strikingly covered in thousands of sequin shingles, it brings the gaudy glitz of the Vegas strip to a Morgan Crossing strip mall. But it’s what’s on the inside that counts: plates piled with inventive appetizers such as crispy fish pakoras; and mains like fresh paneer with spinach and chickpeas spinach, and succulent goat curry.

The cocktail list boasts exclusive concoctions like the Devdas, with scotch whiskey, masala tea, and chai syrup. Making the journey to South Surrey (roughly 40 minutes from downtown Vancouver) may actually get you seated faster than standing in line at Vij’s; most nights, there’s no wait.

WEST VANCOUVER

The Beach House at Dundarave Pier

$$-$$$ C O N T E M P O R A R Y W E S T C O A S T 150 25th St., 604-922-1414. Thebeachhouserestaurant.ca This beautifully refurbished seaside house still offers some of the best views, with a large patio perfect for sipping cocktails and watching the cruise ships in Burrard Inlet. Upstairs, the private dining room offers exclusivity without sacrificing view. An award-winning wine list marries B.C. standouts with globe-trotting heavy hitters. And brunch remains a favourite.

Recommended: maple-soy sablefish with soba Steveston Seafood House $$ SEAFOOD 3951 Moncton St., 604-271-5252. Steve noodles and dashi broth, and Angus beef filet stonseafoodhouse.com Chef Sushila Narain has with bourbon-mushroom sauce and seasonal been cooking at this Steveston landmark for vegetables. more than 25 years. Locals come for the reliable menu and friendly service. The Caesar salad is Carmelo’s creamily good, as are old-school favourites such $$ ITALIAN 1448 Marine Dr., 604-922-4719. Car as devils on horseback (sea scallops in bacon), melos.ca A charming, comfortable room where coconut prawns and scallops, and shrimp-and- aromas of fresh garlic, herbs, and flash-seared avocado salad. For mains, the lobster risotto is veal float as gracefully as the service team. The a sure thing. classic Northern Italian dishes come with easy price tags and clean flavours. Scaloppini of veal shines brightest with lemon or marsala sauce, Tapenade Bistro $$-$$$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 3711 Bayview St., while the vongole of clams, white wine, toma-

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toes, and garlic tops a long list of pastas. At lunch, start with Parma ham with a little olive oil and lemon before moving on to a wood-fired salsiccia pizza: spicy Italian sausage, hot peppers, and mozzarella.

to Ocean Wise ingredients. Korean fried chicken (KFC) wings are worth the drive, and cioppino hot pot hits the perfect ratio of shellfish and morsels of tender fish to white-wine-tomato broth.

room with an alluring bar, beautifully designed bathrooms, and banquette-style seating for 70 or so. The detailed wine list complements unexpected appetizers and sturdy cuts of house-aged, Angus signature Alberta beef.

Restaurant Chez Michel $$

Ginger & Soy $$

1487 Marine Dr., 778-279-8862. Gin gerandsoy.ca In the near-barren landscape of quality Chinese food on the North Shore, Ginger & Soy makes a delicious, if pricey, go of it.

Food served in this comely room is traditional Sichuan and Cantonese (think stir-fries with fresh veggies, plenty of garlic, and chili; lemon chicken; sweet-and-sour pork) made well, plus a few regional twists. Highlights include the beautifully balanced hot-and-sour seafood soup, and the black cod sautéed in soy.

CHINESE

FRENCH 1373 Marine Dr., 604-926-4913. Chez michelvancouver.com West Van can feel like a bastion of over-priced edibles, but Michel delivers happy mid-priced alternatives. Start with a platter of steamed mussels in white wine and cream sauce, then challenge your palate with something new—say, escargot in garlic butter.

Salmon House on the Hill $$$ C O N T E M P O R A R Y W E S T C O A S T 2229 Folkestone Way,

Pearl Bistro & Oyster Bar $$$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 14955 Marine Dr., 604-542-1064. Pearloysterbar.ca The question for restaurateurs in White Rock: how to lure diners away from the populous, well-served regions to the north? The answer, as supplied by proprietors Nicholas and Angela Popoff: turn out nice takes on contemporary Pacific dishes such as (for starters) chorizo-stuffed portobellos with house-smoked gouda. The seafood paella is a popular main, as are buck-a-shuck oysters during happy hour. The ever-growing wine list is full of smartly chosen B.C. bottles as well as the usual Old and New World suspects.

CGRE AT EAT GORY E R VA NA NM C OU E HVEERE R

604-926-3212. Salmonhouse.com A locally focused and environmentally aware kitchen has brought the food at this decades-old spot up to ‫ ۻ‬ par with its stellar location. The B.C.-focused La Régalade $$$ FRENCH 2232 Marine Dr., 604-921-2228. Lare menu program offers a range of dishes pregalade.com This bistro plays the French card pared with ingredients sourced from around on the North Shore and excels. Chef/propri- the province. It’s been a hit with long-loyal etor Alain Rayé (recipient of the 2013 Lifetime West Vancouverites and tourists alike. Start WH ISTLER & Achievement Award at Vancouver magazine’s with the signature Salmon House seafood SQUAM ISH Restaurant Awards) delivers a menu that re- chowder. When it’s available, pounce on the ‫ ۻ‬ mains true to the classics, executed with great alder-grilled salmon trio.

Araxi care: escargots en crouton, French onion soup, $$$$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 4222 Village Sq., 604boeuf bourguignon, chocolate tart. (Note: dish- Thai Pudpong 932-4540. Araxi.com Executive chef James Walt’s es come and go regularly, so check the website.) $ THAI 1474 Marine Dr., 604-921-1069. Thai imaginative preparations and three-dimensional A very good wine list traverses both B.C. and pudpong.com A favourite among Ambleside flavour combos define the Araxi dining room, France. residents. Classics such as red curry beef with perhaps Whistler’s first fine-dining restaurant. peanut sauce and larb salad wraps filled with The ever-changing menu features all that is lomeat balance salty, sour, sweet, and hot, as does cal, seasonal, and sustainable in B.C. Great bar, Mangia e Bevi $$-$$$ ITALIAN 2222 Marine Dr., 604-922-8333. the stir-fried squid. Head chef Sutthi Srilanpong deep wine list. One caveat: the room can get Mangiaebevi.ca With elegant cherrywood pan- honed his skills under the tutelage of his mother rambunctious. Special note: book early for the elling, sunny yellow walls, and sumptuous back home in Bangkok, when she cooked for twice-a-summer Araxi Longtable Dinner series, a velvet drapes, Mangia e Bevi embraces with its royalty at the Thai palace. five-course meal complete with wine pairings and warmth. Quattro veterans Antonio Sauro and cocktails in a beautiful outdoor setting. chef Rob Parrott teamed with Doug Grisdale to Zen Japanese Restaurant create another North Shore favourite, combin- $$$ J A P A N E S E 101–2232 Marine Dr., 604-925- Aura ing solidly executed Italian fare and gracious, 0667. Zensushi.ca Aficionados cross the bridge $$$-$$$$ C O N T E M P O R A R Y W E S T C O A S T 2131 Lake knowledgeable service. Warm slices of house- to join West Van locals for innovative, art- Placid Rd., 604-966-5700. Nitalakelodge.com baked rosemary and sea-salt focaccia are a lead- fully plated dishes. The Stuffed Tomato is a For a different take on Whistler—one that esin for midday plates like the fresh fig tart. Perfect jewel-like lead-in: a nigiri-style wrap of ahi chews the Village, with its clomping boots and al dente pastas, such as tagliolini with smoked tuna around spicy scallop filling, topped with Starbucks lineups—turn left at Creekside. Just duck, bridge the gap between lunch and dinner pearls of wasabi-infused tobiko. Tickle your down Lake Placid Drive is a 77-unit river-rock menus. Al fresco patio seating runs at a premi- taste buds with the Hamachi Peak, combin- lodge overlooking the compact serenity of Nita um in warmer climes. ing yellowtail, shiso, and green onion in a Lake. Chef Michael Guy also puts his own tempura-crisped tofu-crepe blanket drizzled spin on things at the lodge’s restaurant, Aura: with sweet soy reduction. Tails Up! is a small virtually everything—seafood, beef, poultry, The Observatory $$$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 6400 Nancy Greene school of lightly battered kisu (Japanese salad greens—is locally sourced, and the menu Way, 604-998-5045. Observatoryrestaurant.ca whitefish) stuffed with spot-prawn pâté, then changes seasonally. Prices are a marked step Grousemountain.com Make the most of the tram halved and upended in pools of spicy saikyo down from the big-ticket Whistler rooms; the atmosphere is friendly and relaxed, the service ride included with dinner reservations by head- miso sauce with balsamic reduction. casual but gracious. ing up early for alpine explorations or winter skating, then slip into a window seat for a tranWHITE ROCK scendent view of the city’s shimmering lights.

Avalanche Pizza The confident cooking changes according to Crescent Beach Bistro $-$$ ITALIAN 109–4295 Blackcomb Way, 604the season, and goes the extra kilometre for in- $$ DINER 12251 Beecher St., 604-531-1882. There 932-3131; 2071 Lake Placid Rd., 604-962-8282. gredients found in B.C., including Ocean Wise are people who’ve eaten here every week for Avalanchepizza.com The toasty, yeasty smell of seafood. decades. And why not? The atmosphere’s infor- organic pizza crust wafting through the village mal, the food’s pretty decent (an abundant warm will make you insane until you find your way seafood salad is a serious bargain, and the rack past Starbucks and Foot Locker to Avalanche.

The Olive and Anchor $$ SEAFOOD 6418 Bay St., 604-921-8848. Oliveand of lamb never disappoints), the wine list is lim- Hot pies await (choose thickly layered pepperoanchor.com For years, Ya Ya’s Oyster Bar mixed up ited but adequate, and the leafy patio on a warm ni). Caesar salad is surprisingly crisp, fresh, and a winning recipe in Horseshoe Bay that included evening has a communal, summery feeling that dressed with the same killer crust reinvented as buttery croutons. a handful of baked and raw oysters, a pinch of makes Crescent Beach its own world. weather-beaten pub décor, and a generous helping of spectacular seaside views. A new name, Onyx Steakhouse & Lounge Bavaria polished new look, and some slight tweaks to $$$ STEAKHOUSE 1225 Johnston Rd., 604-542-0334. $$$ EASTERN EUROPEAN 101–4369 Main St., 604the menu prove favourable, especially the shift Onyxsteakhouse.ca An understated, masculine 932-7518. Bavaria-restaurant.com Fine-dining

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pioneer Joel Thibault’s legacy marches on in this room heaped with good cheer: spontaneous singing has been known to break out. Begin with the Müenchner wurst sampler (of very good grilled sausages). For a change of pace, try the fondue specialties. If you’re still breathing, the filet mignon is a beaut, as are the chicken stroganoff, wine list, and service.

best on the mountain. The expanded room is the lamb mixote with pasilla and guajillo peppers, steamed in banana leaves. Washed down still intimate and offers lake views. with one (or three) of those cocktails, of course.

Elements $$

$$

PUB & LOUNGE 4320 Sundial Cres. (in the Pan Pacific Hotel), 604-905-4047. Dubhlinngate.com There’s no better place to enjoy a pint and some good old pub fare than this Celtic gem. Along with the traditional fish and chips, Irish corned beef and cabbage, and shepherd’s pie, the pub has a selection of seasonal salads, and a veggie burger. A great selection of beers, nightly music, and hearty breakfasts complete the package.

Edgewater Lodge $$$-$$$$ FRENCH 8020 Alpine Way, 604-932-0688.

Edgewater-lodge.com Edgewater has earned a loyal following for its casual ambiance and elegant cooking. Executive chef Patrick Fortier’s menu changes often to reflect the seasons and what’s fresh, but know that game dishes are the

Pasta Lupino $-$$ ITALIAN 121–4368 Main St., 604-905-0400.

Pastalupino.com Watch carb-loading boarders, off-duty hotel employees, and the condo-bound lug out heaping travel orders as you relax in this Village North hot spot. Simple room, simple menu: fresh pastas with first-rate sauces at reasonable prices, like fresh plum tomato and basil sauce over spinach cesare noodles or short semolina radiatore. Don’t pass on the focaccia.

Specialties include chicken parmigiani over linguini, and three-cheese and spinach ravioli. All dinners include soup or choice between mixed greens and well-anchovied caesar. Wine and beer lists are modest but reasonable.

Quattro at Whistler $$$-$$$$

ITALIAN 4319 Main St., 604-905-4844.

Quattrorestaurants.com This mountain outpost of the Quattro chainlet is the largest—a lovely Italian dining room with a lively bar and fireplaces. Grilled bocconcini cheese is wrapped in prosciutto and radicchio leaves. Don’t miss Spaghetti Quattro, with minced chicken, garlic, chilies and black beans, or panini-pressed Cornish game hen, a local favourite. Party planner alert: Quattro has first-rate set menus.

WH C ATI ST E GORY L E R &N SQU A M EAHMEIRE SH

CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 102B–4359 Main St. (in the Summit Mountain Lodge), 604-932-5569.

Elementswhistler.com This cozy tapas spot fills up nightly and it doesn’t take reservations. Bring friends to share the pork, prawn, tuna, lettuce ‫ ۻ‬ cups; the salmon and ahi tuna tempura roll; or Bearfoot Bistro $$$-$$$$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 4121 Village the “Butler” steak roasted potatoes. Inventive Green, 604-932-3433. Bearfootbistro.com Chef cocktails tempt, as does the well-chosen wine Melissa Craig has become a culinary star and el- list. evated this Whistler institution into the highest reaches of B.C. restaurants. Flamboyant owner Howe Sound Brewery Andre Saint Jacques sets the tone, greeting din- $$ P U B & L O U N G E 37801 Cleveland Ave., 604-892ers effusively and bringing Champagne at every 2603. Howesound.com Unless you’re a beer opportunity, which is easy to accept as The Bear- nerd, you didn’t come all the way to Squamish foot is one of 150 Dom Pérignon Houses in the just to eat at a brew pub. You may be pleasantly world. Chef Craig has created a luxurious three- surprised by the ever-changing, very seasonal or five-course tasting menu featuring her mod- menu at Howe Sound. You can go nuts with ern Canadian cuisine that will leave you gasping, one of a dozen appetizers, many with a beer deliriously, for air. Amp up the night with a trip theme, like ale-braised wings, or fill up with a to the ice-encased vodka bar (parkas are pro- hearty burger or generous pizza. Finish it all off vided against the -40º ambiance) and finish in with an assortment of desserts made in-house. style with one of executive pastry chef Dominic If the beer sampler is available (and the servFortin’s creations. ers have time in the busy open room), sample widely from the excellent list. This room only gets better with age.

The Brewhouse $$-$$$ P U B & L O U N G E 4355 Blackcomb Way, 604905-2739. Mjg.ca/brewhouse A huge pub/res- Hy’s Steakhouse Whistler taurant/brewery featuring comfort food and $$$$ STEAKHOUSE 14–4308 Main St., 604-905-5555. housemade beers. We like the Lifty Lager for Hyssteakhouse.com A seductively dark interior its Bavarian feel. Sample al forno pizzas, prime welcomes diners, while attentive service, a killrib, beef ribs, or rotisserie half-chicken. Eleven er wine list, and great cocktails bring them back. televisions and one big screen for sports view- Hy’s knows steak, but begin with icy, well-made ing. Free brewery tours Tuesdays and Saturdays martinis in Whistler’s best bar, follow with a garlicky caesar and the justifiably famous cheese at 3 p.m. toast. Move on to fresh oysters on the half-shell.

Grab a bottle of bold red and pair it with either Caramba! Restaurante $$-$$$ ITALIAN 12–4314 Main St., 604-938-1879. the steak and lobster or king crab. Seafood lovCaramba-restaurante.com Mario Enero’s fam- ers have lots to choose from (like blackened ahi ily-friendly room offers solid value. A popular tuna). Sides include asparagus and creamed appetizer is the grilled squid with olive oil, spinach. garlic, and lemon. Reasonably priced pastas (spaghetti polpette and housemade meatballs Il Caminetto recommended) and pizzas (order the La Rúa, $$$ ITALIAN 4242 Village Stroll, 604-932-4442. Um topped with spinach, roasted Roma tomatoes, berto.com One of two Umberto Menghi dining garlic, and asiago). But the main events here are establishments in Whistler. Spectacular cockspit-roasted free-range chicken or leg of lamb tail, wine, and liqueur list, and a kitchen that (though local experts swear by the country- turns out superb items like antipasto de la casa style pot roast braised in red wine and served and a wild salmon duo. To start, indulge in the with root vegetables). beef carpaccio. For mains, the veal osso buco is not to be missed. Impeccable service.

Dubh Linn Gate Old Irish Pub

RE STA U RAN TS

Rim Rock Café $$$$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 2117 Whistler Rd., 604-932-5565.

Rimrockcafe.com Managerowner Bob Dawson and chef-owner Rolf Gunther ensure all runs smoothly. Don’t miss the selection of oysters, raw with champagne vinaigrette, baked Rockefeller-style, or broiled with a spicy salsa. For an entrée, try the ahi tuna marinated in soy, sake, and mirin; meat lovers are well taken care of with the mixed grill often featuring lamb, beef tenderloin, and venison. The wine list is extensive and there’s an intriguing cocktail and scotch selection. A longtime Creekside favourite.

Riverside Junction Café $-$$

‫ ۻ‬

8018 Mons Rd., 604-905-1199. River sidecafe.ca Located in Buffy Woods’ luxe Riverside RV Resort, which features a central lodge, log cabins, and neatly bermed plug-in sites for equally luxe motorhomes. Your seatmates might be a loader operator, a Blackcomb exec, or a visiting European family. All-day classic breakfasts (bacon and eggs, toast and home fries; french toast with bacon or fruit; outstandThe Mexican Corner $-$$$ AMERICAS 412-4340 Sundial Cres., 604-962- ing eggs Benedict or vegetarian burrito); sand4450. Themexicancorner.ca What used to be a wiches both hot (including a stack of Montreal simple taco joint at the south end of the village is smoked meat on home-baked rye bread) and now a vibrant full-service restaurant at the base cold; and good salads. of Whistler Mountain with a killer margarita ‫ ۻ‬ list. In a resort where not much exists between Roland’s Pub fine dining and fast food, Mexican Corner fills $$ PUB & LOUNGE 2129 Lake Placid Rd., 604-932the gap admirably, as evidenced by the constant 5940. Rolandswhistler.com At this Whistler line-ups (leave your number and they’ll text you Creek stalwart (formerly Hoz’s Pub), local lifties, when your table is ready). The kitchen prides mountain girls, and smart visitors know to order himself on bringing modern twists to authentic the pulled pork, ribs, and chicken of head chef pre- and post-Hispanic dishes, whether perking BBQ Bob Haselbach, a past barbecue champion up guacamole with sparkling, jewel-like pome- of B.C. (BBQ Bob’s, his aptly named barbecue granate seeds, or adding the crunch of pumpkin joint, is open next door.) Appetizers include the seeds to a tuna tartare. For a taste that will trans- nachos, featuring a smoky fire-roasted salsa. Kidport you straight to central Mexico, don’t miss friendly until 8 p.m.

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Sachi Sushi $$

106–4359 Main St., 604-935-5649.

Sachisushi.com An unassuming Village North sushi room that caters to diners looking for expertise without pretension or price inflation.

Venture off the beaten sushi path to sample some of the house specialties such as the Sachi roll (shrimp tempura, avocado, salmon, scallop, and spicy mayo in a soybean sheet), or the mango roll (mango, tuna, salmon, and asparagus tempura).

Funky features include Kani blossoms, a delectable creation of fresh Alaskan crab wrapped nigiri-style in ahi tuna. Modest wine list as well as a selection of sakes, beers, and cocktails.

JAPANESE

Sidecut

VA N C OU V E R I SL A N D

$$$$ STEAKHOUSE 4591 Blackcomb Way, 604-9665280. Sidecutwhistler.com Bring your appetite— Chef Tory Martindale offers a snappy modern take on a classic steakhouse. Without the tablecloths and staid uniforms, the room’s relaxed style works perfectly with mix-and-match rubs and sauces for 40-day aged Canadian prime beef cooked on an infrared grill. Start with a steakhouse “sushi” roll with rare beef, avocado, and sweet soy, or stick to tradition with a well-made caesar salad starring pulled brioche and housemade pancetta. Then it’s on to perfectly seared rib-eyes, classic T-bones, or even the “cowboy” porterhouse—a 56oz monster to serve four. The impressive 200-bottle wine list was designed with meat in mind.

is delicious. And look around: you’ll see some worlds, housed in spacious digs in Courteof the prettiest faces in Whistler eating some of nay’s historic downtown. The left side serves up artisan levain breads and pastries (lineups the best pasta dishes. are the norm, especially on weekends); batard and olive levain, garlic miche, and potato Watershed Grill $-$$ DINER 41101 Government Rd., 604-898-6665. breads are reliable standbys, along with buttery Thewatershedgrill.com There’s no better van- croissants and tomato tarts. Cakes are multitage for eagle-watching than at this Squamish layered beauties, and the bouffant-like lemon gem, the only waterfront patio in the Sea-to- meringue cakes are spectacular. Turn right for Sky corridor. Go for the burgers: Pemberton the dazzling display of chocolate treats—hone beef, salmon, or Californian chicken, and the in on truffles made with 85 percent bittersweet crab cakes. There’s Okanagan Spring and Gran- Callebaut in 20 creative flavour combinations. ville Island on tap and all the usual suspects— (Don’t miss the four-berry, chili pepper, or fleur de sel caramel.) There are also 22 flavours of Stella, Heineken, et al—by the bottle. housemade gelato, and café seating to take it all in.

VANCOUVER ISLAN D

$$ C O U R T E N AY / C O M O X

Atlas Café $$

CAFE 250 Sixth St., 250-338-9838. Atlascafe.ca Breakfast, lunch, and dinner traverse the globe, playing the hits, all generously portioned with many vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free offerings. Try the goat cheese tart with sweet chili yams or the Mediterranean platter for starters.

Main attractions feature fish tacos and entrées that change nightly according to what’s available. The wine list is thoughtfully chosen with B.C. and worldly picks.

Splitz Grill $

D I N E R 4369 Main St., 604-938-9300. Splitzgrill. com For a joint in a resort town, Splitz Grill has remained remarkably reasonably priced for family fare. Its atmosphere won’t win awards, but the Splitz burger is fast and rewarding (upgrade to make it a Salt Spring Island lamb burger).

What keeps ’em coming are the extras: standard sauces (mustard, relish, ketchup) are supplemented with garlicky hummus, baba ganoush, or housemade tzatziki to top your burger (spicy lentil patties for the veggie-lovers).

Sushi Village $$$

J A P A N E S E 11-4340 Sundial Cres., 604-9323330. Sushivillage.com Mikito-san’s legendary integrity for the freshest fish, well-made rolls, and a light hand with tempura and other hot dishes shows in reasonably priced group dinners that cover the waterfront: miso soup, green salad with baby shrimp, appetizer tempura, seafood gyoza, assorted sushi, chicken karaage, and ice cream. There are plenty of esoteric cold-fish cuts, and it remains a favourite night off for Whistler chefs. Surprising drink selection: sake margaritas, white wines, and an outstanding list of premium sakes. Lunch available on weekends only.

Trattoria di Umberto Restaurant $$$-$$$$

ITALIAN 4417 Sundial Pl., 604-932-5858.

Umberto.com This is a warmly decorated, professionally run trattoria serving a menu of greatest Tuscan hits. The minestrone is a surefooted chill chaser, and the salad of organic greens is heightened by a white balsamic dressing. Spaghetti bolognese and signature baked lasagne di carne are sturdy cold-weather bargains; veal scallopine with a light marsala sauce

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The Guerrilla Food Company Pizzeria Guerrilla

Avenue Bistro $$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 2064 Comox Ave., 250-

890-9200. Avenuebistro.ca Chef Devon Shute ties in with area farms and fishers for an accessible menu that has wide-ranging appeal and great value. That means burgers, pizza and pasta, steaks and seafood—all with bold flavours that hit the right notes. Try the signature appetizer of seared scallops: a shareable plate layered with pulled pork, slaw, slow-cooked fennel, apple brown butter and cider reduction. (You get the picture—leave your diet at home.) Desserts are over the top! A long bar, separated from the dining area, affords privacy for enjoying a fun cocktail list. And a refreshed wine program sees more selections by the glass, flights, and affordable by-the-bottle choices that change regularly.

Great patio for Sunday brunch.

ITALIAN 534 Fifth St., 250-703-0002; 244 Fourth St., 250-331-0287; Courtenay. Tgfc.ca Chefs Chris Matthews and Jake Galbraith (both protégés of Vancouver’s Robert Belcham) know more than just their way around a whole beast.

Joining forces with Jason Uglanic, they opened Guerrilla Foods, feeding the Courtenay/Comox masses with an extensive selection of ready-toheat frozen foods. From gluten-free and vegetarian options to meat-centric meals, everything is made in-house using ingredients from local purveyors. An increased fan base has spurned a pop-up-inspired pizza venture, in a space shared with craft Gladstone Brewing. The pies are thincrust (made from a slow-fermented dough to give them substance) with a diverse range of toppings created daily. Think beets three ways with preserved lemon, or house-made fennel sausage with garlic butter and braised greens.

Desserts are served in Mason jars, and the beers on tap top things off nicely.

Locals

$$$-$$$$ C O N T E M P O R A R Y W E S T C O A S T 1760 Riverside Ln., 250-338-6493. Localscomoxvalley.com New digs at the historic Old House gives chef Ronald St. Pierre the space to truly showcase the best of the region. Start with salad of local raclette and sautéed apples over greens with walnut bread and lavender jelly, or the popular shrimp and crab stack layered with sticky rice. For seafood entrees, choose your protein and a cooking preparation: island scallops are equally good pan-seared with black bean and roasted garlic, with Thai green curry and coThe Breakwater Restaurant conut, or simmered in a tomato-saffron broth at Kingfisher Oceanside with pernod. Drinks stay the local course, too, Resort & Spa $$$-$$$$ C O N T E M P O R A R Y W E S T C O A S T 4330 Island with B.C. and Island meads, craft brews, and Hwy. S., 800-663-7929. Kingfisherspa.com The wines. Gorgeous expansive patio overlooks the menu is a dazzling selection of local seafood, Courtenay River, and is just the spot for weekwith ample selections of red meat and poultry end brunch. to boot, accompanied by unique sides. The wine list swings from B.C. to Washington to Martine’s Bistro Napa with ease, with a few European labels $$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 1754 Beaufort Ave., thrown in for good measure. Sunday brunch- 250-339-1199. Martinesbistro.com The warm ers drive the length of the southern island to ambiance offers a fine-dining option in downenjoy the signature caesar with a Dungeness town Comox. Chef Marcus Aartsen’s polished crab benedict. technique adds elegance to simple fare. Try the oven-baked goat’s cheese with roasted garlic and pesto crostinis ($10). Mains like marinated rack Cake Bread Artisan Bakery of lamb with blueberry-mint coulis are perfectly Hot Chocolates done. Informed and ever-changing wine list B A K E R S 368 Fifth St., Courtenay, 250-338-8211.

Cakebread.ca; Hotchocolates.ca The best of both keeps things interesting, and the by-the-glass

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VAN COUVE R MA G A Z I N E// pg.39 E AT I N G & D R I N K I N G G U I D E Straight Outta Brooklyn

2016

program is one of the best around. In-season 3714. Themastheadrestaurant.com Set in a hispatio provides spectacular al fresco dining, with toric former hotel overlooking picturesque Cowichan Bay, the Masthead could easily have lofty views of harbour and sunset. trolled for tourist dollars serving fish and chips.

Instead, this seafood restaurant pays attention Merridale Bistro $$ C O N T E M P O R A R Y W E S T C O A S T 1230 Merridale Rd., to local ingredients and sustainable seafood 250-743-4293. Merridalecider.com A visit to with chef Martin Harrison at the helm. Begin this award-winning cider producer makes a on the half-shell with fresh oysters, then segue wonderful day trip, and is must-see for visitors to the weathervane scallops seared in a beurre to the region. Start with a tour and tasting of noisette and served over mascarpone risotto. A their ciders, plus aged cider brandy, then grab main of flat-iron bison steak is substantial and a table overlooking the orchard for lunch. The uncomplicated fare, served alongside the local strong and sharp Scrumpy cider pairs well with duck-fat-roasted potatoes. beef bacon burger or seared scallops with gazpacho vinaigrette. The setting is equally lovely Stone Soup Inn for sunset dinners; two on-site yurts are avail- $$$ W E S T C O A S T C O N T E M P O R A R Y 6755 Cowichan Lake able for overnighters.

Rd., 250-749-3848. Stonesoupinn.ca Nestled on three wooded acres, chef Brock Windsor offers five-course culinary adventures at this inn, resNatural Pastures taurant, and farm. The menu changes nightly C H E E S E M O N G E R 635 McPhee Ave., Courtenay, 250334-4422. Naturalpastures.com Natural Pas- with whatever’s in season from area farms (intures regularly wins awards for its cow- and cluding his own), fishers, and bakers. Courses water-buffalo-milk cheeses, including a gold- flow from delicate to robust, and are expertly garnering brie with bloomy rind and buttery paired with area wines. From buttery sableinterior. The signature verdelait combines fish with braised daikon, roasted parsnips, gouda, raclette, and cheddar blended with and shoestring potatoes, to crispy sweetbreads herbs—perfect picnic fare or for fondue. With with duck-egg mayo, the cooking is balanced three herds of water buffalo on the Island, and assured. Victoria Gin cocktails are perfect cheese-maker Paul Sutter has created a line for imbibing when you only have to stumble of products, from mozzarella to yogurt, cream upstairs to your room after the meal. cheese, and paneer. It’s said to be more tolerable for those with cow-milk allergies, and DUNCAN boasts extra calcium and protein. Most everything is available to taste before you buy.

Bistro One Sixty One $$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 161 Kenneth St., 250746-6466. Bistro161.org Fatima Da Silva has Weinberg’s Good Food raised the culinary bar in Duncan with a warm S P E C I A L T Y F O O D S 6856 Island Hwy., Buckley Bay, 250-335-1534. Weinbergsgoodfood.com At the room offering big-city elegance. Local seasonal ferry terminal for Denman and Hornby is- lunch fare goes the way of marinated chicken lands, this tiny, design-savvy store entices you and smoked bacon in a ciabatta club sandwich, to stock up before setting sail. Get charged or crab and shrimp cakes with sesame-lime with an espresso beverage (made from locally dressing. The dinner hour invites smart cockroasted beans) and shop for organic farm pro- tails around the blue granite bar, complemented duce, wood-fired breads, and cured sausages by duck biryani with rice and seasonal veg. from Vancouver’s D-Original, along with in‫ۻ‬ die-brand soaps, perfumes and artisan shav- Hudson’s on First ing gear, original art and crafts, cool shopping $$-$$$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 163 First St., 250bags, books, and tasteful gifts. Driftwood patio 597-0066. Hudsonsonfirst.ca A restored heritage seating allows you to watch your ship come in. house is where British chef and Top Chef Canada alum Dan Hudson has arrived. Dive into the jewel-like rabbit terrine served with houseWhite Whale Public House $$ PUB & LOUNGE 975 Comox Rd., Courtenay, 250- made picallili and toasted brioche, or lusciously 338-1468. Whitewhalepublichouse.ca Craft rich and tender pork belly with housemade saubeer and a crowd-pleasing menu await at this erkraut, glazed organic fingerlings, and braising ivy-covered public house set beside a riverside liqour. Service is gracious and informed. Sunday dock. Max Oudendag keeps the spirit lively brunch provides casual, affordable fun—think while chef Aaron Rail (both ex-Avenue Bistro) eggs with toast soldiers or full English breakfast. makes hearty comfort food, big on seafood and Comox Valley ingredients. Oysters on the half Steeples Bar shell ignite the happy hour, best enjoyed with & Grill one of the 13 rotating craft brews on tap. Lots $$-$$$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 2744 E. Shawnigan of sharing plates are available, and bigger appe- Lake Rd., 250-743-1887. Steeplesrestaurant.ca tites are satisfied with the ground-sirloin burger A former church with a soaring cedar-beam ceilstacked with sharp cheese and pork belly, or ing offers cozy, immaculate dining steps from something chef-y from the specials list. If beer’s Shawnigan Lake. Owner Darren Cole keeps the not your thing, cocktails are fueled with Island congregation happy and sated with smoothly efspirits, while the wine list is strong on B.C. ficient service and generously portioned hearty fare. Prime examples: fire-grilled Indian spiced chicken breast; peach-and-cranberrystuffed C O W I C H A N B AY pork loin. Ace drinks list of Island wines, beers, and cocktails. Wine spritzers are the patio The Masthead $$ SEAFOOD 1705 Cowichan Bay Rd., 250-748- choice.

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Unsworth Restaurant $$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 2915 Cameron Taggart Rd., Cobble Hill, 250-929-2292. Unsworthvineyards.com The coupling of winery and restaurant is still in its infancy on Vancouver Island, and the union here should be a template. Start in the tasting room with Unsworth Vineyards’ award-winning wines, then head over to the dining room, set in a heritage house offering vineyard, orchard, and garden views. The menu of small and large plates is overseen by chef Steve Elskens, who deftly balances local and seasonal ingredients with global influences, giving equal time to vegetable-based fare along with meats and seafood. A great program of local wines by the glass complements Okanagan picks of the low intervention/organic variety.

Vinoteca at Zanatta Winery $$-$$$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 5039 Marshall Rd., 250-709-2279. Zanatta.ca/vinoteca.htm This restored 1903 farmhouse is set amongst rolling hills of vineyards—you can’t get more picturesque. Belly up to the tasting room for a sip of the slightly effervescent Damasco, a cult favourite. Lunches are served veranda-side courtesy of chef Fatima Da Silva, all smartly paired with Zanatta wines. Find seared tuna salad, or antipasti plate for two. To finish, local fruits are transformed into coulis to top a decadent, flourless chocolate torte. Open from April to October; reservations recommended.

VA E NGORY C OU V ENRA M I SL C AT EA HN ED RE

LUIS VALDIZON

G R E AT E R V A N C O U V E R

NANAIMO

Bistro at Westwood Lake $$$

C O N T E M P O R A R Y W E S T C O A S T 2367 Arbot Rd., 250753-2866. Westwoodlake.com A tennis club in a peaceful lakeside setting is the backdrop for restaurateur Gaetan Brousseau’s newest venture.

The menu refreshingly steers clear from the usual burgers-and-wings concepts, favouring quiche, fish tacos, steamed mussels with curryanise cream or chicken supreme with thyme jus, all brightly flavoured and value driven. Dinner is hearty: pumpkin-seed-crusted spot prawns over house-made carrot ravioli with peashoot cream for starters; and mains like Island Berkshire pork chops with grainy mustard spaetzle, or wild, free-range, and seasonal fish and proteins dressed with Merridale cider reduction.

The wine list offers local and global picks, and is tightly edited to reflect value and accessibility.

Great for brunch on the patio.

The Crow and Gate $ PUB & LOUNGE 2313 Yellow Point Rd., 250-722-3731.

Crowandgate.ca In a pastoral setting 20 minutes south of Nanaimo, resident geese and floral gardens greet guests at one of B.C.’s oldest pubs, with its lofty interior of heavy wood tables and beercoaster décor. Service is at the bar, with Guinness, local brews, and quaffable wines by the glass. Ploughman’s lunch, scotch eggs, Melton Mowbray, or a rich steak-and-kidney pie—even pan-fried oysters hold down lunch proteins.

Winters make this an especially cozy retreat with two roaring fireplaces, a game of darts, and a piano.

Hilltop Bistro $$-$$$

CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST

E AT I N G & D R I N K I N G G U I D E

102–5281 Ruth-

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Risofoodsinc.com Take the highway turnoff for this marvellous wood-fired bakery and Italianinspired eatery. From breads and pastries, pastas and sauces to jams, gelato, and even bacon, everything is made in-house, created and overseen by chef Sarah Wallbank, who zips through the room with friendly efficiency. Wood-fired pizzas have perfect chew-to-char ratio with toppings from simple tomato-basil to calabrese sausage with roasted red peppers, fennel, and chile. Fun La Stella Trattoria $$ ITALIAN 1-321 Wesley St., 778-441-4668. La Prosecco cocktails, an unfussy wine list, Belgian stellartrattoria.com A wood-fired oven is the an- and Italian beers, and strong coffee. chor for chef Ryan Zuvich’s straightforward Italian trattoria envisioned through a local/seasonal Smokin’ George’s BBQ lens. The space is a welcome addition to Nanai- $$ BARBECUE 5–4131 Mostar Rd., 250-585-2258. mo’s Old City Quarter. Seven styles of pizza— Smokingeorgesbbq.com In an industrial spot, made with a long-fermented dough—achieve dressed with vintage church pews and galvathe right ratio of char to chew, with toppings nized steel, is George Kulai’s BBQ outfit, crankranging from classic to adventurous, including ing out alder wood-smoked brisket, pulled Zuvich’s house-made charcuterie and sausage, pork, ribs, and chicken as fast as folks will wolf lots of fresh herbs, and the signature pie topped it down. The party-sized BBQ feast offers a bit with a hen’s egg. The same mindset is applied to of every meat alongside smoky pit beans, tangy handmade pastas (gluten-free, too) imbued with coleslaw, and moist corn bread; the pulled pork bold flavours like citrus brown butter, braised poutine is a luscious mess of fries, gravy, pork, kale, toasted hazelnuts, and roasted squash. Li- and cheese curds. bations include cheap and cheerful Italian and Island pours, plus local craft brews.

PORT ALBERNI

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erford Rd., 250-585-5337. Hilltopbistro.ca Chef Ryan Zuvich transformed his former storefront for handcrafted deli provisions into a cozy dinner-only bistro. The menu changes seasonally, but expect to find seafood and proteins sourced locally and prepared expertly. Dine à la carte or choose the three-course prix fixe that includes wicked desserts such as chocolate pâté.

Longwood Brewpub $$-$$$

‫ ۻ‬ $ MEXICAN 6–5440 Argyle St. (in the Harbour Quay),

All Mex'd Up

5775 Turner Rd, 250-7298225. Longwoodbrewpub.com With several house brews on tap including pilsners, ales, bocks, barley wine, and other seasonal specialties, the Longwood knows its suds. The six-ounce sample pack of tasters is a wise starting point, or ask the staff to make a recommendation. Curb your hunger with big plates of burgers, pastas, and salads—portions are never skimpy. Make an appointment for Saturday at 3 p.m. to take part in the brewery tour and free tasting.

PUB & LOUNGE

$$-$$$

CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 2104 Hemer Rd., 250-722-3621. Mahlehouse.ca After 27 years, owners and siblings Maureen Loucks and Delbert Horrocks passed the torch to Loucks’s daughter Tara Wilson and her spouse Stephen.

Together they’ve re-energized this charming heritage house dining room. Expect amply portioned dishes drawn from surrounding farms, including the property’s extensive herb and vegetable garden. Kataifi-wrapped prawns and calamari dijonnaise with a bold lemon-garlic cream are good starting points. A main of local duck in a Grand Marnier thyme sauce is rich and hearty. The annual summer garden party/ wine tasting is the stuff of legend.

VANCOUVER MAGAZINE

Point-No-Point $$$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 10829 West Coast Rd., 250-646-2020. Pointnopointresort.com Open for more than 60 seasons, this is the place, perched atop the rugged coastline, to unplug and enjoy.

Find unexpected flavours on the dinner menu, served Wednesday through Sunday, with dishes like house-aged proscuitto with fig compote and focaccia, and wild salmon with fennel spaetzle. We loved the beef tenderloin ‘muffuletta’ with celery-green olive rémoulade, and Yorkshire pudding stuffed with salami and provolone. Wine list offers affordable choices from B.C., Australia, and California.

Sooke Harbour House $$$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 1528 Whiffen Spit Rd.,

250-642-3421. Sookeharbourhouse.com A culinary destination for over 36 years, this iconic restaurant—with its steadfast focus on regional seasonality—continues to shine as returning chef Brock Windsor (ex-Stone Soup Inn) increases the local mandate with renewed vigour. The daily-changing four-course menu draws from the restaurant’s immense gardens and area farms for mini culinary adventures on a plate, with cooking that is never heavy-handed. The wine cellar runs deep and keeps the “What grows together, goes together” maxim firmly in place.

Food & Drink SIDNEY

Bistro Suisse EASTERN EUROPEAN 2470 Beacon Ave., 250656-5353. Bistrosuisse.com A tidy bistro on main-street Sidney where veteran chef Lucien Frauenfelder keeps it old-school Swiss with kirsch-spiked cheese fondues, raclette cheese with gherkins, and hearty plates of bratwurst, schnitzel, and rösti.

Brentwood Pub and Seagrille Seafood & Sushi $$-$$$

CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 849 Verdier Ave., 888-544-2079. Seagrille.ca Another interior redo finds a user-friendly dining room with a lower price point to eat, drink, and be merry.

Cozy booths define the space and floor-toceiling French doors open to the patio. The adjoining pub offers the usual burger-friespizza concept with craft brews. A great pit stop during Saanich winery tours or Mill Bay ferry Mon Petit Choux $$ CAFE 120 Commercial St., 250-753-6002. Mon- waits. The wine bar pours strong on B.C., with petitchoux.ca Pick up the organic daily bread, 10 wines by the glass and more than 300 bottles. or slide onto the café or deck on a sunny day. Substantial martini list, too.

Petit déjeuner never looked so good as French toast à la mode (with cream and maple syrup), Deep Cove Chalet flaky almond croissants, or pain au chocolat. Or $$$-$$$$ FRENCH 11190 Chalet Rd., 250-656-3541. keep it savoury with a perfectly wrought croque Deepcovechalet.com Attractively situated on six madame or the all-butter torte with organic to- acres where chef Pierre Koffel and wife Bev have matoes and fresh thyme. Lunch brings creative created something akin to a private waterfront soups (offerings change daily) and sandwiches. club. From a consommé au citron to rabbit stew with prunes or veal sweetbreads, this is classic ‫ ۻ‬ French given new life, never nouvelle in porRiso Foods $$ ITALIAN 7217 Lantzville Rd., 250-390-0777. tions. Plan on a leisurely lunch or dinner. Soufflés

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250-723-8226 This seasonal pintsize taco shop in the Harbour Quay is a welcome stop pre- or post-Tofino. Grab a bench and settle in with chef Judy Walker’s Mexican flavours. Pulled pork tacos are the bomb, burritos are muy macho, and seasonal fish tacos provide fresh picante flavour. Wild Mountain

$$-$$$

Mahle House

for dessert, made to order. Novella-sized wine list with Old World and B.C. faves throughout.

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$$-$$$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 1831 Maple Ave. South, 250-642-3596. Wildmountaindinners.com After a series of pop-up dinners, stints farming and foraging, and working in some of the Island’s best restaurants (including Sooke Harbour House), sommelier Brooke Fader and chef Oliver Kienast have set down roots. The cozy, light-filled house (formerly Markus’ Wharfside) is an everyday kind of place that works for a few appetizers over a glass of wine or a special night out. Kienast’s hyper-local menu mines the land and the sea, with cooking that’s thoughtful and nuanced. An exploration of technique and textures is seen in the tuna trio: sweet cicely provides an anise-like hit to seared Albacore; crispy brandade finds extra richness from a cured egg yolk; and crunchy radishes plays off tuna tartare. In keeping with their Slow Food mindset, wines are organic and low intervention, and spirits and brews strictly B.C. craft, complemented by housemade syrups, bitters, and shrubs.

TOFINO & UCLUELET

Fetch at the Black Rock Oceanfront Resort $$-$$$

C O N T E M P O R A R Y W E S T C O A S T 596 Marine Dr., Ucluelet, 250-726-4800. Blackrockresort.com Snag a window seat for the wild ocean views and start with half-shell oysters with a classic mignonette. Mains include duck pappardelle with tomato, bacon, sage, red wine, and pecorino romano. Sushi served in the Float lounge is especially of note: try the Blow Hole roll of pan-

VANCOUVER ISLAND

ko-crusted spicy tuna with tobiko highlighted by a fruit salsa.

Hank’s Untraditional BBQ $$

1577 Imperial Lane, Ucluelet, 250726-2225. Hanksbbq.ca Pearl Jam posters are suitable décor for this rockin’ shrine to all things beer and barbecue. Consult the chalkboard menu for the week’s latest meats from the smoker and wood-fired grill, like pork rib racks smoked over hickory, maple, and cherry wood, and finished with a glaze of housemade ketchup. Two Rivers 30-day dry-aged chuck and brisket is ground to make dry-aged meatballs served with fresh tomatoes over pasta. From lamb ribs to beef shin to pig roasts every Friday, this is serious barbecue, paired up with the best craft brews. Key lime pie is the perfect way to finish.

BARBECUE

The Inn at Tough City $$

RE STA U RAN TS

J A P A N E S E 350 Main St., Tofino, 250-725-2021.

Toughcity.com A giant mechanized Buddha greets you at this sushi bar/funhouse decorated with co-owner Crazy Ron Vanderkley’s collection of vintage toys and memorabilia.

The kitchen team dishes out a big menu, all perfectly fresh and beautifully presented. The Beachcomber roll finds salmon, avocado, and tempura scallop, and the salmon sashimi over julienned daikon is a fresh and crunchy choice with an addictive ponzu-garlic-ginger-chili sauce. Simple ahi tuna or half-shell oysters for purists. Premium sakes rounds out the drinks The Schooner Restaurant list with Island wines and brews. $$-$$$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST Schooner on Second: 331 Campbell St., 250-725-3444. Schooner Long Beach Lodge restaurant.ca The Schooner, owned by the same Resort family for more than 50 years, has a menu that $$$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 1441 Pacific Rim Hwy., is constantly refreshed. Plates include oysters 250-725-2442. Longbeachlodgeresort.com Set at baked with double-smoked back bacon and the the ocean’s edge, the Great Room is where you always popular seafood hotpot. Meat lovers are want to be, with surfer views, fresh air, and chef sated with chipotle-bourbon-sauced back ribs, Ian Riddick’s menu of delightful, casual, local fare while seafood lovers opt for the Admiral’s plate for the whole family—a family that knows good for two, a bountiful platter of all that lives in the food, that is. Start with Clayoquot Sound crab sea: oysters, snapper, salmon, scallops, prawns, cakes or oysters on the half shell, before mov- half-crab, and clams and mussels. ing onto mains like the daily pasta or tuna and scallop duo with purple beet cream. If a snack is SoBo all you need, the Après Surf menu features local $-$$ S E A F O O D 311 Neill St., Tofino, 250-725-2341. mussels or crispy chicken wings.

Sobo.ca. In 2007, chef-owner Lisa Ahier traded a tiny purple catering truck for this earth-toned

storefront bedecked with driftwood tables and Norwoods $$$-$$$$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 1714 Peninsula slate floors. For sophisticated bohemians, the Rd., 250-726-7001. Norwoods.ca Tofino gets all seasonal menu has retained the Killer Fish Tathe attention, but make the detour to Ukkie and cos, for which Sobo has received national acbe rewarded with this understated, elegant room claim, and added tempting items like frozen fish where chef/owner Richard Norwood’s skillful chowder for takeout. cooking speaks to the region, balancing local ‫ۻۻ‬ sea- and land-based fare. Knowledgeable ser- Tacofino vice and a wonderful wine list are worthy of chef $ SEAFOOD 1184 Pacific Rim Hwy., 250-726-8288.

Norwood’s craftsmanship.

Tacofino.com Pay homage to the original location of the taco truck that’s spurred several Vancouver locations. Choose your favourite and Picnic Charcuterie secure a bench seat around one of the brightly D E L I 700 Industrial Way, Tofino, 250-889-5738.

Picniccharcuterie.com From a pint-size locale at painted picnic tables. The Baja-style battered the back of a Tofino industrial hub, Tina Wind- fish tacos are the bomb, and the Tuna-ta Taco sor crafts an ambitious array of cured meats, sings with mango, fresh wasabi, and seaweed fresh sausages, and preserves, with a focus wrapped around fresh tuna. Extra salsa and hot on Island-raised products. Find cured bacon, sauce are available for chileheads, and the limepork pies, pâtés and meat parfaits, grab-and- mint freshies cool the palate. go sandwiches, and even bacon-spice cookies, along with West Coast touches such as pancetta Wildside Grill cured with thyme and hemlock tips, or smoked $$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 1180 Pacific Rim Hwy.,

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sausage with bull kelp. Stock up with a baguette Tofino, 250-725-9453. Wildsidegrill.com Wildand artisan cheeses, duck confit, burger patties, side’s shack-style location provides hearty sandand duck stock for your home larder. wiches and delicious deep-fried sustenance. Start with a breakfast ciabatta of eggs, chorizo, avocado, and smoked tomato relish, or go crispy with The Pointe at ‫ ۻ‬ panko-crusted fish and chips, oysters, or wild the Wickaninnish Inn $$$-$$$$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST Chesterman shrimp. Fries are hand cut and double fried to Beach, 250-725-3100. Wickinn.com A gorgeous perfection. Second locale in a golf club provides cedar room tastefully appointed with art provides seating with beer and wine. lofty views above Chesterman Beach and the ‫ ۻ‬ crashing waves of Tofino. Accomplished land- Wolf in the Fog and sea-based fare includes albacore escabeche $$-$$$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST Fourth St., Towith fennel, basil, and honey water; and pig tail fino, 250-725-9653. Wolfinthefog.com Chef Nick with soused cherries and licorice crumble. The Nutting steers a hyper-local menu with global wine list represents the shores of B.C., Baja, and accents, big on seafood and creativity, and beyond, plus there’s a formidable scotch list. served on whimsical mismatched china. Oysters wrapped in crispy potato with corn puree and hints of truffle make a great start, followed Red Can Gourmet $$ CAFE 700 Industrial Way, 250-725-2525. Redcan by a revelatory take on beef tartare with North gourmet.com Chef Tim May’s casual, open-concept African spices and crunchy peanuts, or seared kitchen serves rustic fare, and also offers caters. Albacore served with guanciale, espelette pepThe long, narrow takeout space serves a weekly per, and orange. Sharing plates for the gang changing menu of quick lunches, hearty dinners, are the bomb: the “Spanish Picnic” sees a tratake-away meals, and fresh baking, crafted to re- ditional Romesco sauce draped around squid, flect seasonality and May’s creativity. Think lemon spot prawns, mussels, and pan-seared rock cod. sabayon tarts with candied almond praline, chick- A nice long bar offers fun cocktails that twist the en pot pies, cumin-scented wild salmon chowder, classics; a whisky sour with cedar-infused rye Tofino IPA battered fish and chips, or braised lamb will have you howling at the moon, or keep the shoulder risotto. Minimal seating on the rough- vibe convivial with a spirit-fueled punch bowl hewn deck, or better yet, take it to-go for a trip for two to six people. Start your morning in the main-floor den with locally roasted coffee and kayaking, fishing, or après surfing. house-made pastries.

VICTORIA

Aura at the Inn at Laurel Point $$-$$$

CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 680 Montreal St., 250-414-6739. Aurarestaurant.ca The chic dining room at the iconic Arthur Erickson-designed hotel provides great city harbour views—especially from their heated patio. Settle in for chef Takashi Ito’s modern menu with Japanese flourishes. Start with half-shell oysters with yuzusoy mignonette, or the signature deep-fried sushi—an intriguing deconstruction with seafood and vegetables. Accomplished mains balance seafood and proteins with skill and creativity, incorporating seasonal ingredients that draw inspiration from global flavours and trends.

Pastry chefs also show finesse with buckwheat croissants and adventurous desserts, or finish with a tour de fromage from the artisan B.C. and Quebec list. A sharp wine list highlights B.C., with many affordable by the glass. The once-amonth Sunday brunch buffets are legendary.

Ayo Eat $

140–560 Johnson St., 250-590-4231.

Ayoeat.ca Expect a small but punchy takeout menu of Indonesian flavours at this pint-size restaurant on Market Square. (You can’t miss its bright red painted door that swings open on top for takeout.) Ayo eat translates to “Let’s eat,” which here means plump chicken satay, nasi goreng ayam, green curries, and a kickass coconut-stewed beef rendang, the latter heartily accompanied by mixed rice, pickled vegetables, and prawn chips with an odd potato-chipstudded sambal paste.

INDONESIAN

Be Love $$-$$$

VEGETARIAN & VEGAN

E AT I N G & D R I N K I N G G U I D E

1019 Blanshard St., 778-

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433-7181. Beloverestaurant.ca A popular choice for vegans, vegetarians, and the dairy- and gluten-free set, housed in a bright, modern room.

The nutrition-packed menu—noodle, rice, and quinoa bowls; heaped-high salads—keeps a local purview. Kale chips make a good start paired with herb-cashew dip, and the raw Shinsen bowl of spiral zucchini noodles with kelp and burdock root gets a lift from bright orange-sesame ponzu sauce. Beyond the smoothies, juices, and kombucha, the innovative spirits list holds many gluten-free, wild-crafted, and organic options. Fun cocktails pairings, too: don’t miss the Coastal Gin and Tonic, a refreshing greentinged libation of B.C. gin, spirulina, and kelp with locally made tonic.

Bodega $$

1210 Broad St., 778-406-1210. Bodega bar.ca A tapas and pinchos bar that gets it right.

Carved into a narrow space (in the equally narrow Trounce Alley), find floor-to-ceiling windows that open onto a year-round patio, and a long bar where the action takes place. Order from an extensive list of hot and cold tapas; chef Mark Fremont keeps it interesting with seasonal, citrus-forward ceviches and seared padron peppers in the summer, and heartier flavours over winter. The Spanish cheese and chorizo boards are the perfect after-work pick-me-up alongside sherry cocktails. Or try the sherry tasting flights, each paired with a tapa. An “Olé!”-worthy Spanish wine list offers choice picks. Service is informed throughout.

SPANISH

Big Bad John’s

VA N C OU V E R I SL A N D

$ PUB & LOUNGE 919 Douglas St., 250-383-7137.

Strathconahotel.com/BigBadJohns Pull up a burlap-lined seat at a tree stump table and settle in.

Open since 1962, this institution—touted as a hillbilly bar, strewn with peanut shells—is festooned with graffiti, underwear, and other lowbrow ephemera. The concept is simple: good times fueled with cold draft and whiskey, not designer cocktails.

Big Wheel Burger $

341 Cook St., 250-381-0050. Big wheelburger.com The “better fast food” concept rolls out with a simple menu of six burgers using naturally raised meats, a ground-freshdaily five-ounce patty of juicy chuck and brisket, topped with American cheese, secret sauce, and old-school condiments, served up on a toasted squishy bun. Monthly specials steer to the extreme with offerings such as the 18 Wheeler, a three-patty, three-cheese heartstopper teetering between two grilled-cheese sandwiches. Fresh fruit shakes and sodas plus craft brew on tap makes it fun for the whole family, and their 95 percent compostable mandate is commendable.

PUB & LOUNGE

Bin 4 Burger Lounge $$

PUB & LOUNGE 911 Yates St., 250-590-4154. Bin 4burgerlounge.com A 17-plus burger menu stacks up with Two Rivers beef and other local and sustainable proteins, including bison, plus seafood and vegetarian options with punchy flavoured aioli and housemade ketchup. Lowfat, gluten-free, and low-carb diets happily accommodated, but deep-fried heaven awaits with buttermilk-marinated and panko-crusted onion rings, housemade spicy potato chips, and the requisite handcut fries. Craft brews and cocktails go down nicely with the area condo dwellers, as does the late-night, half-price menu.

Bistro 28 $$-$$$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 2583 Cadboro Bay Rd., 250-598-2828. Bistro28.com Chef-owner Sam Chalmers surfs a West Coast/global tapas menu—a welcome addition to Oak Bay. Cooking goes from simple to spectacular with a house terrine with pickles and mustard; steamed mussels with caramelized onions in a maple chipotle sauce; pan-fried chicken livers; or Berkshire pork chop, sous vide and grilled, with creamed corn and warm potato salad. Rotating wine list with lots by the glass.

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Brasserie l’Ecole $$

Order at the counter for morning-only churros and steaming cups of thick hot chocolate.

Lunch offerings include seven styles of bocadillos, salads, soups, and tapas. Best picks include: bocadillo with housemade chorizo, layered with piquillo peppers, manchego and arugula; the escalivade salad of roasted vegetables; and a pitch-perfect tortilla Espanola served room temperature with a mojo de pimenton dulce.

Cookbooks, Spanish cheeses, and meats round out the selection.

The Clay Pigeon $$-$$$ PUB & LOUNGE 1002 Blanshard St., 250-5906657. Claypigeonrestaurant.com A popular, fun (albeit cramped) space for casual plates any time of day: maple bacon and smoked cheddar sandwiches at breakfast; bison tongue Ruebens, apple-fennel porchetta, or roast pork with Czech dumplings and caraway gravy for lunch or dinner. Hearty ratatouille with arugula and goat cheese buttresses poached eggs on the weekend brunch menu. Despite the bar’s size limitations, the drinks list appeals with a tidy selection of craft brews, wines, cocktails, and Prosecco on tap.

F R E N C H 1715 Government St., 250-475-6260.

Lecole.ca French country cooking with local ingredients and reliable service excel at this hopping yet cozy brasserie, where tables are first come, first served. Chef and owner Sean Brennan provides the standbys: moules, steak frites, endive salad with lardons, rich onion soup, but the plats du jour really show off his chops. Beer lovers can navigate through an array of French, Clives Classic Lounge Belgian, and local suds. $$ PUB & LOUNGE 740 Burdett Ave., 250-361-5684.

Clivesclassiclounge.com Built into prominence by noted bartender Shawn Soole (now the ownCafe Brio $$$-$$$$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 944 Fort St., 250- er of Little Jumbo), this cocktail-focused lounge 383-0009. Cafe-brio.com A charcuterie-curing remains a spirited force with duo Kate McDonroom built by chef Laurie Munn has added depth ald and Jayce Kadyschuk behind the wood. Take to Brio’s Italian-sponsored menu. From coppa to respite—shaken or stirred—with offerings from braesola to pâté to the daily sausage, Munn shows Tiki to global to classic, or throw caution to the abundant talent. The menu changes weekly (even wind with an on-the-fly creation. A small-plates daily) to reflect what’s fresh and available. Hosts menu hits the right notes with beef sliders, barGreg Hays and Silvia Marcolini warmly work the becue ribs, and poutine with Qualicum cheese room. Wine list is extensive, with many unsung curds and house chicken gravy.

B.C. bottles, worldly picks, and rarities, all reaConfit Food & Wine sonably priced. $$-$$$ FRENCH 1871 Oak Bay Ave., 250-598-2015.

Confitfoodandwine.com French country cookCamille’s at 45 ‫ۻ‬ ing and local ingredients are the key players at Bastion Square $$-$$$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 45 Bastion Sq., 250- this cozy neighbourhood bistro. Chef Dwane 381-3433. Camillesrestaurant.com Chef Stephan McIsaac heralds the seasons with hearty dishes Drolet takes the reins of this long-established that draw from good-quality ingredients and arroom, breathing new life into the locally focused tisan purveyors. Sweetbreads with wild mushmenu, which changes daily. Charming service rooms, mussels with duck-fat frites, and croque with a small but tastefully chosen wine list. Little madame inform the lunch hour. (Duck confit décor tweaks add comfortable elegance to the features prominently, too.) Mains are so amply front room, but diehard fans still seek the cozy portioned as to be shareable among a table of friends. The back garden patio, under a canopy (haunted?) backroom for privacy. of grape vines and framed by herb and lettuce gardens, offers welcome respite. The wine list Catalano Restaurant weighs heavily on France but is slowly evolving & Cicchetti Bar $$-$$$ MEDITERRANEAN 619 Courtney St., 250-480- with B.C. picks (and hopefully, craft brews and 1824, Catalanorestaurant.com A modern room, smart cocktails to come). adjacent to the Magnolia Hotel, serving solid Mediterranean fare. Dig in to the cicchetti menu Crooked Goose Bistro (think tapas) featuring cecci fritters with minted $$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 4136 Wilkinson Rd., yogurt and spicy harissa, and seasonally chang- 250-590-4556. Crookedgoosebistro.ca A suring arancini. Mains includes a wide selection of prise find at a strip mall; inside, hearty plates of pizzas, pastas, and proteins. Bartender Barry Par- made-from-scratch cooking using many localsons oversees the sleek wood bar for inventive ly grown provisions. The burgers are stacked and classic cocktails. and the poutine is loaded with choices from duck confit to bacon and stilton, and weekend brunch is the bomb with bloody Caesars and Chorizo & Co. $-$$ SPANISH 807 Fort St., 250-590-6393 Another bacon garnish. Other favourites? Pulled pork downtown addition to a spat of casual lunch- hash—smoked cheddar cheese and chipotletime eateries serves up delightful Spanish food. onion relish heaped over pan fries with eggs

E AT I N G & D R I N K I N G G U I D E

2016

Vancouver Chocolates individually handcrafted with care.

Master Chocolatier

chocolatas.com

Creating wines of excellence through the blending of art and science.

Located in the South Okanagan, Culmina Family Estate Winery is the result of a lifetime of experience in the wine industry for Don, Elaine and Sara Triggs. Through their hard work, scientific study, commitment to craft, unwavering pursuit of excellence and a longstanding faith in the potential for Icon quality wines from Canadian soil, Culmina was born.

4790 Wild Rose Street, Oliver B.C. 250.498.0789 info@culmina.ca culmina.ca

A gathering place serving locally sourced & traditionally crafted food & drinks Dinner – Lunch – Brunch 60 West Cordova St. Vancouver | 604-559-8999 info@tuccraftkitchen.com | tuccraftkitchen.com

R ESTA UR A N T S

VANCOUVER ISLAND

C AT VA E NGORY C OU V ENRA M I SL EA HN ED RE

and hollandaise. Weekly specials from prime fried rice, or sweet-and-sour pork belly. Green J & J Wonton Noodle House rib Sundays to late-night burger specials are papaya salad satisfies vegetarians. the neighbourhood draw. $$ CHINESE 1012 Fort St., 250-383-0680. Jjnoodle house.ca Amidst the extensive menu of Hong Glo Restaurant Kong-style cuisine, the noodles, made on-site, and Lounge The Dining Room at Butchart Gardens $$ PUB & LOUNGE 104–2940 Jutland Rd., 250-385- remain the standout. Pork or shrimp wonton are $$$-$$$$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 800 Benvenuto 5643. Glovictoria.com Condo owners, locals, silken, plump pillows of deliciousness, and are Ave., 250-652-8222. Butchartgardens.com Book a and kayakers find their way to the circular patio served in soup or in a pool of chili-flecked dark table in the historic original residence overlook- offering a pristine and peaceful setting over- soy. Chow meins and chow funs, while a little ing the Italian gardens at this wondrous tour- looking the Gorge Waterway. This is a popular sweet, are perfectly cooked over high-powered ist attraction. Longtime chef Travis Hansen’s business-lunch getaway to crunch numbers woks, and the daily specials often focus on lomenu thoughtfully draws from area farms and over burgers, salads, and seafood plates. Over cal, wild seafood served with brown rice—a welButchart’s own edible flower gardens. Start with 30 global brews of the boutique kind with many come option. Swift service, whether dining in or seared sea scallops with pickled vegetable salad. on tap, local champ Driftwood among them. taking out. Vegan and gluten-free menus, too.

Entrees roam land and sea, from West Coast The wine list is creatively wrought with 18 by halibut to roast rack of lamb. Chocolate torte the glass. Late-night menu offered after 10.

Jam Cafe makes for a sweet finish. The 95-percent B.C. $$ C A F É 542 Herald St., 778-440-4489. Jam wine list is commendable. cafevictoria.ca An all-day breakfast joint with a The Guild $$ PUB & LOUNGE 1250 Wharf St., 250-385-3474. cozy cabin feel offers a hearty menu peppered Theguildfreehouse.com The group behind Zam- with creativity and fun. Red velvet pancakes Fairfield Fish and Chips $ PUB & LOUNGE 1275 Fairfield Rd., 250-380-6880. bri’s and Big Wheel Burger take on British pub with cream-cheese drizzle compete for popuMembers.shaw.ca/fairfieldfishandchips Pieces of fare in a heritage building in the heart of Victo- larity with apple French toast topped with cod, rockfish, halibut, and haddock are salted, ria’s tourist zone. Chef Sam Benedetto’s every- caramelized strawberries, buttermilk biscuits battered and buttressed by chunky hand-cut thing-made-in-house menu refreshes the clas- with sausage or mushroom gravy, or the reqpotatoes fried in beef fat and wrapped in news- sics, from perfectly wrought salt cod croquettes uisite riffs on eggs Benny. Lunch continues the print. What more could you want? The mon- to ham hock terrine with piccalilli, formidable tone with buttermilk fried chicken, and mac strous burgers, bursting with thick-cut tomato, Scotch eggs to hearty beef and mushroom pot ’n’ cheese grilled cheese sandwiches, and yes, cheddar, and fried onions, ooze from the edges pies. Craft beer on tap represents the Cascadia even the salad has bacon. JJ Bean coffee and of the bun. Extra napkins highly recommended. region, and by-the-glass wines and craft cock- Coke in bottles keep the room buzzing, and tails make this a welcome respite for both locals on weekends, bacon-garnished bloody Caesars Open Tuesday to Saturday. served with pickled asparagus start the mornand tourists. ings right.

Fairmont Empress $$$$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 721 Government St., Hong Kong West 250-384-8111. Fairmont.com/empress-victoria $$ CHINESE 1807 Fort St., 250-598-1352. The Kitty’s Cafe You’ll visit as much for its rich history, Edward- menu at this tiny, worn-around-the-edges café $ D I N E R 1961 Douglas St., 250-361-2088. Gone ian architectural flourishes, and grand style as serves the best Szechuan cuisine this side of are the knick-knacks and souvenirs that once for its infamous (and infamously pricey) after- Richmond. Fish hot pot is a multi-layered af- distinguished it, but the menu stays true to its noon tea, the latter enjoyed as you gaze at Vic- fair with an earthy broth hidden underneath a diner roots at Kitty Dang’s hotel digs. Flapjacks, toria’s inner harbour. The Raj Colonial Indian- tangle of bean sprouts and fried fish lashed with corned beef hash, Texas toast, root beer floats, themed Bengal Lounge is a sight, as are harbour numbing Szechuan peppercorns and an inferno and three-egg omelettes continue to satisfy a views from The Veranda—great for martinis; of chili peppers. Organ meat platters and pig devoted following from construction workers open May to October. A farm-to-table ethos and ear’s salads are available for the truly adventur- and seniors to late-night revelers in search of a themed events throughout the year make up for ous diner.

Saturday morning cure-all. The coffee refills are occasionally uneven service. free, the servers take no guff, and the poolside location is the cat’s meow!

The Hot and Ferris’ Oyster Bar & Grill

Cold Café

$$

$ CAFÉ 1-313 Cook St., 778-433-1007 Having cooked for a Canadian Olympic team, chef Cosmo Meens knows a thing or two about nutrition. To this end, his casual café provides healthful fare at affordable prices. Yellow coconut curry soup (vegan) rocks it with potatoes and vegetables in a rich, sweet curry, or enjoy it over kaffir-lime-scented Jasmine rice topped with toasted peanuts, sprouts, and Thai basil.

Carnivores dig the Big Easy meatball sandwich of hormone-free beef and house ricotta bathed in a hearty marinara sauce with provolone.

Heaping salads are beautifully presented, and soups, stocks, and much more are available to take home.

536 Yates St., 250-360-1824; Upstairs, 250-382-2344. Ferrisoysterbar.com The crowded clubhouse feel brings in Victoria’s boho element along with students, families, and friends. While oysters are the mainstay— choose from eight baked options alone—there are plenty of seafood cuts and meat options.

Deep bowls of chicken penne soup with rice dumplings are a winter mainstay, and the legendary Chicago-style fries are tossed with celery salt. The signature dessert of deep-fried nutty rice fritters is served hot, and shaken in a brown paper bag laced with icing sugar, orange, Frangelico, and Amaretto ($6).

PUB & LOUNGE

Foo $

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$$-$$$ PUB & LOUNGE 506 Fort St., 778-433-5535.

Littlejumbo.ca At the foot of Fort Street and down a hallway, this speakeasy-style restaurant is the place to enjoy imaginative, wellcrafted drinks and a selection of comforting small plates. The dinner hour pulls out more accomplished—if slightly spendy—fare, including sharing boards that showcase Victoria’s top curators and producers. Nate Caudle runs the bar with the drive and talent, firing up the cocktail list with oft-changing creations. The smart wine list favours B.C. and boutique, with numerous by-the-glass options.

Lure Restaurant & Bar

769 Yates St., 250-383-3111 Foofood. ca A former garage in a hotel parking lot is the setting for this sleek hawker-style joint. Take home the daily curry, or vie for seats—only 10 indoors—for chef Patrick Lynch’s riffs on Southeast Asian cuisine. Butter chicken with chili frybread is pitch perfect, but it’s the caramel chicken with Chinese greens that gets all the attention these days. Combo dinners reinvent ChineseWestern dishes with pulled pork and pineapple PAN ASIAN

Little Jumbo

$$-$$$

Il Terrazzo $$-$$$

555 Johnson St., 250-361-0028.

Ilterrazzo.com Big room, big portions, big patio—with lush gardens and wood-burning fireplaces—keep the servers hustling with a hearty, meat-centric menu. Pasta mains are fuelled with rich sauces redolent of marsala, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, cream, and gorgonzola. The lusty wine list—with 17 by the glass—flows from New World to Old. ITALIAN

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C O N T E M P O R A R Y W E S T C O A S T 100 Harbour Rd., 250-360-5873. Lurevictoria.com An update to this room—and its coveted outdoor patio— maximizes its waterfront setting, offering lovely views at every angle. As well, a refreshed menu focuses on something-for-everyone casual plates that are in tune with current trends.

Best picks: Lois Lake steelhead carpaccio with lemon and capers, lamb meatballs with smoked tomato sauce, and a flat-iron steak sandwich

Maenam // pg.54

with truffle mayo and crispy onions. An exceptional list of B.C. and global wines by the glass is well-priced. Great craft brews, too, although cocktails lean toward fruity concoctions.

Macchiato Caffe & Paninoteca $-$$ CAFÉ 780 Johnson St., 250-590-5985 Swift lunch service with over 14 variations on the grilled panini theme, such as the Figamo, lustily layered with chicken, apples, fig, brie, and grainy mustard aioli on focaccia. Salads run the gamut from green to bean, and appetizers such as grilled polenta served with house tomato sauce round out the selection at a price point that’s easy on the pocket book. Don’t miss the gluten- and dairy-free cupcakes, perfectly paired with expertly crafted caffe lattes.

MILOS TOSIC

Marina Restaurant $$-$$$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 1327 Beach Dr., 250-598-8555. Marinarestaurant.com A pictureperfect setting overlooking the sailboat-filled marina offers a delicious getaway from the city.

Chef Jeff Keenliside’s reinvigorated commitment to sustainability shows at the sushi bar, which is now 100-percent Oceanwise—a first for the Island. The dining-room menu is strong on seafood emphasizing bright, fresh flavours over heaviness. Service shows increasing polish from dining room to bar, where manager Patrick Allard oversees an extensive and noteworthy cocktail, sake, and wine program, with rotating

B.C. brews. Downstairs, the rebranded Dockside Eatery offers brilliant al fresco marina views from the expansive patio, and a refreshed menu of salads, sandwiches, and sharing boards with local charcuterie or house-smoked salmon. Perfect on a sunny day.

visits (especially for duck-wing Thursdays).

Great wines by the glass, affordable bottles, and inventive Tiki drinks are a specialty, as are the Gilligan’s Island reruns showing at the bar.

Chalmers’s signature hot sauces provide bottled-up pleasure available to take home. Service is attentive and enthusiastic.

The Noodle Box $

PAN ASIAN Various locations. Thenoodlebox.net A series of fire-breathing woks is the conduit for Jodi Mann and Nick Crooks’s high-powered, if slightly pro forma, dishes. Ribbon, Shanghai, rice, udon, hokkein, or egg noodles provide the base for Indonesian-style peanut, chili-plum, black bean, and Thai green curries, all packed to go in a neat takeout box. The menu has expanded to include Burmese-style naan with Singapore coconut-cashew curry and a Kids’ Box. Increased popularity has spawned numerous locations in Victoria and Vancouver.

Olo

$$-$$$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 509 Fisgard St., 250-590-8795. Olorestaurant.com Chef Brad Holmes and Sahara Tamarin rebranded the former Ulla, heralding a more relaxed feel as well as a new menu and extended hours. The result?

Business is booming. Holmes still adheres to a local mandate with modern flourishes (note the “fermatorium” wall of pickles and vinegars); the menu progresses from snacks (don’t miss the salty/spicy/crispy pork rinds) to vegetables and grains to seafood and meat. For the undecided, go for the family meal, where the kitchen cooks a multi-course meal for the table. The late-night North 48 $$ DINER 1005 Langley St., 250-381- 2428. North menu brings in industry types vying for burgers, fortyeight.com Chef Sam Chalmers offers mod- deep bowls of noodles, or flat-iron steaks, and ern interpretations of comfort foods (both the seats at the bar for famed barkeep Shawn Soole’s diner and global varieties) with everything crafty cocktail list. made in house—including a novelty ‘cheese whiz’ served with celery. The menu boldly Part and Parcel charts crowd-pleasing plates, drawing influence $$ CAFE & BRASSERIE 2656 Quadra St., 778-406from barbecue to Asian noodle bowls, burgers, 0888. Partandparcel.ca A delicious first-time and seafood steampots. Happy hour and spe- venture for Anna and Grant Gard, where diners cials throughout the week encourage repeat order at the counter from a deceptively simple

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menu of sandwiches, salads, sides, and hearty mains. Grant works his way through the seasons, creatively incorporating many unsung ingredients (from grains to proteins), often layering dishes with Middle Eastern and North African spices. From slow-braised tongue to smoked pork jowl or pork shoulder, there’s real technique on show here, and it’s hard to go wrong. Even a simple dish of brassica shoots dazzles with a treatment of tahini, date molasses, and a lashing of chile oil. Don’t miss a side of fries tossed with North African spice mix and harissa mayo for dipping, or the cult favourite sweet-potato doughnuts for dessert. A tidy list of local sodas, craft beer, and a few wines by the glass complement the experience.

Perro Negro

VA N C OU V E R I SL A N D

$$ SPANISH 536 Yates St., 250-382-2344. Ferris oysterbar.com The newest addition to the Ferris’ collection of eateries (Catalano, Ferris’ Upstairs Oyster Bar and Downstairs Grill) celebrates Spain and tapas culture. Perro Negro aims to keep things authentic with lots of small bites (roasted marcona almonds, olives, warm bacon-wrapped dates), tapas, and slightly heartier raciones. Order a cava or a glass of sherry at the welcoming bar, perfectly paired with a classic pan y tomate, potato tortilla with smoked paprika aioli, stuffed piquillo peppers, or marinated chicken skewers with spicy harissa. Service is swift and friendly. A wide selection of beer and cocktails is also available.

Pig BBQ Joint

Victoria’s Inner Harbour. Meat, vegetarian, and vegan tacos are priced right (six for $7.50).

Pulled pork is pitch perfect with a good meatto-heat ratio, topped with cilantro and onion for crunch, and lime for tang. Flavour-packed roja and verde salsas are muy autentico. Friday specials include pozole, enchiladas and carne asada.

Rebar $$ VEGETARIAN 50 Bastion Sq., 250-361-9223.

Rebarmodernfood.com Inspired by Asian and Southwest palates, Rebar’s cuisine of whole grains and organic veggies is never boring. Take the Monk’s Curry, which sees organic brown rice and a healthy stew of Thai green curry, oyster mushrooms, tofu, eggplant, and Asian greens topped with toasted peanuts. Pick up a copy of its perennially bestselling cookbook.

Smart B.C. wine list paired with the daily specials.

Red Fish Blue Fish $

SEAFOOD 1006 Wharf St., 250-298-6877. Red fishbluefish.com A former cargo container redesigned for efficiency (complete with rooftop garden) finds new life on a downtown wharf, where an ace team serves up sustainable seafood paired with locally sourced produce. Fish and chips are perfection, but forgo the deep fryer for the street-wise tacone, a grilled tortilla with your choice of seafood packed with peashoots, crunchy slaw, and lemon-pickled onions. Bonus: compostable takeout containers.

‫ ۻ‬

$ BARBECUE 129–2955 Phipps Rd., 250-590-7627; 1325 Blanshard St., 250-590-5193. Pigbbqjoint. com Jeff Hetherington’s winning Carolina-style barbecue menu has spurred a second location in the downtown core. Slow-cooked brisket and pulled pork are on point, and buttermilk-marinated crispy fried chicken could make the Colonel—and his cardiologist—weep. The daily sandwich specials (mouth-watering combinations of meat, scrambled eggs, cheddar, onion rings, pickles, tomatoes, waffles, and pig sauce) will have you begging for mercy, and homemade donuts (weekends only) are delicately sublime.

Brisk take out with pig-sized portions. Beer and bourbon are the house quenchers.

Pizzeria Prima Strada

Relish Food and Coffee $ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 920 Pandora Ave., 250590-8464. Relishfoodcoffee.com Jamie Cummins opened up this casual eatery—an airy space with salvaged-wood tables. Breakfast and lunch menus are small and cleverly crafted.

Try the breakfast sandwich with housemade maple sausage or granola with seasonal compote. With solid chops and excellent ingredient sourcing, indulge in pork terrine banh mi or layered focaccia sandwiches (like the chicken katsu with black-sesame slaw), soup or salads. Baked goods (think fresh-from-the-oven hazelnut and orange brownies) satisfy your sweet tooth, and tasty mainslike crispy smoked chicken provide excellent value. Satruday brunches add to the buzz.

$$

I T A L I A N 230 Cook St., 250-590-8595; 2960 Bridge St., 250-590-4380. Pizzeriaprimastrada. com Brick and clay ovens fuelled by seasoned B.C. birch are the focal point at this popular pizzeria where local, artisanal ingredients fuel the pies. Pizzas have a tender elasticity with a blistered crust and the right char—from a classic margherita with Fairburn Farm buffalo mozzarella and fresh basil, to the spectacular funghi with porcini cream, roasted mushrooms and onions, thyme, pecorino, and mozzarella.

Craft brews, ciders, and ever-changing wine list.

Puerto Vallarta Amigos $

Various locations. Pvamigos.com The Espinoza family serves delicious Mexican fare from their taco trucks in the heart of downtown and now from their newest location, a floating restaurant around the corner from

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Roast $$ CAFE & BRASSERIE 1701 Douglas St., 778-4336639. Roastsandwichshop.com Chef George Szasz’s meat-tastic wonderland finds rotisserie chicken, prime rib, meatballs, and the big hit—crispy porchetta with provolone and broccolini—in to-go sandwiches. Slather on condiments such as housemade harissa, preserved-lemon mayo, or salsa verde. Eschew the bun, if you like, and enjoy your meat alongside a kale Caesar or lemony rice, or load up at the superfood salad bar. Meats are also available by the pound (including pork crackling), alongside packaged pleasures including house-made preserved lemons, sausages, and condiments.

The Ruby $$

D I N E R 3110 Douglas St., 250-893-3503.

Therubyvictoria.com Off the lobby of the co-

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lourful 1960s-themed Hotel Zed, the Ruby’s bright interior wakes you up for stack-’emhigh breakfast waffles, hash, and eggs bennies. Friendly apron-clad servers double up as DJs (setting the mood with a vintage vinyl collection) while refilling coffee cups and keeping the vibe fun and spirited. The noon hour brings rotisserie chickens—brined and dry-rubbed; tender and crispy-skinned—with an appealing selection of sides. (Great for take-out.) Mason-jar Caesars and boilermakers provide the hair of the dog (or respite at happy hour), and the doughnut holes for dessert (plated with a Baileys-spiked hot chocolate) works magic on a stormy day. Weekend waits are appeased with the lobby’s manual typewriters or by commanding the turntable with headphones.

Shine Cafe $$ D I N E R 1548 Fort St., 250-595-2133; 1320 Blanshard St., 250-595-2134. Shinecafe.ca Expanding on their breakfast-is-king theme, Barry and Lauren Thomson offer urban dwellers more reason to rise and shine with their second location. Find Scottish potato scones, smoked meat, and many celiac-friendly dishes along with more omelette and eggs Benny selections. A deli case holds take-away sandwiches, salads, and soups.

Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub and Guesthouse $$-$$$

P U B & L O U N G E 308 Catherine St., 250386-2739. Spinnakers.com With pride of place overlooking the inner harbour, Canada’s oldest brewpub offers serious brews on tap, including Scottish ale, Irish stout, and seasonal favourites like summer’s refreshing Hefeweisen ale. Chef Ali Ryan has focused the menu on what it does best, which is satisfying pub fare with lots of local flavours: Highland beef (fed on the spent hops) for burgers, daily potpie, fish and chips (with beer batter, of course), and brick-oven pizzas with seasonal ingredients. The dinner hour extends to include rotating fare.

Stage Wine Bar $$-$$$

‫ ۻ‬

1307 Gladstone Ave., 250-388-4222. Stagewinebar.com Pin yourself down at the maple bar (made from wood salvaged from a bowling lane) at this bustling Fernwood neighbourhood bistro.

Small plates, and barkeep Stephen Quigley’s zippy service and savvy cocktails, delight.

Chef Sam Harris crafts a hearty, satisfying menu rounded out by artisan cheeses and house charcuterie. Chicken liver parfait is beyond expectations, served with grilled bread, while merguez sausage with grilled eggplant purée is an ample first act. Follow it with duck confit with local beets. The ace by-the-glass wine program changes regularly.

CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST

Standard Pizza $$ ITALIAN 1515 Cook St., 250-590-2363. Stan dardpizza.com Matt Veillette sets a new standard with his thin-crust wood-fired pies, served out of a 10-seat space next to a convenience store. Choose from 12 to 15 varieties with less-than-conventional toppings: kale,

NAPOLITANA STYLE PIZZA, BLISTERED TO PERFECTION.

Vancouver Magazine | Gold Best Westside Restaurant 2015

FRESH SEAFOOD. LOCAL PRODUCE. HANDCRAFTED COCKTAILS.

Pizzeria Bufala 5395 West Blvd.

Vancouver 604-267-7499 bufala.ca

Supermarine Seafood & Cocktails 1685 Yew St. Vancouver 604-739-4677 supermarine.ca

Celebrating 17 Years in Business At La Terrazza, we pride ourselves on our classic Italian cuisine, highlighting local ingredients and celebrating \PM ÅVM[\ 1\ITa PI[ \W WNNMZ 7]Z I_IZL _QVVQVO QV\MZVI\QWVIT _QVM TQ[\ MVPIVKM[ aW]Z XMZNMK\ VQOP\ W]\

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Contemporary Indian Inspired West Coast Cuisine, 0MZI 0SGEP 1YWMG 8MJ½R 8S +S 0YRGL &S\IW -HIEP *SV 4VMZEXI 4EVXMIW %RH 3JJ 7MXI 'EXIVMRK 8S =SYV ,SQI SV 3J½GI (EMP] ,ETT] ,SYV 'IRXVEPP] 0SGEXIH (S[RXS[R :ERGSYZIV

604.689.8862 | 567 Hornby St CopperChimney.ca

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lemon, salami, honey, and chile; or bacon with cream, garlic, and parsley topped with an egg yolk. Cured meats are deftly sourced from Victoria artisans, with summer ingredients from Veillette’s own garden enhanced by high-quality Italian elements. The secret ingredient is a signature slow-fermented dough made from organic white flour and heritage red fife wheat adding flavourful depth. Dine in with a view of the oven, or phone ahead for take-out.

Sun Wah

Taking cues from the former owner, proprietor and cook Yasunobu Uchida creates a small and daily-changing menu that draws heavily on organic produce grown at Metchosin’s Umi Nami Farm. Salads are colourful and either served raw, lightly pickled, or steamed and delicately dressed in a miso vinaigrette or tofu cream. Rice dishes and side dishes run the gamut from salmon belly and tuna sashimi to seasonal sardines and freerange chicken—all beautifully presented, never overbearing in flavour, and of exceptional value.

Note: the menu is often sold out by 1 pm.

from an arsenal of wild-foraged and cultivated ingredients from land and sea. McCleery also plays with techniques such as fermenting and pickling, creating textural explorations that delight and surprise the palate. Flavourfully dense breads made from chewy sprouted or fermented grains are revelatory. Service is perfectly paced by co-owner Leanne Lalonde, who expertly pairs dishes with the diminutive wine and craft beer list. With limited seating, it’s best to call ahead.

$$

C AT EGU GORY L F I SL N AAM NE DS H E RE

CHINESE 1515 Cook St., 250-381-8966. Sun wahrestaurant.ca Sun Wah is a revelation—Chinese-Western classics are a draw, especially for delivery, but the second-tier menu is where the kitchen sings. Mixed seafood with housemade tofu binds prawns and vegetables in delicate tofu custard; crispy half chicken balances moist meat with extra-crunchy skin. Watch for seasonal specialties like braised tong choy (water spinach) with garlic, ginger, and chili, and spicy green beans tossed with chili garlic paste and ground pork. Service is friendly and knowledgeable.

PENDER

Veneto at the Hotel Rialto $$-$$$

Aurora Restaurant

1450 Douglas St., 250-383-7310. Venetodining.com Veneto is a dive bar rehabbed into a hip urban lounge. Simon Ogden shakes up an ace cocktail list that complements extensive North American craft beers and international wines by the glass.

Chef Todd Bosence’s hearty small plates— duck poutine, Korean barbecue wings, inventive sliders—will temper the effects of one too many beverages.

CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST

Sutra $-$$ I N D I A N 1701 Douglas St., 778-747-0174. Vijs sutra.com Hot-pink barstools and trippy patterned tiles announce Vikram Vij’s first foray into Victoria. Fans of the celebrity chef will relish the luscious curries, alongside cumin basmati rice and tandoori-oven-baked naan.

(House-made mint-mango chutney is the stuff of dreams.) Samosas, pakoras, and savoury chaat satisfy smaller appetites. Lassi and chai complete the experience. A pantry section delivers the goods with Vijs’s popular selection of spices, cookbooks, and frozen take-home meals, including that chutney.

Zambri’s $$$

$$$-$$$$ C O N T E M P O R A R Y W E S T C O A S T 9801 Spalding Rd., 250-629-2100. Poetscove.com This tasteful room at Poet’s Cove Resort and Spa, overlooking Bedwell Harbour, is executive chef Steve Boudreau’s commendable shot at the best fine dining in the Gulf Islands. The food relies on local ingredients, the menu rotates through the seasons, and the preparation is innovative and usually right on the money. Speaking of which, reserve for dinner before 6:30 p.m. and receive a free dessert.

820 Yates St., Atrium building, 250360-1171. Zambris.ca Peter Zambri kicks off his soulful menu of antipasti, pastas, and mains with fine-tuned faves like rustic palotte with tomato passata, tagliatelle with sundried tomato cream sauce, and grilled pork scallopine with sauteed tomatoes, crispy pancetta, and polenta. The Moretti pizza oven cranks out 12-inch pies crafted from 48-hour fermented dough; more bar snacks and a refreshed Italian wine list rounded out by Prosecco cocktails are welcome. Service is ace, with a staff who know their food and wine.

ITALIAN

The Cafe at Hope Bay $ CAFE 4301 Bedwell Harbour Rd., 250-629-2090.

Thecafeathopebay.com Just minutes from the Otter Bay ferry terminal, this spot has a sundrenched patio and lovely views across Plumper Sound to Mayne and Saturna. Naturally, the menu is sea-centric, with smoked salmon salad and calamari for snacks, and clam chowder, coconut curry mussels and prawns, and salmon burgers on the dinner menu. It’s a great place to linger over a cool one. The fish and chips are decent, too. Check out the website for directions by road or by sea.

Tre Fantastico $$

C A F E 810 Humboldt St., 250-590-8014. Caffe fantastico.com Trust the barista at this local roastery for perfect shots of the single-origin variety and unwind over the morning paper, or swing by evenings for the latest craft beer on cask, artisan gin, or wines by the glass, paired with their bistro-inspired menu: Red Devil Ale sausage on a pretzel bun, or ever-changing creative plates such as Moroccan-spiced elk stew over couscous and braised bison over tagliatelle with Alpindon cheese.

S A LT S P R I N G

G ULF ISLAN D S GALIANO

Galiano Inn

$$$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 134 Madrona Dr., 250539-3388. Galianoinn.com Galiano Island has a couple of good restaurants; Atrevida, at Galiano Inn, is the best. Steps from the ferry at Sturdies Bay, the Inn is a beautifully appointed respite, complete with tranquil gardens and soothing Trini to D Bone $ A M E R I C A S 650 Burnside Rd. W., 778-440-6755. spa. The restaurant features well-sourced fare Trinitodbone.ca A true taste of Caribbean home (rack of New Zealand lamb, beef tenderloin, cooking, served with a liberal dose of hospital- salmon) carefully prepared. The wine list inity at this out-of-the-way location. Cook and cludes reasonably priced, hard-to-find B.C. co-owner Nirmala Singh makes everything in wines, expertly selected by sommelier Richard house, including her deeply flavoured curry Massey. blends and handmade roti bread. There are specials throughout the week, including on Pilgrimme weekends: Trinidadian specialties like “buss- $$-$$$ C O N T E M P O R A R Y W E S T C O A S T 2806 Montague up-shut” goat curry, and doubles, a snack-at- Rd., Galiano Island. 250-539-5392. Facebook. tack treat of two handmade fry breads wrapped com/villagecosgaliano An inviting room of wood around curried chickpeas and cilantro chut- beams, natural light, and minimalist décor on a ney. The kitchen’s talents extend to the ha- wooded acreage near Montague Harbour. Jesse banero hot sauces, which deliver pleasurable McCleery’s 20-year resumé reflects a diverse fiery accents. bounty of skills, but an intense six-month stage at the famed Noma restaurant in Denmark ce‫ ۻ‬mented his culinary vision. Expect an insightful Uchida $ JAPANESE A22–633 Courtney St., 250-388-7383. menu that’s in step with the seasons, drawing

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Barb’s Bakery and Bistro $

CAFE 124 McPhillips Avenue, 250-5374491. Barbsbakeryandbistro.ca Sticky sweet cinnamon twists. Squeezed-to-order juices and smoothies. Crusty olive-thyme sourdough. Creamy smoked salmon clam chowder. Barb’s Bakery and Bistro has been nourishing locals for over 20 years, drawing from locally produced ingredients. Eat-in and takeout options abound: the Blackstone Bennie with roasted tomato, bacon, and velvety hollandaise on seed toast for brunch, and fish-taco salad (with pan-fried halibut layered between crispy corn tortillas, sui choy slaw, cilantro, and red onion with fresh guacamole and salsa) for lunch. Closed Sundays and holidays.

Harbour House $$$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 121 Upper Ganges Rd., 250-537-5571. Saltspringharbourhouse.com Chef Brooke Winters stocks the larders year round with an abundance of organic produce—tree fruits, berries, herbs and vegetables, as well as honey and Big Leaf Maple syrup—from the property’s three-acre farm situated mere steps from the restaurant’s back door. Guests are invited to get in the

A Rare Winery Experience in Summerland Our guest center is set in the heart of the winery offering a rare glance into the art of winemaking. Come and discover why our wines are being celebrated as the new Okanagan.

Visit www.okanagancrushpad.com for hours.

250.494.4445 Ext 1 16576 Fosbery Road, Summerland, BC

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mood by touring the farm before tucking into a meal overlooking picturesque Ganges Harbour. Chef Catto’s hearty dishes celebrate seasonal and local ingredients: Cowichan Valley chicken supreme is stuffed with wild mushrooms and Salt Spring Island goat cheese, while freshly harvested mussels and clams are steamed with Salt Spring Golden Ale and bacon.

Hastings House

SU N SH I N E C OA ST

$$$$ C O N T E M P O R A R Y W E S T C O A S T 160 Upper Ganges Rd., 800-661-9255. Hastingshouse.com An enormous fireplace warms the foyer—and guests’ hearts—at this 11th-century Sussexstyle manor house on nine hectares. Unwind with a cocktail in its dark-beamed ambiance or head straight for the dining room, where chef Marcel Kauer oversees a menu of landand sea-based fare, often from the surrounding farms and fishers. The wine list balances New and Old Worlds, with many B.C. picks.

Summer Sunday brunch on the patio overlooking Ganges Harbour is a hit with boaters and locals alike.

House Piccolo $$$

C O N T E M P O R A R Y W E S T C O A S T 108 Hereford Ave., 250-537-1844. Housepiccolo.com Chef Piccolo Lyytikainen marries upscale European-influenced cuisine with his Scandinavian palate at his intimate Ganges restaurant. Best way to begin is with the house salmon gravlax, a silky juniper-scented miracle—or, for a jolt, try the herring with side shots of aquavit. Mains include roasted duck with a tangy orange and green-peppercorn sauce, char-broiled beef filet with gorgonzola, seasonal fish, and local lamb or venison. Dessert of frozen cranberries with caramel sauce is a sweet and tart finish.

Rendezvous French Patisserie $

C A F E 126–4 Upper Ganges Rd., Salt Spring Island, 250-537-8400 Real butter and organic ingredients are the secret to Bridgitte Gonzalez’s pastry wonders, inspired by recipes from her French hometown of Pyla Sur Mer. Perfect canneles de Bordeaux are lighter than air, chocolate and almond incroyables and lemon macarons—along with seasonal fruit tarts—are perfect companions to a mug of the excellent fair-trade coffee and espresso drinks. Savoury offerings like quiche Lorraine or luscious tomato tart are equally perfect.

Tree House Café $

C A F E 106 Purvis Ln., 250-537-5379.Treehouse cafe.ca Located in the heart of Ganges village, the Tree House is a favourite for its wholesome fare and nightly entertainment. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are prepared in a 1920s heritage cottage and served beneath the sprawling branches of a plum tree; there’s a stack of wool blankets at the ready to ward off chills. On summer evenings, the crowd of music lovers invariably spills out along the pathway and onto the dock. The menu focuses on healthy comfort food, with dishes like Thai green chicken curry and roasted yam quesadilla with spiced black beans and homemade salsa. Full marks for the seriously juicy burgers.

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SUNSH IN E C OAST Chasters $$$

C O N T E M P O R A R Y W E S T C O A S T 1532 Ocean Beach Espl., Gibsons, 604-886-2887. Chasters.com This Gibsons landmark is flourishing thanks to an inviting atmosphere, including a rustic fireplace, wine cellar, and a large beachview deck. Chef Eddie Malcolmson brings his Irish background and French training to the coast with a menu full of Northwest Coast cuisine with the occasional French twist. Try his rack of lamb: herb encrusted, seared, and roasted with veal port jus, plated with pavé potatoes and local veggies. There’s plenty to choose from, either à la carte or in the threecourse dinner setup. Excellent service, a fine wine list, and housemade desserts to drool over.

Landgasthof, or German country inn, the Heinecke family has added a restaurant, patio, and guesthouse to their Similkameen Valley winery.

Fresh, seasonal South Okanagan ingredients accent the authentic German menu (schnitzel, rouladen), and the wood-fired oven produces excellent pizzas and breads. Yes, you can also order steak (by the ounce), but go instead for the breaded pork Schnitzel and a glass of Crowsnest unoaked Stahltank Chardonnay. Soak up the Barcello canyon views and the German hospitality.

Relaxation is effortless here.

KELOWNA & WESTBANK

The Bohemian Café $

CAFE 524 Bernard Ave., 250-862-3517.

Bohemiancater.com The Bohemian is downtown Kelowna’s must-go for casual lunches: well-made soups and sandwiches (hand-carved turkey and sockeye lox on toasted bagel are Rockwater Secret winners); mango chutney turkey salad and Cove Resort $$$ C O N T E M P O R A R Y W E S T C O A S T 5356 Ole’s Cove Rd., rustic quiches are also a draw. Brunch runs to Halfmoon Bay, 877-296-4593. Rockwatersecret- fresh standards such as corned beef hash, qualcoveresort.com The tasty appetizers may over- ity omelettes, and sunny-yolked Bennies. Good whelm, so go easy and save room for dinner. desserts, cheerful service, but at peak times the The meals feature local produce and free-range, room can get cafeteria-noisy. organic meats, wild seafood, and home-smoked bacon. Reservations are recommended, espe- Bonfire Grill at the Cove cially for the view deck.

Lakeside Resort $$$ C O N T E M P O R A R Y W E S T C O A S T 4205 Gellatly Rd., 250-707-1810. Bonfirerestaurant.ca With the Smitty’s Oyster House $$ S E A F O O D 643 School Road Wharf, Lower Gib- theme “cuisine of the sun” in mind, West sons, 604-886-4665. Smittysoysterhouse.com Kelowna executive chef Grant de Montreuil Housed in a former marine repair building in celebrates his surroundings with a menu of the harbour, this airy Yaletown-on-the-coast comforting favourites and inspired pairings. room is usually packed, and the massive nine- Create an antipasto feast with a wide selection metre communal patio table is becoming a of meats, cheeses, and housemade spreads. summertime institution. Start off with chèvre Pizzas come in whole wheat, white, and even chaud baked oysters, broiled with sambal lime gluten-free. Entrées feature a bounty of B.C.’s butter. Then dig into grilled Qualicum scallops finest ingredients. with wild mushrooms in orange saffron beurre rouge. Don’t even try to resist the halibut frit- Bouchons Bistro ters, served on a tower of hand-cut sweet po- $$$ F R E N C H 105–1180 Sunset Dr., 250-763-6595. tato fries. Local beer on tap, a healthy inter- Bouchonsbistro.com Chef Luc Bissonnette innational wine list, and cocktails complete this jects lively French cooking into an accessible but informed menu with excellent sides that seafood-celebratory menu. often include miniature vegetable timbales, terrines, scalloped potatoes or very good The Upper Deck $$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST Secret Cove Marina, frites. Lusty onion soup, moules frites, tradi5411 Secret Cove Rd., 604-885-3533. Secretcove- tional cassoulet, and a grilled beef tenderloin marina.com The Upper Deck (a seasonal haunt with cognac and wild mushroom sauce round of Joni Mitchell) is found on the top floor of out the classics. You might not often associthe floating marina at Secret Cove, and offers ate the words “bistro” and “vegetarian,” but fantastic views and a wildly romantic setting. the seared marinated tofu with an array of Chefs Anne Manning and Peg Montgomery seasonal vegetables is laden with flavour. The deliver a West Coast menu with lots of fresh, three-course table d’hôte is sound value and seasonal seafood and specials. Herbs picked reflects the seasons. straight from the garden keep pastas inventive and tasty—move over, basil; think sage pesto Grapevine Restaurant instead. Open mid-May to end of September. at Gray Monk Estate Winery $$-$$$ C O N T E M P O R A R Y W E S T C O A S T 1055 Camp Rd., Okanagan Centre, 250-766-3168. Grapevinerestaurant.ca Don’t miss lunch on the patio prepared by chef Wade Siever: order a snappy salad OKAN AGAN of organic greens, or fork into the Fraser Valley duck confit with spaetzle and cranberryCAWSTON onion marmalade. For dinner, rack of lamb with blackberry demi is unforgettable. Open Crowsnest Vineyard Restaurant $$$ GERMAN 2035 Surprise Dr., 250-499-5129. for lunch April to October, and dinner from Crowsnestvineyards.com In the tradition of the May to October.

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Odd Society Spirits // pg.123

Hoang Gia $-$$

220–2469 Hwy. 97 N., 250-8613010 This family-run restaurant serves a large selection of Vietnamese dishes in a simply decorated room just off Highway 97. Go for the house special combo of spring rolls, pork skewers, prawn skewers, and marinated pork.

The pho with tripe and rare beef is a terrific bowl. Wash it all down with a pint of Sapporo or Granville Island beer.

VIETNAMESE

La Bussola $$$ I T A L I A N 1451 Ellis St., 250-763-3110. Labuss olarestaurant.com Francesco and Lauretta Coccaro, both of whom hail from the same Southern Italian village, run a formal, white-linen room that belies the free-form Italian cooking. Find substantial, expertly prepared entrées of beef, veal, prawn, lobster, and salmon, each well sauced. Produce is mostly locally sourced, the herbs coming direct from the Coccaro garden; the wines are B.C. and Italian.

Pastas are an even better bargain; we steer by the friendly menus: whether soup or salad, cornish chef’s daily pronouncements. game hen or scallops, everything is top notch.

Service is professional but relaxed.

Mission Hill Family Estate Winery Private Dining Experience

RauDZ Regional Table

$$-$$$$ C O N T E M P O R A R Y W E S T C O A S T 1730 Mission Hill

$$$

Rd., West Kelowna, 250-768-7611. Missionhill winery.com Winery chef Chris Stewart’s Chef’s Table experience, available by reservation for private groups of six to 13, is a skilled departure from the norm: there is a winery tour and tasting followed by an indulgent seven-course menu pairing wine and food. The Riesling might prompt a ceviche of Qualicum scallops; the Sauvignon Blanc, tomatoes with organic feta from Salt Spring Island; the Mission Hill Quatrain blend, a tasty venison dish. This is an elegant but informal tour de force. And note: the food-obsessed should visit the winery’s website for information on how to book private cooking workshops (available for groups of 14 to 21).

Ric’s Grill

C O N T E M P O R A R Y W E S T C O A S T 1560 Water St., 250-868-8805. Raudz.com A hyper-local (and organic and sustainable), family-friendly, casual fine dining room. The menu has cheek—a “BLT” we had was a grilled salmon deal, with crisp pancetta, black fig chutney and anise toast, and fries—but it covers the basics, too: from the cheeseburger with farmstead cheddar and applewood bacon to crab cakes with pickled-cucumber salsa verde. Rod Butters chats with customers from his open kitchen, where they gather at a 21-foot reclaimed pine communal table at the heart of the restaurant.

(Tables and booths are available for less extroverted diners.) Dinner only.

$$$-$$$$ STEAKHOUSE 210 Lawrence Ave., 250-869-

Minstrel Café and Bar L U C A S F I N L AY

$$

4638 Lakeshore Rd., 250-7642301. Minstrelcafe.com There’s a lot to like at this popular roadhouse that features live music, a large patio under the shade of a towering London plane tree, and accommodating staff. The prices are all right, too: entrées of delicious lamb shank and husky grilled sirloins are under $30.

PUB & LOUNGE

Quails’ Gate Old Vines Restaurant

$$$

CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 3303 Boucherie Rd., West Kelowna, 250-769-4451. Quailsgate.com This is a must-visit room on any wine-country tour. The dining room has an expansive fireplace with stunning Okanagan Lake views. Chef Roger Sleiman reflects the seasons on wine-

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1586. Ricsgrill.com Just around the corner from Lake Okanagan is beautiful, glass-walled Ric’s Grill, part of a Western Canadian steakhouse chain. There’s lots of beef in all its guises—such as a highly recommended top sirloin, plus New York strips—all to be paired with a variety of Ocean Wise seafood (grilled wild salmon, baked halibut, Alaskan king crab). A Wine Spectator-

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R ESTA UR A N T S

GULF ISLANDS

OKA N A GA N

awarded list offers the perfect pairing for every roast beef and gravy, carved over house-baked India has been an institution for more than a garlic rolls the size of hubcaps. Most meals decade. The dated-but-charming sherbet-hued meal. Enjoy the sunny patio all summer long. check in at under $10. walls and eye-popping tablecloths are your first clue that the menu won’t shy away from spice, Summerhill Sunset heat, or personality. The Saag lamb is a complex Organic Bistro KEREMEOS stew of slow-cooked meat in a sauce of over 20 $$-$$$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 4870 Chute Lake spices; the chef’s special has chicken, lamb, and Rd., 250-764-8000, ext 501. Summerhill.bc.ca Benja Thai Restaurant With sweeping views of vineyards, Lake Okana- $$ T H A I 516 Seventh Ave., 250-499-2561. Ben vegetables in a bright, pungent curry. The house gan, and mountains to the west, the Sunset Bis- jathairestaurant.com Most vino tourists pass wine is from nearby Hester Creek Winery. tro creates an all-points sensory backdrop for right through Keremeos en route to the ‫ۻ‬ Summerhill Pyramid Winery’s crisp, organically Okanagan. Hungry travellers now have a Miradoro grown, pyramid-aged sparkling wines. At din- few more reasons to stop, besides the cheek- $$ C O N T E M P O R A R Y W E S T C O A S T 537 Tinhorn Creek ner, chef Luca Paolo elevates the proceedings to-cheek fruit stands. Benja Thai is an au- Rd., 250-498-3742. Tinhorn.com The siren’s call with Yarrow Meadows duck breast with lentils thentic Thai restaurant, pleasing and effi- of the Okanagan continues to suck chefs out and blueberry mustard. Salads include organi- cient, swirling with spicy, pungent Southeast of Vancouver—executive chef Jeff Van Geest cally grown vegetables from the winery’s own Asian aromas and flavours. The pla lad prig could not resist. He takes farm-to-table to its gardens. The organic buffet brunches on Sun- is a lively deep-fried basa fillet with peppers, logical conclusion at Miradoro, where he can days are gargantuan. Open February to Decem- lime leaves, and basil in a spicy housemade walk to the orchard to get his ingredients. The ber. sauce. Yum koong pla munk is a zesty salad dining room, with sweeping views of the valwith prawns, squid, green onions, and cilantro ley, is part of the growing Tinhorn Creek comin a lime and sweet-chili sauce. plex and the pairing seems perfect. Van Geest’s The Terrace at Mission Hill food is unfussy and honest—just like Sandra Family Estate Winery Oldfield’s wine. There’s a wood-fired oven from $$$$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 1730 Mission Hill Rd., N A R A M ATA which revelatory pizzas—like one with Italian 250-768-6467. Missionhillwinery.com It’s hard to bacon, roast garlic, and smoked mozzarella— imagine a more idyllic al fresco dining locale Cobblestone Wine Bar than the Mission Hill’s Westbank terrace. With $$$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 3625 First St., emerge. The mains are solid offerings that play picture-perfect views of Lake Okanagan and 866-617-1188. Naramatainn.com Reserve a off the region’s bounty without being enslaved the vineyards spread out below, the restaurant seat on the weekend to try Naramata Heri- to it. The wine list is just fine and—surprise— is a favourite with residents and visitors alike. tage Inn & Spa chef Ashley Gurakowski’s the Tinhorn Creek bottles are the steals.

Under the direction of executive chef Chris menu featuring local, seasonal, and organStewart, the Terrace features several tasting ic produce and meats (April to October). The Sonora Room Restaurant at menus that complement the seasons. And with Order from the à la carte menu on weekdays. Burrowing Owl Estate Winery an obviously well-stocked wine cellar, there’s a The wine list is reasonably priced, and best en- $$$ C O N T E M P O R A R Y W E S T C O A S T 500 Burrowing Owl perfect pairing for every course. Open for lunch joyed on the lovely patio.

Pl., 877-498-0620. Bovwine.ca The dramatic from May through September, weather permitSpanish mission-style room overlooks 140 ting. acres of vineyard, with the 10-suite guesthouse Hillside Bistro at Hillside adjacent and peaceful scrub bench afar. Dinner Estate Winery Terrace Restaurant at $$-$$$$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 1350 Nara dances between red and white proteins, with a CedarCreek Estate Winery mata Rd., 250-493-6274. Hillsidewinery.ca- focus on local fish and fowl like a West Coast $$ CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST 5445 Lakeshore Rd., Plan to stop for lunch or dinner at the casual cioppino and a chicken breast from Maple Hill 250-764-8866. Cedarcreek.bc.ca Vineyard views Barrel Room Bistro at Hillside, a pristine hill- Farms. Making things perfect are the suggested and immaculately kept gardens cascading down top winery with stunning views from the post- pairings with wines both current and reduced toward the lake frame an idyllic setting for a re- and-beam restaurant or the dining terrace to library stock. laxed lunch on the Vineyard Terrace. Be sure to upstairs. The menu here constantly changes take away a bottle of Platinum Reserve—among as executive chef Rob Cordonier adapts to the Terrafina at Hester Creek the top flights in the valley. Open from June abundance of local ingredients. Three-course $$$ I T A L I A N 887 Rd. 8, 250-498-2229. Terrafina through mid-September; check the website for dinner menus feature the best of what’s in sea- restaurant.com The space is pretty enough: the son and truly shine with the suggested pair- usual wood beam/iron chandelier/stone tile dining events. ings. Closed from late October to April. appurtenances filling out the usual soaring cathedral-like volume. But the real dazzle is on Waterfront Restaurant ‫ۻ‬ the plate. Chef Jenna Pillon is all over area supand Wine Bar The Patio plies, with produce from nearby Covert Farms $$ P U B & L O U N G E 104–1180 Sunset Dr., 250-979- at Lake Breeze 1222. Waterfrontrestaurant.ca One of our fa- $$$ C O N T E M P O R A R Y W E S T C O A S T 930 Sammet Rd., and Harker’s Organics taking star seasonal vourite casuals in the Okanagan Valley, the 250-496-5659. Lakebreeze.ca This is al fresco turns on a menu inspired by the rustic cooking Waterfront is not, in fact, on any body of water; winery dining done right. The Mediterra- of Tuscany that elevates humble ingredients to it’s next door to its excellent companion wine nean-meets-West Coast menu makes perfect heights of rarefied simplicity. Pizzas are front shop and the nearby Prospera Place. The menu sense under the searing Okanagan midday and centre here, crisp and bubbly from the is a model of simplicity: choose from among 10 sun and lovely vineyard-to-lake views from oven, though any slow-cooked meats on speor so starters, such as potted foie gras or tuna the 40-seat patio. There’s usually a wait (no cial should be snapped up. Hester Creek wines tartare. Main courses range from duck breast reservations are taken for groups of fewer than have taken a big jump in quality thanks to the with mushroom purée to cauliflower clafloutis eight), so you’re advised to while away the arrival of winemaker Robert Summers, long of with almond sauce. time in the winery’s tasting room. Chef Mark Peller Estates.

Ashton lets seasonally inspired ingredients ‫ ۻ‬ drive the menu as much as Lake Breeze VineWood Fire Bakery OSOYOOS $ D I N E R 2041 Harvey Ave., 250-762-2626. Turbo- yard’s minerally whites and rich, spicy reds. diesel pickups rub shoulders with shiny Mer- Open for lunch only, 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Talon’s cedes at this popular lunchtime dispensary of daily (May through mid-October).

Restaurant Bavarian-styled rib-stickers. Huge portions of $$$ C O N T E M P O R A R Y W E S T C O A S T 1200 Rancher Creek chicken cordon bleu, meatloaf with gravy and Rd., 250-495-8007. Spiritridge.ca Back in 2012, OLIVER kraut, and crisp-skinned braised ham hock this resort-sited restaurant underwent a comclang on the stainless-steel self-service line. Best of India plete face-lift, shedding the fine-dining history But regulars are here for the massive stack of $$ INDIAN 36094-97 St., 250-498-0872. Best of of former white-tablecloth Passa Tempo in fa-

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OKANAGAN

vour of a more current, family-friendly, winecountry bistro spot. The kitchen keeps things simple with an edited selection of nice salads, burly sharing plates, and a few beautifully braised meats. A recent visit saw glazed beef short rib—a nice and flavourful dish to pair with any of onsite Nk’Mip Cellars’ muscular reds—and a robust vegetarian tasting menu that would sit nicely poolside while overlooking vineyards, circling woodpeckers, and the Okanagan Lake afire with the sunset below.

Watermark Beach Resort Wine Bar & Patio $$

PEACHLAND

Gasthaus on the Lake $$ E U R O P E A N 5790 Beach Ave., 250-767-6625.

Gasthaus.ca The heavy carved woods of the Gasthaus remind one of Black Forest gemütlich, especially in front of the huge stone fireplace. The food is cosseting, too, like a bratwurst appie with sauerkraut, and wienerschnitzel and fries. Gasthaus boasts the best Oktoberfest in all the Okanagan—check the website for dates and events. Fine selection of German beers, and a tidy wine list.

PENTICTON

Burger 55 $ P U B & L O U N G E 52 Front St., 778-476-5529.

Burger55.com Nostalgia rules at this burger shack a few blocks from the beach. Adopting a build-your-own approach, diners start with a choice of a patty of AAA Angus beef, turkey, wild salmon, portobello mushroom, pork, or the feature burger of the month; choose a bun; and load it up with everything from fried egg to grilled peaches. A basic burger (five toppings) starts at $6.25, leaving cash to spare for sides of sweet whiskey onion rings.

Wash down Penticton’s best burgers with a small selection of local beer and wine.

The Dream Café $

C A F E 67 Colourful Front St., 250-490-9012.

Thedreamcafe.ca Charmingly attached to its global backpacking and hippie sensibilities, the Dream Café’s eclecticism is its main draw.

The solid breakfast and brunch offerings, from classic eggs Benny to baked veggie samosas, are a hit with Ironman triathletes and famished families. Lunch and dinner span everything from paninis and wraps to tofu and sirloin. In the evening, it becomes Penticton’s best small live-music venue with both well-known and emerging artists.

Hooded Merganser Bar and Grill $$-$$$ C O N T E M P O R A R Y W E S T C O A S T 21 Lakeshore Dr. W., 250-487-4663. Hoodedmerganser.ca Named after a rare and reclusive diving duck, the Hood is built on piles that straddle Lake Okanagan at the Penticton Lakeside Resort. Wraparound windows provide panoramic views of the lake and mountains. The vast menu includes local produce and gluten-free options. The Merganser poutine with duck confit, local cheese curds, and duck reduction, and the prawn tacos, are optimal appy options. Mains include a variety of dishes, from chicken tikka masala to 10-ounce flatiron steak with gorgonzola. The wine list represents the best local wineries.

The Bellevue Café

Il Vecchio

$

$

245 Main St., 250-492-6675. This cherrywood-panelled coffee bar is moving up to a new kitchen and expanded menu. Gourmet burgers, pizza, and a full brunch menu will be the new draw on Main with big storefront windows made for people watching. The Cherry Hill Coffee, a certified organic and fair-trade coffee roaster from Kelowna (which means ultra-fresh espressos), will be the perfect way to end.

CAFE

Bogner’s of Penticton $$$$ EUROPEAN 302 Eckhardt Ave. W., 250-4932711. Bogners.ca Chef-owner Darin Paterson has revitalized Granny Bogner’s heritage mansion with a fresh menu. European classics created with local fare (including some from its own tiny farm, 10 minutes from the restaurant) include three kinds of house-made gnocchi, and Alberta tenderloin. A lengthy wine list

ITALIAN 317 Robinson St., 250-492-7610 “Have you had an Il Vecchio sandwich?” is a familiar refrain in these parts. Your first bite will explain why. What is ostensibly a small market and deli across from the Greyhound station has become a can’t-miss spot to taste the bounty of the Okanagan. Shelves are jammed with biscuits, vinegars, pastas, and sodas, but the sandwich is why most people flock here. It starts at $3.95 for two meats and one cheese, loaded with veggies on a fresh kaiser. Options are endless: gouda, Swiss, cheddar, prosciutto, capicollo, garlic salami, for starters. You may want to upgrade to a four-meats-and-cheese sandwich, and add tomato-and-bocconcini salad.

Salty’s Beach House $$ D I N E R 1000 Lakeshore Dr., 250-493-5001.

Saltysbeachouse.com A Penticton lakeshore institution, with a perpetually busy (season-

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al) patio overlooking Okanagan Lake beach, and a comfortable dining room with an eclectic Caribbean feel. A global beach-themed menu–from pad Thai to key lime pie—offers lots of choice, but what Salty’s does best is seafood, like crab cakes, drunken prawn stirfry, and a shellfish and seafood coconut curry called Fisherman’s Pot. The second floor houses Salty’s oyster and wine bar, the Black Pearl, which roars on weekend evenings—especially at the height of summer.

Theo’s $-$$

GREEK 687 Main St., 250-492-4019.

Eatsquid.com The hospitality of the Theodosakis family has made this restaurant a local institution for more than 30 years. Make a meal from the appetizers alone: the tangy tzatziki, garlicky hummus, and taramosalata are creamy and filling. Theo’s platters provides a cornucopia of traditional Hellenic favourites including Greek salad, moussaka, beef souvlaki, dolmathes avgolemono (tender grape leaves filled with herb-laced rice and ground beef, and baked with a traditional Greek lemon sauce).

The impressive, wide-ranging list of wines reflects the owners’ passionate support of the local wine scene.

C AT E GORY OKA NN AA GA MN E H E RE

15 Park Pl., 250495-5500. Watermarkbeachresort.com Winery dining in the South Okanagan follows a strict (and lovely) template: city refugee plates sumptuous dishes built from local produce and proteins in a soaring room that owes a debt to either the Spanish or Pottery Barn. It ain’t broke, please don’t fix. But a change of pace is always welcome. At this fine-dining nook in downtown Osoyoos’s lakefront Watermark, Adair Scott creates flavour-rich tapas in the tiniest kitchen imaginable, lifting bar snacks to rarefied, still-local heights (sliders are beef brisket, barbecue chicken comes sesame-marinated with miso and shiso ginger aioli). Everything is reasonably priced, though with this creative intelligence on tap, just settle into the chef’s menu of charcuterie and local cheeses, of course with matching area wines.

CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST

celebrates Okanagan favourites. One thing has stayed the same: Bogner’s still attracts everyone, from grandparents and parents in Sunday best to tourists in shorts and sandals.

RE STA U RA N TS

SUMMERLAND

Good Omens $

CAFE 13616 Kelly Ave., 250-494-3200. Good omens.ca Summerland’s own Backyard Beans is the java of choice; custom blends accompany owners Jamie and Jason Embree’s top-notch selection of soups, salad, paninis, muffins, and cookies. Food is made from all-natural ingredients and produce comes from local farms, and is available for catering. Live music nights, wide tables for spreading out with the newspaper, eggs Benny on weekends, and big windows for people-watching make this a cheery spot.

Local Lounge & Grille $$-$$$

P U B & L O U N G E 12817 Lakeshore Dr S., 250494-8855. Thelocalgroup.ca A modern, sleek interior contrasts the stellar lakefront patio.

Brought to you by the Okanagan’s storied McWatters family (of Sumac Ridge Estate Winery renown), chef Bradley Clease’s menu offers a wide range of casual eats with (mostly) local ingredients. A hearty VQA list offers wines by the bottle, glass, or three-ounce taster, plus there’s a variety of refreshing ales and an inventive cocktail list .

The Vanilla Pod Tapas & Wine Bar $$ WINE BAR 425 Middle Bench Road (at the Poplar Grove Winery), 250-493-9463. Thevanillapod. ca The Vanilla Pod overlooks Okanagan lake and Penticton. Chef Bruno Terroso and his team like to have fun with global tastes but are committed to supporting local farmers and producers in nearby Summerland. The lunch menu includes stone-oven pizzas with flavours that change daily but always include meat, seafood, and veggie options. For dinner, traditional paella is chock full of seafood, chicken, and chorizo. Closed in January.

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Vanmag.com/ Restaurants

for updated listings and new reviews

Food Shops BA KE RS

menu. Everything is available to go, but do try to snag a window stool, where you can enjoy your still-warm treat while contemplating a view of the Georgia Viaduct.

DOWNTOWN

Ganache Pâtisserie Bake My Day

BA KE RS

920 Beatty St., Yaletown, 604-566-9700. Bake mydaycafe.ca A small number of white tables and chairs, a white upright piano, and fresh flowers lend this petite bakery an openness that invites its patrons to get cozy and stay awhile.

Bake My Day stands out in a sea of coffee shops with house-made baked goods prepared by formally trained pastry chefs, and carefully prepared coffee from East Van Roasters. Fresh breads and croissants are used to make delightful sandwiches, allowing visitors to sneak in a bit of protein and veg before sampling every variety of macaron in the pastry case. The fullsized cakes are primarily European-inspired recipes (a rich, mousse-filled pasuwa cake is the house specialty) and are made to order with obvious care and passion.

Bonchaz Bakery Cafe

426 W. Hastings St., Downtown, 604-626-7215; 189 E. Broadway, Main Street, 604-875-1128.

Bonchaz.ca The specialty here is a riff on the Mexican concha—a soft milk bun glazed with a crackling cookie-like crust (similar to a Chinese pineapple bun). The buns are surprisingly light and come in flavours like chocolate truffle, banana walnut, and matcha.

Cadeaux Bakery

172 Powell St., Gastown, 604-608-8889.

Cadeauxbakery.com Immensely talented pastry chef Eleanor Chow (Chambar, The Dirty Apron) and partner Slavita Johnson opened the prettiest bakery in town, adding a little sunshine to a bleak stretch of Powell. There’s much to love (we loved the white chocolate orange cookies, lemon meringue tartlettes, and London Fog layer cake; selections are subject to change) but it’s the bacon sticky bun that we keep coming back for.

Crackle Crème

245 Union St., Chinatown, 778-847-8533. Crackle creme.com Smartly distinguishing itself from the dozens of other dessert destinations in Vancouver, this modestly appointed but charming room offers a rotating selection of crème brûlée in uncommon flavours (matcha, Earl Grey, key lime) and torched to order. A vegan rendition ensures no one is left out. Belgian liege waffles (with or without a scoop of ice cream), teas, and well-pulled espresso drinks complete the tight

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1262 Homer St., Yaletown, 604-899-1098.

Ganacheyaletown.com This spot is a hit with the soon-to-be-wed, as pastry chef and owner Peter Fong creates cakes that are almost too beautiful to eat—almost. We love the chocolate-banana with praline, caramelized bananas, and hazelnut dacquoise.

Giovane Cafe + Winebar

1038 Canada Pl., Coal Harbour, 604-695-5300.

Giovanecafe.com At Giovane—the striking Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel’s café—all the baked goods are made from scratch. After work, nab a loaf of the artisanal bread, noteworthy for a crackling crust and a subtle nuttiness that comes from using a real biga starter.

The undisputed star is the signature sugar bun, a buttery soft brioche filled with vanilla pastry cream that sells out quickly every morning.

are so outstanding that one customer ordered a big batch to take home…to Taipei.

Purebread

159 W. Hastings St., Gastown, 604-563-8060.

Purebread.ca Purebread is, in the best possible way, ridiculous. Walking through its doors, one is immediately seized by an awed state of Options Paralysis: the long display counter groans under the weight of too many cakes, pies, squares, cookies, tarts, savouries—everything one could reasonably want from a bakery. This local outlet of the Whistler-spawned enterprise is perennially packed for good reason. If you can find an unclaimed table, settle down with your treat and a Stumptown coffee, and decide which half-dozen other edibles you want to take home.

Small Victory

1088 Homer St., Yaletown, 604-899-8892.

Smallvictory.ca Yaletown has long lacked a sizeable space in which locals can relax with a fresh-baked pastry or made-to-order sandwich.

Everything here is the product of stunning attention to detail, whether the long marbletop counter (where you can perch with an exemplary espresso) or the cakes and loaves Maxim’s Bakery 257 Keefer St., Chinatown, 604-688-6281. Every that can be taken home and devoured with Chinese Vancouverite of a certain age remembers indecorous joy. weekly shopping expeditions to Chinatown for Asian supplies and ingredients. The reward for Soirette Macarons & Tea being well-behaved included a box of assorted 1433 W. Pender St., Coal Harbour, 604-558-3308. baked goods from Maxim’s, full of soft-bellied Soirette.com Shobna Kannusamy opened her barbecue pork buns, curry beef buns, and richly Coal Harbour temple to the bite-size biscuit set egg tarts. These treats still hold allure and are after a decade’s dreams and plans. With two now available at a various Vancouver locations, dozen varieties laid out most days, selection along with outposts in the ’burbs. may slow you down, too, though several—the bestselling caramel fleur de sel; toasted coconut and buttercream; the gold-leaf-dusted Nero Belgian Waffle Bar 1703 Robson St., West End, 778-712-0694. Nero Rocher—jump to the fore. belgianwafflebar.com Perhaps Vancouver’s finest wafflery lurks in an easily overlooked nook at Thierry the old-school end of Robson. Belgian expats Jan 1059 Alberni St., Downtown, 604-608-6870. and Elinaz offer both Liege- and Brussels-style Thierrychocolates.com CinCin’s brilliant paswaffles with a range of traditional and uncon- try chef, Thierry Busset, opened his own little ventional toppings. The Lieges, rich and eggy, are café selling chocolates, macarons, pastries, and loaded with pearl sugar; keep an unsweetened desserts. Pop in for a midday cappuccino and espresso at hand for balanced flavours. The Brus- tiramisu, or for a post-dinner dessert (an indisels form the base for sweet creations piled with vidual chocolate-hazelnut marquise, perhaps) fruit (banana, berries, orange), chocolate, and/or and a glass of wine on the licensed patio. ice cream. Best bet: the savoury/sweet Parisienne with Brie, walnuts, and honey.

Waffle & Berries 1467 W. Pender St., Coal Harbour, 604-336-6377.

If you’re going to visit this shrine to Belgium’s New Town Bakery Various locations. Newtownbakery.ca The greatest sweet treat, go hungry. The menu lists hearty steamed buns are good value, filling, sandwiches and soups (even, oddly, cheeseand well made. But you’re here for the flaky, cake), but the titular Liege waffle (it’s the fatter, sweet apple tarts piled on giant baking sheets, sweeter kind, with the freeform edges) is your dark with the patina of use. And the egg tarts target. Waffles are made à la minute and the

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VANCOUVER

F OOD SH O PS

Faubourg Paris

Various locations. Faubourg.com Faubourg Paris has Gallic street cred (French owners Franck and Linda Point also opened the luxe children’s shop Jacadi) and bakes exquisite Viennoiserie onsite five times a day. Grab a hearty sandwich or to-die-for Musetti coffee on the go, or swing by the Kerrisdale location for a leisurely afternoon tea, complete with fresh-baked tartlettes bursting with lemon.

Michele Cake Shop

6033 W. Blvd., Kerrisdale, 604-261-3284. Topquality ingredients make for legendary Portuguese egg tarts that give the original pastels de nata a run for their money. Cakes are layered with whipped cream and fresh fruit, and then wrapped like a present with slices of ripe, juicy mango. The freshly baked breads are meltingly soft and toast up like a dream.

Mix the Bakery

BA KE RS

4430 W. 10th Ave., Point Grey, 604-221-4145.

Mixthebakery.com This place can’t make enough of the buttery, gooey cinnamon goodness that is their sour cream coffee cake; the dark and delicious super-grain loaves are favoured by local chefs. A rotating selection of savoury soups, such as the popular veggie white bean, rounds out the menu.

Notte’s Bon Ton Pastry and Confectionery

3150 W. Broadway St., Kitsilano, 604-681-3058.

Nottesbontonpastry.com Buttercream bliss. Try the popular diplomat cake, a confection that layers crisp puff pastry with soft sponge as only the Bon Ton can. Don’t even think about asking for the recipe—it’s been their sweet secret since the 1930s.

Crackle Crème // pg.90

ANDREW QUERNER

Pane From Heaven

1670 Cypress St., Kitsilano, 604-736-5555. Pane fromheaven.com Owners Vonn and Ranu Lath level of sugar in the yeasty batter is determined tachio-green trim frame a small counter of but- recommend the tandoori-chicken panini, with tery cookies, scones, pies, and classic squares in- caramelized onion and mango chutney on by the sweetness of accompaniments. cluding the Dunbar (a thick oatmeal base, loaded house-made focaccia. Finish off with an artfully up with pecans, chocolate, coconut, and dulce de crafted cappuccino and apple crostata, butWEST SIDE leche). Decadent buttercream-frosted cakes go ter croissant, or perhaps Vonn’s favourite: the quickly—order in advance. healthy fruit and nut scone.

Beaucoup Bakery & Café 2150 Fir St., South Granville, 604-732-4222.

Beaucoupbakery.com This always-packed room Cheesecake Etc. Pâtisserie Bordeaux is serving some of the best baking in town. 2141 Granville St., South Granville, 604-734- 3675 W. 10th Ave., Kitsilano, 604-731-6551.

Owner Jackie Ellis’s salted caramel blondies are 7704. Cheesecakeetc.com Styled as a 1950s Pa- Heavenly croissants in plain, chocolate, or althe building blocks of dreams. At lunch they’ll risian café, this sweet haven near the Granville mond are almost as popular as the baguettes that slice open a savoury cheese scone and stuff it Bridge swells on Saturday nights with couples sell out daily from this little bakery tucked in with porchetta and smoked cheddar, and you’d on first dates. Heavy on the cheesecake and a nondescript strip mall. Try savoury tourtière, be hard pressed to imagine anything better. light on the etc., the cakes are dense enough to sausage rolls, or chausson—pastry filled with support the Eiffel Tower and oh-so-flavourful. ham and mushrooms in a white cheese sauce.

By the slice or take the whole cake—plain and Beyond Bread Artisan Bakery 3686 W. Fourth Ave., Kitsilano, 604-733-3931. chocolate—and tubs of toppings, too. Open Pâtisserie Lebeau Beyondbread.ca This tiny bakery, outfitted in nightly, 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. Cash only.

1728 W. Second Ave., South Granville, 604-731raw wood, offers popular baguettes and chewy 3528. Grababetterwaffle.com For breakfast, try peasant bread—at up to $12 a loaf, it’s hardly a Cobs Bread a Brussels waffle with cheddar and green onion. bargain, but worth every penny. Bread hounds Various locations. Cobsbread.com Try the Cape Come back at lunch for a waffle sandwich, and are starting to fall for the café’s new lunch Seed loaf, made with six varieties of seeds but no save room for one of the classics, flavoured with offerings of sandwiches and—on Mondays dairy, sugar, or oil (the seeds take care of that). dried fruit or dipped in chocolate, or a filled waffle only—pizzas.

Cobs bakers use “scratch” baking methods, so loaded with peach, custard, apples, or ice cream. you can leave the kneading to the pros without sacrificing homemade taste. Choose from doz- Sabra Restaurant & Bakery Butter Baked Goods & Cafe 4907 Mackenzie St., Point Grey, 604-221-4333 ens of breads, hand-rolled savoury and sweet 3844 Oak St., South Cambie, 604-733-4912.

Butterbakedgoods.com Floral wallpaper and pis- buns, and pastries.

Sabrakosherrestaurant.com Pini’s Pizza, 729

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W. 16th Ave., South Cambie, 604-879-7100.

Owner Simon Kahlon doubled his shop in 2010, and now he’s opened Pini’s Pizza and Grocery on West 16th. Aside from pizza, he serves delicious challah, honeycake, and doughnuts.

Siegel’s Bagels

Various locations. Siegelsbagels.com Siegel’s offers 22 unique varieties of its wood-fire-baked bagels, and four kinds of rugolach, but its calling card remains the wildly popular Montreal smoked-meat sandwich: sliced thin, steamed, and stacked high. The Cornwall location is open 24/7, so stumble by for a late-night munch or a sunrise breakfast.

Solly’s Bagelry

Various locations. Sollysbagelry.com Traditional Eastern European Jewish bakery meets fastpaced modern life. Pick up the popular breakfast bagel or a “schmear” (your choice of bagel and cream cheese) to go, or stay and enjoy a latte and a giant cinnamon bun.

BA KE RS

Sweet E’s Pastries & Sweets

2032 W. 41st Ave., Kerrisdale, 604-264-9202.

Sweet-e.ca Pastry Chef Eleanor Tsang has teamed up with sisters Kathleen and Theresa to run this upscale pastry boutique, where you’ll find a superb variety of cakes, tarts, and cookies, plus the heavenly “truffle pop”— a signature sweet-on-a-stick that comes in flavours like classic dark chocolate, caramel, espresso, and butterscotch pecan.

Terra Breads

Various locations. Terrabreads.com Maybe it’s the mingling aromas that make it so difficult to choose between Terra’s fig and anise, pumpkin seed, and black olive loaves. Take a loaf home or stay for a sandwich—the turkey on cranberry pistachio is excellent. And oh, the pastries: try the phenomenal blueberry white chocolate bread, and rustic tarts filled to the brim with seasonal fruit fillings.

Viva Fine Foods & Bakery

1555 Yew St., Kitsilano, 604-738-8482. This fullservice bakery is more café than boulangerie, with a well-loved patio and plenty beyond the usual retinue of sweets and breads. The large variety of paninis has lunch customers lining up.

Arrive early for the popular turkey BLT, served on a soft-inside, crispy-outside cranberry baguette. And don’t forget a chocolate chip cookie.

EAST SIDE

Bakery Sate

2879 Commercial Dr., Commercial Drive, 604506-0290. Bakerysate.com With a degree in pharmacology and a successful career in the tech industry under his belt, chef/owner Eric Ho turned to his real love: baking. Classical French patisserie is given an Asian twist, with several varieties of croissant, cookies, and cream puffs available. There’s nothing plain about these flavours: croissant might be apple-pie doublebaked almond, or pretzel bacon; cream puffs come in mango, coconut, London Fog, or Mont

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Blanc (with chestnut cream). There’s also much use of matcha and black sesame. Precision (as might be expected, given Ho’s background) is in evidence in the beautifully presented cakes, from layered frasiers to large, imaginatively filled macarons. Ho makes everything from scratch, with natural ingredients and real butter.

Fratelli Bakery

1795 Commercial Dr., Commercial Drive, 604255-8926. Fratellibakery.com A chalk drawing of the Mona Lisa presides over an unsurpassed selection of biscotti, cakes, flans, squares, and cookies, and a wall of crusty breads. All are baked in the traditional Italian style: delicate cannoli pastries with heavy custard fillings.

Twenty-one different cakes can be custom-sized Bâtard Boulangerie for special events, and delivery service is availCafé Moderne 3958 Fraser St., South Main, 604-506-3958. able.

Batardbakery.com Vancouver’s original artisan baker, Chris Brown (Rise, Ecco il Pane), mans Italia Bakery Vancouver the ovens at this French-style bakery and deli. 2828 E. Hastings St., East Side, 604-251-6800.

Mix-and-match furniture, including a couple of Italiabakery.ca A bright light in an uninspired large farmhouse-style communal tables, creates strip mall produces traditional Italian baked a welcoming, casual vibe. The bread—as ex- goods like light-as-air sfogliatelle pastries, pected—is the star, whether as part of an open- crunchy biscotti, and several varieties of cookfaced tartine (with roasted vegetables and goat ies—lemon moons, baci di dama, various amacheese, or piled high with Ocean Wise shrimp) retti—that are almost too pretty to eat. On the or wrapped around an excellent coffee-crusted savoury side: scratch-made pizzas and frozen roast-beef dip. Carb controllers can’t go wrong fare from the Moccia & Urbani line. with the house-made soup or the wild-salmon Caesar salad. Patisserie, too, is top-notch, in- Rosemary Rocksalt cluding a lemon tart to die for.

2515 Main St., South Main, 604-874-4570; 1669 Lonsdale Ave., North Shore, 604-929-1817.

Rosemaryrocksalt.com After growing up in the Black Rook Bakehouse 2474 E. Hastings St., East Side, 604-563-5094. family bagel business at Siegel’s, Parise Siegel Blackrookbake.com Good, honest comfort food has branched out with her own take on the never goes out of style, and Black Rook’s pies and Montreal-style “Jewish donut.” And the bagels pastries exemplify why this is. Savoury options are good—so good, in fact, that you might find include individual quiches and pot pies (both yourself waiting for another batch to come out with excellent buttery crust), soups, and sand- of the stone-hearth oven. From a short menu, wiches. Offerings—aimed to reference vintage pile your favourite flavour high with MonBritish baking—appear simple but come packed treal smoked meat, or go for the deservedly with wonderful depth of flavour. Bread is baked top-billed rosemary rocksalt, with a shmear of in-house and available as loaves to take home. cream cheese and sliced tomato. And add a ruMile-high cakes and cream pies tick all the plea- gelach or two for dessert, of course. sure boxes; brownies and shortbread cookies hit the sweet spot. The spacious room is a little bare- SweetSalt Bakery bones (save for the huge fireplace) and could use 3497 Fraser St., South Main, 604-877-1141. more seating, but this is a great neighbourhood Sweetsalt.ca A haven for harried parents, this spot for an unpretentious and delicious breakfast small bakery welcomes the stroller set with a or lunch. play corner, highchairs, and a full kids’ menu.

Even the pickiest eaters will surely be tempted by a cute bowl of granola, a mini grilled cheese, East Village Bakery 2166 E. Hastings St., East Side, 604-568-5600. an animal-shaped cookie, or a “kinderccino” Eastvillagebakery.com Owner Karin Piett deliv- topped with sprinkles. And if they aren’t? Well, ers an award-winning selection of cookies, cup- then it’s time to go make some little buddies cakes, pies, and brownies, as well as a number of and leave the adults to try the grown-up options. Try a toasted rosemary/olive oil bun with gluten- and peanut-free cakes. butter, or a German-style pretzel. Or go sweet with a cinnamon bun or a slice of seasonal fruit Float On Bakeshop pie. Lunch options include sandwiches and a & Café 4384 Fraser St., South Main, 604-767-3733. Floa daily soup. tonbakeshop.com Bit by bit, Fraser is joining the 21st century: Les Faux Bourgeois and Match- Swiss Bakery stick, Earnest and SweetSalt—interesting spots 143 E. Third Ave., South Main, 604-736-8785. are springing up between the window-shaded Swissbakery.ca They supply their baguettes to computer shops and aquarium supply stores. some of the finest restaurants in the city, but the Float On (named for the Modest Mouse song) real reason to go is for soft pretzels fresh from brings homemade gluten-free sandwiches and the oven—the original fast food. pastries to a forlorn block. It’s a funky space: co-owner Shael Wait sells matching Japanese-in- Uprising Breads spired designs on Etsy; her husband Robin might 1697 Venables St., Commercial Drive, 604-254well be playing Modest Mouse; their daughters 5635. Uprisingbreads.com Uprising’s hefty, might be doing crafts on their iPads; and every- nutty-flavoured breads are their signature (the one’s got time to really get into the details of the whole wheat and rye Finnish loaf makes unhoney-oat bread (recommended), the homestyle believable toast), but don’t skip the savouries, baking, and the shop’s big hits, like its take on like made-from-scratch focaccia bread and Momofuku’s Compost cookie with chocolate and soups, and crazy-good Laura’s Vegan Choco(naturally) no-gluten pretzel. late Chip Cookies.

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THE MOST LUXURIOUS PROJECT IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD PRESTIGIOUS NEIGHBOURHOOD | UNPARALLELED ACCESS

W1 is the largest residential project at the red hot “Cambie & Marine Hub”, Conveniently located across from a new commercial complex, complete with supermarket, café, shops, movie theatre, fitness club and Class A offices. Poised to become a trendy focal point in prestigious Vancouver west, W1 provides effortless access to Downtown, the Airport and Richmond in minutes via the Marine Drive Skytrain Station.

Elegant and stylish inside and out, W1 is a reflection of the sought–after west side. With its hotelinspired grand lobby, regal porte–cochère, beautifully landscaped garden terraces with lush green and water features and an array of luxurious amenities, W1 truly is the best of the best.

PRESENTATION CENTRE 88 Pacific Boulevard, Vancouver (On the False Creek Seawall) Open 10am-5pm daily

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All illustrations reflect the artist’s interpretation of the project and do not take into account neighbouring buildings, physical structures, streets, and landscape. These matters will be governed by the terms of the applicable Disclosure Statement in each case. Prices and availability are subject to change without notice. Prices quoted are exclusive of any tax and may reflect various inclusions or exclusions in the offer including but not limited to ƒPKUJKPI FGVCKNU CPF RCTMKPI RTQXKUKQPU 2NGCUG EJGEM YKVJ VJG &GXGNQRGTUŨ TGRTGUGPVCVKXGU HQT HWTVJGT FGVCKNU 6JKU is not offerings for sale. Any such offer may only be made with the applicable Disclosure Statement and Agreement of Purchase and Sale. Concord W1 Limited Partnership. E. & O.E.

Building Canada’s Largest Communities

FO OD S HO P S

VANCOUVER

BU TCHER S DOWNTOWN

Harkness & Co. Butchers

666 E. Broadway, South Main, 604-558-3807.

Vancouverbutcher.com Culinary classes show you (literally) how the sausage is made, but for the squeamish carnivore, there’s a wide selection of locally sourced nose-to-tail cuts, pre-marinated and ready to cook.

Lee Loy BBQ Meat Co

419 Gore Ave., Chinatown, 604-685-6025. The best kind of duck is Pekin (not to be confused with the legendary dish Peking duck)—it has just the right combination of rich meat and fat— and here’s where to buy it. Pick up some crispyskinned smoked pork while you’re at it.

Save On Meats

BU T C H E RS

43 W. Hastings St., Gastown, 604-569-3568. Save onmeats.ca A multimillion-dollar face-lift turned an abandoned Gastown landmark into a comfort food destination. Attached to the sandwich counter and deli is the butcher shop, serving up handshaped burgers and specialty sausage. Also find delicately sliced cold cuts (like sumptuous roast pork), the occasional surprise feature (rabbit, for one), and excellent customer service.

Tango’s Gourmet Meats

865 Denman St., West End, 604-681-2121. Tan gosgourmetmeats.com Features non-medicated, open-range beef along with AA and AAA beef, free-range chicken, and a broad selection of cheeses. It’s also one of the few places where you can get Island Farms milk.

WEST SIDE

The Butcher

4529 W. 10th Ave., Point Grey, 604-224-0602.

Thebutcher.ca West Point Grey’s friendly neighbourhood meat shop has broadened its horizons to include gluten- and wheat-free sausages, Fraser Valley free-range chicken and pork, local lamb and rabbit, and grass-fed B.C. beef.

Jackson’s Meat and Deli

2214 W. Fourth Ave., Kitsilano, 604-738-6328.

Jacksonsmeatanddeli.com The self-proclaimed “new, oldest butcher shop in the city,” Jackson’s has quite the pedigree: owner Chris Jackson comes from six generations of butchers and wife Shayna Cooper is the daughter of a former Coopers Foods president. They know meat, and offer organic, free-range, and local game options (like natural turkey sausages from J.D. Farms and wild boar), along with imported cheeses and gourmet takeout meals.

condiments make it a great one-shop stop. Ex- farms. Specializing in all-natural meats such as custom-cut, 28-day dry-aged, hormone-free cellent service. beef. They also stock marinades, condiments, specialty cheeses, and internationally sourced Pete’s Meat 2817 Arbutus St., Kitsilano, 604-730-1661. Petes cured meats. meat.com Pete’s Meat is a well-priced gem in a small but workable space at Arbutus and 12th, NORTH SHORE offering up such goodies as Pok Pok Som drinking vinegar and swell charcuterie from Moccia & The Blue Goose Urbani, as well as housemade sausage, fresh roast Cattle Company chickens, and cuts of every kind. The deals are 123–1305 Welch St., North Vancouver, 604-980the sandwiches—like a braised short rib with a 9106. Bluegoosecattle.com Look for their orheavy hit of garlic confit for under $8. ganic, free-range beef at Whole Foods, Capers, or Sebastian and Co. Fine Organic Meats. The 250,000-acre South Cariboo ranch also sells diEAST SIDE rect to the customer, at reasonable prices, and will even supply you with a whole cow.

Cioffi’s Meat Market & Deli 4156 E. Hastings St., East Side, 604-291-9373.

Cioffisgroup.com Brothers Rino and Sergio Cioffi Jolly Meats & Fine Foods dry-age anything at customers’ requests, though 111 Charles St., North Vancouver, 604-929-7937. there’s plenty that’s ready to go: bison prime rib Surreymeatpackersltd.com Customers flock and grain- or milk-fed veal are available week- here for the bacon and pork roast with crackends. Find exceptional lamb from Salt Spring, ling left on. Sausages and meats are cured and and buffalo bocconcini direct from Italy. smoked out back; those in the know pick up a tub of lard—pure rendered pork fat with a little onion added, great for sautéeing game meats.

Columbus Meat Market 1655 Renfrew St., East Side, 604-253-2242. Co A well-stocked selection of Scandinavian prodlumbusmeatmarket.com Service can be brusque ucts includes marinated herring and pickled at times, but that’s no reason to overlook it: ev- red cabbage. erything sold is housemade, from the sausages and marinated skewers to the extensive selec- Sebastian & Co. tion of excellent cured meats, including capi- Fine Organic Meats collo, sopressa (mild or spicy), pancetta, pro- 2425 Marine Dr., West Vancouver, 604-925-1636. sciutto, et al. Daily and monthly specials offer Sebastianandco.ca On the bustling Dundarave incredible deals. strip, Sebastian & Co. has been wowing customers with its dry-aged meats since the doors opened. Owner Sebastian Cortez uses every part Pasture to Plate 1420 Commercial Dr., Commercial Drive, of the animal, so his products are (relatively) 604-215-0050. Pasturetoplate.ca Jasmin and Felix guilt-free. Try the charcuterie and homemade Schellenberg began raising cattle on their Rafter sausages, or the best-selling New York strip loin.

25 Ranch in Redstone, B.C., in 1979. With the help of their four daughters, they expanded their Two Rivers Meats business into a multifaceted biodynamic opera- 180 Donaghy Ave., North Vancouver, 604-990tion in the Chilcotin Valley and opened a retail 5288. Tworiversmeats.ca Jason and Margot storefront on The Drive to complete the circle Pleym were confident that an “old-fashioned” from pasture to plate. A few seats are available for (free-range, hormone-free) approach to meat dine-in bistro service. and butchery would pay off, and they were right: chefs from Bishop’s and Cioppino’s love their wild venison and Sloping Hill pork.

Polonia Sausage House 2434 E. Hastings St., East Side, 604-251-2239.

You’ll stand out if you’re neither a local nor Pol- Westlynn Meats & Seafoods ish, but don’t let that dissuade you. There’s clas- 118–1199 Lynn Valley Rd., North Vancouver, 604sic Polish fare at the meat counter (the kolbasa 988-7644. Westlynnmeatsandseafood.com Mariis just as you remember); in the freezer at the nated, unmedicated, and organic meats abound back, bags of their own perogies and kopytka. here: Westlynn carries “anything that roams the valley,” including buffalo, bison, ostrich, rabbit, venison, and Diamond Willow Alberta beef, and Rio Friendly Meats 2477 E. Hastings St., East Side, 604-253-0345. Paradise Valley free-range pork.

Sausages are the shop specialty, and the wide variety (most of which are gluten-free) includes elk, buffalo, pork apple, curried lamb, and the lip-smacking beef and garlic. Service as friendly C AT ER ER S as the name indicates. Look for the faded red sign.

WEST SIDE

Market Meats

2326 W. Fourth Ave., Kitsilano, 604-737-0905.

Marketmeats.com Aside from a vast (if pricey) selection of gourmet cuts, Market Meats also stocks plenty of quick meal solutions, including unmedicated, free-range rotisserie chickens and gourmet stuffed potatoes. Cheeses, olives, dry pastas, and a wall of gourmet seasonings and

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Windsor Quality Meats

Culinary Capers Catering

4110 Main St., South Main. 604-872-5635. Wind sorqualitymeats.com A neighbourhood icon since 1946, now venturing upmarket with regionally sourced beef and pork, and poultry from free range and organic farms like Springcreek, Gelderman, Polderside, and Maple Hill

1545 W. Third Ave., South Granville, 604-8750123. Culinarycapers.com Chef Margaret Chisholm and her crew are the go-to team for big-name events. Hors d’oeuvres include white truffle pancakes with grilled New York steak, and sablefish cakes with preserved lemons.

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2013, 2014 AND 2015 VANCOUVER MAGAZINE RESTAURANT AWARD WINNER

FO OD S HO P S

VANCOUVER

Emelle’s Catering

The Cheese Place

177 W. Seventh Ave., South Cambie, 604-8756551. Emelles.com Signature dishes like chickenand-lychee swords with Thai basil, seared rare sockeye salmon with mustard maple, and even kangaroo barbecue are offered on the catering side, while the diner offers traditional breakfasts, sandwiches, and daily blue-plate specials.

267–2083 Alma St., Point Grey, 604-222-1911.

Notable for its knowledgeable staff, the Cheese Place has been doing cheese and crackers—and nothing but—for over 30 years. It’s the place to go for gift baskets at all price points.

The Lazy Gourmet

1605 W. Fifth Ave., South Granville, 604-7342507. Lazygourmet.ca The catering menu features Ocean Wise sablefish with miso glaze, and beef tenderloin with grilled asparagus and balsamic jus. Try doing it yourself—Susan Mendelson published 60 of her favourite recipes into a cookbook, Mama Now Cooks Like This.

EAST SIDE

The Butler Did It

C H OC OL AT I E RS

620 Clark Dr., East Side, 604-739-3663. Butler diditcatering.com From snack break (fresh cilantro salsa and chips) to elaborate sit-down affairs (goat cheese-stuffed lamb sirloin or sole served on creamy herb orzo), The Butler Did It offers an impressive range of services. An online ordering system makes meal planning a breeze.

Chef Claire’s

3610 Main St., South Main, 604-875-6400. Che fclaires.com Claire May trained under John Bishop, and his organic, seasonal, contemporary West Coast culinary style is infused in her own lovely dishes. Storefront location offers an edited lunch menu, and there’s a freezer stocked with soups sold by the litre plus refined comfort foods.

Savoury City

3925 Fraser St., East Side, 604-875-8484. Sa vourycity.com There’s Limoncello-soaked ladyfingers with mascarpone cheese; Moroccan chicken with harissa-spiked hummus, raisins, and feta; and nuggets of applewood-smoked Indian candy. Everything (even the salad dressings) is made from scratch using fresh local ingredients.

NORTH SHORE

Critic’s Choice

604-990-4002. Criticschoicecaterers.com Mobile catering trucks not only for the film industry: a full-service company that provides one-stop shopping, from a picnic in the park to hot toddies at the top of Mount Seymour.

C HE E S E M ONGER S WEST SIDE

Benton Brothers Fine Cheese

Various locations. Bentonscheese.com Andrew and Jonah Benton focus on small-scale, artisanal cheeses from Canada, France, Spain, and other areas well-practised in the art of cheesemaking.

What’s more, they stock an array of charcuterie, terrines, and pâtés of all sorts to accessorize your cheese plate. They’ll cater, too.

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Xoxolat

1271 Homer St., Yaletown, 604-733-2462.

Xoxolat.com Amedei chocolate from Italy? You’ll find them here. Zotter treats from Austria? Got ’em. Owner Hodie Rondeau’s truffle case includes international flavours—Azteca chipotle, Madagascar vanilla—based on recipes that go back five generations. You’ll meet all your bakLes Amis du Fromage Various locations. Buycheese.com Allison Spur- ing needs with single-origin bars from around rell and Joe Chaput’s well-stocked main store on the globe. Xoxolat (pronounced “sho-sho-la”) W. Second Ave. has upward of 350 cheeses. Also also hosts scheduled chocolate tastings. find a nice selection of olive oils, honey from Europe and the southern U.S., and quality conWEST SIDE diments—everything good to go with cheese.

A wide variety of local artisan cheeses is also Chocolate Arts featured.

1620 W. Third Ave., Kitsilano, 604-739-0475.

Chocolatearts.com The team at Chocolate Arts has always approached chocolate-making like EAST SIDE molecular chefs—and their popular café shows they’re adept at a whole lotta things. At the La Grotta swish space you’ll still find their signature Robdel Formaggio 1791 Commercial Dr., Commercial Drive, 604- ert Davidson-designed Haida medallions, but 255-3911. Lgdf.ca A Drive mainstay for almost 40 also a host of other organic wares, from 100 peryears, here you’ll find Italian pantry staples like cent extra brute cocoa powder (buy it in bulk) dried pasta, imported sauces, olive oils, vinegars, to the Fresh Parmesan Bar made with Les Amis and frozen fare (stuffed pastas like the superb fag- du Fromage Parmigiano Reggiano-Scelto and otini with gorgonzola and walnut). But the main 61-percent dark chocolate. draw is the cheese counter, where imports mingle with artisanal B.C. brands.

Daniel le Chocolat Belge Various locations. Danielchocolates.com Manufactured in Vancouver since 1981 using BelNORTH SHORE gian techniques, these are chocolates made the old-fashioned way with no preservatives, no The Cheese Man h991 W. Third St., North Vancouver, 604-985-4527. artificial colours or flavours, but with modern Cheeseman.ca Owner Doug Martin’s motto is flavours—try the amazing chipotle, cardamom, “Great cheese! Great price!”—and the cheese or rum-raisin truffles. man tells it like it is. On any given day there are 70 to 100 cheeses in stock from France, GermaEAST SIDE ny, Holland, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, and other countries around the world, all at very reasonable Beta5 prices. Closed Sunday and Monday. Cash only.

413 Industrial Ave., East Side, 604-669-3336.

Beta5.myshopify.com Adam Chandler has a passion for chemistry that makes him a master of tricky confections—baking is, after all, a science. Chandler, formerly a pastry sous-chef with CHOC OL AT IER S the Loden Hotel and the Fairmont Pacific Rim, creates innovative (and award-winning) truffles DOWNTOWN in unusual flavours—like imperial stout—for his confectionery company, Beta5. A lover of ChocolaTas 151-1689 Johnston St., Granville Island, 877- local and seasonal ingredients, he makes inno668-8932. Chocolatas.com Wim and Veve Tas vative (and exquisite) use of seasonal fruits and were united by a love of chocolate (the former nuts. Did we mention how beautiful the packagtrained in Belgium), and the couple make plain ing is, too? their devotion to their craft in every intricately constructed ganache, truffle, bar or bark they Chocolaterie de la sell. These are premium products, priced ac- Nouvelle France cordingly, but the indulgence is worth it from 198 E. 21st Ave., South Main, 604-566-1065. the moment your incisors break the firm shell Chocolaterienouvellefrance.ca Confections are of a bonbon to find, say, organic raspberry or made onsite using pure French chocolate, and fresh-ground espresso inside. Shop online if then grouped and sold by the cocoa’s single oriyou can’t make it to the market stall. gin (Ghana for milk chocolate, Mexico for bittersweet, and Venezuela for dark). Petit squares are delicately flavoured with fleur de sel, lavender, Mink Chocolates Various locations. Minkchocolates.com Choco- chilies, or anise seed. Owner Anne-Geneviève late fanatics rejoice in this room full of ethi- Poitras also makes lovely caramels and sucre à la cally sourced cocoa, tea, coffee, and fondue. crème. Closed Tuesdays.

Chocolate bars with flavours like almond butter and grape jelly milk chocolate, as well as Schokolade Artisan individual bonbons and hand-made truffles, Chocolates & Cafe are just the thing for a mid-afternoon treat. Its 2263 E. Hastings St., East Side, 604-253-9411.

Mermaid’s Choice won the 2014 world’s top Schokoladecafe.com Schokolade’s pretty, richly chocolate bar. flavoured chocolates are made in small batches

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walls), they also work with the PHS Community Services Society, providing training and employment to the women of the Rainier hotel upstairs.

Even the mint and lavender used in their decadent drinking chocolate comes from the Hastings Urban Farm Garden (which also happens to use all of EVR’s waste to make its garden grow).

Milano Coffee

Various locations. Milanocoffee.ca Founding father Francesco Curatolo once consulted for Starbucks and would later turn down the coffee giants when they came looking to poach his recipes and expertise, choosing to keep his secrets all in the family. Coffee is the focus in their multiple tasting bars, with upward of nine different espresso blends featuring up to 70 percent certified organic beans. The Gastown location, with its soaring ceilings and bare cement walls, has a small selection of sandwiches and soups, and it’s licensed (Bailey’s latte, anyone?).

ANDREA FERNANDEZ

OF F E EN A &MTE EA C AT ECGORY H E RE

Murchie’s Tea & Coffee

Various locations. 800-663-0400. Murchies.com The selection of coffees is competitive; that Bâtard Boulangerie Café Moderne // pg.92 of teas, extraordinary. Preserves, spiced nuts, and biscotti, too. Look for commemorative teas, such as the Queen Victoria (created for the monarch herself). Coffees include the rich, by hand, with most ingredients sourced locally and macarons on offer; top picks include the smooth CBC Radio coffee that Murchie’s created (The strawberry pepper is one of our favourites.) maple-pecan tart, lime-basil macarons, and for the radio station’s launch in Victoria.

Pre-bagged chocolate-dipped nuts and couver- double-baked chocolate-hazelnut croissants. ture hexagons make sweet hostess gifts.

Musette Caffè 1262 Burrard St. (back entrance), Downtown, 604-336-1159; 75 E. Pender St., Chinatown, 604NORTH SHORE 336-4171. Musettecaffe.com Finally, a coffee COFF EE & T EA shop where everybody knows your name—so Sugar and Co. long as your name is Bradley Wiggins or Ry159-1233 Lynn Valley Rd., North Vancouver, 604DOWNTOWN der Hesjedal. Musette, named for the snack 971-5331. Sugarandco.com Enter and zap back bag handed to cyclists during road races, is all to your childhood—old-fashioned candies, cara- Caffè Artigiano mels, and traditional British and American sweets Various locations. Caffeartigiano.com Coffee is about the bicycle, which makes its downtown are stocked in oversize glass containers lining the treated like an art form at this Vancouver-born location—you can see it from the Hornby bike shelves. Owner Kristina Robeson takes special chainlet. Lineups out the door for lattes with in- lane, though it’s tucked behind Pattison Toyota pride in seeking out retro sweets, so put her to the tricate patterns. Grilled sandwiches, pasta, and off Drake—perfectly fitting. Inside, an open test. Note: Robeson also stocks Clayburn Creek pastries (muffins, cookies, cakes) make this café space (formerly the backroom of an aquarium shop) seats a dozen or so, with emphasis on a raspberry jam made from Fraser Valley berries. a great lunch option. communal table and hail-fellow group chat.

Coffee is 49th Parallel; food, a mix of toothThomas Haas Coffeebar Fine Chocolates & Patisserie 10 Water St., Gastown, 604-566-9693; 1695 some raw energy snacks and veg-heavy paninis, 128–998 Harbourside Dr., North Vancouver, 604- Marine Dr., West Vancouver, 604-281-4148. plus treats baked by farmers market regulars.

924-1847; 2539 W. Broadway Ave., Kitsilano, Thecoffeebar.ca A mix of shopping tourists 604-736-1848 Thomashaas.com The legendary and local downtown residents can be found Nelson the Seagull chocolatier’s own specialty shop, with over nibbling vegan, gluten-free quinoa salads and 315 Carrall St, Gastown, 604-681-5776. Nel 80 different items including artful handmade prepackaged sandwiches in this packed café. sontheseagull.com Jodi Balfour and siblings Lee truffles, chocolate bars, hot chocolate, and the Along with veggie chili and assorted gluten- and Jonathan Snelgar opened an airy brickaward-winning signature Chocolate Sparkle free baked goods, they also offer more sinful and-beam room with an open kitchen, original Cookie. Also, panini sandwiches that pair nice- fare—try a warm, buttery cheese and bacon teal-and-cream mosaic tile floor, and Molo softscone with your Americano (made with now walls, and named it after a ’70s pop tune about ly with frothy cappuccinos. ubiquitous 49th Parallel coffee) and take a seat Nelson Mandela. The coffee (from local roaster at the walled-in courtyard.

Matchstick) is bracing and the food is from the G R E AT E R V A N C O U V E R heart: try one of the moist, you-wouldn’t-knowit’s-vegan desserts, or anything involving their Chez Christophe East Van Roasters Chocolaterie Pâtisserie 319 Carrall St., Gastown, 604-629-7562. East fresh, chewy ciabatta bread baked in-house.

4712 E. Hastings St., Burnaby, 604-428-4200. vanroasters.com A chocolate and coffee café that Christophe-chocolat.com Swiss-trained choco- gives new meaning to ethical business practice. Rocanini Coffee Roasters latier and pastry chef Christophe Bonzon East Van Roasters serves up bean-to-bar coffee 863 Beatty St., Downtown, 778-379-1863. Ro brings his meticulously crafted artisanal and chocolates (both liquid and solid), as well canini.com Directly opposite a Starbucks (but sweets to the ’burbs. He’s the first in Canada as locally made pastries baked using their Mada- what isn’t these days?), this is a place for cofto use Carma premium Swiss chocolate as the gascar cacao. Not only do they purchase direct- fee purists. Unfussy, streamlined décor signals base for his subtly nuanced bonbons. There’s trade, organic, or fairly traded coffee and cacao the focus is on the java—skillfully roasted and a full slate of Viennoiseries, cakes, pastries, (which you can watch them prep through glass custom ground for pour-overs and a variety of

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VAN COUVE R M Fine A G A Chocolates Z I N E E A T&I N G & D R I// N pg.97 KING GUIDE Thomas Haas Patisserie

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Elysian Coffee

Various locations. Elysiancoffee.com With both a Synesso Cyncra and a Clover at the ready, owner Alistair Durie and crew offer the finest coffees from select roasters. Purchase whole-bean coffee and brewing supplies here. Sandwiches and wraps are made in-house; indulge in chocolate almond torte and buttery Scottish shortbread.

Pekoe Tea Lounge

895 W. Broadway, South Cambie, 778-3718343. Pekoetealounge.com A tower of tea tins filled with fruity greens, sharp blacks, and clever herbal mixes (like the cinnamon-infused Shitty Weather Tea) are the centrepiece of this cozy lounge. Buy the loose tea leaves whole, or split a press with a friend. Mismatched china cups and jugs of amber Fireweed honey make tea time an even more charming experience.

EAST SIDE

Ethical Bean

1315 Kootenay St., East Side, 604-431-3830.

Ethicalbean.com The local roasting company (beans are widely available in grocery stores) purchases only certified fair-trade and organic green coffee beans, and prides itself on being carbon neutral; the roasting facility is built to LEED gold standard. Attached is a pretty, modern café.

C OF F E E & T E A

South Main. 49thparallelroasters.com Being the most acclaimed coffee roaster in Vancouver is like being a famous gunfighter in the Old West—there’s always some punk ambling into town looking to make a name for himself. So while the young’uns have been playing with their beakers, 49th fired back with a slick room on Main that seems both new and like it was always there. Most love the coffee, some don’t, but it’s still top dog. It’s now matched with the hip and retro Lucky’s Doughnuts: the little circles are handmade—you can actually see them beSoffee Café 1426 W. Eighth Ave., South Granville, 604-736- ing formed—and have au courant toppings like 6668. Soffeecafe.com A beautiful little tea salon, salted caramel. eclectically furnished in the manner of a genteel English parlour crossed with a Vienna café. Beans on Cambie Just a few steps from the bustle of Granville and 3365 Cambie St., South Cambie, 604-872-3366.

Broadway, it’s a mum-and-son labour of love Beans-on-cambie.com Neighbourhood regulars (the former is Soffee), and it shows with every haunt the casual turquoise-and-wood space, pastry, in each fine bone china cup. Top-drawer basking in natural light on upcycled couches Kusmi tea and terrific coffee make themselves as they chat with the friendly baristas. Get a worthy of the exceptional home-baked crois- loose-leaf London Fog or foamy latte made sants, tarts, and other sweets, plus soups, sal- with 49th Parallel beans, but save room for the ads, panini (on house-baked focaccia), and glo- popular coconut cake, a towering mound of rious ham-and-cheese French toast. With just coconut shavings and fluffy frosting.

16 seats, you’ll want to make a reservation for the signature afternoon Demi Tea or High Tea. Caffè Cittadella 2310 Ash St., South Cambie, 604-568-5909. Caf fecittadella.com This cozy café, nestled inside Ten Ren Tea 550 Main St., Chinatown, 604-684-1566; 1930- a heritage house, does a booming lunchtime 4151 Hazelbridge Way., Richmond. Tenren.com business on weekdays. There’s minimal seating The Asian chain Ten Ren is highly regarded by indoors, but their multi-level patio accommoaficionados. Hand-rolled green jasmine tea is dates spillover, weather permitting. They serve delicate but rich, with an intoxicating aroma. 49th Parallel coffee and a rotating assortment of Stronger oolong teas are brewed over three or organic teas—try the fragrant, slightly sweet jasfour tastings to develop flavour. Dark Ti Kuan mine green tea presented in its own little pot with Yin (Iron Buddha) can be taken Gong Fu-style, a chunk of dark chocolate. Hungry office worksipped quickly in small shot glass-style cups, ers and laptop-toting students munch on muffins and grilled panini like tomato bocconcini with and has a rounded floral aftertaste. fresh basil and a balsamic reduction, on a crisp olive baguette with a side of tangy marinara.

Timbertrain Coffee Roasters 311 W. Cordova St., Gastown. Timbertraincof feeroasters.com There’s a lovely contradiction Coco et Olive at play in this beautifully designed Gastown 3707 Main St., South Main, 604-568-7447. café. Owners Peter Kim and Jeff and Min Shin Joanne Facchin makes savoury galettes, bread all loved trains as kids. They also loved coffee pudding with almond cream, and must-have(if “loved” is a strong enough word for hob- more two-bite brownies. The aroma of warm byists who visited plantations on holiday), so and gooey cinnamon rolls draws in Main Street they combined West Coast “timber” with their shoppers to the bright and airy café, packed favourite mode of transport and have opened with locals sipping on hot loose-leaf tea and an amalgamation of the slow (old trains, hand- reading the Sunday paper. crafting) and the fast (modern design, caffeine).

Their love of beans and the artisinal process Davids Tea mean you have time and expertise available to Various locations. Davidstea.com The Ontarioenjoy a deep counterside conversation about based chainlet touched down in Kitsilano, bringthe few cold presses and slow-pours on the ing with it a modern, sexy approach to the staid, menu. Think cool communal seating; smooth, fussy tea tradition. The shop is open and cleanbalanced drinks; and good pastries. lined, and the premium teas and blends (over 120 on offer) are packaged in simple tins with bright labels. Plenty of accessories, too, includThe Urban Tea Merchant 1070 W. Georgia St., Downtown, 604-692-0071. ing traditional Japanese cast-iron teapots.

Urbantea.com A high-brow cuppa. The Urban Tea Merchant sells TWG Tea, which uses natu- Dose ral fruits and flowers (not essences) for blends; Espresso Bar leaves come from single, pesticide-free tea es- 1517 W. Broadway, South Granville, 604-734tates. Lovely afternoon tea service and exquisite 7711. In these compact but smartly designed accoutrements for sale. spaces (cool pieces by local artists adorn the walls), owner and major-league coffee geek Tony Tsai slings first-rate espresso with notes of WEST SIDE cherry and dark chocolate. There are also eccentric latte concoctions like raspberry chocolate 49th Parallel Coffee 2198 W. Fourth Ave., Kitsilano; 2902 Main St., hazelnut and Victoria mint. espresso drinks (pulled from a dreamy Nouva Simonelli machine). Brainy—but not hipsterish—baristas talk like sommeliers about the balance, acidity, and complexity of various roasts and decoction methods. The vibe is mellow (on a recent visit, the turntable was spinning gentle Japanese post-rock), and the drinks complement flaky house-baked pastries and cookies, plus sandwiches from the Drive’s La Grotta del Formaggio.

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JJ Bean

Various locations. Jjbeancoffee.com The muchloved indie coffee chain pared down its coffee menu to focus on four organic blends and six seasonal single-source beans, depending on the day. (Note to aesthetes: the design of the woodclad kiosk outside the CBC building downtown alone warrants a visit.)

Matchstick Coffee Roasters

639 E 15th Ave., South Main, 604-558-0639; 213 E Georgia St., Chinatown, 604-336-0213. Match stickcoffee.com Simple, open, and airy décor with a long, cafeteria-style table as the centerpiece. The open kitchen reveals a baker shaping flaky almond croissants and building sandwiches with organic bread and locally sourced, organic veggies. The apple and brie or subtle smoked bison and havarti sandwiches should be buttressed with a brewed-to-order cup o’ joe.

Watch the parade of adorable hipster babies on weekends, but be prepared to fight their parents for a seat.

Prado Café

1938 Commercial Dr., Commercial Drive, 604255-5537; 100 W. Hastings St., 778-379-4315.

Pradocafe.com East Side hipsters come for the minimalist aesthetic (white walls, navy chairs, soaring ceilings) and glorious natural light. There’s a selection of in-house baked treats—the raspberry crumble bar and apricotalmond vegan cookies are top sellers—but the custom-blended organic fair-trade coffee from 49th Parallel takes centre stage.

Turks on the Drive

1276 Commercial Dr., Commercial Drive, 604255-5805. Thedrive.net/turks There’s little to eat (and what is available tends to be under plastic wrap), allowing baristas to focus on turning out

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excellent coffee, all of it from the owner’s Milano Roast Coffee Co. A variety of blends on offer— some organic, some fair trade, some both—and all nicely balanced.

NORTH SHORE

ter house painted artichoke green tucks a small deli and Italian grocery into its main level. Find pantry staples like tins of Italissima roasted red peppers and tubes of San Gennaro polenta. But it’s the store’s own creations that stand out: richly flavoured antipasti, olives dressed in pesto, and superb sandwiches.

Bean Around the World

EAST SIDE

The First Ravioli Store

Various locations. Batw.ca Independently owned coffee shops bound only by the coffee they brew; try Pete’s signature blend. The West Van shop bakes in-house. Over 20 locations throughout B.C.

The Dirty Apron

540 Beatty St., Gastown, 604-879-8588. Dirty apron.com Attached to the cooking school of the same name, find deli items like cured meats and cheeses, the best sandwiches in town, and cool kitchen equipment.

Delany’s Coffee House

Various locations. Delanyscoffee.com Familyowned Delany’s is a force to reckon with. Pop in for a panini and a mug of Grouse Grind roast.

For a sweet treat, pair a chocolate-whip-topped cocoa with a peanut-butter toffee square. We’ll warn you now that they’re dangerously good.

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spend quality time at the olive bar, then hit the deli counter for a container of God’s Dip (made of feta, tomatoes, and cucumbers—everything you’d find in a Greek salad) and pita bread.

CO O KWAR E

1900 Commercial Dr., Commercial Drive, 604-255-8844. Pasta is king here, with myriad varieties and flavours available, such as herb and romano gnocchi, porcini ravioli, and tortellini (try the prosciutto-and-parmesan variety). There are also piles of Mastro salami and prosciutto, and an olive bar.

European Delicatessen

1220 Davie St., West End, 604-688-3442. Lined up on the shelves, alongside Italian sauces and French cheeses, are jars of lime and mango pickle, sangak (a Persian flatbread), and other Iranian fare. Go in for ash, a delicious soup made from spinach, chickpeas, and a veritable veggie patch of other ingredients, and pick up some authentic saffron while you slurp. Even better are the dips prepared by the owner, which include eggplant mirza and homemade hummus.

Le Marché St George

Salty Tongue Café

Mediterranean Specialty Foods

4393 St. George St., South Main, 604-565-5107.

Marchestgeorge.com Part boutique grocery, part café, owners Pascal Roy and Janaki Larsen describe their European-inspired shop as a cross between “a general store and a Vermeer painting.”

Find Farmhouse cheese from Agassiz and tubs of Birchwood yogurt next to jars of preserves, and then sip a hot coffee from local roaster Oughtred with a heavenly pain au chocolat.

DOWNTOWN

213 Carrall St., Gastown, 604-688-9779. Salty 1553 Robson St., Downtown, 604-682-8223. tongue.ca As anyone in the queue will tell you, Unique kitchen items by Le Creuset, Rosti, the sandwiches here are worth the wait. Plus, you Henckels, and many others—and great gift can grab a pint until it’s your turn to design your ideas for those who like to entertain as well as own. Sandwich fillings are made on-site or by cook. Keep an eye out for the shop’s great sales. the geniuses responsible for Salt Tasting Room’s charcuterie menu. Try the steak-and-ale pie.

Chocolate Mousse Kitchenware

Ming Wo

Various locations. Mingwo.com The original Pender Street store opened in 1917, and Ming Wo is still a favourite of amateur and pro cooks alike.

All the essentials are here, along with a great selection of cookie cutters and cake decorators.

WEST SIDE

Cookworks

1548 W. Broadway, South Granville, 604-7311148; 377 Howe St., Downtown, 604-662-4918.

Cookworks.ca Everything for the aspiring foodie, from butcher block tables to Riedel wine glasses to funky picnic sets to right-this-moment gadgets such as the Vinturi wine aerator.

1824 Commercial Dr., Commercial Drive, 604-4384033. Meet Jack, scholar of olives, olive oil, and cheese. In fact, Jack Elmasu’s expertise covers all manner of Mediterranean staples. Ask him to recommend oil and he’ll sell you one from his rugged homeland of Palestine . For cheeses, think kefalotiri (for addictive fried-cheese saganaki), and haloumi. Prepackaged exotics include dried pungent Greek oregano and thyme, and LebaTosi & Company 624 Main St., Chinatown, 604-681-5740. Tosi nese zaatar, a striking blend of thyme, sumac, foods.com Wooden floors and shelves, exposed and cumin. beams, and skylights show the patina of this 6,000-square-foot shop’s 100-plus years. Find Ugo & Joe’s Fine Foods dried Italian pastas, lentils, rice, Sagra Fattoria 2404 E. Hastings St., East Side, 604-253-6844.

Dell’ Ulivo olive oil, canned tomatoes (direct Here you’ll find more than 200 European cheesfrom Naples), unparalleled organic parmesan, es, 50 different types of olives and antipastos and cheeses (some with descriptions in Chi- in the olive bar, prepared foods (excellent cabnese). The proprietor, Angelo Tosi, son of found- bage rolls), and a vast array of specialty imports er Peter, is famously grumpy but committed to and standards like three-litre tins of olive oil (at bringing the best Italian brands to Vancouver. least one brand will be on sale), and breads from Calabria bakery.

WEST SIDE

The Wilder Snail Minerva’s Mediterranean Deli

3207 W. Broadway, Kitsilano, 604-733-3954. Your Greek feast starts here: goat’s milk feta (Macedonian style, if you prefer), garlicky eggplant dip, Bella Vita Home Essentials G5–825 Main St., Park Royal Village, West Van- taramosalata, flaky baklava dripping with honcouver, 604-922-1980. Bellavita.ca Sister com- ey—all housemade and full of flavour. Already pany to the House of Knives, Bella Vita stocks an expert? All the import ingredients you’ll need an equally wide range of tools and gadgets to for your own scratch-made preps are also here. make cooking easier and kitchens trendier. Find brightly coloured teapots, a range of bamboo lac- Moore’s Bakery querware, and sleek Saeco espresso machines.

2128 W. 41st Ave., Kerrisdale, 604-261-2922.

Mooresbakery.wix.com/moores-bakery Loyal fans who fill the 16 seats in this little spot come for flaky beef or chicken pies and thick-cut sandwiches—but the hefty apple strudels drizzled in D E L I CATE SSENS icing are the order of the day.

NORTH SHORE

799 Keefer St., Strathcona, 604-216-0640. The wildersnail.com The Snail stocks an inventory to reflect what’s happening in gentrifying-like-mad Strathcona. The result: basic, mostly organic groceries (produce from Discovery Organics, apple ciders from Santa Cruz, baby cereals from Healthy Times), opposite a traditional Italian coffee bar and sandwich case stocked with assorted panini from Commercial Drive mainstay La Grotta del Formaggio.

F ISH MON GER S WEST SIDE

DOWNTOWN

Parthenon Supermarket

Finest at Sea

3080 W. Broadway, Kitsilano, 604-733-4191. Various locations. Finestatsea.com This four1016 Cardero St., West End, 604-689-0450. The all-things-Greek supermarket specializes in-one fishmonger, bistro, grocery, and gourFacebook.com/carderobottega A West End charac- in Mediterranean groceries and Greek desserts; met deli, owns its own fleet of eight off-shore Cardero Bottega

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tasty fish and (yam) chips are $8 for one piece of cod, $10 for halibut.

Kosta the Fishmonger

140–123 Carrie Cates Ct., North Vancouver, 604987-3474. Kostathefishmonger.com Kosta and his crew specialize in B.C. smoked salmon, but have a variety of other products at their kiosk in the Lonsdale Market. Day-Glo yellow jumpers keep staff fish-free as they scoop, weigh, and pack your super-fresh selections. Try lemon-garlic halibut fillets on the barbecue: flaky perfection.

Village Fish and Oyster Market

1482 Marine Dr., West Vancouver, 604-9224332. Still going since 1964. The display case is packed with several varieties of barbecued and smoked salmon along with an abundant array of fresh local seafood. Locals love bacon-wrapped Digby scallops.

C AT EFGORY I SH M ON N AGE M ERS H E RE

GR EEN GR OCER S DOWNTOWN

Chinatown

Everywhere, starting with San Lee Enterprises (267 Keefer St., 604-688-1383) for exotic fruits, and Sunrise Market (300 Powell St., 604-685-8019), where you’ll find row upon row of Japanese pickles, fresh and dried noodles, and a vast selection of produce.

The Fish Counter // pg.101

WEST SIDE

Greens Organic & Natural Market

fishing vessels, which means premium B.C. sablefish, salmon, albacore tuna, spot prawns, and other delicacies arrive screamingly fresh.

FAS supplies many of the city’s foremost finedining restaurants.

MacFarlane’s Selected Fish Market

2233 W. 41st Ave., Kerrisdale, 604-261-1226.

What started as door-to-door fish sales in 1921 eventually evolved into a shop helmed by three generations of fishmongers. The torch has been passed to Keith Sung, who remains loyal to the market’s time-honoured practices. The same sashimi-grade Ahi tuna and firm sablefish are sourced by Sung daily.

mussels to rye whiskey gravlax and oceanfriendly sashimi. A smartly curated selection of condiments and accompaniments includes Simply West Coast glazes and marinades and Rustichella pasta. (Additional locations: 1148 Davie St., West End, 604-685-3479; 5910 Berton Ave., UBC, 604-221-4474) The Fish Counter

VISHAL MARAPON

1418 Commercial Dr., Commercial Drive, 604253-3474. Dailycatch.org Dylan McCulloch and Ryan Johnson proudly run the first store in Vancouver to sell 100 percent Ocean Wise seafood. Display cases are stocked with an impressive array of seasonal fish and shellfish, from Read Island gold oysters and Salt Spring Island

EAST SIDE

Drive Organics

3825 Main St., South Main, 604-876-3474. Thefishcounter.com Mike McDermid, frontman at the Fish Counter, launched Ocean Wise for the Vancouver Aquarium and has long lived off Main Street. What the ’hood needed, he told top seafood chef and sustainability pioneer Robert Clark, was a good fish store. So the two opened it—all local, all sustainable, all Ocean Wise Seven Seas Various locations. 7seas.ca With a direct source to seafood to buy, take out, or eat in (probably its own boats, the fish arrives fresh and early. All standing, given the crowds). Plus, a handful of manner of local fish available—Pacific halibut, sides, salads, and other ready-mades like crab cod, herring, sardines—plus house-brand cedar- cakes, chowder, fish tacos, po’ boys, and great fish and chips with tangy coleslaw, proper tartar infused sablefish, tuna, and salmon. sauce, and batter crunchy and light enough to be worth eating.

EAST SIDE The Daily Catch Seafood Company

1978 W. Broadway, Kitsilano, 604-568-3079.

Greensmarket.ca A wholesome, midsize alternative to your corporate grocery. Beeline for the meat department—the only one in the city going 100-percent local and committed to using the entire animal.

NORTH SHORE

1045 Commercial Dr., Commercial Drive, 604-678-9665. Emphasizes fresh, local, and organic produce. Thorough selection of local dairy products, including cheeses from Salt Spring Island, Little Qualicum, and Abbotsford’s own Goat’s Pride. Baby section stocks organic jarred foods, BPA-free bottles, and elusive brands of natural healthcare products.

East End Food Co-op

1034 Commercial Dr., Commercial Drive, 604254-5044. East-End-Food.coop The emphasis is on local, fair trade, and organic products (Lundberg rices, Jordan’s cereals, Silk soy beverages— you get the drift). All are welcome, but membership has its privileges: regular discounts and the ability to place special orders.

The Crab Shop

Sustainable Produce Urban Delivery

121–2455 Dollarton Hwy. at Forester, North Vancouver, 604-929-1616. Thecrabshop.ca The definitive stop for fresh Dungeness crab. Owner Marcel Gregori’s Dungeness crab cakes are jazzed up with a little onion and pepper. The

1660 E. Hastings St., East Side, 604-215-7783.

Spud.ca What started as a produce delivery service has become a veritable greengrocery empire. The focus, however, is unchanged: organic produce and locally sourced products—whole

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spelt pizza crust, organic cheeses from Quebec’s present-day Vancouver more than that of this l’Ancêtre—delivered fresh to your door. independent purveyor? The ice cream comes in reusable glass jars, ingredients like rhubarb and basil are sourced from local farmers, there’s cult NORTH SHORE coffee from local roasters Matchstick—it could all be too much. But Earnest’s saving grace is Kin’s Farm Market Various locations. Kinsfarmmarket.com The ta- that its name is no wink-wink; it’s a fair descripbles here are an embarrassment of abundance, tion of proprietors dedicated to making amazpiled high with local and imported seasonal ing ice cream and then selling it at a price not produce. Exotic items such as pomelo, dragon much higher than the mass-produced stuff in fruit, and star fruit bracket varieties of fat toma- the freezer aisle. Sure, there are often line-ups, toes, leafy greens, and shiny cucumbers, all at but they’re well earned. (Second location: 1829 Quebec St., Olympic Village, 778-379-0697) surprisingly low prices.

Dolce Amore

ICE CRE A M ETC. DOWNTOWN

Bella Gelateria C ATLEAGORY RGE MNAARKE ME T HSE RE

1001 W. Cordova St., Downtown, 604-569-1010; 1089 Marinaside Cres., Yaletown, 778-737-7890 Bellagelateria.com Italy comes to Coal Harbour with this charming gelateria: the owner learned the art at Carpigiani Gelato University near Bologna, starting with ingredients such as organic whole milk, local fruits, chocolates from Michel Cluizel, and imported Sorrento lemons.

1590 Commercial Dr., Commercial Drive, 604-2580006. Gelateriadolceamore.com On sunny days, prepare to join the queue. The best gelato on the Drive, homemade with that precise creamysmooth texture. Go classic: the nocciola and pistachio flavours pair beautifully with chocolate.

La Casa Gelato

and sustainable products are a priority, as is reducing packaging, starting with the up to 400 items available in the bulk foods department.

Well-qualified healthcare consultants are on hand in most stores to address nutritional and health-related concerns. Big vegetarian and gluten-free selections.

Granville Island Public Market

1689 Johnston St. Granvilleisland.com/public -market Granville Island is one of the country’s best public markets, where professional chefs, ambitious home cooks, and tourists happily collide. There are many delights worth seeking out, but don’t miss: Oyama Sausage Company (offering over 100 fresh and smoked sausages, plus out-of-this-world pates and terrines—a one-stop shop for home entertaining); South China Seas Trading Company (rare condiments, spices, and herbs); Lee’s Donuts (go for the classic honey dip); and L’Epicerie (a French rotisserie shop that sells olive oils, vinegars, and sweets). The Lobster Man (1807 Mast Tower Rd., Granville Island, 604-687-4228.

Lobsterman.com), a two-minute walk from the main market, is the city’s finest purveyor of lobster, crab, oysters, and shellfish.

1033 Venables St., East Side, 604-251-3211.

Lacasagelato.com With more than 500 flavours at last count, and up to 220 ready-to-scoop in store every day, owner Vince Misceo delivers on selection, hands down. This may not be the place for gelato purists (flavours like durian and pear with gorgonzola are on offer), but it’s an Meinhardt Fine Foods experience. Gelato cakes can be pre-ordered in 3002 Granville St., South Granville, 604-732Marble Slab Creamery 4405. Meinhardtfinefoods.com A destination Various locations. Marbleslab.ca Creamy fla- any available flavour. for foodies—and foodies who don’t have time vours—think pumpkin cheesecake, chocolate to cook. Find row upon row of marinades and raspberry, peanut butter, and birthday cake—are NORTH SHORE imported condiments (a specialty), and giftgenerously dolloped onto a frozen stone block, basket-worthy items like 49th Parallel coffees, folded with “mixins” (like pistachios and Skor Pinkberry bits), and then the whole mess is decanted into a D2–860 Main St., West Van. Pinkberry.com Cre- and dessert mixes from Food Network’s Barefoot waffle cone made fresh in store. ate your own concoction at the first Canadian Contessa. location of the popular American chain. The extensive toppings menu, which changes season- Stong’s Market WEST SIDE ally (Northwest Bing cherries in the summer), or 4560 Dunbar St., Dunbar, 604-266-1401. Stongs. heed their recommendations: pair organic straw- com Stong’s is passionate about the store’s prodRain or Shine 102–1926 W. Fourth Ave., Kitsilano, 604-428- berry jam and fresh bread crumbs with peanut uct selection: up to 50,000 items on the shelves, 7246. Rainorshineicecream.com One of the later butter yogurt for a sophisticated twist on a PB&J. and if they don’t have it, they’ll bring it in. The meat cutters are service-oriented, specializing arrivals among the city’s recent glut of upstart in organic, natural meats. This is one of the few ice-cream makers, Rain or Shine attracts less stores in Vancouver with calf’s liver and veal buzz than some others, but its Kits location crafts kidneys. You’ll also find a good selection of Hills some of the best scoops in town. The selection is LAR G E MAR K ET S Foods game meat and roasted free-range chickon the small side—10 permanent flavours plus ens. Stong’s delivers six days a week throughout several seasonal offerings—but there’s nary a dud DOWNTOWN the Lower Mainland. among the all-natural, locally sourced creations (London Fog is tea-based revelation). On Tues- T & T Supermarket days you can get one of their famous ice-cream Various locations. Tnt-supermarket.com For all Whole Foods Market tacos (just shape a waffle cone like so and you things Asian, T&T is at the top of the heap. Check Various locations. Wholefoodsmarket.com A Euget the idea), which is an awesome mess to eat. out the deli for sushi and hot Asian take-home, ropean market writ large and fast-forwarded (Second location: 3382 Cambie St., South Cam- peruse the produce section for exotic interna- into the future, Whole Foods ticks all the boxes, bie, 604-876-9986) tional imports, and don’t forget to stock up on with great selection in all specialty departments. staples: rice, noodles, and the freshest geoduck, Outstanding are the meats, bakery, and prepared crab, and seafood chosen live from the tank. foods—a massive ready-to-eat smorgasbord. It’s Qoola a heavenly shopping experience, but it’s virtuVarious locations. Qoola.com This slick yogurt ally impossible to leave without spending over chain is no folksy DQ; the modern space could Urban Fare pass for an Ikea vignette. The yogurt is clean Various locations. Urbanfare.com Rotisserie $100—stick to the very well-made 365 Everyand fresh, though there are only three core fla- chicken and evening carvery specials fly out the day Value products for a price break. vours—green tea, vanilla, and chocolate—and door to nearby condos, but many eat in the atone seasonal one, with an array of toppings like tractive café and enjoy a glass of wine. They fly EAST SIDE almonds, hemp seeds, and matcha powder. in produce such as papayas direct from Hawaii, but Urban Fare also works the local-ingredient Bosa Foods card.

1465 Kootenay St., East Side, 604-253-5578; EAST SIDE 562 Victoria Dr., 604-216-2659. Bosafoods.com WEST SIDE There’s the locally loved Victoria Drive store, Earnest Ice Cream and then there’s the massive warehouse smack 3992 Fraser St., South Main, 604-428-0697. Choices Market Earnesticecream.com Does any spot sum up Various locations. Choicesmarket.com Organic in the middle of an industrial park, which is

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worth the drive. Local products are well-represented (Terra Breads, Zara’s Pasta, Mario’s Gelati), as are well-priced bulk items (everything from one-kilo bags of Piselli biscotti to walnuts to Sperlari candies). The deli counter is a buffet of imported meats, cheeses, olives, and antipasti. But the best deals are found at the lunch counter.

Lemonade Gluten Free Bakery

3385 Cambie St., South Cambie, 604-873-9993.

Lemonadebakery.ca Tracy Kadonoff developed a gluten intolerance after nearly 20 years of working with gluten-based flours. So she parlayed her award-winning pastry skills into creating gluten-free goods that are virtually indiscernible from their gluten-full counterparts. Props for the egg-free peach-blackberry crostata, dairy-free chocolate campfire cupEast-West Market 4169 Main St., South Main, 604-873-8313. This cakes with toasted Italian meringue, and aptly named grocery stocks Asian pantry sta- salted-caramel pecan tart. The texture of Kaples—and basic curries and marinades for the donoff’s breads and baguettes is superb—as uninitiated—and quality brands of western any gluten-avoider will attest, well-made GF foods like Bob’s Red Mill cereals. Fresh local hot dog and hamburger buns are a real treat. produce is well priced.

Panne Rizo Gluten Free Bakery Famous Foods

Pro Organics

4535 Still Creek Ave., Burnaby, 604-253-6549.

Proorganics.com This warehouse on the Vancouver/Burnaby border is an organic food distributor that opens its doors to the public on Saturdays. Get there early for the best selection of produce, grains, and frozen meat, as well as freshly baked goodies from North Vancouver’s Artisan Bake Shoppe and the full range of Avalon dairy products. It’s been an institution since 1990, and the quality and freshness make it not far off from an indoor farmers market. Saturdays 8am-2pm.

1939 Cornwall Ave., Kitsilano, 604-736-0885; 4544 W. Tenth Ave., Point Grey, 604-222-2244.

Pannerizo.com Travellers from afar plan entire vacations around Panne Rizo, a mecca for those with wheat allergies and celiac disease. It not only gives them a wheat-free, gluten-free, worry-free spot to refuel; it offers foods like tollhouse cookies, turkey panini sandwiches, cinnamon-filled pastry rolls, savoury soups, and coconut cherry dream squares. Plenty of dairy-free options are available, too.

G R E AT E R V A N C O U V E R

Cloud 9 Specialty Bakery

1025 Royal Ave., New Westminster, 604-2495010.

Cloud9specialtybakery.com Tucked away behind a strip mall and sandwiched between auto-repair shops, this little spot serves gluttonous gluten-free goodies worth seeking out. Arrive early, as locals clean out the fresh-baked muffins and scones by midday.

While the counter service is a fairly recent addition, baker Ray Porcellato has been at it for years, and now supplies multiple Lower Mainland locations with his baked goods and ready-to-make mixes. The pumpkin cheesecake bars, carrot cake cupcakes slathered in cream-cheese icing, and warm-out-of-theoven peanut butter cookies are highlights.

PR EPAR ED F OODS DOWNTOWN

Licious Living

EAST SIDE

The Gluten Free Epicurean

633 E. 15th Ave., South Main, 604-876-4114.

Glutenfreeepicurean.ca Delainy Mackie is a godsend for the gluten intolerant, offering sweet and savoury treats that also include vegan, refined-sugar-free, and dairy-free creations.

Lunchtime faves: perogy lasagna and a rotating roster of pizzas and panini. Ice-cream sandwiches are a killer summertime indulgence, while maple-bacon apple fritters, s’mores bars, and salted-chocolate-chip cookies tempt your sweet NORTH SHORE tooth year-round. Frozen waffles and take-andbake cinnamon buns make at-home gluten-free Queensdale Market 3030 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouver, 604-987- brunches a breeze, and Mackie’s artisanal crack6644. Queensdalemarket.ca This gem is packed ers round out any cheese and charcuterie plate. to the rafters with high-quality, all-natural, local produce, meats, groceries, dairy, deli, and Quejos bakery items—delivery available, free for se- 4129 Main St., South Main, 604-420-0832. niors (with a minimum order of $25).

Quejos.com Something for every food intolerance here: the Brazilian-style buns (they look and taste more like firm biscuits) are glutenand yeast-free, leaving ample room for garnishes and spices. There are seven cheese quejos H E A LTH F O ODS & flavours in all, and dairy-free and soy options, SPE CI A L D IETS too. In the freezer, find oven-ready dough, and other baked goods, like the ultra-wholesome WEST SIDE dairy-free banana muffins with hemp and chocolate chips.

Edible Flours 2280 W. Broadway, Kitsilano, 604-734-8351.

Edibleflours.ca Paul Briggs opened this vegan NORTH SHORE bakery in the spring of 2010, providing cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and other treats to clients The Sweet Tooth Cakery grateful to be able to satisfy sweet cravings 2055 Old Dollarton Rd., North Vancouver, 604without eggs, processed sugar, soy, or gluten. 971-5223. Sweettoothcakery.ca Owner Jenny Selection changes regularly; on a recent visit, Breckon has developed and perfected her peanut butter mud pie and s’mores cupcakes recipes for gluten-free wedding cakes, pastries, did credible duty despite many substitutions treats, and breads. In 2009 she opened her (sweeteners include agave and brown rice syr- tiny, 100-percent-gluten-free bakeshop east of up). Nothing here will replace standard bak- the Seymour River. The top sellers? The super ing, but for the circumscribed, Briggs’s offer- moist and chocolatey brownie, and the rotatings are welcome. ing selection of cupcakes, seem too good to be

2016

gluten-free. Perhaps the real find, though, is the sandwiches: the chicken and Brie—layered on a dense, nutty baguette—is divine.

P RE PA RE D F OODS

1595 Kingsway, Kingsway, 604-872-3019.

Famousfoods.ca The place is always slammed, and no wonder: cheap bulk foods are their specialty, and there are serious deals at the meat counter. Complete line of inexpensive Western Family products available, too. They also stock hard-to-source spices at a fraction of the cost of other specialty stores.

F OOD SH O PS

1055 Dunsmuir St. (in the Bentall Centre IV), Downtown, 604-569-1242; 955 Burrard (in the Robert Lee YMCA), Downtown, 604-568-5919.

Liciousliving.com Healthy grab ’n’ go in the heart of downtown. Items list all nutritional info and most come in two sizes. Try the sunshine chicken salad, layered with slices of roast chicken breast, dried cranberries, chickpeas, goat cheese, and loads of vegetables on a bed of spinach.

Pazzo Chow

620 Quebec St., Chinatown, 604-563-1700. Paz zochow.com Small and beautiful, Pazzo Chow serves freshly made meals to go (the menu changes daily) and hard-to-find local and Italian-made specialty foods for the pantry.

In addition to their own Sugo-brand pastas sauces, artisanal products that justify a special trip include Rummo dried pasta, rare and irresistible oils and vinegars, serious espresso, and top-grade carnaroli rice niftily packaged in a little can. Daily takeout specials on a recent visit included risotto with mushrooms, Asiago, and watercress; and whole-wheat penne with collards, chard, and escarole with a garlic-butter sauce and spicy Calabrese. To top it all off, there’s Brown Paper Packages ice cream, which can be taken (with or without an espresso) at one of the two sidewalk tables.

WEST SIDE

Fresh Is Best Salsa & Co.

2908 W. Broadway, Kitsilano, 778-737-2442.

Freshisbest.ca Who’d have thought you could find take-home Mexican-style food from the Okanagan? Fresh really is best for unbeatable flavour and preservative-free products that haven’t been gathering dust on a grocery shelf. Try the tropical fruit salsa, housemade tortilla chips (hands down the best tortilla chips on the market), or the classic salsa, mild to hot.

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Quince

1780 W. Third Ave., South Granville, 604-7314645. Quince.ca This sleek modern kitchen/ storefront/diner hides a wealth of goodies.

Quince Express offers vacuum-packed gourmet delights such as crab ravioli and chipotle-marinated flat-iron steak—if you’re lucky, the steak might appear in one of their daily sandwich specials. The on-site kitchen hosts a cooking school offering intensive classes. And they cater, too.

Stock Up

6019 West Blvd., Kerrisdale, 604-266-4527.

Stock-up.ca Fresh ingredients create familyfriendly take-home dinners like Tuscan meatballs, while fragrant salad dressings and hearty pasta sauces boost weeknight dinners. As the name hints, the stocks and soups are the main star. The menu changes seasonally; fall sees rich clam chowders and bisques. Low-fat and gluten-free items available.

VA N C OU V E R I SL A N D

NORTH SHORE

Savary Island Pie Company

offer a well-chosen selection of local products, like Vij’s curries and Pâtisserie Lebeau waffles.

The excellent selection of cocktail ingredients—bitters, tonics, syrups, et al.—will aid any bartender.

EAST SIDE

The Gourmet Warehouse

Cilantro and Jalapeno Gourmet Mexican Foods

1340 E. Hastings St., East Side, 604-253-3022.

Gourmetwarehouse.ca Caren McSherry’s food emporium carries everything from cookbooks to Le Creuset dishes to specialty condiments (a whole aisle devoted to mustards!). Freezers

131–123 Carrie Cates Ct. (in Lonsdale Quay Market), North Vancouver, 604-986-6344. Cilantroandjalapeno.com Rotating menus feature upscale versions of simple Mexican fare, like fish tacos with cilantro and lime. Great mamasita-

VANCOUVER MAGAZINE

Pars International Food

1801 Lonsdale Ave.., North Vancouver, 604-9883515. Alongside hookahs and magazines in Farsi, you’ll find numerous different kinds of feta, Main Street Honey Shoppe 4125 Main St., South Main, 604-879-6052. a variety of olives, yummy Persian pastries, and Mainstreethoney.com An outpost of Surrey’s Hon- the sweetest baklava this side of Iran. eybee Centre, the Main Street store packs its shelves with all our favourite sweet stuff, straight from the farm: fresh-from-the hive honeycomb, a rotating roster of local and exotic honeys (for VANC OUVER ISL AN D the indecisive, there’s a taste-test station at the ready), beeswax candles, all-natural soaps, and BAKERS the like. Drop in to get schooled in the science of apitherapy (that’s health products from the hive, Bodhi’s like pollen, propolis, and royal jelly) or to satisfy Artisan Bakery your sweet tooth with honey-drizzled goodies.

5299 Rutherford Rd., Nanaimo, 250-585-6015.

Vintage levain proofs the sourdough and an on-site mill grinds organic Red Fife, kamut, The Modern Bartender 28 E. Pender St., Gastown, 604-684-1747. and spelt. Pick up a baguette with your mornThemodernbartender.com Owner “Rocket Rod,” a ing pain au chocolat or an upmarket sticky cinself-professed tiki geek, packs the shelves of his namon brioche with toasted nuts, dried fruit, Gastown shop with all the bitters, tinctures, syr- and caramelized apple. The seasonal patio now ups, mixers, tools, glasses, books, and accesso- serves housemade chocolate, vanilla, and strawries our cocktail-crazed city can’t live without. berry ice cream, made from coconut cream.

1533 Marine Dr., West Van, 604-922-4809.

Savaryislandpiecompany.com Buy a slice or the whole thing, savoury or sweet; these old-style pies are worth the slightly higher price. Also serv- Punjab Food Center ing café-style meals (eggs at breakfast are popu- 6635 Main St., South Vancouver, 604-322-5502. lar), delicious sandwiches, and other bakery fare. Punjabfoodcenter.com The grocery stores in the Punjabi Market offer all manner of spices, vegetables, and Indian housewares, such as nonstick griddles to cook chapatis or papadums.

S P ECI A LTY INGR EDIENT S Here you’ll find all the necessary ingredients to make curries, dosas, and idlis from scratch, or take a chance on powdered mixes. Simplest DOWNTOWN of all are papadums—toss them in your toaster oven for a quick and tasty snack.

Konbiniya Japan Centre 1238 Robson St., West End, 604-682-3634.

Konbiniya.com Find shiso-pickled umeboshi, South China Seas chilled kimchi, red-bean-stuffed mochi, and Various locations. Southchinaseas.ca Less a store buckwheat noodles at this jam-packed Japa- than a curated culinary experience (visit and nese market. Soy sauces galore and a whole aisle you’ll see what we mean), South China Seas is dedicated to crispy Pocky sticks in exotic and a destination for foodies seeking hard-to-source wonderful flavours. It’s a little slice of Japan in ingredients for African, Asian, Caribbean, and the busy West End. Middle Eastern dishes. You’ll also find reasonably priced ground spices (don’t miss the “wall of fire,” full of various hot sauces) and rare proWEST SIDE duce like lobster mushrooms, wild chanterelles, and Thai eggplant. A wall of cookbooks offers Edible Canada 1595 Johnston St., Granville Island, 604-682- guidance, as does the knowledgeable staff.

6675. Ediblecanada.com Edible B.C. finally outgrew its Public Market booth; at this NORTH SHORE 3,500-square-foot retail space and bistro, you’ll find gourmet salmon rubs next to fair- The British Butcher Shoppe trade Canadiana Organic Chocolate Bars and Various locations. Thebritishbutchershoppe.com gourmet vinegars from the Okanagan Vinegar Ex-pats flock here for sausages in over 15 styles Brewery. For dinner or a gift, the selection is and flavours, from moderately spicy Armenian impressive. Sit down in the airy dining area and with lamb and herbs to turkey-cranberry Sicilsnack on signature duck-fat French fries with ian. Naturally, they’ve got classic British bangers. bacon jam, or refresh yourself with their im- Also popular are the half-dozen varieties of ham, pressive selection of boutique B.C. wines. black pudding, white pudding, meat pies, and specialty English cheeses, teas, and crisps.

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style tortillas to go and plenty of other takehome goodies, too.

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Fol Epi

101–398 Harbour Rd., Victoria, 250-477-8882.

Folepi.ca The wheat silo and hand-built wheat grinder are in place, and the au natural décor of salvaged fir, brick, and rock is a fitting tribute to the earthy delights on the rise. Boule, baguettes, whole wheat, and rye are the daily wood-fired breads, while all-butter croissants, organic pain au chocolat and fruit Danish, and more-ish schneckens—a swirl of pastry with raisins and a slathering of cinnamon-sugar—give reason to wake up in the morning. Second reason: local coffee roaster Café Fantastico next door.

Fry’s Red Wheat Bread

416 Craigflower Rd., Victoria, 250-590-5727.

Frysbakery.com Named after his great-great grandfather’s 1920s bakery (once located across the street), Byron Fry continues the family trade. Almond croissants, seasonal fruit Danish, German pretzels, and massive sausage rolls make us rise and shine, with wood-fired breads using sourdough fermentation leaning toward German-style ryes with flax, caraway, or cinnamon and raisin. The 100-percent rye—a dense, strongly-flavoured loaf, only available twice a week—can keep for weeks, only improving with age, and is sought out by aficionados up and down the Island.

Origin Gluten-Free Bakery

1525 Pandora Ave., Victoria, 250-590-4149; 1101790 Island Hwy., Victoria, 250-590-8948. Originbakery.com Through tinkering with alternative flours, Tara Black and Marion Neuhauser address gluten-free diets and corn, soy, nut, and egg allergies with flavourful breads and pastries—a welcome change from the usual gummy offerings in the marketplace. The best-selling vega loaf—also dairy- and egg-free—holds together for sandwiches and croutons, and the sesame-flecked burger buns are the GF option served in the city’s best restaurants. For dessert, give the chocolateginger chews or the apple-almond tarts a whirl.

VANCOUVER ISLAND

True Grain Bread

1725 Cowichan Bay Rd., 250-746-7664.

Truegrain.ca Bruce and Leslie Stewart and resident dough guru Jörg Gössl create more than 20 breads to choose from every day. Find stoneground, naturally leavened, full-on organic breads, pastries, and croissants. Customers love kamut pumpkin seed loaves and salt-sprinkled German-style pretzels. Don’t miss the soft, sweet French rolls bursting with organic chocolate chunks. And they use Red Fife Wheat flour for baked goodies.

Thelittlecheeseshop.ca Owner Lauren Van Der Haegen maintains a small but quality cheese selection, from Hilary Abbott’s famed cheese curds to East Coast clothbound cheddars to handpicked French and Swiss varieties. Daily grilled cheese sandwiches and salads address the lunch crowds, and the preserves, honey, and cracker selections emphasize Island artisans.

Saltspring Island Cheese

F OOD SH O PS

Choux Choux Charcuterie

830 Fort St., Victoria, 250-382-7572. Choux chouxcharc.com The capital’s first charcuterie dazzles our palates with its creative selection of pâtés, terrines, fresh sausages, and cured meats. Pistachio-studded pâté maison vies for attention beside rabbit provençal crepinettes, hazelnut pepperettes, blood sausage, and cotechino. Pop in for the daily plat du jour (such as braised pork cheeks over creamy polenta) or pick up a tourtière, a cassoulet, or a baguette with duck confit for the dinner hour. The French-focused cheese selection includes a few B.C. and Italian picks, and the shelves hold bottled-up pleasures that pair perfectly with the various for cheese and meats.

Slaters’ Meats

Muffet & Louisa

2577 Cadboro Bay Rd., Victoria, 250-592-0823.

Slatersmeats.com Look for elk, deer, and bison, as well as more than 20 varieties of handmade nitrite-free sausages. A wide variety of imported cheeses, high-end sauces and condiments, and farm-fresh eggs, too.

2506 Beacon Ave., Sidney, 250-656-0011.

Muffetandlouisa.com From Le Creuset, All Clad, Kuhn Rikon, Oxo, Swiss Diamond, and Cuisipro to Global and Wustof, this store has all the right stuff to have you cooking like a pro. Set the table with Revelle table linens and Bopla dishes. Great service, and their slick website offers prompt delivery worldwide.

WildFire Organic Bakery

1517 Quadra St., Victoria, 250-381-3473.

Wildfirebakery.ca Artisanal is serious business here. Organic levain breads and pastries are baked in wood-fired ovens. Varieties include apricot-anise, spelt, raisin-walnut, and sprouted wheat breads.And for a sweet treat, try their vegan chocolate cake—a decadent treat that deserves its best-seller status.

BUTCHERS

Cowichan Valley Meat Market

Village Butcher

2032 Oak Bay Ave., Victoria, 250-598-1115.

Villagebutcher.ca Owner Rebecca Teskey and her savvy staff keep meat lovers satisfied with this full-service butchery. Choose from dryaged prime rib and porterhouse, brined pork chops, marinated chicken, and sausage-andherb-stuffed pork loin. Find close to 15 kinds of sausages (made from just meat, fat, and spices), and housemade Melton Mowbray-style pies, duck and chicken eggs, a few cheeses and various condiments. Island lamb, rabbit, and pork are also in store.

VA E NGORY C OU V ENRA M I SL C AT EA HN ED RE

5191 Koksilah Frontage Rd., Duncan, 250-7468732. Cowichanvalleymeatmarket.com Owned by generations of the Quist family. Find grain-fed beef, pork, lamb, veal, and turkey raised on the family’s nearby farm. This meat mecca provides every conceivable cut and cure, including trotters and necks, rabbit, and whole barbecued pigs.

285 Reynolds Rd., Salt Spring Island, 250-6532300. Saltspringcheese.com The resident dog and the Tuscan-inspired patio instantly welcome visitors to David Wood’s cheese-tasting room, open all year round. Watch the cheesemakers at work from the glassed-in area while you sample cheese and picnic-friendly accompaniments like olives, jams, Salt Spring chocolates, and gourmet crackers. Perfect for day-trippers to enjoy on the patio, Ottavio Italian in the park, or on the way to the nearby wineries. Bakery & Delicatessen 2272 Oak Bay Ave., Victoria, 250-592-4080.

Ottaviovictoria.com Find more than a dozen COOKWARE varieties of olive oil, pastas, sea salts, fine preserves, and artisan paella rice along with demiCook Culture 1317 Blanshard, Victoria, 250-590-8161. glace and pizza dough. Unpasteurized and orCookculture.com Jed Grieve offers the finest ganic cheeses are a specialty. Oyama and Italian chef’s tools, cookware and gadgetry, from Le cured meats round out the selection with OtCreuset and Cuisipro to Shun knives and five- tavio’s own cured sgambato ham inciting preply stainless Mauviel M’cook pots in a sleek order frenzy. Light lunches, house-made gelato, store in the sleek Atrium building (also home pastries, and Illy coffee are offered café-side. to Pig BBQ Joint, New Habit and Zambri’s).

Inspired cooking classes and roundtables by FISHMONGERS chefs, bakers, farmers, and food activists.

Fanny Bay Oyster Seafood Shop

The Tuscan Kitchen

653 View St., Victoria, 250-386-8191. Thet uscankitchen.com A pint-sized store full of high-end kitchen- and tableware with an Italian flavour. Find gorgeous table linens and hand-painted Majolica dinnerware from Italian artisans Vietri, and colourful Bugatti flatware. Knives from Japan (Shun) and Germany (Messermeister) provide the right edge, while pro cookware and utensils round out the selection. Dean & DeLuca herbs and spices, Rao’s pasta sauces, and small-production olive oils and balsamic vinegars are the finishing touch The Whole Beast Salumeria 2032 Oak Bay Ave., Victoria, 250-590-7675. to help achieve la dolce vita.

Thewholebeast.ca Find an adventurous selection of cured meats from salumi, pancetta, and D E L I C AT E S S E N S pork and cheek terrines, to guanciale, waterbuffalo pepperoni and Eastern European kis- Charelli's Cheese kas. This place is a carnivore’s dream. Pick up Shop & Delicatessen rillettes for a party, duck or rabbit confit for a 2851 Foul Bay Rd., Victoria, 250-598-4794. quick dinner fix, and keep shopping from an Charellis.com The selection of 300-plus cheesambitious array of pickled vegetables and con- es continues the Charelli’s trend of global-wise diments. The selection changes seasonally. and artisanal, with quick turnover guaranteeing freshness. Packaged goodies run the gamut from artisanal pastas and potato chips, exotic CHEESEMONGERS olive and nut oils, cured meats, Spanish and Italian rice varietals, and the daily bread from The Little Cheese Shop 1034 Fort St., Victoria, 250-388-5810. local champ Fry’s Bakery.

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7480 Island Hwy., Buckley Bay (Exit 101 on the freeway by the Denman Ferry Landing), Comox, 250-335-1198. Fannybayoysters.com Shucking and serving bivalves since 1994, Fanny Bay is also part-fishmonger, part-deli. Start with fresh in-season fish, then work your way over to the local shrimp and housemade sushi, sandwiches, and chowders. For those with an eye on Aphrodite, it’s locally harvested oysters— ready-shucked or live.

Finest at Sea

27 Erie St., Victoria, 250-383-7760.

Finestatsea.com A boutique-sized fish shop— the original location that spawned two Vancouver outlets—offers Ocean Wise seasonal fish and shellfish from their fleet of fishing boats. Stop in for fresh sea gem oysters, clams, crab, Salt Spring Island mussels, and spot prawns, along with their own line of canned salmon and tuna, ready-made crab cakes, and fish stock. Check out the state-of-the-art custom processing and smoking facility (open to anglers big or small) to prep your catch.

GREENGROCERS

Fisgard Market

550 Fisgard St., Victoria, 250-383-6969. Guaranteed fresh produce at rock-bottom prices, displayed and delivered on the street yearround. A mid-morning scrum ensues during deliveries, as dedicated and in-the-know locals and celebrated chefs seek the best of the crop.

Look inside for the likes of fresh mint and shiitake mushrooms among the farmers market standards like heirloom tomatoes.

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Drinking

It just keeps getting better! From amazing rooms to endlessly creative bartenders to the continuing boom of new craft breweries and distilleries, there’s never been a better time to be thirsty—whether you’re going out or staying in The Shameful Tiki Room // pg.108

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Vanmag.com/ Restaurants

check out updated listings and new reviews

Nightlife Granville Room

C OC KTA I L L OU N GE S

957 Granville St., Downtown, 604-633-0056.

Donnellygroup.ca The Donnelly Group’s flagCO CKTA I L LOUNGES ship cocktail tavern has been around since 2002. Go for cask beer in a neighbourhood The Cascade Room 2616 Main St., South Main, 604-709-8650. The known for cheap lager Crowd Smartly dressed cascade.ca This Main Street favourite gets plenty folk who want to be in the action without rubboisterous on weekends. Its gastropub-style cui- bing shoulders with hooligans Drink to try One sine is good (as a bar snack, the polenta fries with of two absinthe experiences, prepared with tracurry aioli are hard to beat), but you’ll want to ditional methods Hours 5 pm-3 am. focus on cocktails by award-winning owner Nick Devine. For simpler times, opt for a Main Street Pourhouse Pilsner, made down the street Crowd Hordes of 162 Water St., Gastown, 604-568-7022. Pour Main Street locals, huddled in sleek black booths, housevancouver.com A destination that honours and neighbourhood restaurateurs eager to make the past with intricately crafted cocktails and a last call at the bar Drink to try The Vesper, a sub- 22-seat custom bar, fashioned from 120-yeartle martini mixing vodka and Lillet Hours 5 pm- old Douglas fir and lit by Edison bulbs from anmidnight Sun; 5 pm-1 am Mon-Thurs; 5 pm-2 tique chandeliers. The emphasis is on simple, am Fri-Sat. strong, and satisfying (and that goes for the food, too) Crowd Whiskey aficionados and cocktail lovers Drink to try the no-messing-around Clough Club 212 Abbott St., Gastown, 604-558-1581. Donnel Morning Glory, with rye, cognac, curacao, ablygroup.ca Get some authentic South American sinthe, and bitters Hours 11:30 am-midnight tapas while meandering through a wine list that Mon-Wed; 11:30 am-1 am Thurs; 11:30 amspends plenty of time in Chile Crowd In-the- 2 am Fri; 5 pm-2 am Sat; 5 pm-midnight Sun. know locals Drink to try Cooper Union, with Jameson Irish whiskey, elderflower liqueur, and Prohibition orange bitters Hours 5 pm-1 am Sun-Thurs; 5 801 W. Georgia St., Downtown, 604-673-7088. pm-2 am Fri-Sat. Prohibitionrhg.com ANo expense was spared in the restoration of the Rosewood Hotel Georgia’s storied, long-shuttered Chameleon bar. Every The Diamond 6 Powell St., Gastown, 604-568-8272. Di6mond. inch of the 3,000-square-foot space has been com Overlooking Maple Tree Square, The Dia- richly appointed: plush banquettes, a bejewmond is ground zero for the polished cocktail eled chandelier, and a 12-metre black granite set. Asian-inspired snacks are paired with drinks bar from which strong, serious cocktails are divided into categories like “proper,” “delicate,” dispensed Crowd Weekends see a moneyed and and “boozy,” with original concoctions and Pro- beautiful crowd vying for attention; off-peak hibition-era standards Crowd Happy, loud locals hours provide a wonderfully secluded escape in expensive jeans Drink to try The Bicicletta from the city’s bustle Drink to try The bour#2, bursting with grapefruit, gerwurztraminer, bon-based Port Authority with tawny port and and Campari Hours 5:30 pm-1 am Mon-Thurs; house-made chocolate liqueur Hours 5pm-1am (until 2am Fri-Sat).

5:30 pm-2 am Fri-Sat; 5:30 pm-midnight Sun.

fultikiroom.com Relive the heyday of the mai tai and embrace South Pacific chic at this throwback from the owner of The Modern Bartender retail shop. Though it’s dimly lit, you’ll be able to make out an impressive rum selection behind the bar Crowd A mixture of Main Street regulars and tiki enthusiasts Drink to try The Mystery Bowl, a secret recipe served in a giant clamshell to much fanfare Hours 5 pm-late Uva Wine & Cocktail Bar

900 Seymour St., Downtown, 604-632-9560.

Uvavancouver.com A 1908 terrazzo floor adds historical whimsy to the bronze lighting, bold wallpaper, and clean lines that give Uva a distinctly modern feel. The “old meets new” theme carries over to the menu, with inventive cocktails and a smart wine list complemented by artisanal cheeses and charcuterie, and Italian bar snacks Crowd A cultured lot gearing up for a night at the ballet Drink to try Selections change often; take a chance with confidence Hours 11:30am-2am.

B AR S & PUB S Alibi Room

157 Alexander St., Gastown, 604-623-3383. Alibi. ca Beer geeks, edgy designers, and hip restaurateurs gather in this industrial-cool, high-ceilinged room for impassioned conversation over the city’s best selection of microbrews. Unsure what to try? Trust your bartender. And watch for the freight trains gliding silently past the windows, close enough to touch Crowd Young upscale Vancouverites and a handful of curious tourists Go for Around 50 beers on tap, expertly paired with locally sourced meat and fish Hours 5 pm-11:30 pm Mon-Thurs; 5 pm-12:30 am Fri; 10 am-12:30 am Sat; 10 am-11:30 pm Sun. Bayside Lounge

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The Emerald

The Refinery

555 Gore Ave., Chinatown, 604-559-8477. Emer aldsupperclub.com This eatery tries its damnedest to channel the ’60s as soon as you glide past its innocuous wood-panelled door. There are glass tops on the tables that look naked without an ashtray, a black bear skin and a stuffed marlin lifted from somebody’s rec room, and Louis Prima blaring from the speakers. But once it comes time to sit down, the pretense fades.

There are 16 craft beers on tap, the cocktail list is even longer, and what the short wine list lacks in variety it makes up for in value. Crowd People for whom Mad Men became an instruction manual for life Drink to try Respect the room’s retro theme and go for a classic Old-Fashioned Hours 2 pm-midnight Tues-Sat.

1115 Granville St., Downtown, 604-687-8001.

Therefineryvancouver.com A mature patronage, a locally inspired menu, and an extensive list of craft beers, cocktails, and wines make for a welcome respite from the usual Granville scene.

Mix and match a custom charcuterie plate, try a cocktail made with fresh ingredients, and enjoy the fact that you can actually hear your own conversation in this lively but laid-back room Crowd Those looking for civilized salvation in the midst of chaos Drink to try Whippersnapper: bourbon, Angostura and tobacco bitters, brandied apple syrup, orange twist Hours 5 pm-1 am Wed-Sun

1755 Davie St., West End, 604-682-1831 Locals have long known this watering hole inside a Best Western (that’s right)—with its plush atmosphere and circular bar—is actually true date material. Past the entrance, you’ll find wall-to-wall windows overlooking a broad expanse of English Bay—a perfect sunset-and-cocktail scenario. And the staff are swell. Regulars are loath to speak its praises too loudly, lest the thirsty hordes discover this hidden gem Crowd Long-time West End residents give way to a noisier vibe after midnight Go for Martinis and a million-dollar view without the premium price tag Hours Noon2 am Sun-Thurs; noon-3 am Fri-Sat.

The Shameful Tiki Room

The Belmont Bar

VANCOUVER MAGAZINE

4362 Main St., South Main, 604-999-5684 Shame 1006 Granville St., Downtown, 604-605-4340.

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hat—making it the only down-home dance spot within city limits Crowd Rhinestone cowboys Go for The mechanical bull (that’s not the name of a drink; they actually have one) Hours Noon2 am Sun-Thurs; noon-3 am Fri-Sat. Cedar Cottage Neighbourhood Pub

Darby’s

2001 Macdonald St., Kitsilano, 604-731-0617.

Darbyspub.ca This no-frills bar has won a loyal set of regulars by pairing cold craft beers with predictable yet satisfying pub standards, including nine takes on the traditional burger. Live entertainment most nights includes karaoke, open mic, and standup Crowd Loudmouth (and lovable) Canucks fans and grad students out on the cheap Go for Thursday night trivia, and an expansive rooftop deck Hours 11 am-1 am Mon-Thurs; 11 am-2 am Fri; 10 am-2 am Sat; 10 am-1 am Sun.

3728 Clark Dr., East Side, 604-876-1411 A room as unpretentious as its name. This quaint local stakes its reputation on solid pub meals (and a cheap weekend breakfast buffet) in a casual setting of darts, pool, and Canucks games on pay-per-view. Sundays attract NFL know-italls Crowd Salt-of-the-earth sports fans Go for Bitter Tasting Room 16 W. Hastings St., Gastown, 604-558-4658. Bit Friendly service and plenty of room for large Devil’s Elbow Ale & Smokehouse tertastingroom.com This heritage space has be- groups on game night Hours 11 am-midnight 562 Beatty St., Crosstown, 604-559-0611. Dev come a serious source for craft beer. Put yourself Sun-Thurs; 11 am-1 am Fri-Sat. ilselbowalehouse.com The concept of a breweryin the staff’s hands and order a thoughtful tastowned pub (as opposed to a “brewpub”) is new ing flight to sample brews from around the world The Charles Bar to the Lower Mainland, but if every bar owner that you’ve never heard of but won’t forget (and 136 W. Cordova St., Gastown, 604-568-8040. The was as magnanimous as Squamish Howe Sound be sure to order one of the addictive Scotch eggs charlesbar.ca It’s young and already established, Brewing is with Devil’s Elbow, we say the more or a charcuterie board as a snack) Crowd Beer thanks to this pub’s position within the iconic the merrier! Devil’s Elbow not only features its geeks and 20-somethings on first dates Go for Woodwards building in the heart of Gastown. It’s top-of-the-heap line of craft beers (the You’re The opportunity to learn how to pair beer with lined with cozy low booths (many with private My Boy Blue wheat ale is the most fun to order); food—waitstaff know their stuff Hours 5 pm- TVs) and intricate wood details. Throw caution it always keeps an open tap or two for its friends/ late Tues-Sat. to the wind and sample some of the decadent pub competitors, too. The food is gastropub-driven fare before dancing the calories away Crowd Media with an emphasis on pub—this is not a salad types arguing on the patio and jocks dancing with place, friends. Go for anything that says “hash” The Bourbon 50 W. Cordova St., Gastown, 604-684-4214. The Woodwards condo owners Go for NFL football or “smoked” and you’ll be fine. bourboncountry.com The only thing more ironic and cheap caesars on Sundays Hours 11:30 amthan a dive bar is a country bar. This former hip- midnight Sun-Mon; 11:30 am-1 am Tues-Thurs; Donnelly Pub Group ster hangout has donned spurs and a cowboy 11:30am-3am Fri-Sat. Eighteen locations around the city. Donnellygroup. ca After coining the phrase “modern pub culture” with Library Square and Lamplighter, this Uva Wine & Cocktail Bar // pg.108 powerhouse group is opening joints all over town. This isn’t a bad thing. Pub food gets considerably lifted by menus that focus on seasonal and healthier fare, while an inventive bar program gives the drinks lists the teeth to compete in Vancouver’s saturated cocktail market (especially with their design-forward cocktail rooms) Crowd Mixed, with a nubile waitstaff Hours Vary.

The Academic 1619 W. Broadway, South Granville, 604-733-4141 A welcome addition to a densely populated neighbourhood with some aggressive pricing: $2 beer Tuesdays, for starters.

Go for A downtown vibe without having to cross a bridge The Bimini 2010 W. Fourth Ave., Kitsilano, 604-733-7116 Decked in reclaimed wood and classic tile. Go for The new games room with jukebox, Foosball, etc. The Butcher & Bullock 911 W. Pender St., Coal Harbour, 604662-8866 The closest to a real English-style pub that Donnelly has yet achieved. Head down for Wing Wednesdays—score $5 wings all day. Go for The games area featuring a pool table, video games, and fully loaded jukebox Cinema 901 Granville St., Downtown, 604-694-0202 This one mops up spillover on the Granville strip Go for A breather from the club with great people-watching The Lamplighter Public House 92 Water St., Gastown, 604-687-4424 Established in 1925, the Lamplighter flaunts its history with exposed brick walls and a tin ceiling, but with a slick Donnelly Group makeover. Be prepared for fratty bartenders working amidst painted black wood Go for $4.25 sleeves of beer ($3 on Tuesdays) Library Square Public House 300 W. Georgia St., Downtown, 604-633-9644 A sports bar-cumnightclub featuring headliner games on a dozen TVs and weekend DJ-driven retro dance parties Go for Killer daily specials and half-time rounds

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Belmontbar.com The previous incarnation of this subterranean room, the Cellar, was a magnet for the worst of the Granville Strip’s weekend warriors. A thorough makeover has resulted in an elegant faux speakeasy—craft cocktails, local beer and wine, an affordable but respectable dinner menu—that attracts a better class of patron Crowd The sort of partygoers who come to Granville to leave at the end of the night in a taxi, not an ambulance Drink to try Explore the wellpriced whisky and draft-beer lists Hours 5pm2am (until 3am Fri-Sat).

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of pinball, pool, and Foosball Metropole 320 Abbott St., Gastown, 604-408-5822 Despite the classy Donnelly renos, the Met is still a bit rough around the edges. A holdover from days gone by, weekly karaoke attracts a dash of local colour Go for Nightly $8.75 “can of beer ’n’ shot” specials The New Oxford 1144 Homer St., Yaletown, 604-609-0901 Has a polished rec-room vibe and gives a nod to British sporting culture Go for The opportunity to try food items and cocktails not yet available under the rest of the Donnelly umbrella (this space is the company’s tasting bar) Tavern at the New Oxford 1141 Hamilton St., Yaletown, 604-669-4848 This rec room for the New Oxford is located directly downstairs.

Locally sourced pub food gets dished alongside cocktails and Yaletown gossip Go for The rotating list of craft beers The Three Brits Public House 1780 Davie St., West End, 604-801-6681 This beachside take on a cozy local is decked in black wood and leather. Service is sometimes a touch Valley Girl, but always good-humoured Go for Unobstructed sunset views BA RS & P U BS

The Fat Badger

1616 Alberni St., West End, 604-336-5577. Fatbad ger.ca Expat British chef Neil Taylor gives us a taste of his homeland. The West End house that hosted Le Gavroche for decades has been reincarnated as a bustling gastropub, with a menu that encapsulates the creativity at play in modern British food.

Crowd Brits will smile at the whimsy of offering

a chip butty (to the uninitiated: a buttered whitebread sandwich filled with fat fries), as well as a winning riff on poutine that incorporates Britain’s favourite dish, chicken tikka masala, with paneer.

Everyone else will feel right at home, too Go for New items are introduced daily, encouraging repeat visits Hours 5-11 pm.

London Pub

700 Main St., Chinatown, 604-563-5053. Jennings culture.com A welcome addition to this pubstarved neighbourhood, the high-ceilinged, wood-heavy London Pub supplies all the usual perks (cheap beer, pinball, pool tables, darts) in a restored heritage building that, in 1903, held a pub of the same name. Weekends see DJs and dancing; weeknights range from skate video The Five Point 3124 Main St., South Main, 604-876-5810. The premieres to an after-work hockey set Crowd fivepoint.com Everything a neighbourhood wa- Big packs of 20-somethings, with plenty of lone tering hole should be: lively, collegial, the kind of wolves at the bar Go for Sports. Ten big screens place where everybody knows your name. Plenty show hockey, NFL, rugby, soccer, UFC, basof screens to watch the game Crowd A motley ketball, even baseball if you ask nicely Hours crew of jocks, artists, and old-timers, all eager 11 am-1 am Sun-Thurs; 11 am-2 am Fri-Sat. to chat. South Main’s best people-watching patio Hours 11:30 am-1 am Mon-Thurs; 11:30 am-2 Mill Marine Bistro am Fri; 11 am-2 am Sat; 11 am-1 am Sun. 1199 W. Cordova St., Coal Harbour, 604-687-6455.

Millbistro.ca Tucked amongst Coal Harbour’s glittering towers, Mill Marine has one of the city’s Guilt & Co. 1 Alexander St., Gastown, 604-288-1704. Guilt largest patios and some of the best views of the andcompany.com Kitsch is king at Chill Win- North Shore and Stanley Park Crowd Exhausted ston’s underground bar, from fedora-and-sus- tourists who just circled the park, and post-work pender-clad waitstaff to board games and jumbo denizens of nearby office towers Go for Outdoor Jenga players occupying the dim room. Toss in dining in the dead of winter, thanks to the patio’s live music, burlesque, and a $5-a-chunk wheel well-placed heaters Hours 11 am-late. o’ cheese behind the bar for a winning combination Crowd Fashionable Gastown locals and the The Narrow Lounge occasional weekend wannabe Go for The music 1898 Main St., South Main, 778-737-5206. Nar roulette on Saturdays, when random perform- rowlounge.com Ridiculously hard to find from the ers are teamed up for spontaneous tunes Hours street—its only marker is a red light bulb that’s 7 pm-late. illuminated when the bar is open—the graffiticovered stairwell entrance gives most first-timers second thoughts. Once inside, you’ll settle right Tableau Bar Bistro // pg.111 in. This speakeasy room is hopping with goodtime Main Streeters who give the room a private party vibe Crowd Hipsters and other artsy grungy types Go for Inexpensive homemade food and an extensive Scotch and whiskey menu Hours 5 pm1 am Mon-Fri; 5 pm-2 am Sat-Sun. Portland Craft

3835 Main St., South Main, 604-569-2494. Port landcraft.com A convivial hipster haunt that doesn’t feel too hip for those wearing plaid without irony. Sixteen taps and super-cheap eats keep things rolling. Try the hop-fried chicken on a Belgian waffle, smothered in maple syrup and gravy Crowd Video game designers upstairs, after-work gangs down Go for Pints of organic Hopworks IPA, a rich citrus-and-pine classic Hours 5 pm-1 am Sun-Thurs; 5 pm-2 am Fri-Sat.

7 Alexander St., Gastown, 604-559-6333. Theport sidepub.ca “Beer, drinks, music, sports, and all sorts” reads the window—what more could you ask for? The three-level space (inspired by a ship’s innards) serves up 24 craft beers from 48 taps, or Jameson whisky right from a tub. The menu doesn’t embrace the nautical theme, but its outof-place offerings (like dim sum) are decent. Go early—bouncers and cover charges appear just in time for the late-night crowd Crowd Young, trendy things who invest a lot in their drinks and dance at the bar Go for Downstairs hot dog and poutine food stand and tall boys of Stiegl Hours 5 pm-2 am Mon-Thurs, Sun;4 pm-3 am Fri; 5 pm-3 am Sat. Red Truck Brewery & Diner

295 E. First Ave., Olympic Village, 604-682-

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The Portside Pub

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4733. Redtruckbeer.com Here we have a triumph of branding, from the gift-shop entrance, to the sharp red-and-white colour scheme, to the shiny beer trucks in the parking lot. The Vancouver-spawned microbrewery’s beers are easily quaffed, and the food has a likeable immediacy to it. Spiced pork-belly bites are fried to a lovely snap; fried chicken wings are fantastically crisp; and a fried (see a trend here?) chicken schnitzel sandwich, with a mustardy mayo that riffs on hollandaise, is delectable. Beer-battered French toast piled with strawberries and whipped cream has the pull-apart texture of a PNE treat.

A nearby bike path brings a diverse clientele of Main Street hipsters and Kitsilano bros, all drinking in raucous harmony. Service is unfailingly friendly and alert.

opulent chandeliers and elegant furniture. Hotel Vancouver’s posh and petite lobby bar is an ideal night-capper Crowd Travelling sophisticates and clever locals on first dates Go for Topnotch service, attention to detail, and a damn fine nut bowl Hours 11:30 am-midnight Sun-Thurs; 11:30 am1 am Fri-Sat.

an expansive, secret summer paradise. (Watch for subterranean Prohibition come winter) Crowd Sophisticated jet-set Go for The art, the atmosphere. The hotel’s restoration is stunning Hours Vary.

Bacchus Lounge

1154 Gilford St., West End, 604-681-9321. Syl viahotel.com The city’s first cocktail bar is still a swell place for a glass of wine and a viewing of English Bay sunsets from leather seats. The unassuming room is delightfully dated and quieter than any other option in walking distance.

Not a bar that’s ready for cocktail snobs Crowd Couples escaping the louder and more chaotic West End bars Go for Bottled beers and housemade crab cakes Hours 11:30 am-midnight Sun-Thurs; 11:30 am-1 am Fri-Sat.

845 Hornby St., Downtown, 604-689-7777.

Wedgewoodhotel.com It’s the kind of Old World lounge that would reek of cigar smoke if that sort of thing were still legal. Instead, it just smells of money. The Wedgewood’s lounge, decked in cherrywood panelling and heavy burgundy fabrics, recalls a gentler era, as do the tinkling pianist and the manicured waitstaff Crowd Mature power-lunchers and suited folk in the know Go for Post-work drinks, when the lounge roars Six Acres 203 Carrall St., Gastown, 604-488-0110. Sixacres. with bigwigs striking deals over glasses of 12ca Of all Gastown’s after-work spots, Six Acres— year Cragganmore Hours 2:30 pm-11 pm Sunwith its warm lighting, wooden furniture, and Wed; 2:30 pm-midnight Thurs-Sat. brick walls—is the most likely to transition into a full night of tall tales and serious beer. Locals Diva at the Met are sustained by parmesan popcorn and hearty 645 Howe St., Downtown, 604-602-7788. Met salads Crowd Brew aficionados, smart Gastown ropolitan.com/Diva This chic marble-and-glass boutique owners Go for Menus printed on old room dishes smart small plates for the monied books featuring two dozen bottled beers sorted set Crowd Philanthropic socialites and other by type and accompanied by colour, origin, and ladies who lunch Go for The 150-bottle wine flavour notes Hours 5 pm-late Sun-Mon; 11:30 cellar and a cheese plate with plenty of B.C. seam-late Tues-Sat. lections Hours 11:30 am-11:30 pm.

1305 Commercial Dr., Commercial Drive, 604-5669669. Stormcrowtavern.com If you roll up in Gandalf robes, no one will bat an eye. With dark wood tables, medieval-style beams, and steampunk replica weapons adorning the walls, this sports bar for fantasy and sci-fi fans is ideal for Game of Thrones screenings. And if it’s a rerun, there are always the board games. (Lord of the Rings Monopoly, anyone?) There’s a small, good-value array of mains, and a B.C.-focused beer list (East Side Bitter recommended) Crowd The socializing supergeek in all of us Go for Board games and movie Mondays Hours 11 am-1 am Mon-Sat; 11 am-midnight Sun. The Whip

209 E. Sixth Ave., South Main, 604-874-4687.

Thewhiprestaurant.com Socked into a century-old heritage building, The Whip is the perfect comfy local: a shabby-chic interior of dinged tables, dark corners, and shimmering chandeliers that invites rainy night hunkering. Peruse the ever-changing artwork and flirt a little with the tattooed waitstaff as you sip the offering from the weekly Sunday afternoon cask Crowd Artsy kinds with a complicated relationship with the concept of “gentrification” Go for Reasonably priced weekend brunch, infamous poutine, and an expansive beer list Hours 10 am-1 am Mon-Thurs; 10 am-2 am Fri; 9 am-2 am Sat; 9 am-1 am Sun.

HO TE L BA RS 900 West Restaurant + Bar

900 W. Georgia St., Downtown, 604-684-3131.

Fairmont.com/hotelvancouver Locals ought to remember this one. Tourists sip cocktails amongst

Sylvia’s Restaurant & Lounge

Tableau Bar Bistro

1181 Melville St., Coal Harbour, 604-639-8692.

Tableaubarbistro.com Stationed at the base of the boutique Loden hotel, this sleek resto-bar is monitored by gorgeous photographs of Marilyn Monroe and a handsome, attentive staff. With a focus on hearty French fare and approachable, well-crafted cocktails Crowd Chic empty nesters, well-financed tourists, and a healthy crowd of regulars Go for Executive chef Marc-André Choquette’s charming take on bistro classics, like decadent French onion soup and mushrooms on toast Hours 11:30 am-11 pm SunThe Keefer Bar 135 Keefer St., Chinatown, 604-688-1961. The Thurs, 11:30 am-midnight Fri-Sat. keeferbar.com This out-of-the-way mecca for discerning drinkers is managed by the incom- Xi Shi parable Danielle Tatarin, whose advanced cock- 1128 W. Georgia St., Downtown, 604-689-1120. tail program is rightly considered one of the Shangri-la.com At the always-elegant Shangricity’s best. The patio (with fire pit) is perfect La hotel, find a plush and hushed haven from for late-night people-watching. The chic-yet- the bustle of shopping on Alberni Street’s adjaseedy inside always feels like the centre of the cent designer row. Replenish with a well-made action Crowd 30- and 40-somethings handing cocktail and elevated bar snacks Crowd Hollyover platinum cards Go for Rosemary Gimlet, wood types filming in town (and drinking an simplicity itself with Beefeater gin and rose- on-tap local craft brew), businesswomen sipmary lime cordial Hours 5 pm-midnight Mon; ping an effervescent cocktail like the Iron Lotus 5 pm-1 am Tues-Thurs, Sun; 5 pm-2 am Fri-Sat. (with vodka, fresh raspberries, elderflower, ginger, lime, and sparkling wine) Go for Traditional high tea from 11:30 am-5 pm Hours 11 amLobby Lounge and Terrace 1038 Canada Pl., Coal Harbour, 604-695-5300. midnight Sun-Thurs; 11 am-1 am Fri-Sat. Fairmont.com/pacificrim A Fazioli grand takes centre stage in this stunning (and sparkling) Yew Seafood + Bar space in the Fairmont Pacific Rim, which mas- 791 W. Georgia St., Downtown, 604-692-4939. ters sophisticated modernism with cozy touch- Yewseafood.com A tribute to the natural elements es: a dramatic gas fireplace, reclusive mezzanine of coastal B.C., the Four Seasons’ Yew is a sea of seating, and live jazz. The raw bar displays fresh rock, wood, and glass, with a hint of Cape Cod. seafood towers and abundant oysters Crowd The theme carries to the menu, which features Howe Street suits, West Van escapees, contented seafood-centred Pacific Northwest cuisine comtravellers Go for Fab (if pricey) cocktails Hours plemented by a selection of international and lo11 am-1 am Mon-Sat; 11 am-11 pm Sun. cal wines Crowd Business execs with money to burn, groomed tourists Go for Fresh shucked oysters from the raw bar Hours 2:30 pm-midRosewood Hotel Georgia 801 W. Georgia St., Downtown, 604-682-5566. night Sun-Wed; 2:30 pm-1 am Thurs-Sat. Rosewoodhotelgeorgia.com The grandly restored, Forbes five-starred Hotel Georgia is home to three beautiful bars, all paying tribute to the building’s flapper roots, with cocktail lists that romp through W INE B AR S the history of drink. Hawksworth, flanking the same-named restaurant, swells with after-work Bin 941 regulars toting big expectations. The vintage 941 Davie St., West End, 604-683-1246. Bin941. lobby bar, 1927, is a swank place for a round com Coconut milk mussels! Baja tacos! Navaof proper cocktails after that big promotion. And jo fry bread! Bin is a (tight) one-stop shop for the fourth-floor outdoor patio, Reflections, is “ooh” moments; plenty of tasty small plates,

2016

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largely designed to aid in flirty drinking on date night Crowd Mixed—you’ll find anyone and everyone over the age of 25 partaking Wine list Internationally influenced and easy to pair, with crowd-pleasers like Meiomi and Gray Monk Hours 5 pm-1 am Sun-Thurs; 5 pm-2 am FriSat.

Vancouver Urban Winery

55 Dunlevy Ave., Strathcona, 604-566-9463. Van couverurbanwinery.com The addition of Belgard Kitchen to the premises means you can enjoy lunch, brunch or dinner while sampling from the extensive wine list, including in-house label Roaring Twenties Crowd This has fast become a destination spot: expect all types from all corners of the city Wine list More than 30 selections by Brix Restaurant & Wine Bar 1138 Homer St., Yaletown, 604-915-9463. Brix the glass, and four flights Hours 11 am-11 pm vancouver.com For a romantic post-dinner stop- Mon-Fri; 10 am-11 pm Sat-Sun. over, secure a table in the lush courtyard, one of the prettiest outdoor dining areas Crowd Firstdate couples Wine list More than 300 selections, with local favourites and specialty finds Hours LIV E VENUES 5 pm-2 am Mon-Sat. Backstage Lounge Salt Tasting Room

LIVE VENUES

45 Blood Alley, Gastown, 604-633-1912. Salt tastingroom.com This hole-in-the-wall wine and charcuterie bar in Gastown’s Blood Alley serves curated plates of artisan cheeses, meats, and treats at its communal table and in its popular cellar room. Eat before you arrive; portions are manicured Crowd High-rolling Gastown designers and bachelorettes Wine list Changes weekly; staff is keen to guide indecisive guests through a tasting flight ($15 for three two-ounce portions) Hours 4pm-late.

1585 Johnston St., Granville Island, 604-6871354. Thebackstagelounge.com The waterfront patio gets a few good hours of sun, ideal for beer and people-watching. Casual pub fare (stick to nachos and burgers) is delivered by harried servers, making it a standard for pre-theatre meals (the Arts Club’s Granville Island Stage is located in the same building) Crowd Theatregoers and shoppers who gave up on dinner On stage Funk and rock bands, not creating background sound Hours Noon-2 am Mon-Sat; noon-midnight Sun. Guilt & Co. // pg.110

The Biltmore Cabaret

2755 Prince Edward Ave., South Main, 604-6760541. Biltmorecabaret.com The Biltmore is playing out some music-focused glory days. With plush booths, an always-packed dance floor, and sought-after shows, it’s become an institution for live-music lovers Crowd Early-20s party-hoppers double-fisting Pabst Blue Ribbon On stage Pitchfork-approved acts, local indie up-and-comers Hours noon-11 pm Thurs-Sun. Commodore Ballroom

868 Granville St., Downtown, 604-739-4550 An icon since 1929, the Commodore has hosted some of the world’s most popular acts (Katy Perry, Coldplay, U2) before they reached stadiumheadlining status. Now boasting a top-drawer sound system and large, springy dance floor, it’s easily one of Vancouver’s best live-music venues Crowd Indie kids one day, aging punk-rock dads the next On stage Anything from Sloan to Goldfrapp to Sharon Jones Hours Vary.

Electric Owl

926 Main St., Chinatown, 604-558-0928. Electric `owl.ca The two-storey, 8,000-square-foot “social club” encompasses an art gallery, an izakaya, a sake lounge, a live music venue, and more Crowd The hippest of the hip, to match the upand-comers on stage On stage Various indie bands. Industry veteran Dani Vachon (of Sealed With a Kiss, Guilt & Co., and the Olio Festival) launched the space, and the live acts on offer are always smart picks Hours Vary.

The Media Club

695 Cambie St., Downtown, 604-608-2871.

Themediaclub.ca Tucked behind the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, this live-music venue offers cushy booths for cushy conversation and a well-stocked bar. A state-of-the-art sound system delivers the acoustical chops of upand-coming talent Crowd Up to 150 industry types and excited kids On stage Indie artists pulling off their debut record release party and some that are already big, like Dan Mangan and Frank Black Hours Vary.

The Railway Club

579 Dunsmuir St., Downtown, 604-681-1625.

Therailwayclub.com If you aren’t up for singing along with the noisy indie acts playing in the front section, wander to the establishment’s “cabooze” for one of the many microbrews on tap and a meaningful conversation (a poetry reading, perhaps?) at a little wooden table Crowd Earnest fans of local groups, disgruntled media On stage Soon-to-be-famous rock, folk, country, and blues bands Hours 4 pm-2 am Mon-Thurs; noon-3 am Fri; 4 pm-3 am Sat; 6 pm-midnight Sun.

881 Granville St., Downtown, 604-646-0064.

Venuelive.ca Fills the midsize-venue void with live music during the week and alternative DJs on the weekends Crowd Skinny jean- and neonclad kids fit right in with the glam-rock décor On stage Too big for the Biltmore, not yet big enough for the Commodore. Youngblood Sunday is the loudest electro-dance party in town Hours Vary.

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2015 WINE PROGRAM EXCELLENCE AWARDS Sponsored by

These awards pay tribute to restaurateurs who have committed to producing an original and creative wine program. Participating restaurants received careful consideration of their wine program by some of the finest, most professional judges in Western Canada. The 2015 judges were Tom Doughty, DJ Kearney, Iain Philip, Treve Ring, and Terry Threlfall.

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Platinum Blue Water Cafe + Raw Bar – Consistent Excellence Chambar Hawksworth Restaurant

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Honourable Mention Watermark Wine & Tapas Bar, Watermark Beach Resort (Osoyoos)

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Gold Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar – Best New Entry, Vancouver Burdock & Co CinCin – Greatest Gains Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill & Enoteca Gotham Steakhouse & Cocktail Bar Provence Marinaside/The Wine Bar Zest Japanese Cuisine Silver Brix Restaurant & Wine Bar Edible Canada at the Market Homer St. Café & Bar Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House My Shanti Nicli Antica Pizzeria PiDGiN Tableau Bar Bistro West Restaurant Bronze Fable Kitchen Farmer’s Apprentice Restaurant Forage LIFT Bar Grill View Salt Tasting Room YEW seafood + bar Honourable Mention The Fish House in Stanley Park Tap Restaurant Tramonto at River Rock Casino Resort Via Tevere

Honourable Mention AURA Waterfront Restaurant + Patio, Inn at Laurel Point (Victoria) Grand Cru Restaurant and Lounge, Grand Hotel (Nanaimo) The Pacific Restaurant & Terrace, Hotel Grand Pacific (Victoria)

Gold Buffalo Mountain Lodge (Banff) Deer Lodge (Lake Louise) The Lake House (Calgary) Honourable Mention Pampa Brazilian Steakhouse (Edmonton)

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Wine, Beer & Spirits CRAFT BREWERIES continue to take over the city, popping up in industrial sites among the fish plants, the body shops, and the foundries, immediately creating new social hubs. Some of them are joining the handful of small-batch distilleries that are making not just vodka and gin but amaretto,

B.C. Wi n e s General listing W i d e l y a va i l a b le at BC L DB store s (Bc l i q uorstore s .co m) Specialty listing

Kono Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2014 $14 | specialty listing

Sometimes there’s nothing like a glass of green, vibrant sauvignon blanc. This one, from a Maori winery, even comes in a slightly green-tinted bottle. All the grassy grapefruit and gooseberry that we expect from Kiwi winemakers, but with tropical flavours that take it far from the aggressive single note of many savvies. Kono also grows oysters and mussels, which are a perfect pairing for this wine.

WI N E S U N DE R $ 1 5

How To Use This Guide

akvavit, and cassis. And we’re always ready to toast the carefully crafted small-production wines from B.C. as well as some favourite bottles from around the world. The year ahead promises plenty of good drinking.— CHRISTINA BURRIDGE

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5 U ND E R $ 15 Bodegas Olivares Jumilla Rosado 2014 $11 | specialty listing

The first virtue of rosé is to be dry; the second is to be cheap. In France and Spain, rosé is an everyday wine that goes with everyday food—especially anything grilled, including vegetables. This fits the bill. From the high plains of hot, harsh Jumilla—inland from the Mediterranean—it blends monster monastrell (mourvèdre) with elegant syrah. A coral-pink hue, bright strawberry and cherry flavours, and a long, lively finish.

Cave Saint Desirat Syrah Vins de Pays de l’Ardèche 2013 $11 | specialty listing

Tormaresca Puglia Chardonnay 2013 $13 | specialty listing

Suddenly, the wheat and legumes of Central Puglia—basically Saskatchewan on the heel of the Italian boot—give way to the vines of Antinori-owned Tormaresca. This chardonnay, with just a splash of Fiano, blends grapes from these vines with those from its vineyard on the Adriatic coast. The result is crisp, bright, and mineral, with appetizing lemon zest, apricot, and pineapple. Try it with local specialty aqua sale: chopped tomatoes, cucumber, celery, onion, green pepper, cubes of stale bread, lots of olive oil, and mint with burrata.

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Môreson Miss Molly Hoity Toity Chenin Blanc Viognier 2013 $13 | specialty listing

Miss Molly is the much-loved Weimaraner at this charming, family-owned boutique wine farm just outside Franschoek in the Cape region. Packed with rich, ripe fruit—all peach and pineapple—from the chenin blanc with a good splash of oaked viognier, it’s also buttery and yeasty, with just a touch of honeyed sweetness (but still crisp and youthful). Drink with roast chicken that’s been cooked with mustard butter under the skin.

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This estate-bottled syrah from one of the region’s best co-ops comes from the terraced granite hills behind the famous Saint-Joseph appellation on the Northern Rhône. Elegant and refreshing, it’s medium-bodied, scarlet with purple glints, aromatic, spicy, and full of 5 UN D ER $ 25 raspberry, blackberry, and red currant with lots of pepper and anise. Drinking nicely now (al- Argiolas Costamolino though it could also wait a bit), on its own or Vermentino di Sardegna 2014 with braised chicken with black olives. $15 | specialty listing

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Vermentino is the white-wine grape of Sardinia—although, like many of its inhabitants, it’s also migrated a fair bit around the Northern Mediterranean. A lovely aperitif wine, it’s rich and warm, creamy with honey and pineapple, but still lemony and nutty, herbal and briny.

Just right to spark the taste buds. Steam some clams and mussels over onion, garlic, a little saffron, some of the wine, and a splash of tomato sauce.

5 OVER $ 25

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Doña Paula Estate Malbec 2013 $17 | specialty listing

C AT WIEN GORY E S U NNDE A MRE$H2E5RE

A hero of the 19th-century independence movement in Argentina and Chile, Doña Paula has given her name to the Argentine branch of the company that also owns Chile’s Santa Rita and Carmen. Now focused on terroir and smallbatch vinification—especially at higher altitudes in the foothills of the Andes—it makes some brilliant malbecs that rack up high scores for little money. Just char some beef and enjoy this wine’s generous red fruit, strong structure, and long finish.

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Rather like pinot noir, Nebbiolo produces wine that, at its best, is haunting, ethereal, difficult, and always expensive—both in its homeland and even more so when exported. Lecinquevigne is affordable because it’s a five-vineyard blend rather than a single grand cru. But 2010 was a great vintage, and this is a very good example, with typical notes of tar, violets, and roses, but also cherry, orange peel, mushrooms, and tea. Drink now or keep for a decade.

Too many people still insist they don’t like chardonnay, turned off by the butterballs of a decade ago. But most Aussie and California chards no longer taste like that. Look instead for elegance and finesse that owes more than a nod to Burgundy, even in the New World. From the mighty Hess family empire, this one has class, structure, and plenty of flair. Expect apple and pear, a bit of creaminess, and bright grapefruit.

Lovely with everything from salmon fishcakes to butter chicken.

Domaine Christian Moreau Chablis 1er Cru Vaillon 2013 $40 | specialty listing

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This new, tiny Naramata winery is shining brightly in the competitive world of B.C. wine, thanks to committed owners and the skill of New Zealand winemaker Jacq Kemp. The 2012 took honours in Vancouver magazine’s 2015 wine awards; the 2013 is better still, and as the vines age, the future looks starry. Very pretty but not superficial, with violet aromas and cherry and raspberry flavours, and enough structure to last for several years. Made for B.C. salmon.

Unlike many B.C. wineries, Joie Farm has focus—just the grape varieties of Alsace and Burgundy. For the first time in a decade, the Naramata farm is open to the public with a new tasting room and picnic hospitality, including wood-fired pizza, oysters, and charcuterie. Inspired by the Burgundian communes of Fixin, Santenay, and Mercurey, this pinot is well-structured with black cherry, blackcurrant, and lots of mushroom, mocha, and bacon flavours. Perfect with grilled duck breast.

There’s no getting around it: this tempranillo from northwest of Madrid is a big wine, clocking in at 15.5 percent alcohol—and in a big-shouldered bottle to boot. But for a wine that’s as alcoholic as port, it’s sophisticated and elegant: silky with dark, black fruits offset with licorice and chocolate, and surprisingly versatile. Enjoy it with grilled beef or lamb, or maybe something sticky like braised oxtail or pork cheeks.

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E AT I N G & D R I N K I N G G U I D E

No other chardonnay tastes quite like Chablis.

The little village in the far north of Burgundy lies on Kimmeridgian clay, composed of millions upon millions of tiny fossilized oysters from Jurassic times, when it was an ancient sea.

You’ll swear you can taste the salt in the wine.

From one of the premier cru, this comes from old vines (more than 50 years) aged mainly in stainless steel with deft use of oak. Expect apricot, spice, and smoke, textured with a nice, sharp mineral edge.

Joie Farm “En Famille” Reserve Pinot Noir 2012 $40 | Joiefarm.com

Tridente Tempranillo 2013 $17 | specialty listing

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Cave de Tain, the premier cooperative of the Northern Rhône, was one of the revelations of the 2015 Vancouver Wine Festival. This is its everyday wine, which means it’s affordable here, too. The savoury flavours typical of the region—black olive, bacon, and spice with plum and blackberry—are all here, along with some ability to age. As a meal pairing, bargemen’s stew couldn’t be easier: nothing but layers of beef and onions, finished with parsley, garlic, and anchovy vinaigrette.

Damilano Barolo Lecinquevigne 2010 $40 | private wine stores

Hess Select Chardonnay 2013 $17 | specialty listing

Moraine Winery Pinot Noir 2013 $25 | Morainewinery.com

Cave de Tain Crozes Hermitage Rouge 2011 $26 | private wine stores

Laughing Stock Vineyards Syrah 2013 $38 | Laughingstock.ca

The success of syrah—a grape that hates winter—in the Okanagan Valley is one of the surprises of the last decade, carving out a niche that owes more to Burgundy than Australia, but tasting very much of the southern valley, full of cherry and plum and dusty sage spice. Laughing Stock’s syrah consciously aims

2016

Perfectly placed to make fine wine and good friends.

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for the Northern Rhône’s Côte Rôtie, co-fermented with a splash of viognier. Splendid with grilled lamb with mustard, garlic, and rosemary.

Shore Pale. Now in much bigger digs, it’s a proper brewery with an attractive tasting room, and its beers are widely available in cans and bottles. Try: the Kölsch, inspired by the popular beer of Cologne, which is slightly cloudy, with yeasty malt and a hoppy bite. $6.50 | 650 ML BOTTLE | at 1488 Charlotte Rd., North Vancouver, 604-770-2739. Bridgebrewing.com

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C AT E GORY B.C . BE N AEM RS E H E RE

B . C. B E E R S Big Rock Urban Brewery

Callister Brewing Co.

This Calgary craft giant relocated from east of the Rockies to the coast in 2015, opening up a brewery, tasting lounge, growler fill, and eatery in the Brewery Creek district. Choose the lounge—with its comfy armchairs and floorto-ceiling view of the tanks—and sample some of the nine-or-so selections on tap. Try: Bru Roggenbier, an earthy copper-chestnut brew inspired by German medieval ales. $4 | G LA S S | at 310 W. Fourth Ave., Olympic Village, 604-7088311. Bigrockurban.com

Callister makes a couple of its own brews, but it’s also a co-operative space, providing tanks and equipment to others who make small batches.

Drinkers currently also get wide-ranging brews from Machine, Brewery Creek, and Real Cask.

Try: Das Alt, a straightforward, dark amber Northern German-style ale. $4.50 | GLASS | $12.50 | GROWLER REFILL | at 1338 Franklin St, East Vancouver, 604-569-2739. Callisterbrewing.com Central City Red Racer Pub

Not content with already selling most of its Red Racer beer in Vancouver, Surrey’s dynamic craft brewery took over the old Dix BBQ & Brewery location in Yaletown, with half a dozen of its own brews on tap and 30 more guest taps. Try: Hopping Mad Dry Hopped Cider, a local take on the international revival of this ancient but often debased drink. Made with Northwest apples and Yakima Valley hops, it’s very pale and bittersweet, but packing quite a punch at 6.5 percent alcohol. $4 | GLASS | at 871 Beatty St., Yaletown, 778-379-2489. Centralcitybrewpub.com

Black Kettle Brewing Company

The fourth of North Van’s excellent craft houses, Black Kettle started in 2014 with just an IPA and a pale ale (kegs and growlers only), in an industrial location by the tracks. Now there’s an oatmeal stout and a porter, red and Scottish ales, and a wheat beer. Try: the flagship Pale Ale, with its floral orange-blossom nose, followed by big caramel malts and some herbal, resiny flavours for a half-sweet/half-tart finish. $5.25 | 650 ML BOTTL E | at 106–720 Copping St., North Vancouver, 604-987-9989. Blackket tlebrewing.com

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Bomber Brewing

On one of the city’s main cycling routes, Bomber is a small, dark, cosy East Side tasting room, always with a pile of bikes outside. A real neighbourhood spot with a community garden and kids playing softball across the street, it’s got a rotating mix of eight brews on tap, including the first-rate Bomber ESB plus various seasonals (and addictive potato chips). Try: What else but the Bike Route Best Bitter—tropicalfruity, lots of flavour, and low alcohol. $5 | GLAS S | $6.50 | G RO WL ER | at 1488 Adanac St., East Side, 604-428-7457. Bomberbrewing.com Brassneck Brewery

Brassneck revels in its virtuosity, brewing at least 50 beers in its short life—from sours to stouts to saisons—in addition to its handful of always-on-tap staples. Brewer Conrad Gmoser came with years of experience from Steamworks, while Nigel Springthorpe owns Gastown’s Alibi Room, one of the most beerfriendly places around. The small tasting room is always packed. Try: the regular Passive Aggressive Dry Hopped Ale—fruity, earthy, and 7 percent alcohol. $5 | GL A SS | $6.30 | G RO W LE R | at 2148 Main St., South Main, 604-259-7686.

Brassneck.ca

Coal Harbour Brewing isn’t in Coal Harbour, but just off the Powell Street nexus of breweries.

At press time it had no tasting room (although one was under construction), but really good beer in bottles and kegs. The 311 Helles lager is one of the best in B.C.—widely available, too.

Try: Smoke and Mirrors Imperial Ale. For lovers of smoky, peaty Islay malts, this 8.5-percent brew is black and earthy, sweetly toffee-like, and dominated by wood smoke. $10.50 | 650 ML BOMBER | at 1967 Triumph St., East Side, 604-2157471. Coalharbourbrewing.com

Burnaby’s Dageraad is devoted to exploring the huge range of Belgian beer. The Burnabarian sums up the approach: Belgian beer made in Burnaby. The tasting room is tiny, but there’s real Belgian glassware to show off each of the eight brews. Try: Amber Pale Ale, inspired by Antwerp’s Brouwerij De Koninck’s bolleke. Peachy, hoppy, and toasty. $7.85 | 650 ML BOMBER | at 114–3191 Thunderbird Cres., Burnaby, 604-4202050. Dageraadbrewing.com

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Deep Cove Brewers + Distillers

If its rosemary-and-olive gin and cucumber vodka aren’t reasons enough for a trip to Deep Cove, go for the beer (especially once the new patio is open). There are half a dozen mainstays, a couple of limited releases, and a surprisingly good non-alcoholic ginger beer. Most of the brews are also available by the bottle. Try: Trapper John’s Lager, named for a North Shore ski-

Three years ago, Bridge was the first of the nano-breweries, requiring a drive across the bridge for a growler of its crisply sweet North

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Coal Harbour Brewing

GROWLER

Dageraad Brewing Co

Bridge Brewing Company

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start your search here.

Whether you’re renting or buying, ďŹ nding your next home has never been so easy.

W IN E, B E E R & S PIR IT S

ing hero, and a winner in Vancouver magazine’s first Craft Beer Awards. A textbook Helles lager, it’s bright, floral, and food-friendly. $5.20 | 650 ML BOMBER | at 170–2270 Dollarton Hwy., North Vancouver, 604-770-1136. Deepcovecraft.com

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Doan Craft Brewing Company

One of the newest craft houses (operating in the tiny old house vacated by Powell Street Craft Brewery when it moved down the road), it’s a quirky spot with art by local artists and some very appealing brews on tap. Three mainstays— Kölsch, Alt, and Rye IPA—are joined by occasional seasonals. Try: the Altbier, coppery red and crisp with malty, toasty chocolate flavours, and light on hops. $3 | GL A S S | $11 | G RO W LE R F ILL | $6.50 | 650 ML BO MBE R | at 1830 Powell St., East Side, 604.559.0415. Doanscraftbrewing. com

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Postmark Brewing

Four Winds Brewing Co.

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Parallel 49 Brewing

In just three short years, Parallel 49 has grown by leaps and bounds. But becoming part of the established order hasn’t slowed the afterwork line-ups for growlers. Give them credit for an enormous, constantly changing rota of standards, seasonals, and rarities (like Lil’ Redemption Sour Cherry and Lost Souls Chocolate Pumpkin Porter). Try: the always-on-tap Gypsy Tears Ruby Ale—very drinkable and sweetly lemony. $3 | SL E E V E | $10 | G R O W LER FI L L | $12.50 | SI X - PA CK | at 1950 Triumph St., East Vancouver, 604.558.2739. Parallel49 brewing.com

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Green Leaf Brewing Co.

Take the SeaBus across to Lonsdale Quay, wander around the market, and then stop off for a cold one and a spot of people-watching at Green Leaf on the way back. The beer line-up has expanded from the original four mainstays to a solid range of sessionals and seasonals. Try: the year-round Pie Hole Pale Ale; made for everyday drinking, it’s beautifully balanced between tangy hops and toffee malts. $7 | 650 ML BOMBER | $13 | GROWLER FILL | at 123 Carrie Cates Ct., North Vancouver, 604-984-8409. Greenleaf brew.com

Powell Street Craft Brewery

After debuting to immediate success with its Old Jalopy Pale Ale in the nano-space now occupied by Doan’s Craft Brewing, Powell Street moved down the road to expanded tank space and a slightly bigger tasting room. It brews four regulars and four small-batch seasonals.

Try: Ode to Citra Pale Ale, made from a specially bred hop that’s been a huge success for its gooseberry, grapefruit, and passionfruit flavours (joined here by sweetly warm malts). $5 | G L A SS | $12 | G R O W L E R FI L L | $6.35 | 6 5 0 M L B O M B E R | at 1357 Powell St., East Vancouver, 604558-2537. Powellbeer.com

Main Street Brewing Company

Housed in a handsome Mission Revival garage around the corner from Brassneck, Main Street Brewing originally made its name with Pilsner.

It now features half a dozen mainstays with a very strong rotating cast of specials and season-

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Part of the handsomely renovated Settlement Building in Railtown (alongside restaurant Belgard Kitchen and the Vancouver Urban Winery), Postmark offers half a dozen brews on tap, four of which are staples. All are designed for pleasant drinking—with some tasty Belgard food, or to take away from the growler station, maybe for a picnic in nearby Crab Park. Try: the deep-brown, medium-bodied Dry Irish Stout, all toasty malt, coffee, and chocolate. $5 | 650 ML BOMBER | $10 | GROWLER FILLS | at 55 Dunlevy Ave., Railtown, 604-699-1988. Postmark brewing.com

E AT I N G & D R I N K I N G G U I D E

2016

L U C A S F I N L AY

B.C . BE E RS

Braving the industrial lands south of Marine Drive, Claire Wilson opened Vancouver’s only organic brewer in 2015 after two years of planning, with a line-up of four year-round brews and a weekly seasonal small-batch experiment.

Hops are from Lillooet, malt from Armstrong.

The reclaimed-wood tasting room shows off the clean, straightforward beers. Try: Organic Fest Ale—coppery red with deliciously toasty sweetness. $5 | G L ASS | $12 | G RO W LE R F ILL | at 8284 Sherbrooke St., South Vancover, 604-3253693. Dogwoodbrew.com

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Off the Rail Brewing Co.

This is the latest venture from the former owners of the Railway Club—folks with a long history in the changing tastes of Vancouver drinkers. On the other side of the street from Bomber, it’s the opposite in other ways, too: windowed, white, bright, and with a fine upstairs view. A blackboard list rotates through three or four main beers and half a dozen seasonals and small batches. Try: Isle of Mild—English-inspired, it’s red-brown in colour with toasty, biscuit-like notes. $4 | G L A SS | $11 | G R O W L E R FI L L S | at 1351 Adanac St., East Vancouver, 604-563-5767.

Offtherailbrewing.com

Dogwood Organic Brewery

The tedious drive to or from the Tswawwassen ferry terminal is much improved by a short detour to Delta’s Four Winds—Canada’s 2015 winner of Brewery of the Year, just two years after launching. Happily, the beers are much more widely available, both on tap and in bottles, although some of the more obscure seasonals may require a trip down Highway 99.

Try: the classic West Coast IPA—floral, redolent of peach and grapefruit, and with a very resiny, hoppy bite. $12.25 | G RO W LE R F ILL | $11 | FO U R-PACK | at 4-7335 72nd St., Delta, 604940-9949. Fourwindsbrewing.ca

als, like the Cantus Fermus Sour, brewed with bottle dregs from Brussels’ iconic Cantillon brewery. A very attractive place to drink, it also has a proper bar menu, including a fine daily pie. Try: classic Westminster Brown, defined by piney hops and molasses-sweet caramel. $4.50 | G L A SS | $11 | G R O W L E R FI L L | at 261 E. Seventh Ave., South Main, 604-336-7711. Mainstreet beer.ca

C AT E GORY N A M E H E RE

2016

Main Street Brewing Company // pg.120

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W IN E, B E E R & S PIR IT S

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C AT E GORY B.C . BE N AEM RS E H E RE

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Over the past year, red delivery trucks have become familiar all over the city as this brewery outgrew its North Van premises and relocated in 2015 to a much larger state-of-the-art brew house combined with an industrial-style diner and a growler fill station. The main line-up is always solid, and the one-offs offer further good reasons to drink in the Main Street Brewery Creek ’hood. Try: the flagship Red Truck Ale. $10.79 | 6-PACK | $11.50 | G RO W LE R F ILL | at 295 E. First Ave., South Main, 604-682-4733.

Redtruckbeer.com

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Strange Fellows Brewing

Look for the huge sign on a forlorn part of Clark Drive, not far from Bomber and Off the Rail. Master brewer Iain Hill is one of the best for delivering craft, consistency, and sheer pleasure. Strange Fellows offers a long, narrow room with a good mix of long and small tables—all wood and concrete, but funky, too. The summer Framboise Noir is arguably B.C.’s best fruit beer.

Try: big, bitter, malty Nocturnum Dark IPA, apparently brewed “to keep evil at bay.” $4.50 | G L A SS | $11 | GROWLER FILLS | at 1345 Clark Dr., East Side, 604-215-0092. Strangefellows brewing.com

Steel & Oak Brewing Co.

Almost 10 years after the end of New West’s Labatt brewery, Steel & Oak has revived a century and a half of brewing tradition in the Royal City.

A pleasant walk from the SkyTrain (along the Fraser to a light-manufacturing area by Stewardson Way), S&O is a variant on the metaland-wood, post-industrial style of brewhouse, with seven beers on tap and one test tap brewed 100 litres at a time. Try: the German-style Red Pilsner, with plenty of body, bitterness, and caramel. $4.50 | GL A SS | $7.50 | 650 ML BO MBE R | at 1319 Third Ave., New Westminster, 604-5406495. Steelandoak.ca

33 Acres Brewing Company

Steel Toad Brewing Co.

Olympic Villagers are spoiled for beer choice: Tap & Barrel and Craft Beer Market for restaurants with lots of taps; Legacy Liquor Store for the city’s best retail selection; and now Steel Toad, a brew pub that kicks the food up a notch or two. The 10 tanks cordoned behind glass go straight to the taps in the dining hall. Try: Saison Sauvignon; made from Nelson Sauvin hops (from New Zealand, not B.C.), expect spicy and fruity flavours that go beautifully with seafood. $6.90 | G L ASS | at 92 E. Second Ave., Olympic Village, 604-709-8623. Steeltoad.ca

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G L A SS

Belcarra Park, Buntzen Lake, and Indian Arm are three good reasons to take the short trip along the Barnet Highway to Port Moody. But it’s also a pleasant town with no less than three craft breweries on Murray Street. Pooch-friendly Yellow Dog, with its big backyard, attracts lots of families with kids—and its beer is top-

Storm Brewing

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E AT I N G & D R I N K I N G G U I D E

With its all-white décor set off by green plants, 33 Acres blends minimalist Scandi style with laid-back West Coast to great success. Combining a craft brewery and a coffee house, it’s packed all the time—not just after work. The “b33rs,” as they like to call their creations, are a solid set of staples joined by some interesting seasonals like the blackcurrant grisette, a Belgian miners’ beer. Try: 33 Acres of Cid3r, a take on English “fall off yer bike” scrumpy. Tart, apple-y, and bright with citrus. $6.50 | G L A S S | at 15 W. Eighth Ave., South Main, 604-620-4589.

33acresbrewing.com Yellow Dog Brewing Co.

Storm opened more than 20 years ago in a gritty, down-by-the docks East Van neighbourhood that’s since become the almost fashionably gritty Brewery District. Brewmaster James Walton

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is still an iconoclast with a taste for invention and experimentation (and a disdain for bottles).

Taste samples in the midst of the brewery or fill up some growlers. Year-round staples include the benchmark Hurricane IPA and Black Plague stout. Try: the 11-percent-alcohol Imperial Red Flanders Sour Ale, aged in oak for a year. $16 | G R O W L E R FI L L | at 310 Commercial Dr., Commercial Drive, 604-255-9119. Stormbrewing.org

2016

WI N E , BE E R & SP I R ITS

vodka, and white whisky, Liberty makes this tribute to the history of gin. Old Tom was a Victorian version of mother’s ruin; this Tom gets spice from B.C. botanicals, and sweetness, lightness, and a mahogany colour from four months in French oak. $47.99 | 750 ML BOTTLE | at 1494 Old Bridge Rd., Granville Island, 604-558-1998. Thelibertydistillery.com Long Table Distillery Cucumber Gin

49.99

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Odd Society Spirits Crème de Cassis

Developed with chef Hervé Martin of Main Street restaurant the French Table (from his family recipe), this uses tart-sweet B.C. blackcurrants to make an exemplary cassis.

Delicious with white wine or champagne in a traditional Kir or Kir Royale, its musky sweetness and sharp acidity also make it a fine asset for the cocktail cabinet, whether adding just a splash to Odd Society’s gin or vodka with lemon and soda, or with Campari and lime. $22 | 375 ML BOTTLE | at 1725 Powell St., East Side, 604559-6745. Oddsocietyspirits.com

B . C. S P I R I TS Central City Brewers + Distillers Seraph Small Batch Gin

The Surrey craft-beer powerhouse famed for Red Racer recently turned its attention to the challenge of producing spirits. Whisky and rum are yet to come, but in the meantime there’s Seraph: small-batch “single malt” vodka and gin, distilled from 100-percent B.C. barley and traditional botanicals, and dominated by juniper and citrus. Classic with tonic and lime; good value, too. $31.49 | 750 ML BOTTLE | at 11411 Bridgeview Dr., Surrey, 604-588-2337.

Centralcitybeer.com/distillery Deep Cove Brewers + Distillers Claire Vodka

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Sons of Vancouver Distillery No.82 Amaretto

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Take a day trip to the North Shore’s Deep Cove village; hike on one of the peaceful trails or kayak for a couple of hours before a tour and tasting at this microbrewer and distiller.

There’s a rosemary-and-olive-flavoured gin, very small batch cucumber and sweet-tea vodkas, and a traditional caraway-infused akvavit.

Sweet and clean, and made from B.C. malted barley, Claire recently scored double gold at the 2015 Great American Distillers Festival. $37.65 | 750 ML BOTTLE | at 170-2270 Dollarton Hwy., North Vancouver, 604-770-1136. Deepcovecraft.com The Liberty Distillery Endeavour Old Tom Gin

The Liberty Distillery not only has the advantage of a handsome still; it’s got a great location on Granville Island, with a cocktail lounge open every day. Along with its excellent gin,

B.C . SP I RI T S

notch: Try: Smoke a Paw Smoked Porter—all smoky chocolate, it was top dog in its category at Vancouver magazine’s first annual Craft Beer Awards. $5 | GL A SS | $12 | G RO W LE R F ILL | at 2817 Murray St., Port Moody, 604-492-0191.

Yellowdogbeer.com

Cucumber doesn’t come cooler than as a mellow botanical in this cuke gin from Long Table, the city’s first small-batch distillery. Spiced with juniper, it’s herbal and beautifully crisp.

The cucumber notes show best neat over ice, or in a G&T with lime and a slice or two of B.C. cuke pickling slightly in the gin as you drink. Essential drinking for anyone who likes Hendrick’s. $49.99 | 750 ML BOTTLE | at 1451 Hornby St., West End, 604-266-0177. Longtable distillery.com

The smallest and newest of the Lower Mainland’s small-batch distilleries, the North Shore’s Sons of Vancouver is out to change our views of spirits. (There’s a topnotch chili vodka that belongs in every Caesar or Bloody Mary.) Its award-winning Amaretto—called No.82 for the number of batches it took to get the recipe right—is inspired by old-fashioned canning recipes. The bitter almond flavours come from apricot pits, the sweetness from local blackberry honey, and the spice from vanilla beans and orange peel. Delicious in an Amaretto sour. $22.50 | 375 ML BOTTLE | at 1431 Crown St., North Vancouver. Sonsofvancouver.ca Yaletown Distilling Company Craft Vodka

Visit Vanmag.com for more of our favourite wines, beers and spirits from B.C. and beyond, plus bar and nightclub reviews.

2016

Like many of its competitors, YDC’s vodka relies on two-row malted barley from Northern B.C. The company’s expertise with grain (it owns the brewpub next door) shows in the sweet, seductive maltiness and rich, creamy texture. Visit the tasting room, take a tour, and then try the vodka in a Moscow Mule with Dickie’s ginger beer (also from Vancouver). $21.99 | 375 ML BOTTLE | at 1132 Hamilton St., Yaletown, 604-669-2266. Ytdistilling.com

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Index ‫ۻ‬ AWARD WINNING ROOMS Alvin Garden 60 Araxi 7 0 Ask for Luigi 34 Au Comptoir 28 Bacchus 20 Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie 18 Bearfoot Bistro 71 Bistro Wagon Rouge 28 Blue Water Cafe 52 Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar 22 Camille’s at 45 Bastion Square 78 Chambar 13 Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill & Enoteca 35 Damso Modern Korean Cuisine 47 Dinesty Dumpling 18 Farmer’s Apprentice 22 Gudrun 69 Hanwoori Korean Restaurant 60 Hawksworth 24 Hoi Tong 66 Homer St. Cafe and Bar 15 Hudson’s on First 75 Hy’s Encore 54 Kingyo 42 L’Abattoir 24 La Quercia 37 La Régalade 70 La Taqueria 11 Le Crocodile 29 Maenam 54 Mr. Red Café 59 My Shanti 69 Nicli Antica Pizzeria 37 Nook 3 7 Penang Delight 34 Phnom Penh 59 Pointe at the Wickaninnish Inn, The 77 Revolver 17 Stage Wine Bar 82 Tableau 24 Tacofino 77 Tacofino Commissary 12 Tojo’s 4 5 Top Shanghai Cuisine 67 Via Tevere 40 Vij’s 3 3 Waterfront Restaurant and Wine Bar 88 Wildebeest 26 Wolf in the Fog 77 Zest Japanese Cuisine 46 49th Parallel Coffee 99

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900 West Restaurant + Bar 1927 111

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A Abdul’s Barbeque 60 The Academic 109 Acme Café 26 The Acorn 56 Addis Café 8 Adesso Bistro 34 Afghan Horsemen 8 Ajisai Sushi Bar 40 Akbar’s Own 30 Alibi Room 48 , 56 , 108 Aling Mary’s 36 All India Sweets and Restaurant 30 All Mex’d Up 76 Alvin Garden 60 Amay’s House 56 Anatolia’s Gate 60 Ancora (advertisement) 23 Angkor Restaurant 57 AnnaLena 16 Aphrodite’s Organic Café 14 Apollonia 30 Araxi 70 Araxi (advertisement) 6 Argan Bistro 8 Argo Café 26 The Arm’s Reach Bistro 63 Arriva 34 Ashiana Tandoori 69 Ask for Luigi 34 , 35 Athene’s 30 Atlas Café 72 Au Comptoir 28 , 62 Au Petit Café 57 Aura 70 Aura at the Inn at Laurel Point 77 Aurora Restaurant 84 Avalanche Pizza 70 Avenue Bistro 72 Ayo Eat 77

B Bacchus 20 Bacchus (advertisement) 4 Bacchus Lounge 111 Backstage Lounge 112 Bahn Mi Saigon 57 Bake My Day 90 Bakery Sate 92 Ba-Le French Sandwich 57 Bamboo Grove 65 Bambudda 47 Banana Leaf 33 Banana Leaf (advertisement) 49

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Bandidas Taqueria 9 Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie 18 Bao Chau 57 Bao Down 47 Barb’s Bakery and Bistro 84 Baru Latino 11 Basho Cafe 40 Bâtard Boulangerie 9 2 Bauhaus 30 , 58 Bavaria 70 Bayside Lounge 1 0 8 Beach Bay Café and Patio 20 , 5 0 Beach Bay Café and Patio (advertisement) 2 3 The Beach House at Dundarave Pier 6 9 Bean Around the World 100 Beans on Cambie 9 9 Bearfoot Bistro 71 Beaucoup Bakery & Café 91 Bel Café 14 Belgard Kitchen 4 8 Belgian 13 Bella Gelateria 34 , 1 0 2 Bella Vita Home Essentials 100 The Bellevue Café 8 9 The Belmont Bar 1 0 8 Be Love 77 Benja Thai Restaurant 88 Benton Brothers Fine Cheese 96 Bestie 30 Best of India 88 Beta5 96 Beyond Bread Artisan Bakery 9 1 Bibo 34 Biercraft 48 Big Bad John’s 78 Big Wheel Burger 7 8 The Biltmore Cabaret 112 The Bimini 109 Bin 4 Burger Lounge 7 8 Bin 941 111 Bishop’s 20 Bistro 28 78 Bistro at Westwood Lake 7 5 Bistro One Sixty One 7 5 Bistro Pastis 28 Bistro Sakana 40 Bistro Suisse 76 Bistro Wagon Rouge 2 8 Bitter 48 Bitter Tasting Room 1 0 9 Blackbird 48 The Black Lodge 5 6 Black Rook Bakehouse 92 Blacktail 22 Blowfish Sushi 40

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Blue Canoe 6 9 The Blue Goose Cattle Company 9 4 Blue Water Cafe 5 2 Blue Water Cafe (advertisement) 6 The Boathouse 1 7 The Boathouse (advertisement) 4 3 Bob Likes Thai Food 5 4 Bodega 7 8 Bodhi’s Artisan Bakery 1 0 4 Bogner’s of Penticton 8 9 The Bohemian Café 8 6 Bonchaz Bakery Cafe 9 0 Bonfire Grill at the Cove Lakeside Resort 8 6 Bon’s Off Broadway 2 6 Book Kyung Ban Jeom 4 7 Bosa Foods 1 0 2 Bottleneck 2 2 Bouchons Bistro 8 6 Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar 2 2 The Bourbon 1 0 9 Brasserie l’Ecole 7 8 Bravo 6 3 Bravo Cucina 6 3 The Breakwater Restaurant at Kingfisher Oceanside Resort & Spa 7 2 Brentwood Pub and Seagrille Seafood & Sushi 7 6 The Brewhouse 7 1 The British Butcher Shoppe 1 0 4 Brix 2 2 Brix Restaurant & Wine Bar 1 1 2 Broken Rice 6 0 Browns Socialhouse 1 7 Buckstop 1 3 Budgies Burritos 5 6 Burdock & Co. 2 2 Burger 55 8 9 Burgoo 1 7 Burrard Bridge Marine Bar & Grill 4 8 The Butcher 9 4 The Butcher & Bullock 1 0 9 The Butler Did It 9 6 Butter Baked Goods & Cafe 9 1

C Cactus Club Cafe 1 7 Cactus Club Cafe (advertisement) 2 5 Cadeaux Bakery 9 0 The Cafe at Hope Bay 8 4 Cafe Brio 7 8 Café Crêpe 1 7

Café Deux Soleils 5 6 Café Il Nido 3 4 Café Kathmandu 4 7 Café Moderne 9 2 Caffè Artigiano 9 7 Caffé Barney 1 7 Caffè Cittadella 1 4 , 9 9 Cake Bread Artisan Bakery Hot Chocolates 7 2 Calabash 1 1 Cambie Vietnamese Restaurant 5 7 Camille’s at 45 Bastion Square 7 8 Campagnolo 3 4 Campagnolo Roma 3 4 Cannibal Café 2 6 Canyon 6 3 Caramba!

Restaurante 7 1 Cardero Bottega 1 0 0 Cardero’s 5 3 Carmelo’s 6 9 Carmichael’s at the Hilton Vancouver Airport 6 5 Casa Verde 4 8 The Cascade Room 1 0 8 Catalano Restaurant & Cicchetti Bar 7 8 Cedar Cottage Neighbourhood Pub 1 0 9 Chai Lounge 8 Chaise 4 8 Chaise Lounge 2 2 Chambar 1 3 Charelli’s Cheese Shop & Delicatessen 1 0 5 The Charles Bar 1 0 9 Charlie’s Little Italian 3 4 Chasters 8 6 Cheesecake Etc. 9 1 The Cheese Man 9 6 The Cheese Place 9 6 Chef Claire’s 9 6 Chef Hung Taiwanese Beef Noodle 6 5 Chef Hung Taiwanese Beef Noodle (advertisement) 4 9 Chef Tony Seafood 6 5 Chewies 5 3 Chez Christophe Chocolaterie Pâtisserie 9 7 Chicha 1 1 Chill Winston Restaurant & Lounge 4 8 ChocolaTas 9 6 ChocolaTas (advertisement) 7 9 Chocolate Arts 9 6 Chocolate Mousse Kitchenware 1 0 0 Chocolaterie de la Nouvelle France 9 6

Choices Market 1 0 2 Chop Steakhouse & Bar 6 6 Chorizo & Co. 7 8 Cho Sun BBQ Korean Restaurant 4 7 Choux Choux Charcuterie 1 0 5 Chuan Ku Bbq Restaurant 6 6 Chutney Villa 3 3 Cibo Trattoria 3 4 Cibo Trattoria (advertisement) 2 3 Cilantro and Jalapeno Gourmet Mexican Foods 1 04 Cinara 3 5 CinCin 3 5 CinCin (advertisement) 6 Cinema 1 0 9 Cioffi’s Meat Market & Deli 9 4 Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill & Enoteca 3 5 The Clay Pigeon 7 8 Clives Classic Lounge 7 8 Cloud 9 Specialty Bakery 1 0 3 Clough Club 1 0 8 Coast 5 3 Cobblestone Wine Bar 8 8 Cobs Bread 9 1 Coco et Olive 9 9 Coffeebar 9 7 Colony 4 8 Columbus Meat Market 9 4 Commodore Ballroom 1 1 2 Commune Café 1 4 Confit Food & Wine 78 Congee Noodle House 1 8 Cook Culture 1 0 5 Cookworks 1 0 0 Copper Chimney 3 3 Copper Chimney (advertisement) 8 3 Copper Room 6 3 Corduroy Pie Company 3 5 Cork & Fin 5 3 Cowichan Bay 7 5 Cowichan Valley Meat Market 1 0 5 The Crab Shop 1 0 1 Crackle Crème 9 0 , 9 1 Craft Beer Market 4 8 Crescent Beach Bistro 7 0 Critic’s Choice 9 6 Crooked Goose Bistro 7 8 The Crow and Gate 75

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Crowsnest Vineyard Restaurant 86 Crystal Mall Food Court 60 Cuchillo 1 1 Cucina Manila 28 Culinary Capers Catering 94 The Curry House 69

D The Daily Catch Seafood Company 101 Dai Tung 1 8 Damso Modern Korean Cuisine 47 Danica’s Cafe 14 Daniel le Chocolat Belge 9 6 Darby’s 109 Davids Tea 99 Deacon’s Corner 26 Deafined 8 Deep Cove Chalet 76 Delany’s Coffee House 100 Delicious Pho 57 Devil’s Elbow Ale & Smokehouse 109 The Diamond 48 , 108 Dinesty Chinese Restaurant 66 Dinesty Dumpling 18 The Dining Room at Butchart Gardens 80 The Dirty Apron 100 Distillery Bar 35 The District 64 Diva at the Met 111 Dockers Family Restaurant 26 Dockside 4 8 Dolce Amore 102 Don’t Argue! Pizzeria 35 Donnelly Group (advertisement) 140 Dosa Corner 33 Dose Espresso Bar 99 The Dream Café 89 Drive Organics 101 Dubh Linn Gate Old Irish Pub 71 Duffin’s Donuts 11 Dynasty Seafood Restaurant 18

E Earls 17 Earnest Ice Cream 102 East End Food Co-op 1 01 East Is East 8 East Van Roasters 97 East Village Bakery 92 East-West Market 103 Ebisu 40 Edgewater Lodge 71 Edible Canada 22 , 104 Edible Flours 103 Ed’s Daily 1 4 Eight ½ 5 1 Elbow Room 26 El Camino’s 11 Electric Owl 112 Elements 71 Elysian Coffee 99 Emelle’s Catering 96 The Emerald 108 Empire Seafood 66 España 54 Ethical Bean 99

European Delicatessen Exile Bistro 22

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F Fable 22 Fairfield Fish and Chips 80 Fairmont Empress 80 Falconetti’s 51 Famoso Pizza 36 Famous Foods 103 Fanny Bay Oyster Seafood Shop 105 Farmer’s Apprentice 22 Fassil 9 The Fat Badger 110 Faubourg 14 Faubourg Paris 91 Feast 1 4 Federico’s Supper Club 36 Ferris’ Oyster Bar & Grill 80 Fetch at the Black Rock Oceanfront Resort 76 Fets Whisky Kitchen 11 Finch’s 14 Finest at Sea 53 , 100 , 105 The First Ravioli Store 100 Fisgard Market 105 Fish Café 53 The Fish Counter 101 Fisherman’s Terrace Seafood Restaurant 66 F.I.S.H. (Fresh Ideas Start Here) 60 The Fish House in Stanley Park 53 The Fish Shack 53 Fishworks 64 The Five Point 51 , 110 Five Sails 22 Fliptop Filipino Fusion Food Truck 36 Floata Seafood Restaurant 18 Float On Bakeshop & Café 92 Flourishing Chinese 63 Flying Beaver Bar & Grill 66 Flying Pig 22 Fol Epi 104 Foo 80 Forage 22 Fortune Garden 18 The Foundation 57 Francesco’s 36 Fratelli Bakery 92 French Table 28 Fresh Is Best Salsa & Co. 103 Fry’s Red Wheat Bread 104

G Galiano Inn 84 The Gallery Café at the VAG 15 The Galley at the Jericho Sailing Centre 51 Ganache Pâtisserie 90 Gasthaus on the Lake 89 General Public 40 Gingeri Chinese 66

Ginger & Soy 70 Giovane 15 Giovane Cafe + Winebar 90 Glo Restaurant and Lounge 80 The Gluten Free Epicurean 103 G-Men Ramen Shop 6 6 Go Fish 53 Golden Ocean Seafood Restaurant 18 Golden Paramount 66 Golden Rice Bowl 69 Golden Szechuan 66 Goldilocks 28 Good Choice 19 Good Omens 89 Gotham Steakhouse 54 Got Pho? Thien Kim Vietnamese Restaurant 57 The Gourmet Warehouse 104 Grain Tasting Bar 22 Gramercy Grill 24 Grand View Szechuan Restaurant 19 Granville Island Public Market 102 Granville Room 108 Grapes and Soda 38 , 59 Grapevine Restaurant at Gray Monk Estate Winery 86 Graze 57 The Greedy Pig 51 Greek by Anatoli 30 Greenhorn Espresso Bar 15 Green Lettuce 19 Greens Organic & Natural Market 101 Grounds for Appeal 15 Gudrun 68 , 69 The Guerrilla Food Company Pizzeria Guerrilla 72 The Guild 80 Guilt & Co. 110 , 112 Gurkha Himalayan Kitchen 56 Gusto di Quattro 64 Guu 40 Gyoza Bar + Ramen 40 , 45 Gyoza King 40 Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ 40 Gyu King Teppanyaki 40

H Hai Phong Restaurant 57 Hakkasan 66 Hamilton Street Grill 5 4 Hank’s Untraditional BBQ 77 Hanwoori Korean Restaurant 60 Hapag Ihaw Ihaw Restaurant 36 Hapa Izakaya 42 Harambe Restaurant 9 Harbour House 84 Harkness & Co. Butchers 94 Hastings House 86 Havana Café 11 Hawker’s Delight 34 Hawksworth 24 , 111

The Heatley 5 1 Heidi’s Café 1 5 Heirloom 5 7 Hell Pizza 6 4 Hida Takayama 4 2 Hi Genki 6 0 Hillside Bistro at Hillside Estate Winery 8 8 Hilltop Bistro 7 5 Hoang Gia 8 7 Hoi Tong 6 6 Hokkaido Ramen Santouka 4 2 Homer St. Cafe and Bar 1 5 Honey Doughnuts and Goodies 6 3 Hong Kong West 8 0 Honjin Sushi 4 2 Hon’s Wun-Tun House 1 9 Hooded Merganser Bar and Grill 8 9 The Hot and Cold Café 8 0 House of Dosas 3 3 House Piccolo 8 6 Howe Sound Brewery 7 1 Ho Yuen Kee 1 9 Hubbub 1 8 Hudson’s on First 7 5 Hy’s Encore 5 4 Hy’s Steakhouse Whistler 7 1

K Kadoya 4 2 Kalvin’s Szechuan Restaurant 1 9 The Keefer Bar 1 1 1 The Keg 5 4 Kessel & March 2 9 Kim Phung Vietnamese 5 9 Kingyo 4 2 , 6 8 Kin Kao Thai Kitchen 5 4 Kinome Japanese Kitchen 4 2 Kin’s Farm Market 1 0 2 Kintaro Ramen 4 2 Kirin Restaurant 1 9 Kiriri Japanese Cuisine & Sushi Bar 6 7 Kisamos Greek Taverna 6 9 Kishimoto 4 2 Kitty’s Cafe 8 0 Kiyo Sushi 6 7 Kobob Burger 4 7 Konbiniya Japan Centre 1 0 4 Koon Bo Restaurant 1 9 Kosta the Fishmonger 1 0 1 Kulinarya Filipino Eatery 6 3 Kumare Restaurant & Bakery 6 7 Kwong Chow Congee Noodle House 1 9 Kyung Bok Palace 6 4

I Il Caminetto 7 1 Il Terrazzo 8 0 Il Vecchio 8 9 India Bistro 3 3 The Inn at Tough City 7 7 Insadong 6 3 Invitro 7 , 1 5 Irashai Sushi 4 2 Irish Heather 5 1 Italia Bakery Vancouver 9 2 Italian Kitchen 3 6

J Jackalope’s Neighbourhood Dive 5 1 Jackson’s Meat and Deli 9 4 Jade Seafood Restaurant 6 6 Jagerhof Schnitzel House 6 4 Jambo Grill 9 Jam Cafe 8 0 Jamjar 9 Jang Mo Jib 4 7 Japadog 4 2 Jethro’s Fine Grub 2 6 Jinya Ramen Bar 4 2 JJ Bean 9 9 J & J Wonton Noodle House 8 0 Joe Fortes 5 3 Joey 1 8 Joey (advertisement) 2 1 John B. Neighbourhood Pub 6 3 Jolly Meats & Fine Foods 9 4 Jolly’s Indian Bistro 3 3 Josephine’s 2 8 Jules 2 9

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L L’Abattoir 2 4 La Brasserie 1 5 La Buca 3 7 La Bussola 8 7 La Casa Gelato 1 0 2 La Casita 1 1 LA Chicken 6 7 La Cigale 2 9 La Cucina 6 4 La Grotta del Formaggio 9 6 Laksa King 4 7 La Terrazza (advertisement) 8 3 La Mezcaleria 1 1 The Lamplighter Public House 1 0 9 Landmark Hot Pot House 1 9 La Pentola della Quercia 3 7 La Piazza Dario Ristorante 3 7 La Quercia 3 7 La Régalade 7 0 Las Margaritas 1 1 The Last Crumb 1 5 La Stella Trattoria 7 6 Las Tortas 1 1 La Taqueria 1 1 La Terrazza 3 7 The Lazy Gourmet 9 6 Le Crocodile 2 9 Le Do Vietnamese Restaurant 5 9 Lee Loy BBQ Meat Co 9 4 Lee’s Donuts 1 0 2 Left Bank 2 9 Legendary Noodle House 1 9 Le Marché St George 1 0 0

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Lemonade Gluten Free Bakery 1 0 3 L’Epicerie 1 0 2 Les Amis du Fromage 9 6 Les Faux Bourgeois 2 9 Library Square Public House 1 0 9 Licious Living 1 0 3 Lift Bar and Grill 2 4 Lin Chinese Cuisine & Tea House 1 9 Lion’s Pub 5 1 The Little Cheese Shop 1 0 5 The Little District 6 4 Little Jumbo 8 0 Lobby Lounge and Terrace 1 1 1 The Lobster Man 1 0 2 Local Lounge & Grille 8 9 Local Public Eatery 5 1 Locals 7 2 Lok’s Chinese 1 9 Lolita’s 1 1 Lombardo’s 3 7 London Pub 1 1 0 Long Beach Lodge Resort 7 7 Long’s Noodle House 1 9 Longtail Kitchen 6 3 Longwood Brewpub 7 6 Los Cuervos Taqueria & Cantina 1 2 L’Ufficio 3 7 Lupo Restaurant & Vinoteca 3 7 Lure Restaurant & Bar 8 0

M Macchiato Caffe & Paninoteca 8 1 MacFarlane’s Selected Fish Market 1 0 1 Maenam 5 4 , 8 1 Mahle House 7 6 Main Street Brewing Company 1 2 1 Main Street Honey Shoppe 1 0 4 Malt + Marrow 5 1 Mamie Taylor’s 1 2 , 1 3 Mangia e Bevi 7 0 Mango Thai 5 4 Marble Slab Creamery 1 0 2 Marcello’s 3 7 Maria’s Taverna 3 0 Marina Restaurant 8 1 Market by Jean-Georges 2 4 Market Meats 9 4 Martine’s Bistro 7 2 Marulilu Cafe 4 2 Marutama Ramen 4 2 The Masthead 7 5 Matchstick Coffee Roasters 9 9 Maurya 3 3 Maxim’s Bakery 9 0 Max Noodle House 6 7 Max’s Restaurant 2 8 McKim Wonton Mein Saga 6 7 Meat & Bread 1 5 Meat City 1 0 , 1 2 The Media Club 1 1 2 Medina Café 1 5 Mediterranean Specialty Foods 1 0 0

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Meinhardt Fine Foods 102 Memphis Blues 13 Menya 44 Merchant’s Oyster Bar 53 Merridale Bistro 75 Metropole 110 The Mexican 12 The Mexican Corner 71 Michele Cake Shop 91 Miku 4 4 Milano Coffee 97 Milestones 18 Mill Marine Bistro 110 Minami 44 Minerva’s Mediterranean Deli 100 Ming Wo 100 Mink Chocolates 96 Minstrel Café and Bar 87 Miradoro 88 Mission 24 , 29 Mission Hill Family Estate Winery Private Dining Experience 87 Mix the Bakery 91

1 26

The Modern Bartender 104 Moderne Burger 26 Mon Petit Choux 76 Moore’s Bakery 100 Mosquito 15 Motomachi Shokudo Moxie’s 18 Mr. Red Café 59 Muffet & Louisa 105 Mui Ngo Gai 59 Murchie’s 46 Murchie’s Tea & Coffee 97 Musette Caffè 97 My Shanti 69 Mythos 64

N The Naam 57 The Narrow Lounge 51 , 110 Natural Pastures 75 Nelson the Seagull 97 Neptune Wonton Noodle 67 Nero Belgian

Meat VA N C OCity U V E// R pg.12 MAGAZINE

44

Waffle Bar 90 The New Oxford 1 1 0 New Town Bakery 9 0 Nicli Antica Pizzeria 3 7 Nicli Antica Pizzeria (advertisement) 3 1 Nicli’s Next Door 3 7 Nicli’s Next Door (advertisement) 3 1 Ningtu Restaurant 1 9 No.1 Beef Noodle House 60 Nook 37 The Noodle Box 4 7 , 8 1 Nooru Mahal 33 North 48 81 Norwoods 77 Notte’s Bon Ton Pastry and Confectionery 9 1 Notturno 37 Novo 39 Nuba 9

The Observatory (advertisement) 2 7 O5 Tea 4 6 Octopus’ Garden 4 4 The Olive and Anchor 7 0 Olo 8 1 Onyx Steakhouse 7 0 Origin Gluten-Free Bakery 1 0 4 Oru at Fairmont Pacific Rim 2 4 Osaka Market 6 9 Osaka Teppanyaki 4 4 Osteria Napoli 3 9 O! Taho 3 6 Ottavio Italian Bakery & Delicatessen 1 0 5 Ouisi Bistro 1 2 Oyster Express 5 3

P O The Oakwood Canadian Bistro 5 1 The Observatory 7 0

E AT I N G & D R I N K I N G G U I D E

2016

Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts 2 4 Pajo’s Fish & Chips 6 9 Pak Tak Chiu Chow Restaurant 6 9

Provence Mediterranean Grill 3 0 Puerto Vallarta Amigos 8 2 Punjab Food Center 104 Purebread 9 0

Q Qoola 1 0 2 Quails’ Gate Old Vines Restaurant 8 7 Quattro at Whistler 7 1 Queensdale Market 1 0 3 Quejos 1 0 3 Quince 1 0 4

R Raga 3 3 Raglan’s 6 4 Railtown Café 1 7 The Railway Club 1 1 2 Rainflower Restaurant 67 Rainier Provisions 1 7 Rain or Shine 1 0 2 Rajio Japanese Public House 4 4 Ramen Butcher 4 4 Ramen Koika 4 4 Rangoli 3 3 RauDZ Regional Table 8 7 RawBar at the Fairmont Pacific Rim 4 4 Rebar 8 2 Red Can Gourmet 7 7 Red Card Sports Bar & Eatery 3 9 Red Fish Blue Fish 8 2 Red Star Seafood Restaurant 2 0 Red Truck Brewery & Diner 1 1 0 Red Wagon 2 6 The Reef 1 2 The Refinery 2 4 , 1 0 8 Reflections 1 1 1 Relish Food and Coffee 8 2 Rendezvous French Patisserie 8 6 Restaurant Chez Michel 7 0 Re-Up BBQ 6 3 Revel Room 5 2 Revolver 1 4 , 1 7 Ric’s Grill 8 7 Rim Rock Café 7 1 Rinconcito Salvadoreño Restaurant 1 2 Rio Friendly Meats 9 4 Riso Foods 7 6 Riverside Junction Café 7 1 Roast 8 2 Rocanini Coffee Roasters 9 7 Rockwater Secret Cove Resort 8 6 Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company 18 Rodney’s Oyster House 5 3 The Roof at Black + Blue 5 4 Roland’s Pub 7 1 Romer’s Burger Bar 5 2 Rosemary Rocksalt 9 2 Rosewood Hotel Georgia 1 1 1 Roundel Cafe 1 7 The Ruby 8 2

DAVID STRONGMAN

Bel Café // pg.14

Pane From Heaven 9 1 Panne Rizo Gluten Free Bakery 1 0 3 Paradise Vegetarian Noodle House 6 0 The Parker 5 7 The Parlour 5 1 The Parlour (advertisement) 7 9 Pars International Food 1 0 4 Part and Parcel 8 1 Parthenon Supermarket 1 0 0 Pasparos Taverna 6 4 Pasta Lupino 7 1 Pasture to Plate 9 4 The Patio at Lake Breeze 8 8 Pâtisserie Bordeaux 9 1 Pâtisserie Lebeau 9 1 Paul’s Place Omelettery 2 6 Pazzo Chow 1 0 3 Peaceful Restaurant 2 0 Pearl Bistro & Oyster Bar 7 0 The Pear Tree 6 0 Peckinpah 1 3 Pekoe Tea Lounge 9 9 Pelican Seafood Restaurant 2 0 Penang Delight 3 4 Peninsula Seafood Restaurant 2 0 Pepper Lunch 4 4 Perro Negro 8 2 Pete’s Meat 9 4 Phat 1 5 Phnom Penh 5 9 Pho Hoang Vietnamese Restaurant 5 9 Pho Long 5 9 Pho Tan Vietnamese Restaurant 5 9 Pho Thái Hôa 5 9 Picnic Charcuterie 7 7 Pied-à-Terre 2 9 Pier 7 Restaurant + Bar 6 4 Pig BBQ Joint 8 2 Pilgrimme 8 4 Pinkberry 1 0 2 Pink Elephant 5 5 Pinpin Restaurant 2 8 , 3 6 The Pint Public House 5 1 Pizza Fabrika 3 9 Pizzeria Barbarella 3 9 Pizzeria Bufala 3 9 Pizzeria Bufala (advertisement) 8 3 Pizzeria Farina 3 9 Pizzeria Prima Strada 8 2 The Pointe at the Wickaninnish Inn 7 7 The Pointe at the Wickaninnish Inn (advertisement) 7 3 Point-No-Point 7 6 Polonia Sausage House 9 4 Pondok Indonesian 3 4 The Portside Pub 5 1 , 1 1 0 Portland Craft 1 1 0 The Portly Chef 6 4 Pourhouse 1 0 8 Prado Café 9 9 Prince Seafood Restaurant 2 0 Prohibition 1 0 8 , 1 1 1 Pronto Caffé 3 9 Pro Organics 1 0 3 Provence Marinaside 3 0

I N D EX

S Sabra Restaurant & Bakery 91 Sachi Sushi 72 Sai Woo 2 0 , 32 Sake Maki Japanese Restaurant 44 Salade de Fruits Café Bistro 30 Sala Thai 5 5 Sala Thai (advertisement) 49 Salmon House on the Hill 70 Salmon House on the Hill (advertisement) 43 Saloniki Green Taverna 30 Salsa & Agave Mexican Grill 12 Saltspring Island Cheese 105 Salt Tasting Room 112 Salty’s Beach House 89 Salty Tongue Café 17 , 1 00 Sal y Limón 12 Sandbar 24 San Lee Enterprises 101 The Sardine Can 54 Sargam House 33 Savary Island Pie Company 104 Save On Meats 28 , 94 Savoury City 96 Sawasdee Thai 55 Schokolade Artisan Chocolates & Cafe 96 The Schooner Restaurant 77 Sciué 3 9 Sea Harbour Seafood Restuarant 67 Seasons in the Park 24 Sebastian & Co. Fine Organic Meats 94 Seoul Dookbaegi 47 Seoul Express 69 Seven Seas 1 01 ShakTea 4 6 The Shameful Tiki Room 1 07 , 108 Shamrock Alley 52 Shanghai River Restaurant 67 Shanghai Wonderful 67 Shanti’s Curries 33 Shaolin Noodle House 20 Shaughnessy Restaurant 24 Shiang Garden 67 Shine Cafe 8 2 Shizen Ya 4 4 ShuRaku 45 Sidecut 72 Siegel’s Bagels 92 Siena 3 9 Silvestre Gusto Latino 12 Simba’s Grill 9 Simply Thai 55 Six Acres 1 11 Slaters’ Meats 105 Sliders 1 2 Small Victory 90 Smitty’s Oyster House 86 Smokin’ George’s BBQ 76 SoBo 77 Soffee Café 99 Soirette Macarons & Tea 9 0 Solly’s Bagelry 92 Song Huong Vietnamese Restaurant 59

The Sonora Room Restaurant at Burrowing Owl Estate Winery 88 Sooke Harbour House 76 South China Seas 104 South China Seas Trading Company 102 Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub and Guesthouse 82 Splitz Grill 52 The Stable House Bistro 52 Stackhouse Burger Bar 52 Stage Wine Bar 82 Standard Pizza 82 St. Augustine’s 52 Steam Tea House 46 Steamworks Brewing Co. 52 Steel Toad Brewpub & Dining Hall 52 , 55 Steeples Bar & Grill 75 Stepho’s Souvlaki Greek Taverna 30 Steveston Pizza Company 69 Steveston Seafood House 69 Stock Up 104 Stone Soup Inn 75 Stong’s Market 102 Storm Crow Tavern 111 Straight Outta Brooklyn 39 , 74 Sugar and Co. 97 Suika Snack Bar 45 Summerhill Sunset Organic Bistro 88 Sunny Spot Cafe 20 Sunrise Market 101 Sun Sui Wah Seafood Restaurant 20 Sun Wah 84 Supermarine (advertisement) 83 Sura Korean Royal Cuisine 47 Sushi Bella 64 Sushi By Yuji 45 Sushi Garden 60 Sushi Hachi 45 , 67 Sushi Village 72 Sustainable Produce Urban Delivery 101 Sutra 8 4 Sweet E’s Pastries & Sweets 92 SweetSalt Bakery 92 The Sweet Tooth Cakery 103 Swiss Bakery 92 S&W Pepper House 60 Sylvia’s Restaurant & Lounge 111 Szechuan Chongqing Seafood Restaurant 20

T Tableau 24 Tableau Bar Bistro 110 , 111 Tacofino 77 Tacofino Commissary 12 Tacofino Gastown Tacomio 13 Takis’ Taverna 30 Talon’s Restaurant Tamam 9

Tamarind Hill Malaysian Cuisine 63 , 64 Tango’s Gourmet Meats 94 Tap and Barrel 52 Tapenade Bistro 69 Tavern at the New Oxford 110 Teahouse in Stanley Park 24 Temaki Sushi 45 Temper Chocolate Pastry (advertisement) 27 Templeton 28 Ten Ren Tea 99 Terra Breads 92 The Terrace at Mission Hill Family Estate Winery 88 Terrace Restaurant at CedarCreek Estate Winery 88 Terrafina at Hester Creek 88 Thai Cuisine

by Montri 55 Thai House (advertisement) 49 Thai Pudpong 70 Theo’s 89 Thierry 90 Thierry (advertisement) 6 Thomas Haas Fine Chocolates & Patisserie 97 The Three Brits Public House 110 Thy Pho 59 Timbertrain Coffee Roasters 99 Tojo’s 45 Tomahawk Restaurant 6 5 Topanga Café 13 Top Shanghai Cuisine 6 7 Toshi Sushi 45 Tosi & Company 100 Tractor 17 Trafalgars Bistro 24 Trafiq Café & Bakery 1 7 Tramonto at River Rock Casino Resort 69 Tramonto at River Rock Casino Resort (advertisement) 61 Trattoria di Umberto Restaurant 72 Trattoria Italian Kitchen 39 Tree House Café 86 Tre Fantastico 84 Trilussa 39 Trini to D Bone 84 Tropika 34 True Grain Bread 105 Tsim Chai Noodles 69 T & T Supermarket 10 2 Tuc Craft Kitchen 17 Tuc Craft Kitchen (advertisement) 79 Turks on the Drive 99 The Tuscan Kitchen 10 5 Twisted Fork Bistro 26 Two Chefs and a Table 69 Two Rivers Meats 94 Two Rivers Meats (advertisement) 31

12

Fine Foods 1 0 0 U & I Thai Restaurant 5 5 Unsworth Restaurant 7 5 The Upper Deck 8 6 Uprising Breads 9 2 Urban Fare 1 0 2 The Urban Tea Merchant 4 6 , 9 9 Urban Thai Bistro 5 5 Uva Wine & Cocktail Bar 1 0 8 , 1 0 9 Uva Wine & Cocktail Bar (advertisement) 2 3

Uchida 84 Ugo & Joe’s

96

London Pub 1 1 0 Mamie Taylor’s 1 2 Matchstick Coffee Roasters 9 9 Maxim’s Bakery 9 0 Musette Caffè 9 7 Oyster Express 5 3 The Parker 5 7 Pazzo Chow 1 0 3 Phnom Penh 5 9 Pizzeria Farina 3 9 Ramen Butcher 4 4 Sai Woo 2 0 San Lee Enterprises 1 0 1 Sunrise Market 1 0 1 Szechuan Chongqing Seafood Restaurant 2 0 Ten Ren Tea 9 9 Tosi & Company 1 0 0

Y Yaletown Brewing Company 5 2 Yaohan Centre 6 9 Yew Seafood + Bar 5 4 , 1 1 1 Yolk’s Restaurant & Commissary 2 8 Yuji’s From Japan 4 6

Z V Vancouver Urban Winery 1 1 2 The Vanilla Pod Tapas & Wine Bar 8 9 Vanvan 4 6 Veneto at the Hotel Rialto 8 4 Venue 1 1 2 Vera’s Burger Shack 1 8 Via Tevere 4 0 Via Tevere (advertisement) 9 5 Vij’s 3 3 Village Butcher 1 0 5 Village Fish and Oyster Market 1 0 1 Vinoteca at Zanatta Winery 7 5 Vista d’Oro Farms 6 3 Viva Fine Foods & Bakery 9 2

W Waffle & Berries 9 0 Wallflower 2 8 Water St. Cafe (advertisement) 7 3 Waterfront Restaurant and Wine Bar 8 8 Watermark Beach Resort Wine Bar & Patio 8 9 Watershed Grill 7 2 Weinberg’s Good Food 7 5 West 2 6 West (advertisement) 6 Westlynn Meats & Seafoods 9 4 West Oak 5 2 What’s Up? Hot Dog! 1 3 The Whip 5 2 , 1 1 1 White Whale Public House 7 5 The Whole Beast Salumeria 1 0 5 Whole Foods Market 1 0 2 Wildebeest 2 6 The Wilder Snail 1 0 0 WildFire Organic Bakery 1 0 5 Wild Mountain Food & Drink 7 6 Wildside Grill 7 7 WildTale Coastal Grill 5 3 Windsor Quality Meats 9 4 The Wine Bar at Provence 5 9 Wolf in the Fog 7 7 Wood Fire Bakery 8 8

U 88

Xoxolat

X Xi Shi

111

2016

Zakkushi Charcoal Grill Diner 4 6 Zambri’s 8 4 Zefferelli’s Spaghetti Joint 4 0 Zeitoon Persian Cuisine 6 5 Zen Japanese Restaurant 7 0 Zen Japanese Restaurant (advertisement) 9 5 Zest Japanese Cuisine 4 6 Zipang Provisions 4 7

Coal Harbour The Butcher & Bullock 1 0 9 Cardero’s 5 3 Chewies 5 3 Giovane Cafe + Winebar 9 0 Lift Bar and Grill 2 4 Lion’s Pub 5 1 Lobby Lounge and Terrace 1 1 1 Mill Marine Bistro 1 1 0 Soirette Macarons & Tea 9 0 Tableau Bar Bistro 1 1 1 Waffle & Berries 9 0

LISTINGS

BY AREA Burnaby Abdul’s Barbeque 6 0 Alvin Garden 6 0 Anatolia’s Gate 6 0 Broken Rice 6 0 Chez Christophe Chocolaterie Pâtisserie 9 7 Crystal Mall Food Court 6 0 F.I.S.H. (Fresh Ideas Start Here) 6 0 Hanwoori Korean Restaurant 6 0 Hi Genki 6 0 No.1 Beef Noodle House 6 0 Paradise Vegetarian The Pear Tree 6 0 Noodle House 6 0 Pro Organics 1 0 3 Sushi Garden 6 0 S&W Pepper House

Commercial Drive

60

Cawston Crowsnest Vineyard Restaurant 8 6

Chilliwack Bravo

63

Chinatown Ba-Le French Sandwich 5 7 Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie 1 8 Bestie 3 0 Campagnolo 3 4 Crackle Crème 9 0 Electric Owl 1 1 2 The Emerald 1 0 8 Floata Seafood Restaurant 1 8 Hai Phong Restaurant The Keefer Bar 1 1 1 Kobob Burger 4 7 Lee Loy BBQ Meat Co 9 4

E AT I N G & D R I N K I N G G U I D E

57

Addis Café 8 Angkor Restaurant 5 7 Arriva 3 4 Bakery Sate 9 2 Bandidas Taqueria 9 Café Deux Soleils 5 6 Café Kathmandu 4 7 Cannibal Café 2 6 Casa Verde 4 8 The Daily Catch Seafood Company 1 0 1 Dolce Amore 1 0 2 Drive Organics 1 0 1 East End Food Co-op 1 0 1 Falconetti’s 5 1 Famoso Pizza 3 6 Federico’s Supper Club 3 6 Fets Whisky Kitchen 1 1 The First Ravioli Store 1 0 0 Fratelli Bakery 9 2 Harambe Restaurant 9 Havana Café 1 1 Jamjar 9 Kin Kao Thai Kitchen 5 4 Kishimoto 4 2 La Grotta del Formaggio 9 6 La Mezcaleria 1 1 Lombardo’s 3 7 Marcello’s 3 7 Mediterranean Specialty Foods 1 0 0 Merchant’s Oyster Bar 5 3 Pasture to Plate 9 4 Prado Café 9 9 The Reef 1 2 Rinconcito Salvadoreño Restaurant 1 2 Sake Maki Japanese Restaurant 4 4 Saloniki Green

VANCOUVER MAGAZINE

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IND E X

Pacific Rim 2 4 Pink Elephant 5 5 Prohibition 1 0 8 , 1 1 1 The Railway Club 1 1 2 RawBar at the Fairmont Pacific Rim 4 4 Red Card Sports Bar & Eatery 3 9 Refinery 2 4 , 1 0 8 Reflections 1 1 1 Rocanini Coffee Roasters 9 7 The Roof at Black + Blue 5 4 Rosewood Hotel Georgia 1 1 1 Sala Thai on Burrard 5 5 Shizen Ya 4 4 ShuRaku Sake Bar & Bistro 4 5 Stackhouse Burger Bar 5 2 Stepho’s 3 0 Straight Outta Brooklyn 3 9 Tableau 2 4 Templeton 2 8 Thierry 9 0 Tractor 1 7 Twisted Fork Bistro 2 6 The Urban Tea Merchant 4 6 , 9 9 Uva Wine & Cocktail Bar 1 0 8 Venue 1 1 2 Xi Shi 1 1 1 Yew Seafood + Bar 5 4 , 1 1 1 Zefferelli’s Spaghetti Joint 4 0

Dunbar La Buca 3 7 Stong’s Market

102

Duncan

Taverna 30 St. Augustine’s 52 Storm Crow Tavern 111 Thy Pho 59 Turks on the Drive 99 Uprising Breads 92 Via Tevere 40

Coquitlam Insadong 63 John B. Neighbourhood Pub 63 Kulinarya Filipino Eatery 63

Courtenay/Comox Atlas Café 72 Avenue Bistro 72 The Breakwater Restaurant at Kingfisher Oceanside Resort & Spa 72 Cake Bread Artisan Bakery Hot Chocolates 72 Fanny Bay Oyster Seafood Shop 105 The Guerrilla Food

1 28

Company Pizzeria Guerrilla 72 Locals 72 Martine’s Bistro 72 Merridale Bistro 75 Natural Pastures 75 Weinberg’s Good Food 75 White Whale Public House 75

Cowichan Bay Stone Soup Inn 75 The Masthead 75

Deep Cove The Arm’s Reach Bistro 63 Honey Doughnuts and Goodies 63

Downtown 900 West Restaurant + Bar 111 1927 111 Argan Bistro 8 Bacchus 20 Bacchus Lounge 111

VANCOUVER MAGAZINE

Bake My Day 90 Bel Café 14 Bella Gelateria 10 2 The Belmont Bar 1 0 8 Blackbird 48 Bonchaz Bakery Cafe Bottleneck 22 Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar 2 2 Chocolate Mousse Kitchenware 1 0 0 Cibo Trattoria 34 Cinara 35 Cinema 109 Coast 53 Commodore Ballroom 112 Commune Café 1 4 Cookworks 100 Copper Chimney 3 3 Delicious Pho 57 Diva at the Met 11 1 Finch’s 14 The Fish Shack 53 Five Sails 22 Francesco’s 36 The Gallery Café at the VAG 15

E AT I N G & D R I N K I N G G U I D E

2016

90

Giovane 1 5 Gotham Steakhouse 5 4 Grain Tasting Bar 2 2 Granville Room 1 0 8 Grounds for Appeal 1 5 Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ 4 0 Gyu King Teppanyaki 4 0 Hawksworth 2 4 , 1 1 1 Hokkaido Ramen Santouka 4 2 Hy’s Encore 5 4 Italian Kitchen 3 6 Jinya Ramen Bar 4 2 La Taqueria 1 1 Le Crocodile 2 9 Library Square Public House 1 0 9 Licious Living 1 0 3 Market by Jean-Georges 2 4 Meat & Bread 1 5 The Media Club 1 1 2 Medina Café 1 5 The Mexican 1 2 Miku 4 4 Musette Caffè 9 7 Oru at Fairmont

Fairview Caffè Cittadella 1 4 Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ 4 0 Pondok Indonesian Shizen Ya 4 4 Tojo’s 4 5

34

East Side Amay’s House 5 6 Bao Chau 5 7 Basho Cafe 4 0 Beta5 9 6 Bistro Wagon Rouge 2 8 Black Rook Bakehouse 9 2 Blowfish Sushi 4 0 Bon’s Off Broadway 2 6 Bosa Foods 1 0 2 The Butler Did It 9 6 Campagnolo Roma 3 4 Cedar Cottage Neighbourhood Pub 1 0 9 Chicha 1 1 Cho Sun BBQ Korean Restaurant 4 7 Cioffi’s Meat Market & Deli 9 4 Columbus Meat Market 9 4 Duffin’s Donuts 1 1 East Village Bakery 9 2 Ethical Bean 9 9 Good Choice 1 9 Got Pho? Thien

Galiano Galiano Inn 8 4 Pilgrimme 8 4

Gastown Acme Café 2 6 Alibi Room 4 8 , 1 0 8 Bambudda 4 7 Bao Down 4 7 Bauhaus 3 0 Bitter 4 8 Bitter Tasting Room 1 09 Blacktail 2 2 The Bourbon 1 0 9 Cadeaux Bakery 9 0 Calabash 1 1 Chambar 1 3 The Charles Bar 1 0 9 Chill Winston Restaurant & Lounge 4 8 Clough Club 1 0 8 Coffeebar 9 7 Cork & Fin 5 3 Danica’s Cafe 1 4 Deacon’s Corner 2 6

L U C A S F I N L AY

Bomber Brewing // pg.118

Bistro One Sixty One 7 5 Cowichan Valley Meat Market 1 0 5 Hudson’s on First 7 5 Steeples Bar & Grill 7 5 Unsworth Restaurant 7 5 Vinoteca at Zanatta Winery 7 5

Kim Vietnamese Restaurant 5 7 The Gourmet Warehouse 1 0 4 Hapag Ihaw Ihaw Restaurant 3 6 Heidi’s Café 1 5 Invitro 1 5 Italia Bakery Vancouver 9 2 Jackalope’ s Neighbourhood Dive 5 1 Kessel & March 2 9 La Casa Gelato 1 0 2 Laksa King 4 7 La Piazza Dario Ristorante 3 7 Le Do Vietnamese Restaurant 5 9 Mr. Red Café 5 9 Osteria Napoli 3 9 O! Taho 3 6 Pelican Seafood Restaurant 2 0 Penang Delight 3 4 Polonia Sausage House 9 4 Prince Seafood Restaurant 2 0 Red Wagon 2 6 Rio Friendly Meats 9 4 Roundel Cafe 1 7 Save On Meats 2 8 Savoury City 9 6 Schokolade Artisan Chocolates & Cafe 9 6 Song Huong Vietnamese Restaurant 5 9 Steam Tea House 4 6 Sustainable Produce Urban Delivery 1 01 Tacofino Commissary 12 Tamam 9 Ugo & Joe’s Fine Foods 1 0 0 What’s Up? Hot Dog! 13 Yolk’s Restaurant & Commissary 2 8

I N D EX

The Diamond 48 , 108 The Dirty Apron 100 East Van Roasters 97 The Greedy Pig 51 Guilt & Co. 110 Irish Heather 51 Jules 29 L’Abattoir 24 La Casita 1 1 The Lamplighter Public House 1 09 Meat & Bread 15 Metropole 1 10 The Modern Bartender 104 Mosquito 15 Nelson the Seagull 97 Nicli Antica Pizzeria 37 Nicli’s Next Door 37 Notturno 37 Peckinpah 13 The Pint Public House 5 1 The Portside Pub 51 , 110 Pourhouse 108 Purebread 9 0 Rainier Provisions 17 Revel Room 52 Revolver 17 Rodney’s Oyster House 5 3 Salt Tasting Room 112 Salty Tongue 17 , 100 The Sardine Can 54 Save On Meats 94 Silvestre Gusto Latino 12 Six Acres 1 11 Steamworks Brewing Co. 52 Tacofino Gastown 12 Tacomio 13 Timbertrain Coffee Roasters 99 Tuc Craft Kitchen 17 Wildebeest 26

Granville Island Apollonia 30 Backstage Lounge 112 ChocolaTas 96 Dockside 4 8 Edible Canada 22 , 104 Granville Island Public Market 102 Lee’s Donuts 102 L’Epicerie 102 The Lobster Man 102 Oyama Sausage Company 102 Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts 24 Sandbar 2 4 South China Seas Trading Company 102

Harrison Hot Springs Copper Room

63

Kelowna & Westbank The Bohemian Café 86 Bonfire Grill at the Cove Lakeside Resort 86 Bouchons Bistro 86 Grapevine Restaurant at Gray Monk Estate Winery 86 Hoang Gia 87 La Bussola 87

Minstrel Café and Bar 87 Mission Hill Family Estate Winery Private Dining Experience 87 Quails’ Gate Old Vines Restaurant 87 RauDZ Regional Table 87 Ric’s Grill 87 Summerhill Sunset Organic Bistro 88 The Terrace at Mission Hill Family Estate Winery 88 Terrace Restaurant at CedarCreek Estate Winery 88 Waterfront Restaurant and Wine Bar 88 Wood Fire Bakery 88

Keremeos Benja Thai Restaurant

88

Kerrisdale Ajisai Sushi Bar 40 Finest at Sea 53 Fish Café 53 Golden Ocean Seafood Restaurant 18 Irashai Sushi 42 Jinya Ramen Bar 42 Lok’s Chinese Restaurant 19 MacFarlane’s Selected Fish Market 101 Michele Cake Shop 91 Moore’s Bakery 100 Pizzeria Bufala 39 Stock Up 104 Sushi Hachi 45 Sweet E’s Pastries & Sweets 92

Kingsway Cucina Manila 28 Famous Foods 103 Green Lettuce 19 Hai Phong Restaurant 57 House of Dosas 33 Kalvin’s Szechuan 19 Les Faux Bourgeois 29 Max’s Restaurant 28 Mui Ngo Gai 59 Ningtu Restaurant 19 Pho Long 59 Seoul Dookbaegi 47 Sushi By Yuji 45

Kitsilano 49th Parallel Coffee 99 Akbar’s Own 30 AnnaLena 20 Aphrodite’s Organic Café 14 Athene’s 30 Beyond Bread Artisan Bakery 91 Bibo 34 Bishop’s 20 Bistro Pastis 28 Chewies 53 Chocolate Arts 96 Colony 48 Darby’s 109 Deacon’s Corner 26 Deafined 8 East Is East 8 Edible Flours 103 Fable 22 Fresh Is Best Salsa & Co. 103 Gramercy Grill 24

Greens Organic & Natural Market 101 Jackson’s Meat and Deli 94 Jolly’s Indian Bistro 33 Kinome Japanese Kitchen 42 La Cigale 29 La Quercia 37 Las Margaritas 11 Local Public Eatery 51 L’Ufficio 37 Maenam 54 Maria’s Taverna 30 Market Meats 94 Minerva’s Mediterranean Deli 100 Mission 24 Moderne Burger 26 Nook 37 Notte’s Bon Ton Pastry and Confectionery 9 1 Novo 39 O5 Tea 46 Octopus’ Garden 44 Osaka Teppanyaki 44 Pane From Heaven 91 Panne Rizo Gluten Free Bakery 103 Parthenon Supermarket 100 Pâtisserie Bordeaux 91 Pete’s Meat 94 Rain or Shine 102 Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company 18 Temaki Sushi 45 Thai Cuisine by Montri 55 The Bimini 109 The Naam 57 The Oakwood Canadian Bistro 51 Thomas Haas Fine Chocolates & Patisserie 97 Topanga Café 13 Tractor 17 Trafalgars Bistro 24 Viva Fine Foods & Bakery 92 Zest Japanese Cuisine 4 6

Langley Flourishing Chinese 6 3 Vista d’Oro Farms 63

Longtail Kitchen 6 3 Re-Up BBQ 6 3 Tamarind Hill Malaysian Cuisine 6 3 Bean Around the World 1 0 0 The Blue Goose Cattle Company 9 4 Bravo Cucina 6 3 Canyon 6 3 The Cheese Man 9 6 Cilantro and Jalapeno Gourmet Mexican Foods 1 0 4 The Crab Shop 1 0 1 Delany’s Coffee 1 0 0 The District 6 4 Fishworks 6 4 Gusto di Quattro 6 4 Hell Pizza 6 4 Jagerhof Schnitzel House 6 4 Jolly Meats & Fine Foods 9 4 Kosta the Fishmonger 1 0 1 Kyung Bok Palace 6 4 La Cucina 6 4 The Little District 6 4 Mythos 6 4 Pars International Food 1 0 4 Pasparos Taverna 6 4 Pier 7 Restaurant + Bar 6 4 The Portly Chef 6 4 Queensdale Market 1 0 3 Raglan’s 6 4 Rosemary Rocksalt 9 2 Sugar and Co. 9 7 Sushi Bella 6 4 The Sweet Tooth Cakery 1 0 3 Tamarind Hill Malaysian Cuisine 6 4 Thomas Haas Fine Chocolates & Patisserie 9 7 Tomahawk Restaurant 6 5 Two Rivers Meats 9 4 Westlynn Meats & Seafoods 9 4 Zeitoon Persian Cuisine 6 5

Bistro at Westwood Lake 75 Bodhi’s Artisan Bakery 104 The Crow and Gate 75 Hilltop Bistro 75 La Stella Trattoria 76 Longwood Brewpub 76 Mahle House 76 Mon Petit Choux 76 Riso Foods 76 Smokin’ George’s BBQ 76

Oliver

Naramata

Pender Island

Cobblestone Wine Bar 88 Hillside Bistro at Hillside Estate Winery 88 The Patio at Lake Breeze 88

Aurora Restaurant 8 4 The Cafe at Hope Bay

Cloud 9 Specialty Bakery 103

89

Point Grey North Vancouver

Nanaimo

New Westminster

Il Vecchio 8 9 Salty’s Beach House Theo’s 8 9

Best of India 8 8 Miradoro 8 8 Terrafina at Hester Creek 8 8

Osoyoos Talon’s Restaurant 8 8 Watermark Beach Resort Wine Bar & Patio 8 9

Peachland Gasthaus on the Lake

89

84

Penticton The Bellevue Café 8 9 Bogner’s of Penticton 8 9 Burger 55 8 9 The Dream Café 8 9 Hooded Merganser Bar and Grill 8 9

2016

Baru Latino 1 1 The Butcher 9 4 Butter Baked Goods & Cafe 9 1 The Cheese Place 9 6 The Galley at the Jericho Sailing Centre 5 1 Jethro’s Fine Grub 2 6 Mix the Bakery 9 1 Panne Rizo Gluten Free Bakery 1 0 3 Provence Mediterranean Grill 3 0 Rajio Japanese Public House 4 4 Yuji’s From Japan 4 6

Port Alberni All Mex’d Up

76

Restaurant 2 0 Sura Korean Royal Cuisine 4 7 Sushi Hachi 6 7 Ten Ren Tea 9 9 Top Shanghai Cuisine 6 7 Tramonto at River Rock Casino Resort 6 9 Tsim Chai Noodles 6 9 Two Chefs and a Table 6 9 Yaohan Centre 6 9

Salt Spring Island Barb’s Bakery and Bistro 8 4 Harbour House 8 4 Hastings House 8 6 House Piccolo 8 6 Rendezvous French Patisserie 8 6 Saltspring Island Cheese 1 0 5 Tree House Café 8 6

Railtown

Sidney

Ask for Luigi 3 4 Belgard Kitchen 4 8 Cuchillo 1 1 Railtown Café 1 7

Bistro Suisse 7 6 Brentwood Pub and Seagrille Seafood & Sushi 7 6 Deep Cove Chalet 7 6 Muffet & Louisa 1 0 5 Point-No-Point 7 6

Richmond Aling Mary’s 3 6 Bamboo Grove 6 5 Carmichael’s at the Hilton Vancouver Airport 6 5 Chef Hung Taiwanese Beef Noodle 6 5 Chef Tony Seafood 6 5 Chop Steakhouse & Bar 6 6 Chuan Ku Bbq Restaurant 6 6 Dinesty Chinese Restaurant 6 6 Empire Seafood 6 6 Fisherman’s Terrace Seafood Restaurant 6 6 Flying Beaver Bar & Grill 6 6 Gingeri Chinese Cuisine 6 6 G-Men Ramen Shop 6 6 Golden Paramount 6 6 Golden Szechuan 6 6 Hakkasan 6 6 Hoi Tong 6 6 Jade Seafood Restaurant 6 6 Kiriri Japanese Cuisine & Sushi Bar 6 7 Kiyo Sushi 6 7 Kumare Restaurant & Bakery 6 7 LA Chicken 6 7 Max Noodle House 6 7 McKim Wonton Mein Saga 6 7 Neptune Wonton Noodle 6 7 Pepper Lunch 4 4 Rainflower Restaurant 6 7 Red Star Seafood Restaurant 2 0 Sea Harbour Seafood Restuarant 6 7 Shanghai River Restaurant 6 7 Shanghai Wonderful 6 7 Shiang Garden 6 7 Sun Sui Wah Seafood

E AT I N G & D R I N K I N G G U I D E

Sooke Sooke Harbour House 7 6 Wild Mountain Food & Drink 7 6

South Cambie Beans on Cambie 9 9 Caffè Cittadella 9 9 Corduroy Pie Company 3 5 Dynasty Seafood Restaurant 1 8 Ebisu 4 0 Emelle’s Catering 9 6 Landmark Hot Pot House 1 9 Las Tortas 1 1 La Taqueria 1 1 Lemonade Gluten Free Bakery 1 0 3 Marulilu Cafe 4 2 Menya 4 4 Pekoe Tea Lounge 9 9 Pied-à-Terre 2 9 Pronto Caffé 3 9 Sabra Restaurant & Bakery 9 1 Seasons in the Park 2 4 Shaolin Noodle House 2 0 Shaughnessy Restaurant 2 4 Sliders 1 2 U & I Thai Restaurant 5 5

South Granville The Academic 1 0 9 Afghan Horsemen 8 Beaucoup Bakery & Café 9 1 Caffé Barney 1 7 Cheesecake Etc. 9 1 Cookworks 1 0 0 Culinary Capers Catering 9 4 Dose Espresso Bar 9 9 Farmer’s Apprentice 2 2

VANCOUVER MAGAZINE

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I N D EX

The Diamond 48 , 108 The Dirty Apron 100 East Van Roasters 97 The Greedy Pig 51 Guilt & Co. 110 Irish Heather 51 Jules 29 L’Abattoir 24 La Casita 1 1 The Lamplighter Public House 1 09 Meat & Bread 15 Metropole 1 10 The Modern Bartender 104 Mosquito 15 Nelson the Seagull 97 Nicli Antica Pizzeria 37 Nicli’s Next Door 37 Notturno 37 Peckinpah 13 The Pint Public House 5 1 The Portside Pub 51 , 110 Pourhouse 108 Purebread 9 0 Rainier Provisions 17 Revel Room 52 Revolver 17 Rodney’s Oyster House 5 3 Salt Tasting Room 112 Salty Tongue 17 , 100 The Sardine Can 54 Save On Meats 94 Silvestre Gusto Latino 12 Six Acres 1 11 Steamworks Brewing Co. 52 Tacofino Gastown 12 Tacomio 13 Timbertrain Coffee Roasters 99 Tuc Craft Kitchen 17 Wildebeest 26

Granville Island Apollonia 30 Backstage Lounge 112 ChocolaTas 96 Dockside 4 8 Edible Canada 22 , 104 Granville Island Public Market 102 Lee’s Donuts 102 L’Epicerie 102 The Lobster Man 102 Oyama Sausage Company 102 Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts 24 Sandbar 2 4 South China Seas Trading Company 102

Harrison Hot Springs Copper Room

63

Kelowna & Westbank The Bohemian Café 86 Bonfire Grill at the Cove Lakeside Resort 86 Bouchons Bistro 86 Grapevine Restaurant at Gray Monk Estate Winery 86 Hoang Gia 87 La Bussola 87

Minstrel Café and Bar 87 Mission Hill Family Estate Winery Private Dining Experience 87 Quails’ Gate Old Vines Restaurant 87 RauDZ Regional Table 87 Ric’s Grill 87 Summerhill Sunset Organic Bistro 88 The Terrace at Mission Hill Family Estate Winery 88 Terrace Restaurant at CedarCreek Estate Winery 88 Waterfront Restaurant and Wine Bar 88 Wood Fire Bakery 88

Keremeos Benja Thai Restaurant

88

Kerrisdale Ajisai Sushi Bar 40 Finest at Sea 53 Fish Café 53 Golden Ocean Seafood Restaurant 18 Irashai Sushi 42 Jinya Ramen Bar 42 Lok’s Chinese Restaurant 19 MacFarlane’s Selected Fish Market 101 Michele Cake Shop 91 Moore’s Bakery 100 Pizzeria Bufala 39 Stock Up 104 Sushi Hachi 45 Sweet E’s Pastries & Sweets 92

Kingsway Cucina Manila 28 Famous Foods 103 Green Lettuce 19 Hai Phong Restaurant 57 House of Dosas 33 Kalvin’s Szechuan 19 Les Faux Bourgeois 29 Max’s Restaurant 28 Mui Ngo Gai 59 Ningtu Restaurant 19 Pho Long 59 Seoul Dookbaegi 47 Sushi By Yuji 45

Kitsilano 49th Parallel Coffee 99 Akbar’s Own 30 AnnaLena 20 Aphrodite’s Organic Café 14 Athene’s 30 Beyond Bread Artisan Bakery 91 Bibo 34 Bishop’s 20 Bistro Pastis 28 Chewies 53 Chocolate Arts 96 Colony 48 Darby’s 109 Deacon’s Corner 26 Deafined 8 East Is East 8 Edible Flours 103 Fable 22 Fresh Is Best Salsa & Co. 103 Gramercy Grill 24

Greens Organic & Natural Market 101 Jackson’s Meat and Deli 94 Jolly’s Indian Bistro 33 Kinome Japanese Kitchen 42 La Cigale 29 La Quercia 37 Las Margaritas 11 Local Public Eatery 51 L’Ufficio 37 Maenam 54 Maria’s Taverna 30 Market Meats 94 Minerva’s Mediterranean Deli 100 Mission 24 Moderne Burger 26 Nook 37 Notte’s Bon Ton Pastry and Confectionery 9 1 Novo 39 O5 Tea 46 Octopus’ Garden 44 Osaka Teppanyaki 44 Pane From Heaven 91 Panne Rizo Gluten Free Bakery 103 Parthenon Supermarket 100 Pâtisserie Bordeaux 91 Pete’s Meat 94 Rain or Shine 102 Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company 18 Temaki Sushi 45 Thai Cuisine by Montri 55 The Bimini 109 The Naam 57 The Oakwood Canadian Bistro 51 Thomas Haas Fine Chocolates & Patisserie 97 Topanga Café 13 Tractor 17 Trafalgars Bistro 24 Viva Fine Foods & Bakery 92 Zest Japanese Cuisine 4 6

Langley Flourishing Chinese 6 3 Vista d’Oro Farms 63

Longtail Kitchen 6 3 Re-Up BBQ 6 3 Tamarind Hill Malaysian Cuisine 6 3 Bean Around the World 1 0 0 The Blue Goose Cattle Company 9 4 Bravo Cucina 6 3 Canyon 6 3 The Cheese Man 9 6 Cilantro and Jalapeno Gourmet Mexican Foods 1 0 4 The Crab Shop 1 0 1 Delany’s Coffee 1 0 0 The District 6 4 Fishworks 6 4 Gusto di Quattro 6 4 Hell Pizza 6 4 Jagerhof Schnitzel House 6 4 Jolly Meats & Fine Foods 9 4 Kosta the Fishmonger 1 0 1 Kyung Bok Palace 6 4 La Cucina 6 4 The Little District 6 4 Mythos 6 4 Pars International Food 1 0 4 Pasparos Taverna 6 4 Pier 7 Restaurant + Bar 6 4 The Portly Chef 6 4 Queensdale Market 1 0 3 Raglan’s 6 4 Rosemary Rocksalt 9 2 Sugar and Co. 9 7 Sushi Bella 6 4 The Sweet Tooth Cakery 1 0 3 Tamarind Hill Malaysian Cuisine 6 4 Thomas Haas Fine Chocolates & Patisserie 9 7 Tomahawk Restaurant 6 5 Two Rivers Meats 9 4 Westlynn Meats & Seafoods 9 4 Zeitoon Persian Cuisine 6 5

Bistro at Westwood Lake 75 Bodhi’s Artisan Bakery 104 The Crow and Gate 75 Hilltop Bistro 75 La Stella Trattoria 76 Longwood Brewpub 76 Mahle House 76 Mon Petit Choux 76 Riso Foods 76 Smokin’ George’s BBQ 76

Oliver

Naramata

Pender Island

Cobblestone Wine Bar 88 Hillside Bistro at Hillside Estate Winery 88 The Patio at Lake Breeze 88

Aurora Restaurant 8 4 The Cafe at Hope Bay

Cloud 9 Specialty Bakery 103

89

Point Grey North Vancouver

Nanaimo

New Westminster

Il Vecchio 8 9 Salty’s Beach House Theo’s 8 9

Best of India 8 8 Miradoro 8 8 Terrafina at Hester Creek 8 8

Osoyoos Talon’s Restaurant 8 8 Watermark Beach Resort Wine Bar & Patio 8 9

Peachland Gasthaus on the Lake

89

84

Penticton The Bellevue Café 8 9 Bogner’s of Penticton 8 9 Burger 55 8 9 The Dream Café 8 9 Hooded Merganser Bar and Grill 8 9

2016

Baru Latino 1 1 The Butcher 9 4 Butter Baked Goods & Cafe 9 1 The Cheese Place 9 6 The Galley at the Jericho Sailing Centre 5 1 Jethro’s Fine Grub 2 6 Mix the Bakery 9 1 Panne Rizo Gluten Free Bakery 1 0 3 Provence Mediterranean Grill 3 0 Rajio Japanese Public House 4 4 Yuji’s From Japan 4 6

Port Alberni All Mex’d Up

76

Restaurant 2 0 Sura Korean Royal Cuisine 4 7 Sushi Hachi 6 7 Ten Ren Tea 9 9 Top Shanghai Cuisine 6 7 Tramonto at River Rock Casino Resort 6 9 Tsim Chai Noodles 6 9 Two Chefs and a Table 6 9 Yaohan Centre 6 9

Salt Spring Island Barb’s Bakery and Bistro 8 4 Harbour House 8 4 Hastings House 8 6 House Piccolo 8 6 Rendezvous French Patisserie 8 6 Saltspring Island Cheese 1 0 5 Tree House Café 8 6

Railtown

Sidney

Ask for Luigi 3 4 Belgard Kitchen 4 8 Cuchillo 1 1 Railtown Café 1 7

Bistro Suisse 7 6 Brentwood Pub and Seagrille Seafood & Sushi 7 6 Deep Cove Chalet 7 6 Muffet & Louisa 1 0 5 Point-No-Point 7 6

Richmond Aling Mary’s 3 6 Bamboo Grove 6 5 Carmichael’s at the Hilton Vancouver Airport 6 5 Chef Hung Taiwanese Beef Noodle 6 5 Chef Tony Seafood 6 5 Chop Steakhouse & Bar 6 6 Chuan Ku Bbq Restaurant 6 6 Dinesty Chinese Restaurant 6 6 Empire Seafood 6 6 Fisherman’s Terrace Seafood Restaurant 6 6 Flying Beaver Bar & Grill 6 6 Gingeri Chinese Cuisine 6 6 G-Men Ramen Shop 6 6 Golden Paramount 6 6 Golden Szechuan 6 6 Hakkasan 6 6 Hoi Tong 6 6 Jade Seafood Restaurant 6 6 Kiriri Japanese Cuisine & Sushi Bar 6 7 Kiyo Sushi 6 7 Kumare Restaurant & Bakery 6 7 LA Chicken 6 7 Max Noodle House 6 7 McKim Wonton Mein Saga 6 7 Neptune Wonton Noodle 6 7 Pepper Lunch 4 4 Rainflower Restaurant 6 7 Red Star Seafood Restaurant 2 0 Sea Harbour Seafood Restuarant 6 7 Shanghai River Restaurant 6 7 Shanghai Wonderful 6 7 Shiang Garden 6 7 Sun Sui Wah Seafood

E AT I N G & D R I N K I N G G U I D E

Sooke Sooke Harbour House 7 6 Wild Mountain Food & Drink 7 6

South Cambie Beans on Cambie 9 9 Caffè Cittadella 9 9 Corduroy Pie Company 3 5 Dynasty Seafood Restaurant 1 8 Ebisu 4 0 Emelle’s Catering 9 6 Landmark Hot Pot House 1 9 Las Tortas 1 1 La Taqueria 1 1 Lemonade Gluten Free Bakery 1 0 3 Marulilu Cafe 4 2 Menya 4 4 Pekoe Tea Lounge 9 9 Pied-à-Terre 2 9 Pronto Caffé 3 9 Sabra Restaurant & Bakery 9 1 Seasons in the Park 2 4 Shaolin Noodle House 2 0 Shaughnessy Restaurant 2 4 Sliders 1 2 U & I Thai Restaurant 5 5

South Granville The Academic 1 0 9 Afghan Horsemen 8 Beaucoup Bakery & Café 9 1 Caffé Barney 1 7 Cheesecake Etc. 9 1 Cookworks 1 0 0 Culinary Capers Catering 9 4 Dose Espresso Bar 9 9 Farmer’s Apprentice 2 2

VANCOUVER MAGAZINE

129

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VANCOUVER | RICHMOND | SURREY | COQUITLAM | LANGLEY | VICTORIA | KELOWNA

“Farm to Downtown”

By David Gunawan 905 DUNSMUIR ST. | FINANCIAL DISTRICT royaldinette.ca