Ducky

Well, just to be contrarian, we love our SZ's and have never had any problem with them whatsoever. None at all in over a decade.

I have to agree with this. As any seasoned traveller will tell you, when you find a perfect location the food is often mediocre. Nine time out of ten. If you go to the Cote d'Azur and find a restaurant with the location and views of the Watermark you had better not go in unless you want to be very seriously fleeced. In other words there's an expectation of mediocrity (or worse) that comes with a location such as this. So the fact that Watermark meets that expectation will not harm Vancouver's image one whit. I think the secret to enjoying the Watermark is to go there for the sunset - and that alone. Look at the menu and ask yourself "what is the most difficult thing for these guys to really f___ up?"... and then order accordingly and enjoy the view. Worked for us.

I took a few Chinese friends out for dinner the other night at one of my regular Richmond Chinese places. We had a fine meal and good service, and when the cheque arrived I paid with credit card and left 20% or so in cash on the little plate. My Chinese friends were astonished, and maintained that in Chinese restaurants the server never gets the tip - that this goes straight to the owner, and that therefore they never leave more than a token tip. So to test the proposition I left the tip on the plate, and watched, as our waitress carried this to the person behind the till and handed it to him without so much as even a glance to see how much I had left. Can I conclude from this that my friends were correct - and that tipping practices are wildly different in the Chinese restaurant scene? I fear I have been seriosuly and pointlessly overtipping in the establishments all of these years. I neglected to add that I am a dumb "gweilo". I would appreciate the advice of some of the ethnic Chinese eG members on this.

The Thai royal family travels with their own cooks. As of course they should.

Due to the visit of a couple of teenage nephews, we have recently had burgers at various places, including, Feenies, Vera's, Red Onion and Moderne. Feenies undercooks their burgers (see photos above) and they taste too "mushy" for my taste. And do we really need the fries in that contraption from the Love Shop? A good burger should be charcoal fired - and texture here is critical. The ground sirloin should crumble in your mouth (like kernals of corn) - and not dissolve in your mouth (like apple sauce). Well that's my view. The Red Onion? Well it's all just too greasy. You want to have an enema and a shower (in that order) when you leave the place. Vera's? We like it. But we don't like it quite as much as The Moderne. The '50's ambience at The Moderne is undoubtedly a factor. So is the fact that parking is easy. The whole "gestalt" of The Moderne experience is just slightly superior to that of Vera's. That's the unanimous review of two well seasoned adults and two teenage burger connoisseurs. I apologize if this is repetive - but I did not have time to go through this entire thread.

Park the car in Yaletown. Have a couple of dozen oysters at Rodney's. Then head up the street to Cioppino's for steak tartar (if they have it) - or a "blue" flatiron steak (if they don't). From there it's just a few steps to that fine place on Richards where the balance of the evening can unfold with a minimum of intervention.

Fish Cafe? Don't get me started .....

Freybe Meats - Hastings near Nanaimo. That's where my old mum buys her Sauerbraten. Great German butcher.

For us the high water mark for this kind of food is the "Banana Leaf Apollo" on Race Course Road in Singapore. Does anyone know it? Big bowls of fishhead curries and vindaloos of every description. We have been hoping to find something similar somewhere in Lotus Land - but have had no success to date Will let you know how these recommendations compare.

Many thanks for the tips to the Noor Mahal and House of Dosas. These will be plundered asap.

I asked this question previously on another thread - but we are looking for a good South Indian or Sri Lankan restaurant in the lower mainland. Something seriously spicy. Any leads would be much appreciated.

As I said, we were regulars there for a while as it is close to home. Something started to go very wrong with the place right around the time the Vancouver Magazine article appeared. Not sure what's going on.

Many thanks cinghiale for the tips and the link. These look very useful.

As much as we like Henry's - particularly because it's just down the road from us - we find it is hit and miss. I have had a very fine boeuf bourguinon there - but I have also had the worst bb of my life there: all thin watery broth and gristle. I have had a brilliant seafood pasta there - but have also had one that smelled like the rubbish bin behind Go Fish on a very hot day. The ceasar is usually good - but occasionally it is bitter and inedible. When the boy is good he's good - but unfortunately he is not very consistent.

Thank you Anzu. I appreciate the Vinh Loi tip. Our experience with Sushi has also been dreadful throughout Germany and your explanation for this makes sense. It seems there is a market niche here for some enterprising Sushi chef to fill.

A man has to have a few principles - and these have served me well. I once knew a girl called Gladys. But not for long. I believe it was the right call.

I have always loathed, and refuse to patronize, restaurants the name of which includes the name of an animal that is not on the menu. eg. Frog and Firkin, Smoking Dog, The Jade Rabbit, Elephant & Castle, Flamingo Grill, Le Crocodile, Bearfoot Bistro, Octopus's Garden etc I also avoid all restaurant with terminally cute names. eg. A Kettle of Fish, Dem Bones, Death by Chocolate, My Big Fat Greek Cafe, Sushi Q, The Rebellious Tomato, Cloud 9 etc. Call me old fashioned.

Great analyses of the "why" of VJ's Jamie. Still - that line-up kills it for us. And it seems most people we know feel the same way. Perhaps a few more locations are in order. Perhaps a franchise.

At this time of year, with the late light, I would strongly urge you to consider the Edgewater for dinner. It is a stunning location and view - and the kitchen is also first rate. There are a handful of places in Whistler where you will have an excellent meal - but in the summer, the location of the Edgewater will make that meal unforgettable. I cannot think of another place in Whistler that comes close from this perspective. Full disclosure: I am not a shameless shill: I have no financial interest in the place - nor do I know anyone who does.

I would like to second the question from Badiane. We have been there twice and it was very nice - but each time we left feeling that we were not sure what the fuss was all about. Surely we will never spend an hour in the line up again. I would be very interested in hearing from people who repeatedly subject themselves to this line up. What is it exactly that we are missing? Does a singing and dancing Jesus appear at some point? Illicit sex? Illicit drugs? Do tell!

At the age of five, when we were living in Germany, my parents told me that I could have anything I wanted that year for Christmas. The German economy was booming - and I guess they thought I might ask for a bicycle or some such thing. Well I asked instead for a full brick (probably about 4 kilos) of Limburger cheese all for myself. And I got it.

We have some damn fine markets in here in Vancouver - but since you asked: If you could clone the central market in Avignon, and put it down somewhere near my house - you would have my full respect.

I have buried these in the garden for years. Any convenient place will do. And we get a lot of compliments on our garden.

My guess is that you would have a moooshy textured filet with no discernible crust, but with perhaps a bit of external colour. Like a cooked filet that had been accidentally dropped into the sink. I may be wrong. But I doubt it.

There's something east of Quebec City? And it's in Canada? I had no idea!! The things you learn in this forum!