canucklehead

Thanks dude! That place has really good lamb noodles too.

Went to CXG last night and I loved it. Water cooked rabbit was delcious - in fact, it was so succulent, it had me second guessing if it was really rabbit (the tiny bones would indicate that it was rabbit). Star Dish was live spotted prawns stir fried with dried chili's, sichuan peppercorns, garlic and scallions. Spicy lemony tingle contrasting perfectly with sweet fresh prawns (which were cooked superbly). Now I am curious about the fried rabbit heads! Question - I though I saw a picture of a steamed rice/meat dish that was served with steamed white buns to wrap everything up in. But CXG says that they don't make it. Am I thinking of another place?

More Spanish choices would be nice.

The lines ups are for Santouka look crazy right now. I am dying to try it out though. Stay away from the Oru Ramen at the Fairmont Hotel. Overpriced and deeply underwhelming - despite the noodles being made in house.

Look it THAT! Is that crushed sichuan pepper corn all over the Mao Po Tofu? Looks delicous...

I agree - just enjoy yourself whole heartedly, and you'll get a great reception.

mxkupc, not giving you a menu was odd. The first thing the waiter told us was that they would give us a copy of the menu. Bad mistep - but I would have asked for a copy, I don't think they would have had a big issue with it. It's funny that you mention the hostess - cause that was the only hiccup in service we had when I went. Essentially, the group that had our table was running about 20 minutes late. No problem on my part - because the table was to be ours the rest of the evening - and did not want to rush someone else through their FL experience. But the hostess says to us, in an experated tone "I dropped lots of hints, but I just can't get that table to leave!" I know that she meant this by way of chummy explanation - but I felt like that was bad mouthing your clientele, who were dropping hundereds of dollars per person. Kinda unprofessional. Obviously - a very slight hiccup.

Yaaaaay!!!!

I've seen that place - and been very curious. Thanks for the heads up! I find most Thai in Vancouver incredibly sweet. I wonder if that is an issue with Vancouver thai places, or is emblematic of the cuisine in general.

I think Golden Sichuan in Richmond does a hot pot. Their Burrard St location used to do one.

Dynesty was run by the New World Hotel group from Hong Kong - and it was truly spectacular. I don't think there has been a place in Vancouver since that has matched the same level of service, decor and quality.

Oh - just had dinner at Super Happiness tonight - and it was very good a usual. The owner said he is moving locations - shutting down his Victoria St for a Richmond outlet. Too bad - it was one of the better Chinese places in Vancouver.

The fried buns at Chen's are crazy molten lava hot - I wonder of the frying top and bottom helps seal in the juices. I like Chen's malantou (chopped veggie) starter, their dark sesame pastry at lunch and the red bean spring rolls at dinner. I think Mrs Chen goes back to Shanghai for the break.

I wish them the best also - they have been under the microscope right from the get go. The delays in opening must have been stressful.

Fud - that's an awesome post. I love the shipping containers.

Sam Sifton's piece was awesome (and not just because I happened to agree with most of his picks). He brought an intelligence and real first hand experiences that are sometimes painfully missing from other 'out of town diner' write ups.

I have my list of Cantonese places that I like tremendously - but I wanted to get a guage of where people are going for their fix of spicy Sichuan and Hunan. I continue to really like Alvin Garden, who also do a very good smoked duck. I like Golden Sichuan in Richmond, and S&W Pepper House in Richmond for their cilantro peanut salad (but not over tilapia, which is inedibly muddy tasting). I've been told Szechuan Restaurant on Cambie is good - but I went to their sister restaurant in Burnaby a while ago and was not super impressed. I really like the buzz of Sichuan peppercorn - but I find many places are a little light handed with it. Is there anywhere I should be checking out?

Thanks for the heads up Nondual - sounds like your experience was similiar to Alex Gill's. Lai Leung Kee is on my list of places to try.

I think Lin Shang Dong is good, but cleanliness is a problem for me. It seems like alot Taiwan noodle places all have these kinds of issues. Cleanliness and a good bowl of noodles should not be mutually exclusive.

I've been going to the S&W Restaurants for some good old Northern Chinese food, nice and spicy, so it's perfect winter dining for me. One dish to check out for sure is the peanut and cilantro salad. It is completely delicous. Brightly vinegared with preserved veggies, savory peanuts, and fresh herbal cilantro. Totally addictive.

I went and checked out Bao Bei tonight - and had a great time. The room has a great vibe, the service was spot on, and the food had some really great home made flavors. I was really impressed by how much was made in house - even things like steamed wrappers and sesame flat breads - which are readily available premade (and many Chinese restaurants do use frozen). Pork belly and sesame shao bing (crisp bread filled with pulled pork) - were real standouts. The place is very busy - and they deserve all their success. I had a very enjoyable evening.

Has any one tried Wanoma (right beside Kingyo)? I have heard good things - female chef, a more delicate approach to Izakaya.

I went this past November - and I thought the food was spot on. Precise, cleanly flavoured, awesome execution. One of my favorite meals of the trip (easily trumping A16, which felt a little over hyped). One caveat - your seating is for two hours, and they mean it (nicely). There is no lounging around.

I agree with you on the service - which can be a little disconnected from the rest of the room. I've found that sitting at the bar results in the best service. The bar team is stellar - smart, informative, and helpful. And the food shows alot of talent.

I was eating my way through LA a few weeks ago - and probably my favorite was Animal on Fairfax. Though their menu read like it could have been stunt eating - the food it self was prepared with a lot of honesty, focus, and brightness. I had read in the LA Times that there was no respite from rich and salty foods on the menu - but I found it quite easy to put together a balanced and extremely enjoyable meal. Certainly when I was there in the fall - it felt like it was firing on all pistons. I have some friends who are thinking about going soon - so I wanted to see what others felt about the dining experience there.