canucklehead

If you want cooked japanese foods you could always try the izakaya places along robson. I think Guu with garlic is the best - but the the most boisterous. They usually have nice fried or braised dishes. For Japanese restaurant with good traditional cooked foods - my favorite place is Okada - which is on Neslson and Homer. Fresh sheet will have an excellent mix of raw and cooked seafoods. Dinner is noticably better - in fact I would not go for lunch as the cooked food seems to be confined to premade items for their bento boxes.

Went out to the Kelwona Farmer's Market today - and it was a pretty pleasant surprise - it is about 3 times the size of the Trout Lake market. Though the vendors were pretty craft driven given the earliness in the season - there were a number of interesting food vendors. Organic cheeses, preserves, honeys and lettuces were already making a showing. Market Entrance Tomato Plants, Organic Garlic Greens One thing about people in the interior - they can bake. Beesting Cake, Strawberry Cake - they were good - but a little too sweet, I think the strawberries are from the U.S. - not alot of flavor. Fried Hungarian Bread - your choice of sprinkling powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, or garlic salt. I chose the sweet option - nice chewy fried bread - who can resist? I can't wait when things really kick into season.

Have you had the garlic crab dishes there? I've heard that it is very good there. what other recommendations at Ho Yuen Kee? I've been thinking about going and checking it out.

Guu in Gastown might be big enough. Hapa Izakaya, Sakae, Aki's, or Chiyoda - I think could all handle 50 people are so...

Dude - I went a year ago and it was kinda nasty. Their ceasar salad was still good with plump croutons and pecorino romano. The pastas were a little over blown and the sauces too tomato pasty. But - if it was nice relaxed place - there would be no reason to be so picky - but the owner was giving off a really unfriendly vibe and just seemed like a prick. He was chatting with a table of customers - but every other word was "fuck", "fucking" or "dumshit". If I want to hear that I kind of language - I'd be down at the HSG.

ah yes! I think thats another good good suggestion i love duck so thats a great idea. Do you have any idea how its made? i will try it sometime soon and let you know. thanks ← It should be a boneless duck stuffed 8 kinds of grains/stuffings (rice, certain lentils, dates, etc...) and then it is roasted or braised. In order to enjoy it - you need to like the thick chinese style of stuffing - like sticky rice or the steamed tamale ('chung').

I have'nt been with a big group - so I haven't tried too many of the larger main courses. I agree that the lions head is good as well as the radish cakes. I have something called 'two in one" - which is soup with stuffed tofu and dumpings - very homey tasting. If you are adventerous - perhaps you could try the "8 treasure duck" and report back whether it was good or not.

I have heard very good things about Fisherman's Terrace also - but my mother and brother went and said that the service was absolutely abysmal. New lows in rudeness and inattentiveness that really left the table breathless. Not sure if it was a one off - but it really ruined the meal for them. Top Gun is one of the original high end places that opened in Richmond - it has moved and I have not gone since. I am glad to hear that it still rates highly - Vancouver has also mentioned that it is quite good. Sea Harbour is one of favorite places - pricey but quite good. I have not had dim sum there - but dinner is very very good. And unfortunately - it is true that the Richmond places are generally much better than the downtown dim sum joints. If driving around is an issue - Kirin on Cambie and 12th is a excellent compromise. But you must be used to driving all over the place in LA. I have friends who will make the trek from the Studio City into Monterey Park just to get to the noodle shop that they like. I think that Congee Noodle is very good also - especially the congee and rice noodle dishes (cheung fun and chai leung). I went to their new location on Kingsway and Joyce - and the rice tamale (chung) was good also - though I am not a fan in general of chungs. The front room is a clean new bright space - however, the bathroom and kitchen must be the most FILTHY I have ever seen. You know when a bathroom is soooooo stinky that you don't know whether to breath through your mouth (which means you are breathing more of the disgusting air) or through your nose (which means you are getting a full dose of the stink). It actually left me a little dizzy.

Since the group has come over from Italy - would introducing them to some good BC sushi make sense? Japanese places usually have a private room or two and they can usually handle a pretty boisterous crowd (have you ever seen a group of drunken Asian business people - it can be insane. I haven't had sushi up a Whistler - so I can't provide first hand comments. Just throwing it out there.

Newbie - thanks for the great report. As the weather warms up and I itching to hit the farmers' markets as well as GI. Did you have a good race? Congratulations on attempting something that I will never, ever, ever, do!

Last issue of the Art of Eating did a large article on the Oyster farms in Olympia Washington. The olympia oyster was mightily praised - I must admit when I am out - I usually stick to the kunomotos. Is the oly oyster fairly common in Vancouver? And was we are in May now - should I be waiting for colder months again before I eat oysters?

Samosa Gardens has really good briyani too!

'Cause that's what mvpbonds asked for. I mentioned non-chinese asian choices also.

For Chinese Victoria Chinese is at the bottom of the Hyatt and has pretty decent dimsum. Kirin (on Alberni - the best of the downtown options) is also nearby as is Imperial (which the least favorite of mine). Shanghai Bistro right beside Kirin - which has good HK style Northern Chinese. There is a hotpot place downtown - don't go even though is close by. Also - there is a Hon's nearby - which I really dislike - you've been warned. Since you are downtown - there is very good Japanese Izakaya and Korean also nearby.

You sound like you know your way around Chinese food. Landmark is a good choice for Hotpot. If you comfortable with ordering dim sum a la carte - I would stick with Kirin (on Cambie or in Richmond), Gingeri (in Richmond), Jade (in Richmond), or Shiang Garden (in Richmond). You may want to think about having Shanghainese dim sum/lunch - Shanghai River is good choice as is Shanghai Wind - both of which are in Richmond. Also Golden Schezwan is also good (take a look at some of the recent photos in the Chinese thread). For higher end Cantonese cooking - I would try Sea Harbour, Jade, or Gingeri. For closer to home cooking - Koon Bo - which btw has great roasted duck.

Actually - I can't think of a place that serves goose - duck you will find everywhere. I would stick with places in Richmond - as Mooshmouse asked - can you travel there? In the meantime - check out the Chinese in Vancouver thread. I've started it on the last page.

I think Feenies would be a good choice also. The menu is accessible and offers a good range of choices and value for money. In the day - the decor is less over the top and everybody seems more relaxed. I always find the lunch hour services miles ahead of dinner for some reason. If the weather cooperates - a seat on the outdoor patio is a really pleasant way to pass the brunch hour.

I've seen it on some chinese menus - let me check for you.

My choices: Thomas Haas (North Shore or Senses) and Le Pic Nic (West Van).

Yeah - they are potatoes - they served them like that in Shanghai. One you get over the notion that they are undercooked - they are really delicious. Koon Bo is still there - I have not been there for a little while but I like the food there. The bbq duck is very nice and they use that homemade pickled veg in shredded chicken salad w/ deep fried wonton skins that is great.

Waaaaay upthread are my pictures from my first meal and Golden Schzewan on West Broadway. The spicy beef is very good - spicy and deeply flavored. I think their Richmond is better - the menu is more authentic and they cart around those little cold dishes to try. I also think that they use more Schezwan Peppercorns at the Richmond location. Their tan-tan noodles are quiet good - restrained with the peanut sauce. Golden Schewan

You should try the blanched pork belly that you dip in the hot spicy sauce. There is no avoiding that you are eating fatty fatty goodness - but God - it's delicous.

Don't they have a private area downstairs at the West Broadway CC? Or is that test kitchen use only?

The people who own Cheesecake Etc must own the building - I cannot see how they could make their rent otherwise. Their cheesecake is right from the early 80's - a gelatin mushy texture that you can only otherwise get from Mcain's frozen desserts. You have your choice of napping your dessert with a strawberry sauce straight oughta DQ. But the place has its timewarp charms - memories of overgelled hair and nursing a pot of teas with a posse from the UBC Chinese Varsity Club. Good times.

What about Morton's? I know the drinks are pretty pricey - but don't you get free steak sandwiches during happy hour? I'm not sure how they would feel about 20 people coming to take advantage though.