canucklehead

A pretty good list I think. The big glaring mistake was choosing Pho Hoang as best pho - really, the should rename it Huck Too.

The are demolishing the crossroads building on Cambie and Broadway - so Mak's wonton noodles is no more. But it also means that Whole Foods is one step closer to opening a new location.

Both are good hotels and well situated. The Rosedale is closer to Yaletown while the Hotel Georgia is in the heart of downtown and accross the street from the Art Gallery. If the price is not too different - I would probably choose the Hotel Georgia location (plus Senses is downstairs for some Thomas Hass chocolates and croissants). If you want a great view - perhaps the Marriott Pinnacle or the Raddison Waterfront or even the Coast Hotel near Stanley Park. All of the hotels are mid-priced (I think). Downtown is fairly compact and walkable - and in the summer you can join the locals who march around the Stanley Park seawall. Your first meal hmmm.... depends on what you are in the mood for. For serious dining - from the Hotel Georgia you are right around the corner from Diva at the Met, Chartwell's in the Four Seasons, or a short walk from Le Crocodile. You are also very close to high traffic area of Robson Street for Japanese bar food - Hapa Izakaya and Guu w/ Garlic are both very good. A little walk (or a very short cab ride) also gets you to Chambar (which I love) - lively (read loud) and very good Belgium/Morrocan influenced food. And into Yaletown you've got Cioppino's for very good high end Italian. A little bit longer of a cab ride (I am talking minutes here) gets to you to West, Vij's, Lumiere and Feenies. I really like Vij's beautiful Indian (some would describe it as French influenced) food - and I think it is probably something that you cannot get back home. Only problem is that they don't take reso's - so show up early - or lounge at the bar (for 45min) and enjoy the free appy's. But after dinner - you can have a nice stroll on South Granville street. Towards the Burrard Street of Downtown (which is a bit of a walk from the Hotels discussed above) - you've got Rare One, C, and Nu. I have not been Rare One - but word of mouth has been very strong. C and Nu are a little more controversial - some love them others don't. I personally really like Nu - small plates that actually very substantial and tasty. It's a very modern lounge - so you can guage if that is the place you want to go. As a guy - Vancouver feels very safe to me and I think walking for the most part will get you were you need to go Downtown. The only place I would thing hard about walking to is Chambar - especially if you are a woman travelling alone. But I don't think this is as much of a safety issue as a comfort thing. Talk to your concierge about what makes sense. Browse the best of links at the top of the this forum for more ideas. I hope you enjoy your visit!

How low are your expectations? Right nearby there is a Chesire Cheese, maybe Sodas Diner (burgers). In Kerrisdale, you have the Red Onion or something girly - Secret Garden Tea (jeez - just typing made my testosterone level drop a few degrees).

I think the beef we eat now (vs growing up in the late 70's) is MUCH more intensively reared. Have you ever been within 20 miles of a modern feedlot? It would put you off beef for a little while (in my case that means 2 hours). I think that places that grind their own meat would be more open to it. Feenies burgers are quite pink - and I think they are organic free range and ground at the restaurant. Vera's has a tasty organic burger - but I am sure the logistics of managing multiple locations makes having to cook burgers to different levels of doness very very difficult.

Nikuya used to do fresh fried chicken karaage and pork tonkatsu - but I think they stopped. It was the perfect minimall meal - Deep Fried Japanese Meat, then Cream Filled Italian Patries, chased down my a large soda from Petro-Canada. A perfect Hastings Street Moment.

Maybe the rent is that much lower - I wonder if rents in places like Kelowna and Whistler go up and down based upon seasonality? The sweet bread and veal were good - but as noted above the sides were rather poor and the tart was okay (saved by some very nice creme anglais). Looks like you've been doing some travelling - you should consider coming up and checking out some of the wineries and restaurants up here. The gorgeous weather is making it hard for me concentrate on my project...

Jamie - I fully agree with you on Bouchon. The main event is very good - but I don't understand what's with the wilted sides and garnishes - it's distracting and seems careless. But they don't do it with every dish - I saw someone at another table enjoying the rabbit stew. It came in a gleaming copper pot - and no odd sides dishes - it looked delicous. Interesting hearing about the efforts to revive downtown - with competing priorities of development vs. homelessness and drug addiction. Downtown Kelwona is so much more pleasant than the eastern stretches of Harvey - I hope things move forward successfully.

Not licensed and illegal.

I was talking to a wine guy up here in Kelowna and the Laughing Stock people are ex-investment bankers who paid $2.5m for their 10 acres of Naramata Bench. The vineyard sign looks like a stockmarket ticker. Aparently to make money in wine now - you need to start out with a big pile first. There is alot of demand for the Naramata Stuff - or any of the small batch stuff in the Okanagan. I drove by Joie - and they don't even bother with having a sign up anymore - I guess it attracts people who will try to buy direct. Also - I was surprised that Burrowing Owl was not widely available. Their operations in Oliver seem so large scale - but apparently you have to go to their winery or be on a mailing list of some sort. Who would have thought it?

Lise - welcome aboard. Thanks for the great write up - I am glad that you enjoyed Senhor Rooster - it is a great little neighbourhood place. Also thanks for sharing about places out in the Tri Cities - good to see there are choices beyond the Ikea cafeteria.

I did some more reading on this dish. On one site, they say that the Sichuan traditional way of making this is: Translation: "Dry-Fry", use very little oil to cook the ingredients (string beans) on a pot/wok using very slow fire over a long time. But nowadays, typically the string beans are first deep-fried before stir-frying with the other ingredients. ← Once again - you have enlightened me. Thanks for checking into this!

People upthread recommended Bouchon and I've been back a couple of times - and I can echo their praise. Great traditional French bistro fare - I had the Table D'Hotel tonight. Crazy deal of 3 courses for $35! Not even a CFD joint could match those prices. Veal Sweetbreads w/ Puff Pastry. Look at all those black trumpet mushrooms. Tremendous Veal T-Bone w/Chanterelles and Frites. The veal was very good - though the sides were kind of tired. The frites were everything freedom fries should be. Alscatian Pear Tart - good - escpecially the creme anglais. But again - the garnish seemed a little wilted. Nothing terrible - just an odd mistep. Still - it was a fantastic deal. Great meal at an insane price. I didn't have a drink - so I had some fizzy water. Left there for less than $50 - including a pretty decent tip - if I may say so myself.

Since I have been here for a few weeks - I've returned to Illichman's a number of times. I really like the place. They cure and smoke alot of their own product and the team behind the counter really know their stuff. That sense of solid compentency gives you confidence to shop there. Their customers appreciate and understand the quality they are getting. Plus - I love all the German being spoken. It seems to me that there used to be more places like this in Vancouver. Where there was an knowledgable interplay between the customer and shopkeeper that kept quality high. These days - the focus seems to be on the gourmet and the novel - rather than solid well crafted products. Of course - there are places like Oyama in Vancouver that are excellent - I don't want to come off like a cranky old man all ready to retire to the Okanagan. House-made pork sausages with scanadavian Remoulade that came in these really cool metal tubes. House smoked bacon - we got them thick cut. Reeally good - a lighter cure than other stuff I've had. You could really taste the sweetness of the pork. They also had something called 'Gypsy Bacon' that was triple smoked and was black on the outside - we were told that people thinly slice and eat it raw. Wow - I don't think I could go there. A really fantastic porterhouse steak from Illichman's. They dry age their meat to a certain degree. I got 1/2 kilo and I ate it in one go on my own - delicous!

I've eaten at both the Cafe and the downstairs Dining Room. I personally prefer the Cafe - it is more relaxed, and the fantastic ingredients shine through more. The pizzas and salads are always superb, amazing entrees, and sophisticated desserts. I always end up having 4 courses. The food in the Dining Room is a little more formal and flavors deeper - but it feels a little at odds with the ingredient driven philoshophy. But I don't think you would be making a mistake by eating at either room. Both are excellent places to settle in and enjoy the best local products handled with care and respect. BTW - GREAT pictures upthread... makes me really miss living in the Bay Area.

Shanghai River is definitely aimed at the cantonese palate - lighter flavours bordering on the bland. Especially true for someone who is used to the big strong flavours of Tawainese food. There are a lot of places in HK that serve this type of Shanghainese food - I must admit that I prefer it over the food that I got even in Shanghai - which I found much heavier and used a ton of MSG. Shanghai Wind - though run by Shanghainese people - also has lighter flavours. The food is more rustic and homemade tasting. I like both SR and SW for different reasons. If you want to try something spicy next time you are in Richmond - you may want to drop in on Golden Schezwan on No.3. or Vogue (which specializes in Tawainese style foods).

In a way it is. We just use high heat and oil as the agents. The string beans will eventually turn into carbon. ← I've always thought that the dish WAS orginally made with dried string beans - because on most menus I seen the chinese name as "Four Seasons Beans" - so logically I thought it was a way serve beans that had been air dried. I've seen other vegetables being air dried in China - but who knows? Nowadays - most restaurants deep fry their beans to get that 'crumpled' textured. It is nice to see the suggestions above to help keep the dish healthier.

I've bought it at Save-On before. I'm pretty sure it was in the produce section with the pre-cut/washed salads. ← I am pretty sure you can get it at Choices, Capers, and Famous Foods. I've seen it stocked up to the ceiling at Whole Foods. Very popular with the health food crowd.

Blue cheese is available at Vera's and I think.. HSG. Blue cheese is particularly good on their respective lamb burgers.

Wow... thanks for sharing. This freudian spelling error is now preserved online... FOREVER! Mwha ha ha ha.

LB - you did'nt miss anything - have not heard anything good about that location AT ALL. Stick to the one on Robson.

CBC Radio (BC Almanac) had a discussion about the shortage of hospitality workers throughout BC. It seems most chronic in smaller communities - but it is being felt throughout the province. Competition from other industries (ie: construction) is compounding the problem. Here is a guide to the archive: CBC - BC Almanac

The braised lamb shank is always nice. Order venison if it is on the menu - it usually a great deal.

Is cassava root toxic if not cooked correctly? It's one of those ingredients that freak me out.

I went back to have the Chicken Cordon Bleu sandwich - it was insanely good! The juicy chicken breast (you get two big pieces) is roasted in house. The chicken is served on crusty french bread - topped with cheese and mayo - the whole thing is toasted with thin slices of ham. Fresh Fresh Fresh They make Quizno's look like amateurs. It is a huge thing - could feed two people nicely. Also - did you notice that I quoted myself in this post? How sad is that!?