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But will that work? The food media here seems to enjoy converging on a place within minutes of any kind of opening.

I was watching this show on the food network the other night and it dawned on me that the guy who runs the tasting area at Meinhardt's on South Granville is one of the contestants. I think his name is Rick Forde. He helped me select a balsamic one time, and although he was a bit overbearing, he seems like a nice guy. And certainly enthusiastic enough to win.

Oy! ← His real name isn't Chilo? My faith is shattered.

True words Andrew, I meant gourmet in the sense the poster appeared to be using it (Vij's, etc). I'm certain the food at this restaurant is high quality.

Funny you mention it, I just read about this place The Little Nest on my friend Andrew's (the urban diner) website. Maybe not gourmet, but definitely kid friendly.

looking for pickled watermelon rind.

Sounds like it could be Monks or The Sandbar

Hi Panda Bear, I've had great experiences at both Blue Water Cafe and C, but if I had to guess, i'd say the negative stuff you've heard might be related to value, seeing as these places are pretty expensive. In terms of freshness and execution, however, these places are right at the top. If you're looking for other options, my discerning friend Desmond loved The Fish House at Stanley Park, so that might be worth a shot. I also like Rodney's in Yaletown for oysters, and the environment is rowdier. Nu is also really good, and little more playful and less upscale than C. The original Chilo's on Victoria has my favorite shrimp cocktail in town. Some people forget the actual entire name of the orginal Chilo's is Chilo's Taqueria Y Marsicos (Chilo's Taqueria and Seafood). In terms of Cantonese (different preparations than the above, but the epitomy of fresh as they'll often even bring out your choices live for you to approve before cooking), the above recommendations are good, but I'd add Kirin to the list. Hope that helps.

go waiters maybe?

Really? I thought it was greasy and bland, with some kind of uncategorized meat on top.

Ditto from me. I'm also wondering out loud why it is that when someone submitts a negative review (on eG), the reviewer is almost always asked to explain themselves, but that almost never happens for a positive review. "You liked it?? Why? What did you have? You must have been there on an "on" night." Just wonderin' A. ← I'll let you know why, but it doesn't have much to do with culinary matters per se. Bad is stronger than good. If you don't feel like reading the whole article, a relevant line is "bad emotions, bad parents, and bad feedback have more impact than good ones, and bad information is processed more thoroughly than good." It might have an evolutionary explanation, in that in the ancestral environment vigilance towards negatively valanced information and thus avoidance of negative outcomes might have had high adaptive value. Avoiding danger, for instance, was very important. It's not hard to see the corollary here: avoiding bad dining experiences.

you can find the current menu here: http://www.eatvancouver.net/images/chilos_menu.jpg i'm told it will expand as they get settled in. there's also a short write-up on my website if you're interested.

1. Is $300 including tax and tip? Because $300 including tax/tip for four does not sound unreasonable to me at all. 2. Several high quality wines use screwtops, so that statement provides very little information about the quality of the wine 3. Although perhaps an old trick for increasing wine sales, I don't see how topping up "forces" one to drink more. 4. Isn't uptown usually considered more expensive than downtown? 5. I know they had major problems with their kitchen hood a while ago. I hope this isn't going to be a reoccurring problem. Anyone have the skinny on this?

Are you saying you ate all the caviar in one bite the other time you had the soup...?! No wonder you thought it was overpowering! ← Personally, I find it hard not getting all of those salty balls in my mouth at once.

Why green bell peppers = Lindsay Loha Empty and vacuous. Takes up valuable room for no apparent reason other than to annoy. Requires a life, etc. I would have used Paris, but the kitchen's her second worst room. ← Oh, I see. Now personally, I would have gone with someone like Kevin Federline, in that he always seems to be around but he never really does anything or serves any purpose. Whereas Lohan at least provides some excitement (unlike green bell peppers) in that she often manages to one-up her previous antics.

Interesting. I feel like that's happened with Greek food in quite a few cities. I just can't get my head around that Lindsay Lohan comparison. Would you mind clearing that up for me?

I'd say your best bet is to hop a plane to New York or Montreal. Seriously though, I've had some perfectly acceptable deli at Kaplan's on Oak and 41st. I haven't been for about a year and a half though.

credit cards definitely are.

You'll not likely find orange bitters in supermarkets. Best bet is going to Seattle or mail ordering, as referenced in the thread daddy a mentioned.

You mean having an address and seeing the word "Pho" on the storefront isn't enough? Wow, I thought I was directionaly challenged Something I've been noticing at my usual Pho haunts is a decrease in the amount of Thai basil and bean sprouts served. Even at Kim Phung ... last time I ate there with my wife and a friend and they brought out a small plate that was supposed to serve all 3 of us. Anyone else experiencing this? Is it because they were over-serving us before? Are the ingredients becoming difficult to find? A. ← I've been noticing that, too and having enough basil is very important to a good bowl of pho. Maybe it's because of the changing seasons? So, besides Kim Phung, care to share any of these haunts, or are they best left a secret?

It is now, thanks V.

More photos? It looks like you got a meatless pho. Regardless, I'm looking forward to future reviews. ← Thanks! I had tucked the meat under the noodles to cook before I realized I need to snap a photo.

Thanks for the tip. Just posted stop one for the pho down: http://www.eatvancouver.net/2006/11/28/the-great-phodown-2/ let me know what you think about the format and all, since it's still early enough to change things around. thanks!

I'm trying to visit all the pho places of note around town, a pho-down, if you will (I do know the appropriate pronunciation of pho doesn't support that pun) . Please let me know if you know of a pho around town that hasn't been mentioned, that perhaps should be. Thanks!

Restaurant Connor Butler has a vegetarian tasting menu as well. Like most vegetarian food in town, there isn't much I can tell you about how it actually tastes. It looks good on paper though. I've been dragged to the Naam quite a few times, and I really don't like it. Everything is just kind of boring - stuff you could easily make at home.