Kentan

I used to love going to the Normandy on South Granville before it was closed by fire. Solid food, nothing fancy. Big crowd of regulars, faded but unique decor, fast service. Here's a list of a few of my personal faves in the region for those who like these kind of places. Ovaltine Cafe - 251 E Hastings Save on Meats Coffee Shop - 43 W Hastings Argo Cafe - 1836 Ontario Art's Place - 2407 W 41st @ Balsam Docker's - 6094 Fraser @ 45th LT Cafe - 1640 Kent Ave SE Truck Stop Cafe - 1046 Clark Drive Net Shed Cafe - 3820 Moncton (Steveston) Moodyville's - 101 Lonsdale Ave @ 1st (North Vancouver) Lynnwood Inn Coffee Shop - 1515 Barrow St near Main + Mountain (North Vancouver) Round-Up Cafe - 10449 King George Hwy @ 104 Ave (Surrey)

A shout out to My Local Cafe (3770 W 10th Ave just west of Alma). They make all their own baked goods and they're veg/vegan friendly. What a great group of staff they have there. Genuinely friendly, engaged, and willing to take suggestions. When I asked what they were making it turned out to be steamed fruit, which they gave me a sample of. It left me thinking "Why is this kind of service so rare??"

I think we're going to see a whole wack of development in that area in the next 5-10 years - Benkei's anticipating that. And they probably get a good deal getting a lease now. That whole SE False Creek Dev't is a potential market, plus all the condos that are going in nearby just to the south. Lots of new shops/services in Mt. Pleasant as well in the blocks close to Main St.

Benkei Ramen seems like it's preparing to dominate the Vancouver ramen market! In addition to the new Thurlow St. location, they have two more underway. Fmed mentioned the Ontario/Main and 5th (43 East 5th) spot previously, and there's also one going in at 3235 W Broadway between Silk n Spice and Andale's. That will be three new locations in the span of only a few months. You wonder why Kintaro doesn't try creating at least one other location. My guess is that they wouldn't be able to maintain the same quality.

That's genius fmed! I never thought to tell the chef our preferences - I guess I'm just used to accepting whatever we get. My gf and I went to CXG last week for the first time. While it was good and spicy, the dishes that should have had huajiao (花椒 - Sichuan pepper) didn't have any. Could it be because most diners in Richmond don't like the tingly numbness of huajiao? We asked about the chef, and the waitress said he's from Chengdu so I'm sure he'd be happy to make the dishes as close to Sichuan style as possible. We'll definitely try that next time. BTW - Is the S&W Pepper House you're talking about in the Crystal Mall?

The concession stand at English Bay is going to become a Cactus Club restaurant: New restaurant comes to English Bay I'm generally supportive of the direction the Parks Board is taking - Watermark on Kits Beach has been very successful, at least in terms of getting customers in the door and also enlivening the beachfront area. I haven't been, but it sounds like it suffers from its location: Great view/so-so food. At least with Cactus Club you know what you're getting.

*Ears perk up* What what did you say fmed? Another location of Benkei Ramen has arrived near SE False Creek? When? Where?

Wow - Chuan Xiang Ge sounds amazing DylanK! How's the Gong Bao chicken (宫保鸡丁) and Ma Po Doufu (麻婆豆腐)? I've been searching high and low for a true Ma Po Doufu in Metro Vancouver. And the Gong Bao chicken is what I always use to judge the quality of a Sichuan restaurant - and it's tasty too of course. I wonder if they have shuizhu yu (水煮鱼 - spicy water-boiled fish)? If so I might just have to move to Richmond...

I totally agree with your assessment of Santouka's broth nondual1. I really enjoyed their miso ramen broth. I wasn't as enamoured with their noodles - though I went on the first day they opened, so maybe they were still working out the kinks a bit. Word seems to be spreading - their was a line-up of about 15 people last night when I walked by. Is Vancouver becoming like Tokyo, where the best places ALWAYS have a line-up （like this place in Tokyo station)? I think it's that we still don't have enough ramen places in town and there's lots of pent-up demand.

I wonder if that row of shops on the south side of the 500 block of Robson has been bought by a Japanese investor. All the new eating spots there are Japanese. A Beard Papa location opened there a little while ago. Then a new Japanese BBQ place called Kushi Box opened in January. They're part of the Zakkushi Group that has locations on Denman, W 4th, and Main St. And of course Japadog will be opening their first stand-alone place right next door. Then there's the really big news - the arrival of Vancouver's first 牛丼家 (Gyūdon-ya) or 'beef-bowl' shop. They're cornering the market by actually calling it Gyudonya. I had long thought that one of Japan's big gyūdon chains would be the first to enter the Vancouver market, like Yoshinoya or Matsuya, or Sukiya. Especially Yoshinoya because they have over 1,400 locations and almost 100 locations in the U.S. But I like the look of that Gyudon-ya is creating. It seems to be aiming a bit more up-market than the gyūdon places in Japan and the U.S. But I won't consider Gyudonya authentic if it doesn't have the vending machines for ordering at the front. I'm surprised that no one's tried this in Vancouver yet!

Woo-hoo! Santouka （山頭火)　ramen opens tomorrow. Hope it's worth the wait.

Thanks for sharing Peter! Doll & Penny's has been closed for a while now. The Railway Club is still one of the best places for a drink in the city. It hasn't changed a bit. Elbow Room is still going strong but has moved to Davie St. White Spot is still around but it's become like any other family restaurant. Better burgers can now be found at Vera's, Splitz, and Moderne Burger.

The other day in a used bookstore I came across a copy of "Vancouver & Surroundings", published by Insight Guides in 1993. They are still publishing guidebooks, with the latest Vancouver version here. I was curious to see what their restaurant recommendations were back then, and also how many restaurants were still open 18 years later. The list is below, taken verbatim from the book, with my comments in bold. Well, out of 63 restaurants they recommended, 28 are still around. That's a 44% survival rate. It's actually higher than I thought it would be, although quite a few of the restaurants are 'destination' or 'tourist' spots, rather than neighbourhood restaurants. For anyone who was in the restaurant scene back then - do you think their choices were the best of the best in Vancouver? Or were these the 'safe' choices? What did they miss? “You can sample food from almost every country in Vancouver, and many of the chefs are internationally experienced. Here are a few restaurants, chosen for their popularity, reputation, or interesting fare. Restaurants are rated Expensive (over $30); Moderate ($15-30) and Inexpensive ($15 or less), excluding alcohol and tips.” Vancouver area – still open in 2010 Revolving restaurants or those with a view • Cloud 9 – 1400 Robson Street (42nd floor of the Sheraton Landmark Hotel) • Top of Vancouver – 555 W Hastings – Dining atop the Harbour Centre. Seafood and Sunday buffet. • Grouse Nest Dining (now Grouse Nest Restaurant) – 6400 Nancy Greene Way, North Vancouver. Elegant dining atop Grouse Mountain. Outdoor Dining • Athene’s – 3618 W Broadway Seafood Restaurants • (Will be closing March 27 2010) The Cannery – 2205 Commissioner Street – Cosy, with a harbour view. • Joe Fortes Seafood House – San Francisco-style seafood grill. • Salmon House on the Hill – 2229 Folkstone Way, West Vancouver – Excellent seafood; panoramic view of the city. Dining in the Park • The Prospect Point Café – Prospect Point, Stanley Park - Romantic Harbour View. Dine on the deck in nice weather. • The Teahouse Restaurant – Ferguson Point, Stanley Park – Quiet dining in the park. • Seasons in the Park – Cambie Street at 33rd Avenue – Fine dining in Queen Elizabeth Park. Gastown • The Old Spaghetti Factory – 53 Water St. – Informal, turn-of-the-century atmosphere. Family oriented. Asian restaurants Chinese • Szechuan Chongqing – 2495 Victoria Drive – Inexpensive Szechuan-style food. (Moved to 2808 Commercial Drive) Japanese • Kobe Japanese Steak House – 1042 Alberni St – Hibachi-style cooking. • Tsunami Sushi – 1025 Robson St – Vancouver’s largest sushi bar. Informal. Thai, Vietnamese, Cambodian • Thai House Restaurant – 1119 Robson St; 1766 W 7th Ave; 4940 No. 3 Rd Richmond. Bangkok trained chefs. Inexpensive. (Moved to 1116 Robson) • Phnom Penh Restaurant – 244 E Georgia St – Real Vietnamese atmosphere. • Seoul House – 36 E Broadway; – Japanese and Korean food; tatami rooms. (Moved to 1215 W Broadway - Former location now Choon Ha Choo Dong) • Pho Hoang – 3610 Main St; – Authentic Cambodian food. (Moved to 3388 Main St – Former location now Chef Claire’s) • The Mongolie Grill – 467 W Broadway – Mongolian barbecue; food priced by weight. French • The Hermitage Restaurant – 1025 Robson St – Lovely outdoor patio. Greek • Acropol – 2946 W Broadway – Authentic Greek food. Live bouzouki music, singers and lots of dancing. • Vassilis Souvlaki Greek Taverna – 6558 Kingsway, Burnaby. For atmosphere this has to be one of the best Greek tavernas in town. It has an excellent selection of well prepared food. Native Indian • The Tomahawk Barbecue – 1550 Philip Ave, North Vancouver – Family restaurant. Yukon-style breakfasts in a unique native Indian setting. Italian • Arriva Ristorante Italiano – 1537 Commercial Drive – Authentic Italian food • Bacchus Bar and Ristorante (Now called Bacchus Restaurant & Lounge) – 845 Hornby St – Romantic European setting. • La Piazza Ristorante – 3075 Slocan St (at the Italian Cultural Centre) – Authentic Italian cuisine. Vegetarian Restaurants • Bodhi Vegetarian Restaurant – 337 E Hastings (Moved to 3932 Fraser St – Former location now Flowers Café)– Casual. Buddhist vegetarian food. • The Naam Restaurant – 2724 W 4th Ave – Established popular vegetarian restaurant with a varied, inexpensive menu. Live music at lunch and dinner. • Greens & Gourmet – 2681 W Broadway (Moved to 2582 W Broadway – Former location now Bikram’s Yoga) – Salad bar and hot buffet. Delicious breakfasts. International menu. Vancouver area – ***CLOSED*** Revolving restaurants or those with a view • The Roof Restaurant and Lounge – 900 W Georgia – In the Hotel Vancouver. Formal Dining. Outdoor Dining • Aca Joe’s Grill – 398 Kingsway – A California-style party restaurant. Informal and inexpensive. • (Hotel Closed in Sept 2004, building since torn down) Park Royal Hotel, Tudor Room – 540 Clyde Avenue, West Vancouver – Luxury Inn. • Fiesta Mexicana Restaurant – 1200 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver. Seafood Restaurants • The Boathouse – 566 Cardero Street – Coal Harbour next to the Bayshore • Jonathan’s Seafood House – 1333 Johnston Street, Granville Island. Dine at the harbour and go for an after-dinner cruise. Dining in the Park • (Renamed The Fish House in Stanley Park) The Beach House – Stanley Park, foot of Beach Avenue – Elegant dining in an old beach house. Late Night Dining • (Now Pulse Nightclub) Fresgo Inn – 1138 Davie St – Large servings at reasonable prices. Monday – Saturday 8am-3am. Sundays and Holidays 9am – midnight. • (Now Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co.) The Bread Garden – 1880 W 1st Avenue; 812 Bute St. Deli food, good breakfasts, muffins and cakes. Open 24 hours. Gastown • (Same building as Guu with Otokomae) The Landing Restaurant – 375 Water St. – Harbour view. European cuisine. West End • (Now the Boathouse) English Bay Café – 1795 Beach Avenue – Dine on the Bay. Excellent food, good reputation. • (Building now empty) Hy’s Mansion – 1523 Davie Street – Dine in an elegant old West End mansion. • (Now the soon-to-be-torn-down Maxine’s) Fogg ‘n Sudds – 1215 Bidwell Street, English Bay • (Location now the consulate of Indonesia) The Raintree – 1630 Alberni Street. Northwest Coast regional food. Granville Island / False Creek • (Now the Sandbar) Mulvaney’s – 9 Creek House, Johnston Street – Cajun-style food. • (Currently which restaurant? Stonegrill?) Anderson’s Dining on the Creek – Granville Seawalk North (under the Granville Street Bridge) – Waterfront view. • (Now Dockside Restaurant) Pelican Bay – 1253 Johnston Street, Granville Island – Outdoor patio. • (Now C Restaurant) Café Splash – 1600 Howe St – Waterfront dining Kitsilano / Fourth Avenue • (Now Q4) Angelica the Restaurant – 2611 W 4th Avenue – West coast cooking. • (Now Limelight Video) The Alma Street Café – 2505 Alma Street – Informal; live jazz Wed-Sat evenings. • (Site has been redeveloped) Soft Rock Café – 1925 W 4th Avenue – Dinner theatre; live jazz Sunday. • (Now Chivana) The Rattle Snake Grill – 2340 W 4th Avenue – Jazz and blues nightly. Rattlesnake actually served here. Asian restaurants Chinese • (Closed due to fire) Pink Pearl Chinese Seafood – 1132 E Hastings. Dim sum; Cantonese and Szechuan cuisine. • (Space no longer a restaurant) Ming’s restaurant – 147 E Pender St – Excellent dim sum served 10am-2pm. • (Now p2b Bistro & Bar) Dynasty – 1133 W Hastings St (at New World Harbourside). Fine dining. Japanese • Japanese Deli House – 381 Powell St – Inexpensive sushi in old Japantown. Thai, Vietnamese, Cambodian • (Now Bistro Pastis) Malinee’s Thai Food – 2153 W 4th Ave – Excellent, authentic Thai food. • (Now Kanpachi) Tea and Silk – 455 W Broadway - A fusion of East/West with traditional food from Asian countries. French • (Former Irish Heather location) Chez Denis – 217 Carrall Street, Gastown. Superb cuisine and live jazz/blues. • (No more railcar!) The Railcar Restaurant – 106 Carrall Street, Gastown. Dine in an antique railcar. Greek • (Now Presto Cucina) Romio’s Greek Taverna – 2272 W 4th Avenue – Excellent feta cheese omelettes. A good place to have lunch. Native Indian • Quilicum Westcoast Indian Restaurant – 1724 Davie St – Experience a native west coast potlatch feast. Italian • (Now a clothing store) Settebello Ristorante – 1131 Robson St – Outdoor patio. Vegetarian Restaurants • Capers – 2496 Marine Drive – A natural food store/restaurant with organic produce and baked goods

It's in the Empire Landmark Hotel at 1400 Robson St. My guess is that it'll be strictly for athletes and support staff, unlike Swiss House or Holland House.

But, darn it, why isn't the Santouka (山頭火) shop opened yet??

Guu Garden, the latest izakaya in Kitanoya Guu's expanding chain, opened in January in Okada Sushi's old spot - 888 Nelson St. And checking the Guu website it looks like Toronto got their first Guu restaurant at the end of December. Guu Toronto website.

fud my friend - you should really join CAMRA Vancouver! Then you would know that Hitachino Nest has been available here since the beginning of January. It's being imported by Beerthirst. You can buy Hitachino Nest at Brewery Creek...if they're not already sold out. Think I'll dip into some of that White Ale now...

I was out at Aberdeen Centre yesterday and happened upon the recently opened Chef Hung Taiwanese Beef Noodle (website here). The owner is a 5-time winner of the Taiwan International Beef Noodle Festival, so I decided it must be worth trying out. The champion beef flank soup was so-so, and I can't say that it surpassed the average beef noodle joint in Vancouver. And it was also $11 - more expensive than average, although I guess rent in Aberdeen must be high as well. Overall, I wouldn't wait in line for it (they generally seem to have long line-ups from what I've heard), but it's good hearty food if you happen to be in Aberdeen Centre when it's not too busy. It got me thinking about the best places for beef noodle soup in Metro Vancouver. What are your favourites? My short list would include: Lin Chinese Cuisine and Tea House - This place is generally awesome for dim sum, but they do a great Northern Chinese style beef noodle soup too. At 1537 W Broadway near Granville. Lao Shan Dong Homemade Noodle House - On the pricier side, but their noodles are handmade and the soup is nice and spicy. At 4887 Kingsway across from Metrotown. Peaceful Restaurant - Handmade noodles, generally great service. Northern-style beef noodles. At 532 W Broadway near Cambie. Tony's Beef Noodle One of the better Taiwanese beef noodle joints that I've found so far - and definitely the cheapest. At 5710 Cambie St right across from Oakridge station

Gyo-O (魚王 = Fish King / King of Fish)opened back in mid-October on Sexsmith Rd in Golden Village. It's created by the same group as Gyoza King. Has anyone ventured down there to try it yet? The decor looks really cool. Website here.

Trees Organic Coffee has opened a new location in Gastown at 321 Water St, very close to the Steam Clock.

Beard Papa's newest location is now open on Robson St. between Seymour and Richards.

Alexandra Gill spanks Glowbal Group's Society Restaurant & Grill in today's Globe and Mail: Down-home fare, cold comfort

Ramen shops head downtown! Benkei Ramen will be opening a second location soon on Thurlow between Alberni and Robson.

The Saltlik space on Alberni is undergoing a renovation, to be replaced by Town Hall, 'a new Earls concept' by the Fuller Bros. No info on the website as to what the new concept will be, but I'm guessing it will involve a lower price point.

The plot thickens...turns out it will be a branch of the Santouka (山頭火) chain of ramen shops that started out in 1988 in Asahikawa, Hokkaido. As far as I can tell, this is Vancouver's first branch of a Japanese ramen chain. I've never tried it, but hopefully it will up the level of competition for the city's ramen shops.