Shellback

My favourite is (drum-roll please!) Mi Sun Rae -- well, guess what, also on Kingsway! -- near Sperling in Burnaby, which is both reasonably priced and features excellent meat and side dishes. And very authentically Korean. They might still offer this: If you order three orders of kalbi, you get a free pancake. And please try their (unmarinaded) pork belly; it's refreshingly different from the "normal" Korean BBQ we usually know.

In the downtown vicinity, I can think of Rossini's in Gastown or O'Doule's off the top of my head. Also, I think Joe Fortes has live music too, but I don't know if it is jazz. I had brunch there about a year ago and there was a guitar player.

I like Finch's on West Hastings and Homer. Quiet little place - country antique decor, good soup and baguette combos. Check it out.

Hi Joie, The last time I was at Hapa was an early dinner on Valentine's Day. Even though the place was packed (line-up at the doors by 5:30), but found the service to be efficient and friendly. We never ran out of beer with our meal and tea was served promptly with the bill as we had a concert to catch. The food was yummy too. I used to prefer Shiru-Bay over Hapa, but recently I've found the service at Shiru-Bay to be lacking and the portion of the food shrinking, (eg. the Soba Salad used to be served with a side veggie tempura, but the last time there was no tempura and the price was the same). It's too bad because I like the decor (blend of Japanese antique and modern) and ambiance of Shiru-Bay more.

I totally agree. I buy the Entertainment Book every year, but only get around to about 2 or 3 restaurants. I have always enjoyed Cafe Il Nido. A quiet little oasis right in the midst of busy Robson. Other coupons that I've used previously are Tropika, Wild Rice, Fiddle Head Joe's, Aqua Riva.... Hmmm, I should take a look at my book too, I haven't used any coupons yet this year.

For the past few years, I've been getting my shiso plant from Fujiya. They don't carry it all the time, but usually in early summer. Maybe you should give them a call and see when they'll have it again. Tel: 604.251.3711 (Clark & Venables location). My sister-in-law lets them flower and seed. Now she has huge shiso plants in the back garden (both green and purple shisos). They need a lot of sunshine. Good luck!!

Our usual Main Street haunts are: Au Petit Cafe for Vietnamese sandwich; Pho Hoang(sp?) for Vietnamese noodles; Sawadee for Thai; Sun Sui Wah for dim sum; and Foundation for vegetarian.

For Japanese clients, I think they would prefer seafood over steak, especially being here on the West Coast. So, I would probably choose C Restaurant over Gotham. Perhaps even suggest a fancy Chinese seafood banquet - Imperial Seafood or Sun Sui Wah. For Japanese food, I would recommend Yoshi on Denman or Chiyoda over Tojo's for Japanese clients. I don't see a lot of Japanese businessmen at Tojo's - they are not the usual "Tojo's clientele". But if your uncle's Japanese clients are living and working in the States and have been for a while, then you can disregard my comments. In addition to West, Le Crocodile, Le Gavroche, how about Il Giardino?

Does McDonald's count? My very first part-time job was the modern looking McDonald's on Broadway and Blenheim. They came to our highschool to recruit. My best friend and I decided to apply for the job. I got the job and she didn't and that was the end of our friendship. My other food related job was during my university days. I was a Japanese Language major at UBC. Hoping to earn some extra cash and practice Japanese at the same time, I got a job at Sakae Sushi (745 Thurlow - if you want excellent Kansai homestyle cooking and great sushi, you must try Sakae). It was one of the best jobs I've ever had and even till today, I consider Mori-san and his staff part of my family.

hi Mooshmouse, Yes, I posted my review last summer when Coast first opened. Please see below: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=45914&hl= Since then, I have been a couple more times and each time found Coast to be excellent and very consistent. The last time we were there, we were sitting at the chef's communal table and enjoyed ourselves immensely. Chef, Sean Riley, took us on a fabulous culinary tour around the world: We started off with Cuba - a couple of Vanilla Mojitos and a grilled crispy Cuban Seabass with braised tomatoes. Then, off we went to Japan with marinated Ahi Tuna garnished with a couple of slices of dungeness crab stuffed in cucumber. Onward to Thailand with sauteed prawns in coconut lobster bisque. Then, a little tour of South America with a seared Chilean Sea Bass sprinkled with pine nuts and pesto sauce. My sister and I shared half a caraf of a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. I was very full by then, so I stopped munching. My sister finished off with some venison carpaccio which she said was delicious! To top everything off, we had an amazing dessert platter created by Steve: apricot puree in champagne, classic cheese cake with some exotic French liqueur which name I cannot recall, warm plum crumble cake, chocolate mousse cake and a couple of chocolate truffles. We had to roll ourselves out of the restaurant. If you are looking for a quiet romantic evening, Coast is not. But if you want a little fun and great food - Coast is it.

We had a similar Valentine's Day celebration. We had an early dinner at Hapa Izakaya - the place has expanded to include the premises next door and it was full by 5:45. We had Spinach and Yuba (tofu skin) Salad, Nama Harumaki (similar to a Vietnamese salad roll, but filled with crab meat and flavoured mayo), Egg Plant Marbo over Rice Crispies and Lotus Root Gyoza (minced pork sandwiched between two slices of lotus root and deep fried). We had a couple of draft beers each and shared an order of vanilla ice cream with red bean sauce. Even though the place was full and the kitchen was running full steam, we found the service to be attentive and efficient - hot towels for the hands as soon as we were seated, dirty dishes picked up right away, beer in my glass and lots of tea refills, and best of all - the bill came quickly and credit card processed. We made it to the AMAZING Kodo Taiko Drummers in plenty of time. It was truly an experience!!!

Hi Sarah, I believe the owner/chef, Ken Koda, is from Sakae Sushi (Richmond) and his wife, Tomoko, who works with him was a server at Taka's. So, I'm not sure if they have the yam tempura roll that you are craving for. But, I really enjoy the food at Dan. They have a big blackboard of daily specials and there is always a dish or two that is intriguing and tempting. Also, unlike the popular Japanese fusion type restaurants (Hapa or Shirubay), Dan uses more traditional ingredients and prepares them with a twist, e.g. one of the specials I had last summer was handmade cold soba noodles served with seaweed, green onions in a sesame dipping sauce (instead of the usual tempura dipping sauce) and on the regular menu, chicken wrapped in shiso leave and plum paste tempura (I know that sounds kind of dubious, but it was really really good).

Tricia, my husband is in the seafood industry and he recommends Seafood City at Granville Island. They are the same owners as the Seafood City inside Produce City. Mr. Hamatake owns both retail outlets and his fish is always very fresh. They are located on the east side of the public market.

I shout at them every night - to no avail. Now, shoot one - everybody would certainly be one their toes after that - nothing serious, just a flesh wound, no need to be over the top ← Neil, I was at a busy dim sum restaurant in Hong Kong many years ago and the way they got lingering customers moving was to have the group of people for the next seating wait by the table and make the lingerers feel really really uncomfortable. When we go for our DOV at HSG this Thursday, shall we try that for you?

We are booked for: Irish Heather Glowbal Hamilton Street Grill Il Giardino Chambar So many choices....but so little time....

How about Coast Restaurant? I think they should be on the list....

I have the same problem too. Sometimes, I go to Trafalgar's at Sweet Obsession on West 16th Avenue. They have wonderful desserts. Even though they are a restaurant, but the desserts are in display cases near the entrance so I don't feel so bad for getting take-outs there.

I will second Kingston Tap & Grill - they did a wonderful job renovating the place and the food is decent and drinks are reasonable. For a more "loungy" suggestion near Yaletown, there is also The Quay Restaurant Lounge at 1137 Marinaside. I have passed by there many time and thought the room looks sleek and interesting, but I have never been inside. So, I cannot say what the drink prices are like.

Arne, For something within walking distance from Le Soleil and close to Pacific Centre, Scoozi's at 508 Howe (between Hastings and Pender) serves a great breakfast and they are open on the weekends. Some menu items include: deep egg dish with spinach, tomatoes, smoked salmon & shrimp; deep dish with scrambled egg, lean ham, skim mozzarella, tomatoes, spinach (with vegetarian option); continental breakfast; big breakfast - scrambled eggs, oven roasted fries, toast, and sausage, bacon or lean ham; breakfast pizza; oatmeal; Greek yoghurt with fruit and honey; homemade banana bread, etc. On a miserable rainy day, Scoozi's is like a little oasis of Mediterranean sunshine.

For a romantic Italian evening to complement Puccini's Madam Butterfly, Villa del Lupo is just a couple of blocks from the QE Theatre on Hamilton Street. Here is their website: http://www.villadellupo.com/index.html.

Thanks for the update! I walked by this bakery just the other day and thought it reminded me very much of a bake shop in Venice. Lovely presentation - I must check it out.

Ditto! Ditto! Amazing food, great company - what an unforgettable evening! Special thanks to Arne, Jamie, Neil, Brian and all in attendance for making it happen. I had so much fun and look forward to seeing you all again soon!

Thursday lunch at Kamei Royale with friends from work. One of the largest Japanese lunch menu I have ever encountered. Very reasonable prices - I had the carb laden combo B: chicken teriyaki, Udon, California roll and Tekka maki $8.40. Friday, pre-theatre bite at CRU. We shared the heirloom tomato salad, pan seared scallops and braised short ribs. Great food, but still feel the room lacks ambiance - maybe it's just the shape of the space. The pricing reflects the Granville Rise location. Personally, I think I still prefer Parkside. Saturday night, hubby is craving for Korean food, so we ended up at the Jang Mo Jib in the Biltmore Hotel. There was a line-up. Was seated after 15 minutes wait. We had their house special "Pork backbones hot pot with kimchi and onions". $24.99 for two and includes rice and 6 different Korean side dishes which they filled up at no charge. Excellent deal and very satisfying - but don't expect service. Noticed a sign above the cashier: Homestay in the Biltmore Hotel $1,350 per month plus two meals a day ($900 per month if sharing a room). Not a bad deal at all! Sunday night, Sequoia Grill - I think I still prefer the old Teahouse. The new look and new name, lighter more seafood oriented menu does not make an impression. We sat in the Atrium section and it was too loud for conversation and the music from the bad speakers just sounded tinny and disrupting. I had the grilled prawn in lobster sauce appetizer and Cajun spiced grill halibut. My husband had the clams and mussels in lemon grass coconut milk and a steak. He thought his steak was excellent. Would I go back? Maybe for the view...

A couple of other brunch suggestions closer to your hotel: Glowbal (in Yaletown) - menu somewhat similar to Feenie's - Grilled Half Lobster Benedict, Dungeness Crab and Asparagus Omletter, Kobe Beef Burger with Brie, etc. I had brunch there a couple of months ago and thought it was very very good. Website: http://www.glowbalgrill.com/menu.cfm Fiddlehead Joe's - Nice casual spot on the water. Saturday and Sunday Brunches from 9:00 am. I haven't tried their brunch, but dinner was very enjoyable. http://www.fiddleheadjoeseatery.com/brunch.php

Just had lunch at Urban Sushi (next to Keg Caesar). This little underground spot had an extreme makeover earlier this summer - I like the lacquered tree stumps as stools. Even though the decor is updated, the food is still the same mediocre stuff. Had Combo 1: assorted tempura (with 2 prawns), salad, gyoza (3 pcs) and one California Roll - $6.75. It's close to work and fills me up. A light bite at Milestone's on Robson with a friend last night. When you can't decide where to go, it's always easy to end up at Milestone's or Earl's. Had a beer and shared the Thai Noodle Salad (bland) and Spicy Drummetts (salty). Last Tuesday went to La Ragalade with our monthly Dine-Out group. It was pouring, but the place was packed! Great hearty food, cozy warm ambiance and friendly service. We each ordered something different (tender veal breast, beef stewed with vegetables and mushrooms, chicken in tangy citron sauce and lamb) put them in the middle and shared everything. We were so full and had leftovers to take home. Very good value $155 for 4 (including wine by the glass and beer).