Vancouver Restaurant Recs

[jschyun]

I'll be in Vancouver in early July, for my b-day and I get to pick our itinerary. Since I can't think of anything better than eating, my list naturally is mostly comprised of eating places, hehe.

I have been reading recs for hours now and my eyes are starting to sink inwards. Would someone mind weeding out the bad ones from the list below? Last time I just looked at random recs and ended up at Vij's and Joe Fortes. Gah. Also, if I can rearrange some places for less driving time, I'll be glad to hear it.

Oh yeah, and I am mostly interested in whatever is good, which from what I hear is dim sum, fine dining, gelato, bakeries, and seafood.

Okay, here is what I have so far:

Thurs (get into town in afternoon):

Gelato tour: Amato Gelato, mondo Gelato, la casa gelato

Dinner at Tojo's(omakase) Is it worth the hype or should I go to Bluewater Cafe for seafood? I read mixed things about both here. At Tojo's can I get away with just the $50 tasting menu, or do I need to do the $100+ one?

Friday:

Lunch at Kirin on Cambie, dim sum(or how about neptune's seafood?)

Look at Granville Market stuff

Shakespeare festival at granville

Go look at the beach. Eat more amato and mondo gelato

Dinner at Da Rae korean restaurant in Burnaby (heard about a Korean strip mall here, gotta check it out)

Sat:

Lunch at Pink Pearl or President Chinese Seafood for dim sum (or something better?)

Go look at that Dr. Yat Sen park?

Go hiking in the mountains, go find that one big rope bridge.

light dinner at Bis moreno (or Cru?)

Jazz

Sun:

Breakfast/brunch at Senses bakery or maybe Legendary Noodle (Chinese)?

More jazz? Stanley park? Go kayaking?

Dinner at Lumiere , tasting menus

Mon:

Breakfast at Patisserie Lebeau and grab lots raw milk cheese from les amis du fromages.

Go home (sad)

--Why yes, I am somewhat Type A

Edited May 20, 2004 by jschyun (log)

[Foodie in Vancouver]

Sounds like you already have the foundations of a great time. Only things I would add/suggest - for Japanese, I know everyone raves about Tojo. Another suggestion that is perhaps more reasonable is En on South Granville. (2686 Granville St.) For dim sum we often end up at Sun Sui Wah on Main and 22nd Avenue. Senses is wonderful as is LeBeau so no arguement from me on those choice. For activities, you might want to consider renting bikes and riding around all the seawalls and I do mean all. I don't know what the total distance if you do all of the seawalls but you would see almost all of the beaches and pretty well all of the waterfront. You can rent bikes at several locations close to the seawall either at the entrance to Stanley Park and probably at Granville Island at Reckless Rider.

For seafood I always recommend C. I have always found it to be excellent in all respects. I haven't been to the Cannery in years but I have friends who swear by it and it always seems to show up on the lists.

[Daddy-A]

First off ... you are asking us locals about our home town and not just making assumtions, which immediately takes you out of the category "ignorant yank" IMO. Thanks for that.

Thursday: You can also try Mom's on Denman (I believe they're still open) down near Robson. It's kinda close to Stanley Park so pick up a cone and do the Seawall. I like Foodie's suggestions ... and its about 11km (6.5 miles) around the Seawall

Do Tojo's if you want sushi, Blue Water if you want seafood. I can't speak to omakase (wife has some serious seafood alergies ... and I can't drop a c-note on dinner without her ) but Tojo-san is the best at what he does. All my out-of-town friends go there without fail when they visit.

Friday: I've not been to Kirin, but you may also consider The Banana Leaf or Tropika (14th & Cambie) ... both are Malaysian and very good.

Granville Island is an entire afternoon ... possibly an evening if you let it. There is an amazing market. Why not browse ... pick up a few nibblies and a bottle of wine from the VQA store (also in the market) and have a picnic on the hill at the east end of the island, down by the hotel?

Bard On The Beach puts on great Shakespeare ... but its primarily an evening thing ... although they do have 4pm shows on Saturday. You may have to skip Burnaby ...

... but if you don't, also consider The Pear Tree. It's not Korean, but it's one of my top 5.

Saturday: Best dim sum is Sun Sui Wah. Come hungry.

The Capilano Suspension Bridge is great, but touristy. Although not as "impressive" the bridge at Lynn Canyon has better hiking, and is FREE.

Dinner ... either Cru or Bis is great. You man also try Bin 941 or Bin 942 ... the bins are small, so be prepared to wait.

Sunday: All your thoughts look great ... you may have to recover from Saturday night though

Monday: les amis ... sigh ... I do love a piece of pungent, ghastly stinky cheese!

Enjoy your trip!

DA

[Hest88]

Don't drop Kirin for dim sum! I know Sun Sui Wah has a reputation, but all my Chinese relatives in Vancouver have switched to Kirin. Kirin seems to be the current "in" place--unless another restaurant has taken its place in the last few months. (Sometimes I think the Chinese restaurant scene in Vancouver moves as fast as the one in Hong Kong!)

I think En is a good replacement for Tojo's, although I guess Tojo's is the classic.

Oh, leave room for food at the Granville Island market as well.

[jschyun]

Question: will customs take away my raw milk cheese at the border? I intend on declaring them. I had no problems bringing cheese back from France, but I hear the Canada-USA border is particularly problematic.

[jschyun]

Also, thanks for all the tips, esp the suspension bridge stuff and the bike info. I'm even less good at figuring out normal activities than I am figuring out where I want to eat. And it probably would be wise to do some sort of activity before the next meal...

I went to Sun Sui Wah in Richmond last time and loved it. But if you say Kirin is the flavor of the month, than I'll definitely go there. Maybe I can do both.

[rhodegirl]

Jschyun, thank you for posting this question! Could another ignorant Yank add to your request?

My husband and I are also going to Vancouver in July. We’re staying at the Wedgewood Hotel (based on recommendations from this forum).

Could the Vancouver/British Columbia locals recommend places for breakfast within a mile or so of the hotel? We’re looking for a casual sit-down restaurant as well as a place for bagels or muffins, etc.

And would you say Lumiere is the place to go to celebrate our wedding anniversary?

Thanks in advance for your help!

P.S. This is my first post to eGullet, so please let me know if I’m not following protocol!

[Jerry_A]

Welcome rhodegirl!

This is an interesting question for me, Lumiere or not to Lumiere. If you had

asked me a year ago, I would not have hesitated and said Lumiere all the way,

but we were there a little while back to celebrate and were left a little disappointed. Overall, the food was good, some dishes were spectacular (foie gras and boudin) while some were just ok and for the size of the bill, we expected spectacular throughout. The service was good, if not a little cold, but that is standard there.

Overall it did not live up to the experiences of our previous meals there and left us wondering what we could have gotten at West for the same price (my guess is a slightly better experience). West has a more relaxed atmosphere in my opinion helped by the friendlier service.

I'm not saying you should not go to Lumiere, because they still do some great things there, but for us we get more satisfaction from the tasting bar or the many other fantastic restaurants in town.

Regardless of where you end up I hope you have a great visit.

Cheers.

[Keith Talent]

Question: will customs take away my raw milk cheese at the border? I intend on declaring them. I had no problems bringing cheese back from France, but I hear the Canada-USA border is particularly problematic.

In my experience, at the airport, no. Via auto is another completely different story. I wouldn't risk bringing any foodstuff across the border into the US in a private vehicle. If you declare it, I guarantee there is a 99.9999% chance you'll have to trash it, if you don't declare it, chances are slim they will find it, and if they do you plead ignorance that it was in the car, not ignorance of the law. ("We were having a picnic, and I thought my wife said she threw the rest out, because we clearly understand the laws regarding the importantion of banned foodstuffs.") But do you really want to ruin your vacation over cheese?

I'd recommend scrapping the cheese if your are driving back into the states.

[Coop]

In response to breakfast near the Wedgewood, how about Caffe Artigianno, one block north on Hornby.

As for the cheese. It seems to be the mandate of the US customs workers to protect the jobs of fellow americans. So I believe their attitude is why should we allow you to bring in cheese when we have perfectly good cheese makers in the US. So until every cheesemake in all 50 states is gamefully employed there will be an unwritten ban.

[Rhea_S]

The Capilano Suspension Bridge is great, but touristy. Although not as "impressive" the bridge at Lynn Canyon has better hiking, and is FREE.

Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge is only less impressive in terms of its shorter span and lesser distance from the water. However, the scenery is better and you don't get herded around like cattle: waterfalls, natural greenery, cliff diving, etc. I worked at Capilano Suspension Bridge and I saw the bridge everyday for free, but I still headed out to Lynn Canyon after work and weekends. I just found out that adult admission is now $21.95! That's some inflation from the $12 rate when I worked there 6 years ago.

Sorry no food recs from me. I usually go to Vancouver for some of my mom's homecooking or to hang out with friends. We usually go for gelato and the Mondo locations were the places to go last time I went back. A fun experience was Guu off Robson St. It's izakaya cuisine (Japanese bistro/pub/tapas). Some items worked, others were dismal failures, but it was a fun experience. Someone else here might have better suggestions along those lines. There are also several Korean places along Robson. I know Robson is touristy, but I still like to go every time I'm home.

[Joobu]

I'll second the recommendation for West. The food was excellent, the service warm and friendly and I got a kitchen-side seat, always a positive in my book.

[jschyun]

If one wants to eat at West rather than Lumiere, what should one order?

--Ah I see they only have 2 non vegetarian tasting menus. Makes it easy!

Edited May 20, 2004 by jschyun (log)

[Coop]

The fois gras and chicken liver parfait in apple jelly! The oyster in custard. Actually if you want the whole experience let the chef decide.

Make sure you request that parfait though.

Edited May 20, 2004 by Coop (log)

[Keith Talent]

I just found out that adult admission is now $21.95!

Get out.

There is no way it costs 21.95 to walk across that bridge. Okay, maybe it does cost a hundred bucks to take a family of four across, but there is no way anyone pays that and doesn't leave feeling severly ripped. That is perhaps the worst example of cost vs. entertainment value ratio I've ever heard of.

I'm missing the boat here. If rich Albertans and Yanks will squander that much money to see that, I should definately be running some sort of tourist attracation in my yard. I'm calling it the "Talent family Canadian Experience".

My wife is going to be curious when I come home tonight dressed as John A. MacDonald. She's going to be pissed when I bring her Emily Carr costume out of the trunk. Attractions will include; Pet a real live Canadian cat! Play "real" street hockey in the cul-de-sac with the neighbourhood hooligans, (watch for high sticks!) Visit an authentic minuture coastal longhouse made entirely of Duplo. See authentic Canadian wild bush children up close, (tantrums on the hour). Enjoy the uniquely Canadian snack of "Chicken Chips", try "All Dressed" on the VIP package. Discover how 21st century Canadian families lived using the emerging science of "garbage anthropology". Bonus package, ancient Indian spa treatment. Soak in the reinvigorating waters of the authentic native hottub (assuming of course natives had electricity and pump technology).

On Weekends we'll have the Mysteries of the Prairie, come discover what suprises lay in the long grass of the backyard when mowed. You get to keep whatever you find, assuming of course my kids don't claim prior title.

All this for only $18.95! For an extra buck I'll tell you all about the Capilano Suspension Bridge. See you soon jschyun.

[little ms foodie]

I ate at Bluewater in Feb and really liked it. I thought their menu selection was fantastic and our service was really top notch. It is a tad overpriced but as I told the manager "I forgive you for that because it's so damn good!"

I'm not a fan of that suspension bridge, my husband and I went and personally I thought it was a waste of time. But maybe check into the art museum? When I was there in Feb. there was a fantastic exhibit of Chagall.

Vancouver is beautiful, have fun!

[rhodegirl]

Thanks for the feedback! (and thank you for the welcome, Jerry_A)

Based on the descriptions here and the restaurant's website, we may need to try West. (Is it sad that I'm already daydreaming about eating there even though vacation is still a two months away?)

Of course, Blue Water sounds great, too.

Maybe those will be our splurges for the trip...

One more question - Is the market on Granville Island open every day? And is it accessible by bike from downtown? (okay, two questions)

[jschyun]

All this for only $18.95! For an extra buck I'll tell you all about the Capilano Suspension Bridge. See you soon jschyun.

Keith Talent, I just want to say that I would actually pay the $18.95 for your entrance fee. That's right! After all, I have spent far more money on far worse things, like *cough* that meal at Joe Fortes *cough cough*.

[Sam Salmon]

One more question - Is the market on Granville Island open every day? And is it accessible by bike from downtown?

Yes and Yes.The city downtown is very compact and easy to navigate.

If you're doing the cycling tour buy your picnic fixin's @ GI Market then head west along the watrefront-more or less-to Jericho Park or better yet Spanish Banks for a picnic.

The city cycling routes are to be found on the municipal web site (somewhere).A trip up to Little India is a treat by bike as well.

I must say that the thought of someone paying $C21.95 for the Capilano Suspension Bridge has me stunned-the only phrase that comes to mind is BEYOND DREAMS OF AVARICE!!

[Keith Talent]

Hate to bang on, but the Capilano Suspension Bridge has got me baffled. Here is a list of the most spectacular tourist sites that I've seen, lets play the old Sesame Street game of figuring which one doesn't belong.

Eiffel Tower Top: 10,40 €

Empire State Building (18-61) $12.00 (USD)

Capilano Suspension Bridge $21.95

The Colosseum Rome (With the Forum next door being free) : 5 €

Forbidden City Beijing : 60 Yuan ($10 CDN)

[map]

We had a great stay at the Wedgewood recently, also on recommendation from this forum and found a number of good breakfast spots nearby and we also ate in Bacchus for a good few meals (including breakfast) as well which was superb.

Cafe Artigianno make the best coffees we have found anywhere! Its just down the street. Biking in the city is great, we rented bikes for a couple of days and kept them at the hotel, I even found out that the Wedgewood sponsers a local cycling team! great city

MAP

[Daddy-A]

Hate to bang on, but the Capilano Suspension Bridge has got me baffled.

But Keith, they have just opened up the new "Treetop Adventures"! And if you look on their site, you can get a coupon good for $1 off (not to be combined with other offers/promotions/coupons). That's gotta just scream VALUE.

[Keith Talent]

The best part of the website is the banner on the right proclaiming it "CANADA'S BEST TOURISM BUSINESS: The Tourism Industry Association of Canada has named Capilano Suspension Bridge Canada's Best Tourism Business - Single Unit."

Well, no shit. All the clipjoint proprietors gather for their yearly convention and every single delegate at the convention wants to ask the bridge people how the hell to they rationalize the exhorbitant entry fee to their customers, and the best part, get the customers to pay it. Bravo, I guess.

I can see the Italian delegation sitting around a hotel bar, wondering how some stupid rope bridge over a very average chasm that takes all of ten minutes to see in intricate detail can charge more than twice as much as a world heritage site of unparalleled historical import and prurient titilation that you could literally spend hours exploring without getting bored. Colliseum or suspension bridge? Hmm, it's a toss up.

And "Treetop Adventures" looks suspiciously like a multilevel back deck. Maybe I should think about adding a deck walk to Talent-Land. Explore indigenous flora and fauna RIGHT AT GROUND LEVEL!

Capilano Suspension Bridge

[gastropimp]

I really shouldn't give this one away.

The Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge is the CSB only competition.

and it's free.

Not that I don't mind paying for superior uniforms or higher quality keychains, but I will never ever go to Cap.

Wandering around the Lynn Canyon park is outstanding. You can reach the water in places and hike the creeks to find hidden pools, some so deep and clear they seem unreal. Take your dog, a great lunch of wine, LesAmis Cheeses, Terra breads and some fresh fruit from that awesome produce market across from Fiction in Kits.

good livin'.

sorry, no website, but it's near the top of Lynn Valley road in NV.

[tanabutler]

Were I to go to Vancouver, the first place I'd want to go is West. Last night I did a cooking class with David Kinch, chef-owner of Manresa, who had worked with David Hawksworth (chef at West) at a gig at Villa Montalvo last month. They have tentative plans to work together. Anyone David Kinch endorses as a guest chef is someone I'd care to know.

They must be onto something.