Best Dining Values in Western Canada

[Dining Diva]

UBC Marketplace, underground is where a lot of students eat.  Cheap cheap cheap.  One particular place in the corner is Chinese food with three toppings of your choice on top of rice or noodles (no extra charge.)

ZenCcafe in Kits for eggs benedict, yummy and filling.

Or that place across Zen Cafe, Kingshead Pub.

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yum! cafe zen is fabulous. the quality of the food is great and june, the owner is always very gracious... be forewarned tho, there's usually a large line if you get there after 10am on a weekend....

[tokyogurumegal]

Someone made a good point most good value restaurants are Asian... all mine are Asian! I'm really bad with remembering the cost of some of my favourite dishes but these restaurants are really great value.

Au Petit Cafe - really good Vietnamese subs (bahn mi?!) they toast the baguette! located on Main St around 33rd

Shaolin Noodles - handmade noodles have fantastic texture, pan fried pork dumplings are yummy too. Located on Broadway near Cambie (across from McD)

Modern Club - They serve Osaka style okokonomi-yaki and modern-yaki (savoury pancakes sort of....) and various teppan yaki dishes are great. Located on Dunbar & 18th across from liquor store

Now I'm hungry...

[Mooshmouse]

Modern Club - They serve Osaka style okokonomi-yaki and modern-yaki (savoury pancakes sort of....) and various teppan yaki dishes are great. Located on Dunbar & 18th across from liquor store

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Speaking of okonomiyaki, friends of mine have given good reviews to the cheap-and-cheerful Clubhouse Restaurant located at 255 West 2nd Avenue. It's definitely on my "To Try" list.

[tokyogurumegal]

Clubhouse is a fun place to go with a big group. It's a little bit like the Eatery in Kits, okonomiyaki is not as authentic. I would say it's not the best place for sushi (more emphasis on rolls which says a lot... with spicy this and that) but definitely inexpensive.

[Vancouver]

I do like the modern club okonomiyaki as well. It is not easy to find Kansai style okonomiyaki in Vancouver - and theirs is pretty good. It isn't Osaka, and they don't have the griddle tables for you to sit at. But it is tasty.

Cheers!

[Ling]

I had okonomiyaki for the first time quite a few years ago at the Clubhouse. I love Japanese comfort food, and I can't wait to go back!

I've also had the okonomiyaki at Sakae downtown.

Edited March 31, 2005 by Ling (log)

[appreciator]

I've heard good things about Modern Club as well, particularly their okonomiyaki. .... must get around to going there one day.

As to other value places (non Asian as it turns out )..... I'd actually have to say that Topanga Cafe is pretty good value for what you get. Not trying to be authentic Mexican... but filling and usually tasty food for under $12, in my mind, that's a fair deal. Granted I haven't been there in a while so things may have changed but 18 years ago, it was a fab place to go. (I've been there more recently then that.... probably a year or so ago, in case anyone is wondering )

[Daddy-A]

Any thoughts on Thai Away Home? There's one just up the street from the office, and before I ran into Mooshmouse & the Lunch Club it was one of my weekly haunts.

Had lunch there yesterday ... picked up my usual Pad Thai & Salad and noticed a couple things:

• The price had gone up
  
• There was only one prawn .. used to be two.
  

Other than that, the pad thai is passable. Not the best I've had, but not too expensive and pretty quick (sometimes very important for me). Yet I've never eaten anything else there. Is it worth another trip?

A.

[BCinBC]

We still stop by every once in a while for take out red pumpkin curry and swimming rama or garlic brocolli. Haven't had the pad thai. I think the prices are reasonable; definitely cheaper than getting delivery from somewhere else (Chao Phraya is our other stand-by), though if you factor in the convenience of delivery, the delivery guy's time, etc...

I've seen their lunch specials on the board, but have never actually been for lunch (too far away). Isn't there one where you choose 2? different "mains", served with rice? Plus it's a pretty good portion for $6, non?

[peppyre]

I find that Thai Away Home isn't what it used to be. I used to always order the Pad Thai and the Yellow curry for lunches and dinner, but I would much rather go to Arroy D (the new restaurant on 15th and Cambie). The food is really quite good and the prices are very reasonable.

[BCinBC]

Hey thanks for the tip on Arroy D, Peppyre. Is it the same deal as Thai Away Home - are they sit down and take out only?

[M'd]

My true value favorite has requested not be mentioned.

They do not wish to be "re-discovered" siteing a perfect mix of volume, profit and lifestyle.--(young Japenese family)

My second value favorite is likely Sobo in Tofino.

[Uranus1]

We just had a chance to try out Modern Club last weekend. We were very disappointed. The price was fairly expensive for what they offer and paid $26 feeling like we ate only appetizers (went home and ate some more).

The best okonomiyaki I've had here was at Guu, and also a yakitori place on Alexandra road in Richmond (they've closed down a year ago).

[Vancouver]

The Georgia Straight covered Modern Club this week. Here is the

article

Cheers!

[FannyBay]

The Georgia Straight covered Modern Club this week.  Here is the

article

Cheers!

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I still say Gyoza King is great value. Other great value restaurants in town are the Earls. They have a pasta dish in their menu that is excellent and at $9.00 is large enough for 2. I get dinner then take the leftovers home for lunch. Their wine list is also very good value as is Ousi Bistro up on Granville by Meinhardts. Ousi's food is excellent, large portions, very good prices and I think they may have one of the cheapest wines list in town as well. I had a bottle of wine there that was $20.00 less then the same one at the Bin! and they use those really nice glasses, no matter how cheap the wine (Under the worst value category might be Meidhardts, bought some pate there and actually yelped out loud when I saw the price!)

The sushi at the 2nd floor restaurants on Broadway and Fir is good and the prices very good. I just can't go to those really cheap sushi places, no matter what you say, raw fish is one dish I prefer to pay for, as in you get what you pay for! Raw fish food poisoning, uh!

Ohama sausage at the market is amazing value. You can buy duck confit already prepared, just heat it up with a salad and you have a gourmet dinner at home. They often throw in extras, and their pate is a very good price. Bad value at the market is Dusso's cheese...

I tried Kolachy a few times now and have had mixed results. First time, I got the buns cold (no one offered to heat them up and I didn't know to ask) there was very little filling and I didn't like the bread. Second time, the bread was totally different and filling was OK only, and not very much. Third time (I kept trying it as you guys are all so enthusiastic about it) was very good, the temperature on the bread great. The filling tasty and filled!

Tomato Cafe is great value, and the food is very high quality.

Best Feenie deal is the tasting bar, not Feenie's. The tasting bar food is fabulous and everything is only $12.00! Some thing better value then others but the mac and cheese, to die for!

Hamilton Street Grill, that Gingerbread pudding is not only the best dessert in town, but it's the best deal, and I actually find all their food to be very reasonably prices and great value.

I haven't been to La Regalade in West Van in over a year but last time I was there, their portions were incredibly huge and the quality great. Definitely the best prices French food. Only problem is that damn bridge!

And finally, Whitespot! Great value, kid friendly, good menu selection for the whole family and I do love those Triple O Burgers!

[Flotch]

Kams Singaporean Cuisine on Davie Street has a good lunch selection which gets you a small bowl of soup to start, steamed white rice, main dish (pork, chicken or veg) and tossed up lettuce (which they refer to as salad). Good value for around $6.50- $7. Consistent flavours and decent quantity.

[Paul B]

How about the bento boxes at Fujiya at Clark and Venables? I believe they mark them down just before closing but even before that they're a bargain.

There are also great deals to be had at the food courts in a couple of the Richmond Malls. The court in Yaohan Centre (3700 No. 3 Road) has everything, and some of it crazy cheap. My family prefers the upscale court on the third floor of the Aberdeen Centre just up the street. There's a Japanese noodle place in there that makes a curry udon which is, like, 5$ and you can get fresh tako yaki from the stand beside it.

[brokentelephone]

How about the bento boxes at Fujiya at Clark and Venables?  I believe they mark them down just before closing but even before that they're a bargain. 

There are also great deals to be had at the food courts in a couple of the Richmond Malls.  The court in Yaohan Centre (3700 No. 3 Road) has everything, and some of it crazy cheap.  My family prefers the upscale court on the third floor of the Aberdeen Centre just up the street.  There's a Japanese noodle place in there that makes a curry udon which is, like, 5$ and you can get fresh tako yaki from the stand beside it.

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haha, upscale foodcourt!!! (no disrespect.... just thought that sounded funny)

[Memo]

Ferris' Oyster Bar in Victoria - packs a punch. Generous flavors - coupled with ample portions (their side dishes - salads and fries - are huge) make for fantastic value. It's the type of bohemian place I prefer to visit at night (it's a bit morning-after-the-party looking by day).

[Zucchini Mama]

Cheap Lunch Sechzuan-style at the Wing Wah

The Wing Wah is one of those places I go to every few months and then forget how good it is. My son and I surprised my partner at work and invited him to join us for lunch. He works one block from the restaurant, which is on the Southwest corner of Broadway and Kingsway across from Hell'sgate mall. This is a pre-soma-gentrification restaurant, packed full at lunch. The reviews out front highlight Wing Wah specialties like the asparagus dishes (praised by James Barber), and the orange peel beef.

The decor is of the ubiquitous dusty-rose and carp school, and the menus are a bit tattered around the edges, but the good quality of the food remains consistent. The menu is full of the little chili pepper symbols, so there's always a little dance around the chilis that happens when you have a child. Who gets to order the child-friendly meal and who gets to eat the chili-friendly meal? P. knows he can scrape the pepper seeds off the spicy deep-fried tofu, so he orders that lunch special with the corn soup and I order the Wing Wah chicken, because I see it at the table next to us and it looks mouth watering. Lunch specials are under six dollars, and served with the corn chowder or sweet and sour soup. I get a bowl of pearly rice, sticky and savory, and a plate of tender bite-sized chicken pieces marinated in a dark, spicy sauce: ginger, small squares of translucent onions, chili seeds and tiny pieces of the red pepper, with a touch of sweetness to balance it out. This is served on a bed of deep-fried spinach. It was hot enough to clean out my sinuses and the portion is a very good size for the price. The tofu is sizzling hot when it arrives, with salt, chili bits and seeds and pieces of green onions and sweet onions. It's crispy of the outside, and soft and silky inside. They do it just right. P's soup looks rich and sweet, threaded through with swirls of egg.

This is also a good place to take a group of ten or so people to sample the supper dishes. Asparagus season would probably be a good excuse for this kind of nosh.

Zuke

[Feedbag]

I LOVE Wing Wah, especially for the fried green beans!

I've eaten a whole plate of just those. Chongqing's are

also great, but Wing Wah edges them into first place in

my book.

Don't know if this should also be on the Main St. thread,

but I just tried Hawker's Delight for the first time - nothing

on the menu over $6. I had the curry chicken. Not spectacular,

but certainly good enough, and what value. Two of us split it and still had

leftovers!

[peppyre]

Hawker's has been a favorite of mine since it opened. Dinner for two is usually $13. Try the mee goren, the gado gado and...well, try everything at least once. My grandma and her friend now love this place too.

[Vancouver]

Au Petit Cafe - really good Vietnamese subs (bahn mi?!) they toast the baguette! located on Main St around 33rd

Thanks for this recommendation! I finally got around to trying it out. The bahn mi was superb. The bread was crunchy yet moist in the centre, the meat was spiced perfectly (not overpowering, but enhancing), and the peppers added the proper kick. The lemongrass chicken bun was also excellent. The vermicelli were cooked perfectly - tender but not mushy. The salad was fresh and crisp and included a healthy amount of fresh basil. The meat was carmelized slightly adding a pleasant texture and flavour to the overall dish. I will certainly return!

Cheers!

[BCinBC]

I had the idea to try Au Petit Cafe last night too. Here's what I learned when I got there: THEY ARE CLOSED ON WEDNESDAYS.

Not to worry, I went next door to Long's Noodle House. And, since I once again skipped out one of those HK Western places, I decided to compromise and order the fried pork chop with noodles. Well it was as weird as I thought it would be: 3 thin pork chops battered like fish & chips fish, deep fried, then served on the side of a large bowl of noodles garnished by 3 spinach leaves. The noodles were great; getting thin noodles to hold their al-dente-ness in a bowl of hot broth is no small feat, but they managed it. The chops were whatever, I ate them anyway. But for $5, who can complain really?

[Vancouver]

That little stretch of main street is turning out to be quite the value dining spot! Longs noodles, Au Petit Cafe, and the Machaca sandwiches across the street at Duffin's!

Cheers!