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Nom Nom Nom-ing in BC
A growing list of places that I have tried in the greater Vancouver and Victoria areas.
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42 Places
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Jon’s 5-star review: Kingyo is a Japanese izakaya on the West End in Vancouver. While Seattleites may not have heard of this place before, it does have Seattle ties. It is part of the same restaurant group as Suika which has a location on Capitol Hill in Seattle offering similar food. I didn't have a dinner reservation here. If I had come in with a dining partner or group, I would have been turned away as this restaurant is really busy. If you have 2 or more in your party, I would highly advise making a reservation. Upon entering the restaurant, I lucked out as there happened to be a single open space at the bar that I quickly grabbed. As it is an izakaya, the food offerings are smaller plates rather than regular size entrees. So you will need to order a couple or more things to feel sated. If you are in a group, this style of dining is perfect as it allows you to try many things on the menu without having to eat large amounts since it is being shared. The menu is quite varied at dinner. It has meat, seafood, sushi, noodle and rice items. There is also a specials menu available that seemed to be seasonal in nature. I found it intimidating to order here because there were so many items that I wanted to try. I settled on a couple items off the specials menu and a drink. Ordered the yuzu tuna tataki ($9.80) and kani-meshi ($13.40) and the signature house cocktail, Kingyo ($7.50). The Kingyo is an interesting drink as it consists of ingredients including rum, shiso, yuzu, lime and goji berries. The drink is a good choice if you are look for something that is refreshing and light. As for the food items, I was quite surprised by how fast they come out. The tuna tataki was excellent. The fish was fresh and I liked the yuzu jelly that accompanied the dish which helps liven it up. The kani-meshi is basically a stone pot fried rice that was full of decadent ingredients like fish eggs and crab. I highly recommend this dish if it is available. The food and drink that I had here was great. But what makes this a five star spot for me was the ambiance and service. If you are looking for a festive and boisterous dining spot, this is the place for you. The cheerfulness of the staff speaking loudly in Japanese is a big plus as it made me feel like I was actually dining in Japan. -
Jon’s 4-star review: There are three food court restaurants at Yaohan Center that sell entrees from a hot table all next to each other. Kind of like having Panda Express locations next to one other, except much better in regards to quality, taste and price. Chun Hing is one on the far left of the three. Golden Rice Bowl and Pak Tak being the other two in the triumvirate. For $6, I was able to get a three entree meal with hot tea which is an awesome deal. There are many choices to choose from. The two that stuck out to me was the fried fish and tofu entrees. In addition to the entree, I got a choice between noodles, plain rice and fried rice. Overall for the price and the selection, I would recommend Chun Hing for a quick and tasty meal.
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Jon’s 4-star review: Several weeks ago, I visited the Yaletown location of The Flying Pig. I previously had dinner at the Gastown location where I found the food to be so-so. The primary reason why I didn't like it was because I was found the food to be too heavy. My sister and brother-in-law wanted to try this place out while visiting Vancouver, so I decided to tag along with them. The parking situation in Yaletown is a bit tricky. There is meter parking spaces outside the restaurant, but the price is a bit high. It is $2 for every 30 minutes. If you don't have enough coins, I believe there is a pay by phone option available. Compared to the Gastown location, I found the interior to be much brighter and more inviting. The Gastown location feels very tavernesque. We dined here on a Saturday morning so the restaurant was serving its brunch menu. This menu consists of breakfast plates, the lunch menu and a number of specials found on the board. Prior to your meal, they serve you a delicious piece of banana bread in place of the usual house bread. . Many of the items that my sister and BIL wanted to try were actually on the dinner menu. Fortunately the restaurant seems to be customer friendly about special orders. We asked if we could get the crispy brussel sprouts ($6) and the kitchen obliged our request. If they have the ingredients to make the item, it is worth a try to ask to see if they could make it. The entree that I had here was the blackened steelhead trout ($15.50). That seemed like the least heavy item on the menu as other lunch menu items were chicken cutlet, pulled pork rigatoni and braised beef shortrib macaroni. While my selection was by process of elimination, I have to say the steelhead trout dish is stellar. Steelhead trout has a similar taste to salmon if you haven't had it before. The trout sat on top of some fresh greens and couscous with tomato and feta. The steelhead was cooked perfectly and the greens with couscous was healthy and filling. Along with my steelhead, I had a few of the crispy brussel sprouts which were nicely roasted and tasty. It is a good simple side dish to order with your entree. I enjoyed my brunch meal at The Flying Pig. The food is good, but you have to be in the mood for the food that they offer here. Your dining experience is heavily influenced by your menu choices. The menu items here tend to be a bit on the rich and heavy side, but they do have some lighter items like the steelhead trout if you aren't feeling decadent. -
Jon’s 4-star review: Cheap eats. Gain Wah is an unassuming Chinese restaurant in Chinatown Vancouver. I wished I could take credit for this find, but this was a "when nature calls" selection. Huh? Rephrasing. When you got to go, you got to go. Get it? Okay. The restaurant had just opened on a Sunday morning, so my parents and I were the first ones there. The restaurant looks orderly, albeit a bit frayed. Had lunch here before our trip back across the border. They have a large specials menu here which is extremely reasonable and is tax inclusive. Decided to order exclusively off this menu. We got a sampan (Hong Kong style) congee, curry seafood fried rice and a mixed meat (char siu/squid/etc.) chow mein. A good deal of food for a little under $17. Cheap. It was the first time that I have tried sampan congee. It has got some char siu alongside some chopped peanuts and lettuce. An eclectic mix, no? Although this seems like an odd mix, it surprisingly works. The curry seafood rice was flavorful and filling. The pineapple chunks in the dish gives this item a bit of a tropical flair. The chow mein was also enjoyable. I like that the noodles are of the crispy variety, which is my preferred preparation. For the value and quality of the food, Gain Wah is a good option if you are dining in Chinatown Vancouver. -
Jon’s 4-star review: Great BBQ place in Richmond. It can be a little hard to find as it is located below the Real Canadian Superstore near No. 3 Road. Entrance to the restaurant is in the parking lot. HK BBQ Master sells all your favorite Chinese BBQ dishes including roast pork, char siu, soy sauce chicken and roast duck. I decided to dine-in and order one of their plates, it consisted of a dish of roast pork and char siu. It was very flavorful and some of the best that I have of these dishes for a while. Particularly like the skin of the roast pork. I tried the BBQ duck and soy sauce chicken (I believe this is free-range) and they are pretty good as well. Meat dishes were lacking vegetables however, aside from one slice of broccoli. You can order a side of vegetables for $4.00 however. Overall, I would recommend HK BBQ Master as a solid place for Chinese BBQ. Oh and one other thing, this is a cash-only establishment FYI. -
Jon’s 4-star review: I have got a trip to China coming up in a few months and wanted to try some regional Chinese cuisine in Greater Vancouver that is unavailable in the Seattle area. Hence, I took a look at Marc D.'s reviews and found Huaxi Noodle Specialist among them. Huaxi is a food court restaurant at Burnaby's Crystal Mall. I was staying at the Hilton in the same complex so it made sense for me to check out the huge food court there with Huaxi being at the top of the list. Huaxi is a city in the Guizhou province which is located in southwestern China. It makes sense that the food offerings here would be similar to Sichuan and Hunan cuisine as those are neighboring provinces to Guizhou. The consensus of the Yelp reviews pointed me in the direction of ordering the #9 which is a spicy beef noodle soup with tendon ($7.50). The food court was packed and there was no seating available from what I could see. Hence, I decided to order the noodles to go and take it back upstairs to my hotel room. I asked that they separate the noodles and soup. I was quoted a waiting time of 18 minutes so I walked around the food court looking for additional good eats. After my food was ready, I headed back to the room. The noodles are wheat based and is a bit like fresh ramen noodles. There were carrot pieces piled on top. I requested for medium spiciness, but the soup base was still a little spicier then I anticipated. I am afraid to imagine what havoc this dish would have played on my stomach if I asked for very spicy. The soup is mainly spicy, but there are hints of sourness. In the soup were chunks of tendon along with a few pieces of brisket. I piled the noodles on top and digged in. I did enjoy the dish, but would have liked a little more tendon. Flavor of the soup was good, but I ended up throwing a little in the sink since it was too spicy to drink on its own once the noodles and meat had been eaten. Enjoyed the noodles that I had at Huaxi while familiarizing myself with a new (regional) cuisine. There are a lot of food options at Crystal Mall. Though if you are looking for something a little different than the usual, Huaxi is worth trying. -
Jon’s 4-star review: There are a whole lot of food options to choose from on Granville Island. After passing by Laurelle's, what seemed like 3 or 4 times, I took the plunge and ordered the moussaka which was served in a microwaveable type of tray. Having never had this dish before, I did not know what to expect. Fortunately, it was very pleasant with a good mix of peppers, eggplant and beef. Seeing that the items that Laurelle's sells are all prepared for purchase already, the moussaka was somewhat less enjoyable having been microwaved. But it was a nice option to have while sitting outside in the sun watching the going ons of False Creek. I would recommend Laurelle's for its variety of entrees, pasta and baked goods that they serve. They would make for a good meal for a casual day on Granville. -
Jon’s 4-star review: Marulilu Cafe is a cute Japanese cafe that is right across the street from the Canada Line Broadway SkyTrain station. The building it is located in looks a little old on the outside, but the interior has the feel of a Japanese cafe with European influences. The setup here is that you order at the counter first and then take a seat if you are dining in. There is a tip jar to the side in support of Japanese earthquake relief. The offerings here are a combination of things. Marulilu has Western breakfast options, Japanese breakfast, casual Japanese food, baked goods and a great drink selection (including ones made with booze). Though my interest seems to be drawn to the Japanese fare which includes items like okonomiyaki, omurice and rice burgers (like Mos Burger). It was breakfast, so I decided to get the Japanese breakfast set ($6.99) and a regular matcha latte ($3.80). The breakast set item list is similar to that of my Portland Japanese breakfast for half the price! The Japanese breakfast set consisted of rice, miso soup, tofu (or natto), a Japanese omelet and a piece of salmon. It is a simple meal, but I enjoyed it very much. Particularly liked the Japanese omelet which was not cooked over well. I like it when the yolk is still a bit saucy. The salmon is not the best quality, but okay given the value. Tofu was interestingly warm. I thought it would be served cool, but it works just as well. Visiting a Japanese cafe, I expect the matcha to be good and the matcha latte here was. The latte was served warm rather than hot. And it was very frothy and full of healthy flavor. Glad I found Marulilu on Yelp. This is another find in Vancouver that there is no exact Seattle equivalent for. -
Jon’s 4-star review: Earlier this year, Meat & Bread opened its first location in Seattle on Capitol Hill. And they will be expanding again as they will be opening another location in South Lake Union. Over Memorial Day weekend, I was visiting Vancouver and decided to make a visit to the original Meat & Bread location in Gastown to see if visiting the Seattle location was worthwhile. The restaurant interior is rather straightforward. There is a sandwich assembly line that is setup to be streamlined and a huge communal table setup for customers dining in to enjoy their meal. Like the space, the menu is simple. There are a few sandwiches to choose from including a daily special, a couple sides, desserts and drinks including beer, cider, soda and wine. The signature sandwich at Meat & Bread is their porchetta ($9). Interestingly the sandwich prices at this location are lower than the Capitol Hill shop and we are talking CAD here. At current currency exchange rates, the porchetta is under $7 USD in Vancouver whereas the same sandwich in Seattle is $10. Since it was my first time here, I decided to play it safe and order the porchetta sandwich. I was wondering if it matched up to the same name sandwich at Salumi in Seattle. Alas, the answer is no. But that is because this porchetta sandwich is different from the one at Salumi. The Salumi version is like a pork stew on a bun. Whereas the porchetta at Meat & Bread resembles Chinese roast park. They even give you mustard on the side. Don't get me wrong, the sandwich is good. The pork is crispy and tender. But if you go to a good Chinese BBQ shop, you could make a sandwich similar to this at home. As for service, I would have to say the staff here is very friendly and keep this shop in tidy shape amidst the flood of customers that come in. At the current sandwich pricing in Seattle, I am in no hurry to try the Meat & Bread on Capitol Hill when I can get a sandwich at Salumi at similar pricing. However if I am in Vancouver, I would visit this Meat & Bread again because the service here is good, ambiance is pleasant and the currency exchange rates make the sandwiches here a nice deal. -
Jon’s 4-star review: If paying top dollar for an afternoon at the Fairmont Empress is not your cup of tea, I suggest trying Murchie's, a company that has been in business since 1894 though 90 years less in this actual location. Here you will find a retail store offering assorted teas, coffees and assorted accessories. And a cafe in which the tea and coffee plays a big part. It is an unusual spot. The retail space takes up the left half, while the cafe takes up the right side. Though the actual dining areas are split into several rooms. Well, they call it tea salons here. How fancy. The counter in front is where the food comes from. They have display cases of pastries, desserts and lunch items here. And of course a selection of teas and coffee. What was different is that they serve tea by the pot. Many types of tea to choose from and the pot of tea is reasonably priced. I believe it is $2 a pot which is good for 2 or 3 full cups. To get the full English breakfast effect, I got a couple pastries to go with my pot of Prince Charles tea. I got a currant scone which came with cream and jelly, along with a cinnamon danish. The scone is of the classical traditional type which I like. Some of the modern scones of today are sugary duds that are greatly different from the original style. The cream and jelly made a difference with this. As for the cinnamon danish, it was sticky and sweet. It actually looks more like a cross between a cinnamon roll and the texture of a croissant. Not bad. As for the tea, it was good not great. I noticed they use teabags which is a little disappointing. Loose leaf is definitely the way to go. In any case, you need to let the tea seep for a few minutes so that the flavors become more potent. If you are not looking for haute tea at the Empress, but want to enjoy some tea time in Victoria, Murchie's is a very capable alternative that does not break the wallet. Oh and a big plus is that they have wi-fi. Though you need to ask for the code. -
Jon’s 4-star review: R & H Chinese Food is a Shanghainese eatery in an unlikely location. It is located in the food court of a mainstream mall, Lansdowne Centre in Richmond rather than in a food court at one of the many Asian malls in this city. I have tried to visit this place a couple times, only to show up late as the mall was either closing or already closed. The mall hours at Lansdowne are most of time rather short. Particularly on weekends when it closes at 6 pm. Finally learning my lesson on my last visit to BC, I made a stop here for a weekend lunch. The menu here consists of Chinese appetizers, noodle dishes and dumplings including the specialty, xiao long bao. The price point of these dishes is cheap as meals are under $10. Basically you are getting a restaurant meal at a food court price. When it came to order, I decided on combo A which consists of (6) xiao long bao and a rice noodle soup for $7.95. There are tables by the food stall, so you can wait nearby if there is a space available. I like that they serve the xiao long bao in a smaller serving than places like Din Tai Fung in which you need to order 10 at a time. The smaller size allows you to try other things. The xiao long bao is quite good. The soup inside the dumplings was nice and hot. Make sure to be careful when eating them though as the soup squirts when biting the dough. As for the rice noodles, I thought they were going to be a different sort of noodle than what I got. I thought it would be lai fun or the rice noodles used for pho. Instead, it is the cellophane (fun see) variety of rice noodles. The soup was topped with some tofu puffs. This was just okay. If you are looking for xiao long bao, but prefer a food court eatery to dining in at a restaurant, R & H is a good option. Though be aware of their business hours. They are more of a lunch and afternoon snack eatery, rather than one for dinner due to the early closing hours at Lansdowne. -
Jon’s 4-star review: Sometimes I delay writing reviews because I have to prepare myself to write about the grandiosity of the place. This is one of the places. This was the first spot that I visited when I got off the Victoria Clipper and headed into town. And I have to say Red Fish Blue Fish is a MUST visit in Victoria! The boat ride did not leave me much cutoff to heading over to this space. They apparently close at 7 pm. It is in an indescript spot in the Inner Harbour. It is past the visitor information stand at the center of the Inner Harbour. Walk a block or two on Wharf Street. There is a small sign for the spot. You then walk down a flight of stairs in which you will come across a shipping container converted into a food stand. Yes, I give slightly crummy directions. But consider this a foodie treasure hunt that is worth it. As noted by the titling of the stand, fish dishes are the stars of the menu. Fish & chips and tacones (taco-cones) being the most notable specialties. They also offer sandwiches, salad and chowder here. Their sides are very interesting as well like mushy edamamme, curry chips and fish poutine! This is a busy stand with so much to choose from. Racked with a lot of choices, I decided on a tempura cod tacone with cole slaw ($5) and a half order of the fish poutine ($6). Was not sure if this would fill me up, but the answer is yes and then some! One tacone is a good serving already. I liked the use of breaded cod which is a different take on fish tacos. The sauce inside the flour taco is very creamy. As for the fish poutine, it was my first time trying poutine and it really delivers on awesomeness. Chunks of fish and melted cheese over fries is really good! It is so good that I wonder if any other renditions of poutine could ever compare. The only small suggestion I will give is to share a half order of the poutine. It is heavy food and a half order is more than enough. If my grandiose review has not hooked you, a big plus is that there is a good amount of seating including some that is covered near the stand. And the fact that they have a strong recycle program. Simply put, Red Fish Blue Fish is a must try place when in Victoria. -
Jon’s 4-star review: Western Lake is a popular Cantonese restaurant in Vancouver. Specifically for dim sum which I learned the hard way by coming here without a reservation on a weekend. The restaurant is located on a stretch of Victoria Drive full of Chinese businesses. It is easy to spot because the restaurant signage outside is green colored. When entering the restaurant you will encounter a small waiting area. Open the inside door to reach the front counter to request a table. As I mentioned, I came here without a reservation and that was a total gaffe. There were countless people that reached the restaurant after us that were seated because they had made a booking. We finally were seated after nearly a hour. The dim sum menu is made to order and so you will need to choose your selections off a menu which you mark off what you want. The dim sum here is noted for being very large in size so try to pace yourself when doing so. I was dining with my parents and we ordered a half dozen items. Items included har gow (prawn dumplings), bean curd rolls with fish paste, pea leaf dumplings, rice noodle rolls with Chinese donut, beef balls and sticky rice with Chinese sausage. Although I was aware that the portions would be big, I was surprised nevertheless. The har gow and beef balls in particular were gargantuan. The biggest that I have ever seen. Almost double the size of some dim sum restaurants I have tried. Though the portions were bigger, the quality was not compromised. The prawns in the har gow tasted fresh and the beef balls are top notch. The other dishes were good too. The fish paste makes the bean curd rolls standout from other versions I have tried. Sticky rice and rice noodle rolls are crowd pleasing. The latter of which is interesting because the Chinese donut is wrapped inside the rice noodles. It is not something I have seen here in Seattle. The only fault with the food is that the dumpling wrappers can get sticky. But this is a common problem I have encountered everywhere. As for the service, it was great once we got seated. Even though the dim sum is bigger here, the prices are reasonable for Vancouver. Made even better by the USD to CAD exchange rate. If you are looking for large portions of quality dim sum in Vancouver, check out Western Lake. Though I highly recommend making a reservation before you come here. Waiting without one is pretty unbearable. -
Jon’s 4-star review: (Note: According to some recent reviews, Xu's is now known as Shanghai Dimsum House Ltd. Dined here when it was still under the old name.) Continuing my hunt for Shanghainese eats, I headed over to Xu's Wonton House located in the food court of Crystal Mall in Burnaby. Compared with my previous stop (R&H Chinese Food in Richmond), I thought the menu offerings here were more to my suiting. Not only do they have the requisite, xiao long bao but they also offer shengjianbao and Shanghainese wontons. The menu consists of the same three things as R&H including Chinese appetizers, noodle dishes and dumplings. They also have combo offerings and the price point for a meal here is under $10. Having already had some xiao long bao at R&H, I decided to opt for something else. Settled on combo D which consists of (5) Shanghai vegetable & pork wontons in soup and a green onion pancake for $6.75. The challenge of eating at Crystal Mall's food court is that very often packed with diners. You need to stake out seating when eating here, but also watch for your order at the food stall. Given the crowds, it just seems easier to order takeout if you can. I was a little skittish about ordering a soup dish knowing I would have to find a seat here. I managed to find a seat towards the back window, though not ideal since the glare of sun was shining upon me. But my meal made me forget this. The Shanghai wontons were excellent and the chicken broth it came in was delicious. It warmed me up on that cool day. As for the green onion pancake, it was nice and crispy. If you are looking for fresh handmade Shanghainese dumplings, Xu's is worth trying as the prices are inexpensive and the food is good. Though you will need to deal with the challenge of seating should you decide to enjoy them at Crystal Mall. -
Jon’s 3-star review: I wanted to try Chinese food in Victoria, though all the places in the small Chinatown were not very appealing to me. However, a few blocks away you will find Frank's Honeybun Cafe which is a greasy spoon/cheap eats meets Chinese food type of place. It is a low key, cafeteria type setting restaurant. I was slightly put off by the Panda Express type setup of Chinese options so I avoided choosing a combo. I did not want the greasy spoon stuff either because I could get this back in Seattle. However, I noticed they offered wonton soup ($4.99) here which I thought was a perfect choice given the nasty rainy weather outside. The wonton soup is not a large portion, but filling. Pricing is modest, so I did not expect much. There was a substantial 8 wontons mixed with some bok choy and broccoli in a chicken broth. It was hot, clearly made to order. A good warm me up meal overall. Totally recommend this dish as a cheap eat in Victoria. Overall, I like Frank's. It is right in the heart of downtown. Definitely looks to be the place to pick up a substantial meal on the cheap in the area. -
Jon’s 3-star review: Guu with Garlic is a popular Japanese izakaya located in the West End. On previous visits to Vancouver, I have walked through this area and always see a line of people waiting for a seat at this restaurant. Thus I decided to give this restaurant a try on my last visit to Vancouver. If you want to avoid having to wait, I recommend coming here when they open at 5:30 pm. I did exactly that following the crowd that had arrived before me into the restaurant. The restaurant is on the small side. They only have a bar seating area and a few long tables which explains why there is a wait for a space here nightly. I was seated in one of bar seats on the side which is really tight. To the point that you need to squeeze in almost. The menu (as well as the ambiance) here is reminiscent of another Japanese West End izakaya, Kingyo. Like Kingyo, there is a main menu and a daily specials menu to choose from. Their drink selection is interesting as Guu offers its own special beer and Ramune. For my dinner meal here, I ordered four items. Started off with a ramune yuzu mojito ($6.50) and paired it alongside the sashimi salad ($9.80) and a couple daily specials. The brussels sprouts, potato & sausage creamy gratin ($5.80) and grilled attka mackerel ($7.80). The mojito was served in a glass. The ramune is just handed to you to open and dump into the glass. Opening the ramune bottle is a bit difficult if you are unfamiliar with how to open it. Basically you need to push the top down really hard. I thought this drink was great in a refreshing type of way. As for the food, I found it to be a mixed bag. It wasn't as good as my meal at Kingyo and the wait was much longer. The sashimi salad was nice albeit a little ordinary. As for the gratin, it wasn't what I expected. I was expecting a casserole type dish, but this was more like a brussels sprouts and potatoes dish with melted cheese on top. Finally, the mackerel was good and nicely grilled but it was served bone-in so it was a messy eat since I had to pick out the bones. The food and ambiance at Guu with Garlic is comparable to Kingyo. But having tried both now, I have to say that I prefer the latter. The food came out more quickly and my dining experience was better at Kingyo. Though I think that there are many people who have the opposite opinion and prefer Guu to Kingyo as evidenced by the high Yelp review rating. I think Guu is worth trying, though I would go to Kingyo again before coming back here. -
Jon’s 3-star review: The Crystall Mall Food Court in Burnaby is full of food stands serving primarily Chinese cuisine. What I like about this food court is that you can find different regional Chinese fare here and the prices are very reasonable. Ipoh Bean Sprout Chicken is the Malaysian food stand at the food court. After a filling breakfast at a HK cafe, I was looking for a lighter meal and thought Malaysian Chinese fare would be a good option. Meal prices at this stand were good. It seemed like many items were under $8. I decided to give the Ipoh fried hor fun ($7.25) a try. Since this is a food court, you will need to find a open table which can be a challenge. It is best to bring someone with you when visiting the the food court here to stake a table while the other person orders and waits for the food. After my meal was ready, I grabbed it and found a table. Upon opening the box, plenty of steam poured out telling me that the noodles were fresh off the wok. Hor fun is a rice noodle dish that is essentially like Chinese chow funn. I haven't had Ipoh fried hor fun before, but it seemed like the difference from the Chinese version is the use of shrimp. The hor fun was good. I noticed the addition of pork in this dish. Not sure if this is traditional, but it is nice to have a second source of protein. The shrimp were not as fresh as in Malaysia, but fine given the low price point of the dish. As for the rice noodles, I thought they were my favorite thing in this dish. The noodles were fresh and the "wok hee" comes through. There are so many good places at Crystal Mall Food Court that it can be difficult to choose. But if you are looking for a filling meal that is not too heavy, I would recommend the hor fun at this stand. -
Jon’s 3-star review: Based upon a friend's write-up of Irish Times, I was made known of this place. It is on the main stretch of Government Street in downtown Victoria. This is a cozy Irish pub that is rustic. Interior is dark which makes the place more intimate feeling. Stopped by for lunchtime fare. I got a table right by the window. Nice spot for watching the goings on of the street. Food is generally pub fare of sandwiches, salads, pizzas, burgers and Irish classics. I decided on the lunch special ($9.99) which was a steak and guinness pot pie with a emerald (side) salad for that day. As it is a pub, of course there is a large drink selection. They have many domestic beers here that are locally brewed in Victoria along with some non-local Canadian, Irish and European beers. Though no American brews. Not sure why considering the short proximity. The draft Vancouver Island Spyhopper Honey Brown Ale ($6.60) was nice. It was smooth as described. A nice uncomplicated brew, though a bit pricey. As for the food, I liked the steak and guinness pot pie. Very good option on a rainy day. Tasted like a hearty Irish stew underneath the puff top. The salad was nicely prepared, though the dressing was a little too unassuming. Hard to taste. Though it was nice to have the salad to balance the heaviness of the pot pie and beer combo. The Irish folk music soundtrack playing in the background was very enjoyable. It definitely sets the tone of spot as a cheery place to dine. Irish Times is a solid pub to dine and be jolly in Victoria. -
Jon’s 3-star review: Joy's Taiwanese Food is a food court restaurant at Parker Place in Richmond. It is the first place you see on your right as you walk through the food court entrance. The offerings are all very reasonably priced. There was no one in line. Though that did not dissuade me as the day I visited was very rainy and the food court was about to close shortly. I did see the review below about the beef noodle soup, but I decide to order it anyway as I needed something to warm me up from the cold evening night air. The price is cheap at just $5.75 but you get what you pay for here. The meal was served in a plastic bowl on a food tray. The soup lacked flavor and the noodles were just okay. The beef was decent, though I prefer when it is cut into larger chunks whereas the ones here are more like slivers. I do think the restaurant is worth a try if you like Taiwanese food. Prices are cheap and you should feel reasonably full. Though I would suggest skipping on the soup and going for one of the rice dishes here instead. Again, it is in the Parker Place food court so remember to stake out a table if it is busy. If you don't want to do that, get takeout or go during an off hour. -
Jon’s 3-star review: (Note: The Yelp business listing for Lung Kee was incorrectly combined with the listing for the similar named Aberdeen Centre eatery, Leung Kee. Reposting using a new listing.) Lung Kee (not to be confused with Leung Kee) is one of the food court spots at Aberdeen Centre. I had just got into Vancouver after the trip up from Seattle and was starved. After perusing the options at Aberdeen, I decided to give Lung Kee a try. Their offerings consist of congee (rice porridge) and noodle dishes as the name indicates. Pricing here is pretty reasonable. I don't think any menu item was above $7. Though it is cash only and unlike some of the other food court places here, drinks are not included with the meal. I decided to go with the congee combo offering ($6.75). There are several congees you can pick from as well as a few side dishes to choose from. I went with the fish congee and rice noodle rolls. Since it is a food court, the food is served in plastic containers on food trays and you wait for your number to be called. The fish congee was flavorful, though it seemed like it had MSG in it since I got very thirsty from eating it. The rice noodle rolls are tasty. I would suggest adding the chili oil. Make sure to put sauce on them before taking your meal away as there are no condiments elsewhere. It was not the best congee that I have had, but for the price and portion it was satisfying enough for a mid-afternoon meal. Make sure to drink plenty of water or a buy a drink though if you try it out. -
Jon’s 3-star review: Cantonese food is easy to find in Vancouver, but Macanese food is a more difficult task. There are a few items like Portuguese Chicken that may be found on the menu at a Chinese eatery (typically a HK café), but I had found no place that specializes in this cuisine until now at Macau Café. Personally, I don't have much experience with Macanese cuisine. I did visit Macau a couple years ago and loved the food that I had there. When I was visiting Vancouver last month, I visited the Parker Place food court in Richmond. I noticed Macau Café had replaced Bo Lin, a Chinese vegetarian place that I had frequented over the years. Since I am not all that familiar with Macanese food still, I can't attest to whether it is authentic. But to me, it seems like it. The menu has items that have a Portuguese flavor to them with ingredients like Portuguese sausage and sardines as Macau was once ruled by Portugal. The culinary imperialism mixed with Cantonese food led to the creation of Macanese dishes. The food here is really affordable. I did not see a dish over $7. Plus entrees include a free hot drink (coffee/tea). I decided to order the baked duck confit & sausage on rice ($6.75) and a pork chop bun ($3.75). The pork chop bun also comes with a drink which is why I got two drinks as my photo indicates. I waited a good while for the food. This is because the baked dishes take a considerable time to prepare. If you are looking for a quick bite, I would suggest getting the pork chop bun. Based on my wait, it was clear that was the most popular item on the menu. The pork chop bun that I had at Sin Lei in Macau was truly one of the culinary highlights of my trip there. The one at Macau Café is decent, but does not quite match the one at Sin Lei. The pork chop is not as crispy, but it is also not as oily either if that is important. It is a good value though and I would recommend it if you have not had one before. The duck confit and sausage rice was good. Albeit loaded with too much rice to eat on its own. I would share this dish with someone. It is similar in taste to fried rice though a bit more decadent due to the duck and sausage. It can be a challenge to find a table to sit if you are dining at Parker Place. I would recommend coming here at an off peak dining time and perhaps bringing a dining companion to stake out a table while the other waits for the food. Otherwise, take your order to go. If you are looking to try a different variation on Chinese cuisine which has a Portuguese flair to it, I would recommend Macau Café. -
Jon’s 3-star review: Mambo Cafe is located at the food court at Aberdeen Centre in Richmond. Mambo has a Hong Kong cafe type restaurant menu. There were a number of dishes that interested me here and I ended up ordering the Portuguese chicken. I had seen this dish before at Cafe Ori in Bellevue, but had no idea what this looked like or consisted of. It turns out this is a baked curry like dish. Anyway, I did not expect that this dish would take so long to be ready. It was at least a 20 minute wait before it was ready, not exactly a fast turnaround time for a food court eatery. Overall, I was a bit underwhelmed with the dish. I would have liked a better mix of dish to rice ratio. There was also more veggies than chicken in the dish. In addition to the entree, I got a Hong Kong milk tea, which was just okay. Prices here were pretty good for what you get. Considering the number of eateries choose from in Richmond, I probably should tried elsewhere in hindsight. Mambo Cafe is okay, but I would have liked to have seen quicker service. -
Jon’s 3-star review: Dined at Mui Garden last weekend for dinner. This is a casual dining restaurant that offers HK cafe fare alongside traditional Chinese cuisine. It is located off Westminster Highway near Richmond Centre. Part of a building complex, there is fairly limited parking right in front. You may be able to find some street parking here, but there is also parking on the roof of the building. Yes, the roof. Be careful heading up and down. Roof parking is quite tight. I would not recommend it unless you are good at parking. The restaurant has a mix of tables and booths and has two dining rooms it appears.Got a booth by the window. The restaurant is bright lit with TVB playing on the LCD TV in the front. The menu is quite lengthy. Decided to go for the regular Chinese fare. They have a deal where you can choose two dishes from a large list which comes with soup, rice and a dessert for $26. Add $13 more for each dish/set that you would like to get. Thus, 4 would be $52 and 6 would be $78. Got a mixed meat hot pot, Hainan chicken and a fried rock cod in corn soup dish for $39. It came with a pork bits soup that kind of resembled ham in look, but not in taste. This meal is supposed to be for three, but it could definitely feed four. The hot pot has an array of meats including pork kidney. I decided to skip this as it is a bit too adventurous for me, but I liked this dish otherwise. The Hainan chicken comes with a side of roasted peanuts and two dipping sauces. Usually I don't eat this dish, but seeing it was a signature dish of the restaurant, I decided to give this a try. It turned out to be good. My issue with this dish is that sometimes there is a lack of flavor, but no such problem in this case. I thought the fried cod dish a bit odd. I think it would have been fine to eat fried cod alone. Mixing it with creamy corn seemed unnecessary and a bit overindulgent. I like Mui Garden food wise, but the service here was horrenduous during my visit. It was difficult to flag someone down to order and pay. Granted the restaurant was packed, but it seems like this place is a bit understaffed. I think it is worth a try, but try to avoid peak dining hours if you can. -
Jon’s 3-star review: Richmond Night Market is the more popular of the two night markets located in Richmond. The other market being the International Summer Night Market which is actually located at the former site of this market until it moved to its current location. This year, the night market runs from May 15 to October 12 and is open on weekends (Friday-Sunday) and holiday evenings. The location on River Road is very close to Bridgeport Station and River Rock Casino. It is also within walking distance to Golden Village as you can walk on No. 3 Road to get here. Probably a 20-25 minute walk from Aberdeen. Parking for the night market is free, but there is a $2.75 admission to enter. On night market evenings, there are crossing guards directing traffic on nearby streets. I was fortunate that I didn't have to deal with traffic as my hotel was close to the night market, so I just walked over. The line to enter the night market was really long. If you want to wait for the crowds to thin, come later in the evening. There is a VIP pass available for $20 which allows you to skip the line, but it seems like that is for people who frequent the night market often. The night market is broken up into three areas. There is the game section which is near the entertainment stage at the front. Walking further in you will find many retail booths selling random items like cheap Korean socks and household goods. I pretty much ignored both of these areas like most attendees here. I was strictly here for the food stands here. I thought the stands would be like the ones I saw at night markets in Taipei, but they aren't. The food here is not exclusively Chinese. There are all kinds of offerings, though they seem primarily Asian. The food stands are crowded and the lines for some made it hard to maneuver through the venue. The food prices may seem a bit high, but the USD-CAD exchange rate is really good right now so that helps to soothe the pain in your wallet. I tried three food stands here. The Xinjiang lamb and beef skewers at Xin Jiang Man BBQ, Sicuhan fish balls from Snack Central and miso ramen from Benkei Ramen Sho. Of those three, the lamb and beef skewers were my favorite. The meat was tender, delicious and full of cumin flavor. The fish balls were also good and have a little spiciness to them as they were dipped in a hot broth. As for the miso ramen, I thought the portion was small and the taste was disappointing. Definite food fair quality ramen rather than restaurant quality. I thought the Richmond Night Market was okay. It was nice to experience it once, but it is not a place I would visit regularly when in Richmond and Vancouver due to the admission cost and sort of high food prices. Though if you do go, I would recommend trying the meat skewers and seafood as those are your best bets for food here. -
Jon’s 3-star review: Tiny bakery in Vancouver's Chinatown. Takes up about a half of a regular store space. Despite skepticism about the smallness of this place, I decided to give this spot a try. Zhao Mah has a typical selection of Chinese baked goods that are reasonably priced. Most of the other bakeshops do carry steamed buns, though the varieties offered at each are not always the same. Came across a pack of vegetable and dried scallop steamed buns here that caught my eyes. Picked up a bag for $6. Either the bag was located in the wrong place, which is plausible due to the small space, but it turns out the buns that I got was a mix of vegetable and pork. If it is really the right item, must be they were going for dried scallop flavor or something. Dried scallops are quite expensive, so it was probably too much to expect a revelation here. Anyways, it was a decent bun that is great for a steaming piece of breakfast. I stand by my saying that I have not visited a Chinatown Vancouver bakery that I did not like. Though with so much gloriousness, I would not buy from just one place. Visit and pick out the goods that you like and move on to the next one. In that regard, Zhao Mah is worth a visit. You might come across something worthwhile here. -
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Jon’s 3-star review: Siegel's Bagels has a large selection of Montreal style bagels. They have a location on Granville Island inside the public market. Bagels are $1 each which is reasonable and in line with the going rate at Seattle's Montreal style bagel purveyor, Eltana. Picked out three bagels. The poppy seed, onion and sundried tomato varieties. Texture and taste is indeed different from a New York bagel. However, I found Eltana's bagels a bit better than the ones found here. Something about the chewiness of the bagels doesn't quite hit the right notes. It is a bit too dense. However seeing that most Americans and maybe some Canadians are unfamiliar with Montreal style bagels, I think Siegel's is worth a try for this reason. Compare the bagels here to the New York style bagels and determine for yourself which style you prefer. -
Jon’s 3-star review: Pine House is one of the Chinese bakeries at Crystal Mall. It is located in the food market on the 1st floor below the food court. I was looking to get a small bite to eat before heading to Vancouver for the morning. As I have realized on previous trips, businesses open up a bit later on Sundays. Pine House was the only bakery open at 9am, which is why I ended up here. This bakery has a good variety of items. It is not just buns and cakes here. So many items to choose from, but sadly I was particular about what to get since I had just a backpack and a grocery bag meaning limited space and a preference not to have to carry too much stuff around town. I wanted to get one of the steamed pork or chicken buns here, but they weren't ready yet. Ended up getting a baked chicken bun ($.95) and a day old package of rolls ($1.50). Reena was spot on about day old buns. The rolls needed a microwaving. Though I think most Chinese buns have this same problem. The baked chicken bun was nice and warm. The filling was tasty. Not a whole lot of filling, but not stingy either. It is about right. I am sure this place would be four star territory if I tried a few more things. Based off the selections I tried, I found Pine House to be a decent Chinese bakery. -
Jon’s 4-star review: Transylvanian Traditions is a Romanian bakery in the West End. Here you will find a nice selection of desserts to choose from. The storefront is on the main stretch of Davie Street. This is a good spot to visit for dessert if you have a meal elsewhere and want to go somewhere different for a nightcap. The space is small. I think there is only a table or two inside the shop. However there are plenty of tables outside to eat your desserts here which is fine assuming the weather is pleasant. They have many desserts and slices of cake to choose from. Though the bakery is Romanian, there are familiar items like eclairs and tiramisu offered here. If you have visited European bakeries before, than the selection here will seem pretty typical. From what I recall, almost all of the offerings were under $5 so that is a pretty fair price for a slice of cake. I decided to go with the tiramisu ($4.50). The cake was moist and full of coffee flavor. It made for a nice end to my evening. If you are looking for reasonably priced slices of cake on the West End that taste great, I would recommend Transylvanian Traditions. Though note that they only have desserts, tea and coffee here. If you want an (alcoholic) drink with your dessert, you will need to do takeout and go elsewhere for this. -
Jon’s 4-star review: There are a number of notable bakeries on Granville Island including Siegel's Bagels and Lee's Donuts. However when it comes to artisan bread, Terra Breads is the place to go. Terra Breads is located inside Granville Island Public Market. It can be found on the food court side of the complex on the left. Terra is part of a chain, but this location doesn't have a café. Just breads and pastries. One of the reasons for visiting Granville Island on my trips to Vancouver is to pick up a slice of the excellent pate at Oyama Sausage. Nothing goes better with pate than bread, so I visited Terra in search of some. They have many varieties to choose from. I decided to go with the standard demi-baguette. The pastry selection here is also wonderful so I couldn't resist getting one of the blueberry bread pastries. What I noticed about the baguette is that the loaf keeps its softness well, unlike most baguettes that tend to get stale after a day or two. Even after three or four days, I was surprised by its longevity. The bread itself is quite tasty. I would recommend it if you are using it to make a sandwich or eating it with some charcuterie. The blueberry bread was also a bit of a surprise. I wouldn't characterize it as a complete pastry. It is more of a hybrid between bread and pastry. The chewiness reminds you of the bread, but the blueberry topping and sweet ingredients are of a pastry. If you are looking for an offering that is unique, the blueberry bread fits that bill. When it comes to artisan bread on Granville Island, Terra Breads is the place to go bar none.
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