MAP 6: 2404 Main St., 604/568-5501, http://genecoffeebar.com; 7:30am-7pm Mon.-Fri., 8:30am-7pm Sat.-Sun.
Commercial Drive Map 7
SEAFOOD
Merchant’s Oyster Bar $$
This compact corner storefront with seats indoors at their dark wood tables or out on a narrow sidewalk patio is the spot for seafood and other light bites on Commercial Drive. Merchant’s Oyster Bar shucks a changing selection of bivalves (ask the obliging staff for the day’s features), along with inventive sharing plates like pork terrine with peach mostarda, tuna crudo with sea asparagus, or local crab with tarragon aioli, that you can pair with creative cocktails and craft beer. For something more substantial, you might find tagliatelle with prawns and uni butter or duck with five-spice barbecue sauce.
MAP 7: 1590 Commercial Dr., 604/258-0005, www.merchantsoysterbar.ca; 2pm-10pm Mon.-Thurs., 2pm-11pm Fri., 11am-11pm Sat., 11am-10pm Sun.
MIDDLE EASTERN
Jamjar $$
Casual Jamjar serves traditional Lebanese dishes, updated with local ingredients, in a space that mixes pendant lights, white subway tiles, and other industrial elements, with homey wooden tables and jars of their own hummus, dips, and sauces on display. From fattoush salad to makdous (pickled eggplant stuffed with chili and walnuts) to makali (fried cauliflower with pomegranate molasses), plates are designed to share, with lots of vegetarian options. There’s a second location in South Granville.
MAP 7: 2280 Commercial Dr., 604/252-3957, www.jam-jar.ca; 11:30am-10pm daily
THAI
Kin Kao Thai Kitchen $$
Convenient for a bite before a show at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre or the York Theatre, Kin Kao Thai Kitchen serves Thai dishes with contemporary twists in a modern minimalist space, where you can perch at the counter or line up for seats at one of the light wood tables (it’s a small spot). Don’t miss the tangy, sour cured pork ribs. Other recommended dishes include papaya salad, steak salad, or any of the curry dishes. Craft beers from neighborhood breweries are on tap.
pork ribs and salad at Kin Kao Thai Kitchen
MAP 7: 903 Commercial Dr., 604/558-1125, www.kinkao.ca; 5pm-10pm Mon., 11:30am-3pm and 5pm-10pm Tues.-Sat.
DINERS
The Red Wagon $
What brings the all-day breakfast crowds of families, East Side hipsters, and other neighborhood denizens to The Red Wagon, a homey diner in the heart of the East Village? First of all, there are pulled pork pancakes—buttermilk pancakes layered with tender pork and Jack Daniels-laced maple syrup. Beyond this indulgent specialty, the menu starts with eggs, bacon, and other morning classics, but gets creative with Vietnamese-influenced “breakfast bánh mì,” a vegetarian tofu scramble, and a goat cheese and basil frittata. If you’re in more of a lunch mood, opt for a burger, soups, salads, or sandwiches.
MAP 7: 2296 E. Hastings St., 604/568-4565, www.redwagoncafe.com; 8am-3pm Mon.-Tues., 8am-midnight Wed.-Fri., 9am-midnight Sat.-Sun.
QUICK BITES
La Grotta Del Formaggio $
A delicious reason to visit Italian grocer La Grotta Del Formaggio is for the Italian sandwiches that this Commercial Drive shop makes to order. Load up your fresh bread or focaccia with salami, prosciutto, or other cured meats, along with cheeses, peppers, olives, and various condiments. The shop has a couple of seats out on the sidewalk, but a better plan is to take your meal to a nearby park. The shop also sells imported pastas, anchovies, and a large selection of cheeses.
MAP 7: 1791 Commercial Dr., 604/255-3911, www.lgdf.ca; 9am-6pm Mon.-Thurs. and Sat., 9am-7pm Fri., 10am-6pm Sun.
BAKERIES AND CAFÉS
S The Pie Shoppe $
The Pie Shoppe turns out a seasonally changing array of sweet things in a crust. The proprietors of this cheerful East Side bakery with a common table and handcrafted pine counter, located down the street from several craft breweries, also run Panoramic Roasting Company, a small batch coffee roaster, and pair their blueberry, nectarine-cardamom, chocolate pecan, or other slices with pour-overs, espressos, and cappuccinos from their own beans. They sell whole pies and savory options, too, but beware: They close early if they run out of pie.
MAP 7: 1875 Powell St., 604/338-6646, http://thepieshoppe.ca; 11am-6pm Wed.-Sun.
COFFEE AND TEA
Prado Café $
A hip Commercial Drive coffee spot that’s expanded to several locations across the city, window-lined Prado Café serves its brews in turquoise mugs to clients who settle at the wooden tables to chat or get some work done. Staff use locally roasted 49th Parallel beans and bake their pastries in-house.
MAP 7: 1938 Commercial Dr., 604/255-5537, http://pradocafevancouver.com; 7am-8pm Mon.-Fri., 7am-7pm Sat., 8am-7pm Sun.
Turks Coffee House $
As the first independent coffee bar on Commercial Drive, this coffee shop may claim that they’ve been “non-conforming since 1992,” but Turks Coffee House conforms to seriously high coffee standards, serving Italian-style brews sourced primarily from small, fair trade, and organic producers. Sip your drip-, pour over-, or espresso-style java at the long communal counter, a sunny window table, or out on the pocket-size sidewalk patio.
MAP 7: 1276 Commercial Dr., 604/255-5805, 6:30am-11pm daily
Richmond Map 8
CANTONESE
S Bamboo Grove $$$
From the front, Bamboo Grove looks like a nearly abandoned, old-time Asian eatery. But go around back, enter through the parking lot, and you’ll find a high-end Cantonese restaurant, with white tablecloths, black-suited waiters, and an elaborate menu. Any fresh fish dish would be a good option, as would the eggplant with tiger prawns, the fried rice with cod roe, and the unusual pork stomach with ginkgo soup, a pale, creamy, and rich broth. If you have a big budget and adventurous tastes, try the succulent geoduck clam sautéed with velvety scrambled eggs; check the current price before ordering, as geoduck can often run $50 a pound. Reservations are recommended.
MAP 8: 6920 No. 3 Rd., 604/278-9585; 4:30pm-10:30pm daily; subway: Richmond-Brighouse
HUNAN
Bushuair Restaurant $$
Like spice? Richmond’s Bushuair Restaurant prepares the blistering hot cuisine of China’s Hunan province. A portrait of Mao, who hailed from Hunan, welcomes patrons to this nondescript strip-mall storefront, where it’s all about the food. From the thick menu, which is filled with photos, choose any preparation with smoked bacon or pickled chilies, which give dishes their distinctive Hunan flavors. The whole fish buried in chili peppers is a showstopper.
MAP 8: Empire Centre, 4540 No. 3 Rd., #121, 604/285-3668; 11am-midnight daily; subway: Aberdeen
SHANGHAINESE
Su Hang Restaurant $$
Su Hang Restaurant, in a Richmond strip mall, specializes in dishes from Shanghai and the surrounding regions, from delicate xiao long bao (pork-filled soup dumplings) to fresh fish or crab to meaty pork ribs. To sample their signature dish, Hangzhou beggar chicken, order a day in advance. At lunchtime, they serve Shanghai-style dim sum. Make a reservation; the restaurant is small.
MAP 8: 8291 Ackroyd Rd., #100, 604/278-7787, www.suhang.ca; 11am-3pm and 5pm-10pm daily; subway: Lansdowne
SICHUAN
S New Spicy Chili Restaurant $$
Many dishes at Richmond’s Sichuan-style New Spicy Chili Restaurant incorporate the delectably mouth-numbing Sichuan peppercorns that balance out hot peppers’ chili heat. The staff at this relaxed little storefront, tucked into the corner of a minimall, do their best to assist with recommendations, but if you like spicy fare, you can’t go wrong with dishes like the “water-boiled fish” (known here as “tilapia fish with spicy sauce”), kung pao chicken, or the smoked bacon with bamboo shoots (the meat is cured in-house). They do interesting vegetable dishes here as well, including sautéed cauliflower or stir-fried lotus root.
MAP 8: 4200 No. 3 Rd., #160, 604/273-3388; 11:30am-9:30pm Mon.-Thurs., 11:30am-10pm Fri.-Sun.; subway: Aberdeen
XI’AN STYLE
S Hao’s Lamb Restaura
nt $$
Sesame flatbread stuffed with sliced lamb, steamed lamb dumplings, creamy lamb soup with hand-pulled noodles, cumin-spiced lamb stir-fry—if you enjoy lamb dishes of many varieties, make tracks to Hao’s Lamb Restaurant, which specializes in dishes from western China’s Xi’an region. The kitchen uses every part of the sheep (yes, you can even order lamb penis). Accompany your meat with refreshing cold plates, including pickled radishes or garlicky cucumbers, from the display case at the counter or with vegetable options like the crisp and creamy fried eggplant.
rack of lamb at Hao’s Lamb Restaurant
MAP 8: 8788 McKim Way, #1180, 604/270-6632; 11am-9:30pm Fri.-Wed.; subway: Aberdeen
DIM SUM
S Golden Paramount Seafood Restaurant $
In an ordinary Richmond strip mall, Golden Paramount Seafood Restaurant is a first-rate spot for Hong Kong-style dim sum. Try the pan-fried oysters, congee (rice porridge), and steamed dumplings filled with pork and crab, or survey what other tables are eating and politely point. Reservations are recommended, particularly on weekends.
MAP 8: 8071 Park Rd., 604/278-0873; 5pm-10pm Wed.-Mon. (dim sum 10:30am-3pm); subway: Richmond-Brighouse
TOP EXPERIENCE
CHINESE FOOD
More than 40 percent of the population in metropolitan Vancouver is of Asian descent. These strong Asian influences permeate the city, from business culture to food. In particular, the Vancouver region has hundreds of Chinese restaurants, many serving high-end cuisine that rivals the fare in Hong Kong, Taipei, and Beijing.
Chinatown, near the city center, was once a vibrant immigrant community. While it still has Chinese markets, bakeries, and restaurants, the best place for traditional Asian meals is Richmond, the region’s new Chinatown, where dozens of restaurants serve cuisines from across China.
Whether you’re looking for spicy Sichuan or Hunan fare, handmade noodles and dumplings like you’d see in Shanghai, delicately seasoned Cantonese seafood, or the hearty lamb dishes of China’s western provinces, you’ll find it in Richmond. Cafés serving bubble tea and Taiwanese shaved ice desserts draw a young crowd, while families pack the round tables of countless dim sum houses. Richmond’s Alexandra Road, which runs for several blocks east from No. 3 Road, has so many restaurants that it’s known locally as “Food Street.”
jumbo prawns with eggplant at Richmond’s Bamboo Grove
The center of Richmond’s Asian food scene is the Golden Village, along No. 3 Road from Cambie Road south toward Granville Avenue. Most restaurants are located in shopping centers or minimalls, so don’t hesitate to explore.
The city even has a Dumpling Trail (www.visitrichmondbc.com), which highlights where to eat pot stickers, xiao long bao (soup dumplings), and other delectable stuffed dough dishes.
Empire Seafood Restaurant $
For dim sum classics, like har gow (delicate steamed shrimp dumplings), siu mai (pork and shrimp dumplings topped with fish roe), and barbecue pork buns, Empire Seafood Restaurant is a good choice. Other items to sample include scallop and shrimp dumplings, pan-fried turnip cakes, and steamed egg yolk buns. To find the entrance, head for the second floor of the Richmond complex that also houses a London Drugs store. Arrive before 11am or book ahead for dim sum.
MAP 8: London Plaza, 5951 No. 3 Rd., #200, 604/249-0080, www.empirerestaurant.ca; 5:30pm-10:30pm daily (dim sum 9am-3pm); subway: Richmond-Brighouse
QUICK BITES
The BBT Shop $
Hidden in the parking garage underneath a Richmond grocery superstore, The BBT Shop not only makes tasty bubble tea, but is also known for its eggy bubble waffles, which you can sample plain or with a variety of sweet toppings, including fresh strawberries with whipped cream or matcha ice cream with red beans. One seasonal specialty is the “super mango” version, piled high with mango ice cream, fresh mango, and mango sauce; bring a friend and share. There’s another location in the West End.
MAP 8: 4651 No. 3 Rd., 604/285-8833; noon-9:30pm Sun.-Thurs., noon-11:30pm Fri.-Sat.; subway: Aberdeen
Pearl Castle Café $
Modern Pearl Castle Café has long been a favored destination for young Richmond residents to meet up over bubble tea, from classic milk tea to fresh fruit slush to their own creations. Accompany your drinks with Taiwanese snacks like spiced fried chicken, pork and kimchi fried rice, or thick toast slathered with condensed milk. You’ll find a second smaller branch inside the Richmond Centre Mall.
MAP 8: Continental Centre, 3779 Sexsmith Rd., #1128, 604/270-3939, www.pearlcastle.com; 11:30am-1am daily; subway: Aberdeen
Richmond Public Market $
When you need a quick lunch or early supper, wander past the vegetable sellers and other stalls on the main level of the Richmond Public Market and find your way to the second-floor food court. At Xi’an Cuisine, which serves dishes from western China, try a lamb dish with hand-pulled noodles or the pan-fried pot stickers. To drink, get a bubble tea from Peanuts, which also makes a sweet, round waffle-like pastry known as a “car wheel cake,” filled with your choice of coconut, peanuts, sweet red beans, even radish. Although not every vendor is open every day, you’ll always have several options during the market’s regular hours.
MAP 8: 8260 Westminster Hwy., no phone; 10am-8pm daily; subway: Richmond-Brighouse
The North Shore Map 9
SEAFOOD
Pier 7 Restaurant & Bar $$
Near Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver, Pier 7 Restaurant & Bar perches over the water with views across Burrard Inlet to the downtown skyline. While the menu emphasizes simple fresh seafood and casual pub fare, the waterfront setting makes the room feel more special. It’s a nice spot for sunset drinks, too. The restaurant is a five-minute walk from the SeaBus terminal, so you can start and end your evening with a 12-minute cruise between Waterfront Station and the North Shore.
seafood plate at Pier 7 Restaurant & Bar
MAP 9: 25 Wallace Mews, North Vancouver, 604/929-7437, http://pierseven.ca; 11:30am-10pm Mon.-Fri., 10:30am-10pm Sat.-Sun.
PERSIAN
Yaas Grill House $
Vancouver’s North Shore has a large Persian community, and one of the best places to sample the food of this region is at Yaas Grill House. This cafeteria-style eatery is not especially atmospheric, but order at the counter, find a seat in the cramped storefront, and the staff will pile your table high with platters of kebabs, stews, and freshly grilled breads that are nearly as large as the tabletops. You’ll particularly appreciate the hearty portions if you’ve been adventuring in the nearby mountains. For dessert, have a piece of classic baklava.
MAP 9: 1629 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouver, 604/990-9099, http://yaasgrill.com; 11am-10pm daily
BAKERIES AND CAFÉS
Honey Donuts $
For many Vancouverites, a day kayaking at Deep Cove isn’t complete without a stop for an old-fashioned, freshly made doughnut at North Shore institution Honey Donuts. Besides the doughnuts—honey is the classic flavor—you can fuel up with eggs and bacon, hot soup, or a selection of sandwiches.
MAP 9: 4373 Gallant Ave., Deep Cove, North Vancouver, 604/929-4988, http://honeydoughnuts.com; 6am-5pm daily
Savary Island Pie Company $
This West Vancouver café is known for its pies, particularly seasonal fruit varieties, and you can recover from your North Shore outdoor adventures over a cup of coffee and a slice or two. A relaxed neighborhood gathering place, Savary Island Pie Company also serves savory varieties, including chicken potpie and a Quebec-style tourtière (meat pie), along with sandwiches, soups, and other pastries.
MAP 9: 1533 Marine Dr., West Vancouver, 604/926-4021, http://savaryislandpiecompany.com; 6am-7pm daily
NIGHTLIFE
Highlights
Downtown and the West End
Gastown and Chinatown
Yaletown and False Creek
Granville Island
Kitsilano
Cambie Corridor
Commercial Drive
Nightlife in Vancouv
er means meeting up over locally brewed craft beer, a glass of B.C. wine, or a creative cocktail at one of the pubs or lounges around the city. On a sunny day or mild summer evening, locals and visitors alike crowd the outdoor patios of area watering holes.
Bars, nightclubs, and concert venues line Granville Street in downtown Vancouver, drawing young crowds who want to dance and party. Gastown’s historic buildings and Yaletown’s converted warehouses host many of the city’s popular cocktail lounges and brewpubs. For quieter places to enjoy a cocktail, look to the lounges in Vancouver’s downtown hotels.
With Vancouver’s craft beer scene growing exponentially, you can find locally produced beer at restaurants and bars all over the city. To sip these brews at their source, visit the East Side neighborhoods—nicknamed “Yeast Van”—that have become the center of the craft brewery boom. Brewery tasting rooms typically open in the early afternoon and remain busy into the evening.
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