Review of Granville Room

website
957 Granville Street
Vancouver
604.633.0057

Meal
Dinner

Cost
$$

Entree
Sesame Seared Ahi Tuna
Porcini Mushroom Ravioli

The Low-Down
Delicious

Review
The Granville Room is meant to be a bar/lounge, but I ended up at this place due to an Entertainment Coupon (on a side note, coupons are awesome). The ambiance is very interesting as the place is narrow and long. The entire back wall is a mirror, which had me fooled that the place was even longer than it was. The Sesame Seared Ahi Tuna was delicious and was seasoned just right. It was interesting because there was a variety of flavours. The Porcini Mushroom Ravioli had a wonderful sauce and cooked perfectly. I have to admit the portions were a little small, but the presentation was lovely.

Sesame Seared Ahi Tuna

Porcini Mushroom Ravioli

Review of Sushi Bella

website
152 Lonsdale Ave
North Vancouver
604.987.8633

Meal
Dinner

Cost
$$

Entree
Tempura Udon
Ocean Dream Roll
Big Island Roll
Drunken Tiger Roll

The Low-Down
Delicious

Review
I've been to Sushi Bella before they opened up the larger restaurant. It used to be known as Saru Sushi, and I've always been a fan. Their rolls are very unique and surprisingly tasty. I haven't seen most of their inventive rolls elsewhere. Most have combinations I thought were, shall we say, interesting. However, after giving most of them a taste test, I have to say that they've been pretty enjoyable. Now, with a larger sit-down restaurant, I'm able to enjoy a more comfortable experience with their sushi. Their prices have gone up slightly since their small, take-out days, but I think it's still worth it. With their innovation and price placement, I'm a happy returning customer.

Tempura Udon

Ocean Dream Roll and Big Island Roll

Drunken Tiger Roll

Review of Pho Hong

5975 Kingsway
Burnaby
604.454.9727

Meal
Dinner

Cost
$$

Entree
#1 Pho So with Spring Roll Special

The Low-Down
Delicious

Review
There's always a type of food that you can always eat and that you fall back on when you don't know what you're craving. Pho is one of those dishes for me. Pho So (#1 on the menu) is their pho with everything. I love this place because they always give you so much meat and noodles. Their broth is also very clear and tasty. They have a special where you can add a spring roll to any large bowl of pho. Definitely worth it!

#1 Pho So with Spring Roll Special

Review of Finch's Tea & Coffee House

website
353 W Pender Street
Vancouver
604.899.4040

Meal
Lunch

Cost
$

Entree
The Full Vegetarian

The Low-Down
Delicious

Review
I have to admit, I'm not a vegetarian. In fact, I loathe sandwiches. So I'm not sure what possessed me to order a sandwich with no meat, but I'm sure glad I did. This sandwich was packed with ingredients which were fresh and scrumptious, then placed with care between two slices of toasted bread. I think this was probably the best tasting sandwich I have ever had. And if all vegetarian dishes tasted like this, I would consider converting. I noted that I was pretty full for the rest of the afternoon, but I was a little thirstier than usual. Definitely a place I'd come back to!

The Full Vegetarian

Review of Le Bistro Chez Michel

website
224 W. Esplanade
North Vancouver
604.924.4913

Meal
Dinner

Cost
$$$

Entree
Plat de Cote a la Bourguigonne
Paella

The Low-Down
Average

Review
The dinners came with bread which was very tasty but would have been better if it came warmed. The butter was whipped and really soft. The Plat de Cote a la Bourguigonne was a plate of beef short ribs in an interesting sauce. The ribs were very soft and delicate. However, I'm not sure if I enjoyed the sauce as much. The only way I can describe it was that it had a very dark taste to it. The Paella was very fragrant and yummy. Unfortunately, the scallops were overcooked. Overall, I'd say an average dinner.

Plat de Cote a la Bourguigonne

Paella

Review of L'Artista Ristorante Italiano

website
3981 E. Hasting Street
Burnaby
604.298.8110

Meal
Dinner

Cost
$$

Entree
Linguine della Casa
Penne del Pescatore

The Low-Down
Delicious

Review
The bread came out hot along with nicely whipped butter. The crust was crispy but the inside was fluffy. Just the way I like it! When the pasta came, it was piping hot. There are many places that give lots of pasta but no fillings. This place is definitely not one of them. Both pastas were filled. The seafood was cooked perfectly as well. With the Entertainment coupon, this meal was a steal!

Bread and Whipped Butter

Linguine della Casa

Penne del Pescatore

Review of Kawawa

E15 - 4700 Kingsway (Metrotown)
Burnaby
604.435.8577

Meal
Dinner

Cost
$

Entree
Kawawa Ramen

The Low-Down
Average

Review
I consistently say that ramen isn't all that great of a meal. Funny thing is, I consistently go try ramen restaurants when enough time has past for me to forget the last experience. Well, here I am again at a ramen shop. And once again, it's pretty average. I thought I would go for one of the specially named items on the menu. I thought, "It might just surprise me". Nope. Wrong again. This is pretty average. If you're craving ramen and just finished shopping, this might be a place you want to hit up, but I definitely wouldn't purposely come here.

Kawawa Ramen

SIDE NOTE: I recently came back from Japan, and the ramen there is SUPERB! I still crave the ramen in Japan. I was going to give this a disappointing rating after the experience in Japan, but I thought I should compare it to Vancouver standards. So average it is.

Review of Gyudonya

500 Robson Street
Vancouver
604.569.0259

Meal
Lunch

Cost
$

EntreeChicken Bowl Value Meal

The Low-Down
Deal

Review
This is the first time I've tried this type of Japanese cuisine in Vancouver and I thought my first time was delightful. I wasn't expecting too much since usually this type of cuisine is more like Japanese fast food. However, the BBQ chicken was delicious, plus the sauce drizzled on top of the rice was tasty. It did get a bit salty at the end since all the sauce sinks to the bottom. The salad dressing was subtle and did not drench the salad. All in all, for the price, I'd say this was a pretty good deal.

Chicken Bowl Value Meal

Review of Anatoli Souvlaki

website
5 Lonsdale Avenue
North Vancouver
604.985.9853

Meal
Dinner

Cost
$$

Entree
Spanakopita
Chicken Souvlaki

The Low-Down
Disappointing

Review
I was craving some Greek food and this place was close to where I was. I've gone before and it didn't make a very good impression on me, but I was willing to give it another try. I didn't feel like eating in since last time, the service was terrible. So, I decided to go for some takeout. The Spanakopita was decent and even tasty. However, that was about the only thing that was good. The pita bread that came with the meals was stale and hard. A good place makes Chicken Souvlaki that is still tender and moist. This place was fairly dry. I gave it a fair second chance and I think I'm writing this one off the list as well.

Pita Bread

Spanakopita

Chicken Souvlaki

Review of Benkei

1741 Robson Street
Vancouver
604.688.6980

Meal
Dinner

Cost
$

Entree
Miso Ramen with Chasu

The Low-Down
Disappointing

Review
I've tried several ramen places in Vancouver before and I've never been a big fan. This place was relatively new and I thought that this time would be different. Unfortunately, I was wrong. The dish was fairly average looking and the taste wasn't much better. It was decent, but it was no different than any other ramen shop. Similarly to other ramen shops, the bowl of noodles was pretty small and there were only two pieces of chasu. I was still hungry by the end of my "dinner". This one is off my list.

Miso Ramen with Chasu

Review of Lao Shan Dong

4887 Kingsway
Burnaby
604.439.9588

Meal
Lunch

Cost
$

Entree
Large Noodle with Dumplings in Spicy Soup

The Low-Down
Delicious

Review
This place is amazing! I've had their other noodles in soup before, but I have to say, the dumplings are my favourite. When the bowl of noodles comes out, it is alway piping hot and the sight of it makes my mouth water. The noodles are consistently made well and the dumplings are wonderful. Last, but not least is their soup. It is a special type of soup that I've never had anywhere else and this is what makes the whole bowl of noodles have such flavour. I love noodles in soup, and this place could very well be my favourite place to have them.

Large Noodle with Dumplings in Spicy Soup

The District

website
013 Lonsdale Avenue
North Vancouver
778.338.4938

Meal
Dinner

Cost
$$

Entree
The Onion Soup
Beef Croquettes
Crab and Shrimp Cakes
Portobello Tart

The Low-Down
Disappointing

Review
I've been looking forward to trying this place for a while now. There are always people in there and a few people have talked about it before. I finally got a taste of it and boy, was I disappointed. The Onion Soup, which is boasted as the best onion soup you've tasted in years, was overly salty. I could barely finish it. The Beef Croquettes were more akin to a taro paste, which I don't particularly enjoy (no picture unfortunately). The Crab and Shrimp Cakes were the only tasty part of the meal, however they were very small. Lastly, the Portobello Tart was... let's say interesting. The tart was not soggy, which was good, but the taste didn't necessarily resonate with me. My final decision: pricey, small, and disappointing. Oh, and as a side note, my stomach wasn't feeling all that well afterwards too.

The Onion Soup

Crap and Shrimp Cakes

Portobello Tart

Gorilla Food

website
101 - 436 Richards Street
Vancouver
604.684.3663

Meal
Lunch

Cost
$

Entree
Thai Wrap

The Low-Down
Delicious

Review
I'm definitely a carnivore, so having a vegan lunch is definitely different for me. I decided to have a Thai Wrap, and it did not disappoint. It was very tasty, especially with the extra sauce that was given. All the ingredients were very fresh and tasted rich in my mouth. I don't think I've had this combination of ingredients before, but it worked. I must say, the meal was really refreshing. Moreover, this place supports organic and local ingredients, so it's a plus for my body and the environment! The only complaint I would have is that it was a little small and I got hungry later on around 4pm.

Thai Wrap

Japadog

Burrard Street (across from Scotiabank Theatre)
Vancouver

Meal
Dinner (Snack)

Cost
$

Entree
Spicy Cheese Terimayo

The Low-Down
Delicious

Review
I know that a lot of people say that a Japadog is just another hot dog. They ask, "Why do people line up for such a long time to get a hot dog when they can walk down the street and get one right away?". Well, because it's different. Yes, it's a hot dog, but it's the ingredients that come with the hot dog that make it so good! It's like having a hot dog stand sell hot dogs without toppings and one that does. I'd go for the one with toppings any day, even though both are technically just selling hot dogs. I'd have to say my favourite is the Terimayo. The sauce is just delicious! Combine that with cheese and spicyness, and you've got a top dog.

Spicy Cheese Terimayo

Shogun

518 Hornby Street
Vancouver
604.689.2922

Meal
Lunch

Cost
$

Entree
Miso Chicken Ramen

The Low-Down
Average

Review
I love noodle in soup, but I've never had a fancy for Japanese ramen. Perhaps I've had too many instant noodles in my life and it has cheapen the image for me. Either way, the Miso Chicken Ramen I had for lunch didn't change my mind about this dish. It is quite similar to other ramen places I have been to and didn't wow me in any particular way. I would come back if I had a noodle in soup craving just because there aren't too many noodle in soup places downtown.

Miso Chicken Ramen

White Spot

website
4129 Lougheed Hwy (Gilmore)
Burnaby
604.229.4423

Meal
Dinner

Cost
$$

Entree
BC Chicken Burger

The Low-Down
Average

Review
This was a nice quick meal. A good portion of chicken between two buns and fries drenched with vinegar, salt, and a helping of ketchup. As usual, White Spot delivers good diner food. Nothing to complain about here!

BC Chicken Burger

Italian Tomato

website
8380 Bridgeport Road
Richmond
604.247.0040

Meal
Dinner

Cost
$$

Entree
Whole Wheat Linguine with Capricciosa Sauce

The Low-Down
Disappointing

Review
I have been here before and was expecting something quite decent. I remember large portions and a tasty sauce, similar to Anton's. As I walked in, the place was unusually more quiet than I last remembered. I thought nothing of it, attributing it to an early dinner perhaps. After I ordered, the bread came out and was far from appetizing. It was quite the normal piece of bread that was cold, which does not go well at all with the hard butter that it came with. The deck was starting to stack against them. When the pasta came, it looked hot, delicious, and bountiful. Unfortunately, the more I had of my pasta, the more I disliked it.  If I could choose one word, I would choose salty. I drank a lot of water that night and only managed to finish half of my dish. I am quite disappointed, but I think I might give it one more shot. If it fails that attempt as well, this place is off my list for good.

Bread and Butter

Whole Wheat Linguine with Capricciosa Sauce

BoatHouse

website
1795 Beach Avenue
Vancouver
604.669.2225

Meal
Dinner

Cost
$$$

Entree
Lobster Bisque
Fire-grilled Sirloin with Lobster Thermidor

Wine
Jackson Triggs Esprit Chardonnay

The Low-Down
Delicious

Review
I was super excited about this meal since I had tried their crabfest back in the summer. I started with the Lobster Bisque. It was absolutely delightful and full of lobster flavour. The only thing was that it was lukewarm to cold. Next came the sirloin. This was cooked perfectly to a medium-rare. The thermidor topped it off and gave it all a lobster taste. The sirloin was an excellent piece without any sinews. Instead of the normal dessert, BoatHouse offers a glass of wine instead which I think is a wonderful idea. I rarely eat dessert to begin with and usually I'm too full when I'm out. The wine was a great compliment to the meal. I'm definitely looking forward to another fest at BoatHouse!

 

Fire-grilled Sirloin with Lobster Thermidor

Anton's Pasta Bar

website
4260 Hastings Street
Burnaby
604.299.6636

Meal
Dinner

Cost
$$

Entree
Herb Penne Alla Mediterraneo

The Low-Down
Deal

Review
You always see huge line-ups in front of Anton's, whether it's sunny or raining, hot or cold. Their dishes are quite cheaply priced and the portions are huge. I have never finished my own portion at Anton's, and I think I can say the same for the majority of people that visit. Everyone always leaves with a doggy bag. This was no exception. First came the bread, which unfortunately was cold and pretty stale. I have to say it was a pretty disappointing start to the night. But, before I knew it, a huge pile of pasta was in my face and I was ready to dig in! After taking a few bites though, I realized the dish was a little too salty. This curbed my enthusiasm a bit and I ate less than normal. Overall, I would still rate it a deal for the lunches and dinners it provided afterwards, but the taste was a little off this night. Still in my books though!

 

Bread and Butter

 

Herb Penne Alla Mediterraneo

Las Margaritas

website
1999 West 4th Avenue
Vancouver
604.734.7117

Meal
Lunch

Cost
$$

Drink
Strawberry Margarita

Entree
Pollo Loco

The Low-Down
Delicious

Review
I haven't had a lot of Mexican food over the years, especially true Mexican food. Today though, my friend from Mexico recommended this dish, not because he had tried it at this particular restaurant before, but because it is usually quite tasty. Well, tasty it was! The chicken, which was supposed to have been marinated for hours on end, was tender, juicy, and flavourful. The meal came with tortilla chips and a wonderfully fresh tasting salsa. Along with the meal, I had a Strawberry Margarita which was very refreshing!

 

Tortilla Chips and Salsa

Pollo Loco

Strawberry Margarita

V-Nam

175 East 3rd Street
North Vancouver
604.985.5477

Meal
Lunch

Cost
$

Entree
Rare Beef Slice and Beef Ball Pho

The Low-Down
Delicious

Review
True to my words, I came back to this place once again. This time though, it was take out to eat in the comfort of home. As you can see from the picture, there was so much food that I didn't have a big enough bowl and instead used a pot! Once again, it hit the spot and was delicious!

 

Rare Beef Slice and Beef Ball Pho

Toe Dam

#250-329 North Road
Coquitlam
604.939.5515

Meal
Dinner

Cost
$$$

Entree
Kalbi

The Low-Down
Average

Review
Kalbi is always a big treat when going for Korean food because it's usually pretty expensive. It's comparable to going out for a steak dinner. I don't have too much to complain about for this dinner, but neither do I have too much to rave about. The pieces were pretty large and the price is decent. However, the side dishes weren't as fresh as other places. All in all, I believe there are better places to go to.

 

Kalbi and Side Dishes

Kypriaki's Taverna

1356 Marine Drive
North Vancouver
604.985.7955

Meal
Dinner

Cost
$$

Entree
Chicken Souvlaki
Roast Lamb

The Low-Down
Disappointing

Review
This meal was disappointing from the start. The good Greek places I've gone to usually start off with an offering of some sort of bread. Unfortunately, this place did not come with any. Both dishes were mediocre at best. The chicken souvlaki was a little dry and the roast lamb had a lot of inedible pieces (fat). On top of all that, the service was really not that good. I've definitely written this place off my list.

 

Chicken Souvlaki

 

Roast Lamb

Sun Yee

5728 Victoria Drive
Vancouver
604.323.1918

Meal
Dinner

Cost
$$

Entree
Hot pot - All you can eat

The Low-Down
Deal

Review
Sun Yee is a regular Chinese restaurant that I visit, but I always order the regular dinner dishes. This time, I thought I would try something that they were marketing: hot pot. I've seen other people have this at the restaurant before and was itching to give it a shot. Was I ever surprised! I knew that the food there was usually good, but this was a deal. It was all you can eat priced at $14. There were the usual meats, balls, tofu, noodles, and vegetables. However, this all you can eat deal included seafood as well! The fresh fish slices were amazing and the quality of the rest of the food was awesome. I'm definitely coming back!

Assorted Hot Pot

 

The Hot Pot