Kitsilano (map, 3005 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-734-3005), Broadway (map, 820 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-731-6333), and Denman (map, 1096 Denman Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-683-3333).

Banana Leaf’s website explains more about Malaysian Cuisine:

Malaysian fare isn’t about a singular distinctive taste, but about diversity, with a blend of culinary inspiration from India, China, Indonesia, Thailand, Eurasia, and Malaysia’s indigenous population. It combines the best of South East Asia, from India’s roti canai, Singapore’s laksa, to China’s Hainanese chicken rice, creating a menu that is a delight to try.

Visitors have many good things to say about Banana Leaf. Rasputin45 writes on the restaurant review site Dinehere.ca:

Banana Leaf is good for almost any occasion. It’s probably our most reliable favorite, a great place to take out of town guests and go for a regular night out with your family as well. At roughly 12 – 20 dollars an entree, it’s a fantastic value as well, especially in the Kits zone of overpriced fare. Our favorites? roti canai, the rendang beef, the lamb dish, sambal green beans, Tofu in Assam sauce, and sayur Lemak.

Pictured below are some dishes I enjoyed when I visited their Kitsilano location earlier this year. A great appetizer or side dish is the Roti Canai, an Indian-influenced puffy bread served with a wonderful rich curry sauce. Also shown is a Malaysian vegetable curry dish (Sayur Lemak) as well as the Nasi Goreng: fried rice with beef, shrimp, egg, tomato, onion and green beans.

I’m looking forward to visiting Banana Leaf again sometime soon.

Roti Canai bread from Banana Leaf Malaysian restaurant in Kitsilano Vancouver BC Canada.

Sayur Lemak Malaysian Vegetable Curry from Banana Leaf restaurant in Kits Vancouver BC Canada.

Nasi Goreng from Banana Leaf Malaysian restaurant in Vancouver BC Canada - Malaysian fried rice with beef, shrimp, egg, tomato, onion and green beans.

Restaurant interior at Banana Leaf Malaysian Restaurant in Vancouver BC Canada.

Andale’s has been serving up quality Mexican and Spanish cuisine in the Kitsilano neighborhood of Vancouver for as long as I can remember. Fifteen years ago (when I was still a kid), I used to make trips here with my grandmother, a big fan of flamenco dancing. At that time Andale’s had regular live music and flamenco dance.

The flamenco shows took place after my bedtime in those days, but recently I attended a flamenco performance at the Vancouver Fringe Festival (an annual festival of independent theatre in Vancouver). I can understand how my grandmother was enthralled by the rhythm, motion, virtuosity, and inherent danger of the physically demanding dance. Check out this beautiful flamenco video by Polish guitarist Przemyslaw Haluszczak (musician’s bio):

While Andale’s may not be putting on flamenco shows these days, the restaurant is still the same as I remember it – decor complete with white stucco walls, sombreros hung cheerfully amongst pinatas and neon signs for Dos Equis, and colorful handmade blankets fashioned as tablecloths.

The menu has stayed relatively constant over the years with items such as the taco salad (enormous!), enchiladas, tacos, quesadillas, burritos, and fajitas. Vegetarian options are available, and there are plenty of non-vegetarian items as well.

Pictured below is the Seafood Quesadilla ($14.95), a large flour tortilla filled with chili, cheese, and assorted seafood, then grilled and served with ranchero sauce, sour cream, beans, and salad. It was a satisfying and generous meal.

If you head over to Food Vancouver, you can print out a coupon for Andale’s that will give you a half price entree (“buy one item, get 2nd one at half price”).

Seafood Quesadilla ($14.95) from Andale's Mexican and Spanish restaurant in Kitsilano, Vancouver BC Canada.

I was sad to read on their website that they are closing on July 12th 2009. Hope this is only temporary and they will be back soon! Here’s your chance to experience this great restaurant before they close.

Shokutsu has a detailed review on Sai-Z on his site, along with some nice photos, and writes:

[A] hot appetizer we had was this noodle wrapped and deep-fried shrimp served with a spicy mayo dip. The contrast between the crispy exterior and the plump, juicy shrimp inside was superb [...] Each [sushi] piece was densely packed, making it feel more filling than it already was [...] The fish was good, each fresh and succulent, and not too big that it would take more then one mouthful.

All the dishes were beautifully presented and were a creative notch above the typical Japanese restaurant you’ll find around town.

I enjoyed the Sashimi Salad ($7.50, pictured below), a delightful arrangement of green salad topped with a variety of raw seafood.

For an appetizer I ate the Ebi Chili Mayo ($5.50, also pictured below), which is a generous serving of deep fried prawns covered in mayonnaise and sprinkled with Japanese masago (smelt roe) garnish. These were some of the best Ebi Mayo prawns I have had around town – it’s a shame the restaurant is closing soon or else I would definitely go back to have them again.

As for sushi, we ordered the Papaya Avocado Salmon Roll, which is reasonably priced at $5.50 (also pictured below) – and you can see from the photo that it was very pleasing to the eye.

The chef at Sai-z makes quite a daring and delicious decision to combine papaya, avocado, and salmon. The roll we ordered also had some lettuce in it, and I felt the lettuce made the sushi a bit too watery, but it was refreshing and tasty nevertheless.

My vegetarian friend ordered the Vegetarian Sushi Combo (also pictured below) which was great looking, yummy, and affordable (maybe around $6 to 8?).

A complimentary Salmon Skin appetizer from the chef at SaiZ Japanese Restaurant in Kitsilano, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Sashimi Salad from Sai-Z Japanese Restaurant ($7.50)

Vegetarian Sushi Combo from Sai-Z Japanese Tapas restaurant in Vancouver.

Ebi Chili Mayo prawns ($5.50) from Saiz Japanese Restaurant in Vancouver.

Papaya Avocado Salmon Roll sushi ($5.50) from Sai-z Japanese Restaurant in Vancouver BC Canada.

Another shot of the Papaya Avocado Salmon Roll Sushi from Sai-Z Japanese Restaurant in Vancouver BC Canada.

For more photos please view Part 3, Part 2, or Part 1.

“all you can eat”
sushi buffet

Here are the dishes and items featured in the video:

wasabi (Japanese horseradish)
green tea
chopsticks
ebi sunomono (shrimp and vermicelli salad)
tuna tataki (cooked on outside)
spinach gomae (with sesame paste)
miso soup
raw oysters (kaki pon)
assorted sashimi (raw fish)
tuna and salmon
spicy salmon sashimi
salmon teriyaki
agedashi tofu
oyster motoyaki (baked)
prawn tempura
nigiri sushi
maki sushi (rolls)
Alaska roll
California roll (very popular)
BC Roll (salmon + skin)
futomaki + seafood cones
yam tempura roll
chopped scallop cones
Abalone sushi (rare)

Click above to view Tomokazu Japanese Restaurant (Video) from Vancouver, BC, Canada

Price for dinner buffet (all you can eat) is very reasonable (around $12.95), and the buffet has a good selection of vegetarian and non-vegetarian Indian items (some pictured below). In the evenings, there is free parking underground off Willow Street.

agentdenver, a reviewer on DineHere.ca writes (click here to read review):

It’s winter and you want to take your special someone out for a romantic Indian buffet. Where would you go that has the most variety of food, good tasting curry ,and great view of the heart of Vancouver? New India.

As soon as you walk into the building, you can smell the spice. At winter time, they have their famous lamb curry.

Update: Dec. 23, 2008 – I added a new Youtube video of the lunch buffet which you can view by clicking here or use the player below.

Lunch Buffet ($11.95) from New India Buffet restaurant in Vancouver (Great Indian food with a view)

At Calhoun’s, pick out an entree from the deli-style refrigerated display case, and then pay first before eating. If they’re not too busy they’ll bring the food out to your table once they heat it up, or else they’ll put it on the counter beside the espresso machine.

Calhouns also offers a catering service (more details) to the Vancouver area. My office uses them sometimes for catering lunch meetings.

Calhouns has a bakery on site, and their sourdough bread is incredibly fresh. They make some of the best sandwiches in town, and I usually order the Shrimp Sandwich with Avocado ($7.50, also pictured below).  Every month I look forward to eating the shrimp sandwich after an evening of performing music with the Sybaritic String Band. Calhoun’s has live jazz music on Tuesday and Sunday evenings, and Latin dancing on Thursday nights.

Located near the University of British Columbia, Calhoun’s is a popular hangout and studying place for UBC students. They have Wifi internet access available.

For another photo of the shrimp sandwich, please view Part 1.

Perogies with bacon, sour cream and salsa ($7.00) from Calhoun's Bakery and Cafe in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Shrimp Sandwich ($8.00) from Calhoun's Bakery and Cafe in Vancouver BC Canada.

The restaurant has several locations around the Vancouver area, including the Kitsilano location (which I visited), Surrey and Delta, Richmond, Burnaby, Langley, Aldergrove, Coquitlam, and more (even Victoria and Naniamo too). View their web site for a list of their other locations.

White Spot is a great place to go for a relaxing breakfast or brunch, or a casual dinner or lunch too. I had a gift certificate coupon that I had won in a 5k race, so was able to get one of their Legendary Burger Platters for free, which normally costs $8.99 (and comes with fries and coleslaw). My friend ate the burger platter with fries and I ordered another Legendary Burger platter with a Caesar Salad, which was $9.98 (pictured below). Yum! Be sure to ask for lettuce and tomato on your burger if you like it, as the toppings are no extra charge.

For more photos from White Spot please view my previous reviews: Part 3 – BC Ferries, Part 2 – Salmon Burger, Part 1 – Chicken Gai Yang.

Legendary Burger Platter (with Caesar salad, $9.98) from White Spot restaurant in Kitsilano, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Christine G. Louie writes in the Peak, SFU’s student newspaper (click here to read article):

The Umai tofu salad ($5.75) is a great summer salad, and incredibly cheap considering the size and content of the salad. The salad consists of a heaping bed of crisp iceberg lettuce, generous amounts of shredded carrots and beets, cubes of fresh tofu and peanut buttery gomae spinach. Finally, the salad is topped off with a generous amount of a refreshing ginger miso dressing that pulls all the ingredients together. Chilled slices of cucumber and tomato adorn the rim of the large, white plate. I’m not a vegetable or tofu fan, and I love this salad.

The Clubhouse is about a 15 minute walk from Yaletown, a scenic stroll over the Cambie bridge that is stunning at night. It’s also close to major Vancouver transit routes which you can find using Google Transit or Translink.

Pictured below is the large Mixed Seafood Okonomiyaki Pizza served on yakisoba noodles ($16.50). This was really delicious and very filling (I took some of it home and enjoyed a snack later in the evening). Christine writes in her review, “Okonomiyaki is a flat, savory pancake, similar to a latke, but made with flour, shredded cabbage, egg, and other various ingredients. It takes about 20 minutes to cook on the griddle, arrives piping hot, and is covered in a tasty Japanese sauce…” Thanks Christine!

Also pictured below is the pan fried garlic butter squid ($6.95). Yum!

For another photo and more info please view Part 1.

Mixed Seafood Okonomiyaki Japanese pizza served on Yakisoba noodles ($16.50) from Clubhouse Restaurant in Vancouver.

Garlic Butter Squid ($6.95) from Clubhouse Japanese Restaurant in Vancouver.

I was really quite impressed by the quality of the food (we ordered vegetarian selections this time, but the menu has a good selection of non-vegetarian items as well). To start we enjoyed an appetizer of Onion Bhaji ($6.99, pictured below) which were deep fried and crispy, similar to Pekora but without the meat. Hub-uk (click here for their Onion Bhaji recipe) describes what makes up an Onion Bhaji:

The basic recipe consists of onions being chopped and then made into a sort of batter with chickpea or gram flour, spices, and sometimes with herbs, then fried until golden. They have a mild taste and are not hot.

For the main course, we tried the Bombay Aloo ($10.95, pictured below), a tasty dish of diced potatoes cooked with cumin seed & specialty spices, and the Vegetable Korma ($10.95, also pictured below), which is made with carrots, cauliflowers, and broccoli cooked in the restaurant’s own special cream sauce. We also had an order of Pulao Rice ($3.50), and Garlic Naan bread ($2.25), which their menu describes as “white flour leavened bread coated with garlic”. Yum!

nanashi, a reviewer on DineHere.ca (click here to read review) writes:

Being from West Bengal, and growing up on Indian food most of my life I’m always looking for a taste of home. I discovered the Indian Oven last year and have found my self routinely selecting it for take out, over other Indian restaurants in Vancouver. The Indian Oven specializes mostly in North Indian cuisine, which is quite common among Indian restaurants in North America… Tandoori/tikk/kebab specialties of this restaurant are far above most of the other restaurants in west part of Vancouver.

The restaurant also has free delivery within a 5km radius (click here for their take out and delivery menu), and 10% off for pick-up orders.

Indian food from Indian Oven restaurant in Vancouver: Garlic Naan bread ($2.25), Bombay Aloo ($10.95), Vegetable Korma ($10.95)

Onion Bhajis ($6.99, appetizer from Indian Oven restaurant in Vancouver).

Closeup of Vegetable Korma ($10.95) from Indian Oven restaurant in Vancouver.

Garlic Naan bread from Indian Oven restaurant in Vancouver ($2.25)

Thanks to Norma for the yummy photos of the pizza below.

Please click here to view the restaurant’s menu.

Yummy pizza from Sarpino's pizza restaurant in Vancouver

Closeup of Pizza from Sarpino's pizza restaurant in Vancouver

Cheese Pizza from Sarpino's Pizza Delivery and Take Out in Vancouver

WestcoastMunchers, a reviewer on Dinehere.ca writes (click here to read review):

Well first off, I am East Indian and have grown up eating this food since my mother is an awesome cook… This place is definitely authentic and the spice blends are certainly what your palate desires… My wife and I had the Halyari Chicken which is totally different blend of spices cooked in the tandoor. Magnificent is all I can say! We also had the Goan lamb curry which was very delicious. Service was very attentive, polite and friendly. Nice ambience too. Certainly going to be one of our favourite Indian restaurants in the Lower Mainland.

I ordered the “Non Vegetarian Thali”, which is a huge combination platter that includes a selection of veggie and meat curries, a cold yogurt sauce, some spicy peppers, some pieces of chicken, rice, naan, and papadum (Indian crackers). The platter was around $14 (pictured below). There are plenty of choices for vegetarians too, including a vegetarian version of this platter.

I’m definitely going back when I have the chance.

Non-vegetarian Thali combination platter ($14) from Bombay Bhel Indian restaurant in Burnaby.

The menu has a good selection of vegetarian and non-vegetarian items, with vegetables such as okra, kale, green beans, and cabbage, and meats including chicken, lamb, or beef (some of which is pictured below).

The stewed vegetables or meats are served on a spongy-like sourdough flatbread called injera. (Click here for more info about Ethiopian cuisine.) In the Ethiopian traditional cuisine, those enjoying the meal use their right hand to pick up pieces of the stew with the injera and eat without utensils. At the Red Sea Cafe you have the opportunity to eat the traditional way, or you can use a fork and knife if you wish.

Prices are very reasonable: one serving of a meat or vegetable with injera costs around $8.00. If you are very hungry, they offer a combination platter for two to share, that has four items (around $15 per person, including tax and tip).

Spiderwoman, a reviewer on DineHere.ca (click here for review link) writes:

I tried this restaurant for the first time the other day.
Got #4 on the menu. A lamb dish with tumeric, ginger, etc…

I was really pleased with the ambiance. It’s so clean and peaceful.

The food was fun to eat.

Traditional Ethiopian cuisine – stewed meats or vegetables served on a sourdough flatbread.

The decor of the Red Sea Cafe features some interesting art pieces from Africa.

Tuna Tataki and Beef Tataki

Ebi sunomono salad (with prawn)

Spicy seafood cone and soft-shell-crab roll

Assorted sushi

Assorted sushi

Assorted sashimi

“Greek day” (web site) is an annual street festival that happens in this neighborhood in June, and is worth visiting for the food and family fun.

At Ouzeri Restaurant, I enjoyed their lamb special, which was slices of lamb roast served with gravy, a deliciously marinated Greek potato, some boiled peas, and a yummy Greek salad (pictured below, $16.95). The price for entrees at this restaurant is in the $14 to $18 range. They also have a decent wine selection; the numerous bottles are displayed in a rack along one wall of the restaurant.

The main attraction here is the Korean Barbecue, where you are given raw meat and seafood to cook at the grill at your table. They also offer a buffet on Saturday and Sunday from 12pm to 4pm that is reasonably priced (under $15). During the week there are many a-la-carte items to choose from.

We ordered a really fancy dish with jellyfish (pictured below, around $15), as well as some tofu soup with egg (also pictured below, around $10). There were several tasty condiments/side dishes that were also served with the meal, including the bean sprouts, some cooked potato with a brown sugar sauce, and the famous kim-chi spicy cabbage. A large meal for two was around $21 per person.

There is free underground parking accessible at the alley behind the restaurant, off of Alder street.

Korean Jellyfish dish

Korean tofu soup with egg

Korean bean sprouts

Korean brown sugar potatoes

Korean Kim-Chi (spicy cabbage)