Posh Japanese Sukiyaki Restaurant (map, website, blog, 101 – 1788 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-737-7674)

I think that every successful restaurant needs a “concept”, a unique identity, something that differentiates itself in such an incredibly fierce competitive market that supports the dining industry in Vancouver.

It’s an industry which demands continuous hard work from employees and owners with little respite, where margins are typically low and consumer opinion (or a lack thereof) can make or break a business.

But the rewards from running a restaurant are high: an idea, creative vision, a passion for food and culture – all these can be transformed into a physical space that is temporarily occupied by visitors who seek to experience new tastes, sensations, socialize, be merry, and above all, satisfy their appetites with delicious, healthy food.

I tend to think about restaurants as “experience engines”. As a software developer I like to look at things in terms of the input, output, and transformations that occur during a process. For a restaurant, there are the physical ingredients and energy needed to prepare food – these are the obvious inputs. But there are also the less tangible things, like the moods and attitudes of the serving staff, the restaurant decor, the background music, and then of course the restaurant guests themselves.

But I digress, I really should be talking about the food at Posh.

Posh is an example of an expanding, successful home-grown restaurant chain with an excellent concept: Japanese Sukiyaki (wikipedia).

So what is Sukiyaki you may ask? Well, it’s a form of Hot Pot, where you have a gas burner at your table with a large cast-iron pot filled with a bubbling broth. The broth is made with a combination of Sukiyaki Sauce (soya sauce, sugar, and mirin) and cabbage. You add thinly sliced raw beef into the pot along with assorted vegetables, tofu, noodles and seafood, and everything cooks right in front of you.

The nice thing is that you decide exactly what you want to eat, and if you particularly like a certain item, such as the fish cakes (yum!), just order more of it! Or if you’re vegetarian, there are plenty of options such as tofu, spinach, and several types of mushrooms to make a soup that fits your diet.

Amazingly, Posh provides an “all you can eat” experience for $11.88 per person for lunch, or $15.88 per person for dinner. The restaurant always seems packed at peak times, so it’s a good idea to try making a reservation and coming early to put your name in the queue just in case.

Posh’s other locations include Richmond (map, 1123 – 3779 Sexsmith Road, Richmond, BC, Canada, phone: 604-303-7674), Burnaby (map, 105 – 6462 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC, Canada, phone: 604-434-7674), and Victoria (map, 102 – 1063 Fort Street, Victoria, BC, Canada, phone: 250-382-7674).

Below are some photos from our dinner at Posh on West Broadway. Hope you enjoy!

Everything cooking away at Posh Japanese Hot Pot restaurant in Vancouver.

Guava yogurt mixed drink - nice and refreshing! From Posh restaurant in Vancouver.

More hotpot cooking at Posh in Vancouver.

Vegetarian hot pot ingredients from Posh in Vancouver. Mushrooms, spinach, tofu.

Posh on Broadway Photo Gallery by Geoff Peters.

Restaurant review of Posh by Angela Murrills from the Georgia Straight.

Blog from owner of the Posh restaurant chain.

Posh restaurant on Twitter.

Fish On Rice Japanese Cuisine (website) is a popular Japanese “all you can eat” restaurant chain with two locations in the Vancouver area.

Their location in Burnaby (map, #201-4361 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC, phone: 604-439-8882) is about a 5 minute walk from the Patterson Skytrain station.

Fish on Rice’s Vancouver restaurant (map, 1414 W. Broadway, Vancouver, BC, phone: 604-732-0112) is located at Broadway and Hemlock (one block from Granville), and has a patio.

“All you can eat” sushi is a very popular phenomenon in Vancouver, and Fish on Rice does it well. The Japanese buffet at Fish and Rice costs $11.95 for lunch (served from 11am to 2:30pm) or $20.95 for dinner (served between 4:30pm and 10:30pm). Their happy hour ($13.95) is between 4:30pm and 6pm.

At Fish on Rice, similar to other All You Can Eat places in town, you make your order by writing desired quantities next to items on a little piece of paper. Pass the paper to your server, and the food will start arriving as it’s ready. Take care: if you write an order that’s too large, the food will just keep coming! Or if you didn’t order enough, you can request more forms when you need them.

At the Burnaby location, there are many large private tatami booths with inset tables (where you take your shoes off to dine while sitting on cushions) – these are great for large groups or families. There are also a bunch of regular booths and tables for couples or smaller parties.

Below are some pictures of the delicious sushi and other Japanese items we ordered. Note that the restaurant serves all the popular kinds of sushi such as California Roll and BC Roll, but being sushi aficionados we ordered a bunch of less common items to explore the large and varied menu.

Nigiri Sushi pieces from Fish On Rice Japanese Cuisine Restaurant

Assorted Tuna and Salmon Sashimi from Fish on Rice Japanese Cuisine (all you can eat) in Burnaby BC Canada.

Teriyaki Vegetables from Fish on Rice Japanese Cuisine (AYCE sushi) in Burnaby BC Canada

Vegetarian Udon Noodles from Fish on Rice Japanese Restaurant in Burnaby BC Canada (All You Can Eat).

Inari (sweet bean curd wrapper) nigiri sushi (from Fish on Rice All You Can Japanese Cuisine in Burnaby)

Vegetable Tempura (pictured in front) plus other assorted Japanese dishes (from Fish on Rice Japanese All you can eat buffet restaurant).

View from the back of a BC Ferry

BC Ferries take passengers around beautiful British Columbia (BC) Canada by sea. Start off in bustling and cosmopolitan Vancouver, and ride the ferry over to Vancouver Island. On the island you’ll find Victoria, the capital city of BC and a popular tourist destination.

Looking for a longer trip further off the beaten path? Visit the smaller towns on the Island such as Tofino, Ucluelet, Naniamo, Qualicum Beach, Courtenay, and more. The ferries will also take you to the serene and scenic Gulf Islands.

This summer I left the mainland quite a few times, and fortunately for me, there is food service available on board the ferries and in the terminal cafeterias.

Pictured below is some sushi and a ham sandwich (around $10) purchased from the Bread Garden cafeteria at the Swartz Bay Terminal. I bought it while I was waiting in line to go back to Vancouver (incidentally after playing a piano gig in Victoria with vocalist Peggy Hogan’s group – live recording here).

I am a little hesitant to admit that after my 4th ferry trip this summer I started developing a taste for – or rather, an addiction to – the Bread Garden sushi. It is now one of my favorite items offered by the BC Ferries food service – but sushi aficionados will tell you that is a far cry from what you can find in most land-based sushi restaurants in Vancouver or Victoria. One upside about the Bread Garden sushi is that a generous amount of wasabi and pickled ginger is provided, as well as chopsticks.

I put together a short travel video (accessible in the player below, or on Youtube) from a trip I took last year on BC Ferries from Vancouver to Victoria. The video shows some of the food and shopping available at the Tsawassen Terminal and sunset views of the Gulf Islands taken from the ferry itself.

The music in the video is my jazz band, the Geoff Peters Trio, performing live at Cactus Club in West Vancouver on New Years Eve 2007. I (Geoff Peters) was playing piano and joining me was Mark White (bass) and Brennan Saul (drums).

For more ferry food, check out my photo of the salmon entree from the on-board BC Ferries White Spot cafeteria, or the smoked salmon bagel I had at the BC Ferries Tsawassen Terminal (on the Vancouver side). Happy sailing!

BC Ferries Bread Garden Sushi (California roll, around $5)

Ham and swiss sandwich from the BC Ferries Cafeteria (around $5.00)

Tropika on Robson (web site, map, 1128 Robson Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone 604-737-6002) is a popular Malaysian and Thai restaurant located on the second floor overlooking Vancouver’s trendy Robson Street shopping district (downtown), between Bute and Thurlow streets.

The restaurant has won numerous awards for their innovative and unique decor, and more importantly for their food. Their menu, which is full of wonderful mouth-watering photos, makes choosing dishes a snap – even if you’re not so familiar with Malaysian or Thai cuisine. Simply look at the photos in the menu and let your eyes decide what to eat!

On a previous visit (over two years ago) I enjoyed the satay skewers and the Hainanese chicken.

This time we tried the following dishes (all pictured below): Indonesian spring rolls filled with chicken ($2.50 each), some delightfully puffy roti canai bread served with a special sauce ($2.95), the marvellous sambal clams ($13.95), an hot and sour eggplant hot pot with minced pork ($11.95), and the pineapple fried rice with ham and chicken ($12.95).

An interesting drink that we tried was the Coconut Juice served in a real coconut (also pictured below). This was a huge coconut filled with some refreshing and slightly sweet coconut juice, that we could enjoy with a straw.

In addition to Tropika’s Robson Street location, the restaurant also has a couple of other locations: Tropika Cambie Street (map, 2975 Cambie Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-879-6002), and Tropika at Aberdeen (map, unit 1830, Aberdeen Centre, 4151 Hazelbridge Way, Richmond, BC, Canada, phone: 604-233-7002). More info is on their web site.

Indonesian Spring Rolls from Tropika on Robson Street ($2.50 each)

Roti Canai bread from Tropika on Robson ($2.95)

Sambal Clams ($13.95) from Tropika on Robson

Hot & Sour Eggplant Hot Pot with Minced Pork ($11.95) from Tropika on Robson

Pineapple Fried Rice with Ham and Chicken ($12.95) from Tropika Restaurant on Robson Street.

Coconut Juice served in a fresh real coconut (around $4.00) from Tropika Malaysian and Thai restaurant in Vancouver BC Canada.

An Ikea Restaurant is located in both Ikea stores in the Vancouver area: Richmond (map, 3200 Sweden Way, Richmond, British Columbia, phone: 604-273-2051) and Coquitlam (map, 1000 Lougheed Highway, Coquitlam, British Columbia, phone: 604-636-1000).

IKEA is famous for the clean and modern design of their reasonably priced home furnishings and accessories. Their stores are “family friendly” which means there is a room filled with balls for kids to play in (one of my favorite places to go when I was a kid), and a bunch of kid-friendly items such as hotdogs and meatballs on the menu at their restaurant.

I went on a visit to Ikea on a Sunday afternoon, mainly to try their restaurant. The food at the restaurant is fairly inexpensive, because they know if people feel comforted by good food, they might be more inclined to spend hundreds of dollars on that new couch, table, or desk. It sure worked for me – I really only intended to visit the restaurant and then have a quick look around the store, and I ended up spending over $300 on various items. Yikes!

Being a Swedish company, Ikea features some Swedish items on their menu including the meatballs (pictured below) which cost around $7 for 15 meatballs with potatoes or fries (or $6.49 for 10 meatballs, potatoes, fries, and a soft drink). They also have some really tasty cold smoked salmon dishes such as the Gravlax with mustard and dill (also pictured below, around $5.00). For dessert they offer some nice pastries and cakes, such as the one pictured below (around $2.00).

If you like pasta, you can get a plate of Organic Pasta for $1.99. Their menu describes this dish as, “organic pasta with organic vegetarian tomato sauce” and says the pasta is available after 11am. But if you go before 11am you can get a $1.00 (yes, that’s one dollar) breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausages, and home fries. Their hope is that you’ll spend much more on the home furnishings and accessories. After all, you are already there, so why not pick up a TV stand, lamp, and chaise lounge or two?

Ikea Swedish Meatballs from Ikea in Coquitlam (a suburb of Vancouver BC Canada). Around $7.00.

Ikea Swedish Gravlax with Mustard and Dill (smoked salmon, delicious!). Around $5.00. From Ikea in Coquitlam BC Canada, a suburb of Vancouver.

Swedish Dessert pastry from Ikea restaurant in Coquitlam BC Canada (a suburb of Vancouver). Around $2.00.

Urban Sushi (web site, map, 562 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone 604-783-4889)

I made a visit to Urban Sushi on Granville Street in downtown Vancouver and enjoyed their Chirashi Don sushi (pictured in video below, $11.95) which their menu describes as “various raw fishes on top of sushi rice”. My friend Yang ordered the Oshinko Roll (Japanese pickle) and the Dynamite Roll ($3.95).

The Chirashi Don sushi was really delicious and I had fun making a video of the food (which you can see on Youtube by clicking here or by using the player below).

Urban Sushi is located in the downtown Vancouver business district and is a short walk from Vancouver’s cruise ship terminal (Canada Place), the new Vancouver Trade and Convention centre, and the Granville Skytrain station. The room is pleasant and efficient with long tables and big windows overlooking the Louis Vuitton store across the street.

The restaurant offers sushi delivery/catering service (for orders $50 and up), to nearby offices and apartments. Check out their web site for more details.

Urban Sushi in downtown Vancouver BC Canada (Business district). Chirashi Don bowl sushi $11.95.

The Keg Steakhouse and Bar (web site, map, 1499 Anderson Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-685-4735) is one of my friend’s favorite places to go for a relaxed and satisfying Steak dinner in Vancouver. Located on Granville Island, this is a very popular location of the successful Keg steakhouse restaurant chain.

One dining tip that’s worth noting is that the place really starts getting busy after 5pm on a Saturday. We arrived at 4:30pm and were seated right away, and enjoyed a lengthy and enjoyable meal including drinks, salad, appetizers, steak dinner, and even some ice cream for dessert.

After my meal (which is pictured below, except for the ice cream which I didn’t snap a picture of), I exclaimed, “it’s dinners like these that make me think that Life is Good!” I don’t usually write things like this, but I think that those of us who are fortunate enough to be able to afford a fancy steak dinner should really think about how we can give back to our communities and help out those who are not so fortunate (link to Vancouver charities directory)

I also wanted to mention that the Calamari at the Keg is a really creative dish (pictured below, $9.95) where the ringlets of squid are lightly battered and fried, and then tossed with a sweet tangy sauce, kind of like a teriyaki sauce. It is served with a side of more spicy hot sauce as well as a lemon to squeeze onto the calamari if desired. It’s quite a taste sensation, maybe not for everyone, but definitely is a yummy dish to try for adventurous diners!

Another thing to note is that if you order one of the Keg Classic Dinners (such as the Sirloin, Prime Rib, or Teriyaki Sirloin – $24.95), the dinner will include a Caesar salad (such as the one pictured below). If you order a steak that is not listed in the “Classic Dinners” section of the menu, such as a 14 oz New York Steak ($32.95) the salad is not included (but can be added on if requested).

For more photos and info please view Part 2 and Part 1.

Caesar salad at the Keg Steakhouse on Granville Island in Vancouver BC Canada.

Calamari Appetizer at the Keg Steakhouse ($9.95) restaurant in Vancouver.

Teriyaki Sirloin steak (medium rare) with Baked Potato and vegetables from the Keg Steakhouse in Vancouver. ($24.95 including Caesar salad)

Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice from the Keg Steak Restaurant in Vancouver BC Canada (Granville Island). ($3.95 for a large)

Cafe Crepe (map, 796 Granville St, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-806-0834) is a restaurant that serves freshly made French style crepes, sandwiches, and Foot Long hot dogs.

The crepes are made in front of you, by smartly dressed chefs, at round grills at the restaurant’s front window. They are made sweet (try chocolate, or apple and cinnamon) or savory (pick from ham, cheese, or a bunch of other ingredients such as mushroom or spinach). Crepes (such as the ones pictured below) cost in the range of $5 to $8 depending on the ingredients. I really like the rich Emmenthal cheese and spongy crepe batter. For the Foot Long hot dog (pictured below, around $5) be sure to try their French mustard and maybe even mayo if you’re a fan.

There are two locations of Cafe Crepe very near to each other on Granville Street downtown. The smaller one (796 Granville, Cafe Crepe “express”) is located next to Future Shop just north of Granville and Robson. The larger one, further down Granville near the Commodore Ballroom (map, 874 Granville St, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-806-084), has more sit-down tables and even a private room for parties in the back.

Sometimes they get pretty busy and there might be a bit of a wait, especially if you want to eat-in. Take out orders are usually quite fast.

The other locations of Cafe Crepe in Vancouver are:

Robson Shopping District (map, 1032 Robson St, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-488-0045)

South Granville (map, 2861 Granville St, Vancouver, BC, Canada, 604-488-1326)

UBC Campus (map, 103-2151 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada, 604-221-1142).

French Hot Dog from Cafe Crepe (yum) - click photo for larger version

Ham and Cheese Crepe from Cafe Crepe in downtown Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Cafe Crepe logo on a take-out bag with a glass of wine.

Another photo of the crepe from Cafe Crepe restaurant in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Kirin Restaurant (map, web site, Vancouver West at City Square Mall,
201 City Square, 555 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, phone: 604-879-8038) is a fancy Cantonese restaurant that serves delectable Chinese seafood dishes and dim sum in an upscale atmosphere.

We enjoyed a banquet meal at the Kirin on New Years Day 2009, and I took a video of the dishes (you can view it using the player below). The food was really amazing, although a foodie friend commented that the Kirin is a bit pricy to visit just for a casual dinner (save it for a special occasion!).

The menu included the following dishes:

crab meat and fish maw thick soup
sauteed scallop, prawn and chicken
deep fried crab claw wrapped with minced prawn
Peking duck skin with crepe
minced duck with lettuce wrap
live lobster in two kinds of flavor
sauteed beef tenderloin
bok choy and abalone mushroom
lo hon vegetable
stewed e fu noodle
Yang Chow Fried Rice
two kinds of dim sum dessert (cookies and coconut jello)
sweet tapioca soup (dessert)

Still image from the video (Lobster) from the Kirin Chinese Restaurant in Vancouver (City Square).

I made another visit to the Yaletown Brew Pub (web site, map, 1111 Mainland St., Vancouver BC Canada, phone: 604-681-2739) and enjoyed their Mac and Cheese lunch entree (pictured below) which was served with Chorizo sausage and lots of premium cheese. The accompanying salad had goat cheese crumbled on it. Yum! It was around $14 for the lunch.

For more info on the Yaletown Brewing Company, please view Part 2 and Part 1. The restaurant is offering a special 3 course meal during Dine Out Vancouver 2009.

Video from Yaletown Brewing Company:

Macaroni and Cheese with Chorizo sausage (around $14) with lots of premium cheese. Salad had goat cheese crumbled on it. From Yaletown Brew Pub in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Anducci’s Restaurant (map, visitor reviews, 608 Dunsmuir St, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-696-5558) is a newly opened pub-style Italian restaurant at the old location of the Jester’s pub at the St. Regis Hotel downtown.

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

Service was attentive and the 3 pizzas we ordered were really nice. Thin crusted and tasty we all agreed, very like (my own) homemade. Wine reasonably priced; however, they were out our first two choices. Not too worry, very close to the office so will likely quickly become one of our lunch repertoires.

We started off with the Tomato and Boccicini salad (the “Caprese” salad, $11, pictured below) which was nicely presented and tasty. I then ordered a scrumptious pasta dish with salmon that had some fancy Italian name (also pictured below, $12.00). My friend had a mug of Guiness beer ($6.00) and the mixed seafood spaghettini ($14, not pictured). A good time was had by all!

Caprese salad (Tomato and boccocini) $11 from Anducci's pub in downtown Vancouver.

Italian pasta with salmon from Anducci's Pub restaurant in downtown Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Urban Thai Bistro (map, reviews, website, 1119 Hamilton St., Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-408-7788) is one of my favorite places to go for lunch in the Yaletown district of downtown Vancouver.

The restaurant has some great lunch specials which are $8.00 plus tax and tip, and include a salad, spring roll (with sweet plum dipping sauce), and a main course (such as a Thai curry dish) served with rice. Pictured below is the dish I ate, the pork with red curry paste, bamboo shoots, bell peppers, basil and coconut milk. It was really delicious!

The restaurant offers vegetarian versions of some of their curries, with Tofu instead of the meat, and they were also able to accomodate the special dietary needs of a person in our group requiring gluten-free foods. (For more information about Special Dietary Needs and restaurants in Vancouver be sure to check out Food Vancouver).

For more info please view Part 4, Part 3, Part 2, and Part 1. Their menu is also available on their website.

Also check out this video made by the restaurant that describes how to make Thai Curry at home.

Pork with red curry paste, bamboo shoots, bell peppers, basil and coconut milk from Urban Thai Bistro in Vancouver.

I had lunch at Cactus Club Cafe (web site, map, 855 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone 604-682-0933) and enjoyed their Westcoast Pocket ($4.00) and the Prawn and Scallop Spaghettini ($20).

The Westcoast Pocket (shown in video below) is made with wild smoked salmon, avocado, seasoned rice, pea shoots, tofu and tobiko, and is one of my favorite appetizers that Cactus Club serves. For another photo of the Westcoast pocket please view my review of their Yaletown location.

The prawn and scallop spaghettini is a specialty of Cactus Club’s celebrity chef and Iron Chef USA winner, Rob Feenie, and is made with pan seared prawns and scallops, roasted tomato sauce, garlic and parmesan crostini. I was really impressed by the size and taste of the scallops, which were generous in number and hidden throughout the pasta.

I made a little video of the dishes, which you can view by clicking here, or use the player below.

Westcoast Pocket from Cactus Club

White Spot Restaurants (web site, map, 580 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-662-3066) are a family-friendly Canadian restaurant chain with many locations around the Greater Vancouver area.

I went for lunch at their location at Georgia and Seymour in downtown Vancouver, and enjoyed the Chipotle Chicken Quesadilla with Caesar Salad (pictured below, $10.99 before tax). The restaurant gets quite busy at lunch, and I think the chef didn’t have very much time for presenting the dish, because it wasn’t impeccably styled like you might find at a high-end restaurant. But the quesadillas tasted great, really satisfying, and I liked the home-made black bean salsa that they used (which had some corn niblets).

The chicken, chipotle mayo, black bean salsa and cheese were accompanied by an amazing sour cream cilantro sauce and some ordinary salsa. It was good value to get a half Caesar salad included in the price. I’ll definitely go back and order this again!

The restaurant is conveniently located within walking distance of Vancouver’s sports stadiums (GM Place Stadium and BC Place Stadium), as well as the Vancouver main library downtown and the Queen Elizabeth theatre. It is accessible by either the Stadium skytrain station or the Granville skytrain station.

White Spot is open for breakfast starting at 6:30am, and is popular for brunch and dinner as well.

For more info, check out my previous reviews: Part 4 – Kitsilano Location, Part 3 – BC Ferries, Part 2 – Salmon Burger, Part 1 – Chicken Gai Yang.

Chipotle Chicken Quesadilla & Caesar ($10.99) from White Spot restaurant in Vancouver.

White Spot (web site, map, 2518 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-731-2434) is a successful Canadian restaurant chain that is famous for their burgers with “Triple-O sauce” and their milkshakes.

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.

The Keg Steakhouse (web site, map, 1499 Anderson Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-685-4735) is a restaurant chain with a location on Granville Island, and several others around Vancouver’s Lower Mainland area (visit their website for a list of their other locations).

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

I like the Keg. The food and service is consistantly good, but my problem is I always order too much steak. I have a soft spot in my heart for the baseball steak and it always beats me. Next time I visit the Keg I will explore the menu a little bit more.

The Keg is great for a quiet dinner with friends or even someone special. The many nooks and crannies of the restaurant are cozily furnished and have fireplaces throughout. There is also a bar area with upbeat music.

I ordered one of their Keg Classic Dinners, the 8 oz Teriyaki Classic Sirloin steak with a Caesar salad (both pictured below, $23.95), and it was served with a selection of stir fried vegetables and a big baked potato. I especially like all the toppings they have for the baked potato: green onions, sour cream, butter, and bacon bits. They also served some very nice sourdough bread (with big pieces!) while we were waiting for the meal to arrive. The steak looked small, but it was actually quite filling.

Caesar salad at the Keg Steakhouse restaurant.

8 oz Teriyaki Classic Sirloin Steak ($23.95 including Caesar salad) from the Keg Restaurant on Granville Island.

Milestone’s Grill and Bar (map, web site, 2966 W. 4th Ave., Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-734-8616) is a popular casual/trendy Canadian restaurant chain with several locations in Vancouver.

Milestones is known for their steaks, rotisserie, and pasta dishes, but they also have a great brunch menu, which is available on weekends. I ordered their Grilled Shrimp California Benedict ($12.99, pictured below) which was a creative variation on the classic Eggs Benedict, served with “spicy house-made avocado salsa, double-smoked bacon, [and] large grilled shrimp.” I was really impressed by the presentation of this dish and it tasted great – the bacon, eggs, shrimp and hollandaise sauce were a nice combination.

antoni81, a revewer on Dinehere.ca (click here to read review) writes:

I always leave happy. Tonight I came by with 2 friends. I had a double hamburger and fettucini. My other friend had the Portobella chicken, and I think my other friend had a hamburger. The food here has always tasted good…

Visit Part 6 for another photo and more information about a different location (Yaletown, downtown).

California Eggs Benedict with Shrimp ($12.99) from Milestones Restaurant in Vancouver.

Caffe Artigiano (web site, map, 4359 Hastings Street, Burnaby, BC, Canada, phone: 604-473-2180) is a coffee house / cafe with several locations around Vancouver. They are famous for their award winning specialty coffees. The manager of the Burnaby location, Sammy Piccolo, is a Canadian Barista champion, and several-time medal winner from the World Barista Championship.

Pictured below is the Smoked Turkey Panino ($8.49) which was really tasty, as well as a Tall Caffe Americano ($2.45). I don’t usually drink coffee, but I’m sure glad that I made the exception and tried the coffee at Caffe Artigiano!

Check out their web site for a list of their other locations in Vancouver and Calgary.

Smoked Turkey Panino ($8.49) and Tall Caffe Americano ($2.45) from Caffe Artigiano in Burnaby.

Milestones Restaurant (web site, map, 1109 Hamilton Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-684-9111) is a busy, trendy chain restaurant that has been recently renovated in their Yaletown location.

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

I would not have recognized this Milestone’s if I were just walking by. It looked like a completely new eatery. Outside was modern silver and had some beach wood decor. Inside was also very nice – silvers, beach wood, dark wood etc.). There was a projection screen above the bar that rolled up and out of site when not in use and revealed a nice wood/mirror motif behind it.

I ordered the Seafood Mixed Grill ($21.99, pictured below) which their menu describes as:

Wild West Coast Coho salmon, Corvina sea bass and tiger shrimp, matched with a trio of house made sauces; Mango, Gogi Berry, Gaucho. Served with spinach, bok choy, grape tomatoes and lavender roasted mini potatoes.

This was a bit pricey for lunch (the restaurant uses the same menu at lunch time as dinner) but I am a big seafood fan and thought the salmon, sea bass and shrimp were an excellent combination.

For more photos please view Part 5, Part 4,  Part 3, Part 2, and Part 1.

Seafood Mixed Grill from Milestones Restaurant in Yaletown, Vancouver

Bombay Bhel Restaurant (more reviews, map, 4266 E Hastings, Burnaby, BC, Canada, phone: 604-299-2500) is one of my favorite Indian restaurants in the Burnaby area, a suburb that is only about 30 minutes from downtown Vancouver. The restaurant is located next door to the popular pasta place, “Anton’s”, which is famous for its exceedingly large portions. Bombay Bhel’s portions are more manageable, and the Bombay chef’s command of the Indian spices is really evident, making for an exotic, yet palatable dining experience.

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.

Taking the ferry over to Victoria is a popular day trip for tourists to Vancouver. And for some people, a ride on BC Ferries is inevitable, whether it is to attend school at UVic, visit family, or simply return home. In my case I was going over for a vacation, which also involved performing in a piano concert (click here for free recording of my performance in the concert).

Naturally, during the 1.5 hour ferry trip, I got hungry. There are several food options available on BC Ferries, one of which is the Pacific Buffet, which BC Ferries describes as offering “elegant ocean-view dining on sailings from Vancouver to Victoria and features a wide selection of hot and cold items”. The buffet costs $16 to $21 depending on the time of day.

The line up for the buffet seemed long, so I headed over to the main cafeteria, which is branded as “White Spot”, a popular chain restaurant with several locations in Vancouver. The ocean-going version of White Spot has a simpler menu, but still has some attractive choices, such as the Roast Chicken with fries or Caesar salad, various burgers, salads, or their signature entree, the baked maple-glazed salmon ($11.99, pictured below).

The salmon was surprisingly good, and unlike some restaurants where the actual product looks a lot different from the picture in the menu, my salmon looked very similar to the enticing poster-sized photograph at the cafeteria entrance. My only problem was that I was really hungry, and I could have easily eaten two orders of scrumptious salmon. Maybe next time I’ll try the Pacific Buffet!

(above) BC Ferries Salmon Entree ($11.99)

Samurai Sushi Japanese Restaurant (web site, map, 1108 Davie Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-609-0078) is a good choice for decent quality, affordable sushi in the downtown West End neighborhood. The restaurant is fairly small and does not take reservations, so if you go during peak times you might have to wait a few minutes to get a table. But a policy of no reservations seems to be the norm for some of the more popular and reasonably priced restaurants in the area, such as the Greek restaurant Stepho’s, just a few doors down Davie. Pictured below are some of the items we ate, including the Tuna and Salmon sashimi ($9.95), the Toro Sashimi ($10.50), half order of House Roll sushi ($5.25), chopped scallop roll ($3.90), and some nigiri sushi pieces ($0.99 cents a piece for Inari and Saba, and $1.95 per piece of Ikura salmon roe).

cvancouver writes (click here for their review):

Every sushi roll is over sized and jam packed. Party trays (from $20-$35) are enough to feed 4 average person. Compared to many eat-in restaurants, I find Sashimi to be quite the “bang for your buck.”

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

(above) Tuna and salmon sashimi at Samurai Sushi in Vancouver, $9.95

(above) Toro Sashimi, full order, $10.50, from Samurai Japanese Restaurant

(above) Half order of House Roll Sushi ($5.25) from Samurai Sushi

(above) Ikura sushi ($1.95 each) and chopped scallop roll ($3.90)

(above) Saba nigiri sushi (Mackerel, $0.99 each), Inari sushi (sweet bean curd wrapper, $0.99) and Ikura sushi from Samurai Japanese Sushi restaurant.

I made another visit to White Spot in downtown Vancouver (click here for location and more info), and enjoyed their Salmon Burger lunch special (pictured below), which was a reasonable $11.99 and came with a very large Caesar salad. This was some of the best food I’ve ever had at White Spot, and I gobbled it up so fast that I was finished much sooner than my coworkers.

White Spot (web site) is a chain of restaurants that serves Canadian/American style food. This downtown location (80 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC, phone 604-662-3066) is really close to downtown theatres, the Granville St. Entertainment district, and BC Place Stadium (home of the BC Lions Football Team) as well as GM Place Stadium (home of the Vancouver Canucks). View Part 1 for more info and another photo from White Spot.

Salmon burger from White Spot in downtown Vancouver ($11.99)

Ricky’s All Day Grill (web site, 104-111 Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-602-9233) serves all day breakfasts, pizza, steak, sandwiches, rice bowls, and more. This location is just steps away from GM Place Stadium and BC Place Stadium, as well as the Stadium skytrain station and Chinatown.

Pictured below is the “BBQ Breakie bowl” ($11), which their menu describes as “Bourbon BBQ sauce brushed over ground-steak burger, 3 scrambled eggs, green onion, diced tomatoes, and grated cheese on seasoned chunky potatoes with red onion, topped with ranchero-hollandaise and your choice of toast.” I quite liked it, although it was a lot of food for lunch!

BBQ Breakie Bowl ($11)

Hon’s Wun-Tun House (1339 Robson Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-685-0871) is a large cafeteria-style Chinese restaurant downtown that is very popular with families and casual diners because of the low prices and generous portions.

Hon’s has other locations in Chinatown (288 East Pender Street, Vancouver, 604-681-8842), New Westminister (408 6th St, New Westminster, 604-520-6661), Coquitlam (310 – 3025 Lougheed Hwy, Coquitlam, 604-468-0871), and Richmond (101 – 4600 No. 3 Road, Richmond, 604-273-0871).

Hon’s on Robson has an open kitchen concept, with a totally separate kitchen for Vegetarian dishes as well as a special area where they prepare the potstickers. On Saturday during the day Hon’s serves Chinese Dim Sum, which is always a special treat. We ordered the many Vegetarian Dim Sum items pictured below, and our total bill for two people came to just under $20.

Vegetarian Potstickers ($3.25)

Chinese Vegetarian Siu Mai dim sum ($3.00)

Chinese Vegetarian Sticky Rice ($3.00)

Chinese Vegetarian Bean Curd Roll ($2.75)

Steamed Vegetarian Pork Dumpling ($3.00)

Mango Pudding Cake ($2.50)

Be sure to get your leftovers to go! Hons Chinese food is good for take-out too.

Cactus Club Yaletown (web site, 357 Davie Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone 604-685-8070) serves contemporary Pacific Northwest cuisine in a trendy, fun and stylish atmosphere.

A reviewer on Dinehere.ca writes (click here for review link):

The ambiance is great[...] Cactus Club is consistent across town with the edamame, curly fries and salads being my favourite. It is a great place to meet a buddy for a quick bite or catch up over a drink and appies. The prices are reasonable and the food quality satisfactory.

Pictured below is the Cedar Roasted Salmon entree (priced around $23), fresh steelhead salmon with a pine nut parmesan crust, served on a cedar plank with roasted vegetables and herb and feta fingerling potatoes. Delicious!

Also check out their West Vancouver location with live music.

Cedar Roasted Salmon Entree at Cactus Club ($23)

Milestones (web site, 1109 Hamilton Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-684-9111) is a popular and trendy chain restaurant with a recently renovated downtown Yaletown location. Click here for a review from my previous visit.

This time I enjoyed the Mexican Corvina Sea Bass (pictured below, $18.99) which their menu describes as, “lightly fried, seasoned with red chile salts and fresh lime. Southwest rice, tiger prawns, fresh spinach, bell peppers, cilantro-lime broth”. The dish was nicely presented and very tasty!

Mexican Corvina Sea Bass

Cactus Club (web site) is a chain of really fun, trendy, and dynamic restaurants with outstanding food. Pictured below are the Soft Fish Tacos (around $11) which were delicious! The restaurant is also known for their steaks, rice bowls, appetizers and specialty drinks.

Cactus Club’s West Vancouver location (in Park Royal Village, at 855 Main Street, West Vancouver, BC, Canada, map, phone: 604-922-1707) is only about a 20 minute drive from downtown Vancouver (depending on the traffic on the Lions Gate Bridge).

If you’re looking for a great way to spend New Years Eve 2007, the West Vancouver location is putting on a special evening of live jazz by the Geoff Peters Trio. Be sure to give them a call for more info.

More photos: View Part 1, Part 2.

Tropika (web site, 1128 Robson Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone 604-737-6002) is one of Vancouver’s most popular Malaysian and Thai restaurants. Located in the heart of the trendy downtown Robson Street shopping district, Tropika is a good sized restaurant with modern, upscale decor, but more importantly, really outstanding food.

Pictured below are the satays (meat skewer appetizers, $1.20 each), roti canai (Malay bread, $2.95), Hainanese chicken (half chicken, $12.95), pineapple fried rice with ham and chicken ($12.95), and a special drink: coconut juice served in a fresh coconut. We had a large group (9 people) and made reservations a few days in advance. The serving staff and kitchen handled our group flawlessly and we enjoyed the flavors of the dishes very much.

Two other locations of Tropika Restaurant in Vancouver are: Tropika at Cambie (2975 Cambie Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone 604-879-6002) and Tropika at Aberdeen (Unit 1830, Aberdeen Centre, 4151 Hazelbridge Way, Richmond, BC, Canada, phone 604-233-7002)

Beef, chicken, lamb, and pork satay skewers ($1.20 each)

Roti Canai (Malay Bread, $2.95) – this was really puffy and tasted great with the accompanying sauce.

Hainanese Chicken (Half $12.95)

Pineapple Fried Rice with Ham and Chicken ($12.95)

Coconut Juice – served in a real coconut!

Cactus Club is a trendy, fun restaurant chain with outstanding service, cool decor, and great food. I made another visit to Cactus Club in West Vancouver (web site, Park Royal Village, 855 Main Street, West Vancouver, BC, phone, 604-922-1707) and I enjoyed the “Hawaiian tuna poke” (pictured below, $11.50), which their menu describes as, “sashimi grade ahi tuna, prawns, tropical fruit salsa, fresh avocado, macadamia nuts, sesame ginger vinaigrette & crispy wonton chips”. This dish was a refreshing combination of flavors and quite delicious. Cactus Club is also famous for their steaks, seafood, and specialty drinks.

Cactus Club’s West Vancouver location features a live jazz band, the Geoff Peters Trio, playing on selected Tuesday nights. Please call the restaurant to confirm about the live music. (More info: view part 1)

Cactus Club (web site) is a chain of really trendy, energetic and fun restaurants with outstanding food.

Their location in West Vancouver (at Park Royal Village, 855 Main Street, West Vancouver, BC, phone, 604-922-1707) also features live jazz by the Geoff Peters Trio on selected Tuesday nights. Please call the restaurant to confirm about the live music.

Prices for dinner entrees are in the $15-$25 range. I really enjoyed the Steelhead Salmon Entree (pictured below) as well as my favorite snacking items, the Westcoast pockets (also pictured below). The Chicken Jambalaya rice bowl (also pictured below) was tasty as well.

Cactus Club’s Steelhead salmon Entree – grilled to perfection!

Westcoast pockets – like sushi, but bigger and better.

Chicken Jambalaya rice bowl. A colorful melange of ingredients combine for a yummy taste experience.

Late at night, there are somewhat limited options for tasty food in Downtown Vancouver, but one choice is Denny’s Restaurant (web site, an American chain restaurant) that serves all-day (and all-night) breakfasts, burgers, sandwiches, fries, and various other admittedly greasy but energy-rich foods. Denny’s is located at 1098 Davie Street, Vancouver, BC, phone 604-689-0509. Pictured below is the dish “Moons over My Hammy” which is more than just a cheese sandwich… it’s a toasted cheese sandwich loaded with lots of ham and egg. This is definitely good food for an energizing breakfast or a midnight snack.

White Spot (web site) is a popular Canadian chain of restaurants that serves American style food, such as burgers, chicken, salads, and breakfast, as well as some creative or ethnic dishes on the currently featured menu. One of their downtown Vancouver locations is at 580 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC, phone (604)662-3066, which is within walking distance of the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, GM Place Stadium, and BC Place Stadium, as well as Pacific Centre Mall and the Four Seasons Hotel. (Click here to view a list of White Spot’s 34 locations in the Lower Mainland area.)

I ordered the Chicken Gai Yang ($14.99, pictured below) which their website describes as, “Fresh pineapple, red pepper, green onions, mushrooms and bean sprouts simmered with coconut milk, lemon grass and lime juice over Jasmine rice. Topped with fresh grilled chicken breast marinated in lemon grass, curry paste, ginger and cilantro and garnished with house-made peanut sauce, a traditional Thai cucumber relish and cilantro.” It was nicely presented, and had some tasty combinations of flavors.

Video from White Spot restaurant:

Quiznos is a fast food chain restaurant that serves grilled subs and pizzas with fresh ingredients. Their downtown Yaletown location (206B Davie St., Vancouver, phone 604-647-0123) is a bit hard to get to because of the Canada Line construction, but is worth a visit if you’re in the area. Click here for addresses and maps to Quiznos’ other numerous locations in Vancouver.  My favorite sub at Quiznos is the Turkey Bacon Guacamole (pictured below, around $8.50), which is no longer displayed on the menu, but can be ordered on request at most locations. Quiznos is a slightly more upscale competitor to the Subway chain of sandwich restaurants, and Quiznos uses a different toasting process which I find doesn’t dry out the bread as much. The menu at Quiznos also features some vegetarian selections.

Milestones (more info, 1109 Hamilton Street, 604-684-9111) is a trendy chain restaurant which offers a selection of westcoast and American cuisine. The downtown Vancouver Yaletown location has been recently renovated in a post-modern/minimalist style with exposed wooden ceiling beams, halogen spot lighting, comfortable cushion booth seating, a brand new sound system and wide screen televisions. Price for entrees lies in the $15 to 20 range, and the restaurant also has an extensive drink menu. Service is generally excellent: the staff are personable and attentive. I ordered the Portobello Mushroom Chicken which was an inventive dish (pictured below, $16.95) that featured chopped portobello mushrooms with chicken cooked in olive oil served over a capellini pasta.

Denny’s is a popular American restaurant chain that serves all day breakfasts and entrees such as burgers and fried foods. The Vancouver Davie Street location is at 1098 Davie, 604-689-0509, and is an easy walk from hotels such as the Wall Center Sheraton and the Vancouver Downtown Holiday Inn. For breakfast, enjoy one of the combinations such as French toast with sausages and bacon, or perhaps an omelet with tons of fillings such as the Ultimate Omelet (pictured below) which was $8.95.

Fatburger (web site, 105-111 Dunsmuir St. Vancouver, phone 604-669-9640) is a popular American fast-food chain that serves burgers, French fries, soft drinks, and milkshakes. Burgers are big, and well, fat. Pictured below is the King Burger (not to be confused with the restaurant Burger King), which is a 1/2 lb burger served with mustard, relish, onions, pickles, tomato, lettuce, mayonnaise, and added cheese (for around $8.00). I’m not usually a fast food fan, but I have to say my burger tasted really good – toppings were fresh and the beef was flavorful. Maybe even the skinniest of us can splurge on a fat burger once in a while!

The Dunsmuir location I visited is really close to the Stadium skytrain station and the Vancouver sports stadiums: GM Place and BC Place Stadium. Two other locations in the Vancouver area are: 1101 Denman St. Vancouver, 604-689-8858, and 1995 Lonsdale Avenue North Vancouver, 604-904-4430.

The Shark Club (180 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, phone 604-687-4275) is a popular sports bar and grill located in Vancouver’s downtown, very close to BC Place Stadium and GM Place, respective homes of the BC Lions Football team and the Vancouver Canucks hockey team. This spacious hangout gets busy during and after sporting events, which you can watch on the many TV’s while listening to a DJ spinning some funky beats. They also have a fairly well rounded food menu which is available at lunch as well. Below is pictured my seafood linguini ($13.99) which was quite tasty.

Another visit to Thai Away Home  (address: 1206 Davie Street, phone: 604-682-8424) and this time I enjoyed the Penang Curry with prawns (pictured below) which was served as a combination with soup, salad and rice for $9.95. At Thai Away Home you can order take out (which is what many people do), or order at the counter and then eat in the restaurant. This tiny restaurant has won awards in the local newspapers for Best Thai in the casual / take out category. (Click here to view another picture from this restaurant -Part 1).

Tim Hortons is an iconic Canadian brand of convenient fast-food restaurants that serve their famous coffee and donuts (the smaller donuts are called “Timbits”) as well as sandwiches and soups. Prices are reasonable, service is prompt, and there is a consistent level of quality across the franchise. Two downtown Vancouver locations of Tim Hortons are 947 Hornby Street, Vancouver – (604) 642-4272, and 607 Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver – (604) 609-0865. Their web site www.timhortons.com has links to their other numerous locations across Canada. Below is pictured the turkey bacon club sandwich which was around $6.50 for a large. (This picture was taken at a Tim Horton’s near the Halifax airport.)