Looking for a great breakfast or brunch spot in the Mt. Pleasant / Main Street area on the East Side of Vancouver?
Check out Seb’s Market Cafe (map, website, 592 East Broadway, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, phone: 604-298-4403).
Owner operator Francois Godbout found success in the Vancouver film industry catering business before deciding to open a home-style, family-friendly breakfast and brunch place in a neighborhood that is growing and becoming more “happening” by the day.
A friend of mine is a regular customer here, and he recommended that we try it one Saturday morning. The food was fantastic – I had the Smoked Salmon Scrambled Eggs (pictured below, $9.00) which were made with smoked salmon (of course!), red onions, and cheese, and served with homecut potatoes, toast, and homemade preserves. I also enjoyed the freshly squeezed orange juice (also pictured below) which was the real thing (and had no sugar added so it was a little bit tart, but very refreshing nevertheless).
My friend is a bit worried that if more people discover this secret amazing brunch place, it may get too busy! But that would be a sign of success for Seb’s and in the event they needed to expand, I’m sure they could handle it quite well.
Smoked salmon scrambled eggs ($9.00) from Seb's Market Cafe in Mt. Pleasant area of Vancouver BC Canada.
Freshly squeezed orange juice from Seb's, a great breakfast and brunch place in East Vancouver.
Nikkyu Japanese Restaurant (web site, map, 3302 Main Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-873-2220) is one of the few sushi restaurants on the east side of Vancouver that offers free sushi delivery within 5km. Check their web site for their menu and you can even order your sushi online. But how was the food, you might ask? Read on for more…
My friend and I are definite sushi aficionados, having tried many awesome sushi restaurants in Vancouver. We were originally in the area to try the Japanese food at Toshi’s at Main and 16th, which has a great reputation. Unfortunately due to its popularity there was a huge lineup outside Toshi’s. My friend’s friend (who lives in the neighborhood) gave us a hot tip that there is a sushi place near Toshi’s just a few blocks north on Main Street. We walked around and the only one we saw was Nikkyu, so that had to be the place. We were in for a real treat!
As a food photographer I always appreciate restaurants which put extra care and detail into their presentation of the food. Attractive and creative presentation is something I only expect at high-end restaurants, where the portions can be tiny and the food becomes more like edible art.
Many Japanese restaurants in town go for quantity over quality, and while I do enjoy all-you-can-eat and gigantic roll places, I don’t mind splurging for aesthetics once in a while.
But I was pleasantly surprised by Nikkyu Japanese Restaurant when the food arrived – the obviously very fresh sushi was presented in a simply beautiful fashion, with no grain of rice out of place, and the sprinkling of masago on the rolls put the finishing touch on some miniature masterpieces (pictured below).
Here’s what we ordered (all pictured below): 4 Saba Sushi ($4.60), Mango Smoked Salmon California Roll ($5.95), Chopped Scallop Roll ($3.85), House Roll ($4.75), Q.E. Park Roll ($7.50) and 6 pieces Salmon Sashimi ($7.95). Looking at these photos makes me hungry again!
Beautiful sushi from Nikkyu Japanese Restaurant in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Sushi rolls from Nikkyu Japanese Restaurant in Vancouver.
Saba sushi (Mackerel) from Nikkyu Japanese Restaurant in Vancouver.
Salmon sashimi from Nikkyu Japanese Restaurant.
Chopped scallop sushi and saba sushi from Nikkyu Japanese Restaurant in Vancouver.
More delicious sushi from Nikkyu Japanese Restaurant in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
2,896 views - Posted Wednesday, November 19th, 2008
Radha Yoga and Eatery (web site, 728 Main Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-605-0011) is a yoga studio in Chinatown that offers high-quality, 100% vegan dining, from Thursday to Saturday.
Radha has a great atmosphere, with hardwood floors and exposed brick in a big, open space. The live folk music really added to the relaxing, calm feel of the place. It’s also such a treat to go out for dinner on a friday night and not have to fight the crowds or feel rushed. The food was tasty and presented well…
Pictured below is the Nori Roll (Japanese Seaweed) appetizer, $7.00, which their menu describes as “raw sunflower-hempseed paté, julienne vegetables, sprouts and avocado in toasted nori with homemade pickled ginger and orange dragon dip”. The orange dragon dip is a light soya sauce with a touch of orange juice. Also pictured below is one of their featured main courses for the summer, the Southern Style Tempeh ($13.00). Maple-barbecue glazed tempeh – like tofu but coarser – was served with cornbread, warm summer greens, and seasonal vegetables. It was delicious. My only wish was that there was more glaze / barbecue sauce to soak into the cornbread!
The Chinatown area of Vancouver (where Radha is located) is one of the more graphic neighborhoods, but is quite safe to visit.
(above) Maple Barbecue Glazed Tempeh ($13) from Radha restaurant in Vancouver.
