A friend recommended an authentic Korean restaurant (1638 Robson Street, Vancouver, phone 604-689-3898) called Book Kyung Ban Jeoun Korean & Chinese Restaurant, located on Robson Street downtown between Bidwell Street and Cardero Street.

As is customary with most Korean restaurants, a few small accompaniments were provided with our meal such as the Kimchi (pictured below), onion, pickle, and a sweet sauce. The dish which I ordered was the Black Bean Noodle with Seafood, which comes in two bowls: a bowl of plain noodles, and a bowl with a thick rich sauce made with black beans, onion, and assorted seafood (pictured below, approximately $9.00). The very dark black bean sauce looks quite different from anything you might encounter at a Western-style restaurant, but I assure you it was very tasty!

Cafe Des Arts (863 Beatty Street, phone 604-669-2189) is a family run cafe located in Vancouver’s downtown Yaletown neighborhood that serves a variety of European and Vietnamese entrees, as well as sandwiches, salads, and soups. The Oriental Chicken Rice (pictured below) is served with a choice of soup or salad for approximately $8.50.

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.