1147 Granville Street, Vancouver (Granville Entertainment district)
Who doesn't love brunch? A cozy nook that serves all day brunch, Twisted Fork Bistro has made a name for itself in the city as one of the best places to go for brunch. Open from 8-3 every day, Twisted Fork serves up brunch classics like frittata and eggs benny with fresh ingredients and a twist. My family and I went on a weekday morning to celebrate my parents' wedding anniversary. Each of the main food items are $14.50 (and that's tax included!), and you have a choice of wide variety of breakfast and lunch items. We had the Chorizo Frittata, Banana stuffed brioche French Toast, Eggs Benny with Maple sausage and a Croque Monsieur, which is a ham and Gruyere cheese sandwich with their homemade tomato dipping sauce. Everything was delicious and came out relatively quick. The restaurant is very cozy and intimate, with a lot of couches and soft throw pillows. Its's kind of like eating brunch at your own house, but way cooler. The one thing you want to watch out for is the fact that because of the small size of the restaurant and it's popularity, the wait can be upwards of an hour for a table. Twisted Fork does not take reservations, so definitely keep that in mind if and when you go. Having said that, Twisted Fork has delicious brunch food that is worth the wait.
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1779 Robson Street, Vancouver (Granville/Robson District) with multiple locations
I love Malaysian food, thanks to my Dad. Growing up in Singapore, he was exposed to a beautiful mix of Chinese, Malaysian and Indian food. On a typical Vancouver day which consisted of rain, I was looking forward to going to Banana Leaf for warm and spicy Malaysian food with my friend Jamie after his RCM convocation. Jamie had never had Malaysian cuisine before, so it was definitely fun to introduce a friend to the wonderful world of Malaysian food. The decor for the Robson location is very rustic and oriental, with the spices and smells greeting you the minute you walk through the door. Our meal started off with satay, skewers of either chicken or beef with peanut dipping sauce and cucumbers. We then had Sambal Chili Green beans (slightly spicy, but manageable), and mee goreng, one of my favourite noodle dishes, and a side of Hainanese flavoured rice. Mee goreng ("fried noodles" in Malay) consists of egg noodles with a mild spicy sauce, tomatoes, shrimp, egg, chicken and cabbage. There was just enough spice to give a buzz, but not so spicy where my mouth was completely dead (like when I went to La Taquiera and used to chili sauce by accident...) If you want to try something new and are over your typical Chinese food, give Malaysian food a chance! There are 5 Banana Leaf locations all over Vancouver, so go check it out! 207 W Hastings street, Vancouver (Gastown)
Healthy, fresh, Lebanese. I'm not even sure what Lebanese food is, to be honest with you. I think that it is somewhere along the lines of Mediterranean fare: pita bread, falafel, hummus, grilled meats... all this fresh and yummy stuff! With 4 locations, Nuba is an introduction to Lebanese cuisine that offers omnivorous options, but also caters to vegetarians, vegans, and those with gluten sensitivities. My friend Elaine and I went to the Gastown location to take a walk on the wild side, and it definitely was worth it! We walked into a very dim basement room that was illuminated by candle light. We then proceeded to look over the menu, which had many choices. Many of these choices have been highly ranked on Yelp, so it was difficult to decide what to get! But eventually we decided on Le Petit Feast (pita bread with hummus, taboulleh, baba ghanooj and homemade pickles), as well as lamb hushwie for myself and vegan stew for Elaine. All of it was super flavourful and really fresh! Aside from these dishes, Nuba also offers a variety of fresh juices, Lebanese alcoholic beverages and coffees and original desserts. As well, Nuba is also open for lunch and brunch, so that will definitely be something to try! 2328 Cambie Street, Vancouver
I have to give props to Shishinori for bringing a fresh new twist on Japanese food. Sitting at the intersection of Cambie and West 7th, Shishinori is a quaint little restaurant that has minimalistic furniture and extra festive Christmas decorations. Shishinori boasts "healthy eating", and all their dishes are chock filled with vegetables and uses brown rice and whole wheat bread. I have to say that I did feel pretty clean after lunch! The other thing that Shishinori is known for is matcha, matcha everywhere: their matcha soft serve parfaits are super popular with patrons, and it is something that I will try the next time I go! The two kinds of entrees you can get are their subs, which are all under $5, or their bowls (which are actually served on plates), which range from $9-$12. You can add $2.50 to the bowls and make it a meal, and that gets you a drink and side soup or dessert of the day. Eleanor and I opted to go drink (midnight in Paris, aka lavender tea) and dessert (matcha pudding) with our real crab meat California bowl, and a cream cheese and beef teriyaki sub. The food was incredible, filled with veggies and actual real crab meat! Everything tasted really fresh and was seasoned great. Even the odd things that I thought wouldn't go (apples in rice? beets? grapes in the salad?!) all fit together in harmony (so cliche) and was really delicious. The matcha pudding was also a hit, not too sweet and not too strong. I will definitely go back to Shishinori to try out their other dishes, and also their brunch items that they serve until the late afternoon. Because it is a small place, you may have to wait for a table, especially during peak hours. In the end though, I think it's worth it! 601 W Cordova Street, Vancouver (Gastown)
Rogue Kitchen and Wetbar, which is conveniently located in Waterfront Skytrain station, is a fun and expansive place for good food and drink. Despite it's flashy interior and club like vibe, Rogue can be compared to an Earls or Browns as it is more or less the same kinds of food (aka "American", or pub food) and drinks (cocktails, shots, wines and beers). My friend Emily and I started off with Bellinis and went on to our main course - Short Rib Beef Dip for her and Pepperoni and Three Mushroom pizza for me. The food wasn't outstanding in anyway, but definitely filing and enough for lunch the next day. However, I did like the ambiance and how casual it felt. The prices for food is a little more than other places ($20 for lobster macaroni and cheese?), but for a once in a blue moon place it's not too bad. Definitely a fun place to go with friends for a night out on the town. With three locations - Gastown, Broadway and the Convention Center - you have plenty of opportunity to branch out beyond Earls and Cactus Clubs. 781 Denman Street, Vancouver (West End)
True to it's name, Nook on Vancouver's West End is a small little Italian restaurant that is cozy and filled with amazing scents. One of the few Italian places that are on my foodie bucket list, Nook offers share plates with authentic Italian flavours. With a brick oven sitting at the back of the restaurant, the drinks and the food at Nook were delicious! Eugenia and I had Bellinis (peach puree and Prosecco) to celebrate her birthday, and then shared a plate of gnocchi (first time for me!) and ricotta pizza, with baby spinach and olives. The dinner that we had was fantastic, and the flavours and service exceeded my expectations as well. I will definitely suggest showing up to dinner a little earlier, just because of how small the restaurant is. After a certain hour, it does get quite crowded and the lineups to get in are quite lengthy. There is a second location on Kitsilano as well, so if you are a fan of Italian food, give Nook a try and remember to get in early! 2272 W 4th Avenue, Vancouver (Kitsilano)
Burgoo has always been a high priority on my foodie bucket list, and I finally was able to try it out after a day at Kitsilano Beach. Burgoo's catchphrase is "food for comfort" which is exactly what they serve - comfort foods from around the world, from the cheesiest French fondue to the cheesiest American mac and cheese. Once Elaine and I walked in, the dim interior and tea lights sitting on the wooden tables were reminiscent of a cozy lodge, even on the warmest of summer days. We started off with an emmental and gruyere cheese fondue with foccacia bread, grapes and apples for dipping. The fondue was delicious! Through Vancity Buzz, I heard that Burgoo served one of the best macaroni and cheese dishes in the city, so I had to try it out! And the mac and cheese definitely a hit - super cheesy and delicious. If you are a fan of all things comfort food, go give any one of Burgoo's four locations a try - you won't be disappointed! 1583 Coal Harbour Quay, Vancouver
A lovely night out with my dad and sisters called for a fancy dinner on Coal Harbour. Thanks to my dad's collection of gift cards from travelling, we went for a seafood feast at Cardero's. Their tagline is "chops and a wok", and their dishes range from fresh seafood, exquisite meat cuts and their signature wok fried rice. From start to finish the dinner was delicious and felt incredibly expensive, beginning with raw oysters and finishing with creme brulee. The seafood was cooked well and the portions, while incredibly pricey, were the perfect portion: not too big and not just a few pieces of fish on a plate. Being an incredibly busy place, it is definitely recommended that you make reservations ahead of time. The meal will definitely put just a slight dent in your wallet, so be prepared for that. Overall, the presentation was beautiful and the food was delicious, and the service was prompt and friendly. 219 Union Street, Vancouver
As I was walking to The Union with my friend Marinelle, we figured that outside of the obvious reason as to why it was named what it is (The Union is on... Union Street, ironically enough), it could also be named The Union because of the fact that it was a union of many different Southeast Asian dishes. Upon entry into the little restaurant right on the corner of Union and Main, the familiar smells of spices and the minimalist furniture took me in, making me quite excited to try this new restaurant. After ordering (non-alcoholic) drinks, our dishes - Singaporean fried noodles (the daily special) for Marinelle, Indonesian Peanut noodles for me - came quickly after, which was quite impressive. Having never tried Indonesian food before, I had nothing to go by in terms of authenticity. However, the portion was huge - enough for lunch the day after - and quite delicious. I must say that the Singaporean fried noodles were nowhere near what they should be in terms of taste, but it was still a tasty and valiant effort. With quick and friendly service, The Union is definitely great choice for anyone who loves Southeast Asian cuisine and wants to try something new. 1 Athletes Way (Vancouver - False Creek) -OR- 1055 Canada Place (Vancouver - Coal Harbour)
Known for it's craft beer on tap (hence it's name), Tap and Barrel boasts great food, fabulous drinks and is probably one of the best patios that I have ever been on. Having been twice, I've enjoyed the food and the wonderful view that comes with my meal from the patio. The restaurant is very lively, and despite it's expansive size, the waitresses definitely go above and beyond to make sure that everyone is served and is having a good time. I highly recommend trying their craft beer mac and cheese - a comfort food favourite with an added twist! The menu changes every few months, but somethings, like the Tap Burger and the mac and cheese, remain as top favourites! |
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