Cafe Zen (Kits)

Cafe Zen
1631 Yew St
Vancouver, BC

Tasty or Not Tasty?
Very Tasty! I think Cafe Zen is better than Sophie's and just as good if not better than Cafe Barney's.

Good prices, lots of food and tastes great.

Everything is fresh and hot.

Here's what we ordered:

• Farmer's Breakfast (I chose French Toast, Scrambled Eggs, Bacon and it comes with "fries")
  
• California Eggs Benny (Tomatoe & Avocado)
  

Service Good or Service Bad?
Service is good, considering how busy they get.

Interior:
Cozy.

Price:
Average. $27 for 2 people, two breakfast entrees, two coffees tax & tip.

Ever Going Back?
Hell Yeah!
I really enjoy their food.

Legendary Noodle House (Denman)

Legendary Noodle House
1074 Denman Street,
Vancouver, BC

Tasty or Not Tasty?
NOT Tasty at all!
AWFUL! NEVER GOING BACK and here is why:

• too salty
• too oily (food drenched in oil)
  
• too much MSG
• trying to cater to non-Chinese, by cooking with lots of oil and adding things like broccoli and making things way too salty! Non-Chinese people do not appreciate that!!!
• staff were screaming at each other in front of clients, which gave everyone an uneasy feeling. You didn't need to understand Mandarin to understand that they were yelling at each other...their body movements and facial expressions said it all.
• waitress asked if we wanted tea or water...we said tea...she gave us a special tea (which was the best thing there btw) and charged us $2 without letting us know. Chinese restaurants usually provide complimentary tea (unless you are having Dim-Sum) so they cheated us a total of $4
  

Here's what we ordered:

• Beef Noodle in Soup
• Minced Pork with Sauce On Noodle
  

Service Good or Service Bad?
Service Okay...other than the screaming and bickering amongst the staff

Interior:
The Denman Location tried very hard to "Exoticize" their restaurant.
I believe they did this to lure in the Non-Chinese people and not for authenticity reasons.
The restaurant uses predominantly dark brown and dark red colours, which is not usually used by Chinese people. They also hung some beaded curtains at the entrance of the door....I don't know any Chinese people who use such devices. If you check out their Main street location, it's nothing like the Denman location. This place was just trying too hard to succeed on Denman in all the wrong ways....Just cook good food and provide a comfortable warm place to eat and people will come.

Price:
Expensive for what they offer. I believe my noodle in soup cost $7.25. You can get noodles in soup usually for less than $6 anywhere else. The other dish was about $9 and it was really small...not worth the price

Ever Going Back?
Hell NO!
I don't recommend it at all.

New Town Bakery & Restaurant

New Town Bakery Restaurant
158 East Pender Street
Vancouver, BC.
Chinatown

Tasty or Not Tasty?
Tasty!
I quite enjoyed my food here at New Town. New Town is best known for their fresh steamed buns and their quick, hot and tasty food. If you are coming to this restaurant for the atmosphere or for high class seating...this is not your restaurant.

Here's what we ordered:

• BBQ Duck with Vermicelli Noodles in Soup~ $6.75
  This noodle in soup also came with a choice of coffee or tea (hk style)
  
• Beef & Tomatoe on Rice ~ $7
  Just like how I remembered it when my dad used to order it
  

Service Good or Service Bad?
Service is not the best. But like I said, you don't come here for service or for atmosphere...you come here for quick, hot and tasty food.

Interior:
yucky...but this is how it was like back then...i think of this place as having heritage.

Price:
Cheap!

Ever Going Back?
Hell Yah!
This restaurant brings back memories for me as a child. My father used to bring me to Chinatown and now that he's gone, it's places like New Town that brings me feelings of nostalgia.
I'm saddened to say that once the DTES becomes more gentrified and as older chinese canadians die off, that places like New Town will no longer exist, as this type of restaurant caters to those who lived life in the old fashioned way. Who will take over New Town? I hope that owners Susan & David Ng have children that will pass on their legacy. The old chinatown as I remember it will be missed.

Chambar Belgian Restaurant

Chambar Belgian Restaurant
562 Beatty Street Crosstown
Vancouver, BC. V6B 2L3
Tel: (604) 879-7119

Tasty or Not Tasty?
Soooo TASTY! WOW! I've been to Chambar twice and both times I was very impressed.
Below are the items that I've had:

• Le confit de canard ~ $13
  Phyllo wrapped duck leg cofit, cardamom apple amulsion. Baked crab apples.
• Coquette ~ $20
  Mussels cooked in a white wine cream. Smoked bacon lardons, spring onions.
• Carpaccio de Boeuf ~ $14
  Beef carpaccio, roasted garlic horseradish puree. Sundried tomato & olive tapenade. Fried golden Yukon crisps.
• Le canard de casablanca ~ $26
  Ginger & sumac rubbed duck breast. Moroccan rice pilaf. Apple tea & pistachio gastrique.
• Tajine d’aziz a l’agneau ~ $25
  Braised lamb shank with honey, figs, cinnamon & cilantro, served with cous cous and zalouk.

Service Good or Service Bad?
Service is awesome. No complaints only compliments to their staff!

Interior:
Exposed brick...well it is a loft.
Very nice and classy. Lots of deep red and other dark but warm colours. Gives the place a very unique feeling. Restaurant is quite long.

Price:
I've only gone twice cuz I can't afford to eat here...enough said

Ever Going Back?
Hell Yah! I always recommend this restaurant when someone asks me "where's a nice place to take my date".

Brioche Urban Baking & Catering

Brioche Urban Baking & Catering
401 W. Cordova
Vancouver, BC.
Tel: (604) 682-4037

Tasty or Not Tasty?
This cafe is off the hook. Very Very Tasty! None like it in Vancouver that I've been to. Authentic Italian cooking fused with West Coast style! Best panini I've ever had.
Here are a few of my favourites:

• Ham, Portobello and Brie Panini ~ $6.75
• Tomatoe, Boccincini, Prisciutto Panini ~ $6.75
• Omelette with Brie, Portobello & Ham ~8.95

I hear the french toast is awesome! I didn't have it myself, but my friend said it was the best french toast he'd ever had.

I've always been too full to have dessert, but it looks really good!
Coffee is good. Chai latte needs some work.


Service Good or Service Bad?
Service is awesome. You have to go up to the counter to order, but the staff will bring you your food. Always friendly and kind.

Interior:
Exposed brick. Small and cozy. There's actually two sides to Brioche...but most people only know about the W.Cordova side. They have seating on Water Street as well...shhhhhh.

Price:
Coffee and a Panini costs me $10.

Ever Going Back?
Hell Yah! My favourite cafe! I've only been for lunch and breakfast. I must make my way down for dinner. They also cater too! I'll be seen at Brioche all the time once my place is done, half a block away!

Jules Casual French Bistro

Jules Casual French Bistro
216 Abbott Street (Near Cordova)
Vancouver, BC.
Tel: (604) 669-0633

Tasty or Not Tasty?
This restaurant only rates a simple "Tasty" compared to some of my other delightful picks, which are "Very Very Very Tasty". All meals come with complimentary bread and butter (good stuff)

Here is what we ordered:
Moules Frites - $12
Steamed Mussels in White Wine with Garlic and Parsley Served with French Fries * Best French Fries I have ever had...not over salted or greasy! Great for dipping in the white whine mussel sauce. Mussels were average in size and tasted typical, nothing special.

Fletan Roti, Salad de Lentilles Vertes Dupuy et Echalottes Safranees - $19
Roasted Halibut with Dupuy Lentils Salad and Saffron Shallots
Meh....the halibut was good, but I didn't particularly fancy the lentil Salad and couldn't taste the saffron shallots at all :( This dish was disappointing. I was hoping for more flavour. Although the dish tasted alright, it did not taste that good. Sorry...I really wanted it to taste good, but it didn't.

Poitrine de Poulet Fermier Rotie, Jus au Porto et Pommes Puree - $17
Roasted Free Range Chicken Breast, Port Jus and Potato Puree. In other words Chicken n' mashed potatoes.

Coffee....hmmmm....good strong coffee! Just like Europe!
Kronenberg Beer 1664 - $4.50

Service Good or Service Bad?
Service...was good. The waitress didn't bother us too much and pretty much left us alone and checked up on us every once in a while. She kept our water glasses filled up as needed. No complaints! Good Job!

Interior:
We had dinner in the evening, so the lighting was dim. There wasn't anything particular that stood out in this restaurant in terms of the interior.

Price:
Appetizers $6 - $14
Main courses start at $12 - $22

Ever Going Back?
Nah...I really wanted this restaurant to be a big hit, but I was disappointed and I don't actually have the urge to want to go back. We went on a Thursday evening and it was very busy...quite packed actually. We didn't have reservations and almost got turned away, so the restaurant must be good? Right? We must have just ordered the wrong items on the menu :(
Please leave me a comment, if you found that this restaurant met your expectations. I'd love to get a second opinion.

Alibi Room

Alibi Room
157 Alexander Street (Near Main)
Vancouver, BC.
Tel: (604) 623-3383

Tasty or Not Tasty?
VERY VERY TASTY.
This is my favourite restaurant. It's in an awesome area, the food is great and priced reasonably and the drinks are off the hook. You'll find drinks in this restaurant that you won't find anywhere else. I love to come here on the weekdays when it's nice and quiet. The week-end nights is packed! I've been here close to 50 times this past year. I suggest you order anything and everything you can.
My favourite is the organic beef burger.
My favourite drink is the Gewürztraminer spritzer.

Service Good or Service Bad?
Service...is always superb! Drinks come about one minute after you've ordered it.
Food comes within 10-12 minutes.
Staff always kind and pleasant.

Interior:
The interior is soooo cool!
This restaurant actually has two floors. The basement is a great place to have a small party, equipped with it's own bar and DJ table. The building is brick, so the walls are exposed brick! Very Loft like! Also there is a long but small intimate patio. LOVE IT!

Price:
The price is great for the quality.
You could get burgers/sandwiches for about $13 a plate...and there are more expensive and cheaper plates as well. All taste great!
It's hard not to keep ordering drinks! Their drinks are soo good and so unique!

Ever Going Back?
Hell Yah! I probably go to Alibi Room at least 3-4 times a month...and I'm going to keep going back. And once our condo is completed you best believe i'll be there almost every night, sipping on my Gewürztraminer spritzer!

Bao Chau

Bao Chau
2717 E Hastings
Vancouver, BC. V6B 2T9
Tel: (604) 251-6956

Tasty or Not Tasty?
TASTY.

Here's what we ordered:

Spring Rolls - 2 rolls for $3
Bao Chau is known for their spring rolls and for good reason. It is a must try. Totally crispy and full of meat...mouth watering!

Pho Tai Sach Bo Vien (Small) $5.50
Noodles in broth with rare beef slices, tripe and Vietnamese style meatballs, garnished with green onion and onion

Service Good or Service Bad?
Service...was good! The owner always made sure our tea/water was filled and the food came out very quickly.
We had to ask for the bill twice though...but that's ok :)

Interior:
Typical Vietnamese restaurant with round tables for larger groups and small square tables for smaller parties. Nothing special...but that's okay, cuz the food was damn good.

Price:
$10-$15 per person if you have appies, an entree and drink.

Ever Going Back?
Hell Yah! But it's a little far for me, unless I am going that way.

Foundation

Foundation
2301 Main, Vancouver
Vancouver, BC.
Tel: 604.708.0881

Tasty or Not Tasty?
TASTY.
Here's what we ordered:

"First Option"
An assortment of vegetables (zucchini, carrots, broccoli, etc) in a chili-coconut sauce over a bed of basmati rice - $9

"Last Resort"
An assortment of vegetables (zucchini, carrots, broccoli, etc) in a green curry sauce over a bed of basmati rice - $9


Service Good or Service Bad?
Service...was good! Waitress/Waiter always made sure that our coffee was topped off and made sure our food tasted good.

Interior:
Lots of famous and politically/socially conscience quotes and phrases written on the walls of the restaurant. Dim lighting. Old antique mis-matched tables and chairs (love it). Very spacious. You can actually see the kitchen and the employees cooking away. The stoves they use are electric! Reminds me of my house :)

Price:
$25.50 tips inclusive for two rice dishes and two coffees.

Ever Going Back?
Hell Yes! Good place for a hearty meal in the chilly fall/winter season.

Goldfish Pacific Kitchen

Goldfish Pacific Kitchen
1118 Mainland Street (at Helmcken)
Vancouver, BC. V6B 2T9
T 604.689.8318
F 604.687.5109
E info@goldfishkitchen.com
view map

Tasty or Not Tasty?
VERY VERY VERY TASTY. Very flavourful and stimulating. The flavours of all ingredients stood out well and worked well together. If you don't like food from Asia, you probably won't like this restaurant.

Here's what we ordered:

Small Plate:
Duck Spring Rolls with Fish Sauce Dip, Mint and Butter Lettuce - $14
(China meets Vietnam and get's colonized by America type of flavour) Very Tasty.

Entrees:
Pan seared arctic char with kaffir lime coconut sauce, snow pear salad – $20
(Tastes from Thailand)

Sablefish bamboo steamed with ginger, lemongrass – $23
(China meets Thailand sort of flavour. Came in a dim-sum steamer! Kool!)

Side Plates:
Bacon fried rice scallions, garlic, fried quail eggs – $8 (Excellent: East meets West Flavours)

Asparagus warm sake, shallot vinagrette – $11 (Crispy, perfectly done)

Service Good or Service Bad?
Service...was great! Except for some moments where our waiter disappeared, but that's ok because the restaurant was busy.

Interior:
Very high end interior. Must see...very posh. They have their own private rooms that you can have functions in.
They have a patio in the back of the restaurant, we ate inside so I can't tell you more.
Very nice washrooms, clean and classy.

Price:
We spent $160, tips inclusive on appies, dinner and drinks.

Ever Going Back?
Hell Yes, for special occasions. It is a little over my price range...but worth it.

Soma Restaurant (Formerly known as Soma Cafe)

Soma
151 8th Avenue East
Vancouver, BC
Mount Pleasant Area

Tasty or Not Tasty?
Very Very Very NOT Tasty. Food was bland and the flavours were dull, if any.
We ordered a cheese and meat plate, which was good, but the value was not there.
We ordered prosciutto, wild boar cured meat and brie, which cost $15. It was good, but anybody could have gone to a European deli and picked up the same items. We got two slices of Brie that were the size of those pink erasers from elementary school.
We ordered shrimp ceviche, which cost $10. This was the most disappointing dish of the three we ordered. The four pieces of shrimp had shriveled up into so small a piece, that you could not even taste it in your mouth. It came with a light salad in a wonton crisp, which also tasted like nothing. Lastly we ordered a $18 ahi tuna dish, which lacked in taste and freshness. At least the presentation was nice. It came with a crostini (toasted french bread?) drizzled with balsamic and olive oil and some greens and 3 olives. There were four thinly sliced pieces of ahi tuna....not impressed.

Ceaser was watered down and again not impressive.
I ordered two glasses of BC Gewurztraminer, which was the best thing I had there.
At the least they had an impressive wine collection.

Service Good or Service Bad?
Service Not So Good, but not that bad.

* food came very slowly ( I could see the agitation of all the customers in the restaurant, while they wait for their food)
* waiter & waitress not the most friendliest bunch, for a restaurant that no one knows about

Price:
Rip OFF.
Meat/Cheese Plate $15 (could have gone to a deli myself and spent $15 and got much more)
Shrimp Ceviche $10 (four shriveled up shrimp on a bed of crap)
Ahi Tuna Entree $18 and taste like bullocks!!

Interior:
Small but nice. Cozy. Nicely done.

Ever Going Back?
Hell NOOOOOOOOO. Need I say more?

Rangoli

Rangoli
1488 West 11th Avenue
Vancouver, BC V6H 1L1
phone (604) 736-5711
fax (604) 736-3701
Rangoli website

Tasty or Not Tasty?
Very Very Very Tasty. Wow...that's all I could say the whole time I was eating. I ordered a "portobello mushroom and red bell pepper curry on paneer with a beet salad and naan". My partner in crime ordered the "coconut curry chicken with naan and rice". We were both very amazed at the bold flavours that surrounded our taste buds. The curry flavours in both dishes were as authentic as could be. No food or sauce was left on the plates.

Service Good or Service Bad?
Service Great.

* food came in 15 minutes
* waitress was very nice and our water was always refilled without asking

Price:
Very Reasonable....my dish was $12.50 and the other dish was $12.00

Ever Going Back?
Hell yah. Why? The food was amazing and flavourful. They even played east indian music.

Caffe Barney

Caffe Barney
2975 Granville Street
Vancouver, BC V6H 3J6
Phone: 604-731-6446


Tasty or Not Tasty?
Very Tasty. I had the best eggs benny that I have ever had here.
I ordered the shrimp and avocado eggs benny with hollandaise sauce. It was to die for.
It came with cubed bite size, pan fried potatoes. I also ordered a fruit plate, which came with fresh fruits, such as grapefruit, watermelon, apples, oranges, bananas and other seasonal fruits.
The coffee could be better though. It had a weird consistency...perhaps just a bad pot.

Service Good or Service Bad?
Service OK.

* food came in 15 minutes
* took the waitress a long time to take our order (it's very busy for Sunday brunch)

Price:
Very Reasonable....my awesome eggs benny only cost $9

Ever Going Back?
Hell yah. Why? The food was excellent! Highly recommend having breakfast there!

La Casita

La Casita Mexican Restaurant
101 W. Cordova Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 1A1
Phone: 604-646-2444
View Map

Tasty or Not Tasty?
Very Tasty. I've never tasted such yummy Mexican food before. I ordered a combo, which came with two quesadillas folded in half like a taco, 6 buffalo style chicken wings, and a avocado salad. To drink the server recommended Mexican water, which tasted like and looked like the leftover milk after you've eaten all your cinnamon toast crunch. This drink actually helped me cool my mouth down, after indulging in the hot sauce they have at the table. I loved and ate every piece of my meal.

Service Good or Service Bad?
Service Good.

* food came in 15 minutes
* drinks came quickly

Price:
For two entrees and two Mexican waters the bill came to about $30

Ever Going Back?
Hell yah. Why? The food was excellent and the service was good. They've gotta loose the cactus coloured/shaped chair covers though.

Characters Taverna

Characters Taverna
1103 Davie Street
Vancouver, BC V6E 1N2
Phone: 604-685-9607

Tasty or Not Tasty?
Tasty. Not the best Greek food I've eaten, but still good. We had the humus/pita for an appetizer and lamb souvlaki for the entree. The lamb was tender, not too chewy, but the rice, potatoe, greek salad was average.

Service Good or Service Bad?
Service Good.

* food came in 15 minutes
* drinks came quickly

Patio:
We sat on the patio on plastic chairs and ate on a plastic table

Price:
$14.95 for lamb souvlaki, which is a little expensive. I've paid $10 and eaten better lamp souvlaki.

Ever Going Back?
Hell No. Why? The food wasn't so impressive compared to the price we paid. I'd go back if the food was cheaper.

Nevermind

Nevermind
3293 West 4th Ave
Vancouver, BC V6K 1R8
Tel: 604-736-0212 or 604-222-0023
Fax: 604-736-0218
Email: info@nevermind.ca
View Map

Tasty or Not Tasty?
Not that Tasty. Highly overated. Hell's Kitchen their sister restaurant is much much better.
The side order of salad was the tastiest item I ate.
Here are the things that we ordered:

• Poutine

• Szechuan Green Beans & Tofu
  

• Lamb Burger with Soup & Salad
  

Service Good or Service Bad?
Service Not Bad

• food took too long: 30 minutes
  
• drinks came quickly
  

Patio:
We sat on wooden sunbathing chairs. Very comfy and relaxed atmosphere. Never ate inside.

Price:
$10 - $15

Ever Going Back?
Hell No. Why? No. The food did not impress me at all. Perhaps I did not order the right meal.

Mahony & Sons Public House - UBC

Mahony & Sons Public House
5990 University Blvd (UBC)
Vancouver, BC
V6T 1Z3
Email: info@mahonyandsons.com
View Map

Tasty or Not Tasty?
Very Tasty.
Here are the things that we ordered:

• Yam Fries

• Spiced Onion & Guiness Soup with Organic Greens with Balsamic/Olive Oil on the side

& 2 Toasts

• Grilled Veggie Sandwich with Soup & Salad
  

Service Good or Service Bad?
Service Very Good

• took drink and food order within 5 minutes
  
• food came fast
  
• staff were very prompt and friendly
  

Interior:
Very comfortable. Authentic Celtic style pub. Nice wooden furniture pieces and cozy interior. Big patio.

Price:
$10 - $15 (Very reasonable for the quality & quantity served)
$5.25 - $7 for Beer

Ever Going Back?
Hell Yah. Why? Good food on campus. Not your typical bar food.

Guu Izakaya - Gastown Location

Guu - Izakaya
#105-375 Water Street,
Vancouver, B.C. V6B 5C6
TEL: 604-685-8682
E-mail : yasumi@guu-izakaya.com
View Map


Tasty or Not Tasty?
Very Tasty.
Here are the things that we ordered:
Edamame
Sashimi Salad
Deep Fried Brie with Mango Sauce
Seafood Paella
Shoga Yakisoba
Salmon in Foil
Okonomiyaki

Service Good or Service Bad?
Service Very Good

• gave you a cold towel to wipe down hands before eating
  
• food came fast
  
• staff were very prompt and friendly
  

Interior:
Very comfortable. Rustic Dark Wood Styled Furniture.
Staff communicate by screaming out into the open, so it's quite loud inside.
Very fun place to be.

Price:
Tapas style food, so prices varied from $3 - $8

Ever Going Back?
Hell Yah. Why? Because the service was good, the place was comfy and most importantly the food was hella guu'd

Imperial Court Seafood Restaurant - Dim Sum

Imperial Court Seafood Restaurant
No. 3 @ Cook (Accross from Richmond Centre)
Richmond, BC
(Same complex/plaza as TD CanadaTrust & Staples)

Tasty or Not Tasty?
Very Tasty.
My favourite dim-sum dishes are the scallop-shrimp dumpling, chicken feet and the shrimp rice roll.

Service Good or Service Bad?
Service Very Good for a Chinese Restaurant

*Tip#1* If there is a line up or a crowd of people standing near the entrance to the restaurant, don't wait around for your turn to grab a table. Push your way to the hostess and tell her how many seats you need.

*Tip#2* At Chinese Restaurants you can ask any employee to grab you things such as, more tea, hot sauce, napkins, forks, cold water etc...
Different from other restaurants where you must ask your own server.

Interior:
Comfortable and Clean for a Chinese Restaurant.
Not too big not too small. Don't feel cramped.
Lots of Hong Kongnese and Taiwanese and a few token foreigners.

Price:
Average price per dim-sum plate is $2.25
If you go there before 10am, there is 10% off the total bill.

Ever Going Back?
Hell Yah. Why? Cheap and Yummy Dim Sum, Lots of parking, and never have to wait too long for a seat

Havana Restaurant

Havana Restaurant
1212 CommercialDr.
Vancouver, BC
V5l 3X4
View Map

Tasty or Not Tasty?
Not Bad. Tasty
Yummy Sangria :)
Had a beef burger and a chicken sandwich, served with fries or soup and a salad.

Service Good or Service Bad?
Service... Average

Interior:
Very kool walls...you can carve your name or carve pictures on it.
Comfy and relaxed atmosphere.
They have an art gallery at the restaurant. How cool is that?
Oh, they have a patio...a little squishy.

Price:
Average price was $17/entree
Sandwiche Meals were about $13/Plate
Beers around $6

Ever Going Back?
Sure. Not one of my favourites, but I wouldn't mind going there again.

The Libra Room

The Libra Room
1608 Commercial Drive
Vancouver, BC
604-255-9787
View Map

Tasty or Not Tasty?
Very Tasty.
We had orange glazed ribs (which came with rice, vegies and a salad)
and Thai green curry over long grain rice.

Service Good or Service Bad?
Service Bad

• took one hour for hour food to come
• drinks took a long time
• waitresses were super snotty and grumpy

Interior:
Small and cozy place to hang out, but not for too long...
the seats are not too comfortable

Price:
Average price was $16/entree
Martini's were over $8
Beers around $6

Ever Going Back?
Hell No. Why? Because the service sucked.