Eat Me Here in Vancouver!

Launching beta version!

2011-11-03T23:47:00.000-07:00

For the past half year, I've been working on this community food website. It just beta-launched in September and we're working out the kinks. Take a look and try it out: www.tastesociety.com

Red Star Seafood Restaurant 鴻星海鮮酒家

2011-02-03T10:00:00.000-08:00

8298 Granville Street
Vancouver, BC V6P4Z4
Tel: (604) 261-8389
Fax: (604) 261-7877

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This is a popular higher-end Chinese restaurant. I personally like the Granville location better than the Richmond one. Their interior is nice, pricing is average and the service is good. The food overall is tasty.

Blanched Geoduck
The geoduck was cooked perfectly so it wasn't too chewy. It goes great with the light soy dipping sauce.

Roasted Squab
This was perfectly roasted with tender meat and crispy skin. What can I say, it was yummy!

Steamed Fish in Lotus Leaf
Not particularly memorable...

Fish Soup
I have to say, I usually love fish soup, and I loved this one! Tastes clear and healthy.

Blanched beef slices with vegetables
I really like this dish too even though its super simple. You just take the fat beef and dip it into this special soy sauce and eat it. Goes great with the vegetables (菜苗 - baby veggies?)

Stir-fry Prawns with Lima Beans
Nothing too special about this dish, nonetheless it was sold. The shrimp and beans were very crunchy and fresh, even when covered in that sauce.

Rock Cod with Stir-fry Vegetables (1st half of the fish)
The fish was cooked well here, very tasty and good texture – what you'd expect from a fresh fish. Other than that, nothing special.

Rock Cod with Tofu (2nd half of the fish)
I was not a fan of this one, they took the rest of the fish and cooked it a entirely different way. It was tasty but some of the fish bones were swimming in that sauce so it was difficult to eat comfortably.

Jumbo Scallops with Garlic
These were sizable scallops, it was at least 2" in diameter. I'm a sucker for garlic flavoured seafood, but you can also order this cooked in different ways. I believe it was like $6-$8/piece.

Seasoned Chicken (Half)
This is one of those staple foods you'd find at ANY Chinese restaurant. This place was no exception, the chicken was well made. Juicy and tender, just the way I like it. I believe the chicken is cooked in a chicken broth to amplify flavour.

Red bean soup, almond cookies
Your standard Chinese dessert after a meal. LOVE the cookies!

Their name in English is 'Red Star' but that's not actully the meaning of their Chinese name. 鴻 (word for 'wild swan') sounds just like the word for 'red' (紅). My aunt told me there's a popular restaurant with the same name in Hong Kong, but we don't know if they're affliated.

Others' Input:

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka 山頭火

2010-12-24T12:46:00.000-08:00

1690 Robson St
Vancouver, BC V6G 1C7
Map | Website

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After hearing all the good things about this new ramen restaurant, I finally gave it a try. As expected, the place was packed at around 8pm on a cold rainy weekend, I guess that's the perfect time to have noodle soup! Their soup bases feature tonkotsu (pork bone) so its creamy, light colored and nutritious. Overall, the ramen here is tasty (a bit too oily for me) but I wouldn't purposely come all the way out just to have this ramen though..

Miso Ramen ~ $8

The flavour of the miso ramen (compared to the shio ramen) is too salty. First spoon might be okay, but after eating the rest of the noodles it's way too salty – ironically 'shio' which means salt wasn't as salty by far. It's got a strong miso flavour so it differs from the miso ramen from Kintaro.

Shio Ramen & gyoza ~$9
I'd have to say this was a solid bowl of ramen, the pork (chasiu) was very tasty and had an appropriate amount of fat attached to it. The noodles are a bit stringy compared to what I'm used to. Unfortunately, the soup has a distinctive layer of oil on it which makes me not want to drink the soup.

Other Input:

Hakone Sushi

2010-12-14T12:34:00.000-08:00

80 Keefer Place (by Stadium/Tinseltown)
Vancouver, BC V6B 0C9
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Located just across the street from Tinseltown, this is the only sushi place near Chinatown. The restaurant is tiny and pretty busy during lunch time. I have to say the only things worth eating here are their california rolls and negitoro rolls. Their dynamite roll was appalling (sorry I don't have a photo of it right now) with soggy prawn tempura and mushy rice. I only came here to eat because there aren't any other sushi restaurants around that was walking distance from Chinatown. I probably won't come here unless I had a major craving for negitoro rolls...

Negitoro roll, salmon roll, miso soup ~ $8

The only thing I like from this place was the negitoro roll, its arranged in a flower shape! The salmon roll was expensive for what it was so I definitely won't order that again.

Other Input:

Lin Chinese Cuisine 林

2010-12-06T17:19:00.000-08:00

1537 W. Broadway (near Granville St.)

Vancouver, BC V6J 5L1

Tel: (604) 733-9696

Map | Website

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A little Northern Chinese restaurant that's receive a lot of local attention is located by a busy intersection. Parking is difficult but that's expected of the Broadway/Granville area. This place is packed on a regular basis with lunch combos (miniature versions of various full size dishes) serving the local businessmen/women on their lunch breaks.

上海砂锅菜饭
Shanghai vegetable hotpot rice $6.99
I actually really liked this rice even if it is a bit on the oily side. It tastes refereshing because its basically just rice and veggies, a good choice since most of the stuff on the menu is heavily meat-based. It also smelled really good.

生煎包
Pan fried pork bun $4.99
This tastes average, a bit too oily for me. I guess my mouth isn't as used to the Northern Chinese food as it is to Southern Chinese.

葱油饼
Pan-fried green onion cake $4.99
Sometimes referred as green onion pancake, its usually available at dimsum as well. There are generally two kinds, deep-fried or pan-fried. This one here had a strong green onion flavour which is perfect. A good pancake has many little layers inside with chopped green onion sprinkled in between. Interestingly enough, there are two pancakes stacked here when its usually served as one.

小笼汤包 (Xiao Long Bao)
Shanghai juicy pork dumpling $4.99

You can't go to a Northern Chinese restaurant without ordering this staple menu item. As usual, the chef in charge of making these dumplings is situated inside the dining area behind a counter and glass window so customers can see how they're being made right before their eyes.

蜜汁大虾
Honey Prawn $15.99

This dish looks like your typical 'lemon chicken' 'sweet & sour pork' aimed at Caucasian taste buds with one exception that this actually tastes really good! (No offense to those other 2 dishes, but coming from a more traditional Chinese food tasting background, I don't like them because they really misrepresent Chinese food) Anyway, this dish is seriously delicious, I might have eaten the whole plate myself if everyone else I was with didn't also like it too ...

上海炒年糕
Shanghai style rice cake $9.99

They've got some good stir-frying skills because this dish, even though it looks simple, actually takes a lot of technique. The chewy rice cake pieces can stick together and form a giant blob if you're not careful. Its also easy to undercook them which causes them to be hard and impossible to chew.

黄鱼响铃
Crispy tofu wrap fish $12.99

The server who took our order recommended we try this, and I'll have to say I wish we didn't. It was hard to eat because the outside yellow bean curd layers were crispy on the outer parts but unbreakable on the inside. The fish inside was tasty but because of the odd outer wrap, it made eating each wrap really difficult due to their large size. It was also the last lingering dish to arrive which was not impressing.

肉末担担面

Tan Tan noodle soup with minced meat $6.59

This was alright. The name is misleading, and the noodle is underneath.

牛肉烧饼
Beef sesame cake $4.99

Crispy wrap around sweet beef. Yum.

蒸或炸银丝卷
Deep fried sliced roll $2.99

Can't really go wrong with this one, its a popular item. This comes in a deep fried version as well as the plain steamed version. Both types can be dipped in the condensed milk.

上海粗炒

Shanghai style chow mein $8.99

This tastes really similar to the rice cake one, if not identical in flavour. It was pretty good except for the overly oiliness. I've had this dish at other restaurants and having it less oily but still great-tasting is entirely possible.

Others' Input:

Roman Ristorante

2010-06-30T11:14:00.000-07:00

3399 Kingsway (near Joyce/Collingwood)

Vancouver, BC V5R

(604) 436 4748

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This is a small Italian restaurant, right across the street from Safeway. With generous food portions and some decent olive oil, this place is worth coming back to. Its quiet little place, they have some lunch combo specials available for take-out. The generally have 2 price offerings, either $8 or $13. The $13 is the larger size and the pile of food is simliar to the size at Anton's, but more flavourful. We ordered some appetizers just to try them out. They have an interesting menu, you basically get to mix and match. Choose a general flavor/meat, then the pasta type, then a size. You're not stuck with tradition combinations!

Focaccia & Olive Oil

Yummy! Toasted and crispy on the outside, soft and warm on the inside. This wasn't disappointing at all, not like some *ahem* other Italian restaurants (on Dunbar @ 17 ave).

Bruschetta

This was alright, not the best I've had. La Rocca's was pretty awesome.

Capellini alle Vongole

This was not what I expected, rarely do I have clams in a tomato sauce, but it was still yummy regardless. Can't really compare it to the garlic/white wine type that I usually get.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Linguine alla Venezia

Others' Input:

Joey's Only Seafood Restaurant

2010-06-24T11:33:00.000-07:00

1724 152 St

White Rock

Map | Website

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They've got a lot of variety and combinations on their menu so you're bound to find something you want to order. This place doesn't only serve fish & chips, but also various seafood. Their combos allow you to have customizable sides so you can have soup, salad, or potatoes.

2 Piece Famous Fish & Chips $9.95

I prefer halibut, but decided to give the cod a chance. It was actually quite tasty, but the portions were smaller than most other fish & chips restaurants. The fries were nice and crispy, but not overly flavourful.

Fish Sandwich w/ 2 sides $8.95

tomato, lettuce, tartar sauce, battered fish

I wasn't craving fish & chips in particular, so I ordered this fish sandwich that they claim is irresistibly good and I'll have to say it was pretty yummy. It's like a filet-o-fish burger but better! :) The caesar salad I got was alright, but I didn't really like the mash potatoes because it wasn't creamy enough.

Others' Input:

Donburiya

2010-06-20T23:06:00.000-07:00

#5-1329 Robson Street

Vancouver, BC

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This is a tiny take-out style restaurant situated where Ezogiku Noodle Cafe used to be. They serve a range of small- medium sized ramen bowls, rice bowls, and the usual sushi. I'm not sure exactly why people would come here since there are so many more proper, quality ramen restaurants in the area. I wasn't impressed by their offerings, but I was craving some takoyaki so that's what I ordered. I probably won't come here again unless I was desperate for food and all the other places are too crowded.

Takoyaki 10pcs ~$6

Your standard size/flavour of takoyaki. It didn't have the extra condiments such as seaweed flecks or bonito flakes.

Others' Input:

Benkei Ramen Noodle Shop (弁慶ラメン)

2010-06-09T09:14:00.000-07:00

1741 Robson St
Vancouver, BC V6G1C9
Tel: (604) 688-6980
Fax: (604) 681-6633

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I tried this place one month after it opened in January 2008. They got our orders mixed up, the broth was SUPER OILY, and didn't have any taste besides being overly salty. The meats were super fatty and thinly sliced. Gyoza's were laughable. The only thing that was good was the barbeque pork onigiri flavoured with soy sauce. Ever since that experience, I've avoided coming back because it was so horrible .

So now, 2 years later, I've returned to see if its any good... I'll have to say its alright, but I probably won't go back again.. unless other people I'm with want to try it. I find their broth to be a bit on the overly-oily side.

Shio Tonkotsu Ramen ~ $7

This is their more popular flavour, and it tastes quite smooth. On their menu, it says this flavour being good for women's skin because its got a lot of collagen (from the pork bone). The taste of this tonkotsu ramen comes second to the one from Kenzo Ramen.

Shoyu Ramen ~$7

The soup broth was slightly saltier than what I would like it would be. Their Chashu was good! Their bamboo shoot didn't taste as well with the noodles. The green onions tasted good in it.

Others' Input:

Burger Burger

2010-05-30T00:21:00.000-07:00

#4 - 340 Sixth Street

New Westminster, BC V3L 3A8

Tel: (604) 525-4229

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This is a tiny burger shack in this corner block along 6th Street in New West, its just the next block down from the Hon's Wontun House. It's closed on Tuesdays :( It appears to be run by this Korean couple, a guy working the grill, and a woman on the phone at the counter. There's bar seating as well as tables so groups of 4-8 would fit. The place can probably seat about 20 people if the chairs are strategically placed. This place has a really big menu and I want to go back and try their other things. I should have taken a picture of it :( so I will probably revisit this place again when I want a grease fix :D

Combo A: Bacon Cheese Burger with Fries and Pop ~ $5

This is actually a really really good deal, it's one of their specials so if you don't know what to order, just get this one! Who doesn't like bacon cheeseburgers!?!

Bulgogi Burger with Fries ~$4.50

I like the bulgogi patty because it tastes a little bit sweet. Bulgogi is a kinda of Korean style marinated meat, and this tastes yummy as a burger. I like it more than the regular burger patties, that's for sure. The fries were quite good as well, crunchy, crispy, asian cooks sure know their fries.

Others' Input:

Italian Kitchen

2010-05-25T08:41:00.000-07:00

1037 Alberni Street

Vancouver, BC V6E 1A1

Tel: (604) 687-2858‎

Map | Website

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A bustling contemporary Italian restaurant located just a block from Burrard Station has excellent staff and atmosphere. Glasses were always filled, and the hostess offered our group some complimentary bruschetta while we were waiting for a table. This place is packed during dinner times and its highly recommended that you make reservations. The lighting inside was quite dim, so it wasn't easy to take photos of the food.

Bruschetta Sampler $12

chick pea, pesto burrata, tomato basil

This was interesting, to have so many different flavours on the same bread. Personally I liked the tomato basil flavour, but others liked the pesto burrata more. This was pretty yummy, and a very good appetizer to share with others .

Crispy Fried Calamari $11

spicy sicilian tomato sauce

I was not impressed with this, the photo makes the bowl looks smaller than it actually is because the portion size was quite generous. The texture of the squid was quite soft and easy to chew, but the taste was very normal (peppered batter) resembling the deep-fried squid you can order at dimsum. In fact, they tasted so similar that I wouldn't have noticed if they replaced each other, but the price certainly is not the same. The sauce is the only thing that makes them different. (It even looks the same...)

Kobe Meatballs $1 !

We had a coupon that entitled our table to these complimentary kobe meatballs. These were quite tasty, and spicy, but didn't really taste spectacular or anything. The tomato sauce gave it a kick but other than that I did not find these memorable except for their size since each of them were around 2" in diameter.

Hand-Rolled Gnocchi $16

roasted tomato, basil cream

The photo makes the bowl look small when in reality it was quite large. Overall good gnocchi.

Pepperoni Pizza $14

oven dried tomatoes, mozzarella, oregano

This hearty pizza packs a punch in taste. Crust was good and the yellow tomatoes were a nice touch.

Quattro Formaggio "Bianco" Pizza $14

caciocavallo, fontina, asiago, buffalo mozzarella

Yummy yummy yummy! They did not skimp out on the four cheeses as you can see this pizza is loaded! It totally melts in your mouth at each bite and if you like cheese, especially mozzarella, then this pizza is for you! It's just delicious! You must try this!!

Papperdelle Lamb Sausage $16

cabbage, potatoes, peperoncino, olive oil

Pretty good pasta where the lamb doesn't taste too gamey. The potatoes were a surprise since they're not usually found in pasta like this.

Caprese Salad $13

buffalo mozzarella, amorosa tomatoes, basil

I totally did not expect their caprese salad to look like this, with barely any basil. In Italy, all the caprese salads/panini have ample basil with the buffalo mozzarella (bocconcini) in thick circular slices. Here as you can see, the cheese is all mushy and there's barely any greens. With that said, this salad still tasted good but could have been perfect if it had more basil (at the very least have 3 or 4 leaves..) The red and yellow tomatoes were especially yummy, fresh and juicy. The olive oil they used was also exceptionally good too. Overall, I enjoyed eating this but the lack of basil really disappointed me. Otherwise I the taste was good enough to bring me back to my days eating in Italy.

Vanilla Gelato $7

amarena cherries, chocolate biscotti

Doesn't it look pretty? Reasonable portions for delicious gelato! The biscotti was pretty good too.

Tiramisu $7

mascarpone mousse, espresso soaked lady fingers, mocha crème anglaise

Light, fluffy, and soft, this was probably the softest tiramisu I've ever had. The texture is in between that of whipped-cream and mousse. The taste was not too sweet or bitter, making this cake effortless to devour. Yummy yummy!! It's probably one of the best tiramisu I've had in Vancouver.

Others' Input:

Bon Crepe

2010-05-20T13:03:00.000-07:00

1238 - 1240 Robson St (Part of Konbiniya, Downtown)

Vancouver, BC V6E 1C1

Map | Website

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This store specializes in Japanese-style crepes with mochi texture. It used to be located inside Parker Place in Richmond, and then moved to downtown Robson street in recent years. It's probably accessible to a wider variety of customers since moving. There is this nice Japanese man who prepares the crepes everyday since each is made-to-order. They recently started selling soft-serve ice cream at about $2 or something per cone. The ice cream tastes different than say Dairy Queen or McDonald's in that it reminds me of marshmallows.

Banana & Chocolate Crepe $3.77

This is safe bet for a crepe, you can't go wrong with banana and chocolate.

Strawberry Shortcake Crepe ~$4

Very light and yummy. There's an actual cake in there with real fresh strawberries! I like their whipped cream, it doesn't melt as easily. Perfect dessert after a meal :) This flavour is actually only available for a limited time.

Others' Input:

Deli Nippon

2010-05-15T16:33:00.000-07:00

3913 Knight Street

Vancouver, BC V5N 3L8

Tel: (604) 568-6101

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Japanese Healthy Food. All their prices already include tax and they're unfortunately CLOSED ON MONDAYS!! Their location is a bit hidden because it blends in with the rest of the shops on that small block. The food is exceptional from this little deli. Their service is good considering it's only the owner and one more person in the back making all the food. Their tea is very very tasty! I could drink it all day Pricing is great also since you pay only $7-$8 (depending which okonomiyaki you get) for a 10 inch. I definitely recommend this place if you want great unfranchised local Japanese food.

Italian Okonomiyaki $8.50
bacon, cheese, egg, noodles, bonito flakes
This is a good dish to share between 3-4 people. Traditionally, okonomiyaki should be with pork, but this looked more interesting. I mean, how can you not like bacon and cheese?! I thought it would be too rich and crazy but it turned out sooo good! The combination of bacon, cheese and egg is good and made the okonomiyaki smell amazing! like a feast for your nostrils. TRY IT!

Miso Ramen $6

This could very well be the most affordable bowl of ramen in the lower mainland. The miso tastes good and healthy, not covered in oil or overly salty. The texture of the noodles are not al-dente so most people will find it too soft. I personally Iike softer noodles so this fits my preferences. :)

Miso Ramen with Gyoza $7

Their menu has a lot of combinations, this being one of them where you can add gyoza — good ones!

Shoyu Ramen $5.50

Simple and tasty, more on the saltier side but that's usually expected of shoyu (soy sauce) flavour. This time the noodles were a lot firmer too. I really like the pork slices because they were a generous size and had an appropriate amount of fat on them. I like how the seaweed it comes with is separately served (I put it into the bowl for the photo).

Others' Input:

Babylon Cafe

2010-05-11T22:20:00.000-07:00

716 Robson Street

Vancouver, BC V6Z1A1

Tel: (604) 677-3522

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This takeout place is so small that only the first 4 people in the lineup fit inside, and this place ALWAYS has a lineup. The most popular location is the one on Robson/Granville corner facing Sears and Futureshop/Winners. The food quality is quite consistent and shawarmas are pretty easy to eat while walking on the street. When I have a shawarma craving, I always come here!

Chicken Shawarma ~$5

I always get this flavour because it smells the best. I usually don't get it with any hot sauce but I've been told that its quite good spicy. The chicken is really tasty with 'the works' but after eating it I usually feel a little heavy... :( But you must try this!!

Others' Input:

Uncle Fatih's Pizza

2010-05-09T23:19:00.000-07:00

1685 E. Broadway

Vancouver, BC V5N1V9

Tel: (604) 707-0744

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This place is right beside the Broadway skytrain station and is always rolling out fresh pizza because of their continuous stream of customers. The people who work there and the people who eat there are pretty chill. Quality of their pizza is very consistent. Individual slices are $1.60/ea. Good value combo: 2 slices and pop add up to $4

Pesto Spinach and Cheese Pizza

You have the option of drizzling some ranch sauce which adds to the flavour. I like the pizzas for their thin crust and taste. Yummy! Every time I come here I have the pesto.

Others' Input:

Brioche: Urban Baking & Catering

2010-05-05T18:42:00.000-07:00

401 West Cordova Street (Gastown)
Vancouver, BC V6B1E5
Tel: (604) 682-4037
Fax: (604) 682-4036

Map | Website

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They've got a variety of items on their menu but so far I've only tried their toasted panini which are around $7 each. This is a great place to go for lunch but it does get quite packed because of its location. Unfortunately it closes around 8pm since it's not really not restaurant but I frequently see people come get take-out orders.

Tuna & Capers Panino

I love this sandwich! Its my ultimate comfort food when I'm craving tuna. Toasted crunchy thick bread, creamy lemony tuna...mmmMM I'll never forget the first time and all the subsequent times I have eaten this savory panino.

Prosciutto, Tomato, Bocconcini Panino
Very hearty! I like how the prosciutto isn't overly salty. The bocconcini really makes this taste good, it really hits the spot.

Vegetable Rigatoni ~$13

Fresh ingredients really make this pasta yummy. The asparagus, tomato, zucchini, spinach, mushroom were light and tasted refreshingly sweet. There was barely any oil residue left in the sauce making this pasta very delectable. You have to try this!!

Salsicca Pasta ~$13
Super tasty and I think its my favourite pasta from Brioche. Personally its too big for me to finish in one sitting, but I can keep eating it as long as the plate isn't empty yet. The tomato-based sauce is refreshing with meat bits mixed in.

Iced Cappuccino ~$4

This tall glass is very refreshing on a hot day. It has a good coffee flavour with real chocolate stirred in. The whipped cream on top is a yummy bonus!

Others' Input:

Kintaro Ramen 金太郎ラーメン

2010-04-06T23:57:00.000-07:00

788 Denman Street
Vancouver, BC V6G 2L5
Tel: (604) 682-7568

Map | Website

This place has a lot of hype, I haven't jumped on the band wagon. If you haven't heard of this ramen place, then you need to make some Asian friends (j/k). But seriously, this place is by far the most popular and longest-running ramen place, with many frequent loyal customers. When you order you can choose the tonkotsu (pork bone) soup base to be light, medium, heavy. You can also choose the meat to be lean medium, fat. or I find the broth to be too oily even when I order light broth and lean meat. The lean meat doesn't tend to taste very good :( but medium is quite tasty. But on the plus side the broth is very flavourful and you can really taste the tonkotsu. There's always a lineup outside except on Mondays when its closed.

Miso Ramen ~ $7

Light soup with fatty pork = yummy! I always like corn in my ramen since I'm not a fan of the bamboo shoots. This was really tasty!

Cheese Ramen $8

Yummy and rich in flavour, this ramen is only available in light soup. This is a specialty ramen only available at Kintaro. Look at all that cheese!

Others' input:

Lim Kee Restaurant 廉記牛肉粉

2010-03-20T22:39:00.000-07:00

6943 Victoria Drive

Vancouver, BC V5P 3Y7

Tel: (604) 321-8006

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This tiny local restaurant is run by friendly Chinese people so their menu has a Chinese flair to it. The restaurant is long and narrow with booth seating as well as large circular tables. Their kitchen is pretty fast and they seem to have a stream of loyal local customers.

Vietnamese Sub ~$3.50

This was surprisingly big and surprisingly good! It came toasted and warm, fresh from the kitchen. I really like the cilantro in this sandwich, it really compliments the pickled veggies.

Curry Brisket with Rice ~$6

This was alright, nothing special. It came with a ridiculous amount of rice. Very generous portions!

Pho Beef Noodle ~$6

Tastes like your average pho.

Others' Input:

Chicco Coffee & Dessert Bar

2010-02-28T13:26:00.000-08:00

1504 Robson St (Downtown)

Tel: (604) 633-1286

Map | Website

I like the atmosphere and decor, feels very quaint and homey. All their desserts are around $4 to $7. They also have gelato, coffee, and cake. The cups they use to put the desserts in are handmade and it appears you can buy them here too. I order the Cream Anmitsu the most often. You can get stamp card in which they'll give you stamp every time you order drinks.

Service: Interior Atmosphere: Pricing:

Black Sesame Anmitsu ~ $5

Black Sesame Ice Cream w/ Red Bean Paste Anmitsu

Very yummy! The waffle piece at the top is a nice touch. Black Sesame ice cream is not very common so its nice that they've got it here :) I like the combination of the grass jelly, anmitsu (not very sweet themselves) with the red bean, and ice cream.

Cream Anmitsu ~$6

Delicious mix of sweet flavours make this a yummy treat. The red bean paste with vanilla and green tea ice cream combined with a blob of anmitsu (white mochi) is simply irresistible! There's shortcake at the bottom layer and it adds a whole new dimension to this dessert.

Green Tea Parfait ~$6

This is quite similar to the Cream Anmitsu except for its addition of green tea mousse cake on the top. Yum yum yum!!

Others' Input:

Flying Beaver Bar & Grill

2010-02-01T09:51:00.000-08:00

4760 Inglis Drive (near the airport)
Richmond, BC V7B1W4
Tel: (604) 273-0278
Map | Website

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There's cheap wings night on Wednesdays at this bar that's located next to helicopter landing by the Richmond airport. There are a lot of windows facing the west so you get a good view of the surrounding flat airport/fields. Ambience is good but it gets quite busy the later it is in the day since it's a bar after all. You'd probably get a good view of the sunset there :)

Calamari ~$8

Chicken wing flavours:

Salt & Pepper

Simple but good. This wasn't covered in sauce so the wings were quite crispy and crunchy still. I

Spicy Thai

Quite flavourful and not really spicy. It's a good variation to complement the Salt & Pepper wings.

Honey Garlic

I didn't end up liking this one that much although I chose this flavour. It didn't have enough taste (garlic or salt) in it and it was very difficult to hold because the sauce made it super slippery.

Others' Input:

The Cellar Jazz Club

2010-01-27T19:59:00.000-08:00

3611 W. Broadway (Kitsilano)

Vancouver, BC V6R 2B8
(604) 738-1959
Website | Map

A small underground club that brings international jazz talent to the people of Vancouver. The door charge for tickets (added to the bill) is $10 per person with an additional minimum charge of $10 for food/drink. The stage inside takes up a whole wall of the place and small tables surround it. It's a very cozy atmosphere! There's a assortment of things on the menu all priced between $7 to $25 for appetizers, entrées, and desserts. We also tried the Yam Frite (fries), which were $11 I think, they tasted weird by themselves, but surprisingly good when dipped into its sauce (mixture of tzatziki sauce with some dill) inside a cucumber yum! Prepare to enjoy some great jazz music and food!

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Chocolate Mousse Cake $11

This is a bit too big for one person to finish but its taste is not over powering. The mousse part is very light, and goes well with the chocolate cake, pomegranate seeds and sauce. Definitely one of the better tasting western cakes I've had because I usually find them too sweet or too rich.

Others' Input:

Sushi World / Pink Swirl

2010-01-27T15:03:00.000-08:00

4540 No. 3 Rd (same mall with the Hon's)
Richmond, BC V6X4E4
Tel: (604) 303-7735

Map

Sushi World recently moved and joined with the Pink Swirl store (for awhile they were offering combination offers between the 2 restaurants but now they are one). The owner is this Asian guy who's super nice and talkative and remembers most customers. He's a reasonable guy so if you have any special requests or questions about the rolls or what not, he'll let you know. Other rolls I've had here besides the ones pictured that I would recommend are the Canucks Roll(has smoked salmon), Empire Roll (has unagi), and the Salmon Rose (salmon sashimi together with some chopped scallop).

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Tokyo Combo ~$7.50 - 8

Combos are usually more affordable with more variety. Their original spicy sauce drizzled on top costs like $0.25 or something to add but it brings a new dimension to the roll.

Tokyo Roll $4.95

This is one of the more interesting and original rolls that can be ordered here. Instead of rice and seaweed, the artificial crab and salmon sashimi is wrapped in a thin layer of crepe. I always order this whenever I eat at Sushi World!

Negitoro $2.95

This was alright, the taste of the negitoro is definitely not the best I've had. The seaweed was not crispy enough and the green onions were too big.

Fresh Strawberry Slush +$2.50

You can add a fresh slush to your meal by adding $2.50. This was a very good strawberry slush, you can really taste the fruit in this. Very yummy and refreshing!!

Others' Input:

Sushi World

Pink Swirl

The Boss Bakery/Restaurant 大班

2010-01-24T18:50:00.000-08:00

4800 Kingsway, #238 (inside Metropolis Metrotown by Zellers)
Burnaby, BC V5H4J2
Tel: (604) 438-2677
Map

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This is one of the cleaner Hong Kong style cafés you will find, and one of the only HK cafés in Burnaby. They're located inside Metropolis at Metrotown and renovated last year. The place looks a lot better now and seats more people, but all the prices of their food have gone up. Now its quite expensive and not worth the visit and I'll probably not go back since the food quality stayed about the same. Their service is pretty good though, they keep your cups filled at all times.

Mushroom and shrimp eggs in panfried e-fu noodles ~$9

This was ordered from their regular menu and is a standard sized dish. Too big to finish in one sitting so I packed this home afterwards.

Pork Sandwich with fries

Your standard sandwich and the fries were pretty crispy and crunchy.

Baked Pork Chop on Rice

This was ordered from the combos mini-meal menu and came with a drink (HK style milk tea).

Others' Input:

Bon's Off Broadway

2010-01-10T14:18:00.000-08:00

2451 Nanaimo St.
Vancouver, BC V5N5E5
Tel: (604) 253-7242

Map

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This place is a couple blocks from Broadway skytrain station and super packed during lunch time. The staff there's very friendly and service speed is average, not too bad considering how packed it is during peak hours. It's been around for 13 years, started/owned by Bon Wong.

Breakfast Special $2.95

Greasy but good! Choice of White/Brown/Rye 2 toasts, 2 bacon/sausages, 2 eggs, and panfried fries. The portions are quite big too, I can barely finish it.

Cheeseburger $3.95

French fries were crispy and crunchy! Burger has real cheese and is very very meaty. It all tastes very satisfying. (Sorry about the bad photo. I had to use my cellphone camera because I forgot my regular one)

Pancakes (2 high) $2.95
Fluffy pancakes comparable to IHOP :) its not as fragrant but still good.

Others' Input:

Mr. Ho's Wonton House

2009-12-13T01:36:00.000-08:00

6731 Kingsway
Burnaby, BC V5E1E4
Tel: (604) 540-6746

Map | Website

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This place has received a lot of awards for best chinese food in Burnaby and I don't know why. The food is definitely not the best of the best. The employees here are very friendly to non-Chinese customers, so their clientele consists mostly of non-Asian patrons. I suppose that's the reason they got first place since only non-Asian people would vote in the Burnaby Now Newspaper restaurant poll. This place is very average and your typical standard Chinese restaurant.

Beef Brisket & Wonton Noodle in Soup

These were good wontons, but I still think Hon's is better. They were a little small, and some of the insides came out of a couple of them. The brisket was just the right tenderness and not too fatty (and there were a lot!).

Chicken Congee

The congee wasn't the best I've had and it wasn't super flavourful. It was just good.

Others' Input:

Milestones Bar & Grill

2009-12-12T23:31:00.000-08:00

1145 Robson St (Downtown)

Vancouver, BC

(604) 682-4477

Map | Website

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We were here with a large party (30 people) so we had to all order from the group menu which was $25.99/per person including: Appetizer, Salad, Entrée, Coffee/Tea. The appetizer I tried was the deep fried prawns with sweet-chili sauce, it was very mediocre and I did not like it much. The Caesar Salad I got had too much garlic and it was quite spicy . The following were some of the entrées:

Certified Angus Beef Top Sirloin

I've gotta say that this was a pretty bland steak. The sauces/gravies that accompanied the dish were all very pungent and after trying multiple combinations of them, I just gave up and ate the flavourless steak. Mashed potatoes have always been a favourite of mine, and these were very good. However, after just having a roasted garlic caesar salad, the garlic in the potatoes seemed overpowering. I would probably have enjoyed them more had I not ate the salad just prior to this.

Grilled Sweet Soy Salmon

Tastes good. There was too much sauce so some of the white rice got drenched. I would have preferred the salmon to be slightly less firm (cooked).

Butternut Squash Ravioli

Others' Input:

IKI Japanese Restaurant

2009-12-12T17:39:00.000-08:00

2756 W Broadway (Kitslano)
Vancouver, BC V6K 2G4
Tel: (604) 731-4771

Map | Website

The offer the option of having brown rice in their maki (sushi rolls) instead of white for the health-conscious-kitslano eaters. Atmosphere is comfortable, quiet, a bit on the dim side lighting-wise. I would probably come back here again and try their other speciality rolls and order the Iki Roll again! ^__^ YUM!

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Iki Roll $8

Salmon, avacado, cucumber wrapped with seared tuna.

LOVED IT! :) DELICIOUS! A must-try if you like tuna tataki.

Other rolls ordered were quite mediocre.. :/

Crispy Dungeness Crab Roll $5.50

Dungeness crab, cucumber, avacado rolled in tempura crisp

TOO BLAND :( tasted a lot better when I dipped them in the Fire Tower's sauce

9th Avenue Roll $8

Crab, scallop & mayo, cucumber. Topped with Salmon & Tobiko.

Not very memorable..? It was okay.

Negitoro Roll $3

The seaweed at the time was a bit soggy instead of crispy :/

Fire Tower $5?

Deep fried yam drizzled in this orangy tangy/sweet sauce

Yummy, really oily of course but the sauce is good, very tasty!

Star Roll $4

Salmon and tuna sashimi with avocado arranged in a star shape.

Yummy! This reminds me of a small house roll.

Philly Roll $4?

Cream cheese, cucumber topped with smoked salmon.

Good. Its your standard Philly Roll.

Amaebi & Toro Sushi $5

I like eating prawn heads, these deep-fried ones smelled really good too.

Others' Input:

East is East (Chai)

2009-12-07T16:17:00.000-08:00

4413 Main St
Vancouver, BC V5V 3R2
Tel: (604) 879-2020

Map | Website

The interior setting of this restaurant is very warm and cozy. The tables and seating run all along the wall of this long narrow restaurant. Super laid-back atmosphere inside and feels like you're in another world. The car traffic and busy street life feels very far away. On Friday nights you can experience some live music and performances!

Salmon w/ Rice Roti, Lentil Soup, Garden Salad

The lentil soup was very tasty and probably one of the better ones I've tried. The roti was also quite delicious. I found the salmon to be quite flavourful and complemented the taste of the rice very nicely. All of the flavours seem to have seeped to bottom of the wrap, because my last bite was the best bite!!

Chicken w/ Rice Roti, Lentil Soup, Garden Salad

Yummy yummy! The chicken has light masala sauce and was very delicious. This meal feels very healthy overall and its organic!

Others' Input:

Kenzo Japanese Noodle House

2009-12-06T00:29:00.000-08:00

126907 Kingsway
Burnaby, BC V5E 1P8
Tel: (604) 522-9969

Map

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This place offers Korean food as well as Japanese ramen and serve Korean tea. I believe the chef had studied in Japan before opening this noodle house. The noodles themselves are a perfect consistency — very tasty and not too soft or hard, perfect every time! I've never tried their Korean food yet so I can't comment on that, but their ramen is good. Their Tonkotsu ramen is better than anything and anywhere else, easily the best in Burnaby. They also have a widest selection of spicy ramen I've ever seen. The environment is quiet and very cozy so its a good place to sit and talk after a good bowl of ramen. Its closed on Mondays!

Tonkotsu (Don ko chi) Ramen $7.95

Best tonkotsu ramen ever! (Tonkotsu is pork bone soup base) Everyone must try this and once you try it you'll be a believer. The soup base is EXTREMELY GOOD! I really like the grilled pork and the massive amounts of green onion. THIS RAMEN IS MAGNIFICENT!!!

Sho-yu Ramen $6.95

This was an alright ramen. It tasted like how it's supposed to. Noodles and broth were quite tasty, pork wasn't too fatty and the egg was a good addition. BUT GO HAVE THE TONKOTSU RAMEN (pictured above).

Chicken Fried Rice

Sapporo Miso Ramen $8.95

King of Ramen $10

This is a massive bowl with like everything in it.

Others' Input:

Simply Delicious

2009-12-01T16:16:00.000-08:00

4316 Main St (between 27th & 28th Ave)
Vancouver, BC V5V 3P9
Tel: (604) 875-9866

Map

The restaurant is located upstairs situated between Honolulu Cafe and Voltage Land. This place is a hit or miss. The prices are quite low and they have A LOT of variety on their menu. The cheese gyoza are really good! Prices after tax will come to rounded whole numbers so you don't have to scramble for the right change. Food quality is generally good although it can be quite questionable on occasion. Portion sizes are on the smaller end of the spectrum.

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Small Combo with teriyaki chicken and deep gyoza

Chicken Udon Noodle in Soup

Others' Input:

Society Restaurant & Lounge

2009-11-29T21:31:00.000-08:00

1257 Hamilton St (Yaletown)
Vancouver, BC V6B 6K3
Tel: 604-629-8800

Map | Website

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This is the newest addition to Glowbal's collection of restaurants. It's been hyped up so much. I was actually really excited to go, but left feeling high and dry. Glowbal's other restaurants: Coast, Trattoria, Afterglow and even Sanafir are much better than Society. The contrasting interior of the restaurant borders on overkill (reminiscent of Austin Powers mixed with Elle Woods).

Forno Meatloaf Balls - bacon, robust tomato sauce $7

These were fairly good. A nice sized, reasonably priced appetizer. The bacon wasn't especially noticeable, and the sauce was pretty unremarkable. Glowbal Afterglow also has something really similar. I wish they'd mix up their menus more.

Meatloaf - bacon, wild mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes $15

After having had the meatloaf ball appetizer, this meatloaf entree was pretty "meh". It certainly didn't look appetizing, and it tasted EXACTLY the same as the meatballs, just in a different sauce. I suppose if I hadn't already had the meatloaf ball appetizer, that these would be fairly "okay". The oil was once again a negative factor in terms of appearance. The sour cream mashed potatoes were interesting... in the sense that I can't decide whether I like them or not. ple.

Hawaiian - grilled pineapple, smoked ham, speck $14

The toppings for this pizza were pretty good, ham was a bit on the salty side though. Texture was a bit flakier than normal. It was quite a generous portion compared to the other entrees. The irregular shape gave it a bit of an eccentric but "home-made" presence, but then I compared the one we got to the one featured on the video on their website, and it looks like it wasn't actually supposed to look that way.

Baked Truffle Mac and Cheese - winter truffles, parmesan gratin $14

This was sooo tiny! probably only slightly bigger than a regular sized creme brulee! It definitely pales in comparison with the truffle mac and cheese that we had in Seattle for happy hour in terms of size. It was pretty meh.

BBQ Beef Ribs - tomato cucumber salad $18

Sorry this is a bit of a blurry picture. These beef ribs were okay. They were hard to share since the bones were huge and impossible to pass around by fork and knife. They kept falling onto the table. There was very little meat on the bone, and they look quite similar to the ribs at Uncle Willy's.

White Spot

2009-11-26T20:00:00.000-08:00

5550 Kingsway (Metrotown)

Burnaby, BC V5H 2G2

Tel: (604) 434-6668

Map | Website

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White Spot is a very nice place to eat, the restaurant is very large and the staff seem like nice people. The interior gives you a cozy at-home kind of feeling, and it is suitable for those who like casual (burgers, and pub-like) food or fancier. So onto the food.

Sweet Potato Fries

Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, these cajun seasoned sweet potato fries really hit the spot. With spicy chipotle mayo dip, it lives up to the name of being Sweet Potato Fries =P What more can we ask for.

The Spot's Calamari

Lots of squid in every bite, the batter might be more deep-fried than other ones, but it tastes fantastic nonetheless.

Chipotle Chicken Quesadilla

Exactly what it is~ Great choice for Chipotle lovers!

It really should come with guacamole =P

Hot Chargrilled Chicken Caesar salad

Their Ceasar dressing has a unique taste. It doesn't leave you feeling bloated, also the chargrilled chicken goes quite well with the salad. Pretty good choice for the health-conscious, sans the garlic bread.

Mini Apple Cinnamon Crumble

Delicious! Just what you'd expect an apple crumble dessert to taste like. Caramel drizzled on top of vanilla icecream with crunchy crumble and baked apples.

Others' input:

La Rocca Ristorante Italiano

2009-11-21T17:31:00.000-08:00

1565 Commercial
Vancouver, BC V5L 3Y1
Tel: (604) 253-1818
Map | Website

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Decent italian place I guess. Each pasta is $12-15. The taste isn't that great but its not bad either. Complimentary foccacia bread and mixed olive oil with vinegar was quite good.

Bruschetta

Very yummy! I wouldn't mind eating this one again!

Antipasto Misto

The standard: it was okay. The dark things (pickled little whole onions) were interesting. Glad to see that there were sizable pieces of bocconcini on the tomatoes (unlike La Notte).

Linguine alle Vongole

This was bland :( It tasted bit better after some pepper but the white wine sauce didn't taste like anything overall. On the up side, there were 10 clams on here!

Penne Pesto Pollo

This was quite tasty, although not the strongest pesto sauce I've had. The pesto seemed to have been diluted with parmesan cheese, so it was a little on the salty side. There was also a fairly good portion of chicken, which was nice.

Spaghetti Carbonara

This one could use more meat in it I think... Others noted how extraordinarily creamy this one was.

Linguine Frutti di Mare

This as a little bit of everything in terms of seafood, and by that I mean 2 or 3 of each.

Tiramisu

It's one of the better desserts I've had but I think the tiramisu at Anton's was better.

Others' Input:

Sushi Garden

2009-11-19T23:46:00.000-08:00

4635 Kingsway (across from Metrotown)
Burnaby, BC V5H 2B3
Tel: (604) 436-0104

Map

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Good portions! Fresh sashimi! This place is always packed and with lineups at the door – probably because its the only one of its kind that's within a 15 minute driving radius of Metrotown area. This place is very similar to Sushi Town in North Burnaby but closer to home. I would try not to come during peak hours because its just too bus and too crowded. The service we got was quite good (we were there at Thursday night at 7:30 with no unreasonable waiting). We had also ordered the Negitoro Roll ($2.75) and Bill's Roll ($3.95 Yam & Smoked Salmon) which were both quite good.

Chopped Scallop Roll $3.75

Alaska Roll $3.95

The chopped scallop roll was okay, didn't taste spectacular or anything. I'm not a huge fan of scallop rolls in general though. I really liked the Alaska roll primarily because of the sauce that's on it which tastes strongly of sesame (like the sauce on green salad). There's also a strong green onion taste which makes it very tasty! I would definitely order this one again! :) Addictive!

Tuna & Salmon Sashimi $7.95

Fresh and juicy! I like these portions and the price is decent. No complaints here whatsoever. (It was also the first dish to arrive, within minutes of ordering)

Deluxe Assorted Sashimi

Standard stuff, no complaints here. Everything was fresh.

Green Salad with Sesame

Delicious and crunchy!

part of Party Tray A

Our server was awesome and let us substitute some of the standard rolls in the party tray with specific ones we wanted from the sushi menu so we could eat exactly what we wanted.

Others' Input:

Dutch Wooden Shoe Cafe

2009-11-17T22:28:00.000-08:00

3292 Cambie Street
Vancouver, BC V5Z 2W4
Tel: (604) 874-0922

Map

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The service was quick and the restaurant was quiet. It's a good place to sit and have early morning conversations. There are photos of regular customers with their pannekoeks posted all over the walls. There is a large wooden shoe with two creepy heads in it hanging above the cash register. They played a variety of music (including Star Wars music) but it was quiet enough that it didn't interfere with our dining experience. After eating, I found that the portions in relation to the prices were a little small. We ordered the half-size pannekoeks (1/2 the full price, plus $1) and were still hungry afterwards.

Boeren (Farmer's) Pannekoek

Yummy. I really like the Hollandaise sauce. It compliments the other flavours really well, and the spek is quite tasty.

John Dys' Favourite

The gouda cheese, mushrooms, and onions are good together. It could use more meat in it. This tasted better with some Hollandaise sauce mixed in (but it doesn't come with it).

Others' Input:

Sunflower Cafe 向日葵

2009-11-16T12:42:00.000-08:00

7569C Royal Oak Ave (Burnaby South)
Burnaby, BC V5J
Map

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Good atmosphere in this small family run restaurant. They recently extended their business hours so they're open until 12am now! The bubble tea here is quite good. My personal favourite is the Mango Milk Tea, which I could easily say is the best in the lower mainland. First off, its not sour! Their other flavours taste standard and good, no let-downs here at $3.50.

Kimchi Fried Rice ~$6.50

The rice was a bit too hard and the spicyness was just enough. If the rice was bit softer then it would rival that of GUU.

Crispy Chicken with Noodle in Soup $6.50

I really like the crispy chicken here. Its got the right amount of meat, pepper, and fried batter, it never lets me down. (Better than Bubble World by far!) This dish is my go-to order because it's always yummy.

Seafood Vermicelli in Sand Pot ~$6.95

The vermicelli is yummy! It has a good assortment of seafood: mussel, shrimp, squid, naruto (fish cake); and also some pork.

Beef With Rice

Kimchi Pan Fried Noodles

Crispy Peppery Chicken with Rice $6.50

Chicken Fried Rice

Others' Input:

Legends Pub & Restaurant

2009-11-11T21:00:00.000-08:00

6511 Buswell St.

Richmond, BC

V6Y 3B5

Tel: (604) 276-2343

Map | Website

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This is your typical pub, dark, noisy, and filled with people. But they do have a good point, their wings are only $5/lb on Wednesday! That's the only reason I come here.

Wings- Honey Mustard - 1lb - $5

If you like honey mustard, you would love these wings. Sweet and savoury. The wings are fried a bit before baking with the sauce, sometimes the wings may have too much or too little sauce on it.

Wings - Honey Garlic - 1b - $5

This is a less sweet alternative to Honey Mustard. I like the flavour for these wings because it's sweet as well as garlic-y!

Others' input:

Tokyo Joe

2009-11-09T15:42:00.000-08:00

8211 Ackroyd Rd (Richport - north of Richmond Center)
Richmond, BC V6X

Map

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Friendly service! The style of food is similar to that of Sushi Town and Sushi Garden with Korean chefs as well. But Tokyo Joe is more of a self-serve kind of place (like Sushi House) but they have complimentary green tea as well as miso soup (with tofu and green onions!). The food is very fresh and made to order with good portions. I would come back here to try their other items in the future.

Bull Roll $5.95

This is beef teriyaki and prawn tempura drizzled with teriyaki sauce. The size of this roll is similar to that of House rolls. It was a new addition to their menu so I thought I would try it out. The beef teriyaki really takes over the taste for the whole roll though.

Salmon & Avacado Roll $?

Crazy Roll $5.59

Yummy overall. The crazy roll has spicy tuna in it and the orange sauce drizzled on top is a bit spicy as well. I like it!

Others' Input:

Pho Tam 歡心 Vietnamese Restaurant

2009-11-05T16:58:00.000-08:00

10302 135 Street #10 (At Surrey Central Skytrain)
Surrey, BC V3T 4Y8
Tel: (604) 589-4223

Map | Website

EASILY THE BEST PHO IN ALL OF GREATER VANCOUVER!!! I've tried many Pho places around Burnaby and Vancouver and none of them are as good as this place. They're always packed throughout the day but close at 9:30pm unfortunately. $6.50 medium bowl, $7.00 large bowl, $8.50 large + spring roll, $9.25 large + salad roll.

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#5. Medium rare beef slices with beef brisket $6.50

Yummy! The soup from this pho restaurant is always very tasty! The meat is decent and this place always hits the spot for my cravings.

#27 Pork patty and spring rolls in vermicelli ~ $7

A very big bowl of food!. There's a lot of stuff in it, all fresh and good. The various tastes go well together. The spring rolls are a bit chewy.

Others' Input:

WINGS Pub & Grill

2009-11-04T21:30:00.000-08:00

6879 Kingsway

Burnaby, BC V5E 1E4

Tel: (604) 525-7414

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It may look like your typical pub on the outside, but the food here is substantially better quality than your average pub. I am a big fan of eating wings and yam fries while enjoying a cold glass of beer. And this place nails all three of those things really well. Just on tap, they have a wide variety of beers available; so many that I wonder how the waitress was able to remember them all. They also have a variety of yummy cocktails, check out their website for a comprehensive list of them all~ So let's take a look at their food.

Yam Fries $6.49

A new item on their menu and it is definitely good. The yam fries were so delectable that I was so tempted to order another plate of them. The fries are very light and crispy on the outside, soft and sweet on the inside. The chipotle mayo dip that accompanies the fries complements it very well. The dip had just enough spice and mayo flavour. This is a MUST-HAVE for yam fries lovers!

Wings - 3 lb. for $22.09

From left to right: Sweet Thai, Heavenly Honey Garlic, Sicilian Butter

These wings are very savoury and the distinctive flavours dance around your tongue for each bite that you take. They were so good that I ate the entire wing, cartilage and all, well except for the bones, obviously.Sweet Thai is slightly spicy and is complemented with a bit of sweetness. You can keep eating it and not be overwhelmed by the spice because only a little bit of spice will linger in your mouth.Heavenly Honey Garlic is just that.....heavenly, honey, and garlic!Sicilian Butter is a not as strong in flavour as the other wings, it's main taste comes from the garlic butter they used to make it, but it tastes great with the Ranch dip that came with it.

Wings - Tora, tora, tora Tokyo - 1 lb. for $7.69

This is their Teriyaki flavour wings. It has a refreshingly sweet taste that'll wake up your taste buds. The wings are lightly fried so they absorb the great taste of Teriyaki and it softens up the crispy skin of the wings.

Mini Burgers $8.79

A new item on their menu. These cute little burgers are great for sharing, one of the best points about them is their soft, lightly toasted burger bun and it has pickles! These burgers are easy to eat and don't leave you feeling bloated. The burger features a unique Yukon Jack sauce that you'll definitely take notice and like.

Wings: Texas Dry Rub, Salt & Pepper

Yummy in my tummy. I didn't use the dip though, I liked the chicken wings as is.

Shrimp Alfredo

This is was the weirdest tasting pasta ever. The shrimp was good though, alfredo sauce not so much.

Garden Salad Sandwich

This was just okay.

Others' Input:

Han Ju Tofu Hot Pot 韓州豆腐火鍋

2009-10-28T11:56:00.000-07:00

4500 Kingsway #1218 (Crystal Mall)
Burnaby, BC V5H 2A9
Tel: (604) 434-8098

Map

The taste of food here makes people keep coming back. This place has Taiwanese style Korean food, well more specifically 'tofu hot pot' because their menu only consists of those things. Although you can also order some bubble tea here but I wouldn't expect too much. Its more of a lunch place since at night they close fairly early (@ 9pm). There are ALWAYS lineups outside and inside. Because its always packed, you might be put at a table that's right beside another set of customers and it might be socially awkward for people who aren't used to that (sitting at the same table as other customers is common in small restaurants in Asia). Like most Asian places, this place is cash-only.

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Korean BBQ on Rice $6.90

Tasty! The meat was sweet and went well with the rice, vegetables and egg. Didn't like the tofu that much, but it tasted better mixed in with the rice. The soup was too salty :( This dish is a favourite among many and also for those who don't eat soupy noodles.

Seafood Tofu Hot Pot $5.90

Tasty broth and I really like the vermicelli and tofu. This place has the best tofu hotpot in Burnaby! (Better-tasting than Sasaya's on Royal Oak). This time they did not give me mussels that had a shell on them or even one that's decent-sized. Next time I go there though I will still order this!

Others' Input:

Oysi Oysi Japanese & Chinese Restaurant

2009-10-13T00:46:00.000-07:00

1136 Alberni St. (Downtown)

Vancouver, BC V6E 1A5

Tel: (604) 682 - 0011

Map | Website

I found that the food here was surprisingly good. I'm usually skeptical of these 'typical Japanese food' types of places (ie. Daimasu, Fish On Rice, Richmond/Kingsway Sushi). Oysi Oysi took me by surprise! I really like the traditional decor and general atmosphere. Even though its located in downtown, the food isn't priced ridiculously expensive. The taste and quality of food is definitely a lot better than most of those other "Japanese" restaurants although I wouldn't group it with places like Guu. I want to come back to try the other things on their menu! I've gone there twice now, once for dinner, once for lunch.

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Sashimi Salad $11

3 of each salmon, tuna, prawn...

Very yummy! I would get this again so other people could try it, even though I don't order 'salad' usually...

Tuna Tataki ~$8

I would get this again ^_^ so tasty! the tuna pieces were the right size for me. And I really love the liberal amounts of green onion on top!

House Roll ~$7

No artificial crab here.

I would also order this again, its really unexpectedly tasty.

Lunch Combo $7.25

Miso, rice, 5 sashimi, chicken teriyaki, 2 prawn tempura, some veg. tempura.

Prawn tempura was really good! Chicken teriyaki was crispy and perfectly cooked. The sashimi was like an added bonus. For this price especially, this combo is REALLY GOOD!

Lunch Combo $7.50

Tonkatsu ramen with cha siu and egg & gyoza

This didn't taste as good as the other things :( the soup base was mediocre (doesn't stand up to the nearby ramen shops, cha siu (pork) was REALLY tasty though! :) The noodles themselves are white and straight, they remind of Chinese ramen noodles more than Japanese ramen. Gyoza's were good though. I wouldn't order this again..

Others' input:

Anton's Pasta Bar

2009-09-21T20:55:00.000-07:00

4260 E. Hastings St (North Burnaby)

Burnaby, BC V5K 1A1

Tel: (604) 299-6636

Map | Website

It wasn't my first time here but I hadn't eaten here in over a year so I thought I might revisit it. This place is known for the massive lineups and massive portions of food. The service was just okay. Going after 8:00 pm can get you a seat without much waiting. I'll probably come back to try a different dish, I remembered the red-sauced pastas tasted better...

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Fettucine Alfredo $ 14.95

A cream parmesan cheese sauce with capicollo ham

This had too much black pepper, the capicollo ham was a nice touch. It seemed like a blend between the traditional Fettucine Alfredo and Carbonara.

Linguine alla Vongole $14.95

Clams in a clear white wine sauce

It had way too much black pepper in it :( and it did not have enough clams. I won't order this one again :(

Tiramisu $5?

Mild coffee-tasting, light, spongey cake. One of the better ones I've had in a restaurant in Vancouver.

Other's Input:

Kim Ga Nae Korean BBQ

2009-09-20T20:38:00.000-07:00

4260 No. 3 Rd #180 (Near Aberdeen)
Richmond, BC V6X2C2
Tel: (604) 273-4747

Map | Website

Other things worth mentioning are the pork neck and chicken. You can also order squid, onions, carrots, mushrooms to bbq with your meat.

The appetizers and side orders included that are worth eating would be the Jap Chae, Seafood Pancake, and the Tofu Egg Soup! (I'm not a fan of Kimchi or Bimbimbap so I have don't have any comment about those) The price for lunch is super worth it, the dinner price is okay, I think it was like $21.

I'll definitely come back! This is one of the best Korean BBQ All You Can Eat places I've had.

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All You Can Eat Korean BBQ $12.95 lunch

Delicious BBQ Short Ribs!!!

These babies are the only thing you need to order in terms of meat, they're SO GOOD!

Others' Input:

Phnom Penh 金邊小館

2009-09-19T19:20:00.000-07:00

244 E. Georgia St. (Chinatown)

Vancouver, BC V6A 1Z7

Tel: (604) 682 - 5777

Map | Website

This place is super famous and won a lot of awards (that you can see near the entrance) - none for good customer service. This is definitely one of those places that only have good food and nothing else... Its super busy and crowded usually. I've tried their normal pho noodles and they're alright. Make a reservation if you're coming with a party of 5 or more.

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Phnom Penh Deep Fried Chicken Wings $7.95 / $12.50

Very delicious! Salty, sweet, sour, spicy. They're very famous for this particular dish!

Phnom Penh Curry Chicken Hot Pot $13.50

Tasty, goes best with rice. Chicken meat is particularly yummy! Last time I had it, it was a bit on the watery side.

Marinated Butter Beef $12.85

YOU MUST TRY THIS!

I think this is my favourite thing here, its like a beef carpaccio. Don't let the red scare you!

Phnom Penh Two Kinds of Noodle (No Broth) $7.25

(Cambodian style)

This was just meh :\ its got egg noodle and rice noodle in it.

Trieu Chau Fried Oyster Cake $14.50

Very chewy and big. I think I've had better ones though elsewhere for less $$.

Deep Fried Spring Rolls

These were okay, like every other place.

Others' Input:

The Secret Garden Tea Co.

2009-09-19T01:58:00.000-07:00

5559 W. Boulevard,

Vancouver, BC V6M 3W6

Tel: (604) 261-3070

Map | Website

This place is very quaint and cozy. Everyone's seated at tables eating miniature pastries and desserts and sipping tea. There's a large variety of teas you can get, I tried the Creamy Earl Grey and it was really delicious! They have several High Tea options for you, and it really depends on how much food you want and how extravagant you want to be because High Tea is $25.95/person. Each pastry is snack size, about 2 inches big, but each is delicious! :) Plan to sit there, drink, nibble, and pleasantly chat with your girl friends (or boy friends) for the rest of the afternoon.

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Creamy Earl Grey

Bestseller! Bergamot & Vanilla.

This was indeed very good! I could drink this forever. I never knew tea could taste creamy, without adding any cream. I didn't even add any sugar either. This is SO GOOD!

Macaroons

My plate of snacks.

Heart-shaped cucumber sandwiches, mini scone, mini croissant delicious!

The 2-tier rack that your desserts will be delivered in.

Chocolate Surprise

Chocolate!

Overly sweet..

Mini Carrot Cake
yummy!

Others' Input:

Imperial Court Beijing Cuisine

2009-07-07T18:59:00.000-07:00

6360 NO. 3 Rd (Across from Richmond Centre)

Richmond, BC V6Y 1A1

Map

Standard good quality food! Restaurant was very clean and the service was pretty good. Food was definitely tasty, I would come back here again.

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Iconic Beijing Dish: Peking Duck

Steamed rolls

Peking duck skin with thin bread wrap and shrimp chips

Peking duck meat wrapped in lettuce

Delicious! very crispy!

Fried Bean Curd with Enoki Mushrooms

YUMMY!!! crispy and moist!

Others' Input:

Top Gun Sushi

2009-06-05T02:22:00.000-07:00

810 Quayside Dr

New Westminster, BC

Map | Website

They're part of the Kingsway Sushi, Richmond Sushi chain of restaurants (TopGun Group). I probably won't come back here again.. Their sushi was okay, nothing spectacular. The gyoza were surprisingly good so they deserve a photo. Not much selection for lunch... what's up with that? Typical food, typical pricing for lunch all-you-can-eat ~$12.

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Gyoza

Others' Input:

Café Rustico

2009-04-25T19:13:00.000-07:00

3136 Main St

Vancouver, V5T 3G7

Tel: (604) 872 - 3444

Map | Website

This is the only coffee shop in Vancouver that I regularly go to. The atmosphere is awesome, very Italian :) Soft Italian music playing in the background, and the place is usually quite warm. The owner, Mario, is very hospitable and often offers complimentary shots of espresso topped with whipped cream! I tell everyone I know to come here ;)

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Cappuccino!

This was the right temperature, I find most places make the cappuccino too hot. All the coffee is very good here, Mario's awesome!

Espresso Shots

on-the-house goodness!

Caprese Panino ~$6

YUM! Hot and grilled! Fresh ingredients in the sandwich and comes with a side of pasta (I didn't expect it)

Others' Input:

Ezo Giku Noodle Cafe えぞ菊

2009-03-17T01:48:00.000-07:00

1329 Robson St (Downtown)

Vancouver, BC
Tel: 604-685-8606

Map

This place was my FAVOURITE ramen place up until they renovated in 2007 :( This place had the BEST gyoza in town hands down! (Much better than Gyoza King across the street). They used to have corn as a standard element in their ramen along with bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, and what not. Now you have to add a few cents to get it... (maybe too many people were wasting food?) So after the renovation, they got a massive bar seating area that replaced the old small bar and some changes to their menu. I personally thought the place was fine before the renovation. I've tried many of the ramen before their renovation, they've got a lot of Sapporo style ones an also rice. They have a stamp card where you get a stamp for each ramen you ordered and you get a free one if you collect 10 stamps. Needless to say I had 2+ stamp cards but that was back then.... Now I get the Miso Ramen most often and 'add' corn to it *sigh*. I WANT THE OLD EZO GIKU BACK!!

Side Note: I'm not sure what that artificial crab stick is doing in the bowl...

Service: Interior Atmosphere: Pricing:

Miso Ramen & Gyoza ~$8.25

It was good still, just not as good as it used to be. Its still got a good miso soup base. I'm not sure if I would purposely come here from Burnaby just to eat this ramen anymore...

Char Siu Ramen $7.95

The meat was very tasty :D yummy! I find it funny that its got bok choi in it

Others' Input:

IHOP: International House of Pancakes

2009-02-25T18:38:00.000-08:00

Map | Website

Comfort food! I've come here for breakfast, lunch, and dinner before, and always leaving satisfied.

Service: Interior Atmosphere: Pricing:

Tad greasy, but its your traditional breakfast food :P

3 Buttermilk Pancakes ~$4

Always yummy!!!

Breakfast Sampler ~$10

Two of everything, sausage, eggs, pancakes!

Others' Input:

Tanpopo Japanese Restaurant

2009-01-01T02:24:00.000-08:00

1122 Denman St (Downtown)

Vancouver, BC

Tel: (604) 681-7777

Map | Website

This must be the best all-you-can-eat place in Vancouver! Apparently its been around for a while now. The service was pretty good, they're timely with refilling the tea. Dinner AYCE here is more worth it than lunch in my opinion because you get so much more variety (like sashimi and negitoro cone).

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Negitoro Cone

This is sooo good!! I would come back just for this cone, alone. The tuna is scattered throughout the cone (not just sitting at the top) and its so yummy!

Tuna Tataki

This was so-so...

Salmon Sashimi

Not bad, but I've had better salmon sashimi at Fish on Rice

Beef Sashimi

This was good, beef sashimi is not that common on the AYCE menu.

Bacon Skewers

Yummy and oily!

Oyster Motoyaki

This is a bit small, but its good.

Others' Input:

Ddoo Gau Bee

2008-10-09T13:40:00.000-07:00

203-4501 North Rd (near Lougheed Town Centre)

Burnaby, BC V3N 4R7
Tel: (604) 422-0500

Map | Website

Very affordable food and good portions! Service was good considering it was a Korean restaurant. I would come back here again if I was in the area.

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Bulgolgi

(part of the sushi combo)

Very yummy! Tastes better than it looks!

Jap Chae ~$9

Came out fresh, hot and steamy!

Big portion of decent jap chae, not the BEST I've ever had though.

Salmon Sushi/Sashimi Combo

Others' Input:

Hi Genki Japanese Restaurant

2008-09-21T03:09:00.000-07:00

6680 Southoaks Crescent
Burnaby, BC V5E 4N3
Tel: (604) 777-0533

Map | Website

Authentic home-style Japanese food in the dining hall of a senior home. The food is always very tasty and comes out freshly made from the kitchen. Seating is quite limited so there are almost always lineups especially during peak hours. I find that its a bit on the pricey side but its rare to have a restaurant that serves this kind of food.

Service: Interior Atmosphere: Pricing:

the lunch menu

I'm not quite sure why they would have to have these samples here and not just have pictures on their menus instead...

Unatama Don $8.50

Unagi, egg, rice bowl

Really delicious, it was loaded with good stuff. There was so much that I only finished half of it and I packed the rest home.

Others' Input:

The Noodle Box

2008-09-12T04:12:00.000-07:00

1867 W 4th Ave (Kitslano)

Vancouver, BC V8V 4Y9
Tel: (604) 734-1310

Map | Website

Tasted alright, but I think its a bit over-priced. At least the portions are rather big. The style of food is sort of Chinese but sort of not.

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Fried Rice

Stir Fried Noodle

Others' Input:

Tony's Fish & Oyster Cafe

2008-08-17T04:02:00.000-07:00

1511 Anderson St (Granville Island)

Vancouver, BC V6H 3R5
Tel: (604) 683-7127

Map | Website

Very cozy atmosphere. Food arrived very promptly after ordering. This is some goooood fish & chips although a bit pricy...

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Halibut Fish & Chips $9.89

Good fish and crispy fries. I'm not a fan of coleslaw so I didn't eat that.

Granville Island White Clam Chowder $5.99

Very tasty! It's super hearty and you can really taste the clams.

Others' Input:

Blueberry World Frozen Yogurt

2008-08-14T13:11:00.000-07:00

1703 Robson Street (Downtown)
Vancouver, BC V6G

Tel: (604) 288-2523 ‎

Map

They let you order a size of frozen yogurt, then order the topping. Each additional flavour of topping is an additional cost. I would only come here if I had a frozen yogurt craving. I'll try a different fruit next time, maybe strawberry ??

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Green tea flavoured frozen yogurt

Original frozen yogurt with mango

The yogurt itself is yummy and tastes miles better than Yogen Früz! The green tea flavour was not very strong but costs more. The mango pieces were not very flavourful unfortunately, must be not the right season for them :(

Others' Input:

Trattoria

2008-08-14T03:46:00.000-07:00

1850 W 4th Ave (Kitslano)
Vancouver, BC V6J

Map | Website

Wonderful atmosphere. I like how you can see the cooks cook! They've got made-to-order pizzas that come in a wooden pizza paddle. Wonderful tasty food! I would totally come back to try other things on their menu. I went at 3 pm for a snack so I only ordered 1 thing.

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Antipasto Misto $15/person (min. 2 persons)

Eggplant parmigiana, hot italian sausage, kobe meatballs, crispy caamari, tiger prawns, osso bucco croquette, forno roasted clams, caprese salad

Extremely delicious! (haha and expensive) You can't put a price on good food!

Others' Input:

Sushi Town

2008-08-09T03:22:00.000-07:00

5935 E. Hastings St (North Burnaby)

Burnaby, BC V5B 1R7
Tel: (604) 294-6155

Map

This is one of those sushi restaurants run by Koreans. They've got an assortment of unique rolls, all quite good. Good flavours. The price is very affordable and the rolls are a decent size! Too bad its way in North Burnaby... :( Although this place has gotten quite popular and I believe is affiliated with Sushi Garden on Kingsway across from Metrotown.

Mangodise Roll

Artificial crab and tuna inside, topped with shrimp

Avacado and cucumber topped with unagi!

Awesome Roll

must try!

Negitoro, something I can't remember, and a california-like roll topped with unagi.

This particular time, the unagi tasted all funky and not at all what its supposed to be like..I don't think we finished this but kind of felt bad to ask them to remake it since we had already eaten some... Service was really good though!

Salmon Sashimi

This was really good! Fresh and good sizes!

Red Roll

Scallop roll topped with spicy Tuna

Others' Inputs:

Eat Me Here in Vancouver!

Launching beta version!

Red Star Seafood Restaurant 鴻星海鮮酒家

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka 山頭火

Hakone Sushi

Lin Chinese Cuisine 林

Roman Ristorante

Joey's Only Seafood Restaurant

Donburiya

Benkei Ramen Noodle Shop (弁慶 ラメン)

Burger Burger

Italian Kitchen

Bon Crepe

Deli Nippon

Babylon Cafe

Uncle Fatih's Pizza

Brioche: Urban Baking & Catering

Kintaro Ramen 金太郎ラーメン

Lim Kee Restaurant 廉記牛肉粉

Chicco Coffee & Dessert Bar

Flying Beaver Bar & Grill

The Cellar Jazz Club

Sushi World / Pink Swirl

The Boss Bakery/Restaurant 大班

Bon's Off Broadway

Mr. Ho's Wonton House

Milestones Bar & Grill

IKI Japanese Restaurant

East is East (Chai)

Kenzo Japanese Noodle House

Simply Delicious

Society Restaurant & Lounge

White Spot

La Rocca Ristorante Italiano

Sushi Garden

Dutch Wooden Shoe Cafe

Sunflower Cafe 向日葵

Legends Pub & Restaurant

Tokyo Joe

Pho Tam 歡心 Vietnamese Restaurant

WINGS Pub & Grill

Han Ju Tofu Hot Pot 韓州豆腐火鍋

Oysi Oysi Japanese & Chinese Restaurant

Anton's Pasta Bar

Kim Ga Nae Korean BBQ

Phnom Penh 金邊小館

The Secret Garden Tea Co.

Imperial Court Beijing Cuisine

Top Gun Sushi

Café Rustico

Ezo Giku Noodle Cafe えぞ菊

IHOP: International House of Pancakes

Tanpopo Japanese Restaurant

Ddoo Gau Bee

Hi Genki Japanese Restaurant

The Noodle Box

Tony's Fish & Oyster Cafe

Blueberry World Frozen Yogurt

Trattoria

Sushi Town

Benkei Ramen Noodle Shop (弁慶ラメン)