Dining - Table Talk

TAPAS

In 2004, American food journalists declared appetizers the new entrées. Shared samplings, it was decided, were the way to dine in vogue. But that was old news in Vancouver, where good things have always come on small plates and the tapas style of eating has suited us for several years. Why? For one thing, Vancouver’s Asianinspired and straight-up Asian favourites are best served the Eastern way: with everyone sharing plates passed around the table. Add to that our predisposition to be casual at all times (visitors notice the truly informal dress code right away) and it only makes sense that we also prefer to do away with regulated sittings or stuffy table rules. Finally, small plates are best when you really want to cover the menu, tasting a bit of everything on a wide and varied list.

The small-plate style supports a sister phenomenon: the rise of Japanese pub-style restaurants called izakayas. They serve fast, inventive nouveau Japanese food and some home-style favourites, i.e., no nigiri sushi; instead, sashimi with shredded onions and garlic chips. Izakayas are all over Japan but rare in North America, except here, where there are half a dozen worth the line-ups.

Where to go: Umami Tapas & Wine Bar (572 Davie St., 604-696-9563); Bin 941 (941 Davie St., 604-683-1246) and Bin 942 (1521 W. Broadway, 604-734-9421). And when you can spend some serious cash, try Lumière Tasting Bar (2551 W. Broadway, 604-739-8185).

Izakayas: Guu with Garlic (1698 Robson St., 604-685-8678); Guu with Otokomae (105-375 Water St., 604-685-8682); Hapa Izakaya (1479 Robson St., 604-689-4272).

SUSHI

What’s in Combo A at any other city’s generic lunch stop? Your choice of sandwich and a bowl of cream o’ tomato. In Vancouver, it’s six tuna rolls, six tempura rolls and a cup of miso soup. Cheap, cheerful sushi counters rival coffee shops in ubiquity here. And don’t let the $4.99 to $5.99 price scare you off. It’s only high supply and higher demand that keep the price of sushi deals low; the combos are tasty and fairly healthy.

Where to go: While lots of the cheap lunch combos are better than edible, they don’t compare to more dedicated sushi restaurants in town, such as Okada Sushi (888 Nelson, 604-899-3266); or Shiro (3096 Cambie St., 604-874-0027). Higher up market there’s Yoshi (689 Denman, 604-738-8226), while many swear by the sushi counter inside Yaletown’s Blue Water Café and Raw Bar (1095 Hamilton St., 604-688-8078). Way at the top is a Vancouver institution: Tojo’s (202-777 W. Broadway, 604-872-8050), where you’re advised to sit at the counter, let Tojo choose your meal and remain seated when the bill arrives.

Grab and go sushi shops: One of the best is Ichibankan Express (730 W. Broadway, 604-872-2898); also try Samurai (1108 Davie St., 604-609-0078), and Sushi Spot (1536 Robson, 604-682-1570).

CHINESE, FOR REAL

Everyone’s got their favourite neighbourhood “Chinese” place—with luck it’s family-run and still sporting its original neon dragon above the door. Such restaurants can be fun for their ironic value, but chances are — with its syrup-soaked and battered sweet and sour chicken balls — the cuisine has strayed far from any Chinese-ness. Not so in Vancouver, where authenticity is the default position. Even the many who didn’t grow up in Hong Kong or Taiwan know their stuff: where to get the best congee (rice porridge), who serves the dim sum chart toppers, and when to order cheap noodles in soup versus steamed shrimp dumplings. Just follow the crowds, or to be perfectly safe, stop by a Vancouver magazine award winner, listed below.

Where to go: Sun Sui Wah (3888 Main St., 604-872-8822); Imperial Chinese (355 Burrard St., 604-688-8191); Pink Pearl Chinese Restaurant (1132 E. Hastings St., 604-253-4316).

Where to go, informal: Hon’s Wun-Tun House (1339 Robson St., 604-685-0871), and various locations; Green Village (2461 Nanaimo St., 604-258-9018); Yopo (1122 Homer St., 604-609-9676).

VEGETARIAN AND VEGAN

One long-running cliché about the city is that it’s full of hippie, new-agey vegetarians. But Vancouverites don’t see the humour or find anything unusual in the way that veggie options are on almost any menu in town. We’ve become spoiled by restaurants that can be very savvy about the vegetarian lifestyle and the servers who expect pointed questions about ingredients. It means that non-carnivores are not limited to funky wheatgrass-growing juice bars where your server has lavender-tinted dreadlocks. In fact, the Tasting Bar at Lumière, one of the world’s top-rated restaurants, has a gourmet vegetarian option.

Where to go: Anywhere, just like we said. But some favourite vegetarian-only places are The Naam (2724 W. 4th Ave., 604-738-7151) and Foundation Lounge (2301 Main St., 604-708-0881). Plus there are unforgettable Indo-fusion meat-free dishes to be found at Vij’s (1480 W. 11th Ave., 604-736-6664); or go for Caribbean options at The Reef (4172 Main St., 604-874-5375).

CONTEMPORARY REGIONAL

It’s a global trend: eat locally grown foods that are farmed in season and support sustainable agriculture in your corner of the world. How fortunate for anyone who lives in, say, Tuscany, southern France…or Vancouver. In B.C., chefs can work with organic produce from nearby fields, unparalleled seafood and incredible artisan farm offerings, all partnered with increasingly better wine.

So just what is the quintessential B.C. meal? Look for menus that read like maps: Okanagan cherries, Fanny Bay oysters, Salt Spring Island cheese.

Where to go: All of the following restaurants are pricey but renowned for their take on local ingredients. C Restaurant (1600 Howe St., 604-681-1164); Raincity Grill (1193 Denman St., 604-685-7337); West (2881 Granville St., 604-738-8938); Bishop’s, (2183 West 4th Ave., 604-738-2025); Lumière Restaurant (2551 W. Broadway, 604-739-8185).