O’Doul’s
1300 Robson St
Vancouver, BC
Sometimes, there are restaurants that might be in front of us but, for some reason, we just choose to disregard and/or skip them for no good reason. That’s what has happened in a way to me with O’Doul’s. Not sure if it is the fact that can be considered “fancy” or some other similar reason but I have walked countless amount of times but have just kept on walking rather than stopping and give it a try. But, while check with PO about dining options in the area, I casually mentioned it (which was, interesting enough, another restaurant suggestion before we went to Town Hall) and we agreed in “sure, why not!”. So, to O’Doul’s it was!
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Tagged as:
Chicken,
Lunch,
Seafood,
Vancouver
Meat & Bread
370 Cambie Street
Vancouver, BC
Last year, Sherman visited Salumi, which is better known for being a deli shop opened by the father of celebrity chef Mario Batali. In that post, readers bashed him left and right. To quell the horde of people with pitchfork demanding Sherman’s head, sort of a compromise was set up: how about readers point out what was the dish he should have order and, next time either one of us was in that part of Seattle, try to get it. After my visit and Sherman’s re-visit, we came to one conclusion: It is the one sandwich that seems to be THE key dish there, the rest could be hit or miss. That one sandwich was their porchetta sandwich.
However, going all the way down to Seattle, not to mention on that really narrow window where they are open for business is sort of a crazy proposition. Instead, it was rather a matter of finding something in Vancouver that could be equivalent to it. So, when I found out that Meat and Bread, a restaurant which signature dish happened to be *that* one sandwich at Salumi, I was jumping to give it a try…
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Tagged as:
Lunch,
Pork,
Sandwich,
Vancouver
Town Hall
1032 Alberni Street
Vancouver, BC
In a couple of previous posts, I have mentioned the company I work for, like to “celebrate” the end of a project. Recently, I finish such a long project and, after a couple of delays, we were finally scheduled (as in any typical company, even work lunches are scheduled…!) Of course, being located in the downtown area, the usual question pops: Where? Since this is a work lunch, there are some limits – budget aside, make sure we are back at the office. It is a lunch, not the rest of the afternoon off! Of course, there is the usual question of where while making the most out of the trip. After shuffling some options, we ended up going to Town Hall, which used to be Saltlik
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Tagged as:
Downtown,
Lunch,
Seafood,
Vancouver
Taiko on Denman
689 Denman Street
Vancouver, BC
All you can eat. That one option that it is difficult to judge because it goes quantity over quality. Yet, still, human nature goes for the former. I myself have avoided going to many of these places for that same reason and, if I do, at times, I end up ordering a la carte – as I did in Saffron Indian Cuisine. A couple of weeks ago, some colleagues suggested Taiko; however, I was a bit skeptical. Oh, well, I had to give it a try just because so it was a matter of when. Fortunately, I was able to “convince” PO (who shares my notion about AYCE places) and to Taiko we went.
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Tagged as:
Downtown,
Japanese,
Lunch,
Sushi,
Vancouver
Kim Bob Chun Gook
1635 Robson Street
Vancouver, BC
Some things go around and comes around, in a quasi cycle of cause and effect (aka Karma). In my case, I always believe that, if somebody does something for you, you should reciprocate and show gratitude. If you show generosity, it will be shown back to you. Such was the case of PO, who did a favour for me some time ago and, to thank him, I invited him for lunch. Of course, there is that eternal question of where. For no particular reason, I remind him of a (then) tapas place called Kosetsu (which I failed miserably to go with Mariko due to them not being open yet, as in we were there too early). However, that was months ago and, for some reason, it re-lanched themselves as a Korean restaurant named Kim Bob Chun Gook (now, this is based on what I saw, if the transliteration is correct, I can’t say!). OK, that sounds good so let’s go!
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Tagged as:
Korean,
Lunch,
Pork,
Vancouver
Great Wall Mongolian BBQ
717 Denman Street
Vancouver, BC
I have bashed at times the all-you-can-eat concept a little bit too much at times. You have to admit it: How much “quality” you can provide when you charge a fix price and there is almost no limit as to how much a diner can eat? OK, sure, hotel buffets charge an arm and a leg and the food can be quite good. But, then, they have mastered it to a certain extent. For the rest, it is a matter of balance things out: calculate based on the average case scenario (though leaning towards the worst case scenario) and hoping most of the customers won’t consume as much.
With that in mind, PO and I went one day to Great Wall Mongolian BBQ (name of the restaurant) for Mongolian BBQ (type of cuisine). The twist in this case is that you fill up a bowl with different meats, vegetables and noodles. Add some sauce and it is then cooked for you on a large griddle. What’s so funny about this? Because Mongolian BBQ (the cuisine), despite the pamphlet they provide explaining their cuisine, is neither Mongolian nor it is “BBQ”! Anyway, we were up for it…
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Tagged as:
BBQ,
Lunch,
Taiwanese,
Vancouver,
West End
White Tower
1359 Robson Street
Vancouver, BC
If you are looking for Greek food in Vancouver, you can pretty much go anywhere. Probably you might have favourites but, if you go around town, there will be one every dozen or so blocks. In the case of Downtown Vancouver, for most people, there is even a “default”: Stepho’s, a restaurant that, in a way, has mastered the art of generating enough volume of customers to make it possible for them to lower there prices to an almost ridiculous level – to an extent that people are willing to queue up just for a plate of Greek food. But, then again, there is Takis Taverna a couple of doors from Stepho’s. If you move to Denman, there is Olympia Pizza and Pasta and Maria’s Taverna. After walking so many times in Robson, I thought there might not be any… That was until a day, PO and I were looking for something quick in the area and we ended up going to a place I believe has been there forever: White Tower.
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Tagged as:
Chicken,
Downtown,
Greek,
Italian,
Lunch,
Pasta,
Vancouver,
West End
