Chung Chun

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If you like corndogs you’ll love this Korean twist on them, which uses rice instead of corn. The result is a lighter batter and a crispy exterior crust.

I tried the basic beef hot dog, and it was excellent. There are also varieties that incorporate chicken, mozzarella, and even chocolate (!) There are also many sauce options.

It takes a while because each dog is prepared to order. Unfortunately there is no seating, so it’s best to go on a nice summer day and walk around with your dog-on-a-stick.

Stanley Park Brewing

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This brewery and pub is located at the edge of Stanley Park, overlooking English Bay. The menu offers pub favorites and their own line of beers.

Most of their beers are not to my taste, but the coffee stout I had on a recent visit was very good.

The highlight of the menu is the potstickers, which are consistently perfectly seared, and served in a delicious umami/vinegary sauce.

Pretzel bites are less interesting, and need more of a crust and more salt.

The pizza is also pretty good, with flavorful pepperoni, although I prefer it without the hot honey.

Sitting at the bar in the room on the left affords a view of the park and English Bay, and it’s a quieter room.

Service by Michelle was super cheerful and attentive.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/stanley-park-brewing-vancouver

The Sandbar

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The Sandbar is a cool restaurant nestled underneath the Granville Bridge on Granville Island. It boasts an impressive view of the peninsula on the other side of False Creek.

Food at the Sandbar is very similar to its sister restaurant, Cardero’s, on the opposite side of the peninsula.

We started with the Har Gow, shrimp & pork dumplings, which were served with hot mustard and chili sauce. 

My companion had the Clam chowder, and I had the fire-grilled sablefish (black cod). Both were very good. As at Cardero’s the accompanying vegetables are nothing to write home about.

Service was pleasant, and you can’t beat the view.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-sandbar-seafood-restaurant-vancouver-2

The Stock Room

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This is a great speakeasy behind Hundy burger. The lighting is romantic and the sound level allows for intimate conversation, particularly in the back room.

We went on a Jameson Whiskey night and had their three featured cocktails for $40, which were all excellent. I really enjoyed the combination of bitter amaro to offset the sweetness.

Although the Stock Room doesn’t make food, they do serve burgers from Hundy. You order from your waitress and they’re brought right to your table, very hot, and added to your bill, so it’s completely seamless.

The unsung hero of the Hundy menu is the cabbage salad with dashi peanuts! It’s the perfect spice level, and not overdressed. The bacon cheeseburger is also good, but my favorite was the spicy chicken sandwich–basically a Nashville hot chicken, but without the insane spice level. The chicken had a great crunchy batter, and there were plenty of pickles. Shoutout to the crispy fries, too, which were great when they were hot from the kitchen.

Service was friendly and responsive The drinks were spaced out nicely, and we had plenty of time to relax. A great find.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-stock-room-vancouver

Tequila Cocina

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This is the most authentic Mexican food I’ve found in the West End area. The tacos are served traditional style, with a choice of traditional filling such as pastor, cicil, and carne asada. The carnitas were the best, succulent and juicy.

The Mole don Pollo was excellent, a bit more chocolatey than traditional, but nicely complex with spices.

The complementary chips are excellent, apparently fried twice to get them to puff up a bit, and the accompanying salsa verde was spot on.

Service was pleasant and efficient, all seemingly done by one person who was also tending bar. Speaking of which, the margaritas (lime, on the rocks, of course) were excellent.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/tequila-cocina-vancouver

Frying Pan

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Frying pan has an extensive menu, but the star item is their Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich, which they call the “OG”. It’s the classic combination of chicken breast fried to a crisp brown, with spicy sauce, spicy mayo, slaw, and sweet pickles. It was as good as any I’ve had in Nashville. A word of warning, though: I like spicy food, but I would classify the Medium here as Hot, so proceed with caution.

The combo is a good deal. It comes with a drink and a huge serving of wonderful waffle fries, also cooked to a perfect crispness.

Service is very friendly.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/frying-pan-vancouver-6

Cora Breakfast and Lunch

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I’m a sucker for skillets, and Cora has a good one. Best of all, the one I would pick is on their menu deals at the moment, making it a bargain.

My ideal skillet would be crispy home fries, bacon, cheese, onions, red and green peppers, and an over easy egg. Cora’s Ten Star Skillet adds spinach, green onions, ham, sausage, and, um … frankfurters and bologna? I almost had them leave those last ingredients out, but then figured, what the heck, and tried the standard version. It was very good. I do wish the base had been crispy home fries rather than rather large potato wedges, but I just left those, and convinced myself that’s where all the calories were.

Service was friendly and quick, and the location, which doesn’t look like much on the outside, is quite nice inside.

Overall, very good quality for such a large chain.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/cora-breakfast-and-lunch-vancouver

bb.q Chicken

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Well, it turns out the best wings in the city are right across the street from me. In fact, they’re probably the best wings I’ve ever had.

bb.q offers a variety of wings and boneless chicken, plus quite a few other dishes.

I tried the Gangnam Style Chicken and the Caribbean style. Both were excellent. The former had a wet, spicy, slightly sweet sauce, while the latter was more of a Jamaican Jerk preparation. I loved how crispy the coating was around the succulent chicken meat, and the pepper coating was just the right spice level. Truly extraordinary wings!

Service was friendly. You order at the counter, and then there are inside and outside seating areas. Note that because the wings are cooked to order, it takes awhile, so allow time. Better yet, enjoy a beer or sake while you wait.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/bb-q-chicken-vancouver-5

Greenhorn Cafe

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This cozy brunch spot is located in a quiet neighborhood, and offers both indoor and outdoor seating with table service, or counter service take away.

The menu is all brunch all the time. There are some sandwiches, too, but these are mostly served open face, so they’re pretty crunchy, too.

I had the egg salad on sourdough. The egg salad was nicely seasoned and piled high on a crispy slab of excellent toast.

Service was very friendly.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/greenhorn-cafe-vancouver-2

515 Bar

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Excellent cocktail lounge with a small menu of appropriate noshes. Cool ambiance, and a pleasant, not overwhelming soundtrack.

We had several rounds of cocktails, all good, the standout being the Exit Strategy, a sort of coffee-infused Negroni made with tequila, if that makes any sense at all.

The charcuterie plate was particularly nice.

Pleasant and prompt service.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-515-bar-vancouver