Cora Breakfast and Lunch

Posted on September 28, 2024 by steve

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

Posted on September 27, 2024 by steve

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

Perfecto Cafe

Posted on September 25, 2024 by steve

This new location on Robson has been much-awaited, and was a hit, right from day one. It’s in my building, but I managed to resist for a whole month before sampling their offerings.

The focus here is on pastries and gelato, but I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, so I decided to try one of their sandwiches, something you can’t really find out about on their fairly uninformative website. I had the turkey and brie, and I must say it was absolutely delicious. It was warmed for me, and the gooey consistency of the generous slabs of brie was great, accented by thin slices of pear and some very savory turkey. The pretzel roll was fresh, and half a sandwich was a satisfying lunch. I saved the rest for later.

I should have also asked them to warm the chocolate croissant, but I was expecting to take it with me. But temptation got the better of me, and I dug in after my sandwich. Mistake, because the chocolate was essentially a solid unmelted bar in the center. My fault, not theirs. I will say the pastry crust was perfectly flaky and browned.

The coffee menu is extensive, of course. I simply had an Americano, and it was quite good.

The inside dining area is nice, and outside is even nicer.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/perfecto-cafe-vancouver-3

Al-Hadbah Donair

Posted on September 23, 2024 by steve

Al-Hadbah offers excellent Middle Eastern food in a counter service establishment with some patio seating on Robson Street.

I had the Falafel Plate, which included four pieces of falafel, taboule, pickles, hummus, tahini sauce, harissa sauce, and pita bread. I loved that the falafel was made to order! The hummus and taboule were also very good. Service was friendly, and the prices are very reasonable. Highly recommended.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/al-hadbah-donair-vancouver-2

Spicy 6 Fine Indian Cuisine

Posted on September 20, 2024 by steve

This place, located in the posh part of Robson Street, is a bit hard to find, being upstairs along a narrow passageway, but it’s worth the effort.

For lunch they have an extensive and popular buffet, but we elected to order off the menu.

Papad were served with three chutneys, the normal min and tamarind varieties, and a mayonnaise based one I hadn’t seen before. It was very good on the Chicken Pakora, our other starter.

For mains we had Butter Chicken, Navratan (vegetable) Korma, and some accompanying garlic basic naan bread. All were quite good. I liked that the mains were served in dishes with a built-in flame below, so they stayed hot. Speaking of hot, the “hot” version of the Korma was what I would call medium, so if you are spice-averse you needn’t worry.

Service was friendly and attentive.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/spicy-6-fine-indian-cuisine-vancouver-2

Earl’s Kitchen + Bar

Posted on September 18, 2024 by steve

I’d been to the Earl’s Kitchen in Orlando, and was interested to see how this one compared. It’s in a large (for Vancouver) upstairs space on Robson. The interior is fresh and open, perhaps recently updated?

The menu is above the level of typical sports bar food, although there are plenty of football games playing on the TVs around the bar.

I had a Cobb salad, which I enjoyed although it was a bit odd. It was as if someone had read the ingredients of a Cobb salad, but never actually seen one. Typically they are served with discrete rows of chopped ingredients that can be mixed at the table or eaten by plowing your way through one row at a time. This one was just a mixed green salad with some of the traditional ingredients sprinkled around it. But the accompanying dressing was quite good, and I like it for a nice, light lunch.

My companion had the Stea Frits. This dish is often served with a thin steak, or with the steak sliced up in the kitchen. Here it was more of a baseball, and I have to say it wasn’t the most tender steak. The accompanying steak knife wasn’t really up to the task, but oddly the serrated table knife worked better. The rub and sear on the outside was delicious, though.

Service was pleasant. There’s also a nice outside dining area that would be a great place to sit, too.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/earls-kitchen-bar-vancouver-3

Kosoo (on Cardero)

Posted on September 13, 2024 by steve

We live in this block, and there are three excellent Korean restaurants. This is my favorite!

It would be hard to beat their “Lunch Course” which has a wonderful variety of flavors in ten courses, far more than we could possibly eat. Fortunately they do a huge takeout business, so containers are plentiful.

That said, it’s really a lovely place to dine in. It’s off Robson, on a quiet section of Cordero, with huge trees outside the picture windows. (Note that there is another Kosoo just a few blocks away on Robson, but the vibe there is completely different, more quick server, while this leans more to fine dining.)

It’s hard to pick a favorite dish, and since you can try them all, why bother?!

Service was pleasant and all the food came out course by course, with great pacing, piping hot or ice cold, and fresh.

Note that they don’t have tea, but they do have hot water, so bring your own teabag!

https://www.yelp.com/biz/kosoo-restaurant-vancouver

Coco Rico Cafe

Posted on September 11, 2024 by steve

This cozy cafe/sports bar offers brunch from morning until afternoon and then switches to more of a sports bar menu.

The bacon and cheese omelet was tasting, and accompanied by nicely crisped home fries.

The cinnamon French toast included two poofy pieces of brioche, nicely grilled, and served with assorted fruit.

Service was friendly, and the background music audio quality was impressive enough that we noticed their excellent playlist.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/coco-rico-cafe-vancouver

Pho 37 – Robson

Posted on July 11, 2024 by steve

This is our favorite Vietnamese restaurant. Despite the name, it’s not just about pho. There’s an extensive menu that includes a wide range of appetizers and mains, including Bun (vermicelli bowls) and Banh Mi sandwiches.

The sampler platter appetizer makes a great lunch for two at a reasonable price.

The interior is very pleasant; they’ve done a nice job decorating the relatively small space.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/pho-37-vancouver

CinCin Ristorante + Bar

Posted on July 6, 2024 by steve

Don’t be put off by the fact that this is an upscale restaurant in a tourist district. This is a great spot for local regulars, too. Accessed through a steep stairway, the space opens out into a large area with an expansive balcony overlooking Robson.