Category Archives: West End

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.

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

Maruhachi Ra-men

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Maruhachi Ra-men is a small chain that offers awesome Ramen. This location near Stanley Park provides a cozy, authentic, environment.

Their chicken broth is fairly creamy. I had the aka ramen, which included ground nuts and chili. It was just the right spice level. The pork shoulder chashu topping was tender and full of flavor. The other ingredients—seaweed, green onion, cilantro, bean sprout namuru, and lemon—made it quite complex. Best of all, the thin noodles were the perfect al dente, providing a satisfying meal.

Another plus is the beer list. I’ve struggled to find good dark beers in Vancouver, and Maruhachi offers one of my favorites, Coedo Black Lager.

Service was very quick–with this many customers it has to be.

There’s usually a line, so best to go at an odd time. I went at 3 pm and there was no problem getting in.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/maruhachi-ra-men-vancouver

Kosoo (on Cardero)

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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

Le Crocodile

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This is such a superb restaurant in every way. The decor is modern yet welcoming, with clever design decisions to keep noise levels reasonable.

From the moment you are greeted you can tell this is going to be a welcoming yet very professional experience.

The menu is modern French in all the best ways, with a focus on flavor and flavor combinations.

My hamachi starter was an exquisite combination of complex flavors in balance, from grapefruit ice to serrano pepper. My companion’s foie gras brulee was also wonderful, and provided us with both an appetizer and a dessert course.

My lamb entree was good, but was overshadowed by the flavorful simplicity of her chicken, incredibly moist and tender.

The small cocktail list belies just how great the mixology here is. The Vesper is one of the best cocktails I’ve ever had, and puts all other Vespers to shame as far as complexity and nuance–a great way to start the meal. The Dazed and Confused was a wonderful after-dinner choice.

The wine list is extensive (which rhymes with expensive) but will reward careful perusers with some great choices.

Service could not have been better. A wonderful experience.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/le-crocodile-restaurant-vancouver

Jingle Bao

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This charming and bright (yellow) place serves bao and other Chinese dishes. We had the Combo Platter, which included Taiwanese Salt and Pepper Chicken, Siu Mai, Har Gow, Crystal Mushroom and Veggie Dumplings, Edamame, Seaweed Salad, and Shrimp Crackers, Their 7 signature types of soup dumplings (Classic, Spinach/Cheese, Spicy, Curry, Truffle, Shrimp, Garlic), plus chocolate dessert dumplings.

My favorites were the spicy and curry soup dumplings, but chocolate lovers will go for those dessert dumplings.

We couldn’t finish everything, but the Salt and Pepper Chicken heated up great the next day.

Service was very friendly. Such a large platter took a while to fix, of course, because it was all made to order. That’s why it was great.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/jingle-bao-vancouver

Caviar Bistro

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This lovely spot overlooking the marina offers a varied menu of pastries, coffee drinks, cold drinks, a few sandwiches and wraps, omelets, egg dishes, hummus, baba ganoush, and even pizza. Just about the only thing Caviar Bistro doesn’t offer is… caviar!

The pizza had a nice thin, crisp center with a chewy edge. Hummus was nicely seasoned.

Shout out for the blueberry roibos tea!

Service was friendly and quick. 

https://www.yelp.com/biz/caviar-bistro-vancouver

The Park Pub

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We’ve been looking for a local pub with great food and a friendly ambiance, and I’m delighted to have found this place. Such a great pub food menu it was hard to choose, and then it was impossible to choose a favorite. We had:

Nachos (with no beans). The half-order was huge! They were carefully layered with lots of cheese and jalapenos, and served with generous sides of sour cream and salsa.

Cheese fingers with tomato soup. These were actually four slices of a delicious grilled cheese sandwich, filled with a variety of cheeses that worked well together, melted onto perfectly grilled sourdough.

Yorkshire pudding filled with braised beef. What a creative dish! The beef was so succulent!

Service was friendly, and there are lots of screens for sports fans. Highly recommended.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-park-pub-vancouver