Food

A list of my favorite restaurants from my 8 years of living in Vancouver. Hope you enjoy them!

• Note: The ones that are highlighted are the top recommendations!
• Google Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ty7Fw6h5tVvHiqMc7

Chinese

• Western Lake - humongous dimsums!

  • tripe + tendon, eggplant + shrimp, chicken feet, chives dumpling, sticky rice with sausage, siu mai, shrimp dumpling
  • Tips: If you want to eat in the store, go line up early. Otherwise, order through their online website to pick up in store. Free shiu mei when you spend $40.

• HK BBQ master - Chinese BBQ

  • BBQ Pork and roasted pork
• Empire Seafood Restaurant - Dim sum in Richmond

• New Town Bakery & Restaurant - Chinese baked goods in Chinatown

  • apple tart (get this!) steamed bbq pork buns, prawn turnover, steamed bola bola (ask for dipping sauce), century egg pastry
  • Go in the morning when baked goods are available and fresh out the oven
  • If you want more than New Town, “The Boss” and “Sun Fresh Bakery” are also great

Japanese

• Sushi California - fresh sashimi, unique rolls for fair price, multiple locations

  • Spicy tuna, salmon sashimi, hamachi gama, aburi
• Miku $$$ or Yui Japanese Bistro $$ - Aburi (seared) sushi
• Ramen Danbo - Negi-goma (sesame) Ramen - I'm not usually a ramen person but I like a bowl of noodle covered with sesame seeds
• Tatchan Noodle - a soba food truck. Never been but saw it on IG

Thai

• Unchai Restaurant - boat noodle soup (get this!) + pad see ew

Cambodian

• Phnom Penh Restaurant - popular restaurant, can call ahead for pickup

  • Butter beef, fried chicken wings, beef luc luc

Indian

• Dosa Factory - Lamb Kothu parotta + any dosa
• House of Dosa - is also tasty and in the same area

Vietnamese

• Bun Cha Ca Hoang Yen - #24 Fish cake dill pho
• Pho Japolo - Banh mi with mixed ham
• Green Lemongrass - Hu tieu Cambodian noodle
• DD Mau Chinatown$$ - Fried sticky rice, Bun Cha Ha Noi (sausage and meat on vermicelli)

Filipino

• Kulinarya Filipino Eatery - Crispy binagoona, beef kare-kare with tripe, chicken adobo

Indonesian

• Bali Thai - it's on the second floor in the mall up the escalator - Beef rendang, balinese chicken, eggplant with coconut rice

Korean

• House of Tofu Soup - Tofu soup with pork, a little far though

Brunch

• Jam Cafe - the Kitsilano store has a shorter line compared to the Chinatown location. Go early and you can park at the Safeway and walk over

  • Cinnamon bun pancake
• Beaucoup Bakery - go early in the morning - Almond croissant, cardamom kouign amann
• L'atelier Patisserie - order ahead of time using their website. Hazelnut croissant, mango passion fruit tart, pistachio croissants.
• PappaRoti - they’ll ask you if you want to warm it up, say yes! Coffee bun.
• Breka Bakery & Cafe - Earl grey cream puff, chocolate babka, apple fritter, mango sufganiyah.
• Catch 122 Cafe Bistro - KFC Dutch baby pancake.

Desserts

• Earnest Ice Cream - they open after 12pm - London Fog flavor ice cream
• BETA5 - popular cream puff spot. Order ahead. Lychee rose, key lime, raspberry earl grey.
• Little Fox bakehouse - Bubble tea croissant, vitasoy creme puff.
• Dolce Amore - Pistachio and roasted hazelnut gelato.
• Bambu Desserts & Drinks - Pandan waffle (
• Milk & Sugar Cafe or Hot Cha Cafe - pretty sure they are the same bubble tea store - Avocado cheesecake milkshake.
• Trafiq - order ahead. Carrot cake, matcha cake
• Tsujiri - $35 matcha high tea, never been but want to try (IG)

Others

• Kozak Ukrainian Restaurant - Borsch, cabbage rolls, latkes, pierogies, baked goods
• MeeT on Main - vegan friendly resteraunt. Butter chicken vegan poutine, mushroom kalamari
• Meat & Bread - Porchetta Sandwich
• Osteria Savio Volpe $$$ - Pork chop, lamb shank
• Fritz European Fry House - Poutine with Montreal smoked meat + garlic lover dip
• Ask for Luigi Restaurant $$ - Rigatoni alla bolognese, campanelle & wild boar ragu
• Steveston Pizza Company, very far South. Fun fact - they have a $850 pizza - Fiume pizza.
• Church’s fried chicken - if you want cheap and quality fried chicken. Get the spicy ones.
• Riddim & Spice - Jamaican oxtail

Activities

This website has some listing for upcoming events.

• Cambie Climbing Tree - secret climbing spot near King Edward Station
• Vancouver Canucks game
• Museum of Anthropology at UBC - arts and cultures of First Nations. Vancouver has a huge emphasis on preserving and respecting aboriginal culture
• Wreck Beach - a nude beach on UBC campus, good hike down the stairs. Geocache hidden way out on the breakwater.
• Granville island - take the seabus around, the broom store and the hammock stores are fun!
• Burnaby Central railway
• Roller blade around Stanley Park
• Capilano suspension bridge or Lynn Canyon bridge - Lynn Canyon is free, less touristy, but the bridge is shorter
• Visited film sites in Vancouver
• Geocache
• Watch live painting third Tuesday of every month
• Walk into Spanish Banks during low tide - you can walk far into the ocean
• Disco inferno - world’s only interactive disco show 5 dates in April - never been
• Cabaret - https://www.dustyflowerpotcabaret.com/ - never been
• Shipyard night market - never been

• Outskirts of Vancouver

  • `Pipe Mountain Coaster - roller coaster that goes through the forest. The videos look cool but it’s a 6.5 hours drive from Vancouver
  • Kelowna - Kangaroo Creek Farm
  • Grouse Mountain - nearby gondola. Ski mountain in the winter
  • Whistler for skiing