Vancouver restaurants

[tarheelmjfan]

You guys have been so great to help me plan our trip to Vancouver, that I'm hoping you'll be willing to help me out just once more. We're looking for some great restaurants for dinner. We enjoy trying restaurants owned by well known chefs, & restaurants that provide a memorable experience (in a good way ) We plan to have dinner 1 night at Lumiere. Any other suggestions? Thanks again

 

[MossMan]

Well, I'm not from Vancouver. But I do get up there quite a bit on business. And I have been fortunate enough to sample many of Vancouver's better eating establishments.

For ideas beyond the incredibly good Lumiere, may I suggest Tojo's for Japanese food. If you want a great experience, ask for the chef's arrangement and let the man himself decide what you will eat. If you are very daring you can sit at the Omakase Bar - where you are not even allowed to order off of a menu.

For incredible seafood I don't think you could do much better than the Blue Water Cafe. I ate there last time I was up in Canada and I was quite impressed. Their wine list is outstanding. (Make sure to leave some room for dessert if for no other reason than to give you an excuse to order a glass of Canadian Ice Wine.)

 

[Lynda Silk]

My DH goes to Vancouver for business quite often and he loves the Japanese food at Wabi Sabi. Just another suggestion! Vancouver is a beautiful city and you'll have a great time there!

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Thanks for the suggestions. I will check them out. My DS(13) & I have very adventurous palates, but my DH isn't as daring. The Chef's arrangement sounds perfect for DS & I. I'm not sure if we will want seafood. We're dining at 2 seafood restaurants in SF & I'm sure they will serve some on the ship. Saving room for dessert goes without saying. I'm very curious about the ice wine. I've read so much about it on here. We very rarely drink any type of alcohol. Is this a wine that someone who doesn't drink a lot of wine would enjoy? You guys have convinced me that we definitely must have Japanese one night. I'll have to look into both to see which one suits our taste best.

 

[Yzma and Kronk]

I used to go to Vancouver a lot in a past life.
I always insisted we go to the Shanghi Cafe. It's a couple blocks towards the water from Robson street, upstairs over a steak restaurant called The Keg.
It was Yummy!

 

[MossMan]

I'm very curious about the ice wine. I've read so much about it on here. We very rarely drink any type of alcohol. Is this a wine that someone who doesn't drink a lot of wine would enjoy?

Ice Wine is very expensive and very sweet - it ussually pairs well with pear and apple based desserts - though I especially like it with creme brulee. Just ask your waiter for his or her recomendations. Normally you will be served a very small glass - just an ounce or two. So it is the perfect for people who don't drink much alchohol. If the price seems a little too steep, you might want to instead try a late harvest wine. The flavors are on par with Ice Wines, just not quite as expensive.

 

[MossMan]

One more restaurant I almost forgot about. After you have shelled out mega-dollars at Lumiere, you could always visit Chef Feenie's other restaurant - aptly named feenies. It definitely is cheaper than Lumiere. I looked on their website and their current 3 course dinner for $35 looks like this:

Tomato confit tart with caramelized onions and goat cheese
or
Beef tartare
or
Roasted red pepper soup, finished with cilantro cream

……………

Mission trout, served with wilted chard, citrus beurre blanc
or
Duck confit, with butter lettuce, poached pears, blue cheese, warm hazelnut & bacon vinaigrette
or
Roasted pork tenderloin, with green beans, fried polenta, plum sauce

……………

Daily dessert
or
A selection of ice cream & sorbet
or
Cheese course

 

[TheZue]

These are my top places to eat when I make it over from Vancouver Island:

Kobe's Steakhouse: It's on Alberni St downtown. It's a Japanese restaurant where the chef cooks right in front of you. It is absolutely outstanding food. I have had the steak a couple times, and lobster once. Personally I didn't feel the lobster was nearly as good as the steak and will just go for the steak alone next time.

Romano's Macaroni Grill: I know, it's a chain that's also in the US. The Vancouver one is very interesting because of the location. It's in a old surar baron's mansion. We have one over on the island as well, but the Vancouver site is far superior due to the better location and a slightly higher class factor. http://www.macgrillbc.com/vancouver/

The Old Spagetti Factory: A nice little eatery in Gastown. I'd recomend it more for lunch but it's a fun place. http://www.frommers.com/destinations/vancouver/D50408.html

The White Spot: This is B.C.'s homegrown restaurant chain. It's a family restaurant that's a step up from something like Denny's. Again it isn't a fancy dinner place, but a must to stop for a Legendary Burger while you are here. http://www.whitespot.ca/

The Cactus Club: This is another B.C. chain, but nicer than a family restaurant. There are tons of locations all over Vancouver. It's a great spot for lunch or dinner. http://www.cactusclubcafe.com/