Anthony Bourdain made some interesting points regarding this on his interview with Nerdist (from 6:06):

late night Matsuyama
8/10

I had the chicken udon. so cheap 4.95 for a big portion and meaty chicken. pretty happy with that lol

Ginza Sushi (poco)

went for a quick lunch ordered the Chicken Karage Don.
that thing was just fucking excellent, layer of rice with lots of boneless deep fried pieces of chicken(some places just throw wings on it :rukidding:, dazzled with furikake and drizzilled with Japanese mayo. 10/10 cost = 5.95
best karage don ive had anywhere so far.
also had the spicy favs sushi combo: (9.95) 8/pc each of spicy tuna,spicy salmon and spicy scallop roll combo.

as with most places nowadays the spicy tuna roll seemed like they used leftover mish mash of pieces to make the roll (drives me crazy) but then again not many places have used full pieces like Kitstaya in their spicy rolls. still was decent but with a little too much fishy taste than usual.6/10

spicy salmon: much better with full salmon strips used in roll, they overdid the
spicy sauce on this one in case you dont like it too much but i didnt mind 8/10

spicy scallop: pretty much standard japanese offering this version while decent had very little to no tobiko and scallop mixture was a little on the runny side but not runny enough to fall apart from the time you dip into your soy and get it to your mouth. i'm just picky. still flavor was good scallops were fresh and not overpowered by the spicy sauce. 8/10

they served the rolls with white ginger, kikkoman soy and better than average wasabi paste.

tea was of the brown rice variety, i didn't ask which kind specifically.

I have not tried any of the special rolls or udons but since ill be going there more for the chicken karage don i'll be trying other stuff out as well.
will reserve final rating judgement when i've tried out more items but based on what ive had so far id give it a 4/5.
Cheers.

FYI Craft beer market is temporarily closing as a precaution due to suspected (unconfirmed) norovirus, would hold off on going there for a bit lol

Edit: they have re-opened as of June 19, fully sanitized and ok'd by Vancouver Coastal Health. Cause of illnesses still being investigated.

^ holy fuck.. really?

Not surprising at all considering how big that place is and having 100+ taps etc lol

I've tried the pho at both places the past few weeks and Pho Ten is DEFINITELY far better than Red Pagoda pho-wise (not sure about other items).

Pho ten's broth was delicious sweet and savoury (though I am pretty sure they use MSG), beef was tender and good doneness to noodles.

Red Pagoda's broth was bland (though no MSG, I've had better no-MSG broths) and noodles were overcooked and mushy.

Sinh Sinh Vietnamese 8/10

Broth is a tad bit too sweet, beef is very tender and not chewy like many other pho places. Also they serve the bean sprouts, basil on a tray with your bowl so you have your own separate pile. They also have a flat screen TV so I watched the soccer game. I also tried the spring rolls. They're larger than the usual size and have a nice crunch.

What sets this place apart from the others is the plates, bowls, decor and cleanliness. It's probably the cleanest Vietnamese restaurant I've ever been to.

yako sushi 9/10 1 of the better sushi places in van

All Stars Sports Bar- Robson/Thurlow (used to be Moxies) 5/10

Didn't know that Moxies closed down and has turned into a sports bar. Opened up not too long ago apparently.

They had lots of tv screens inside, but the place felt weird as it was quite bright inside. I'm more used to the typical bars where it is darker.

Food was average. Beer selection was just ok. They have an extensive menu with many different flavours of wings; but to me they were just average.

I don't think this place will last, should be gone within 5 yrs I think.

pho Khang Richmond #3 and williams

new pho place that just opened:

$8.25 for large. Big portion and noodles dont clog together.

8.5/10, will be back again

Cafe de L'Orangerie located on 1320 West 73rd Ave.

It's a French and Japanese Style Cafe. The Carbonara and Desserts were pretty good.

9/10

Went to a few places over the week.

Phnom Penh: 8/10

The wings, for some reason, isn't as "crack-y" as it once was. I'm not sure if it's the actual product, or myself developing different tastes. Regardless, it's still the best chicken wing in the city imo.

Had the "tong choy" again after a long time not ordering it. Damn it's so good. Salted yellow beans have such a complex flavour. I'll be on the lookout for a bottle so I can make my own at home.

Luc lac- always good. Take out tip: get the luc lac without rice and eggs (it's about $16). A few bucks more yields about double the meat. Make your own rice and eggs at home, and voila- a meal for 3-4.


Via Tevere Sandwich truck: 9/10. Great sandwich. Fresh ingredients. Right serving size. Not as expensive as other food truck fare (I paid about $8).


Via Tevere Pizza: 8.5/10. See above. Personally, I'd get the sandwich as it tastes very similar (I got the same things in both the sandwich and pizza), and the serving size of the pizza is only slightly more. Way better than Famoso imo.

Fable
9/10

This place is doing it right. Really good ingredients cooked simply but well. They set me up with a tasting menu for my fiances birthday.

Started with chickpea fritters one of their signature items. very good
beetroot tar tar was solid except for their "smoked" cracker which was a little to bitter for me.
Their famous "canned" tuna, was excellent and well balanced.
Mains were trout with warm kale salad which was awesome
They had a feature squash blossom tempura which we added and it was excellent.
Then we had duck breast with quinoa with a bunch of stuff in it which was killer, definately the best quinoa we've had.
dessert was also great with lemon parfait and chocolate panna cotta with home made oreo.

Saw Trevor from top chef there too, looks like he's doing good for himself since he's top dog now!

Will return to try their gnocci which looked amazing since we were sitting table side in front of the kitchen.

Good service too, attentive but not overly.

"Vietnamese" or "Cambie Vietnamese restaurant" on main and king edward.

9/10

Long time regular.
Service is top notch for a vietnamese restaurant.
Food is good and price is fair. The VN combo is my favourite.

Lady Bella Bistro Korean on Robson.

9/10
good food good drink good atmosphere. Good times. Portion is great for pub food if you order something like a seafood noodles it'll fill you up or you can bring half of it home.

kimchi tastes properly kimchily not like something so hot you can't down. Properly tastefully spicy. TV always play some kind of Kpop chick band MV that's a plus for many.

verdict: nobody nobody but you?

That is a properly written review.

Cactus Club 8/10 food was not that bad

BURGR at Planet Hollywood, Vegas

10/10! Seriously the best burger I've had! Bf got the Hog Burger, pork burger cooked to a perfect medium with an amazing apple jam. I had the Britannia Burger, perfect medium rare beef burger with a mango marmalade. SAO GOOD! The parmesan truffle fries were good, not amazing. Overall, I'd go back any day!

La Grotta Del Formaggio. 9/10 compared to other sandwich places out there.

It's an Italian store/deli by Commercial and 2nd that happens to make really good sandwiches. Haven't been there in almost 8 years (when I used to work in the area) so thought I'd try it out today. It was just as good as I remembered.

Sort of like Subway where you pick your bread & toppings, except you have MUCH BETTER ingredients to choose from. Split a whole focaccia with my wife (salami, provolone, oil & vinegar, mayo, Dijon, pickled spiced eggplant, roasted red peppers, artichokes, sundried tomatoes, lettuce/tomato) and grilled. We both thought it was great.

Will definitely be going back. Can't believe I waited this long.

^ i take all my dates there. epic for the last 10 yrs. no compliants ever

Why would people eat not fully cooked pork products especially from an unknown supply chain is baffling.

lao shan dong homemade beef noodle house

8.5/10

first time there, mmm it was tasty

Splitz Grill in Whistler, BC

The Legendary Splitz Burger with fries and Coca Cola - 10/10. Hits the spot every time and never disappoints. :sweetjesus:
http://bcrdukes.com/wp-content/uploa...7/14070060.jpg

Boulevard Oyster Bar - 9/10

good atmosphere, good service. room is sufficiently lit

had the seafood tower, rib eye and complimentary desserts

seafood was fresh and and rib eye was a perfectly cooked medium rare.