Must Try Food For Your Trip to Vancouver
Intro
Vancouver is special for the foodie world because of the density of high end, critically acclaimed restaurants within the city. It’s home to 12 Bib Gourmand restaurants and 8 one-star Michelin restaurants. This means, if you stay within Vancouver proper you’ll have access to 20 Michelin guide restaurants within 30 minutes walking distance. Trust me, in the summer you’ll want to walk, the weather here is amazing! Now, onto the guide.
Yaletown
Tasty Indian
The vibes, the atmosphere, stupendous. The food and drinks, relatable. You’ll enjoy Tasty Indian because the Yuppy modern interior betrays an intense expertise of Indian cuisine. You’ve never had a paneer quite like this. The Tandoori Paneer Tikka is gonna light up your day and give you something to write home about. If you happen to come during lunch hours, enjoy a very generous veg or non-veg Thali, here known as a lunch tray. The Thali comes loaded with dahl, two pieces of tandoori (grilled) chicken, garlic naan, and your choice of butter chicken (my choice) or lamb curry. All this for less than $20 USD!
RV’s Butter Chicken
If you want a more laid back atmosphere that harkens to your days of eating tikka masala in a roadside restaurant in the heart of your favorite Indian city then you need to make your way RV’s Butter Chicken. They have none of the frills of Tasty Indian but all the heart and talent. Personally I’m obsessed with their Paneer Tikka Masala, but their naan alone is worth the hike. You’ll also be impressed with their spicy chili chicken wings, that’ll leave you regretting you ever put BBQ sauce on a piece of chicken. It’s time to nut up and go to RV’s fam.
Honey Brew
Honey Brew is plain and simple the best dessert spot in Vancouver. Yes! There are a lot of good spots in Vancouver to get dessert. The problem is, they close early and don’t have strudel!!!! If you know what’s good for you, you’ll walk over to Honey Brew at 9:30 PM, while the sun is still out in Vancouver, and order yourself a strawberry & rhubarb strudel with ice cream and whip cream. Maybe get yourself a coffee, go crazy, it’s your world we’re just living in it. The point is, Honey Brew is open for late night rendezvous with the strudel of your choosing. If that isn’t good enough for you, I think you need to assess your priorities.
Happy Noodle House
If you need a quick hit of Xiao Long Bao, Happy Noodle House is more than willing to oblige. You’ll need a lot of time because they have a well endowed waitlist and are short on dining space. What’s great about Happy Noodle is their ability to serve up Chinese classics without having to travel to Chinatown or Burnaby. While they may be in the heart of gentrified Vancouver they still serve up the hits as good as the rest of them.
Xiao Long Bao!!!!
Gastown/Chinatown
Hy’s Chophouse
Hy’s is going to be your go-to for special occasion dinners, or if you just want a proper steak during your stay in Vancouver. Hy’s a steakhouse’s steakhouse filled with old world knick-knacks and do an unconvincing job of fooling into thinking you’re an earl of a small plot of land in the county of Essex. The interior screams “quiet luxury” and the food is exceptional. If you insist, get a 16oz ribeye, but if you want to pamper yourself, get the steak au pouvoir. One of the really fun parts of Hy’s is their commitment to making you feel like that dirty duke in Robin Hood stories. Order the Bananas Foster and enjoy a very exciting table sideshow full of flames and steel. You’re gonna feel good when you leave Hy’s!
Black Rice Izakaya
Do you like sushi? Congrats you’re a basic Yuppy. Now, do you like exploring some of the furthest reaches sushi can take you? If so, you should mail it in to Black Rice Izakaya. They have some of the most excellent cuts of sushi I’ve ever had. This is all very surprising considering their humble circumstances. Black Rice isn’t trying to impress anyone, they just are. Come on over for great sushi, reasonable prices, and no-frills interiors.
Kissa Tanto
Wow, wow, wow. I don’t think I’ve ever fallen in love with a restaurant faster in my life. Just wandering through Chinatown, you would never spot Kissa Tanto. It’s a hole in the wall that quickly blooms into a Michelin guide restaurant as soon as you begin ascending the set of stairs that greets you at the entrance. When you arrive at the summit, you’re greeted by a funny scene. It’s similar to a high-class, candle-lit, 5-star-hotel, diner. The food is a fusion of Japanese and Italian. They have a ribeye that’s to die for but honestly anything on the menu is going to make you nostalgic for this night whenever you return to your sad corporate or blue-collar life. Arrive after 9PM and make sure you get a martini or negroni, it’s one of those places.
Burnaby
Crystal Mall
Do you like Chinese food? Do you like a lot of Chinese food? Do you like a lot of Chinese food all at once? Do you like saving money? Well hop on a long-ass metro ride to Crystal Mall. You’re going to get off at Metrotown station and you’ll walk yourself to the food court on the second floor of Crystal Mall. From there, order the best Xiao Long Bao of your life, the best Chinese BBQ combo of your life, and a wonton soup to cap things off. Seriously though, please order as much food as you think two of yourself can eat. It’s excellent and cheap food!
Chung Chun
On your walk to Crystal Mall, make a quick stop at Chung Chun and order a mozzarella rice dog. You’re welcome!
North Vancouver
Tap & Barrel
If you want to soak in the city’s great views, take a ferry ride across Vancouver Harbor to North Vancouver. Once you’re there, hit up Tap & Barrel for a killer view of the city, especially when the clock strikes 9 PM and their late happy hour kicks in. Now, the real deal is their Happy Hour steak frites – trust me, it’s a mouthwatering dish. And here’s a tip: pair that bad boy with their happy hour red wine recommendation, and you’re in for a great hang. Tap & Barrel gets how to blend good food, epic views, and prices that won’t break your piggy bank. It’s a spot you don’t want to skip, whether you’re a local legend or just passing through.
Squamish
Watershed Grill
If you’re one of the thousands of people who do the drive to Whistler for a day trip on Saturday or Sunday, think about stopping for lunch/dinner at the Watershed Grill. The food is decent, they can’t mess it up. The reason to stop here is not for the mediocre bar food, it’s for the gorgeous views of the Squamish river. Most places you can stop along the way to Whistler are gonna be pretty basic but none of them have this view! Trust me, stop at Watershed and plop yourself on one of the picnic benches along the river bank.
Kitsilano
Vij’s
Honestly, you may just want to move to Kitsilano, if you’re a food lover. It has a high concentration of Michelin guide restaurants, the best of which is clearly Vij’s. The dishes here were all new to me, something I always love to see. I also hate it when upscale restaurants jip you on the food, don’t worry Vij’s is far from this case. The whole vibe here is just like hanging out in your rich, Indian, besties living room while his mom cooks you dinner after school. The naan bread is so fluffy and doesn’t stop coming; you will leave Vij’s nice and stuffed! If you’re a non-veg person, do yourself a favor and order the lamb popsicles. If you are veg, God bless ya, get yourself a samosa the size of your heart! It’s a rare person who wouldn’t enjoy Vij’s, so make sure to get a reservation in advance.
Delara
Another Michelin guide restaurant in Kitsilano, I’m telling you, Vancouver is stacked. I truly think Delara is best enjoyed in the day. There’s a lot of natural light pouring into this restaurant and it creates a laid back and happy atmosphere to enjoy lunch or an early dinner in Vancouver. Get acquainted with the interesting and subtle flavors or Delara. The food here is complicated and pretty to look at, but is also hearty. Don’t worry, you’re gonna walk out of Delara feeling satisfied. I’d recommend a dish that comes with the Crispy Saffron rice. Months later I’m still thinking about that rice, and so will you!
Victoria
Fantan Cafe
There’s a lot of generic restaurants and breweries to check out in Victoria and if that’s more your speed then more power to you. For those interested in a more local connection think about visiting the Chinatown in Victoria. On the main drag of Chinatown you’ll find a very funky store front. Inside the funky storefront are some of the best noodles you’ll have in Canada. Fantan Cafe has got a small interior so I’d recommend taking the noods to-go. If you’re trying to avoid soy like I am, order the Singapore Rice Noodles with chicken. I love the curry taste of these noodles and they’re not as heavy/greasy as most other stir fried noodle dishes.
