I love food...
Vancouver is such a paradise for foodies, especially if you love seafood. Also, you can find varieties of cuisine here. Of course, I won't say everything is good. Be honest, not all restaurants are good or money worth. I stayed here long enough and tried a lot of places, and even tried the dine out , food festival, night market..etc
Iet me think where to start... Ok. Let's start with different cuisines, then I will talk about my top picks.
See my Food Map on Google...
https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=214257038843812542917.0004dabe6c7669edd5b41&msa=0&ll=49.205486,-122.952805&spn=0.281283,0.727158
Iet me think where to start... Ok. Let's start with different cuisines, then I will talk about my top picks.
See my Food Map on Google...
https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=214257038843812542917.0004dabe6c7669edd5b41&msa=0&ll=49.205486,-122.952805&spn=0.281283,0.727158
Pacific Northwest (Seafood)
The seafood in west coast is fresh, however the variety is limited compare to asia. Usually we can get Salmon, Sole, Cod (Ling cod, Rock Cod) , Hailbut fresh and frozen Tuna, Sabrefish, etc from elsewhere. Dungeness crab is all year long but getting more pricy now because of export. King Crab is tasty however only during End of March to April is less expensive when the season start (Usually $200-300 for whole king crab). Spot Prawn is amazing in the season start and can get down to $9 per lb or less. Oyster is fresh and cheap if you know where to get it. :)
Salmon - Other than sashimi. I find out deep fried or maple grill usually make it too dry. Once the salmon is overcooked, there is something of unpleasant odor. The best way to cook it is slow cook. :)
Halibut - Well, there are few places in Vancouver claimed to have the best fish (Halibut) and chips, e.g. the dock one. They over charge and quality is getting worst now. I rather go to Washington State and have a tasty fish and chips in Le Conner.
Cod - Steam it with soy sauce is better than deep fried it.
Crab - Steam it, or make crab cake. :)
King Crab - Don't eat the frozen one. Try to go to a Chinese Restaurant and eat it. Steam the legs. Deep fried the upper legs with chili pepper salt, or with salty egg yolk. However, you have to know a trusted restaurant. The meat is sweet and juicy if it is chopped and cooked fresh.
Spot Prawn - Steam it or boil it fresh. That's the best way to eat it. I've went out by boat and caught some and ate it as sashimi. That's another tasty way.
Oyster - Of course, go to Lobsterman and shuck it myself. I love Kusshi and Fat Bastard. Kusshi is sweet. Fat Bastard is creamy and rich in minerals. Few years ago, I had one that has a scallop kind of shell oyster which is very creamy and very rich in minerals. Too bad, I forget the name. :( I also like to go to Taylor oyster fan in Washington State. I love to shuck the oyster and eat right away at their patio. What an awesome experience!!
Salmon - Other than sashimi. I find out deep fried or maple grill usually make it too dry. Once the salmon is overcooked, there is something of unpleasant odor. The best way to cook it is slow cook. :)
Halibut - Well, there are few places in Vancouver claimed to have the best fish (Halibut) and chips, e.g. the dock one. They over charge and quality is getting worst now. I rather go to Washington State and have a tasty fish and chips in Le Conner.
Cod - Steam it with soy sauce is better than deep fried it.
Crab - Steam it, or make crab cake. :)
King Crab - Don't eat the frozen one. Try to go to a Chinese Restaurant and eat it. Steam the legs. Deep fried the upper legs with chili pepper salt, or with salty egg yolk. However, you have to know a trusted restaurant. The meat is sweet and juicy if it is chopped and cooked fresh.
Spot Prawn - Steam it or boil it fresh. That's the best way to eat it. I've went out by boat and caught some and ate it as sashimi. That's another tasty way.
Oyster - Of course, go to Lobsterman and shuck it myself. I love Kusshi and Fat Bastard. Kusshi is sweet. Fat Bastard is creamy and rich in minerals. Few years ago, I had one that has a scallop kind of shell oyster which is very creamy and very rich in minerals. Too bad, I forget the name. :( I also like to go to Taylor oyster fan in Washington State. I love to shuck the oyster and eat right away at their patio. What an awesome experience!!
Chinese
Japanese
Sushi - My # 1 sushi place is a small one in Richmond. It is family run. Its name is Sushi Hachi. I had the best Otoro there before but they no longer carry it because of the quality of toro in the market is going down. It is a result of over fishing. Their Ikura is the best in town. Well. There are tones of 5 stars review on yelp, etc, I am not going to repeat it here.
My casual sushi for lunch is sushi Zero One. Cheap, good quality and good portion. They are like a take out shop. I love their Uni Don. Their hamachi is good too.
The others on my list are: Yohachi in Lonsdale North Vancouver, Tsuki sushi near Tinseltown Chinatown, and sushi Kimura on Rupert, Burnaby.
However, I haven't found the best Omekase and best Unagi Don in Vancouver yet.
For Japanese cooked food, I will say Hi Genki near Kingsway Burnaby is one of the best.
I know in San Francisco, the best omekase is at Yume, Alemeda. However, I missed it twice. If I have chance, I will go there again.
My casual sushi for lunch is sushi Zero One. Cheap, good quality and good portion. They are like a take out shop. I love their Uni Don. Their hamachi is good too.
The others on my list are: Yohachi in Lonsdale North Vancouver, Tsuki sushi near Tinseltown Chinatown, and sushi Kimura on Rupert, Burnaby.
However, I haven't found the best Omekase and best Unagi Don in Vancouver yet.
For Japanese cooked food, I will say Hi Genki near Kingsway Burnaby is one of the best.
I know in San Francisco, the best omekase is at Yume, Alemeda. However, I missed it twice. If I have chance, I will go there again.
Korean
Steak
Tapas
Greek
Middle Eastern
Indian
In general, the Indian food in Vancouver is pretty good. However, there is one in Surrey called "Tasty Indian Bistro" serve excellent food with excellent atmosphere. I like their Channa Bhattura, Chicken Tikka, and any kind of curry. I remember I had some kinda salad but forget the name. :(
Gelato
Best one must be Bell Agelateria in Vancouver Downtown. Must try Vanilla, Green tea...
Burgers
At the end, what is our West Coast signature food?
I have no idea. We haven't created one this is unique in terms of favor or technique for west coast.