Eating in Vancouver—like a local
Catherine Tse
Can’t resist eating your way through a city? Vancouver’s got you covered. But leave the Best Of lists at home. Those are great for special occasions, but what about every day? Instead, eat like a local and check out these 10 fabulous eateries that Vancouver foodies favour for delectable bites at affordable prices.
Campagnolo Upstairs
Catherine Tse photo
campagnolorestaurant.ca
Upstairs offers a menu full of more-ish meals and snacks but, you come for the burger. The Dirty Burger. This modest yet mighty burger is made with cow neck meat, a robustly flavourful yet traditionally overlooked part of the cow that requires masterful butchery
(a specialty here). Deceptively simple: 4oz patty (ground fresh daily), American cheese and house-made pickles on a freshly baked Scottish bap bun, intensely rich and delicious. There’s a limit of 16 each day (and often sells out).
Insider’s Tip: Extra toppings are available but kept a secret. Be nice to the nice bartender and he’ll divulge.
Dinesty Dumpling House
Catherine Tse photo
dinesty.ca
Get your dumpling fix at this northern Chinese restaurant. You’ll find offerings here not normally offered in the more popular southern Chinese restaurants in town. Definitely try the delicate xiao long bao, steamed dumplings filled with meat and soup.
Another specialty here is smoked duck, served with soft, fluffy rice buns you use to wrap around the meat tortilla style.
Insider’s Tip: On Wednesdays they offer a special of beef noodle soup and potstickers for under $10.
Forage
Welbert Choi photo
foragevancouver.com
Chef Chris Whittaker is a locavore champion who elevates farm-to-table fare with complex yet comfy food.
The menu is a sparkling example of sustainability. Ocean Wise seafood, proteins with minimal environmental footprints and has been zero-waste from day one.
Not to miss: Their award-winning seafood chowder, miso-glazed duck breast and anything with crackling.
Insider’s Tip: Every Sunday through Wednesday at 8pm, they draw for a chance to win a bundle of local meat.
Go Fish
Catherine Tse photo
This is literally a shack on the Seawall, just off Granville Island, that serves fresh and delicious seafood. The service is often surly, but if you can gloss over it, the food and killer views are well worth it.
The fish and chips are always a hit, but if they have oysters available, get the oyster burger.
Insider’s Tip: Locals in the know skip the lineup and service-with-an-attitude by calling ahead and placing an order to go.
Grapes & Soda
Carlo Ricci photo
grapesandsoda.ca
This is Vancouver’s first all-natural wine and cocktail bar, featuring an impressive list of natural, organic and biodynamic wines from around the world.
The food menu consists of seasonally inspired soulful food that’s delicious on its own, but is best when supporting the wine. Traditionally, wines are picked to complement a meal. Here, it’s the other way around.
Insider’s Tip: A glass of wine is just $7 during happy hour (5-6:30), a bargainous way to try biodynamic wines if you’re new to them.
Lucky’s Doughnuts
Catherine Tse photo
luckysdoughnuts.com
See? Vancouver’s not just about kale and quinoa. Lucky’s doughnuts are handmade in-house throughout the day, and feature delightfully and deliciously playful flavours. The mango-passion fruit is a bestseller, as are the PB&J and coconut Bismark. If fancy’s not your game, the classic glazed is actually Doughnut Master Colter Jones’ favourite.
Insider’s Tip: Grab a coffee and doughnut for a flat $5. Coffee here, it should be noted, is local 49th Parallel, and is fantastic.
Minami
Minami photo
minamirestaurant.com
Aburi style sushi is the specialty here, where beautifully crafted pieces of packed rice and seafood are torched and topped with gem-like garnishes and sauces. Try the artfully plated aburi sushi sampler to whet your senses if you’re new to aburi.
While an omakase (chef ’s choice) dinner is usually prohibitively expensive, compromise with their shokai dinner, which serves a parade of their signature dishes.
Insider’s Tip: Happy hour features beer and gyoza for $10.
Nuba
Catherine Tse photo
nuba.ca
This Lebanese restaurant goes through 3,000 kg of cauliflower every month. Why? Order Najib’s Special and you’ll be hooked at first bite, even if you’re a staunch vegetable hater.
This fried cauliflower dish is hands down their best seller, but more traditional mezzes and daily fresh specials are popular draws. Finish off with Turkish coffee, rich and fragrant with cardamom.
Insider’s Tip: The Secret is an off-menu item known by select locals, a medley of mjadra (lentil stew), avocados, home- made pickles, crispy onions, taboulleh and hummus.
Rangoli
vijsrangoli.ca
Helmed by Vikram Vij (yes, of the more upscale and impossible-to-get-into Vij’s restaurant), Rangoli delivers the same modern Indian flavours with a scaled down menu and more casual vibe.
While the grilled chicken flies out of the kitchen, there are also a couple of fantastic vegetarian options not to overlook. In fact, a warning: If you order the Portobello mushroom and red bell pepper curry, be prepared to defend your plate from even the most devout carnivore.
Insider’s Tip: If you’re a fan of chai, order it at the beginning as they generously refill throughout your meal.
Royal Dinette
Fred Fung photo
royaldinette.ca
Grab a seat at the counter and watch the action from their pasta, pastry and butcher stations. On that note, order the gnocchi if it hasn’t sold out already.
The general philosophy here is one of creative sustainability. Chef de cuisine Jack Chen has a magical touch for this and heads the restaurant’s Ugly Duckling dinner series, which transforms off-cuts, vegetable scraps and spent grounds into delectable, comforting meals.
Insider’s Tip: From 5-6pm daily, you can get their house-made pasta and a glass of wine for $22.
Catherine Tse is a Vancouver-based travel writer who understands that the best way to know a city is to eat your way through it.