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Local ethnic restaurant, where in vancouver

Discussion in 'Food, Drinks and Dining' started by alidav, Oct 23, 2010.

  1. alidav

    alidav New Member

    We are arriving in Vancouver, in downtown, next week for a month, we love ethnic food,
    will be so struggling to make the right choice,
    we love to explore but any suggestion is welcome anyway,

    can you write here a link, of a guide with all info, about locations, prices, happy hours etc?
     
  2. milquetoast

    milquetoast Senior Member

    I think you need to be more specific than ethnic, what type of ethnic cuisine do you enjoy?
     
  3. alidav

    alidav New Member

    indian and japanese
     
  4. chowtimes

    chowtimes New Member

    Hi Alidav:

    For Indian, you won't go wrong with Vij's: http://goo.gl/y0kr
    They don't take reservation, so be warned that the wait could be excruciatingly long (sometimes 2 hrs!).
    The best thing is to get in line for the opening (at 5PM I think) ... go about 15-20 mins before opening.
    They are only opened for dinner.
    It will be worth your wait.
    You MUST try the Lamb Popsicles.

    If the wait puts you off, then try next door Rangoli.
    Vij's and Rangoli belongs to the same chef.
    Rangoli is a cheaper cousin of Vij's.

    Other Indian restaurants I personally like are:
    Saffron - best all you can eat: http://goo.gl/eomu
    Dakshin - far from downtown Vancouver but best Biryani: http://goo.gl/bHtQ

    For Japanese, forget sushi and go for an authentic experience.
    I suggest either an Izakaya or a Ramen house.
    Lots of it along the Robson corridor ... all good.

    If you are a bacon guy, I think you will love this one:
    The Pork Belly Beer House!! http://goo.gl/zUM1

    Ben
     
  5. milquetoast

    milquetoast Senior Member

    Vij's will be the most commonly suggested restaurant, but it's more Indian fusion than pure. For more standard Indian fare, try Saravanaa Bhavan, Chutney Villa. I've heard good things about Akbar's Own but haven't tried it personally.

    If you end up around Fraser - Main and 49th (Punjabi Market), there are a lot of restaurants and shops where you can buy little snacks like samosas, pakora or Indian pastries. It's a decent option for lunch if you want a more home cooked feel to your meal. http://www.tourismvancouver.com/visitors/vancouver/about_vancouver/neighborhoods/punjabi_market

    For Japanese, I second trying an Izakaya, but be warned that it's hard to get full from them! (I really hate tiny portions... even if the food quality is perceived to be higher, I can't enjoy it if there's not a sufficient quantity of it.) Just walk along Robson Street and see what catches your eye. Some names to look out for: Guu, Kingyo, Zakkushi and Hapa Izakaya. Everyone has their own preferences, but I find Guu seriously overrated. Lately I've noticed a lot of Korean restaurants along Robson and some of them are pretty good too.

    For ramen, the area around Denman and Robson downtown is a hotspot. I think there are 5 or more ramen shops in the area (not a fan of ramen so I'm not up to date with the latest news). The biggest names are probably Kintaro Ramen and Benke. As for sushi, I wouldn't drop it entirely. There's decent sushi all over the sushi and it tastes good despite most places being not so authentic. For really high end sushi, there's Tojo's if you have a lot of money to blow on a dinner. Octopus Garden is a popular option (still expensive compared to Chinese run joints, but way cheaper than Tojo's).

    With that said... to really appreciate Vancouver's dining scene, you need to try authentic Chinese food. :)
     
  6. milquetoast

    milquetoast Senior Member

    Pictures are a better incentive than words :D. From none other than Chowtimes:

    [​IMG]

    I love bacon and pork belly, will have to check it out sometime.
     

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