Hanoi Old Quarter: Chicken Wings and Banh Cuon

Hanoi Old Quarter is one of the many Vietnamese restaurants that dot Victoria Drive. The sister restaurant to Mr Red Cafe, Hanoi Old Quarter similarly focusses on northern Vietnamese cuisine.

Montana’s BBQ and Bar (Tsawwassen): Buttermilk Country Chicken and Ribs

To say that we don’t visit Tsawwassen much is an understatement. Located in the southern tip of Delta, most people wind up here if they’re heading to the ferries, to do some US shopping at Point Roberts, or if they’re heading out to Tsawwassen Mills (that large outlet shopping centre on Tsawwassen First Nations land). We were here for the latter and, after finishing our shopping, we stopped by Montana’s for lunch.

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Shiok Singaporean Cuisine: Beef Rendang and Roti Prata

Shiok is a newish Singaporean restaurant that opened up on Kingsway in mid-2019. I dropped by for some takeout in early October. The food’s pretty good so I might wind up coming back to try their dine-in service.

Nahm Thai Bistro: Whalley Thai Food

We don’t wind up out in Surrey very often so I’m usually at a loss of where to go to grab some good grub. On a recent October weekend, we found ourselves out in the Whalley area and decided to try out Nahm Thai Bistro. As is usually the case with us, the Google Maps information told us that it should have been open but their actual opening time was a half hour later (darn you Google!). Since we didn’t know what else was around the neighbourhood, we just decided to wait until they opened.

Bun Cha Ca Hoang Yen: Special Fish Cake and Vermicelli in Soup

It seems like I’ve been waiting pho-ever to try this place out… Okay, go ahead and groan… that was a bad pun. As their name implies, this Vietnamese restaurant is well known for their specialty pho… a fish cake noodle soup (bún chả cá).

Little Minh’s (Formerly Most Valuable Pho): Vietnamese Food in Burnaby

In early April, we noticed that a new Vietnamese restaurant called M.V.P had opened up recently in the Market Crossing complex on Marine Drive in Burnaby. I was a bit confused by the name at first until I learned that it stood for Most Valuable Pho. As things turned out, they had to change their name at the request of their landlord (because there are other competing tenants that also serve pho)… hence their new name… “Little Minh’s”.

Chaise: Gastropub Eats

Contrary to what you might think, Chaise on Main isn’t a furniture store where you can find an assortment of lounge chairs… it’s actually an eatery in the Riley Park area of Vancouver with a gastropub concept. It does have a bit of a bar vibe going on… complete with a waitress that’s a bit on the gruff side.

Cafe Sweets & Beans: Wing Tower

On the corner of Kingsway and Burlington in Burnaby, it’s difficult to miss the large, turn-of-the-century, Johnson mansion (also known as “Glenedward”) whose main upper floor has been occupied by Sushi Oyama for a number of years. What many people might not remember is that this building once housed a funeral home until the early 80’s… something which has always been the focus of ghostly rumours among those of us that do know of the history of this location.

Dundas Eat and Drink: East Van Fusion

For the better part of my childhood, I grew up in East Van… specifically, in the area close to the PNE. Back in the day, it was hardly the place known for being able to find restaurants of any kind. However, over the last few years, a new bunch of eateries have popped up around the northeast corner of Vancouver.

The Viet Noodle Guy: Modern Take on Classic Vietnamese

Everyone has their own favourite spot for pho. In the past, this usually meant some hole-in-the-wall noodle joint that’s seen better days. The Viet Noodle Guy kicks that trend and seems to be doing quite well at it.

Broken Rice: Bánh Khọt

It’s been a while since we last visited Broken Rice in North Burnaby. This Vietnamese restaurant located on Hastings Street has always been a spot where we knew we would get a good quality meal. Unlike most Vietnamese restaurants which seem to be hole-in-the-wall joints, Broken Rice seems to be of slightly higher ambiance with beautiful blue and white dishware.

Cactus Club (Richmond Centre): Nothing New Here

Late last year, Cactus Club opened up in Richmond Centre. This popular chain restaurant (similar to Earls, Milestones, and Joeys) reinvented themselves years ago from the kitschy cow-themed decor to a more stylish offering with waitresses that are garbed in tight black dresses. We recently found a need to head over to Richmond Centre and noticed that they blocked off a section of prime parking spaces so Cactus Club could offer special VIP parking ($6 for Cactus Club patrons or $12 for Richmond Centre shoppers). Something about that just didn’t sit right with me given the already busy parking situation here.