The Xiang Cuisine
(Xiang yuan Hunan shifu)
(604) 437-0828
Address: 4850 Imperial Street, Burnaby

Menu: Page 1; Page 2; Page 3; Page 4; Page 5

Tastes of Hunan Heat
A Quick Bite

By Desmond Cheung
Eat Vancouver writer

I hadn’t been fired up by any Hunan heat in Vancouver since the closing of Hu Nan Chinese Restaurant (see Eat Vancouver review ‘South of the Lake, North of the River’) over a year ago. So when our ever-attentive editor told me that some fellow foodies had recommended the Xiang near Metrotown, we didn’t hesitate to gather a group of friends to try it out. I’d never been to Burnaby either, so this seemed as good a reason as any to head that way.

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The New Bohemian
(604) 736-7576
Address: 3162 West Broadway (map)

A First Look at The New Bohemian
a Quick Bite

By Jason
Eat Vancouver writer

First, a brief disclaimer: I visited The New Bohemian on its opening night, a night when no restaurant should be judged at any level of discrimination (would you like to be rated on your first day of work?). In fact, one could argue that it’s pointless to attempt a serious review during a restaurant’s first two weeks of service, a task that should be reserved for amateurs and The Globe and Mail. Being neither, I will attempt a modified quick bite, in which I will comment more on the overall concept of The New Bohemian in order to focus on the aspects that should remain relatively stable.

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Sai-Z
(604) 732-7249
Address: 3116 West Broadway (map)
Homepage

‘Sai –Z’ing up
a Quick Bite

By Desmond Cheung
Eat Vancouver writer

Any visitor to Vancouver will notice that there are Japanese restaurants aplenty here. The city’s Japanese fare range from all-you-can-eat satisfaction to the exquisite Omakase dining experience, yet Japanese food lovers should always welcome a new quality restaurant, especially one such as Sai-Z where the unusual décor and an exciting menu should appeal not least to the fashions of its Kitsilano neighbourhood.

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Taco con Chile
(778) 371-3508
Address: 1308 Burrard St (map)
Menu

Hannah Montana
a Quick Bite

By Jason Chin
Eat Vancouver writer

Have you ever had the feeling that things are just a little bit off? Nothing that was overtly wrong, just an alteration in some key details that made things just a tad disconcerting? Kind of like finding out your mom listens to hip hop music, or seeing a 40-year old guy eating alone at Chuck-E-Cheese. That feeling pretty much sums up my experience at Taco con Chile the other week.

I was taking the bus home when I spied a large Mexican flag in a storefront that certainly wasn’t there a few days ago. Intrigued, I jumped out of the bus at the next stop to scout out this new territory. And a strange new land it was. Housed in a small little space on Burrard is a homage to all things Mexican: the aforementioned flag, stacks and stacks of imported Mexican products, and Mexican music blaring from a boom box. Like the guy carrying around mistletoe at your office Christmas party, it was trying too hard. I proceeded to the counter to check out the menu, which is filled with all of the usual suspects: tacos ($1.75 each), burritos ($7), enchiladas (oddly described as 2 tacos for $8) and tortas ($5). I decided to go for the $6 dinner special including two tacos, rice and beans. After a bit of thought I opted for one pork taco and one al pastor, a notion that was quickly rebuffed by the cook who told me they are actually the same thing. Never mind that they are listed separately on the menu, this was my second major warning sign.

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Pied-à-Terre
(604) 873-3131
Address: 3369 Cambie St (map)
Homepage

If you build it, they will come
a Quick Bite

By Jason Chin
Eat Vancouver writer

Canada Line Schmanada Line.

For the record, I never asked Chris Stewart or Andrey Durbach if they were worried about building their new little French bistro on construction-ridden Cambie Street. But if I did, the above would have to be their answer, right? With businesses on Cambie bailing out left and right (notably, Tomato Café’s exodus to Broadway), opening a new restaurant would seem to many a recipe for disaster. But it all fits Stewart and Durbach’s apparent mantra of late: If you build it, they will come. Take a location not typically known for fine cuisine, such as La Buca at 24th and Mcdonald and now Pied-à-Terre on Cambie. Add in simple but expertly prepared regional cuisine, seasoned staff, small but comfortable room, fair prices, and you’ve got yourself a hit. Of course, it’s a bit too early to tell with Pied-a-Terre, but word on the street is they’ve been packing them in since opening, my visit last Thursday being no exception.

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Mistral Bistro
(604) 733-0046
Address: 2585 West Broadway (map)
Homepage

Very tres, tres bien.
a Quick Bite

By Mark Freeman
Eat Vancouver writer

Cheese. Of all the elements in the universe, cheese is one I value the most. And when it comes out of a goat, I appreciate it even more. And when I stopped by Mistral Bistro on Broadway at Trafalgar and they took two thick medallions of wonderful goat cheese, browned them and set them on a bed of organic greens with two paper thin slices of very fresh, light prosciutto I was so overwhelmed by how delicious this appetizer was that I almost didn’t want the main course, I just wanted more of the goat cheese salad.

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Annapurna
(604) 736-5959
Address: 1812 W. Fourth Ave
Homepage

Goddess of the Harvest gets tired, retires.
a Quick Bite

By Mark Freeman
Eat Vancouver writer

I really wanted great Indian food last Sunday and I really wanted my first review to be a positive one. But there are times in life when we can’t have the things we want.

I had a date that night, so to take the focus off of me and my many faults, I suggested we review a restaurant and focus on their faults. It turned out that the restaurant I wanted to review, Jolly’s Indian Bistro on W. Broadway, is closed on Sundays, so my date and I decided to check out Annapurna, on 4th, near Burrard, which serves vegetarian Indian cuisine. Luckily, my date was a vegetarian. She’s probably iron-deficient, but an attractive, knowledgeable expert on vegetables.

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Takis Taverna
(604) 862-1336
Address: 1106 Davie Street (map)

More Assembly Line Greek
a Quick Bite

By Jason Chin
Eat Vancouver Editor

There’s something about Greek food that apparently makes it very easy for the restaurant to fall into a deep rut. It may be the nature of the food, or perhaps even the expectations of the customers, but the result is that these Greek restaurants eventually turn into mindless food factories churning out mass quantities of the same old jazz.

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Riddim & Spice
(604) 215-9258
Address: 1945 Commercial Drive (map)
Menu

Chicken. Good.
a Quick Bite

By Michael Chin
a Special to Eat Vancouver

Do you remember the scene in the Fifth Element, where Milla Jovovich has just been recreated, and has to bone up on like five thousand years worth of history? And in the midst of the huge study session she gets up, pops a few pills in the microwave and a huge chicken comes out? Well I’ve always been envious of the technology, but that’s not really the point. It’s what Milla says right after she grabs the bowl out of the microwave that I want to point out. With a huge grin she remarks, “Chicken. Good.” Now those were always words I lived by.

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Kaplan’s Star Deli
(604) 263-2625
Address: 5775 Oak Street (map)

L’chaim!
a Quick Bite

By Jason Chin
Eat Vancouver Writer

My friends know that I dine out a lot, so I often get asked for recommendations. I can usually answer their questions easily but sometimes I do get a little stumped; such is the case when I’m asked where to find a good deli in Vancouver. I usually reply rather unfairly and tell my friend to hop a plane to New York or Montreal. That is until now. I believe I have found one quality Jewish deli in Vancouver, and it’s probably no surprise to many Vancouverites that that establishment is Kaplan’s Star Deli.

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