Favorito Pasta Trattoria

Located near the busy intersection of Cambie and Broadway (and across from Sportmart as you can probably tell) is this quaint little pasta place that I was first introduced to by my boss. It didn't look spectacular on the outside nor the inside, but the food itself is pretty good!

Inside is kind of dark and I don't really like sitting beside the windows since they are so many passerbys. I think this is a mom and pop joint since the only server/host is a sullen, Italian (I'm pretty sure) man who I've seen every time I've come. Bearing that in mind, service isn't expected to be the greatest but since it's never overly busy, the wait times are bearable.

I've only been for lunch so I'm not sure about their dinner menu but at least 95% of their pastas are $12 or less and they do have a wide selection of pasta. I also must say that the past dishes are quite large but not Anton's large but the quality is much better. (For the record, I think Anton's is only about portions and nothing more)

Once you've ordered, you're treated to a basket of fresh, crispy bread with some butter. The butter comes in a relatively big ceramic cup which leads me to believe that it's probably been re-used and the bottom portion is nasty. However, I can't complain about free, hot bread.

Scallops ~ $10.95 - mushrooms and scallions in a cream sauce. This is probably my second favorite dish here. My friend really liked it and since she's a tiny girl, she was only able to finish about half of it.

Salmone affumicato ~ $10.95 - pink smoked BC salmon sauce. I had this and it's my most favorite dish here. There's a lot of salmon and overall just tastes great. It's unfortunate that I tried this one first because once I find a dish that I like, I tend to stick with it. I like the penne style of pasta but you can pick whatever type you prefer.

Bolognese ~ $10.95 - tomato sauce with lean beef and fresh herbs. My friend had this and said it was only okay relative to the other dishes she's had here. Other than the two listed above, others that I like include the favorito chicken and the cajun chicken. I've attached a picture of one half of the pasta menu for your reference. The other side has a few more pastas like carbonara and also includes the liked of stuffed pastas and lasagna.

I think this is a great place to grab lunch and go for a casual dinner with friends and family. It's comfortable, quiet and cozy but probably not a special, romantic kind of place but good for the first date =p



Favorito Pasta Trattoria

552 West Broadway St.
Vancouver, BC V5Z1E9

Tel: (604) 876-3534

Tomokazu Japanese Restaurant

I usually stop here in here once every 2 or 3 months for their AYCE lunch which I think is a great value at $11. Add about $4 for the unlimited sashimi (yes, there is no limit) and you'll have your fill of unlimited sushi for about $18 after tax and tip.

Tomokazu is one of my favorite places for AYCE cause I think the pricing is of great value (although I've only been there for lunch and late night) and the quality is decent too. The place is really close to the giant Toys R Us sign so it's hard to miss. Parking is all over the streets on Broadway but they have their own little underground parking lot which I think you still have to pay for anyway. This place also goes by the name of Ninkazu... I don't know why the owner doesn't update their business cards but probably cause no one bothers to take one.

I really like the openness and the decor of this place. At the end, they have their Japanese style booths and their own little rock garden. However, I don't like their washrooms or at least the way to get there. Plus, you've gotta get through two doors to leave so you have to save that paper towel and since they don't have waste cans nearby, you leave it by their gas tanks on the way back to your table.
They have a pretty good selection of food and the sashimi has always been fresh for me. I'm normally a fan of salmon only but I think the tuna here is even better than the salmon. Granted, like any other AYCE joint, they won't bring you everything that you list down, but they do get the majority of it. The food comes at a relatively quick pace with enough spacing in between for us the finish our previous plates. Concerning food, my only big complaint is the lack of dessert since it's just hard jello but I do like the fresh oranges they also have available (listed as fresh fruit). Overall, food is pretty solid but not out of this world.

I know AYCE isn't for everyone and expectations usually aren't high but this is one of the few I really like (the other is E-Bei on Granville but I haven't been there for years.). For what it's worth, I can tell you that I think Fish on Rice and Kawawa sushi are not very good AYCE joints.

My fondest memory of this place has to be when I came with a group of friends after late night studying at SFU and one guy had a little too much to eat too quickly. He said he needed to #2 and then stood up. After 5 seconds, he said "oh, it went away" and then sat down and continued eating. Maybe there's something alluring about Tomokazu's food that makes you just want to keep on eating... or maybe it's because their washrooms are gross and that you'd rather go home to do your business.


Tomokazu Japanese Restaurant
201 - 1128 West Broadway
Vancouver, BC V6H1G5
Tel: (604) 677-0434

The Fish House in Stanley Park

Meal time: Saturday 7:00pm

I came here for a friend's birthday on a dark and rainy night. I had the address ready in hand but still found the restaurant a little hard to find especially since it's shrouded somewhere in the forest. There is a parking lot but I believe that it is free parking after 6 pm.

It looked really nice and festive inside but on a rainy night, it's probably expected that it'd be empty. Actually, it just happened that out table was on the more open side while the other side was more dim and quiet. I suppose they figured we'd be a rambunctious bunch and placed us so.

Salmon frites ~ $8.75 - These tasted alright and weren't oily. It did come with aioli although it was already flavorful on its own. I didn't think it was worth the price though. I think potato fries are still better.

Steamed Mussels ~ $12.95 - I didn't eat this since I don't like shellfish but my friends that did noted that it was a fair share and that it was good.

Sticky Chili Sablefish ~ $29.95 - 6 oz. piece of fish and it came with a tasty risotto cake and it was quite good. The other option for those comparing is the simply prepared 8 0z. sablefish for a $1 less and it comes with mashed potatoes instead of the risotto cake. It also came with snow peas and either spinach or some kinda Chinese vegetable... I would've preferred vegetables other than these offerings.

Some kinda salmon special with veggies and a skewer of prawns ~ $35 - My friend said this was ok and was debating between this and the salmon bake which came with a $25 price tag. Once he saw the salmon bake my other friend ordered, he immediately regretted his decision. He said it was good but not great.
Seafood Bowl ~ $27.50 - I did not have the privilege of eating this but my friend said it was good. Take it for what it's worth shellfish lovers.

Overall, good but not memorable. Although our side was just us, the service was relatively slow. Our waiter, who also happened to be a young Chinese guy, seemed more interested in being buddy-buddy rather than serving us. When we got our bills, I put mine together with a guy friend since we split an appetizer and our entrees were almost the same price and he made a gay remark. When a guy combined bills with two other girls, he said "wow, menage-a-trois!". Seemed the waiter's mind was in the gutter and I was left thinking "damn, I should have combined with those girls instead." Unfortunately, automatic 18% gratuity.

Some of us ordered dessert and there were two birthdays. The guy brought out two desserts n a candle and we all started singing. We thought it was complimentary. After about 10 minutes, a girl (the gf of the birthday boy) mentioned that her dessert hadn't come. Turns out that the dessert with the candle given to the birthday boy was actually hers.

One other thing, Fish House allows you to combine different types of fish instead of getting one 8 oz. of the same one. If you look at the prices, if you're splitting with a friend, you're both better off getting an 80z of the same fish twice and splitting it amongst yourselves. Gee, this place is just full of surprises!

This has nothing to do with food or the Fish House but it was taken that night near the edge of the parking lot near Steamworks while it was raining and I thought it was nice, that's all.


The Fish House in Stanley Park
8901 Stanley Park Drive, Vancouver BC
Tel: (604) 681-7275
The Fish House

Federico's Supper Club

Hey all, sorry for the long hiatus as I had to take a break to study for my final exam so I'll try to make it up by having putting up a few more than usual reviews. Thanks for being patient yo.

Meal time : Saturday 8:00PM

My friend decided to celebrate her birthday here cause they had live entertainment, dancing and of course, good Italian food. Since we had a group of over 10, we had to select from a set menu which had about 3 selections for each course so there was some variety.
The scene of the singers and dancers with the dance floor. The floor itself is kind of small, maybe enough room for like 20 people? Unfortunately, way in the back hall in the top centre of the picture is where the washroom is so if you're on the other side (like we were), expect to waltz through to the washroom when you gotta go.

Our waiter, who reminded me of Frankenstein's hunchback assistant, was quite assertive and in-your-face. When we sat down, he remarked that it didn't look like we had enough room. We said we were fine and were within talking distance. Apparently, he didn't agree and started moving people's placements farther away and even moving some of us while we still seated. Perhaps he might need more room but the rest of us don't eat with our elbows on the table. Anyway...

Vitello Tonatto - thinly sliced veal loin with tuna aioli and capers - So... I guess this was good but not memorable. I don't normally like to eat veal though but it was the only appetizer with meat so I had no choice.

Linguine ai Frutti di Mare - linguine with fresh fish, shellfish, tomatoes and garlic - I didn't get to try it cause I don't like shellfish but my friend said it was so salty that she actually needed to take a sip of water after every bite. It was subsequently taken back into the kitchen where a new plate was made. By then, it was too late as her taste buds had already been "assalted" haha


Bistecca alla Griglia - grilled flat iron steak with juniper berries with sauteed vegetables. This was alright but like the veal, wasn't memorable. I did find the plate a tad small though.


Some kinda seafood pasta - sorry, I forgot the name and while going back to the menu, I was unable to locate it so it may have been a limited offering. My friend said it was good though.

Torta al Cloccolato - flourless chocolate cake - The first of 3 desserts I got to sample. It was extremely sweet. It was still good but my least fave of the 3.

Creme Brulee - i like creme brulee and this great, but not out of his world great. A bit more sweeter than I'd liked though. 2nd fave.

Tiramisu - I liked it a lot although as with the other 2 desserts, it was a little too sweet. If i had pick only one, it'd be the tiramisu.

The food was good but not awesome. The 3 course meal came out to be $40 without the 18% gratuity and taxes. For this alone, I wouldn't have thought it was worth it., especially the gratuity for the in your face server with the pompous attitude. However, likely the other part of the cost goes towards the entertainment.

I must say that Federico (the owner) is a great singer and entertainer. He's Italian but he also sung in Spanish, Mandarin and Cantonese which was totally crazy and put my Chinese to shame. He was singing more of the classics although he did take a request to sing a black eyed peas song which was neat. Unfortunately, the time we came was also the same night that what appeared to be the mature Chinese singles dancing association and they took over the dance floor with their elegant moves. I was especially impressed with the pimpin' grandpa who appeared to have a whirl with all of the ladies. If only I could be as smooth as him in my senior years.



Federico's Supper Club
1728 Commercial Dr.
Vancouver BC, V5N 4A3
Tel. 604.251.3473
www.federicossupperclub.com
reservations recommended

Ebisu

Meal time: Saturday 7:00 pm

I've been here about three times and so far, so good. Parking is on the streets but I believe they have a back lot. This place used to be Hooters and I remember because I once got a $45 parking ticket here so this area does hold a lot of bad memories for me. Admittedly, I initially liked this place cause they had pretty waitresses but I now go more for the food ha ha.

tuna tataki supreme ~ $8.50
this dish was a really good starter but I think that the tuna tataki at Cactus Club tastes way better. Kinda strange considering this is a Japanese joint.

prawn & cheese gyoza ~ $5.85
the dish also comes with guacamole and some tortilla chips. Filled with yummy gooey cheese-ness, but unfortunately, there were only 6 pieces.


kinoko mushrooms ~ $4.80
after clogging my arteries, i figure i needed some veggies. Kinoko means mushroom in Japanese so we got the mushroom mushrooms. This dish looked a lot better in the picture but it was alright. It comes with two shittake mushrooms and a bunch of enoki mushrooms and you can dip it into the ponzu sauce on the side.

colossal cheese yakitori ~ $5.50
after i had my veggie fix, i decided to go back for some artery-clogging action and when they say colossal, they are not kidding. In the end, it's a chicken skewer with cheese melted on top. It's one of those dishes that taste awesome when you first taste it and then it kind of loses its appeal thereafter but still good.

pacific tuna whirl ~ $6.95
deep fried tuna on top of chopped scallop, avocado and tobiko. Pretty good cause i like chopped scallop rolls.

mentaiko yakiudon ~ $8.50
i had this with the kimchi add-on and it was very good and was not overly spicy. wish i got this dish earlier cause i was feeling really full by the time this dish came along.

creme brulee cheesecake ~ $6.50
This cake was absolutely delicious and a great way to top off the evening. Although I was quite full from dinner, it was so good that I wanted to order two.

Four times visited and four times left satisfied (food-wise). Service was fast but inconsistent. I'm normally not one to complain about getting my food quickly but getting 4 dishes at once is a little too fast especially if one (the mushrooms) is roasting over a fire. It just means we have to eat that dish first while the others liked the melted cheese skewer become cold. Also, if you want tea (a standard in Japanese restaurants), you have to pay for it... but that's ok cause I like water.

One last thing - they do NOT do separate bills. I mean, we had a party of 18 and we are paying an automatic 15% gratuity, so I'd expect something as simple as separate bills to not be an issue. And in the end, despite rounding up, our group was short $30. If you come with a large group and want separate bills, either:
1) come late so you can order at a different time from the rest of the group, or
2) say you don't knew the rest of your table, but they don't mind your presence since nothing brings strangers closer together than food.

So in the end, despite the shortcomings above, I still like the place cause I like the food and I think it's of great value. And the waitresses? Sorry ladies, but you lose your hotness when you say we're short $30 at the end of the night =/


Ebisu on Robson
827 Bute Street
Vancouver, BC V6E 3Y4
Tel: (604) 689-8266
Fax: (604) 689-8335
http://www.ebisu.ca/ebisu_robson

Sushi Town

Meal time: Saturday 6:00 PM

This place is probably my most favorite Japanese place in Burnaby. They are usually packed so I'm used to the line-ups but it was to my surprise that it wasn't exactly hustle and bustle on a Saturday night. Normally when you venture in, you'll have to write your name on the whiteboard to reserve your spot. If you're standing outside, they will come out and call your name which is great. The decor is that of your run-of-the-mill sushi joint. The place is also better suited for small groups unless you plan on going during non-peak hours.

It's a rather small restaurant but it's not cramped. Parking is also an ease with the street and neighbouring school parking.

I presume most of the waitresses are in high school and are mostly Korean but there are Chinese too. I usually get great service here which can probably be attributed to my being Chinese but looking kinda Korean. Don't expect to be waited on hand and foot, but so long as you put up your hand, be patient and understanding, you'll get everything you want.

The restaurant is also Korean owned so the sushi is Korean style which I absolutely have no problem with so long as it tastes great.

The main differences between Korean style sushi and Japanese style sushi are:
- Japanese style consists of the basic ingredients and takes a minimalistic approach whereas Korean style is packed with vegetables and meat and looks very colorful and flamboyant.
- Japanese style is dipped in wasabi while Korean style is dipped in sesame oil.

The rolls are fairly sized and come out in 8. You can probably tell what I mean now when I say colorful but then again, these are their special rolls.

Double Dragon roll ($8) ~ cucumber, masago, avocado and unagi inside. More unagi and avocado on the outside. By the way, masago is smelt (i.e. the orange stuff) and unagi is eel. Pretty good and crunchy. Probably my second favorite of the 3 rolls we'll look at.

Mangodise roll ($5) ~ crab meat, cucumber and mango on the inside. shrimp on the outside. i don't really like this roll and it probably has to do with the fact that there's a raw shrimp on top and I don't like raw shrimp. Even without the shrimp, I don't particularly like this roll.

Awesome roll ($9) ~ crab meat, cucumber, avocado and masago on the inside. Salmon, green onion, masago and bonito on the inside. Bonito are the dried mackeral flakes you get that I'd think were gross by itself since I don't like dried fish but taste good here. My picture makes it look unappealing but I can tell you for a fact that it is definitely awesome!

Spicy Tuna Sashimi ($8) ~ Even though I can't take the spicyness without getting at least 5 glasses of water, I can't help but pass this up because 1) for $8, you get a ton, and 2) it tastes great! I believe they marinate their tuna which is why it tastes so good. I know other places would give you the tuna sashimi and put chili paste (i.e. Kawawa, that place in Metro) on the top and call it spicy tuna. For your information, that kind of spicy tuna is crap.

Ton Katsu combo ($9) ~ I think it was $9, that or $8 but I think it's an okay price. You get your standard bowl of rice and some green and two pieces of deep-fried awesomeness. My friend got a chicken katsu so we each swapped a piece. We were unable to tell the difference between the two in terms of taste. For some, that may be a problem. For others, it tastes like any other fried food - good.

Sushi Town offers a great deal of value and the quality of the food is always good. Staple eats are the spicy tuna sashimi and the awesome roll . My only complaint is the wait . Sometimes I'm so hungry that I just want to erase the names of the people in front of me.



Sushi Town
5935 Hastings Street
Burnaby, BC V5B 1R7
Tel: 604-294-6155

Pho Van

Meal time: Sunday 1:30 PM

This is my third time here and judging by how my first two experiences were, I wasn't really looking forward to lunch but when you're hungry, you're hungry. To the left of the restaurant is a parking lot and there's always the streets so the parking here is definitely ample.

I recall the first time I went inside, I was almost blinded by the bright neon lights that were made worse made by the mirrored walls. I've since grown accustomed to it but I still find it kind of psychadelic and aggravating. I guess the lights help you feel like you're in the 70's. That or the owners really like rainbows. They also have a large flat screen TV at the back which always seems to be playing a Vietnamese version of "Dancing with the Stars". I asked my Vietnamese friend if girls in Vietnam (he went back last Summer) look like that and he said no - only the Western born Vietnamese do.

Anyway, the restaurant itself is mid-sized but it can get really cramped during peak hours. You'll probably find yourself doing a lot of seat adjusting with the tables next to you coming and going.

Small beef balls and soup ($7) ~ The bowl was surprisingly big and it had lots of noodles and its fair share of beef balls, and in the end, it was quite good. I don't normally eat pho but this will probably become my staple meal whenever I come here. The broth is also very tasty as well.

A minor thing but I don't understand why they fill the soup all the way to the top. Yes, we get more but if your fingers are touching it, it's kinda gross.

Normally when i eat Vietnamese foods, I like to go for the rice plates. but unfortunately, I don't like their rice plates here. I had a lemon grass chicken and a lemon grass pork chop my previous trips and I could only eat about half of it given the fat/inedible content of the meat.

We also had spring rolls - they were alright but I wasn't exactly looking towards get a second order.

Service is what you expect from a pho place. They are very busy but manage very well. You can't really expect them to notice you unless you put up your hand but they are prompt once they get the signal.

Pho Van is a decent place to get your pho fix but not your rice plate fix. It's not a place I plan to return to on my own accord but the next time my friends suggest we eat here, I'd be a lot less hesitant to go - that is, until i get sick of beef balls in soup.

Pho Van
3370 Fraser Street
Vancouver, BC
Tel: 604-872-2879