Irashai Grill

Located on Pender between Broughton and Jervis was the Irashai Grill with its ample street parking along Pender at $2.00 for 48 min (I think).  Classifying itself as more of an upscale izakaya place, I was pretty interested in trying it out especially with my trusty groupon. Came on weekday afternoon around 1 and was surprised to see only one other big table in the restaurant.  The host was gone and we had to wait about 2 minutes before he came back and took us to our table.  I believe the place is also Chinese-operated in case you were hoping for authentic Japanese.

The bar and lounge, and the dining area look like two completely different places with the dining area looking very upscale with the dark colors and brown leather chairs while the lounge area looks like a club with all the ceiling lights and round red booths.  There are TVs up in the bar area to appease those want to catch up on their hockey scores.  They were playing L'arc en Ciel in the background which was cool.

Red Tuna Sashimi ~ ($18) - While aesthetically pleasing, you could probably tell that $3.83 for a piece of sashimi probably wasn't worth it but you have to figure you'd know what you're getting yourself into at these places.  However, the tuna was very fresh and tasted great.

Lobster Roll ~ ($23) - 8 fairly sized pieces of sushi with a big lobster tail garnish at the end.  Inside you get the deep fried "lobster", mango, asparagus, tobiko and spicy mayo while shrimp and crab on the top.  They technically gave us scampi which is a variety of lobster but more like a jumbo prawn.  The scampi was overdone and kind of chewy. So after knowing that, I felt that it was a rip-off.

Sky Plate ~ ($14) - This is the more upscale lunch bento box (they had standard ones for $10) and it includes: 2 tiger prawn tempura, 2 vegetable tempura, 2 pieces of tuna sashimi, 1 piece of snapper and sockeye salmon sashimi, chicken teriyaki and your choice of 6 pieces of dynamite/california rolls and miso soup.  The tiger prawns were real, the chicken teriyaki was more like soy chicken without the deep fried goodness, and the dynamite roll was mainly a big chunk of shrimp with spicy mayo.  I wasn't very impressed with this plate.

Matcha Creme Brulee ~ ($5.50) - Good flavor but small quantity.  Nice teardrop plate though.

Overall rating: 6/10 - Irashai Grill has a very nice decor and atmosphere and the service was really good and attentive.  Food was tasty but overpriced and you definitely wouldn't get any value here.  Even though I had a groupon, they had to take a $2.50 administrative fee so that my $40 groupon soon became $35.  $35 might seem like a lot but that amount is already gone in two dishes and you'd still be left starving.  If you'd been keeping track of prices, a $70 lunch for two is pretty steep and I think there are better izakaya places out there where you'd get more bang for your buck. 

Irashai Grill

1368 West Pender Street

Vancouver BC V6E 4S9

604-688-8697

Dutch Wooden Shoe Cafe

Found this quaint little place while looking for places on the South Cambie Street and had heard good things about it. Apparently, this place is the originator of the De Dutch franchise you see around. I went to the one near 2nd and Yukon and didn't like it so I was hoping for a lot more here. As for parking, there are meters along Cambie or you can park in the residential areas for a further walk.

I came here on a Sunday and the place was absolutely buzzing with a lineup stretching out the door. But seeing as how I anticipate these things in advance, I made reservations and saved myself 30 minutes :) The interior is plastered with everything that reminds you of the Dutch and they also have photos of the patrons lining their walls. It's the kind of environment that made me feel that this is a very inviting place.

The Windmill ~ $12 - smoked sausage, edam cheese, spinach, tomato slices and a fried egg. Pretty good but not as flavorful as the ones below. For a bit of a culinary lesson, this is called a pannekoek which is essentially a dutch pancake but it contains no sugar. It has a diameter of 31cm so you know you're getting something pretty big.

Smoked Salmon ~ $13 - smoked salmon, mushrooms, spinach and tomato slices with hollandaise sauce on the side. I was wondering where the smoked salmon and mushrooms were but it's actually embedded within the pancake and was quite tasty.

John Dy's Favorite ~ $12 - grilled ham, gouda cheese, tomato slices, sauteed mushrooms, onion rings and parsley. Of the three that we ordered, this was my favorite as it had the most flavor.

The Dutch Wooden Shoe Cafe is a great place for breakfast or brunch. Their hours are normally from 8 to 3ish which is unfortunate as I'd love to go here for a late night snack. It can get pretty busy so if you have a large party, reservations are definitely recommended but despite the hectic pace, they have great service. The place has a wide variety of sweet and savoury crepes and of their pannekoeks, they have 28 different kinds so I'll definitely be back to try the other ones that they have! Smakelijk eten :D

Dutch Wooden Shoe Cafe

3292 Cambie Street

Vancouver BC V5Z 2W4

604-874-0922

Goldfish Pacific Kitchen

So I decided to head over to Goldfish Pacific Kitchen for the Taste of Yaletown. It's about a block away from the Yaletown-Roundhouse skytrain. For those that drive and want to park along Mainland, the meters are $2.00 for 40 minutes. If you've never parked along Mainland Street, it does get pretty tight.

So once you step in, Goldfish is pretty nice inside. It has a comfortable lounge and the big bar up front with TVs tuned to sporting events.

For seating, you've got your tables in the middle and the booths along the side. For what it's worth, the lights behind the booth do change color and it does offer a lot more privacy. I ended up sitting at a table and the chairs were comfortable.

For more variety, they even have the high chairs and you also get a glimpse into the kitchen. So overall, pretty cool and I do like the lights above the tables.

King Crab Tempura ~ ($6) - king crab tempura with avocado and bacon in it. Being that it was fried, it was most excellent. It's normally close to $19 so I imagine that if you got this regularly, you'd get at least 3 pieces but can't say for sure. Very good but pricey.


Tuna poke ~ ($6) - chopped ahi, scallop and hamachi with taro chips. It's bigger than it looks and is very refreshing and the taro chips are excellent. It's normally $14 so maybe you get 2? In terms of taste, I like the king crab more but this is a great dish which offers more value.


Bison Flat Iron Steak ~ ($25) - 6 oz. bison steak with coriander potatoes and broccolini. The steak was very good and tender. I'm not a big fan of broccolini but I liked the potatoes. It's normally $28 so what you see is what you get.

Creme Brulee ~ ($6) - it's infused with white chocolate and jasmine which is interesting and the tastes are very distinct. However, I'm more partial to the traditional creme brulee. Also note the neat goldfish they drew on the plate! Normally $8.

Chocolate lava cake ~ ($6) - lava cake with vanilla bean gelato seems to be a staple for desserts at most restaurant these days. It's a tad on the small side and I'd say I still prefer Joey's lava cake over every place I've had lava cake at. Also normally $8.

Banana spring rolls ~ ($8) - Not part of the normal dine out menu but too tantalizing to pass up (per our waitress' suggestion) are these warm banana spring rolls with hazelnut butter and pieces of lychee. It comes with two dips: caramel and creme anglaise but I found myself only using the caramel. Very good if not a rip off for 4 pieces of very yummy deep fried banana.

Overall: 8/10. The whole place is very nice with a great decor and atmosphere. It's quite big so it'd be great for parties. I had the dineout menu so all of the above (except the banana) cost $35 plus gratuity and tax. For most of these places, it's quality over quantity so I knew what to expect and while most places suck during Dine Out, it was very good here. It didn't look like a lot but I was quite full but at their regular prices, I find the cost to be a little steep. Our waitress was very friendly and prompt and I think it's always a nice touch when the owner/manager asks you if you're enjoying your dining experience. Goldfish is a place I'll go there for promotional dine outs or for parties, and while the value isn't quite there for regular dining relative to other nearby restaurants, I'd still check it out again.

Goldfish Pacific Kitchen
1118 Mainland Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 2T9
604-689-8318

La Terrazza

Sorry for the delay as I had to purchase a new computer since my old one died and unfortunately, a lot of photos were on there too... oh well, time to start again. So I'm in a diet pact with some friends and after three weeks of eating very healthy, we decided to treat ourselves to what we missed most... carbs! We decided to check out La Terrazza given its relatively good reviews and we were craving pasta that was not Anton's... There's parking along Cambie and Pacific and since it's not the main part of downtown, meters aren't bad.

We were greeted and taken through the lounge to their main dining area. It's a very nice and spacious room; they even have an outdoor area. It'd be a perfect place to take a date with the intimate setting, dim lights and the soft classical music playing in the background.

Lumacche ~ $14.88 - sauteed escargots with wild mushroom-filled pasta envelopes. Very good and you can really taste the escargot. The only other place where I've tried escargot was at Les Faux Bourgeois and if I had to recommend between the two, I'd say LT is more authentic although LFB is like $6 cheaper and tastier because of the salt.

Pizzeta de mare ~ $14.88 - flat bread crust with tuna, avocado, and a cilantro aioli. I really liked this dish and wished there was more. It was cut into 4 with each piece being about the size of a credit card and a half so while good, a tad pricey. Reminded me of the flat bread at Sciue but softer.

Risotte de mare ~ $21.88 - risotto with tiger prawns, sweet peas and a shellfish broth. It was ok... and I realized three things from this dish: 1) it comes with baby tiger prawns, 2) peas mixed in a pasta (or even a rice) doesn't mesh and 3) I don't like shellfish. This was the only risotto dish so you have to take what can but I think I'd try another dish next time.

Ravioli - ravioli with butternut squash, cheese and truffle oil. It was a dinner special and I can't remember the details but it was more pricier than the other pastas. Portion-wise, it was the smallest of the three but my friend really enjoyed it.

Penne a l'arrabiata ~ $17.88 - pancetta with mushrooms in a spicy tomato sauce. It was alright although the sauce had a much stronger kick than I had originally anticipated.

Torta d'amore - I forgot the dessert prices but I believe each was around $8 or so. This is essentially molten lava cake with vanilla bean gelato. It's good but you'd get better value at Joey's which I believe has the best lava cake dessert.

La creazione - white chocolate cheesecake wrapped in a pastry shell with sour cherries. I liked this one more than the other dessert.

Overall rating: 7/10 - the decor and atmosphere were incredible and that was probably the best part of the restaurant for me. For an Italian restaurant, their pasta selection was limited so that was a little disappointing. Personally, I enjoyed the appetizers more than the entrees but I would definitely be willing to go back and try out different dishes.




La Terrazza

1088 Cambie Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 6J5

Tel: 604-899-4449

Hub Restaurant and Lounge

Located conveniently right in front of the Yaletown-Roundhouse skytrain station is Hub which used to be formerly known as Brown's Socialhouse. I've walked by this place a couple times and figured it was time to give it a shot.

I went here for lunch during a weekday and it was pretty dead but then again, I guess it's like that for most of Yaletown. It looks like your standard restaurant and bar. We sat at a table near the bar and you probably want to sit at the cushion side since the outer chairs are hard. One interesting thing I noted was that if you had on the outer chairs, you'd be facing away from the TVs but they had these glass panes on top of the cushion chairs so that you could watch the TV off the reflection but in a reverse kind of way.

Beef dip ~ $14 - the dish was ok. I'd say that if you were feeling like beef dip, then you should just go to Milestones instead since theirs is way better.


Crispy chicken club ~ $14 - my friend said that this was pretty good. I am not sure too what else to say about it myself.


Kobe meatball linguine ~ $18 - the picture is a little out of focus but anyway, pasta dish with 3 meatballs and a piece of garlic bread. I didn't try this so I can't form an opinion but on the other hand, I didn't hear my friend say "mmmmmm" while eating so take it for what it's worth.


Meat lovers pizza ~ $14 - the pizza was ok and a tad on the spicy side. My friend is a small girl who can't eat much so this was good for her, but for big, hungry guys, you wouldn't be full off of this.


Halibut fish and chips ~ $17 - I was debating between this and the seared tuna salad but eventually (and regrettably), this won out. The coleslaw was ok but the fish was terrible. If you've ever dipped your fried tempura into the tempura sauce, took it out and then ate it 10 minutes later, it would be gross since it'd be soggy. Well, that's what you'd get with this dish. No crispness, just sogginess and even worse, it was dry on the inside.


Rating - 5/10 - Maybe I'd go back to chill afterward since they have $6 appies from 4 to 6 but for main meals, I'd probably look elsewhere and that's mainly because my dish sucked but everyone else's was just ok. I think there are better restaurants around here but they just happen to be super close to the skytrain. One other thing is that if you'd like the waitresses to take a group pic of you, you're better off setting up your own because it's like they've never used a camera before. Harsh? Yes, but so were my fish and chips.

Hub Restaurant and Lounge
1165 Mainland Street
Vancouver, BC V6B5P2

Tel: 604-696-0400

Les Faux Bourgeois Bistro

This neat little gem is hidden in between Fraser and Kingway so it can be hard to miss. I've been hearing many things about this place and have wanted to check it out for a long time. There is minimal street parking along 15th street in front of the restaurant and I'd also suggest going early or making reservations because it does fill up quickly. My friend and I got there around 6 on a Saturday night and were relegated to the bar.


We sat at the edge of the bar which was actually comfortable and ensured that we'd get prompt service as the bartender/waiter was always in front of us. The restaurant is loud, boisterous and lively so it's certainly not a place where you'd want to bring someone for a quiet, intimate night. It's pretty small and quaint inside. Nothing really redeeming but then again, no one ever really goes to a restaurant just for the decor.


Escargots de bourgogne ~ $9 - so I had this dish on a dare since I'm not very adventurous with food but I actually liked this a lot! Three crostini with about ten pieces of escargot. I thought it would taste like oysters but it was more like mushrooms with a chewy texture. The dish was saturated with parsley, garlic and butter. It was pretty salty and I liked it a lot!


Canard confit ~ $17 - crispy duck confit, potatoes, green beans and port jus. I thought it was pretty good. However, my friend thought this was just ok and said that the best duck confit she's ever had is at this restaurant called Tapestry on Denman and Robson so definitely must check it out. She also ordered mashed potatoes which cost a whopping $5 for a scoop about the size of an apple which was very bland and plain. That was kind of a rip-off.


le steak frites ~ $17 - hangar steak with red wine jus and frites. It's a pretty big plate with lots of fries so it's a pretty salty dish. You also have the option of green peppercorn or herb butter with your steak instead and I wish I had the peppercorn. Not that the dish wasn't good but just a personal preference. I'd probably try something else next time though.


Creme brulee ~ $6 - There isn't really much else to be said about the creme brulee here other than that it was good but somewhat forgettable. We also ordered a nut crusted chocolate silk cake for $7 which was very sweet and which my friend didn't like since she didn't enjoy the texture of the nut crust.

Overall rating - 8 - I would definitely return as there are a number of other things that I'd live to try on the menu. For a French restaurant, it doesn't break the bank and it tastes good too. The service was very good and attentive as the waiter always came to check up on us. The atmosphere was lively but not loud enough that I couldn't have a normal conversation. Perhaps the only thing I wish were that the desserts were just as tantalizing as the rest of the menu.

Les Faux Bourgeois Bistro
663 E 15th Ave
Vancouver, BC V6T 2R6

Tel: 604-873-9733