989 Granville St (at Nelson…ish).

604.677.8080

The Warehouse is famous for a reason – it’s afforable, central, fun, and relaxed. The Warehouse’s rock bar atmosphere goes a long way with me – the music is killer, and it’s impossible to feel uncomfortable or uptight. Most everyone can relax with the vibe here …well, maybe not your Grandma (think of a nicer version of the Cambie). But as much as I appreciate the mood lighting and music what really stands out at the Warehouse is the FOOD PRICES!

Everything on the menu is $4.95 – without exception. Nachos, a burger and fries, quesadillas, salad, tacos, pasta – the warehouse definitely offers fair portions and range of standard fare. Of course, you can add chicken or upgrade to yam fries for an extra $1.55 – but seriously the base price for everything is under $5. Lots of reviews complained of slow service – every time I’ve been there the service has been fine – what do you expect for a $5 meal? The servers will maybe be tipped $1 per meal and they are sorely understaffed for how busy the place is to keep prices down. Of course they can be slow at times! You’re lucky there are servers there at all.

Yes, it’s a pub – yes, they serve delicious alcohol. Regular old standard draft beer pints are available for about $5 – import bottles will run you more like $7, and there is a sketchy drink menu of bad highballs for around the $3 mark. Be warey since the drink menu does not have any prices listed. Stick to what you trust – the burger and a pint of Granville island for a grand total of $10.

Later in the evening it gets full and LOUD! Try to avoid “specials nights” like wednesday wing night – where the service turns horrible and the place gets PACKED – it’s not worth it to get food that’s even cheaper than $4.95.

The Warehouse is the perfect place to grab a bite and kick off a night of drinking downtown.

Recommended: the mushroom swiss burger – you won’t find a better burger downtown for the price, that’s for sure. Dave Fairweather raves “there’s a taste party in my mouth every time I bite into it!”. Thanks, Dave!

Bonus: Heated outdoor seating is available.

Double bonus: open until 2am everyday of the year. For serious. And they serve breakfast on the weekends!

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Perfect pairing:

Queen – a kind of magic

The amber food truck painted with Virgin de Guadalupe holding a taco, it’s hard to miss.

The Tofino food truck that is all the rage has finally brought its goodness to Vancouver with its baja-inspired tacos. From black bean or pork gringas (grilled tacos – pictured below)  and really amazing battered cod loaded up with pico de gallo and crispy cabbage; let the mouth watering begin. For a mere $3.5 up to $6.5 the kids working this truck are slaving away to make you a deeeeeelicious taco.

All the great tacos at Tacofino are made from scratch with wholesome ingredients. And they try hard to serve up local, seasonal, and sustainable options. And though they do have veggie selections the vegans are SOL.

Thanks to Tacofino I’ve developed a new addiction: the tuna ta-taco; rare tuna tacos with seaweed and mango…how could you go wrong? Except for the fact that they’re too good and you get addicted after the first bite. Fortunately this addiction is running me a mere $6.50 a pop – it’s definitely worth it to avoid the excruciating withdrawal that comes from not getting my daily fix. However, there has been the downside of blowing off plans with friends or arriving at work half an hour late because I was fiending for the tacos.

BTW I hope you like sauce running down your forearms because there’s no other way to go with the tuna.

If for some reason you are not in a taco mood they have other goodness in the truck – like jarritos (mexican soda made with cane sugar), ice cream sandwiches, and slushies.

Tacofino has one huge downfall. They move around. Usually during the week they’re at Robson and Howe from 11-3 and then they’re at English bay (across from the Raincity Grill) from 4-7. And on weekends they are allegedly at English Bay all day. But they might randomly be in Kits on West 4th. Or nowhere because they took the day off. Or they’re running late. Or they left early. Or their truck broke. Or for whatever reason they are NOT there for you when you NEED them. That’s okay, don’t get upset. You have to think of going to Tacofino as a scavenger hunt. You can’t make plans to go to Tacofino – you just have to be happy to find them. So if you do have the good fortune to stumble across their truck bless your good luck and order a couple fish tacos … and a tuna for me, thanks.

For tips on how to track them down follow their Facebook Page or Twitter

Added bonus: they take debit.

Because we can’t all get out to Tofino every weekend. Though we should try.

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Perfect Pairing:

Foster the People – Torches

This varied album features the super summer hit Pumped up kicks. What’s more summery than tacos and school shootings?

No, I don’t have any pictures (yet). Yes, I’m a bad person.

52 Powell St, Vancouver

604.669.2396

Website

Cobre considers itself to be Neuvo Latino; but what does that mean? Basically, everything good from Mexico to Argentina. It’s all sexy, fun, deliciousness. Cobre’s outside is classic gastown and its inside is draped in understated elegance. From the exposed brick walls to the copper ceiling – you’ll appreciate its quiet sophistication and lack of glitzy kitsch that is found in most mexican restaurants. But enough about the lovely character and the decor – let’s get to the freakingfantasticfood.

Yew tapas! Yes! Who doesn’t wanna get in on a succulent fish taco or quinoa salad? I’m always stoked to share someone else’s tasty food. Everything at Cobre is so delicious you will thank the good god of cooking (Hestia? Andhrimnir?) that these dishes were made for sharing.

The quinoa and Brazil nut salad ($8) is so good – it makes me think Cobre didn’t just jump on the “hip to quinoa” bandwagon – but that they actually know what they’re doing and would serve quinoa even if it wasn’t totally hot with organic earth muffins right now. The addition of orange and the organic baby greens to the quinoa doesn’t hurt either.

The baja rockfish tacos are very likely one of the best things I have ever eaten. For serious. At $3 each – you will fall into food love with these babies. They are perfectly crisp and mouthwatering and the little dose of chipotle in the aioli really hits the spot. The sexy-latin-taste-bud spot. Plus, they come with jicama slaw. Jicama! When do you ever get that at a taqueria? That’s right, hardly ever.

The chicken taquitos were lovely, the chicken was super fresh and it was served with loads of rich garlicky guacamole. And let me tell you: they were so good I clapped after eating them. That’s right – I gave them a sitting ovation. Wait…is that even a thing? Or was I just some idiot clapping at a restaurant? Well, if you’ve ever eaten with me you’ll know the answer.

Oh my, what else did we get?…. the tacu tacu (a vegetarian eggplant and bean dish that is gooooooooood), scallops served with hearts of palm (absolutely delightful- but it’s disappointing to get 3 scallops when you want ten million of them), charred salmon, amazing cornbread with sweet chili butter, wild Mexican sea prawns tacos, and I don’t know what else – but it was all so good! I would go back and order anything, everything. I would give the chef free reign in preparing my dishes. I would happily eat anything they put in front of me.

At $12-15 for most of the dishes it is fully worth every penny. But, as always with tapas, the bill suddenly ends up being $200 and you’ll be left wondering how that happened. Until you remember you tried almost everything AND you had all those delicious delicious drinks. $8 per mojito really runs up the bill. But the stick of sugar cane adorning the drink makes up for a lot. No, really. I appreciate a fancy cocktail. Don’t you? Plus, Cobre actually knows how to properly make a spicy Michelada (how many places can do that?).

The service, the service, I cannot forget to mention the super service. It’s all easy going rad hipsters that are so good at their job they manage to remember all 14 things you order without writing any of it down and they ignore that you’re overly rambunctious (heck, they may even encourage it). They will offer recommendations and make sure everyone knows the process of tapas and the dish sizes. They will clear old plates promptly and refill your delicious cucumber water often.

Veggies beware! There are only 2 or 3 vegetarian dishes. Most everything is very heavy on the seafood. But there are also splashes of duck, pork, chicken, lamb, venison, boar, beef. Nearly something for everyone. Except for vegans. I think there is only one dish that is safe for you.

I would go back to Cobre. I would I would I would. But I have to save up a little first. It’s not an everyday sort of place. Well, it is if you only get one thing. Or if you’re a millionaire. But I would never be able to restrain myself to the point of getting just one thing. And I’m never going to be a millionaire. Sadness, I know.

Make a reservation! This place is fully hip, totes rad, and cozy (even with the second floor and the private room downstairs).

Open for dinner every night from 5pm until sorta whenever. Yea, they’re cool like that.

Gastown – so it’s metered street parking for you.

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Perfect Pairing:

Alice in Videoland – She’s a machine

Swedish electroclash. Edgy goodness that’s perfect for everything from a fashion show to innersection to a drunk dance party.

1102 Davie St (at Thurlow), Vancouver BC
604.633.9950

Hours: 11am-9pm daily (closes at 8pm on Sundays)

Website

Please note: Calli is now closed. Sadness.

TACO TACO. Now, I love Mexican food. If it was up to me I would live in Mexico and eat tacos all day long. But I live in Vancouver where sushi reigns king. Yes, I like sushi. But it’s no taco. I am always on the look out for a delicious taco; but I am lazy. Let me tell you Calli is the best, most affordable Mexican restaurant within a five block radius of my house. Sure, Don Guacamoles is also within a five block radius of my house. But it’s not nearly as cheap as Calli.

Calli is a quiet, affordable little place right in the middle of Davie’s hustle and bustle. The food is warm, tasty and comforting. It’s run by a mexican family. So, yes, authentic. The place is teeny-tiny; therefore, not great to go to with a huge group of people. But it’s perfect for a lunch or early dinner with a friend or two. And it’s a good place to bring the kids. The place isn’t fancy – so the other patrons won’t hate you and there is a very reasonably priced kids menu.

All the ingredients Calli uses are fresh and yummers. I quickly scanned the menu and instantly wanted to try the everything. So I sorta did. I tried the tortilla soup ($6), the beef burrito ($7), the red chicken enchiladas ($8 – pictured above), a carne asada taco ($3.5), the mushroom quesedilla ($3.5), and a chicken mole tortas ($6). All the veggies tasted extra fresh, and the tortillas were warm and delish! Everything was fully good and not dumped out of a can.

The taco (pictured above) was wonderful. Full of beef and cilantro and cheese and onion in a grilled corn tortilla – but for the same price I recommend the quesadilla which is basically identical but also comes with sour cream, lettuce, and tomato.

They let you choose the spice level. I ask for mild (and not surprisingly) found some of the dishes to be bland – but they did bring out a couple dishes of spicy spicy goodness so you can add as much or little as you’d like. This is probably something that doesn’t happen when you get take out – so ask for a side dish of that wonderful spice.

I’ve tried two of the three soups. And they are goo-oood! Man, I love tortilla soup!

I recommend the everything. They have all the regular stuff you love plus a special veggie lover’s menu section, plenty of desserts and drinks including a vast selection of jarritos. And most everything comes in a lunch portion (11am-4pm) so you can get just two tacos/enchiladas/taquitos for $7.90 which is a super deal. But don’t fret! You can always get the full portion of three tacos/enchiladas/taquitos for $10.90

No, there’s no parking. No, you don’t need a reservation.

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Perfect pairing:

White Rabbits – It’s Frightening

This 6 piece indie band was smart enough and fortunate enough to get Britt Daniel to produce their album. Plus, Peter Devries rules and this is the music he used for for his section on Innersection.

1220 Bute Street, Vancouver BC

604.669.8977

Website

Hooray! House of Emapandas is now open at Davie and Bute! Eaters rejoice!

The empanada is dough folded around filling and then baked or fried. The Latin American/Southern European dish is similar to the samosa of India and Pakistan, the calzone of Italy, or the strudel of Germany. The empanada can be savory or sweet depending on the filling used.

At the House of Empanadas you can delight your taste buds with all sorts of  tasty combinations. This Spanish cafe style eatery will please even the pickiest customers. All the ingredients used are organic, grain-fed, and the empanadas are baked (as opposed to fried). House of Empanadas gets its meats from pasture to plate which has a high standard of agricultural practices. It sorta comes down to this: the animals don’t eat garbage and aren’t injected with junk. Which is awesome for both the animal who gets decent feed; and for you – because who wants to eat meat filled with garbage and junk? Not me.

House of Empanadas has a vast selection of both sweet and savory empanadas coming to you in two sizes; bite sized ($1.50, pictured above) and jumbo ($3.95). The jumbos are big enough to stuff you and I would recommend a jumbo savory for a meal and then a bite sized  sweet for a dessert treat. Not only are the flavors original and enticing – there is something for everyone from omnivores, to vegetarians, to children, to regular grown ups.

Here is a photo of a jumbo with three minis. It makes me think of a mama empanada and her litter:

Unfortunately the picture doesn’t do the jumbo justice – because it sorta looks flat in this pic – but it is in actuality a fat, plump, empanada that lives up to its jumbo title.

The jumbo meal sized empanadas have several traditional fillings to choose from:

Beef, spicy pork, jamacian pulled chicken, curried chicken, lamb with goat cheese, garlic butter mushroom, spinach, prawn, and veggie. And can I just say that the pulled chicken was amazingly tender and tasty. The spinach was good too – it felt like there was a weeks worth of leafy greens packed into that sucker.

The bite sized empanadas are a little more creative and a good way to sample unusual flavors:

Beef, curried chicken, spicy pork, spinach, guava cream cheese, mango kiwi, butternut squash, coconut pineapple, apple cinnamon, plantain and chocolate, yam and pineapple, cranberry and almond….and so forth. They are always trying new things and shaking up the menu. Everything is tasty and comes with chimichurri sauce – but they should work on having some sort of spicy sauce offering.

House of empanadas also offers salads, muffins, and soups …. but why would you get anything else when you could be eating tasty tasty empanadas?

The drinks selections include San Pellegrino, agua fresca, kombucha, Jarritos, fresh squeezed juices, and an assortment of mexican and south american sodas you’ve never heard of – but are super. Including this delicious soda that is wildly popular in Brazil:

This soda is great! And fyi goes well with rum.

House of Empanadas is pretty new so they have some silly issues to sort out. They claim to be open now all 7 days of the week from 8am – 9pm. But they weren’t open last sunday at 11am or at 6pm. And the phone number on their flyers and in their window is out of service. They printed up flyers and then changed their number afterwards. Their real phone number is 604.669.8977. NOT 8989 as listed. And even though the place is called the house of empanadas (plural), their website is house of empanada (singular). And sometimes they don’t have jumbo empanadas available. Sadness will be yours if that ever happens to you. But all of that can be forgiven ’cause the dudes working behind the counter are easy going sweethearts and the food they’re serving you totally rules.

Ohhh! And they have bags of plantain chips for sale! Yum! And cookies, and tortilla chips and other tasty treats which would be good for a snack at the beach if you’re on your way to Sunset.

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Perfect Pairing:

Winter Gloves – All Red

This indie rock group from Montreal supplies us with 27 minutes of danceable fun.

So I guess that now makes two bands coming out of  ”the very un-rock’n'roll city of Montreal, Canada”. Thanks for the quote that always makes me laugh, Sean O’Hagan. See the full article (which is awful) here

I know that Pomegranate is known for their tasty late night tapas and upscale cocktails. But I am constantly searching for the best $4 breakfast special that the westend has to offer (I’ve hit up numerous places including Central and Joe’s). My never ending search  led me to pomegranate – which seems desperate to try to attract patrons so they’ve recently opened for brunch on the weekends (well, not always). This Saturday they were clearly closed though they’ve splashed “OPEN FOR BRUNCH SATURDAY AND SUNDAY” across all of their windows. I have a hate on for places that aren’t open when their sign says they will be.  Anyway – we did manage to go for brunch. I ordered the regular special that every brunch place has: two eggs, toast, bacon, and potatoes for somewhere around $4 (though I always upgrade and get a side of fruit).

Pomegranate (almost) has an amazing brunch. Pomegranate has a focus on organic foods and makes their dishes in small batches (cuisine style). The red potatoes are so crisp they’re practically deep fried, the eggs are great, the fruit was fresh and plentiful. Plus, it wasn’t loser fruit like soggy grapes and canned mandarin segments, it was fresh watermelon, blueberries, strawberries, and pineapple. The waitress looked confused when I asked if they had sourdough bread – so I settled for brown. I felt bad for the poor lone waitress who was trying hard to keep up with all the tables of fussy west end brunchers. The food was an organic delight; however, what I thought would be the best part of their brunch was actually the worst. Coffee was included inthe brunch price. But the ‘coffee’ was atrocious. The first cup was way weak and watery and the second cup was disgusting! They had obviously been using the same pot to make both coffee and tea. I could taste the tea in the coffee. Bleech! Except for the coffee the food was fine and everything was good. Um….well, not the music.

They were playing bad auto tune R n B – which would have been perfect were it 3 am and I was entertaining a bunch of scantily clad skanks….unfortunately it was 11am and I was having breakfast with my husband. Oh well, I’m sure the rest of their patrons (rich, white seniors) appreciated the appropriate mood music.

Our overall experience was okay. I almost keep going back for some tasty food – but then my husband reminds me of the coffee. Though Pomegranate is trying hard to crack into the overly saturated brunch market they should probably stick to tapas and jazzing up the nightlife. The tapas dishes look good and are mostly under $10.

Result = N.O. for brunch. But a great choice for a late night cocktail – their drink menu looks amazing. Get some root beer tandoori ribs and a champagne cocktail.

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Perfect Pairing:

The Lonely Island – Incredibad

Featuring the greatest auto tune single of all time ever: I’m on a boat. I strongly suggest you check it out.

703 Denman, Vancouver, BC.

604.688.5771

Website

This Italian restaurant on the southwest corner of Denman and Alberni is probably best known for its 50% off pasta nights (Monday and Tuesday)…. and maybe that’s all  it’s good for. This place is always full and I’m not sure why. The food is okay – but it’s just that. Ciao Bella is not the best deal in the world nor is the food outstanding in any way.

The restaurant is a warm comfortable room draped in burgundy with a piano tinkling in the corner. But the decor would lead the diner to believe they are in for a special treat – they are not. Ciao Bella has decent food and the best part of the whole dining experience is by far the service. The entire staff is welcoming, helpful, charming, and polite. Every last one of them a consummate professional. I think that’s why I was tricked into giving Ciaao Bella’s mediocre food a second try. As soon as the Lobster Bisque came out I was reminded why I haven’t been to Ciao Bella in years. The skin atop the soup was a turn off as was the non-existant lobster. Le sigh. The second course of my four course meal was the mushrooms and gorgonzola – or so the menu would have me believe. There was no way that was gorgonzola. I’m gonna have to say it was ranch dressing mixed with margarine and a generous dose of salt.

My mom tried to defend the food saying that the seafood linguine was good – and I admit that it did have generous portions of prawns, calamari, and salmon. it was tossed with a creamy rose sauce. (pictured at he top of the post).

My husband did practically inhale his pesto penne – so no complaints there.

And my veal and spinach cannelloni was tasty and filling (plus, it has 3 types of cheese! Hurrah!).

But I think I could have made all those dishes at home just as well for a fraction of the price. And let me tell you – I ain’t no super chef. The portions are decent, the prices are not unreasonable (3 courses $20, 4 courses $30 – many of the pasta dishes are in the $15 range), and the service is outstanding – but I’m not wowed by the food at Ciao Bella. It will be a LONG time before I go back. I think the mediocre kicker was the the waiter calling the espresso an “expresso” at the end of the evening. I know it’s not a big deal but my husband and I gave each other ‘The Look’. An italian restaurant should really get their coffee pronunciation down.

Whatever, this place ain’t ultra classy … it’s regular fine.

Make a reservation, go on a half price night, don’t get your hopes up.

Open daily for lunch and dinner.

Bonus: Heated Patio

Double Bonus: Parking available around back

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Perfect Pairing:

Wintersleep – s/t from 2003

or

Justin Nozuka – you i wind land and sea

827 Bute (upstairs), Vancouver BC

604.689.8266

Website

Ebisu is a delicious disaster. I like Ebisu – the food and presentation are both fantastic and the service is fast and efficient. So what’s the problem? How come I’m not raving about Ebisu telling everyone to go there? Because Ebisu gives me a headache! It tries too hard to be the hippest place on Robson – and I’m just not feeling it. When you walk in it feels as though you’re in a nightclub just as much as a restaurant. Everyone is there just to be seen. And I keep expecting some loser with overly gelled hair to try buying me a drink.

I can’t properly explain Ebisu – it feels cluttered – like the menu is a flyer for discount wares and the decor inspiration is pulled form 17 different ideas. A good example of how Ebisu is over the top is the menu – there are Japanese, Korean, American, and Mexican dishes. Yes, Mexican – why not get a side of nachos with your tuna sashimi? Seems weird – too weird. But it is sort of a good thing, since this way there is really something for eveyone – the whinny person in the group who refuses to try raw fish can order the yam fries and New York steak.

I suppose you’d refer to Ebisu as a Japanese restaurant – but I’d use the Japanese term very loosely since it’s such a mash up of so many different things – it’s too different and bizarre to call it izakaya, so let’s go with the generic term “small plates”.  The portions at Ebisu are mainly small plates for sharing – so the dishes seem cheap – but the price adds up quickly; and watch out for the weird price points – it might make it difficult to calculate totals in your head. We filled up nicely on several dishes that were all under $10 – but it totalled more than $25 each by the end.

The presentation at Ebisu is nice, super nice. we got the bacon wrapped asparagus ($4.95) and it came to the table with a small fire pit so we could crisp it up even more –  but then little sticks sorta caught on fire and I thought ‘jeez – that’s a little excessive just for presentation’. The presentation style was similar to this oyster – which will have to do because I didn’t take a photo of the asparagus:

We also had the cheese yakitori ($5.64), which was really good and uber cheesy with green onions interspersed throughout. The chicken was tender and served on the metal skewer. The beef short ribs were succulent and in ample supply for $6.98. One of the table’s favorites was the cajun tuna tacos ($6.98) – the tacos were crispy and the fish was perfectly done and doused in a creamy sauce – where the cajun aspect fit in I’m not too sure – but they were still delicious.

We tried a couple types of sushi rolls – they were all pretty good and decently sized – we went for a unagi tempura roll and a yummy fresh veggie roll for a mere $4.80 – it tasted like a crisp salad of lettuce, yam, avocado, red pepper, and carrot wrapped in rice.  I also tried the delightfully creamy sashimi salad which is served on greens and extra sauced for $9.57

So yes, Ebisu is delicious and I recommend it – if you don’t mind the really annoying excessive hipness and the waitresses wearing hypnotiq shirts. Bleech.

No, I didn’t take these pictures – they are too good. I ripped them off Ebisu’s website.

There is now also an Ebisu at 601 W. Broadway  @ Ash   tel. 604-876-3388

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Perfect Pairing:

Crystal Castles

1635 Robson St, Vancouver BC

(604) 602-0021

Overall Kosetsu is good. There’s nothing bad about it – I predict that it will soon flourish based on it’s price and location. But I probably won’t be back anytime soon.

Kosetsu opened earlier this week on Robson finally filling a spot that’s been vacant for over the past year. The interior looks fancy – with decor that is all black accented by tables made out of a stylish natural light wood. The attempt at a fancy image continues by delighting patrons with very upscale presentation. However, the food isn’t upscale; which is fine, since most dishes hit the wallet at around the $10 mark. The food is decent – but nothing to really rave about. We tried a few different things: Chicken Karrage ($6), Wonton Trio ($6), small sashimi ($12), Terichiki ($11), Yakiudon ($8), and Yakitori Donburi ($8).

Almost all the dishes were lovely. The Wonton Trio was a tasty treat of salmon, crab, and chicken in teeny individual wonton cups. The crab was creamy and the salmon had a bit of zing in its special sauce – they were pretty good for only $2 each cup. I was impressed by the thin, crisp wonton shaped like flower cups – ’cause I find wonton difficult to work with.

The Yakiudon and Yakitori Donburi were both good. Nothing bad, nothing amazing. Both were a mere $8 for a decent portion of decent food. I liked the Yakiudon a little more – it had a nice earthy flavor.

My favorite dish was the Terichiki. It was 4 layers of yummy teriyaki chicken with lovely slices of deep fried eggplant atop a pile of spinach. For $11 it was the best of the dishes and very sharable. Unfortunately, the Terichiki wasn’t cooperative for the photoshoot and insisted on toppling over with no hope of reconstruction.

There were some gristly pieces in the chicken…not the end of the world. I still thought Kosetsu was a steal of a deal until the sashimi came. Unfortunately, the sashimi was the last dish we tried and it was a huge let down. At first I was excited because the presentation was really nice and it came with special dipping sauces:

The snapper was tough and there were parts I considered inedible. I thought ‘well, I don’t really like snapper, I should try my absolute favorite: tuna’. The tuna was not top quality. It was either dry, or old, or both.  I thought the sashimi sucked and I was pissed off – too pissed off to even try the salmon which everyone told me was the best one. But still, if two of the three sashimi types are bad cuts or not totally fresh it’s not fish that should be used for sashimi – and I don’t think that having one good piece of sashimi is worth $12. Maybe since they don’t have sushi on the menu they don’t have a good raw fish chef.

I probably won’t be back anytime soon because there are plenty of other Japanese restaurants in this part of town and many of them are better than Kosetsu. However, Kosetsu will probably flourish based on the low overall price of the dishes alone. And I won’t be surprised if next time I walk by it’s packed inside. If you are thinking of dining at Kosetsu, I suggest you go now before they up their prices and/or you have to wait in line.

Well, I might go back. I really wanted to try the deep fried potato. It’s only $4 and it has cajun flavoring! Next time, I will just avoid the sashimi.

Please note: though Kosetsu is a japanese restaurant there is NO sushi (and the sashimi sucks).

No parking – but there is a little patio out front.

Open nightly for dinner 5pm to midnight Wednesday – Sunday. Closed Monday and Tuesday.

–or at least it was. They have been experimenting with their hours, lately. I have seen them open during lunchtime — and they basically appear to be open all the time now.

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Prefect Pairing:

Panic at the disco – a fever you can’t sweat out

West Hastings and Cambie (downstairs), Vancouver, BC

604.688.1655

website

Nuba is loud, popular, delicious and basically everything one could hope for when going to an awesomely hip eating establishment. The decor is simple and works hard to get across its desired reincarnation of 40′s Beirut vibe. The service is fast, efficient, polite, and easy going. And the food ….. dear god. The food is absolutely ridiculously good. I couldn’t believe it. Get anything … or rather get EVERYTHING. It is all damn good. From the creamy red lentil soup to the roasted cornish game hen – the food at Nuba is always hit, never miss.  There are plenty of vegan dishes (11 of 27) and the prices are  VERY affordable – don’t worry about the portion sizes – they look small – but that is deceiving as it always is when establishments strive to use top quality ingredients. I am an eater – a good, big eater. Yes, I will finish my meal and probably yours too – but 2 dishes from the mezz section (appitizers/tapas) would probably be enough. You might regret trying to tackle 3 mezz dishes; and if you try a mezz and a main your belt might blow right off. All five of my dining companions were taking some serious deep breaths and grumbling about being overfull before the end was even near. But no, we did not stop eating until the deliciousness was consumed – the food at Nuba is too good to go to waste. Let’s look at some of the pictures and reminisce over the goodness.

I began withe the fruit et feta salad ($8.5) – now this ain’t no regular feta – it is creamy amazing macedonian feta – and the greens are topped with a variety of chopped nuts and dried apricots. Oh my, YES. It is finished off with a red wine vinagrette that hits your taste buds in all the right places.

I was also lucky enough to try the Najib special ($7) which is a tasty little dish of crispy cauliflower tossed with lemon and seasalt. If you thought you didn’t like cauliflower – you will be proved wrong at Nuba. Crispy, browned, toothsome. I sampled the lovely falafel – there’s something different in the spice mix here, but it’s a closely guarded secret that Nuba will not reveal. I also stole a lovely, juicy, fat tiger prawn in a spicy oyster mushroom melange – totally worthy of the $16 price tag. And I got to dive my fork into the eggplant rattatouille – which for a mere $8 is a virtual towner of sauteed eggplant.

Onto my main:

The outstanding cornish hen ($16). This mouthwatering taste treat is roasted with herbs and spices and served over babaghnnoj (roasted eggplant puree). I was blown away – I’ve made cornish hen at home and it SUCKS compared to this. The hen was tender and nearly boneless. The fowl paired with the smoky eggplant had me floating up to food heaven.

The only thing better than the hen was the beef tenderloin ($18). It was a delight of rare grilled beef served on the cold side – with roasted potatoes. From now on anytime I order a steak I want to order it “extra rare, extra delicious”.

Yum. Yum. Yum.

That is all.

All of Nuba’s meats are free-range, non-medicated, and hormone-free. And Nuba tries to use organic, local ingredients whenever possible.

Though Nuba is in a basement and seats over 60 – you need to make a reservation. It is too good – and everyone knows it.

They have 2 additional locations – but they are more takeout cafe style places:

146 East 3rd (at Main)

1206 Seymour (at davie)

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Perfect pairing:

Nushi – Future Hazzard

Enjoy the Najib special while you listen to Najieb sing his guts out.

or

The National – High Violet

The National keeps hitting the sweet spot – they seem to be improving a little more after each album – if you thought you were in love at Alligator – you will realize that was just the tip of the titanic iceburg.