Restaurant review - Mirchi Restaurant Ltd (Marpole)

There are three types of food that I never get tired of: Indian (e.g. curry chicken and rice), Ethiopian (e.g. injera and yedoro tebs) and Italian (e.g. penne a la puttanesca). Mirchi is one of those reliable places you can go to if you want amazing Indian food. Located around 63rd Avenue and Granville. Their curry is not for the faint of heart, though. I went there with L and K for dinner, and while we ate as much as we wanted to (and still managed to down a mango lassi), my stomach was a bit upset. It wasn't because of the quality of the food (which is good) but because I ate way too much and it was a tad spicy. But if you can handle hot food, Mirchi is one good place to go to in Marpole.

Restaurant review - Cactus Club Cafe (Various locations, Vancouver)

I have previously reviewed Earls on Robson, and Milestones. In both reviews I briefly mentioned the Cactus Club but never got to write a specific review. It would be unfair for me not to do a review since I've been a customer of numerous locations. First, I would like to say that I have been to the Broadway and Granville site many, many times. The second most popular location for my friends is Broadway and Ash. The third location is on Robson and I think just past Thurlow (across from Milestone's on Robson). I can't recall if I have been to Cactus Club in Yaletown (but I just remembered that I have indeed visited Milestone's on Hamilton - I think?)

Anyhow, Cactus Club is a consistently reliable restaurant. Not expensive, not cheap. But to be quite frank, they have one of the best jambalayas you'll ever eat. I've had lots of salmon dishes there, curry plates and my brother loves their fajitas. If you need to take someone out to dinner I'd recommend Cactus Club. You'll get lots of good food. Ah, their slushy drinks are excellent. And you can't help but wonder how can so many hot people work in this restaurant!

Note to those who are uninitiated. Cactus Club is not really a cafe. It's a full-blown restaurant.



UPDATE - I didn't include all the gadgets from Urban Spoon because there are way too many locations. All of them are good ;)

Coffee shop review - The Wicked Cafe

Who wouldn't dare to have coffee here with a slogan like this: "Coffee You'd Sell Your Soul For". I kid you not. That's the slogan of the Wicked Cafe. I mean, I am not ready to sell my soul as of yet so I figured I'd try it and see if it is all worth what they say it is. To be honest, it didn't go well with me that they said they had just run out of regular coffee (I only buy the lavish mocha or capuccino's when I really want to give myself a really nice treat, and tonight I am only doing work so no excuse, really).

So I settled for some Apple Amaretto tea. The second thing that didn't go well was that since I had a loose-leaf tea, they gave me a small container to leave my bag. The only problem is that the container is so small that to leave your bag you need to really be a master maneuverer. And since the container is metal-based, if your bag is hot you're bound to get burned.

Those two things out of the way, on to the really nice things about Wicked Cafe:

First, it's off the beaten path. It is located on 7th and Hemlock, so even though this is South Granville - Fairview Slopes, it's not really all that crowded. You do find lots of people as Hemlock is one of the major routes to get to downtown from the Granville and Broadway area, but the coffee shop itself is not located along a 'common' route.

Second, the cafe has wireless internet, and that's a great advantage. The actual signal was quite powerful and I could work really well there. There are two small problems (for me) working there. One is that there aren't lots of power outlets. The second one is that a lot of really interesting people walk in and out of the coffee shop. So I get easily distracted (as I love people-watching).

I would definitely come here to have a coffee and chat with friends of mine who live around the South Granville area. I probably wouldn't sell my soul for this coffee but I really enjoyed it. I am quite puzzled about the fact that there's an eatery right beside that I should really try at some point.

Restaurant review - Memphis Blues

My brother loves BBQ ribs, and he vouches for Memphis Blues Barbeque House all the time. I am not really a rib kind of guy so I always thought I would never set foot in this place. Well, I did and I am glad I did. They have BBQ chicken breast, sandwiches, burgers, etc. So the place really is awesome and caters to every taste. They have two locations that I know of, one on Commercial Drive (for East Vaners) and one on Broadway between Hemlock and Granville (for those Fairview Slopes-South Granvillers).

Restaurant review - Shabusen

Ok, so I am a sushi lover. And I am a lover of all-you-can-eat sushi. Furthermore, I love the South Granville area (four of my very best friends happen to live all within a block of each other in this neighborhood). However, I am always wary of sushi places. I think everyone needs to have his/her own favorites, and I am now quite clear that there are some that will definitely not make my cut. Shabusen is one of them.

Don't get me wrong -- many people simply love Shabusen. For numerous Vancouverites, their definition of all-you-can-eat-sushi is heading to this place located at the corner of 14th Avenue and Granville Street. I will admit I'm one of the skeptics. For the quality of food I ate the last two times I went there (one of them with L and the other with B), I really would've gone elsewhere (Tanpopo, for example). It didn't help that their prices are relatively higher than any other places I have been to.

That being said, I am willing to give Shabusen another try - perhaps in a few months. For now, I'm going to steer clear. And some of my closest friends (Copper Lioness for example) agree with me that Shabusen is overrated. I still need to find a good sushi place in Vancouver that I'll be happy with (other than the 18 pieces and miso-soup cheap eateries on Cambie and Broadway!).

Restaurant review - Ouisi Bistro

Vancouver has lots of really good places for all sorts of ethnic food. When I lived in the South Granville area, I was completely shocked that I had a restaurant that served Creole food very close by. My friend T was the one who introduced me to Ouisi Bistro, a cute restaurant located on Granville I think between 14th and 16th Avenues (can't recall the exact location but you can use the link I provided to locate it with Google Maps).

Since I have a love for all things French (including the language), I thought it would be nice to spice up my life by having dinner at Ouisi. Their Creole cuisine is excellent (I would particularly recommend it for dinner -- I wasn't completely sold on their brunch menu). Creole (cajun) food is characterized by hot, spicy flavors. The jambalaya here is to die for (only rivaled by two other places as far as I am concerned - Cactus Club and The Fringe Cafe). I have also tried their sea-food chowder, amazing.

The prices for large plates aren't definitely higher (in the $ 20-25 price) but the portions are generous. You also have the option of smaller plates, which are enough for dinner and cheaper ($12-15). Moreover, the atmosphere is excellent, and the waiters really know how to narrow down your menu options so that you actually enjoy whatever you want. Definitely worth a visit.

Restaurant review - Cafe Barney (South Granville)

Cafe Barney is the epitome of reliability. D, I, A, H and I went for burgers and fries recently since we do know that we can find excellent fries and burgers at this place. Cafe Barney always deliver. I happen to know one of the staff members since a few years ago because I used to live in the neighborhood (now known as South Granville, though I think the technical term would be Fairview Slopes).

The strip between Broadway and 16th Avenue on Granville has usually been touted as one of the nicest shopping districts. However, you can also find reliable good food in this area. If you want to go for pricey (albeit excellent food), you can do Star Anise or West, or you can do cheap eats (Cafe Crepe, Cafe Barney) or somewhere in between (The Red Room).

Now, the fact that the burgers aren't expensive doesn't mean that Cafe Barney is some sort of cheap joint. On the contrary. The ambiance is great and the service is top-notch. Their burger and fries are to die for. Their pasta (penne with chorizo) is definitely not bad, although I would say that Cafe Barney has more of a reputation for their burgers.

I have had brunch here before and it is consistently reliable. Definitely one of the best places if you want to eat fries, scrambled eggs, chorizo, and of course... burgers! They seem to have a good variety of beer (I am clueless here as I don't drink beer). Their wine selection seems good albeit perhaps a bit pricey (their martinis seem a bit expensive too). But the rest of the food is quite affordable.

I would strongly endorse Cafe Barney for a night out :-) Beware that the music can be a little loud and the atmosphere is relaxed. I read elsewhere some critiques to the servers, but I can't agree. Any time I have been here the service has been really good. I am sorry to hear that other people have had bad experiences, but I've been to Cafe Barney enough times to actually say that it's been consistently good.

Restaurant review - Cafe Crepe (UBC)

Well, I must have been to Cafe Crepe about a gazillion times. Cafe Crepe is a European-style cafe, which serves primarily, well, coffee and crepes... Just off the top of my head, not including today, in 2007 I have visited Cafe Crepe at the very least:

• When my brother was in town (about two months ago)
• When A and I wanted to go for tea and a crepe, about two weeks ago.
• With H after shopping for his shoes about two months ago.
  
• With K after dinner at Earls Robson.
• ...

And the list could go on. Cafe Crepe is one of the best places to go if you *really* are craving a crepe. So this posting should review all the locations I've visited in the past few weeks. I'll start with today's visit (UBC).

Cafe Crepe (UBC)
The company was by far the best part of lunch. I ordered a burger and N ordered a spinach and feta cheese crepe (for those of you who know me well, you know I absolutely dislike cheese... yes I know I am an abnormality). Clearly, this place is popular and thus the staff is always scrambling to try and provide good service. But I can't complain. We weren't really in a rush so it wasn't like I had any problems. A took me last semester here for my birthday lunch celebration (and she had to run to a meeting) so that time was really bad. But today was good. Their burgers are good, and I wasn't hungry after lunch at all. That being said, I still have to check Moderne Burger.

Cafe Crepe (Granville Street, two locations downtown and one near 12th Avenue).
Again, the company was definitely the highlight of these evening. I visited all three sites with three different friends of mine. Cafe Crepe's nutella crepe is to die for, and they do have the cheapest booze in town, so I ordered a martini too :) Their chocolate martini ... mmmmmmmmmm! :)

Overall, I'd rank Cafe Crepe as one of my favourite spots. I worry sometimes when I bring friends because I know that, if we are in a rush, we won't get quick service. But the staff is always attentive and you can't go wrong with crepes.

Restaurant review: Paul's Place Omelettery

I had previously reviewed this amazing place on Granville (and I think 6th Avenue, but don't trust me on this one). However, I had read other reviews that indicated that it was way too busy so I was a bit worried this morning, as I went to Paul's Place for brunch with H and his girlfriend. Got to give Paul's my congratulations. I mean, we got there about 10.50am, we were seated by 11.05, we had coffee by 11.15 and our food was on our table by 11.30am. UNBELIEVABLE. And the beef hash is to-die-for.

The best part was really the company, as we had a great brunch and then headed to go shopping for furniture... Ah, I was born to shop. If only I had been born with a bottom-less credit card attached, that would've been fantastic.

Restaurant review - Paul's Place Omelettery

My brother was in town this past weekend and we went for brunch. He was clearly appalled at the paucity of good brunch places around my neighborhood. Quite apparently, we had exhausted all the good haunts (Cafe Main, Slickitty Jim's, Crave on Main). And we both are sort of picky (ok. admittedly, very picky) when it comes to brunch. It has to be perfect. Since we both lived in Kitsilano in our early years living in Vancouver, we are pretty much very knowledgeable about where to eat there. However, since I now live in this side of town, I've tried to get to know my stomping grounds. And my brother (sweet as he is) has been kind enough to try some of these places with me.

Well, after an hour searching for a good spot for brunch (and nearing 1 pm on a Sunday!) we just gave up and traveled to Granville Street, heading to Paul's Place Omelettery (my friends and I simply call it Paul's). Now, I said "gave up" because we wanted to eat around Main St. We just didn't find a spot that didn't have a 30 minute wait! And we kind of didn't want to go back to our old neighborhood (South Granville as they call it now). But we were forced to...

We were not disappointed. Paul's is by and large the best omelettery in town, hands down. Crave on Main is a strong competitor. Both have amazing eggs. Gramercy Grill is perhaps third on the list (though I wasn't that impressed with their brunch items - but that restaurant will have to wait for another post). Prices for brunch items hover in the range of $9-11 . They make excellent coffee. I have eaten at Paul's at least six times that I can think off the top of my head in the past two years and the food has always been amazing.

Since one of my good friends just moved from the US to Vancouver, I try really hard to take him to new and awesome places for brunch. I will take him to Paul's for sure. Highly recommended!

Restaurant review: The Red Door

I had to pick up some stuff from one of my friends tonight around Granville Street, so I thought we would go for dinner near by. The closest restaurant (really) is The Red Door (Granville & 14th Ave.), so we thought we'd try that one. I am rarely into Asian fusion or Asian tapas, so I thought "well, what the heck"... we tried the eggplant with rice and we shared a won ton soup. The food was tasty and abundant. Didn't really need to eat more than these two shared plates.

The prices are really reasonable. The only problem - the service. I wasn't impressed with the level of service, despite the fact that the waitress was very nice. I think that it took them way too long to bring us drinks AND food. But once we got those out of the way, we were alright... All in all, I would go back to The Red Door... but only if I have had something to eat a bit earlier. Otherwise the wait might get to me...