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Scotiabank Theatre Food Court

Scotiabank Theatre ParamountThe main reason I like going to see a show a the Scotiabank Theatre is because of the food. While most theatres have the usual selection of processed cheese soaked nachos and xxl boxes of junior mints, this location serves up fro yo, burritos, burgers, and even bubble tea. I’m certain it’s the lighting or industrial design that makes me so hungry, but I don’t ask questions, I just eat.

There are three floors to this complex, and both the second and third serve food. Both levels house the usual popcorn-nacho-soft-drink stations, however on the second floor you’ll find a glistening foot court. There’s ample seating, an arcade, and usually a life sized cardboard cutout of your favourite action hero to take your photo beside.

TBCY, Burger King, KFC, & Taco Bell are all located on the second floor. And while most items cost a lot more than if you were to buy them down the street and smuggle them in, there are still good deals to be found. A large, fibre packed bean burrito at Taco Bell will only set you back a twoonie, and it’s an ample meal. Large popcorn and drinks have free refills, so buy one and share. Another good bet is the kids pack.

The Scotiabank Theatre is sorely missing a slush machine and the requisite overpriced candy dispenser. However, the bubble tea booth makes up for all this. It’s like they took the overpriced candy and jammed it into the frozen, creamy goodness of bubble tea slush. It tastes good and leaves you feeling mildly cultured.

If you were roped into seeing a film that involves Keanu Reeves as a romantic lead, there’s a Starbucks outside on the first floor.

There is pay parking under the theatre, as well as a few great restaurants and bars nearby, just in case that tub of parkay popcorn didn’t already burst your belt.

Address:

900 Burrard St.
Vancouver, BC
604-630-1407

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Yaletown Starbucks

Yaletown StarbucksWhat can I say? One Starbucks is like every other? No, not actually. While the general branding is the same, the layout of most Starbucks locations seems to vary - and the one at the heart of Yaletown is simply great.

Yaletown is host to a number of Starbucks shops, and they are very, very good. Not because the coffee necessarily tastes better or because the décor is more attractive. The people who staff the places are terrific- if a little aloof. Here, unlike many rural locations, one can order his grande no-whip Tazo Chai Blended Crème Frappucino caramel affogado style and no one will bat an eyelash. Elsewhere, there will be confusion, there will be panic, there will be the occasional tear and perhaps a free gift certificate because of the wait. Not here. So order away, be complex, give these ultra-professional folks a run for their money. They can handle it.

Note: The current skytrain construction around Davie and Hamilton has rendered the patio a construction zone. Stay inside.

Address:

Corner of Davie and Hamilton
Vancouver, BC 

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Yaletown Brewing Company

Yaletown Brewing CoThe Yaletown Brewing Company is an awesome, fun place. I choose these less-than-original descriptors as there is nothing particularly original about the brewing company, but it is definitely an awesome and fun place. It’s loud and friendly – you might say boisterous- the beer is great and it pairs well with the food. There is a huge outdoor patio that is just about always full in the Summer- if you’re lucky, you’ll get a seat.

YBC’s menu is a few steps up from your standard pub fare. There are some classics available, like steak, meatloaf (nice!), and all that, but there are also some internationally flavoured selections. Nothing is too out of the ordinary, but the quality solid. There are pizzas as well- actually a substantial part of the menu- and they are good- although some are on the dry side. I very happily stuffed my face with an Italian chorizo pizza while my fellow pub-goers looked on somewhat jealously.

It should come as no surprise that the beer is plentiful and the main feature at the Yaletown Brewing Company. We each had a beer flight and were able to sample the season’s draughts. This was an excellent deal ($12) and it will leave you, even if you’re a well-upholstered individual, at least a bit hammered. If you’re not in the mood for that, there’s almost certainly an ale, hefeweizen, or pale ale that will suit your tastes.

Address:

1111 Mainland St., Vancouver
Vancouver, BC
(604) 688-0064

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Urban Buffet

urban buffetThe Urban Buffet is on the corner of Nelson and Homer. It looks a little creepy on the outside .. this huge old building glowing with neon lights and the glare off of deep fried this and that. The lady that welcomed us at the door seemed a little ‘too’ inviting if you get my drift. However, once we were quickly seated and we dove in for our first round of eating, the nervousness subsided.

Vancouver’s Urban Buffet offers a strange selection of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and American cuisine .. basically it’s a lot of fried food, some sushi, and the required jello and roast beef. Granted, for $8.99 for a huge meal, I couldn’t have asked for more, and I left feeling perfectly disgusting.

Most of the food sort of tasted the same. Actually, it all tasted exactly the same. From the fried chicken balls to the cake to the soft serve icecream, there was a distinct flavour running through it all. Hold on, I’m not saying it was bad. I only almost vomited once (avoid the weird bready dessert ‘treats’). It’s actually kind of pleasant. The spring rolls and fatty noodles and broccoli were tasty, plentiful, and, best of all, the booze (not included in the price of admission) is DIRT cheap!

Sure, for 8.99 you could go to Glowbal and have half a martini, but how fun is that? If you are in the mood for a disgusting all you can eat sort of experience, and have value in mind over taste, then head down to Yaletown’s finest (and only) buffet.

Address:

996 Homer Street
Vancouver, BC
604-630-1188

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Tsunami Sushi

Tsunami SushiThis place is a little bit hard to see from street-level as it’s on the second floor of a building on Robson. There’s pretty good signage, so once you notice the place you should only need another minute or two (if you’re like me and you suck at common sense things) to find the stairwell that takes to you Tsunami Sushi. It’s well worth the effort- trust me. There is also a fabulous patio that’s perfect for afternoon sake with a view of the shopping crowd.

Tsunami Sushi is very much like most other sushi restaurants- not particularly original in its décor (in fact a bit retro), rather quiet, and there are people in Kimonos; however, there is one differing factor. There is a creek in the centre of the restaurant that circulates little wooden boats full of sushi and other Japanese items. You can basically saddle up to the bar, and in front of you sushi will just float by. You can pick up whatever you like and the boat will float away empty until it is refilled by one of the several staff who work in the centre of the circuit. The plates on which the sushi arrives are color-coded (i.e. blue plates are $2.00, black $3.50, etc.) and you simply tally up the number of plates you have to figure out the bill at the end. This, in my opinion, is just so cool. There’s no other word for it.

The novelty of this creek will wear off as you eye a plate of tekka maki slowly making its way down the line while shooting daggers at the hungry overweight dude two seats down. There is, however, no denying the empowerment one feels when getting to see a product before ordering it and then receiving it instantly. You can’t assign a value to instant gratification like this.

The sushi here is pretty awesome too, and there are a number of selections that you will not find as easily at other more standard sushi places- sea urchin maki among them. Just make sure to arrive around a normal mealtime, as the creek floats fewer rolls at three in the afternoon. There’s no reason you can’t proceed with ordering as you would normally though. Also, keep track of your plates. It’s easy to eat and eat and eat, and then realize your plate stack is $10.00 more than you thought.

Address:

238, 1025 Robson
Vancouver, BC
(604) 687-8744

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Tomahawk Barbeque

Tomahawk BBQOne of the last great theme diners in Vancouver The Tomahawk Barbeque is a native themed restaurant built in the 20s. The food is classic diner fare turned amazing!

One item on the menu, the “Skookum Chief” is a burger with not only a patty and cheese betweens its buns, but also an egg, bacon, a hot dog weiner, lettuce, a dill pickle, mayonaise, tomato, onion and relish! All on a burger, served with fries!

The Tomahawk Barbeque has an old fashioned diner atmosphere with walls painted with native murals. The wooden rafters are filled with old artifacts that the restaurant traded with natives for food in their early years and colouful totem poles stand out front.

While eating at The Tomahawk one cannot forget to wear the ‘traditional headdresses’. Think of those Burger King crowns, but with paper feathers! Its true! Disposable paper headdresses & amazingly huge meals for a fair price all inside a classic theme diner from the 20s! It really does exist, and the best part is, it’s largely undiscovered by tourists, so it feels just like a neighborhood diner!

I have been there with large parties on several occasions and they were very accomodating. The one down side is that from Downtown Vancouver it does involve going over a bridge. Once in North Van though, it is not hard to find and definitely worth it!

Hours: 

Sun. - Thurs. 8 am - 9 pm
Fri. - Sat. 8 am - 10 pm
Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner

Address:

1550 Philip Avenue
Vancouver, BC
604-988-2612

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Sophie’s Cosmic Cafe

Sophies cosmic cafeSophie’s Cosmic Cafe in Kits is one of those places that you can’t help but keep going back to. I don’t live in Kits, and I’m so not a bridge and tunnel girl, but I make the commute from Yaletown routinely in order to taste the sublime diet busting grease. Go Sophies!

Sophies, which is located on 4th Avenue (right before Arbutus) is usually packed to the brim. Mid day, mid week, & pouring rain? Expect a line! Fret not, they are open 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and the prices are fairly cheap.

The building sports a cute patio that looks right out onto 4th and is open, weather permitting. The small restaurant manages to pack in 65 seats and the walls, ceiling, shelves are packed to the hilt with knickknacks galore. It’s extremely tacky, but in a homey kind of way. It’s exactly the kind of eccentric spot you can’t help but love.

And now, for the food. Well, it’s damn good, especially when smothered with their special hot sauce (yes, you can buy a bottle to take home). And the portions are huge. I’m a tough judge on portions, as my eyes are always about a plus size bigger than my stomach, and I can safely assure you that you will NOT be disapointed. The coffee is fresh & free flowin’ and the waitstaff are just as cute and quirky as the restaurant itself.

So, all I can really say is make the trek, whether it be five minutes or fifty. If you are looking for something a little lighter and grease free, they have some good diet friendly options. However, Sophie’s is the kind of place that was made to break your diet. I say, indulge! Just walk it off with a window shoping stroll along 4th Avenue or a wander along the seawall a few blocks away.

Address:

2095 West 4th Avenue
Vancouver, BC 

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The Pink Pearl

Pink PearlWe found ourselves in the mood for some good, good Chinese food as opposed to the dirty, greasy stuff one usually associates with takeout and finds equally appealing.

Yes, this time around we felt like an authentic experience, and word of mouth as well as some basic internet research brought The Pink Pearl to our attention. So we ventured down East Hastings in the dark of night to seek it out. Don’t fret- this is not a downtown eastside restaurant- it’s down the street quite a stretch.

The Pink Pearl is huge- a great rectangular expanse with white walls and traditional Chinese décor. It reminded me of a convention centre, actually. This was part of the experience. Our server here was very cordial, and food arrived course after course seamlessly. It seemed the serving staff were slightly telepathic.

While the Pink Pearl describes itself as a Chinese Seafood restaurant, there are still plenty of items on the expansive menu that feature poultry, beef, pork and vegetarian dishes. We were boggled at the selection and took a long time to order, passing up Peking duck (a little too hard on the wallet) for other classic fare such as wonton soup, ginger beef, lemon chicken and seafood. I would have dearly loved to eat the braised abalone, however the price and the scarcity held me back. The food lived up to and exceeded our expectations- we were very pleased. The Pink Pearl is deserving of its reputations as one of the best Chinese restaurants in Vancouver. We must now try the Dim Sum…

Address:

1132 E. Hastings St.
Vancouver, BC
604-253-4316

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O-Cha Tea Bar

O-cha tea barTucked away in Yaletown is the very tiny O-Cha tea bar. Should the selection of tea and coffees provided there become even slightly larger (it already serves over thirty types of tea), it will almost certainly burst at the seams and have to move.

The small size of this unassuming coffee/tea/sandwich bar does not at all detract from its overall appeal. O-Cha struck me as a place to quietly enjoy a hot drink or food while contemplating the health benefits and phonetics of substances like rooiboos tea. I enjoyed a fantastic coffee while observing busy Yaletownies scurry about on their lunch breaks in the rain.

On the food side (this is Vancouver EATS out after all), O-Cha offers light fare, such as grilled paninis (onions optional for those who must return to work), sandwiches and convenient, semi-instant thai food by Thai on the Fly or something catchy like that. The paninis are very good, and the coffee, even though this is a tea bar, is phenomenal.

All in all, this is a quiet escape in the midst of busy Yaletown. You will surely find your five minutes of zen here.

Address:

1116 Homer Street
Vancouver, BC
604-633-3929

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Nester’s Market Cafe

Nester’s Market may seem like another overpriced Yaletown grocery store — and in a sense it is. It’s located underneath another big concrete and glass overpriced condo building and exists primarily for the lazy Yaletownites who go for convenience over price.

However, Nestor’s has incredible sales and their meat section is relatively cheap. To top things off, it really is ‘Where the Locals Shop!” as their slogan says. The staff is friendly, they get to know you, and you always end up running into the same people over and over again. It makes Vancouver feel like a small town.

However, the best part of Nester’s (oddly enough it’s almost the best kept secret) is that there is a small cafe inside with big windows looking out onto the busy city streets. It offers fabulous fresh coffee (sometime’s it’s free!) and a great selection of premade items, from breakfast bagels to curries to decadent desserts. While the prices are a bit higher than packaged food of the same variety, they are extremely reasonable when you compare it to eating out. They’ll heat the food up for you and you can walk right over to the little self service cafe and watch the world go by.

I’d recommend the Oat Fudge Bars, they are the same ones they sell at Starbucks, but cheaper and fresher, and their Indian pre-made stuff is da bomb.

Address:

990 Seymour St. (In Nester’s Market)
Vancouver, BC
604-682-3071

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