Vancouver-ites: Your Top 5 Value Eats

[yen]

Hey guys,

Im making a "been too long" trip to Vancouver for the long weekend. Based on previous visits and posts on this board, i feel i have a pretty good grasp on the "upscale" dining scene in Vancouver.

What i don't have, is a good grasp of the best value places to eat. Pouring through previous posts, there are a million posts all speaking about how good X and Y are - but i was wondering, on a relative scale, how do they actually rate overall? Especially in comparison to each other? I know it is a personal thing, but im interested in each of your opinion's.

I was hoping you could provide me with a list (in no particular order) of your 5 or 6 favorite value eats in the GVR. Any kind of food qualifies - from ramen shops, to dumplings, sushi, burgers, moules et frites, Dim Sum, to Korean BBQ.

I can't promise to try them all, but i will do my best to do a big dent on them :) Thanks in advance - it is much appreciated.

[yen]

First off, a big thanks to everyone who provided feedback. Whenever possible, i tried to push for a chow-recommended location - unfortunately, it didnt always happen. However, i had enough of a variety that i hope my experiences help someone else.

I need to get some sleep, so i'll try and keep this as concise as possible.

Friday lunch - Wang's Taiwanese Beef Noodle House on Granville. Hungry after my flight, i hit up some OG homestyle cooking. Had the XLB, Spicy Beef Noodle Soup (with thick noodles), and the crispy pancake with beef (nu jio shao bing). Tried the Zhajiang mien.

The XLB were ok - retained their soup well, but an overwhelming ginger flavour, and the skins were too thick. Edible in a pinch, but not great.

Spicy Beef Noodle Soup was good. On the oily side in case you don't like that, but good broth. Thick noodles were fresh, but a bit rubbery (too thick). Lacking the silky consistency i like.

Crispy Pancake with beef (nu jio sao bing) - im just guessing on the english name here, but this was really really good. A bit too much hoisin, but the pancake was super flaky, and the flavour was excellent.

Zhajiang Noodles had great flavour, and the requisite amount of grease required.

Friday Dinner was at West. Had the West Tasting menu, with 3oz pours on the wine pairings.

I was actually a bit disappointed with West. The service was impeccable, the room was nice. But the food didnt live up to the standard i was expecting. The amuse was primarily foam, which is something i find tired and overdone. The first dish was a spot-prawn ceviche with tagliatelle and asparagus. There wasnt enough acidity to the ceviche, and the spot-prawn lacked the requisite sweetness. The tagliatelle was the best part in my mind. A flop imo.

Second course was essentially a smoked veal tongue salad. The veal tongue was well cooked, but under seasoned. The overall presentation was nice, but the food lacked any sort of lasting impact. Very bland.

At this point, when asked, i provided some honest feedback to the acting general manager. They were surprised, but did appreciate the comments and relayed them to the kitchen. The meal did start to improve from this point.

Next was crab and couscous in a smoked tomato gazpacho. The Gazpacho was excellent. The crab, lacking the sweetness i was looking for, and completely overwhelmed bu the gazpacho.

Halibut with a spinach sauce, watercress potato salad was the highlight of the evening for me. Perfectly cooked fish, great sauce, nice complimentary blend of flavours. This dish was a hit.

Lastly was a breast of partridge, which was a touch over cooked, but sauced with a nice jus.

Cheese plate and dessert were impeccable, with the cheese coming from Les Amis, and the dessert being some phenomenal praline/ice cream concoction. Petite fours rounded out the evening, and were excellent as well.

I would like to point out the wine pairings were spot on as well - impressed with some of the pairings they chose... not necessarily what i would've picked, but they all worked fairly well.

At the price ($400 + gratuity for 2), i found it to be a bit lacking in value. I would consider going back, but would order fish directly, instead of the tasting menu.

Saturday was Dim Sum day...but my friend hates Richmond on Saturday morning so we went to Sun Sui Wah instead. What a terrible idea that was :) Service was abnormally bad, as we were rushed, the food was decidedly average, at what i felt were slightly higher than normal prices. Don't get me wrong, it wasnt terrible. Just not significantly better than Dim Sum in Alberta (which is a bit scary), and definitely not comparable to many places i've eaten in Asia.

Afterwards, i needed something to wash the lousy jasmine tea taste out of my mouth, so we went to 49th Parallel. Great coffee, and the girls who served us were nice. The baristas, on the other hand, were snotty beyond belief. In trying to strike up a conversation with them to get a better understanding of their coffee program, all i got was sneers and disdain. I also mistakenly ordered a large clover cup...that was a heck of a lot of coffee at a really good price.

Grabbed a cupcake from cupcake on the way down to Kits beach, and it was a bit dry and overly sweet icing. A slice of Nats on the way back to the beach was welcome though.. good za.

We went to Dragonball for BBT - fresh fruit slush with pearl for me (no milk). Awesome awesome pearls... these were phenomenally fresh and perfectly cooked. At $3.50, this was incredible. I highly recommend it.

Sat evening was Chambar for dinner. I was probably looking forward to this more than i had looked forward to West. Phenomenal room, and outstanding service - some of the best service i've had in a very very long time. Casual and friendly, but exceedingly efficient and professional. The food, however, was a bit of a letdown. We each had a beer (which were exceptional - Val Dieux Trippel and a Celis White), and each ordered a moules frites - i ordered the Congolaise, and friend ordered Coquotte. The flavours of the sauce were excellent, and the size of the serving was impressive (though at $20, i guess it's fair). The issue was, the quality of the mussels were poor. Stringy, not plump, sad looking mussels that were not overly fresh, with a overly strong "sea water" flavour. The frites were good, and the aioli was a nice compliment, but the mussels were a big let down. I found one single mussel that i enjoyed in the entire pot.

Sunday we tried to go to Hawker's Delight, but they were unfortunately closed. Ended up going down main to Rekados for Filipino food. Ordered 3 dishes and rice - Adobo Special, Bicol Express, and a side order of spinach and bok choy. The Adobo special was good, with the chicken portion being exceptional, and the pork portion being decent. The sauce was nice and flavourful, and at the price point ($9.95), it was hard to go wrong. The Bicol Express was excellent. Great heat, great flavour. Considering we only finished half of we ordered, and the total bill came out to 29 bucks, i was happy.

Monday we ended up at Sushi Garden (Burnaby, across from Metrotown Mall). I was told that this is what my friends consider to be classic Vancouver sushi. Dirt cheap, big focus on rolls and fried items, and cheap cheap nigiri. We ordered 5 rolls, of which the spicy rolls were excellent, as was the Negitoro. Dynamite and Avalanche were very average. The Potato Croquette was a bit mushy, but decent. The tempura was quite good. I ordered a bunch of nigiri as well, of which the salmon was excellent, hamachi decent, an excellent Ikura, and an ok ama-ebi. Considering 3 of us were stuffed to the gills for 40 bucks, this was excellent excellent value. Not the best quality i've ever had, but i can see why people can go and fill up for 13 bucks :) It is good enough, especially at that price point.

Went to Aberdeen Mall for Beard Papa afterwards. Surprisingly, a small lineup. The puffs were good, but the cream was a tad runny when compared to other BP's i've been to. We ordered bubble tea from there which was really good, and i looked longingly at the hainese chicken rice stand in the food court, but decided to pass.

Lastly, had dinner Monday night at Benkei. My friend's preference is normally Kintaro, but they are closed Monday's. I ordered the "Shio" and some gyoza and Benkei - it was a tonkatsu ramen with extra chasu. The broth was excellent, but not quite porky enough for my liking. The Chasu was good, though cut a bit thick, and my friend didnt like how fatty it was. I loved how fatty it was. The noodles were excellent. Overall, esp. at the price, i was very very happy at Benkei. Great space, quick service, good gyoza and great ramen at a good price. Look forward to trying Kintaro next time.

We strolled down Robson a half block to look at my friend's favorite Korean BBQ (the place with the BBQ out front) - the Calbi looked good, but i couldnt eat another bite. Grabbed Dragonball on the way to the airport, and that was pretty much my trip.

Overall, i had a good time. Some hits, some misses, mostly in what i would consider to be too high expectations. Im hoping im not as long in getting back to Van, as there are many other restaurants im interested in trying.

Thank you all for your assistance.

[fmed]

Thanks for the report, yen.

It's been a while since I've been to West (Hawksworth was still the chef). I had good reports from a friend during the transition to Geraghty - so everything trended positive. However, you are now the third person to report about underseasoned, overcooked food, etc. West is a bit of an enigma, plus - for $200 per, you had better be blown away....but you walk in with such high expectations.

On Chambar - you ordered the one thing I don't like there - the moules frites. (I actually like the moules frites at Stella's better). I usually only order the apps which are great IMO.

[yen]

Re: West, you're right. At that price point, i could've eaten at any number of my favorite restaurants (Chez Panisse!), which is what makes it so much more disappointing.

And with Chambar, what is disappointing is that for a place that seems to have a focus on quality, that they would let something like crappy orders of mussels potentially impact their business. Of course, they were so busy, im sure very little short of disaster would affect their business :) If i was in the kitchen, I would've sent the order back - there is no excuse for the bad quality. Granted, May is shoulder season, but at a $20 price point, i expected much better.

[fmed]

Another thing...Sun Sui Wah seems to be in mid-sharkjump for many people. I remember when people started talking badly about Pink Pearl in the same way..."gone downhill" etc. I find the SSW in Richmond better (much more discerning clientèle perhaps)...and I haven't been to Main St since my birthday last year. Kirin seems to be a better bet in the "old-school".

Next time you are in town, check out the smaller dim sum places - Red Star, Gingeri, etc. That seems to be where the real action is.

[ihatepickyeaters]

does anybody know the name of the korean bbq place he mentioned?

[fmed]

I think it is Jang Mo Jib. I'm sure yen will correct me if I'm wrong.

(attached pics from a few months ago...)

-----
Jang Mo Jib Korean Restaurant
1719 Robson St, Vancouver, BC V6G1C9, CA

[yen]

It is JMJ - Robson location.Apparently they have a Richmond location, but it's not as good.

[busterbrown]

didnt mention hapa as i thought it was more of a budget list but definetly rank it very high on my must go in vancouver...........and if you do go to toshi make sure to get there early as they dont take reservations ( i think they open at 5 30) get there at 5..........a few recommendations.......baked eggplant, marinated tuna, spicy beef, pressed box sushi (not on menu) and of course any fish you prefer all is very good and of great value ( 4.50 king crab roll).................

[jmil]

Not sure if it was mentioned. But a great family owned neighborhood sushi joint is 'Hiroshi's' on Oak St. I believe its Oak and 22nd.
Good quality sushi and reasonable prices.
Also 'Tandoori King' at Fraser and 64th if you can get down that far, for good Indian.

[grayelf]

I keep coming across references to Hiroshi's but haven't tried it yet as it closes so early (8 pm) and isn't open on weekends. The rolls sound really interesting, similar to ones we've tried -- even with some of the same names -- at a place on Lonsdale whose name escapes me. The Refresh was particularly good, as I recall.

[yen]

To everyone who has responded (even the hijackers! :) ), a great big thank you. Just like Santa, i've made my list and im checking it twice! I will report back after the weekend.

[Pollo]

Have a good trip!

[fmed]

Go stuff yourself!

;)

[Hoj]

You definitely need to check out the coffee scene there:

Skip Artigiano and go for the Elysian Room, Wicked Cafe, 49th Parallel, and even JJ Bean. Some really great coffees!

[yen]

Yo J - will definitely hit up the scene for a few cups. Any recommendations on what's best to order?

[Hoj]

You love clover coffees so I'd definitely go for that or a spro at the Elysian room. You can't go wrong with anything there but they definitely take care of their clover stuff. The others you probably can't go wrong with anything espresso based and I'd also give their clover or press pot coffees a try. The big thing is to try different coffees you can't get here !

[yen]

Acknowledged. Thanks man!

[fmed]

If I may...

I would go straight to the source and go to 49th Parallel which roasts for the Elysian. They have a much bigger coffee list.

If you had come out to Van earlier, you could have tried the "monkey coffee" - Devon Estates. They have sold out of it. It is excellent - and not gimmicky like civet poop coffee.

[toutefrite]

Agreed. I am not a coffee fiend, but I regularly take out of town espresso addicts there and there are nothing but raves. Limited pastry offerings, if that's important. I believe that they are from Meinhardt. The sables are definitely from there.

[fmed]

You can also schedule a cupping with them. I have done this a few times (every season or so). Just call their main office number 604-420-4900 to schedule.

[gourmet wife]

Here's my take on favs (yes it's more than 5).

Tsujiki (richmond) for Japanese, extremely fresh
Seto's (richmond) also for Japanese (love their sukiyaki there)
Beef rolls, XLB, Hot & Sour soup type food- Chen's, Kalvins, Wang's
Dim Sum-Gingeri, Prince, Luxe, Jade,
French bistro-Pied a Terre, Crave, Jules, La Regalade
French fine dining-Le Crocodile (consistently good, have been going there for over 15 years now)
Italia-Quattro, Vita Bella, Don Fresco
Malaysia/Singaporean-Okra Asian Bistro, Tropika (Aberdeen)
Ramen-Benkei
Wonton-McKim's Wonton Saga
HK style-Glouster, 54th Ave, Curry King
Breakfast-Wooden Shoe, Sophies, Diva at the Met

Vancouver has such a huge variety of food it's so hard to just pick 1 or 5 or even 10. It really depends on what your preference is as not everyone likes the same things you do.

[Hoj]

I did mention 49th parallel. Definitely hit up their now flagship cafe, I've never been but from photos it looks beautiful.

I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure Elysian uses Novo, and perhaps some 49th as well.

Either way, can't go wrong with going to both, Yen! Tell me how it goes!

[fmed]

They do rotate through different roasters (eg Novo). Their current fresh sheet is all 49th.

[yen]

Oh, value doesnt have to mean less than ~$10. I didnt want to put a price tag on it... all it means to me is a place where you leave thinking "ahhh... that was well worth it! I must go back. Soon."

For example, Masa (NYC) had great food but poor value. I would not go back. Ever.

[fmed]

That changes things a bit...but my list will probably not change much. I might add some mid-to-higher-end places like Aurora Bistro, Boneta, Chambar, Hapa and Kingyo.

[yen]

I owe a friend a report on Hapa - so im already heading there. Chambar holds a little appeal to me as well, but im running out of meals :) Probably save those for another day.

[grayelf]

If we're throwing the price point out and just talking value, you might want to look at any of the Durbach Italianate restos: Parkside (for a value splurge if that's not an oxymoron) or La Buca (one of my faves, just don't order the chicken liver app).

[fmed]

Just tried the prix fixe at Chow restaurant - great deal at $38, IMO. I forgot my phone! No pics.

[ihatepickyeaters]

are any of these places near the park inn and suites on broadway? the cross street is Laurel. i'm also coming for a weekend soon and i won't have much time to travel around, nor will i have a car, so something close would be great. i've been told about two places that nobody has mentioned so i'm a bit nervous - the eatery, and sofie's cosmic cafe. are those good?

[toutefrite]

Sophie's Cosmic CAfe is a sinkhole for suckers who elect to stand in the rain for blatantly mediocre breakfast food that is somehow elevated in these people's minds by the affectedly anti-trendy decor and the aforementioned lineup. It also smells bad in there.

[fmed]

Totally agree with toutefrite on Sophie's.

The food at The Eatery isn't bad at all....but I don't like going there. The food is much too Japa-fusiony for my tastes..and the atmosphere is sophomoric. I do like a their okonomiyaki the time I had it.

[twinkienic]

Agree about both Sophie's and The Eatery. Also, neither of those places are near your hotel.

I like going to The Eatery but only if I'm out with certain people because the atmosphere would definitely not be enjoyed by all. I've described it as fusion sushi for frat houses. Expect loud music, and lots of tipsy college kids. Admittedly, I like their okonomiyaki better than the okonomiyaki specialty place (Modern Restaurant).

Close to your place are Peaceful Noodle, Saravanaa Bhavan, with Pied-a-Terre further up Cambie.

[grayelf]

Thanks for the heads up on the Eatery's okonomiyaki. We gave up on Modern Club because of the too-slow-even-for-this-kind-of-food service, and the only other place I've had them was the one on 2nd Ave whose name escapes me, where they were good but not great. The Eatery is very close for us, so we may brave it (haven't been there since I was actually a sophomore!).

Agree with your Cambie area recs, twinkienic and i'm hungry, with the caveat that I'm not sure I'd walk too far for either Toshi's (lineups!!) or Shiro (not tops for sushi for me).

If you're really feeling mellow one night, ihpeater, call the Firewood Cafe and order one of their pizzas in...

[toutefrite]

Forgive the minor hijack: grayelf, what style of pizza do they do?

[grayelf]

A hijack on a hijack LOL. I'm not exactly a pizza aficionado but here goes: they have a wood-fired oven (hence the name) which can sometimes result in almost black bits on the crusts which I would characterize as medium-thin and not oily at all, which is how I like 'em. Toppings have always been fresh and high quality in my experience, and they do some creative stuff without getting too whacky. My personal fave: pineapple, ham, cheddar cheese and sliced almonds. Close second: the Asiago.

We have always picked up because we are a tad outside their regular delivery radius, but there are one or two wee tables in a relatively nice (for a delivery pizza joint) storefront. Parking is still gruesome down there because of Canada Line construction but worth the battle IMHO. Their menu is online.

Link:

-----
Firewood Cafe
3004 Cambie St, Vancouver, BC V5Z2V9, CA

[fmed]

>>Thanks for the heads up on the Eatery's okonomiyaki. We gave up on Modern Club because of the too-slow-even-for-this-kind-of-food service, and the only other place I've had them was the one on 2nd Ave whose name escapes me, where they were good but not great.

The place is called The Clubhouse....pretty good lunch-grade sushi too.

I haven't really found great okonomiyaki in this town (LA and of course Japan, has very good okonomiyaki joints). Lion's Den (Japanese-Jamaican!) serves a decent one....but it is highly inconsistent...I had a near burnt one last time. I'm not even sure if they still serve okonomiyaki as it has been quite a while since I have been there.

[grayelf]

The Clubhouse it is -- I enjoyed the food there the two times we went but it sort of fell off the radar. Very eclectic decor, as I recall :-).

The best okonomiyaki I've had in Vancouver was at an event hosted by Mokuyokai where we learned how to make it and whipped some up ourselves. I gather there are at least two styles in Japan and that people are quite zealous as to the variety they favour.

[yen]

Yup, the two major ones are one from Kansai (primarily Osaka), and one style from Hiroshima. Because i ate them back to back (i went from Osaka to Hiroshima), people were very interested in which one i favoured. When you say zealous, that is understated significantly. Let's just say my life felt threatened if i didnt answer based on the region i was in. :)

For your own reference though, i prefer Osakan-style better!

[fmed]

I have a confession: I make pseudo okonomiyaki using Bisquick as a base. (I prefer Osakan as well, BTW)

[yen]

Yowch. You're a brave man to admit that :)

Strangely though, i don't find Okonomiyaki all that tough to make, once you've found all the ingredients (sauce, flakes, etc...). Do you do that for speed reasons?

[fmed]

Laziness ;)

It is quite quick though...my kids will eat anything Japanese...they love it. Since I have a good Japanese pantry (bonito flakes, dashi, kewpie mayo, botttle sauces, seaweeds, etc) it's a matter of dumping a bunch of stuff in a bowl, folding, then frying....no measuring amounts.

I have made it the using the "proper" method(s), though.

[im_hungry]

I agree w/toutefrite and fmed. Don't go to Sophie's. I wasn't big on the food at the Eatery, either. There's an Earl's and Cactus Club around your hotel. They're middle of the road chain restaurants that serve reliable food, if you really don't feel like venturing far from your hotel. If you go for a 10-15 minute walk, you'll have a few more options. If you head west, there's Cru on Broadway (small plates, tapas), Memphis Blues (BBQ house, great beef brisket), Vij's and Rangoli (Indian cuisine. Vij's is expensive, Rangoli is not). If you head east, there's Congee Noodle (wonton, noodles, etc.) and there's a bunch of restaurants on Main St, between E.7th to E.11th. My favourite place to grab a drink is the Cascade Room. If you walk up Cambie, there's also Pied a Terre btwn W.18 and 19th.

[ihatepickyeaters]

15 min walk is no problem - thanks for the advice. are there any sushi places nearby? i've heard about Vancouver's great sushi and would love to try some if it is within a 30 minute walk from my hotel.

[fmed]

Tojo's is within striking distance.

[im_hungry]

My picks are Toshi on E.16th, 1/2 block west of Main and Shiro on Cambie and W. 15th (it's in a small strip mall). Both are within 30 mins walk.

[aburitoro]

Sushi Garden across the street from Metrotown offers great bang-for-the-buck sushi. Get your fill of salmon and toro sashimi and/or nigiri, which are exceptional values and extremely fresh. I haven't bothered to try the western-style rolls there (rainbow, dragon, etc), as I generally don't care for these much.

I believe it's a Korean-operated restaurant, but don't let that stop you.

By the way, their salmon is likely farmed Atlantic, and toro comes from bluefin tuna. While I enjoy the taste of both, I'd just like to state that we should minimize consumption of these fishes for reasons which I hope are common knowledge to everyone here. If not, read here:
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr...

Sorry if I sound like a hypocrite!

[tom_edo]

under ten bucks for one person visits

Yoshoko ya - katsu curry -denman
Dona Cata - Tacos - Victoria
Au Petit Cafe - main
Cameo Cafe / Lions Den - Cheap Jamaican food - 2nd
Hawkers Delight - main
Congee Noodle House - main st
Zipang - pretty good sushi but bad cooked food. - main street
Toshis - good cooked food not so good sushi -main street
Nats Pizza - denman
Zakkushi - chicken teriyaki bowl with the special sauce - 4th or denman
Raga for lunch - broadway
La Galleria - edgemont village
Guu Lunch - thurlow
Spices pho - add the premium meat - cambie

I ll try and get to most of these places on my blog
http://vancouverslop.blogspot.com

[fmed]

tom_edo, does Lion's Den still do okonomiyaki? I've been meaning to head out there...it's been quite a while since I have indulged.

[busterbrown]

au petit cafe for vietnamese sandwiches
toshi for sushi
nats new york pizzeria, subs, pizza, etc....(cold chicken parm sub)
phnom penh......fried squid (or wings) same batter and dip, just depends your preference

[fmed]

Phnom Penh...good call!

[im_hungry]

Here are my favourites. BTW, I'm using ~$10 or less as a definition of "value" - hope that's ok?

Go Fish outside of Granville Island for fish n chips
Au Petit Cafe on Main and 33rd for their baguette sandwiches. I like #2 and #4. They sell out really fast, so make sure you get your sandwich before 12:30pm
The deli at So.cial at Le Magasin. Good sandwiches!
Fritz for french fries and poutine
Wang's in the food fair at Crystal Mall ($3.50 for a steamer of XLBs). Wang's is Burnaby, though
Whole Foods in Park Royal. It's West Van, but they have great pizza slices and sandwiches
Au Wing Kee in Burnaby and Vancouver for wonton, noodles, congee, etc.

[fmed]

Great list im_hungry. A couple of those are in my faves.

[yen]

Been to Go Fish before, it's good.
Wang's sounds perfect - a friend lives in Burnaby, so i'll be out there for a night for sure. Fritz sounds good too... who doesnt love poutine. Is it a true Quebec-style poutine (curds, demi-glace/gravy)? What sort of frites? And idea how they are prepared?

Lastly, with the sandwich places, can you help explain what is so good about them? Bake their own bread? Roast their own meats? What makes them so special... unique combinations? Im not the biggest sandwich fan in the world, but a great sandwich is a thing of beauty!

Thanks!

[fmed]

If you are going to be out in Burnaby there is a Hunan place there called Xiang on Imperial St. It was good and blazing hot. It may be the only Hunan left in the GVA.

-----
Xiang
4850 Imperial St, Burnaby, BC V5J, CA

[yen]

Ahhh... now you're talking! Something that's difficult to get anywhere in Western Canada/Pacific North West. Thanks fmed.

[im_hungry]

oWang's closes by 7:30pm and I think they are closed on Wednesdays or Mondays (I forget which), and if you don't get there in time, they sell out of XLBs b/c the grandma who makes them only makes them up to a certain point in the afternoon, and then they sell out. Fritz is not as good as Montreal poutine. Nothing is as good as Montreal poutine! I find that the cheese curds in Montreal are of a different quality. I find Vancouver cheese curds not as savoury and strong in flavour as the ones in Montreal. Plus, the texture of the curds is different. In Montreal, the curds squeak slightly (or it could all be in my head)? The frites are freshly made. Not sure if they single fry like New York Fries or if they double fry them the way they do in Belgium? But they offer a whole heap of dips and mayo for the fries, though. So much better than ketchup. As for the sandwiches... Au Petit Cafe has Vietnamese "subs" for lack of a better description. They have great bread (don't know if they make it or buy it, but it's like a French baguette but lighter), and they include a few different cuts of Vietnamese deli meats and a smear of pate. They top this with pickled carrots and daikon, cilantro, cucumbers and hot peppers (optional). And they're like $3 or $3.50 a shot. I can't rememember how much, but it's a steal. As for the deli at So.cial, they have good bread, big sandwiches, and a great selection of good meats and they have home made potato chips! It's also fun to see what the butcher has in stock that day, too. You can buy really nice cuts of meat to take home to grill. So.cial is pricier than APC (but APC has like zero ambiance. It's a total hole in the wall), but if you're looking for a good, cheap sandwich, I'd go with the ones at APC.

[fmed]

so.cial also makes their own charcuterie. They have a smoker in-house, IIRC.

Belgian Fries on Commercial Dr does a proper double-fry and has squeaky cheese....but yen should save his Poutine eating for a trip to Montreal!

[yen]

now that sounds promising. Have any of you ever been to Salumi? If i could get that sort of charcuterie without having to make it myself... yum!

As for fries... i'll eat good ones anytime, anywhere.

[fmed]

Salumi in Seattle...yes a few years ago now. They were on the cutting edge of this whole in-house salumi thing. So.cial is doing it on a similar scale. They do a good job.

If you are into salumi, Oyama on Granville Island and JN&Z on Commercial Dr do some of their own great charcuterie.

JN&Z are run by a Bosnian immigrant family - they have a killer smoked beef - suho meso, I believe it is called. Salt Tasting Room features many of their products, including this one. Very good value here.

[im_hungry]

If you go to JN&Z, do it on Saturday morning before 11am. From Sept-June(ish), they have hot bacon roll and suckling pig. So good! Full of greasy, flavourful goodness. They also sell home made meatloaf. Once the weather gets warm, they stop roasting things and then all the addicts go into withdrawal until mid-September.

[yen]

Mmmmm, suckling pig. Im sold now!

[Pollo]

JN&Z is run by Serbs...Bosnian Serbs....great stuff....it took rest of Vancouver almost 20 years to find out...Oyama is way over priced and by now too much a commercial operation....Salumi in Seattle was good at the begining now it's too pricey and the notoriety has gone to their heads....their sandwitches are just plain bad!....and their location is just nasty....surprising health department has not shut them down!

In NorCal there is Fatted Calf, Boccalone and Fra'Mani...all three have good products...so far but they will go main stream soon which usually means loss of quality. Vancouver needs another charcuterie provider....the market is there.....

[fmed]

Here's one of my old post with pics: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/491923

[grayelf]

Not to go too wildly off topic but the reason curds squeak is freshness, according to a Qualicum Beach curd purveyor whose curds are excellent, esp "hot off the press." Also the flavour degrades the further out from production they are, apparently...

[im_hungry]

So all this time, these french fry places have been using stale curds and covering up the staleness with a ladle of gravy? :)

That explanation makes sense though. I had super good, super squeaky curds, also "hot off the press" at the Tillamook Cheese factory in Oregon.

[grayelf]

Since I've never had poutine that was worthy of the name in Van, you may be right :-).

[twinkienic]

Au Petite Cafe does make their own bread in-house. They tend to run out around 1pm, so beware. Their sandwiches are wildly popular. I think they cost a smidge more than most Vietnamese sub places but definitely worth it.

[wueric]

just a quick correction: Au Petit Cafe buys their bread from La Baguette on Granville Island. This was from the owner the first time I ate there. In any case, the sandwiches are delicious.

[twinkienic]

Oh! Thanks for the correction... I didn't realize.

[yen]

I like Banh Mi, but i'll pass on something i can actually get in Calgary.
Thanks for the tip on Wang's - i guess i'll aim for a weekend lunch/brunch.

[fmed]

This is going to be a bit of a challenge. Note that I'm a lover of Asian food, so my list would bias to that. Plus, you really can't beat Asian food's value proposition here in Vancouver. My lists will also reflect choices based on commute and transportation access.

For my own day-to-day sustinence dining where I would spend around $10 or so on a lunch meal:

Peaceful Noodle for their killer Beef Roll
Hawker's Delight for Hainan Chicken Rice and other hawker stall fare
Benkei Ramen
Fujiya takeout sushi and bento
Au Petit Cafe for Banh Mi
Kim Phung for Pho (I can name at least six other Pho joints in my rotation)

However for a chow visitor, the list changes slightly to turn it more into a Vancouver Asian eating survey:

Peaceful Noodle
Hawker's Delight
Chen's Shanghai Kitchen (for the XLB, and other Shanghai Dim Sum) and a trip to Richmond
Food Court at Crystal Mall (for noodles and Asian food court fare)
Guu (orginal) for izakaya
Rangoli

As I write this, I struggled a bit with sushi...there are a lot in the "value" "lunch sushi" range. And my choices started to reflect my preferences and access...and not necessarily a quality proposition. I know as a visitor, I would visit the "best" sushi in town...so I'll stick with my standard rec - Octopus' Garden. For mid-range sushi - Lime.

And...are you gravitating towards any particular dine-in food experiences (eg Chinese in Richmond, Izakaya, Sushi, Dim Sum, etc??) We can certainly help you with a list like:

Value Dim Sum: Red Star
Value Northern Dim Sum: Chen's
Value Izakaya: Guu
Value Sushi: Lime
Value Northern Chinese: Peaceful Noodle
Value Indian: Rangoli
Value Burger: Granville Island's Market Grill
Value Cantonese: Congee Noodle House
Value Korean: Insadong (not really "Value" but this seems to be the only Korean I like)
Value Filipino: Josephine's
Value Pizza: Lombardo's
Value Seafood: Almost any top-shelf Chinese place

[kwailan4]

I'll add Saravanaa for Indian lunch vegetarian buffet. I do not like my greens in general, but the curries are amazing.

[fmed]

Good addition...I haven't been yet, so I didn't add it.

[yen]

Uh, wow fmed. That's a pretty comprehensive list... certainly nothing im going to be able to accomplish in a weekend. I actually find the more interesting list for me is where you like to eat - i find those kinds of lists very telling. What is, or is not chowish, really depends on the individual. Hawker's (havent had a good Hainanese Chicken since Singapore), Benkei Ramen i feel have made the list. Plus, they are light enough that i can fit them in as a 4th meal in a day, maximizing my eating experience.

I'll give the XLB a try, but if you've ever eaten at Din Tai Fung (any branch), i'd be interested in hearing a direct comparison.

Thanks for the effort. This gives me lots of fall back options as well!

[fmed]

I've been to the DTF in Arcadia. Exemplary for sure. You will get that 85% of the way there at Wangs. You won't get that impossibly thin skin that they somehow achieve at DTF....but pretty close. Chen's in Richmond is closer in quality.

If you would like Singapore-grade Hainan Chicken Rice, then go to Prima Taste (the HCR is about $9-$10...still a light and inexpensive meal and it right downtown). I like Hawker's because it is so damned cheap and close to work. Super bang for the buck...the HCR is $4.25.

[fmed]

BTW...this post has a preview of the XLB at Wang's:
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/513491

[fmed]

aburitoro reported that Wangs will be closed all week this week...so you may have to go to Chen's for XLB. (or...Three other restos that serve up decent XLB - Lin's, The Place, Peaceful)