Taiwanese breakfast (Richmond or Downtown area)

[guavaJAM]

The bf and I will be visiting Vancouver in September (only there for about a day/day and a half after a cruise) and he's requested I try to find a place that serves breakfast, Taiwanese style.

From my searching, best I've come up with is Dinesty in Richmond and the food court in President Plaza, but given our itinerary, I'm not sure something in that area will work. Would prefer something more around Downtown/Chinatown areas, but open to any and all suggestions at this point because I'm honestly not sure where we'll end up getting a hotel. Will be relying on public transportation.

Much thanks in advance!

[grayelf]

May be too casual but there is a place that serves "fast food" Taiwanese style at President's Plaza called Yung Ho Soy Drink -- fried dough with egg and/or Chinese doughnuts.

[LotusRapper]

My last visits to them were disappointing :-(

http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/14/150333...

[grayelf]

They are a bit inconsistent, LR, have to agree. I've had lovely shaobing there when they were freshly made and not-so-great when they've been hanging around. I always like their soy milk though.

[clutterer]

I find the trick with them is to get there well before 11am.

[fmed]

I was going to post the same thing!

[grayelf]

Great tip, thanks -- I see an early stop at PP in my near future for fresh shaobing and a crepe from O'Tray. Breakfast of champions!

[LotusRapper]

How times have changed ;-)

http://dustrivia.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/cal-ripken-jr-wheaties-box.jpg

I have great childhood memories of weekend mornings in Taipei in the early '70s, where my parents and I would stroll to a local Shanghai "diner" and get big bowls of warm soy milk (like the French & their coffees), you tiao, shao bing, millet congee and my fave ,,,,, the sticky rice roll ("fan tuan") with bits of pork floss, pickled cabbage, you tiao and shredded omelette:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2585/3...

I recall the tall skinny waitress sported dyed spiky punk 'do, with a Daisy Duke-style shirt and really um, short, denim shorts. But hey, I was there for the food.

Dang, gettin' hungry again. At T&T you can get make-your-own sticky rice roll for $3 ! :-D

[grayelf]

Your post about the sticky rice rolls made me think of another possibility for the OP: technically a Shanghainese restaurant, Ningtu on Kingsway has tasty shaobing with meat and the sticky rice rolls that LR is talking about. Perhaps not exactly like the Taiwanese versions but worthy.

[guavaJAM]

Hmm, lots of good ideas--thanks!

[LotusRapper]

Super Wok reviews can be found here: http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/14/1529234/restaurant/Downtown/Super-Wok-Vancouver

There is a Taiwanese bakery/deli on the west side of Vancouver called Tachia (大家麵包店):

http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/14/1485631/Arbutus-Ridge/Tachia-Bakery-Deli-Vancouver

That's open quite early, I forget how early, but I used to live 2 blocks from them and bought steamed veggie/Buddhist buns and other misc. items from them. They are located on MacDonald St, and if you are staying somewhere in downtown or Chinatown, the #22 MacDonald bus route goes right through the heart of Chinatown, into downtown along Pender St, Dunsmuir St, Burrard St (and over Burrard Bridge) and eventually along MacDonald St:

http://www.transitdb.ca/route/022/

[guavaJAM]

Will add these to the list to keep in mind. Thanks (especially for the directions)!

[fmed]

Super Wok - a hole in the wall on W Pender right downtown - serves a Taiwanese breakfast.

[grayelf]

Google maps is showing this resto at Dunsmuir and Richards, is that correct? It sounds like it may have moved at some point... kinda intrigued by the ba-wan and heading downtown tomorrow, maybe will byoc (bring your own cilantro).

[fmed]

Oops. Yes that's correct. It's at Dunsmuir and Richards amongst a strip of other budget restaurants.

[clutterer]

The breakfast at Super Wok is really more of an old carryover of the Western-style breakfast (ie eggs) from the Croatian couple that used to run the restaurant in that spot with a few Taiwanese items thrown in.

[LotusRapper]

Fusion ! ;-)