Saturday, October 17, 2015

Ki Isu

Ki Isu | International Food Court | 530 Hornby St.

Ki Isu is a Japanese joint in the International Food Court. It is truly awful. I ordered "Lunch B" which is shrimp tempura with chicken, rice and salad. The problem is they put a layer of rice on the bottom of your bowl, and then some plain lettuce, followed by the tempura and mayo slathered chicken. It doesn't make sense.

The rice tastes like they threw some dirty socks in with the water. The shrimp tempura I will admit was tasty but the rest of the dish was a complete disaster. If you find yourself at Intl. Food Court avoid this place at all costs and go to India Abroad or the sandwich joint across from Ki Isu.

Steamworks

Steamworks | 375 Water St.

Steamworks is a decent spot if you've got a large group and need some nosh at peak hours. The place is quite huge and you can always get a table here. I tend to stick with the burgers which are quite good. The California Chicken Burger is a favourite of mine here. They also have excellent fries. As for the beer, it is pretty average. They do however, have an excellent fresh hop IPA available at the moment.

Thursday, June 4, 2015

Arturo's

Arturo's | Howe & Cordova

Arturo's is a Mexican food truck that is really close to my office. I'll start off by saying that I wouldn't likely eat here if it wasn't so close. I much prefer the fare over at La Taqueria but Arturo's does the job when I'm jonesin' for Mexican and don't have much time.

I would not consider Arturo's authentic Mexican - it's more of a Tex-Mex/Californian style Mexican. They have a fairly large menu but everything pretty much tastes the same! I usually order the "Calle Trio" which is 3 tacos. You can get beef, chicken and pork. It's a very generous portion and comes with rice and beans. I can't typically finish it all.

If you're into spicy food ask for it hot...their hot sauce is no joke. You have been warned.

Calle Trio

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Five Guys

Five Guys | 635 Robson St.

I hit up Five Guys on the weekend as my oldest daughter happens to have piano class right down the street. What a gem this place is. It reminds me somewhat of In-N-Out in California which I also highly recommend. The burgers at Five Guys are old school with nothing fancy going on. You order how many patties you want and what toppings.

The photo below is a "small" with one patty only. I did not order cheese as I believe they are using that mechanically pressed stuff that resembles plastic more than cheese.

Anyway, they have great fries too. And you can also eat peanuts here (on the house) and toss the shells on the floor. Great fun if you have kids!




















Five Guys Burgers & Fries on Urbanspoon

Friday, May 22, 2015

Fez Cafe Bistro

Fez Cafe Bistro | 1331 Robson St.

Sorry for the long lay off everyone! I've been getting over a foot injury that has seriously hampered my Lunch Warrioring!

Today I went to Fez Cafe Bistro. I've walked past this place a few times as it is only a couple doors down from Miko. The room itself is decorated beautifully.

I had the Chicken Basquaise which reminded me of a chicken cacciatore. It was quite good and the chicken was very tender. The chicken came with a flavourful tomato based sauce and stewed vegetables on top. The side potatoes were well seasoned and benefited from some delicious house made hot sauce. The dish was $15 and quite a large portion. I couldn't finish everything.

All in all, a cool spot to check out!





















Fez Cafe Bistro on Urbanspoon

Friday, April 17, 2015

Sushi by Yuji

Sushi by Yuji | 2252 Kingsway

Please note: this review is outside the down town core.
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I have been meaning to check this place out for ages as Yuji used to work at one of my favourite sushi joints, Shiro. Shiro has gone down hill as they have new chefs. Bummer.

I had miso soup, tuna nigiri, spicy tuna roll, and vegetable gyoza. Everything was top notch. The nigiri was the perfect temperature with nice big chunks of tuna and a small ball of rice. The vegetable gyoza was also fantastic. Highly recommended. If you like sushi, just go here. Trust me. It is really, really good.
















Sushi by Yuji on Urbanspoon

Friday, April 10, 2015

Vij's Railway Express

Vij's Railway Express | Georgia & Thurlow

I had to walk up to Georgia & Thurlow today so I decided to hit Vij's Railway Express. It was a very good decision. I had the special which was lamb korma. The dish consisted of lamb meatballs, spiced peanuts, korma curry and basmati rice. It was flat out awesome. Easily the best lunch I've had in quite some time. Run there right now & get some!

Lamb korma:

















Vij's Railway Express on Urbanspoon

Nature's Fair

Nature's Fair | 200 Burrard St | Waterfront Centre Food Court

Nature's Fair is in my "home" food court so I've eaten here several times. It's a salad bar, but they also make some decent sandwiches. I typically order the the Bali wrap with chicken. It's basically a chicken wrap with peanut sauce and a bunch of veggies. If you like it spicy, ask for extra hot sauce. Very healthy but a little overpriced at $11.

Chicken Bali wrap:

















Nature's Fair on Urbanspoon

One Under

One Under | 476 Granville St.

Prior to last week, I had no idea this place existed. I just happened to stroll by one day and saw their sign on the side walk. I'm glad I found this place!

As a certified golf fanatic, One Under is pretty much the greatest place on Earth. They have 5 or 6 HD simulators setup where you can play a round of golf. All the big courses are available (Pebble Beach, Augusta etc.). You do not have to play golf. You can just come for a bite to eat if you like.

There's a bar with a couple of TV's and a few tables. The menu is limited but the chicken tacos I had were quite tasty. The girl that works at the bar is very sweet and easy on the eyes.

My only complaint is that the beer list is quite short and somewhat uninspired. They do have a couple of winners though (Fat Tug, Windstorm Pale Ale). I don't believe they are pouring full pints either. I hope to see some improvements in the beer department.

Overall, this is a fantastic place if you're into golf. Trust me, just go!

Chicken tacos:



















One Under on Urbanspoon

Thursday, April 2, 2015

PHAT

PHAT | Royal Centre

A colleague of mine mentioned that PHAT now had a location Royal Centre. Perhaps its been there awhile? I don't know. I do know that I like the smoked meat at their Yaletown location so I sauntered over to Royal Centre today.

I ordered the "Skinny smoked meat" as seen below. It was pretty good. I found that the meat was a bit on the lean side and thus, not incredibly flavourful. I prefer the smoked meat at Dunn's. However, for $8 it's still a pretty damn good sandwich. The pickles on the side are very good.

Skinny smoked meat:



















Phat Royal Centre on Urbanspoon

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

The Blackbird

The Blackbird | 905 Dunsmuir

I hit up the Blackbird for lunch today. The blackened chicken sandwich was excellent. The side salad on the other hand, came with a smear of carrot puree around the outside of the bowl. No shit - a carrot puree. Easily one of the most bizarre culinary endeavours I've ever been subjected to. Anyway, this is a great spot to hit for lunch as the place is massive. You will get a seat. Also, they have an awesome draught beer list. I sampled a Dageraad Amber that was fantastic!The wait staff is also very friendly and not hard on the eyes.

The Blackbird Public House & Oyster Bar on Urbanspoon

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Shabusen

Shabusen | 202-755 Burrard St.

I was starving today so I hit up Shabusen. It's an all you can eat (AYCE) sushi joint and if you order correctly, it's not half bad! The tuna nigiri, gyoza & chicken wings are all quite edible. Stay away from the rolls as they are all loaded with mayo. The tempura is also a greasy mess. AYCE is $15 so come hungry! They also do Korean BBQ here but the price goes up a bit if you choose that option.

I should also mention the service here is laughable. They literally drop stuff in front of you and grunt incoherently. It is not the place to go if you feel like being treated nicely!

Tuna nigiri:




















Shabusen Yakiniku House on Urbanspoon

Monday, March 30, 2015

India Abroad

India Abroad | 530 Hornby | International Food Court

Whenever I have a hankering for curry, I hit up India Abroad. It's nothing fancy as it's in a food court, but it is pretty damn good. I usually grab the chicken curry and chickpeas. You can order naan if you like but I usually skip it. The naan is good though. It's pretty cheap too. I think it's around 8 bucks for what you see below. Most people tend to order the butter chicken but the chicken curry has a little more heat if that's your thing.

The sandwich joint right beside India Abroad is pretty decent as well. It's actually not a bad food court overall.

Chicken curry and chickpea curry:



















India Abroad on Urbanspoon

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Aki

Aki | 1368 W. Pender

I took one for the team today and tried a new place. It wasn't good. Do yourself a favour and take a big pass. The tuna was decent. Everything else was not. Bland miso soup, salmon had weird texture, spicy tuna roll falling apart. They did have a lot of cooked food on the menu so perhaps that is better?

Sushi combo & spicy tuna roll:



















Aki Japanese Restaurant on Urbanspoon

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Pick & Chews

Pick & Chews | 1055 Dunsmuir | Bentall IV Food Court

Pick & Chews is a fast food stir fry joint. You get to pick all your meat & veggies and then they fry it up for you and serve it on rice. It's not fancy but it fills the gap. Price is based on weight. I usually spend around 10 bucks. As far as food court chow goes, Pick & Chews is quite edible.




















Pick & Chews Teriyaki on Urbanspoon

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Tractor

Tractor | 335 Burrard St.

Tractor is a fairly new joint just down the street from my building. There's one in Kits too. I decided to check it out today & grabbed a kale caesar salad. At $13 the value is not great as I know I'm going to be hungry in an hour! The good news is it was very tasty. The room itself is very modern with plenty of hipster stylings. The clientèle is largely waify looking girls and hipster men. I was surprised to see they are licensed. This is not a drinking crowd and not a place where I'd want to hang out for a beer. It's loud as they have no soft surfaces anywhere. Overall, not a fun room...it feels very cold. Despite this, I will return when I feel like something light & healthy. I'll just make sure it's "to go."

Chicken kale ceasar:




















Tractor Foods on Urbanspoon

Lions Pub

Lions Pub | 888 W. Cordova

I've hit up the Lions a couple times in the last 2 weeks. I had the beef dip both times. The beef dip is killer here! The food at the Lions has improved a lot over the last few months. There must have been some changes made in the kitchen as things were quite bad in the past. They have a lot of decent beer on tap as well. I like the Driftwood Farmhand. It's also never all that busy here during the rush.


Lions Pub on Urbanspoon

Thursday, March 19, 2015

My Toan

My Toan | 200 Burrard St | Waterfront Centre Food Court

My Toan is a new spot that just popped up in the Waterfront Centre Food Court. This is my "home" food court as I work in the building. If I could use one word to describe this food court it would be atrocious. Lunch today was a pile of clumpy luke warm rice, a deep fried spring roll and some chicken on a skewer. The chicken was so dry it was closer to jerky. Oh, there was some salad too. At least the lettuce was crunchy.

As far as Waterfront Centre goes, you're better off at Nature's Fair, Thai Express or Fatburger. Neither of these is particularly appealing either but they beat My Toan. Do not attempt eating at any of the other places in Waterfront Centre as they are guaranteed to cause revulsion.

My half eaten lunch today:


Tuesday, March 17, 2015

MoMo Sushi

MoMo Sushi | 375 Water St.

MoMo is a very decent little sushi joint in Gastown. Sushi is generally awful downtown so when I don't feel like walking all the way to Miko, I'll hit up MoMo. Be warned, the place is a bit crazy during the rush (12pm-1pm) so it's best to go before or after.

Miso soup, spicy tuna roll and tuna nigiri:




















MoMo Sushi on Urbanspoon

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Tableau

Tableau | 1181 Melville St.

I've been meaning to check out Tableau for quite some time so I decided to treat myself to a nice lunch today. The room is beautiful and there's an excellent bar if you happen to be dining solo. I ordered the steak frites ($24). The steak was very slightly overcooked (I ordered medium-rare) but it was delicious. The red wine sauce was particularly awesome. The frites were bang on as well. After a nice glass of wine the damage was a cool $50 after tax and tip. Expensive? Very. Worth it? You bet!

Steak frites:




















Tableau Bar Bistro on Urbanspoon

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Brioche

Brioche | 401 W. Cordova

I'm feeling a little under the weather today. It seems my 3 year old has lovingly passed on her head cold to me. Thanks dear! Anyway, today I decided to hit Brioche for some soup. Whenever I feel a bit shitty and need some soup, Brioche is my go to spot. They make lots of other stuff too like sandwiches & pastas. There's always a couple specials as well. They usually have two soups to choose from. I went with the split bean. It was great and just what I needed. It was quite hearty and I found some mushrooms, white beans, and potatoes lurking in the bowl. A large soup comes to $5.50.

Split bean soup:




















Brioche on Urbanspoon

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Joyeaux

Joyeaux | 551 Howe St.

I hit up Joyeaux today. This place tends to get packed so I'd recommend going before or after the 12-1pm rush. Today I had the shrimp wonton noodle soup. It's a safe bet. The broth is not overly salty but there's good depth of flavour. If they use MSG, it wouldn't be much at all. I also enjoy the beef brisket soup here. There's a ton of things on the menu which I have never tried but this place is busy for a reason. The shrimp wonton noodle soup came to $9.40 - excellent value!

Shrimp Wonton Noodle Soup:




















Joyeaux Cafe & Restaurant on Urbanspoon

Monday, March 9, 2015

La Taqueria

La Taqueria |  322 W. Hastings

Any day with tacos is a good day and today was one of em! I had a craving for tacos on Friday but the line up was huge. Luckily for me, today was much quieter. La Taqueria is easily one of my favourite lunch spots down town. They have 12 tacos to choose from plus a daily special. I usually go with something of the beef or pork variety but they have excellent fish, chicken & veggie options available. 4 meat tacos will run you $10 all in. I've eaten a lot of street tacos in Puerto Vallarta and these stack up against the best. A must try.

Carne Asada, Pork Special, Carnitas, De Cachete (From top left clockwise):




















La Taqueria Taco Shop on Urbanspoon

Friday, March 6, 2015

Rice n Spice

Rice’N Spice | Harbour Centre Food Court

I tried to grab tacos today but the lineups were massive at both La Taqueria and Tacomio. Bummer. I didn't have much time left so I hit up the food court at Harbour Centre for a guilty pleasure of mine. Rice' N Spice has about ten different curries and a bunch of veggie dishes you can choose from but I usually grab a small order of chicken shawarma. They put butter chicken sauce on the rice and tzatziki and hot sauce on the chicken. It sounds (and looks) quite disgusting but is excellent stuff! The small order with a Coke comes to $10 tax in. Deal.

Small chicken shawarma plate with rice, potatoes & chick peas:



















Rice 'n Spice on Urbanspoon

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Miko

Miko | 1335 Robson St. |

Miko is not to be confused with Miku. Both are great places for sushi, but very different vibes! Miko is on Robson near Jervis. It's an old school sushi joint and most importantly, Japanese run! It also happens to be my favourite sushi joint in the down town core. Admittedly, I am a hard core sushi snob, so this is high praise indeed.

Miko can get on the pricey side if you start ordering a la carte, but they do have a couple of lunch boxes that are delicious. I normally order the sushi box. I toss the california roll and substitute a spicy tuna roll (+$3) so it comes out to around $17 after tax.

Everything at Miko is awesome. I'm not going to bore you with the details. Just stop reading this and go now. If you like sushi, Miko is the shit.

Sushi box with spicy tuna roll:



Miko Sushi Japanese Restaurant on Urbanspoon