In Town for the Olympics? Try My List of Medal-Worthy Dishes

For all you visitors out there, I’m hosting my own Olympics and giving out gold, silver and bronze medals for my favourite dishes all over Vancouver. It’s a pretty random assortment that spans all types of restaurants (from high-end to fast food) and all types of cuisines (from Thai to vegetarian). The best thing is that all of them are pretty accessible, being around or near downtown.

Gold Medal Category:

Chambar’s Moules Frites- Congolaise 562 Beatty Street Crosstown Tel. 604-879-7119

This is my most favourite dish in Vancouver. I just keep coming back repeatedly for the spicy creamy broth and those huge juicy mussels. It is the perfect complement to their fries. Who needs ketchup with those fries?

The Flying Tiger’s Humba Style Braised Pork Belly 2958 West 4th Avenue
 Tel: 604-737-7529

This is one of those dishes that has me salivating all over my keyboard. It’s an upscale take on a traditional Filipino street dish. Soft, tender pork simply melts in your mouth and it’s served with a Filipino breakfast classic— flavourful garlic rice. Eat it with the sauce spooned over it.

Sun Sui Wah’s Alaskan King Crab 3888 Main St., Vancouver Tel. 604-872-8822

Everyone in Vancouver knows Sun Sui Wah, with their classic dim sum menu and their solid dinner dishes. My particular favourite dish is their Alaskan King crab, sweet and succulent and served steamed with garlic.

Silver Medal Category:

Go Fish’s Cod and Chips or Halibut and Chips 1505 West 1st Avenue Tel. 604-730-5040‎

My family and I are fish and chip junkies. However, we thought we were spoiled for good after finding the best fish and chips in a fish shop in Sydney, Australia. This place definitely rivals that. All their seafood is oceanwise and their fish comes encased in a thin, light batter that is never chunky or heavy. Another yummy pick is their tuna burger. Here’s some advice: go in the odd hours like 3 in the afternoon or call for take out!

Simply Thai’s Duck Curry (Gaeng Ped Bped Yang) 1211 Hamilton Street Tel. 604-642-0123

Simply Thai is my go-two place for when I want pretty authentic Thai food. This dish is worth the embarrassment of having to stumble through the pronunciation of its name. Savoury duck is combined with sweet chunks of fruit and infused with fragrant coconut milk. Sometimes, if you are very very lucky, it comes served in a fresh coconut husk, allowing you to scrape all the coconut meat off the sides.

Mmmm… Memphis Blues (Elvis Platter) 1465 West Broadway Ave. Tel. 604-738-6806

As a social eater, I love the share concept of Memphis Blues where a single platter could easily feed 7 to 10 people. There’s a great combination of camaraderie and chaos as everyone reaches into that huge basket with their bare hands. It’s all here: pulled pork, brisket, bar-b-q chicken, ribs, golden corn bread and baked beans. All their meat is moist and falls off the bones.

Bronze Medal Category:

Finch’s Pear, Brie, Prosciutto and Walnut Baguette 353 W. Pender Tel. 604-899-4040

Actually, it doesn’t really matter which particular sandwich you pick. All of them are fantastic combinations of cheese, nuts and fruit. The irony of the place is that it’s a very slow sandwich shop. Give yourselves lots of time to check out this quaint little joint!

Café Nuba’s Najib’s Special (Say that 10 X fast) 1206 Seymour St. Tel. 778-371-3266

Nuba was until recently the name of the two branches of a restaurant which used to be complete holes in the wall. Then the Nuba in Gastown moved across the street and suddenly morphed into some bizarre upscale restaurant that scared the pants off me. Najib’s special, part of the original menu which can still be accessed at the Seymour and Davie location, still retains a special place in my heart. Deep fried cauliflower makes an unusually tasty vegetarian dish. I usually order the plate in order to avail of their fresh homous, tabouleh and roasted potatoes. PS-- their lamb dishes are what most carnivores prefer.

Paul’s Place Omelettry’s 1306 2211 Granville St. Tel. 604-737-2857

Love, love, love Paul’s omelettes. Hate, hate, hate standing in line on Granville St. as the cars zoom past you. This is strictly a breakfast joint, only open in the mornings until early afternoon. However, their thin, fine omelettes make me recall Julia Child’s lesson on how to make an omelette in 2 minutes flat, and their fillings are wonderful. My omelette of choice is the 1306 filled with mushrooms and cream cheese. Yum.