Life in the Lower Mainland (BC, Canada)

My friend re-visiting Vancouver after many years was reminded of Japadog so we stopped by the outlet at McArthurGlen Designer Outlet -- which you can skytrain to for free from YVR airport . Just get out on the correct side of the station. Otherwise you might be confused by the map inside the station. After some agonized selection (we figured we could only try two between the two of us), she settled on the Menchikatsu Dog and the not-shown-on-the-website Okonomi. Together they came to $22.24 after tax. It was interesting to get my friend's take on the Japadogs because she's Japanese. For starters, she recommended eating the Okonomi first, because she estimated it would have a subtler flavour than the Menchikatsu Dog. Okonomi Dog Inspired by the Japanese okonomiyaki pancake, what you think of this Japadog will probably depend on your idea of what an okonomiyaki should contain. If you start with a blank slate about this, then this Japadog will simply be special for having...

G-Men Ramen is a tight little space with a totally inadequate waiting area (but benches right outside) because of the queue that apparently forms every day, not just Friday and Saturday nights. However, turnaround is quite fast. There is also "bar seating", which actually isn't that bad as the bar table is quite wide. Good for couples since they are side by side anyway. Make sure you put your name down on the waiting list (which can move quite quickly despite the maximum 2-hr time limit per seating) when you arrive. You will be asked whether you are okay with bar seating or if you need a table, at the time you put your name down and again when seating becomes available. Tan Tan Men ($10.25) 8oz spicy sesame & peanut flavour pork bone broth with thin noodle Thin noodle looks like the type you get in a packet of instant noodles. And there's a LOT of it. Quite a bit of diced pork as well. Overall, a heavy and filling meal for just $10.25 and you may want to ...

Mango Mama Cafe Ltd. is a simple, brightly lit restaurant with booth seating that comfortably seats four and a fifth awkwardly with an extra chair. You order by ticking off a menu sheet -- sort of like dim sum. There is no "customer service" per se except they check if you're ready and bring your order to the table. The mangoes here are Philippine Mangos , which are supposedly the sweetest in the world and also hideously expensive here for being imported. If you don't care about that, you will feel like you are overpaying for simple things like adding some fresh mangoes to your fluffy ice, or getting a "fresh mango pancake" weighing in at $10.95. Which I got (see pics below). The crepe is thin and filled with mango cubes plus whipped cream (?). Also takes a while to make -- longer than my friend's mango fluffy ice. The fluffy ice comes out looking like a pile of phyllo pastry, and strangely keeps that look for a very long time. Portion is also hu...

The concept is pretty simple: A BBQ meat sandwich that uses round burger buns and gives you roughly the same amount of meat as a patty. For $4 more you can get twice the amount of meat (the "II" option on the sandwich menu). Quiet, shady place that's quite big. Looks simply decorated on the inside, but take some time to look around and you'll spot some curious things like vintage cameras. Mostly tables and a curious mix of chairs all spray-painted white. Plus a low table with couch! Tables look easily movable, so this place could probably accommodate fairly large groups. It's planted in a residential area, but only a 35 minute walk from the nearest Skytrain. Plus there's parking. Price for portion is decent at mostly $9 per burger. Despite the interesting descriptions, it isn't really a gourmet burger, but it is tasty enough. Considering most dedicated burger places are charging about $12-$15 for a supposedly gourmet burger, this is OK value. ...