My affections for the West End have long been fed by the absurd number of eateries opening and closing on its many blocks. Many of the newcomers never make it past their first birthdays, a fact that would sadden me if it werent for the certainty of their swift replacement. Spoiled-for-choice locals and prohibitive rents are partly to blame for the neighbourhoods famously high turnover rate, but lets not forget the daunting competition that every new entry faces. Truly, the forest of For Lease signs lining the main drags of Denman, Robson, and Davie stand more as warnings than invitations to newcomers: if you build it, you better damn well have your shit together. Here are my Top 10 picks for the ones that do, in order of their respective awesomeness.
1. Kingyo | 871 Denman St. 604-608-1677 |Kingyo-Izakaya.ca
Kingyo plates a menu that combines high-quality sashimi with perfected izakaya standards and all manner of usually fantastic experiments in an environment that is a sexy cut above its casual Japanese competitors (of which there are many). One of the most consistently exciting restaurants in Vancouver. Favourite dish: Tan Tan noodles with ground pork.
2. CinCin | 1154 Robson | 604-688-7338| CinCin.net
This fine dining icon is older than most undergraduates, but it keeps getting stronger with age (no small task to withstand both the financial meltdown and its concurrent tidal wave of new, casual Italian competitors). It three prime assets are its leafy second floor patio overlooking Robson, its unparalleled service crew, and the tastes of its omnipresent owner, Jack Evrensel. Favourite dish: anything from the wood-fired oven.
3. Motomachi Shokudu | 740 Denman |604-609-0310
Arguably the most charming of Vancouvers many noodle houses, if not the most delicious. Tokyo-style ramen is the name of the game here, though the broth employed is made with chicken (with fish stock added for balance) rather than the usual fatty pork. The ingredients in the noodle soups are of higher quality as well. Less frenetic service and atmosphere than nearby competitors. Favourite dish: charcoal miso ramen.
4. Nook | 781 Denman |604-568-4554 |NookRestaurant.ca
One of the better casual Italian restaurants in town known for its simple pizzas and house-made pastas. The small room is reminiscent of a diner in an irrepressibly good mood. Well-served and soundtracked, and the wee bar is drop dead cute. Favourite dish: the addictive little chicken liver crostinis.
5. Lolitas | 1326 Davie |604-696-9996|LolitasRestaurant.com
This south of the border cantina fills nightly on account of its ability to whisk diners away to warmer climes by sheer force of its convincing ambiance. That counts for plenty in the depths of winter (when the margaritas come especially fast and furious). Favourite dish: five cheese stuffed poblano chile relleno.
6. Market | 1115 Alberni |604-695-1115|MarketByJGVancouver.com
Celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichtens coastal flagship in the Shangri-La hotel remains a recessed means of tasty escape from the mayhem of the city without leaving its main ventricles. The French focus of its cuisine is divinely blurred by Pacific Rim flavours, and the aesthetics have that rare power to make all assembled look and feel a little more beautiful than they actually are. Favourite dish: black truffle and fontina pizza.
7. Raincity Grill | 1193 Denman St.| 604-685-7337 | RainCityGrill.com
Now in its 20th year, the old RG remains one of a pitiful few Vancouver restaurants within steps of the waterfront (in this case, English Bay) to give a damn about representing the bounty of British Columbia. It gets mercilessly pistol-whipped by tourists in summer, so the best time to go is now upon us. Favourite dish: Sloping Hills bacon benedict.
8. Gyoza King | 1508 Robson | 604-669-8278 | gyokingroup.com
A long-time favourite of the restaurant industry, ESL students, and stoners of every stripe (not to mention food writers), Gyoza King is a hole in the wall that only ever disappoints when there are no seats to be had. The service is often delightfully incomprehensible if you dont speak Japanese, but that only adds to its appeal. Favourite dish: tie between pork gyozas and chicken karaage.
9. La Parisien | 751 Denman | 604-687-1418 | leparisien.ca
This good-looking newcomer from Bistro Pastis owner John Blakeley is like a French version of its casual neighbour, the Italian-themed Nook. The room is happy and contemporary with bistro motifs throughout. Nearly all the classics are on the menu here, everything from moules (three ways) and steak frites and boudin noir and tarte flambee. Dig the tidy little beer list. Favourite dish: beef tartare.
10. Hapa Izakaya | 1479 Robson St. | 604-689-4272 | hapaizakaya.com
The original Hapa Izakaya is still the benchmark for the three others that have followed. The room is dark and a little on the loud side, but its exceedingly sexy and a seeming fount of youth. Its hard not to feel very alive in its clutches. Good sake and sochu list, and the cocktails are more considered than others in the izakaya game. Favourite dish: chowder of halibut, scallop, bacon, dashi, and cream.
