An “eh?” joke…who can resist?
I had the chance to go to Vancouver for the first time a few weeks ago. I had great expectations as it’s been high on my list for quite awhile; however, the expectations were only met when the sun decided to reluctantly peak its head out. I’ve been to the Pacific Northwest in both the summer and winter and winter is bleak. That said, in July I can’t really imagine any place I’d rather be. I suppose memories of the summertime are what get the locals through the dreariness. As for me, as much as I love mountains and the temperature, I’m still not convinced it’s a place I could call home year-round.
But enough about the weather! Let’s talk about lodging and food! We stayed at the Hilton Metrotown which was quite decent but not really in the heart of the city. In fact, it’s actually in the suburb of Burnaby. The great thing was quick access to the Sky Train and a really big mall (Metrotown) that had a lot of shopping options. I would not generally spend a ton of time in a mall, but it was cold and rainy the morning I was going out to explore. Tim’s and Zara were calling my name so I headed over to kill some time. They also had a Superstore, Zellers, and T&T Market. It was a cultural experience…okay, not really, but it was still a nice way to kill some time before the sun came out and my friend arrived from Seattle. Since sight-seeing time is always limited, one of the main things we do on these trips after work is eat! Here is a run-down of the memorable places from the trip.
This is a local chain that’s fairly upscale. A lot of the wait staff are aspiring actors/actresses, so maybe you’ll be waited on by someone who will make it big! They had a couple of vegetarian options and I was extremely satisfied with the portabella mushroom fajitas I ordered. It was a TON of food. As for drinks, I had the Brazilian, but it was a tad too sweet for my liking. A coworker ordered one with less sugar and I will do the same if I’m there again.
Hapa Umi
I’m still trying to verify the name of the place; however, it was excellent! I had some very interesting edamame ravioli, but the actual edamame appetizer was also noteworthy. It was served cold and marinated in some kind of teriyaki-like sauce. The polenta fries are also worth ordering.
Yakko Sushi
This was a spur of the moment decision based on Yelp, but it did NOT dissapoint. They had a lot of vegetarian options and the yam (sweet potato) tempura roll was fantastic. It’s a total hole-in-the wall, but quite delicious and apparently popular based on the number of people we saw getting to-go orders from the place.
Tim Horton’s
What do I need to say about it? Get some TimBits and an Iced Cap and enjoy until you have a sugar crash.
Dairy Queen
We saw a DQ in Surrey and couldn’t resist. I know it’s nobody’s definition of fine dining, but we couldn’t say no. At first people made fun of the suggestion, but they all came around to it!
All I can remember is how GREAT the nachos were as I had a craving for them the day we went. Really, that’s all you need to know.
For a vegetarian, the food was just okay. However, if you are a meat eater and love a cool location, this is the place! It’s adjacent to a seaport and you can see the seaplanes coming and going while you enjoy your meal. While I didn’t like what I ate, my coworkers all enjoyed it and I give it a gold star for location.