Inside Vancouver

Best Cheap Sushi in Vancouver 2015? You Make the Call!

by Remy Scalza in Food & Drink, Uncategorized on September 22, 2015

Photo credit: Alpha | Flickr

According to a report last year in the Vancouver Sun, Metro Vancouver has no fewer than 600 sushi restaurants (not counting grocery counters serving sushi). By some estimates, the city boasts the most sushi outside of Tokyo.

And, to the delight of local sushi lovers, lots of it is very cheap. Whereas sushi is a luxury food in other cities, in Vancouver it’s possible to get 18-piece boxes for under $10 (actually, under $5 if you know where to look). Alas, much of this cheap sushi is pretty mediocre, if not downright terrible. However, in-the-know sushi-philes generally all have their favourite cheap sushi joint – the mom-and-pop place on the corner where you can get fresh, well presented sushi for a decent price.

So I’d like to hear from you: Do you have a favourite cheap sushi restaurant in Vancouver? Share your bargain secrets by leaving a comment below. Continue reading:
Best Cheap Sushi in Vancouver 2015? You Make the Call!

Best Blues Club in Vancouver? You make the call!

by Remy Scalza in Uncategorized on November 24, 2014

A blues icon you probably won’t see in Vancouver’s blues clubs. Photo credit: F. Antolín Hernandez | Wikimedia Commons

Fans of blues music in Vancouver are still mourning the loss of the Yale.

It was more than two years ago when the iconic blues club at the end of Granville Street – with the big neon saxophone sign outside – closed its doors. The owners promised to rebuild and reopen, but now all that’s left is a For Lease sign in the window.

It’s never been easy to find great live blues music in Vancouver, and since the Yale closed it’s gotten even harder. But I know there must be a few options left out there, which is why I need your help.

Do you know a good blues club in Vancouver? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

I’ll start things off with my new favourite, a tiny club that’s been around for years but still doesn’t get much attention.

Continue reading:
Best Blues Club in Vancouver? You make the call!

Best Persian Food in Vancouver? You Make the Call!

by Remy Scalza in Uncategorized on November 14, 2014

Photo credit: Gaby Av | Flickr

Vancouver gets lots of praise for its abundant sushi options and authentic Chinese restaurants. But one international cuisine that’s consistently overlooked is the city’s outstanding Persian food.

Persian restaurants – serving the traditional food of Iran – are concentrated in North Vancouver (where there’s a large population of Persian descent) and also scattered throughout the downtown area. Outwardly, at least, Persian food has much in common with more familiar Lebanese and even Greek cuisine. The mainstay of the menu is skewers of beef and chicken, marinated and grilled over open flames. Pita bread plays a central role, too, as do starters with ingredients like eggplant and grape leaves.

But I’m far from an expert on Persian food, which is why I need your help. Do you have a favourite Persian restaurant in Vancouver. Let us know by leaving a comment below.

I’ll start things off with one of my favourites, Cazba, which has locations on Lonsdale Avenue in North Vancouver and on Davie Street downtown.

Continue reading:
Best Persian Food in Vancouver? You Make the Call!

Best Korean Food in Vancouver 2014? You make the call!

by Remy Scalza in Uncategorized on October 28, 2014

Photo credit Abex | Wikimedia Commons

Vancouver is justly famous for lots of different cuisines. There’s our fresh West Coast-style dining, with local seafood and 100-mile ingredients. We have incredibly authentic Chinese food and, of course, some of the best sushi this side of Tokyo. But what often gets overlooked is how good Vancouver’s Korean food is.

Take a walk down Robson or Denman Streets downtown or a drive along Kingsway and out to Metrotown and you’ll find dozens – possibly hundreds – of Korean restaurants. Many are just mom-and-pop joints, but they all seem to cater to a discriminating, local clientele who know their bulgogi from their bibimbap. And they always seem to be packed.

But if you’re not plugged into the Korean restaurant scene, finding a great place to try Korean food can be a bit of a challenge – which is why I’m asking for your help. Do you have a favourite Korean restaurant in Vancouver or the surrounding cities? Please let us know by leaving a comment below.

I’ll get things started by mentioning one of my favourites. Continue reading:
Best Korean Food in Vancouver 2014? You make the call!

Best Pizza in Vancouver 2014? You make the call!

by Remy Scalza in Uncategorized on October 18, 2014

Photo credit: ElfQrin | Wikimedia Commons

It’s said that in polite conversation, you never talk about two things: politics and religion. To those taboos, I might add a third: pizza.

Few topics stir up as much passion and animosity as the great debate over where to find the best pizza in Vancouver. Everyone has an opinion and it’s rare to find two pizza fanatics who see eye to eye on the matter (Inside Vancouver’s Tom Taylor recently offered up a newcomer’s take here.)

But I’m hoping to get to the bottom of the great pizza debate right here. Do you have a favourite pizza restaurant in Vancouver? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

And, yes, I do realize that this is actually a ridiculously difficult – maybe even unanswerable – question.

For starters, pizza comes in many manifestations. Continue reading:
Best Pizza in Vancouver 2014? You make the call!

Best Cheap Sushi in Vancouver 2014? You Make the Call!

by Remy Scalza in Uncategorized on September 26, 2014

Photo credit: tomek strabski | Wikimedia Commons

It’s no secret that Vancouver is sushi central. Literally thousands of restaurants around the city serve up maki, sashimi and other sushi staples. And, as Vancouverites know, lots of it is dirt cheap compared to other cities around the world. In fact, it’s hard to walk two blocks without seeing a sandwich board advertising a $5.99 18-piece special (with miso soup).

With so many budget options, it’s hard to know where to start – which is why I’d like your help. Do you have a favourite cheap sushi joint in Vancouver? If so, leave a comment below and help out all the hungry, bargain-seeking sushi lovers out there.

But cheap, of course, isn’t everything – especially when it comes to raw fish. Maybe it’s worth diving a little deeper into what makes a great cheap sushi restaurant. Continue reading:
Best Cheap Sushi in Vancouver 2014? You Make the Call!

The Great Canadian Bucket List? You make the call!

by Remy Scalza in Uncategorized on October 12, 2013

Photo credit: gebuehren-scout | Flickr

So by now you’ve conquered the Capilano Suspension Bridge, endured the Grouse Grind and paddleboarded deep into English Bay. Looking for a new adventure?

A new book by a Vancouver author highlights the best adventures Canada has to offer, in the city and beyond. The Great Canadian Bucket List explores more than 100 must-do-before-you-die experiences across the country, from tracking spirit bears to harvesting icebergs.

So what’s there to do in our neck of the woods? B.C. experiences included in the book range from familiar favourites to options sure to surprise even jaded adventurers. I’ve included 5 bucket listers from the book below, but I’d like your take: What are the absolute must-do, bucket-list experiences in Vancouver and British Columbia? Weigh in below.

Mountain bike the North Shore: Vancouver’s North Shore was one of the places where downhill mountain biking was born and still boasts some of the best trails anywhere.

Hop on VIA Rail’s The Canadian: The railway’s famous four-day transcontinental journey starts (or ends, depending on your perspective) in Vancouver and continues all the way across the country to Toronto. Continue reading:
The Great Canadian Bucket List? You make the call!