10 tastes of: Vancouver

Vancouver restaurateurs are passionate about their chefs and eager to show off their digs. Hot spots around town are:

• Tojo’s for sushi
• Chambar for Mussels Congalaise and the best frites in town
• Yew in the Four Seasons Hotel for their raw bar and spectacular, newly designed dining room
• Bonita for cocktails
• Cobre for Latin food, West Coast style
• Bin 941 for small plate menu (locals rave about the Beef Wellington)
• and exotic Sanafir for the scene!

A passion for local products combined with the newly heeled clientele has resulted in a mushrooming of restaurants and a demand for quality ingredients - a foodie combination to be reckoned with.  Here are our ten defining tastes of Vancouver and its surrounding county:

1. B.C. Spot Prawns
These shrimp (in image above) are harvested predominately in the inside waters off Vancouver island from May through June or July, making these sweet, delicately flavoured prawns a seasonal treat. A yearly festival heralds their arrival and you will see them on the menus of the acclaimed Coast and Bluewater seafood restaurants. Alternatively, they are for sale by the pound right off the fishing boats at Fisherman’s Wharf.

2. 49th Parallel Cappuccino
A walk along gorgeous Kitsalano beach should be prefaced with the java at 49th Parallel’s coffee lounge. Vince and Mike Piccolo, co-founder of Café Artigiano, are the reigning kings in Vancouver’s coffee-centric culture. The unrivaled creamy, smooth and well-balanced coffee goodness comes from buying, blending, and roasting their own beans.




3. Oyster Po Boy at Go Fish
The line up is worth it at this popular seaside fish shack at Fisherman’s Wharf. The Oyster Po-Boy Sandwich carries seared rather than deep fried oysters, served on a soft toasted bun with caramelized onions, lettuce and tomatoes. Their fish is fresh, cooked in a light crisp batter, served with crisp fries and freshly made coleslaw. The tuna wrap (featured in image at left) and seafood chowder are also popular with the regulars.



4. Oyama Okanagan Red Wine Prosciutto
Oyama Sausage Co. is a family run local producer of exceptional quality charcuterie. The prosciutto is made from free range Berkshire Pork and is dry cured in sea salt, soaked in a fruity Okanagan red wine and cured for 2 to 4 months to produce a salty, porky delight. Also try the Jambon Blanc for the best-cooked ham outside of Paris. Their many products are available at their store in Granville Market and at various restaurants around town.



5. Matcha
Vancouver urbanites love their tea almost as much as their coffee and can be spotted with a cup of this carefully ground powdered green tea on the way to the de rigeur Yoga class. Much touted for its health benefits and metabolic boost, this popular caffeinated drink packs a thick, vibrantly green and tannin puckering punch.

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