Chen's Shanghai Kitchen (Bai Yu Lan)

Out of all the different regional Chinese cuisine, my favorite had to be the Shanghai cuisine. They're super fattening and unhealthy, due to all the oil that was used, but super delicious at the same time. To me, they're absolutely irresistible. It's not difficult to find a restaurant serving Shanghai cuisine in Vancouver, but it's a different story when trying to find a good one. Luckily, there's the Chen's Shanghai Kitchen, a.k.a. Bai Yu Lan, in Richmond.

The variety of Shanghai style Dim Sum is better during lunch hours, but most of them can also be ordered during dinner time, which is wonderful, as most restaurant won't do any Dim Sum items outside of lunch time. The problem is though, if you don't read Chinese, ordering can be a bit challenging. During lunch time, they give you a Dim Sum checklist that doesn't have English on it. Now I'm sure that they have something in English, but it's usually shorter than the Chinese list. So finding a Chinese-literate to go with you for the first couple of times just to get familiar with the menu is recommended.

Some of their best Dim Sum dishes include the Xiao Long Bao, Shengjian Bao (Pan Fried Buns), Pot Stickers, and Meat and Vegetable Wonton. And in my opinion, they also have the best Green Onion Pancake in town. Those who are familiar with the dish will know that it is usually very oily, and some quite soggy, but Chen's Shanghai Kitchen's version of it is not oily at all, and much tastier than those in other restaurants. Unless you dislike green onions,this is something you must try at this restaurant. Unfortunately, their Xiao Long Bao is not the best in town, but they are a close second (the best Xiao Long Bao is actually in the food court of Aberdeen Centre). The pricing for Dim Sum items are also very reasonable, averaging to about $5 or so per dish.

Dinner-wise, I suggest having Dim Sum and a couple of noodle items like Dan Dan Noodles, Shanghai Chow Mien, or Shanghai Nian Gao (Rice Cake). Unfortunately, the other dishes aren't very impressive, so you're better off ordering the same thing anytime you go. Do keep in mind though, that although the food is excellent in this restaurant, the service and cleanliness is not the best. So now that I've got you mentally prepared, please don't come back to complain about these 2 things. You're going for the food and only the food. Nothing else here.

A word of warning, don't order too much. Remember that most of the good items are either buns or made with a lot of flour, so it's all very filling. Ordering too much will either have you extremely stuffed, having to waste food, or having to bring a lot of left overs home. Oh, and remember when you're eating the Xiao Long Bao and Sheng Jian Bao to remember not to take a big first bites. They are very hot, and super juicy that you might have juice squirting all over resulting in a stain on your shirt, and very bad table manners.

Chen's Shanghai Kitchen 8095 Park Rd. Richmond, B.C. Tel: 604.304.8288

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Cafe D'Lite

As much as I do not appreciate the hot hot heat in Malaysia and Singapore when I travel there, I've always appreciated their food. Unfortunately, imo, there's no "one-stop-restaurant" in Vancouver where you can get all the best Malaysian and Singaporean food in one restaurant. Fortunately though, there are different restaurants that does a wonderful job in different dishes. And Cafe D'Lite happens to make some very delicious Hainanese Chicken Rice and Singaporean Laksa.

Their Hainanese Chicken Rice is not only the best in the city, but also the best even when compared to many other cities around the world (yes, even in some Asian towns/cities). All their Hainanese Chicken are de-boned, which is very smart, because it make much less mess at a service point of view. If you order the Hainanese Chicken Rice dish, about $9, it comes also with the rice, which is yellowish in color and super flavorful. If you'd like more food, you also have the choice of ordering half a chicken or a full chicken, and however many bowls of rice you'd like.

Their Singaporean Laksa is also excellent. Made with a curry-based soup, it is full of fish balls, fish sticks, tofu puffs, shrimps and, of course, vermicelli. For some reason though, the Laksa almost always taste better when eating in the restaurant than when bought as a takeout item. So I would suggest that if you're going to order Laksa, eat it there. There is no difference for the Hainanese Chicken Rice, however.

My only problem with Cafe D'Lite is their opening hours. It is opened Monday to Thursday at 11AM to 8PM and on Friday to Saturday from 11AM to 9PM. So if you'd like to have dinner there on the weekdays, you'd have to go early. There has been quite a couple of times when we were turned away because we got their after there last order time, which is about 15 to 30 minutes prior to closing. Other than that, it is definitely a great restaurant to go to.

Cafe D'Lite 3144 W. Broadway Vancouver,B.C. Tel: 604.733.8882

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Miku Restaurant

With Japanese food being my absolute favorite cuisine, it's only natural for me to go try pretty much everything new out there. I had the opportunity to dine at the Miku Restaurant a little while ago, and it was definitely one of the best sushi restaurants in the Downtown area.

Unlike the more traditional Japanese restaurants, Miku features the aburi sushi, which is nigiri sushi dipped in various sauces, then slightly seared. To be honest, as a Japanese food lover, I'm a little ashamed to say that I've never heard of this type of sushi prior to going to Miku. But nonetheless, the experience was more than a positive one.

So since it was the first time for us to try this type of sushi, we decided to order the Premium Aburi Sushi for $18, which has small a selection of different aburi sushi, to see what it's like. In addition, we also ordered a couple of the aburi rolls, which averages to be about $12 each. I must say though, although the food was all delicious, many of the rolls were similar to the ones present in the Premium Aburi Sushi dish. So, we did felt a redundancy. But then, it's our fault for ordering unwisely.

What I love the most about the aburi sushi in Miku is their sauces. It's not difficult to make sushi and then sear it, but it's difficult to make a different sauce to match each different fish and each different roll. And Miku does an excellent job at it. One thing though, just be be picky, it would be even better if the servers could warn the guest when they are ordering things of too similar taste. That would definitely avoid their guest getting "bored" if they weren't the best at picking out what to order.

Now talking about service, the people there were excellent people. Very nice, helpful and friendly. Unfortunately, the time when I went, they were understaffed, so there was a delay in service. But then I believe that they've hired more people, as I haven't been hearing anything bad about the restaurant from the other people who went there.

Other than food and service I heard that they serve a very nice mojito too, but I haven't had the chance to try. But I definitely love their patio. On a nice day, they actually do get some sun, as opposed to some other restaurants in the Downtown area that has a patio but no sun shining on it. However, their ambiance was only ok though, chic, but nothing unforgettable.

I would definitely recommend anyone who likes sushi to give this excellent restaurant a try. After all, it did snatch the Best Formal Japanese Restaurant Bronze Prize after only a few months of their opening. If you don't mind a later dinner, I'd say go after 8PM. It's because the meter parkings are EXPENSIVE just outside of the building, but after 8PM, it's free!

Miku Restaurant #2 – 1055 West Hastings St (at the Guinness Tower) Vancouver, B.C. Tel: 604.568.3900

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Toratatsu Japanese Tapas Bistro

Walking down Denman Street one evening during the summer, I noticed a, relatively new, restaurant close to the intersection of Denman and Alberni. The restaurant was small with contemporary design and a lively atmosphere. I've always love Izakaya-type restaurants, and when I looked at their menu, I immediately knew I had to come try the place. Toratatsu Japanese Tapas Bistro is the relocation of Shiru-Bay Chopstick Cafe that was used to be in the Yaletown area. I've always loved Shiru-Bay's tapas, and have missed it much. I finally had the chance to go on Friday, and was overjoyed that they still serve my favorite dishes at the same high quality that I loved so much.

One of the good things about ordering at Toratatsu is that you don't necessarily have to be good at ordering to make sure you get the best dishes. They have a list of their most popular items, and all of them are great. My favorite had to be the Negitoro with Garlic Toast. I love Negitoro to begin with, but I've never imagined it with Garlic Toast until I had it in Shiru-Bay. It was great being able to have this dish again, and Toratatsu does even a better job at it than before.

Many of the tapas are quite innovative, and tasty at the same time. Their Cheese Tofu is definitely a dish I would call "weird but delicious." The dish is of cream mascarpone, mixed with a touch of honey, and served with baguette. It sure does look like tofu, but without the texture that a lot of Western people are not used to. The only thing about this dish is that, at Toratatsu, it's served with some strawberries on top, which overpowers the cheese tofu a little too much. If you eat it without the strawberries, it's much better tasting.

The other dishes that we've ordered that are excellent were Yakiniku Lettuce Wrap, which is like Korean barbecue pork served with a little bit of rice, kimchi, lettuce and korean hot sauce, and Sashimi Salad with a wasabi soy vinaigrette. The Foie Gras terrine with yuzu miso was ok, and the Musashi Roll was average. Of what we remember from Shiru-Bay, their sushi items are only average, so we probably won't be ordering them again next time we go. But otherwise, everything else is great.

Now one thing, which is not their fault, and I blame stupid Safeway for it, is that it's super difficult to find a parking spot in that area. I drove around and around for at least 15 minutes, and was only able to get a spot because we have a Handicapped sign for my father. I really hated Safeway for taking out that parking lot on Robson and Denman when they build the new Public Market thingy a couple years back. But again, that's really not the restaurant, or any restaurant in the area's fault.

Toratatsu Japanese Tapas Bistro 735 Denman St. Vancouver, B.C. Tel: 604.685.9399

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Tenhachi at Shaughnessy Village Hotel

One thing that's good about working the graveyard shift is that you get the opportunity to eat breakfast even if you're not a morning person. So one day, an hour before I finished my graveyard shift, I began craving for a traditional Japanese breakfast. I Googled it and finally found Tenhachi, located in the Shaughnessy Village Hotel. Seeing that it's only $7.50 for a breakfast combo, I decided to go straight after work. And man, was it awesome.

I've never thought that there's Japanese breakfast in Vancouver, but I guess we have pretty much everything here in Van City. Tenhachi features Japanese Home-Style Cooking, but where it's located can certainly throw you off the first time you go. Shaughnessy Village Hotel is a dumpy little hotel that looks like they should have been renovated 30-40 years ago. With mirror pillars and an old style receptions desk, I was certainly very confused when I first went in. It was also quite difficult to find a parking spot, as the area is mostly residential, most street parking requires a permit, but there are 3 parking spots hidden behind the hotel with a Tenhachi sign there.

There are 5 different Japanese breakfast combos offered, Salted Salmon, Natto (Japanese Fermented Soy Beans), Grated Daikon with Whitebait, Grated Yam, and Cold Tofu. All are served with rice, miso soup, Japanese pickles, and various side dishes, which, I believe, is slightly different every time or during different times of the year. For those who are more conservative eaters or are just not used to traditional Japanese food, other than say sushi and tempura, the safest bet would be to start off with the Salted Salmon combo. Otherwise, the Cold Tofu combo would also be a good choice. The other two, however, are definitely more for the experienced or adventurous eaters.

Breakfast is served everyday from 7 AM - 12 PM, so if you think a full on Japanese breakfast is too big for you in the morning, you can consider trying it for an early lunch or something. The combo is quite filling, and considering it's price, it's just one of the best things. I'll definitely be going back for more. I'll be trying the Cold Tofu combo next.

Tenhachi 1125 W. 12th St. at Shaughnessy Village Hotel Vancouver, B.C. Tel: 604.742.0234

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Moby Dick's

When I first moved to Vancouver as a kid, I lived in White Rock. I used to hate it so much, since everything that's fun are far away from where I live, and I couldn't yet drive because I was too young. But there are also good things there though, like the Moby Dick's fish and chips restaurant by the White Rock Beach. They serve fresh lingcod with a homemade extra fluffy light batter. It's really one of the best fish and chips I've ever had.

Their portions are quite generous, and no matter if you're ordering 1 piece, 2 pieces, 3 pieces or 4 pieces, there're always an extra piece served on each plate. Their batter is also so light that you'll only need a fork to cut the fish. I really like their homemade tartar sauce. It's an extra cost, but it's definitely well worth the price. I think they sell it in packets too, for take-out. For appetizer, their calm chowder is excellent, although a little on the thick side. So I'd suggest ordering only a cup of it for $3.20.

The pricing is not exactly cheap, but for the quality of food, it's quite worth it. One piece fish and chips costs $9.40 and four pieces is at $19.20. I would actually cut the chips though, because the hand-cut fries aren't really that good, and it's much less to get it without the fish. One piece of fish only is at $5.90 and four pieces is at $13.30. If you're throwing a party, you can also order a barrel of fish to go.

On a busy afternoon, you'll have to wait in line for a table, but people are usually very considerate and doesn't dwell too long. But if it's summer and the weather is nice, you might as well buy from the take-out window and sit by the beach. But whatever you choose to do, Moby Dick's, alone, is definitely worth the trip to White Rock.

Moby Dick's 15479 Marine Dr. White Rock, B.C. Tel: 604.536.2424

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Au Petit Chavignol

Having lived in Switzerland for 3 years, I've developed a love for cheese. Although I wouldn't say that I learnt to appreciate all kinds of cheese, but I definitely crave for good cheese all the time. So when I learnt about Au Petit Chavignol, I went there with my family right away.

Au Petit Chavignol is a small restaurant, opened by the owner of Les Amis du Formage, one of the best cheese shops in Vancouver with a wide variety of stock, and a few others. Seating is at a first come first serve basis, so I usually either go very early on weekends or I choose to go on weeknights instead to avoid long waiting time.

When going to this restaurant, I recommend cutting straight to the point and ordering nice cheese dishes. It does not make sense to me to go to a wine and cheese shop and order French Fries, say. Same thing with beverages, order wine. If non-alcoholic beverage is preferred, they also have some sparkling juices that are very nice. My family's favorite is the sparkling pear juice.

If you're a first-timer to Au Petit Chavignol, I suggest ordering a Grand Tasting Plater. There will be a selection of cheeses, charcuterie and accompaniments. I usually ask them to include their terrine of the day in there too, since it's usually excellent. I like it that they ask for your preferences for cheeses, so you can tell them what you like or dislike. I always ask them to exclude blue cheeses and hard cheeses, because we didn't like them. The servers there are very nice, and the selections the chefs make are usually excellent. A small plater is about $30 and a large plater is $45.

My favorite thing on the menu is the Cheese Fondue. They have the Savoyard Blend of three different Swiss cheese, which I forgot the names of all of them. And I must say, I've been searching for good fondue out of Switzerland and this is it!!! It's just as good as the best cheese fondues I've had in Switzerland, where the dish (if you can call it dish) is invented. I've been recommending this restaurant to everyone I know that loves cheese mainly because of how good their fondue is. I mean, the other stuff are great too, but the fondue!! You're missing out if you don't come here if you like Cheese Fondue.

They also have the Raclette available. I would recommend it if you're either craving for it or would like to try it out just for the experience. Unfortunately, because they do not have the actual device to heat up the whole half round of raclette cheese, they use a small raclette grill that you use yourself, and that just didn't quite compare with the real thing. I've yet to find a place outside of Switzerland that serves Raclette the way it's supposed to be served. But nonetheless, Au Petit Chavignol's Raclette is not bad when compared to other restaurants, even in Switzerland, using the same type of small raclette grill.

Since the restaurant features wine and cheese, they, obviously, have an extensive wine list. But again, I wasn't able to comment much on the wine other than their open white wine, which I randomly picked out of the list was of very good quality.

The only thing that I really complain about Au Petit Chavignol is their location. Since they are on East Hastings St., I don't feel particularly safe going there at night for dinner. But they usually have lost of parking space on the streets just outside of the restaurant, so I try to park as close as possible. But other than that, Au Petit Chavignol is a restaurant not to be missed by cheese lovers. Especially those who appreciates cheese fondue.

Au Petit Chavignol 843 East Hastings St. Vancouver, B.C. Tel: 604.255.4218

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Fleuri Restaurant at Sutton Place Hotel for High Tea

My family, especially my mom, has always adored afternoon tea. And there is nothing, we find, better than a good cup of tea with some nice scones, finger sandwiches and small pastries. It's not difficult to find tea services, or high-teas, in Vancouver, but it's difficult to find good ones. Often, places that makes good scones didn't do very well with the sandwiches, and the places that did well with the sandwiches didn't do well with the pastries. Luckily, the Fleuri Restaurant at Sutton Place Hotel serves a excellent tea service that does well on all aspects.

The tea services at the Sutton Place is $24 per person and can certainly be shared, although everything is so good that one can easily finish a whole order by themselves. One of the things I really like about having high tea in the Sutton Place is the atmosphere and the service. Unlike the lobby lounge in Hotel Vancouver, the Fleuri Restaurant is a little tucked away from the main lobby area, providing a tranquil environment, and all my experiences with the services there have been excellent.

The tea service begins with the server bring over a box of teas for our selection. The box is a little too heavy to be passed around, but the loose teas are all in different glass jars for you to smell, so they can certainly be passed around the table. All of the teas, and there are about 12 kinds, there smell excellent, but my favorites are the Cassis and Vanilla Rooibos (I believe).

After you have chosen your tea, and it's served, the server will bring the 3 tiered High Tea. Each order will include 4 different sandwiches, 5 different sweet pastry items, a scone, and, of course, Devonshire Cream. All the items tastes great, but what I like most is that different breads are used for all the 4 sandwiches, so there's nothing repetitive about the set. Their sweets on the second tier are also excellent, although a little too sweet, but that is the way of desserts in North America. Their scone on the third tier is the highlight of the set, I believe they sometimes make it with white raisin and others with red, and their Devonshire Cream is definitely not to be missed when having the scone.

I'm quite surprised at the lack of people having tea at the Sutton Place Hotel when the quality is so high. Not that I'm complaining, because the less people go there, the less busy and quieter it is, the better atmosphere it is for me. But if you ask me where is the best High Tea in town, I'd have to say it's the Sutton Place. Although I understand that many like to go to the Shangri-La, but other than the nice teapots, cups and saucers, their quality of food and atmosphere is no match to the Sutton Place Hotel. Plus, the High Tea in Shangri-La is more expensive too.

Fleuri Restaurant at Sutton Place Hotel 845 Burrard St. Vancouver, B.C. Tel: 604.682.5511

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Kintaro Ramen

If you like good ramen with homemade noodles, tasty soup base and fatty Japanese BBQ pork, Kintaro Ramen on Denman Street in West End, Downtown Vancouver is definitely restaurant you should not miss.

All their ramen noodles are of a decent size, and are around $7-10 per a bowl. The main choices on the menu would be the kind of soup base desired. There are Shoyu, Shio and Miso Ramen. All their soups are made of pork bone stock and are all delicious, but my personal favorite is the Miso Ramen. After you chose the soup base type, you'd need to choose whether you would like a rich, medium, or light soup. I suggest doing medium for first-timers, as the rich soup, although very good, is very heavy. You'll also have to choose whether you would like lean or fat BBQ Pork. And this entirely depends on your preference. Personally, I like to order the fat BBQ Pork and just take the fat out when eating. It's just that the meat is tastier that way.

In addition to the 3 main ramen bowls, Kintaro Ramen also sells other types of ramen. I was told Cheese Ramen is excellent, and I am a sucker for the Cold Ramen that is available only in the summer months. The latter has a vinegary sauce to it, and does not come in soup form. But it's definitely a great option when it's available. In fact, during the summer months, I only order the Cold Ramen, because I know I can always order the soup ramen bowls in the winter.

Now Kintaro Ramen is almost always full of people, and if you go on a weekend, it's guaranteed that you will have to wait for a seat. They're just a very small restaurant, and they do not take reservations. But people are generally very good about it, and will leave as soon as they finish. On the occasion that they don't, just glare at them until they feel uncomfortable, and they'll get the heck out of there.

If you can't eat pork for any reason, there is no point of going to this restaurant as almost everything has pork in it. Even the Vegetarian Ramen isn't completely vegetarian, because the soup base is still made with pork bones. Your only bet is probably Cold Ramen, and make sure to tell them to not put the pork in.

So Kintaro Ramen is definitely a great place to go if you want to grab some good ramen at a reasonable price. But just make sure you bring some cash with you, because they only accept cash or debit.

Kintaro Ramen 788 Denman St. Vancouver, B.C. Tel: 604.682.7568

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Blue Water Cafe

The Blue Water Cafe is another one of my favorite restaurants in Downtown, Vancouver. Situated in the Yaletown area, where great restaurants and unique shops are abundant, the Blue Water Cafe is a lively seafood restaurant with a fantastic menu and an extensive wine list. If you're not in the mood for a big dinner, but would still like to enjoy some great seafood, the restaurant also has a raw bar serving an excellent selection of oysters, sushi, and sashimi.

I'm a person who really enjoy seafood. Ask anyone who knows me, and they'll tell you that as long as it's a fish dish, I'll devour it all. But my favorite type of seafood is by far fresh oysters. I can't stand them cooked, but I can eat dozens of them when they're raw. And that's one of the reasons why I love the Blue Water Cafe. They have a wide selection of oysters, from sweet to salty, from mild to metallic taste, and the servers are very knowledgeable on the menu, and can recommend the types of oysters to order by your taste. The oysters ranges from about $2.75-$4.25 a piece, and obviously, the quality is excellent.

Although a little pricey, their 2 tiered Seafood on Ice platers are also excellent with a variety of fresh fish and shellfish. If you order the 3 tiered plater, you'll also get sushi and Dungeness Crab. And if you ever order Chill Prawns, the restaurant makes a very delicious homemade cocktail sauce.

My dad had the Bouillabaisse when we went there a couple of weeks ago and it was also exceptional. The only thing is, the portion is too small for a main course at $29. One of the more disappointing dishes would be the Organic Fraser Valley Greens salad. For an appetizer at about $15 dollars, neither the taste nor the quality really delivered.

We had the Raspberry Creme Brulee for dessert and it was certainly a very good choice. The creme brulee itself was just right in sweetness, and it's paired with white chocolate gelato and short bread. Definitely very delicious and refreshing.

The restaurant's wine list is huge, almost like a novel, which can be quite intimidating for a beginner like me, but would be great for the wine fanatics. But their wine collection is definitely an excellent one, as they have received multiple awards for their extensive wine list. If you're a novice or beginner like me, just look at the table of contents in the front, flip to the back where the open wines are, and order from there. The wines there wouldn't be overly pricey, but still a decent quality.

I don't believe valet parking is available, but parking are not too difficult to find on Hamilton street. If you really can't find a spot on the street, there is a public parking just a block or two down the road.

So if you like seafood, the Blue Water Cafe is certainly a restaurant you should go to. The restaurant is lively with their open kitchen and raw bar and the fresh seafood is always great quality. Be sure to make a reservation on weekends though, they book up easily.

Blue Water Cafe 1095 Hamilton St. Vancouver, B.C. Tel: 604.688.8078

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Gotham Steakhouse & Cocktail Bar

Although I've only been there once, Gotham Steakhouse & Cocktail Bar has, quickly, became one of my favorite restaurants in Vancouver. My dad and I are both foodies, you see. And we've been around town searching for good steaks for a long while. Unfortunately, we weren't able to find one until Gotham.

Their appetizers are around $15, and their entrees range from $30-$55 excluding side dishes, which are about $8 each. We tried 2 different cuts of steaks, the Prime Rib and the Filet, both, of which, were cooked to perfection and the meat itself was of extremely high quality. Not only are there steaks delicious, their other dishes were also excellent. My mother ordered the Calm Chowder, and boy were there a lot of calms in it, and her Garlic Shrimps were also very tasty. And their salad is actually chilled!! This is something you don't usually see outside of USA.

I haven't really had the chance to go through their wine list, and even if I had, I wouldn't really be able to tell if they had a good selection or not, because I rarely order anything by the bottle. But their selection of wine by the glass was good, and the quality was decent.

If there was anything to complain about this restaurant, it would be the service and their desserts. While neither of these two things are bad, they just didn't really live up to my expectations. They seemed a little under staff on the night I went, so it was difficult to locate my server, and it took a while for my glass of wine and my dad's salad to arrive. But their servers were very polite, so that made up for the delay in service a little bit. Now with the dessert, they're good, but not THAT good. With their appetizers and main dishes being so great, I expected to be equally wow-ed by my dessert. Unfortunately, I wasn't.

We went on a weeknight, but the restaurant was still very lively. They also have a patio for those of you who like to sit outside on a warm summer evening. Valet parking is available for about $7 for those of you who are too lazy to walk, but there are also street parking within 1-2 blocks from the restaurant and it will be free from 8 PM onwards. For those of you who are planning big parties, they also have a private room available if you book ahead of time.

If anyone was to ask me for a good steakhouse, it would be Gotham, hands down. Although many would compare the restaurant to Morton's, my family and I believe that Gotham is a MUCH better restaurant. Morton's is usually dead, much more expensive, with inferior meat quality.

Gotham Steakhouse & Cocktail Bar 615 Seymour St. Vancouver, B.C. Tel: 604.605.8282

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