Noshing on the cheap can be tasty
Plenty of alternatives, even in the burbs
December hits and runs with your hard-earned cash and January clutches fearfully to what’s left.
But no need to give up the time-saving pleasure of eating out.
There are lots of inexpensive places around and here are some of them. Check the details online for hours and menus.
BESTIE
105 East Pender St. 604-620-1175 facebook.com/bestiewurst If Japanese hotdogs don’t move you (sorry, Japadog), maybe German ones will? Currywurst? Or sausage and sauerkraut? A Leberkase Melt (meat loaf burger). Join the hipsters for a down-market but delicious meal.
CHEWIE’S BISCUIT COMPANY
2822 West Fourth Ave. 604-336-9996 chewiesbiscuitco.com The biscuits are perfect and the fillings inside aren’t for January weight-watchers, but damn, they’re delish! So, too, are the Inside Out Cinnamon Roll and Bonut, both made with biscuit dough.
CHINATOWN BBQ
130 East Pender St. 604-428-2626 chinatownbbq.com I’m a big supporter of this little bit of resurrected old Chinatown.
BBQ Pork, roast pork, soysauce chicken, melt-in-yourmouth curry beef brisket — oh my, my, my!
DOSANKO
566 Powell St. 604-251-2020 dosankorestaurant.ca My preset destination for an always enjoyable meal. Japanese homestyle food, often in a bowl, by a chef who’s been around.
DOWNLOW CHICKEN SHACK
905 Commercial Dr. 604-283-1385 dlchickenshack.ca Hormone- and antibiotic-free, non-GMO, free-run birds done up Nashville style, in four heats. Double-dare you to try the extra hot.
FEDERAL STORE
2601 Quebec St. 778-379-2605 federalstore.ca A vintage corner store-turned café close to Main Street, without the hustle and bustle. Buxom sandwiches, statuesque quiches, good baking.
FISH COUNTER
3825 Main St. 604-876-3474 thefishcounter.com The fish jumps out of the water. Very fresh. Very sustainable. Very good as fish and chips, bouillabaisse or in sandwiches.
HARVEST COMMUNITY FOODS
243 Union St. 604-682-8851 harvestunion.ca A community-minded store and café that’s long been at the forefront of sustainable eating. Known for the ramen and udon — January food!
JAPADOG
530 Robson St. 604-569-1158 japadog.com The bricks-and-mortar companion to the food carts around town. Hotdogs ooze with Japanese-flavours such as nori, grated radish, bonito flakes and miso sauce. The fries have sprinkles of Japan, too.
JINYA RAMEN BAR
541 Robson St. 2129 West 41st Avenue jinya-ramenbar.com Great broth, great noodles make for slurp-worthy ramen. Take the late, great Jonathan Gold’s word for it upon visiting the Los Angeles location — flavour bomb, he called it.
JUKE
182 Keefer St.
1074 Davie St. 604-336-5853 (for takeout) jukefriedchicken.com Fried chicken, rotisserie chicken and an interloper, nuoc cham pork ribs. Eat in, pick up or Door Dash and Foodora.
KOKOMO
611 Gore Ave. 604-428-6599 2028 Vine St. 604-428-5017 heykokomo.ca Everything’s in a bowl and vegan. A nice variety with curry, laksa, local foods over brown rice.
MARCHÉ ST. GEORGE
4393 St. George St. 604-565-5107 marchestgeorge.com Throwback to early Vancouver corner stores while breakfasting or lunching on savoury croissants, quiche and homey baking. Charming!
MOGU JAPANESE STREET EATS
Howe and Dunsmuir No phone A food truck stationed at Howe and Dunsmuir. The sweet spicy chicken karaage is what you must order. Check the food truck App before heading out: streetfoodapp.com/ vancouver/mogu
POPINA
Ferry dock, Granville Island No phone popinacanteen.com Pay $99 for a seafood tray or stick with the sandwiches and burger for a budget lunch, such as $12 for a grass-fed beef cheeseburger. If you value quality, you’ve got it.
Run by four of Vancouver’s top chefs.
TORAFUKU POP UP
958 Main St. 778-903-2006 torafuku.ca Le Tigre awakens.
The food truck that served such awesomeness as Kickass Rice and Finger Lickin’ Chicken has gone to truck hospital, but the food can be had at a daytime pop up at the company’s brick-and-mortar premises, Tuesday to Friday.
USAGI SWEETS
3720 Oak St. 604-700-7251 usagisweets.com The Japanese word kawai means”cute” and applies to so much in Japanese culture. Usagi Sweets is kawai, from the six-seat room to the onemeal offering, a rice-ball set lunch. Kawai Japanese-flavourinfused baking for a finish.
VIRTUOUS PIE
583 Main St. 604-620-0060 3339 Shrum Lane, UBC 604428-1060 virtuouspie.com Lives up to its name. Virtuously plant-based pizzas and ice creams. Nut cheeses top the pizzas. Popular enough to expand to Victoria, Portland, Ore., and Toronto.
THE BURBS: APNA CHAAT HOUSE
7500-120th St., Surrey 604-502-8081 apnachaat.ca Colourful, intensely busy, Bombay street food. (There are Chinese dishes too, but why would you?) Golgappas are a big thing here (hollow fried rounds to eat with watery chutneys), but so much more — kathi rolls, papdi chaat, vada pav.
HK BBQ MASTER
145-4651 No. 3 Rd., Richmond 604-272-6568 facebook.com/HK-BBQMaster Best Hong Kong-style BBQ (duck, pork, chicken) in Metro Vancouver. So much flavour, meat and value.
JINYA RAMEN BAR
4575 Central Blvd., Burnaby 604-229-2477. jinya-ramenbar.com (A chain. See Vancouver list.)
LONGTAIL KITCHEN
116-810 Quayside Dr., New Westminster 604-553-3855 longtailkitchen.com One of Angus An’s family of restaurants. The fast-foodstyle Asian food is bold, nicely balanced and unique, like the garlic-salted duck yolk butter prawns.
TWO RIVERS SPECIALTY MEATS
180 Donaghy Ave., North Vancouver 604-990-5288 tworiversmeats.ca Supplies meat to some of the best restaurants in town. Their burger cooked on a wood-fire grill and fries, cooked in beef tallow, is excellent and the kids will like the stretch hotdog.