DOUBLING DOWN ON ASIAN FARE
These restaurants are sure to delight
Last week, I shared a list of Chinese restaurants in support of a community that has faced vile racist attacks since the pandemic began. Asian restaurants, in general, bestow on us some of the most delicious food going and I'm grateful for the Pan-Asian smorgasbord within reach. This week, I share this roundup of other Asian restaurants — Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Burmese, Indonesian, Laotian. I, for one, would feel bereft without them. I hope you can enjoy some takeout meals from some of them and, when safe to do so, some pandemically correct indoor dining.
TORAFUKU
Where: 958 Main St., Vancouver
Info: 778-903-2006 torafuku.ca
This confident kitchen rolls with bold-flavoured dishes that speak Taiwanese, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese — dishes like Wagyu beef fried rice with kimchee, pickled wakame. But it might also wing across the world, adding Basque cheesecake just because it's good, served with an Asian touch of blueberry yuzu compote. The kid-brother food truck, Le Tigre, takes a similar bold approach, especially with its kick-ass rice dishes. Torafuku also sells frozen meals to cook at home, like its sake-braised beef shank.
DOSANKO
Where: 566 Powell St., Vancouver
Info: 604-251-2020 dosankorestaurant.ca
Talk about East meets West. A classically trained western chef and Japan-born wife make unique yoshoku or western-influenced homey Japanese dishes, always brimming with umami. They embrace mottoinai or “no waste” cooking that's organic, local and so hands-on they make their own basics such as miso, shoyu and dashi.
DO CHAY
Where: 1392 Kingsway, Vancouver
Info: 604-225-8349
Where: 1269 Hamilton St., Vancouver
Info: 778-379-2939 dochay.ca
Vegetarian, vegan and Vietnamese. But what's Vietnamese food without fish sauce? Problem solved with their own salty sour substitute using mushrooms. Menus are similar at the two locations with street food, share plates and rice plates. Dishes include XO potstickers, jackfruit lettuce wrap, and black garlic eggplant.
POTLUCK HAWKER EATERY
Where: 3424 Cambie St., Vancouver
Info: 604-423-9344 potluckyvr.ca
The two chef-owners and their wives have connections to Malaysia, Philippines, Myanmar, Singapore and South Korea — DNA for the menu. There are Thai and Chinese dishes as well. Fans are wild about the crispy pata and salted egg yolk chicken sando with coconut milk fried chicken.
FAT MAO
Where: 217 East Georgia St., Vancouver
Info: 604-569-8192 fatmaonoodles.com
The Thai and Chinese noodle soups are boss, but you could also be tempted to add a small plate of Szechuan tofu, roti curry or wing bean salad. But not to worry: Fat Mao won't make you fat.
HOI AN
Where: 5002 Victoria Dr., Vancouver
Info: 604-566-9283
(No website)
Hoi An dishes are unique in Vancouver — dishes like cao lau, a yellow rice noodle-based specialty from the historic city in central Vietnam. The noodles are soaked in tamarind water before cooking with pork and other ingredients and served with a side dish of exotic-looking banana blossoms.
DAMSO
Where: 770 Bute St., Vancouver
Info: 604-806-0945
(No website)
Damn — so good! The chef has trained at California's French Laundry and Bouchon Bakery and locally at Cioppino's, Le Crocodile and Fairmont Pacific Rim. People love the crispy fried chicken and other bold-flavoured Korean favourites like the stone rice bowl (dolsat) with crispy bottom.
LAKSA KING
Where: 2546 East Hastings St., Vancouver
Info: 604-428-0155 laksaking.ca
Get Burmese dishes like pickled tea leaf salad and mohingar, a fish broth soup with aromatics, banana stem, thin rice noodles, egg and crunchy split pea fritters. But the menu doesn't dwell on Burmese cuisine, welcoming Malaysian, Thai, Singaporean and Taiwanese dishes as well.
KULINARYA FILIPINO EATERY
Where: 1134 Commercial Dr., Vancouver
Info: 604-255-4155
Where: 2922 Glen Dr., Coquitlam
Info: 778-285-6577 kulinarya.ca
You're not likely to see boodle fights or kamayan at the Coquitlam or Vancouver locations any time during the pandemic. It's the Filipino tradition of eating from food served right on the table on banana leaves. But you can still enjoy it the conventional way. Filipino dishes include longanisa (chorizo-like sausage), lumpia, crispy pata (deep-fried pork hock), beef karekare (Filipino stew) and chicken adobo. P.S.: Grandt Kitchen in Surrey, another Filipino restaurant, also has the kamayan option in normal times.
MAENAM
Where: 1938 West Fourth Ave., Vancouver
Info: 604-730-5579 maenam.ca
With cooking experiences at Jo-Jo's in New York, Toqué in Montreal, The Ledbury and The Fat Duck in England and Nahm in Bangkok, Angus An brings a world of experience to his casually chic Thai restaurant. Takeout via tasting menu, à la carte or frozen and ready to cook.
NAKA BISTRO
Where: 20055 Fraser Highway, Langley
Info: 604-510-1558 nakabistro.com
Laos was one of my favourite travel destinations, and happily upon return I found this family-run Lao restaurant. The food is similar to that of the neighbouring Isan region of northeast Thailand. Sai gok (spicy pork sausage), seen savanh (a sweet and savoury beef
jerky), laap (minced meat with herbs, lime, spices) and or gai (a spicy stew with chicken, dill eggplant) are served with rice. In Laos, I learned to ball up the rice to pop in the mouth, as the locals did.
MINAMI
Where: 1118 Mainland St., Vancouver
Info: 604-685-8080 minamirestaurant.com
Minami, like sister restaurant Miku, serves pretty and upscale Japanese food. Even the Aburi at Home meals for pickup or delivery come with a Japanese esthetic in tiered white boxes. Choose by the dish, tasting menus, sushi platter or sashimi platter. And bonus: There's an elegant patio at the back of the restaurant for that extra level of comfort.
BALI THAI
Where: 88 West Pender St., Vancouver
Info: 604-291-7990
(No website)
Don't expect fancy-schmancy. This Indonesian and Thai eatery is in the food court of the International Village Mall but hey, it's food court prices, too. You'll find eggs balado here, which are hard-boiled eggs, crisp from a tumble in the fryer and bathed in a spicy, gingery tomato sauce. You'll also find the botol, an Indonesian-sweetened jasmine tea in a bottle. ■ Editor's note: Due to recent provincial health measures related to COVID-19, indoor dining has been temporarily halted. Please check with the restaurant directly about current takeout, outdoor dining and delivery options.