THE ELLIS

Alongside many of the restaurants in the West End and within a walking distance from Kitsilano beach sits one of the newer gastropubs, The Ellis. What lead us to The Ellis was Vanfoodster's Burger Challenge and we figured why not go for a whole meal? This was a big deal for me because if it was not for the burger challenge, I most likely would not have given this restaurant a try since I am neither the type to head to a bar or gastropub for snacks or a meal.

When we walked in, I was impressed by the interior and atmosphere. The restaurant looked chic, bougie and literally what you would find if you Googled gastropub.

Buckstop

For the longest time I have been contemplating between Buckstop on Denman street or Devil's Elbow Ale and Smoke House in Gastown, and decided to go with Buckstop because they have been on my list ever since the restaurant opened their doors. Buckstop is a small and cozy barbecue restaurant that focuses on locally sourced food and made from scratch ingredients, such as making their own ketchup! So after polishing off a medium size bag of chips at Whole Foods because my friend was running AN HOUR AND A HALF LATE, we finally entered the restaurant. To be fair though, she did suggest for me to order some appetizers first... but knowing myself I would have ordered everything and have her finish what was left LOL.

When we arrived, the restaurant was almost full and we were offered a six person table after the staff discussed where to seat us for a while. We were also warned that those coming in later would be squeezed next to us and I really appreciate the staff giving us a chance to have an actual table rather than shoving us at the bar (which many restaurants surprisingly do not do). The atmosphere at Buckstop is very casual, loud and non-rushed, making it ideal for a great hang out place. Many of the tables were finished their dinner and just kicked back to relax.

Dae Bak Bon Ga

Dae Bak Bon Ga has been around for ten years, a whole decade. The restaurant is huge and occupies the second floor of Robson Plaza, serving traditional Korean food, offering all you can eat barbecue, and providing karaoke rooms. Dae Bak's AYCE Korean barbecue is different than other restaurants too because they serve meat in unique marinades such as curry or matcha.

After having lunch at Damso and being disappointed that the restaurant no longer serves bossam, I had major cravings for Korean style steamed pork belly and had to try Dae Bak on the following day! Every time I pass Dae Bak, I find the prices fairly high for their all you can eat menu. I personally only enjoy galbi (not LA cut ribs) and pork belly when having Korean barbecue, but Dae Bak only offers galbi on their priciest AYCE menu which is $45.00/person (actually, it may even only include LA cut ribs).

$45.00 is pricey in my opinion because a whole strip and a half of galbi is good enough for me and usually it costs $30.00 for an order at most Korean restaurants, which includes a couple of strips. Other than Dae Bak's all you can eat menu, their lunch specials catch my attention too. $13.00 for a plate of bossam? Yes please! The bossam looks really well seasoned, tender and fatty in the photo too.

During the lunch rush on a weekday, the restaurant was not very busy so there was only one server at the front. She was really friendly, but it was hard to find her because for some reason we were seated in a hidden corner. The seating arrangements at the restaurant are pretty private depending on where you sit because there are plenty of divider walls. But towards the middle end of the restaurant, it is all open space.

Nine Dishes 九道

All You Can Eat? Nine Dishes? What kind of restaurant or buffet is this? These are some of the thoughts that run through my mind whenever I pass by the restaurant. When we entered, we were pointed towards a seat and a sheet of paper along with a pen were plopped on the table. We assumed the obvious and wrote down our order before proceeding to the counter, where we handed the sheet in. After the first dish arrived, we waited a while and noticed other tables with drinks, so we assumed we were supposed to order drinks at the counter and brought them back to our table.

Nine Dishes is one restaurant where service is truly non-existent, but at least the gentleman did not look miserable. He was not friendly either, just indifferent. As for the interior, the restaurant is really cold! I wanted to keep my jacket on but because it is a runway piece, I did not want it touching the table so placed it on a chair while hesitating at the same time because the furniture is not the cleanest. The cold temperature made sense throughout dinner however because every table ordered a Szechuan hot pot.

Zakkushi Charcoal Grill : Downtown Location

After having what was supposedly dinner at Simba's Grill, we were still hungry and headed literally next door to Zakkushi Charcoal Grill. The izakaya uses Binchotan which is a Japanese charcoal that produces no flame or smoke (although I have seen photos of flames from Zakkushi?), making it comfortable for those who only go to barbecue restaurants on "laundry" or "wash hair at night" days… like me.

Similar to most izakayas, Zakkushi is not very big. The restaurant is long and narrow but surprisingly the seating arrangements are not cramped. Menus are provided on every table and kept there, which is great for those who like to order a bit and add additional orders later.

Simba's Grill

Occasionally or more like shamelessly three to sometimes every day of the week, I spend a couple of hours looking for a restaurant to go to for dinner. I start with searching restaurants based on convenience and change the location if none of the eateries interest me. Sometimes I get those "good" days where I find a couple of places and think, "I HAVE to go there" while other times it is more like, "hmm looks okay" and settle. With that said, Simba's Grill has been on my list of interest for quite some time because I always notice the restaurant when passing by. So when I finally decided to look up some comments on Urbanspoon and Yelp, Simba's Grill seemed like a must visit to me.

Okay, honest to truth, I was obsessed for the whole day about going to Simba's Grill and had bad cravings to come here. Since there are not many photos of the dishes online, I even resorted to searching through Instagram and looking for their geotag just to find more photos! From what I remember reading, the owner is very friendly and welcoming especially towards first time visitors. I am big on supporting family businesses but at the same, only those who I believe deserve to be successful. By "deserve", all I really mean is for the owners to show they care about their clientele. To further simply put it, owners that do not act miserable.

When we walked in on a raining evening with dripping umbrellas, a friendly waitress provided us with a seat by the door when the restaurant was not busy. We asked if it was possible for a different seat, one not so close to the door, and she was happy to oblige. The waitress gave us the option of seating anywhere and we asked if a four person table is okay because we tend to order a lot. This is when the owner stood up from his seat, pointed towards a table in a corner and said, "no!". There is no exaggeration with the exclamation mark. At this time, BF wanted to leave because of the rudeness from the owner but I begged him to stay because I literally spent like three hours looking for photos online and I really wanted to dine here.

Hanwoori Korean Restaurant

Hanwoori is one of the two Korean restaurants in Burnaby (with Potter's Garden being the other) that offers table top barbecuing. There are tatami rooms along the left side of the restaurant and booth seating arrangements on the other.

When we walked in, we secretly hoped that our table would not be too small since the two of us tend to order a lot of food and fortunately, we were seated at a table for four! In addition, I noticed a push button on the table and already knew that service would not be an issue. 

Gyu-Kaku : West Broadway location

Many people are aware that Chinese restaurants do not provide much service, whether it is hard to get the staff's attention or they are just not friendly. But, how come there is never anything about Korean restaurants? Thinking back to most of the Korean restaurants I have visited, the staff is rarely friendly and only speak when a table is ordering. However, there is an exception for Korean owned Japanese cuisine restaurants, where countless visits to those include extremely friendly and welcoming service! But what is with the staff at many Korean barbecue restaurants? I do not not understand.

After our negative experience at Go Gung, we decided to try Gyu-Kaku the next evening. Gyu-Kaku is a Japanese barbecue chain restaurant and offers a generous happy hour period. On Sunday as well as Tuesday-Thursday, happy hours start at 11:30am-6:00pm and begin again from 9:00pm-10:30pm. As for Friday and Saturday, the evening happy hours begin at 9:30pm-10:30pm. Furthermore as for Monday, the happy hours go on all day long! Even though only some items are a bit cheaper and the discount ranges from $0.50-$3.00, it is still worth it because little things add up.

Walking in, our friendly waitress seated us and explained the menu. She was professional as well as polite and after ordering, brought over hot hand towels for the both of us. Gyu-Kaku is located on a second floor and has window wrapped walls. There are wooden booth seating arrangements and the interior is fairly comfortable, not cramped at all.

Gang Nam Korean BBQ

After spending two hours stuck in traffic coming from White Rock because only one lane was open on HWY 99, we finally made it to Gang Nam in Richmond. When Gang Nam first opened, I laughed it off and assumed the restaurant chose their name based on the popular music video at the time "Gangnam Style", rather than after the city in Korea. However, after seeing a few photos on Instagram and Eating with Kirby's blog post, I had to make the visit. The quality and value looked definitely there.

Before turning the corner to get to Gang Nam, we could already smell the barbecue from outside. The barbecue aroma was very strong (which is not bad) and we secretly hoped to be seated by the open front door. After waiting literally only five minutes, a friendly waitress seated us and apologized for the wait. Wow, she did not even need to apologize and so far Gang Nam has the friendliest service out of many Korean restaurants.

The main reason that lured me in to visit Gang Nam is because I assumed their grill was similar to Go Gung's, which is known as a "five star barbecue" in some parts of Asia (at five star restaurants to be exact). However, the grill is not the same and is a lot simpler. We went for the priciest combo (Combo C $59.99) which consists of pork belly, beef rib eye, marinated beef short rib, prime rib eye rib, pajeon or japche, and a choice of bibimbop.

Go Gung 古宮

Go Gung was recommended by a family friend in Vancouver, and for her to rave about the galbi beef ribs at a Korean restaurant in Coquitlam? It must be a must visit. Go Gung is located in the Westwood Plateau neighbourhood which is past Coquitlam Centre, at the Westwood Plateau Village. When we arrived, we thought holy shit, this is the Korean restaurant to dine at.

Walking in, the interior shocked me. Go Gung is the nicest looking Korean restaurant that I have ever been to! There is a gorgeous water wheel fountain at the waiting area and the restaurant has window wrapped walls. Furthermore, there is a nice stonewall divider which separates two dining areas, and the restaurant has private rooms. In addition, although not pictured, there are cute little Korean figurines on the stonewall.

After seating, we took a look at the menu and the first page really got to me. I believed every single word of it, seriously, especially being big on service… I was already excited before ordering!

Go Gung means "the old palace" in Korean and it is our intention to make you feel like royalty during your time with us. Whether you are an experienced diner or new to Korean food, our knowledgeable staff witll help you discover the tantalizing flavours and aroma that will please your senses. From the moment you arrive, you will be treated to a memorable culinary experience including an extensive menu, specialty bar, spacious seating and an amazing view. And you are invited to participate! Every table has its own gas barbecue and ventilation fans [so] you can prepare our specialty meats to your liking in a smoke free environment. Experiment with a vast selection of condiments and satisfy every appetite with entrees, soups and salad from the main menu. Korean food is all about flavour! Our reasonably priced dishes are made to order using the freshest ingredients.

Moving past the first page, we noticed the prices on the menu are quite high but when looking closer, only around $2.00-$3.00 pricier than most Korean restaurants.

Cho Sun B.B.Q. Korean Restaurant

BF has been interested in trying out Cho Sun BBQ for months. Months. As for myself, I heard through Instagram that the food is average at best and typical me, hesitant towards wasting money on mediocre food (hey! Korean food is pricey…), never wanted to visit. However, since I was responsible for four below average to mediocre restaurants in a row, I caved and we finally came here for dinner (which actually ended our streak of bad luck restaurants!).

Cho Sun is a Korean barbecue restaurant located on Kingsway Street in Vancouver, and offers Japanese food as well. In addition, the restaurant is open late until 2:00am. As for the seating arrangements, there are divider walls everywhere and unlike some Korean restaurants, there is no push bell service! I never thought much of push buttons before, asides from worrying about annoying the staff… but, Cho Sun desperately needs one. The restaurant was only half full but because of the layout, it is impossible to get a waiting staffs' attention unless they happened to be walking by.

Kyo Korean BBQ & Sushi House 月見

Kyo Korean BBQ & Sushi House is located at the former location of Shabusen, which was also a Korean and Japanese all you can eat joint. A friend of mine has been wanting to try Kyo for quite some time, which is shocking since she never has any interest in AYCE joints. As for myself, I am a fan (of good ones) because they provide the opportunity to try a bit of everything on the menu. Plus, if the food tastes good, you get to order more. Although in general, I never think AYCE is ever worth it because I tend to eat and order less than when having a la carte. Not sure why... 

The interior of Kyo is actually really nice. The restaurant has window wrapped walls, plenty of seats, and can accommodate larger parties in a few sectioned off areas as well as rooms. Furthermore, the seating arrangements are comfortable and the restaurant has a large open space. In addition, there is an electric fireplace by the waiting area.

ADULT $23.99 || CHILD (4-10) $13.99 || AYCD POP $2.50

Burgers Etc. BBQ House (2nd visit)

FIRST POST ON BURGERS ETC [HERE]

Ever had that feeling when EVERYTHING on the table tastes extremely good, so good that you take a bite of one item, move onto the next and continue the rotation like a greedy cartoon character? Well, it happened to me on my previous visit at Burgers Etc. In addition from my previous visit, I concluded that everything was a must order except for the brisket (which was not bad). Meaning, go for the ribs, wings and housemade brisket soup! Although unfortunately, the restaurant was sold out of the brisket soup and not going to lie, we were pretty upset because it tastes so good! 

Coming on a Saturday evening, Burgers Etc was packed! Also, the atmosphere was a lot different than our previous visit, it was loud, filled with energy, and the owners actually checked up on almost every table.

Re-Up BBQ

Restaurant or food stall?

I have been wanting to try Re-Up for quite some time, pretty much ever since the hype from their food trucks and of course, I love barbecue meats. But, the thing is I never knew where the food trucks were! LOL. So when I heard Re-Up opened up their own restaurant at New Westminster Quay, I was pretty excited and complained every week of how I wanted to come down here, for months. And finally made the visit.

With a colourful, organized and easy to read chalkboard menu, Re-up's menu is pretty much like any other barbecue joint. Platters are available with one type of meat along with two sides, or a larger platter with all the fixins to sample every type of meat. The restaurant offers breakfast, chilli, chicken wings and of course, barbecue meats and sandwiches. In addition, apparently the fried chicken is supposed to be pretty good here! Customers pay at the front and when the food is ready, head to the pick up area when the number written on the receipt is called out.

Wilbur & Sabastian's Smokehouse & Bistro

All our smoked meats are marinated and lightly seasoned with our own spice-rub before being slowly smoked in Maple and Alder. 

When someone mentions Coquitlam, I think of Coquitlam Town Centre and never Port Coquitlam or Port Moody. I mean, when I go to Port Moody I just think of it as Coquitlam and as for Port Coquitlam, all I know is that you pass a small bridge which is a few minutes away from Coquitlam Centre. So, having to make an errand, I went all the way out to Port Coquitlam and realized hey, this is pretty far! Fortunately, Wilbur & Sabastian's Smokehouse is also located in Port Coquitlam which is a restaurant that I have been wanting to visit for about half a year. 

After visiting Memphis Blues, I made it a goal to try every barbecue joint in B.C which is fairly easy, since there are not too many. The restaurant is very clean and the seating arrangements are comfortable as well as comfortable (no cramped tables here)! However, there are not many tables which my be an issue during peak hours, for those who hate line ups. 

Walking in, we were greeted by a friendly waiter and he gave us the option of sitting anywhere.

Burgers Etc. BBQ House

REVISIT POST ON BURGERS ETC [HERE]

Burgers Etc was a constant fail since I could never find the restaurant, despite having the correct address and saying "it should be here" numerous times. Well, "RIGHT HERE OMMG WHERE IS IT?!" was what I really said. After many frustrating failed attempts, an early evening trip around 5:00pm was much needed, hoping some daylight would help locate the restaurant. Side note, by "could never find", I was going 30km and still missed it! Walking in, the friendly waiter was welcoming, mentioned the daily soup and provided the option of seating anywhere. The restaurant's interior is squeaky clean and has less than ten tables.

PORK RIBS, BEEF BRISKET, SPICY CHICKEN WINGS, PULLED PORK SANDWICH, HOMEMADE BEEF BRISKET SOUP AND BOYLAN CANE COLA.

Smokehouse Sandwich Co.

The only reason I am here is to try the beef brisket sandwich! Walking in, the strong aroma of smoked meat was very satisfying; an aroma that has never been present at many barbecue joints I have been to. Smokehouse Sandwich is located in Richmond (fortunately away from the busier streets in the city) and beats any of the sandwich joints in Downtown Vancouver. The restaurant's interior is quite nice and simple; brick walls, wooden tables, white chairs and a chalkboard menu.

The sandwich shop has a self serve station for soup, cutlery, straws, sauces and spices. Since the soup is self serve, all the meat and vegetables were scooped up with nothing left but liquid. The cashier was friendly and offered to grab some soup from the kitchen, after asking if there was any meat left in the pot. The spices available are smoked sea salt and ground pepper. I did not get a chance to try the smoked sea salt but would next time. As for the condiments, red and green hot sauce is available but I prefer my sandwiches as is. When I did get a chance to try the sauces however, neither tasted memorable or spicy, but of course would probably taste better with the sandwiches rather than chips.

Seok Gi Si Dae

Using Urbanspoon's app, my friend and I found a nearby Korean restaurant, Seok Gi Si Dae. After reading some posts to confirm that the restaurant offers barbecue, we made our way to the restaurant - on foot. She lives close by and the restaurant is only a thirty minute walk which seemed fun at the time, until we got too cold. We ended up cabbing to the restaurant and the driver was so nice.

Making small talk, he asked for our occupation and we told him we were unemployed and should be bussing rather than cabbing (jokingly). The total was around $5.00, we gave him $8.00 and he kept on insisting for us to pay even less than what the total was because he "knows how hard life can be". Wow eh? I rarely come by good hearted cabbies.

Seok Gi Si Dae is a small family owned Korean restaurant, the owners work at the back of the house and the son oversees the front. The restaurant is located in Burquitlam next to KFC, in the same plaza as Bella Pizza.

Toe Dam Korean Fusion BBQ (2nd visit)

FIRST POST ON TOE DAM KOREAN FUSION BBQ [HERE]

A revisit so soon?! Well, a month is a long enough time considering that I make revisits more often, but isn't that the whole point... finding new regular restaurants to go to?! After the dinner at Potter's Garden, I craved for some better tasting Korean food and of course headed to Toe Dam Korean. When we walked in, the restaurant was busy and all the tatami rooms along the left side were booked for a company party. The party was loud and every few minutes there would be some clapping as well as chanting in Korean, which I found quite heartwarming rather than annoying. 

Potter's Garden Korean BBQ 香辣里

Potter's Garden is located on Kingsway Street in Burnaby, and is close to another Korean restaurant, Jang Mo Jib. Walking in on a Thursday evening, the restaurant was a quarter full and we were seated at a small coffee size table. Doing the usual if I think the table is a bit too small for our order, asked if we could move to a larger table. But, the waiter looked at us like it was a silly request and said no. After being rejected and looking around, I found it odd that a few tables of two with only an order of one hot pot, had a larger table than us!

After we finished ordering, the waiter constantly suggested for us to pass on table top barbecue, in hopes of saving some table space which I found even more odd. Regardless, table top barbecue or not, the amount of food we ordered would not fit at any coffee sized table. So, fortunately after insisting numerous times that we wanted to cook our own meats, he finally moved us to a regular sized table! As for the restaurant, it stayed a quarter full for the rest of the evening.

Potter's Garden has two sides, one for larger parties and the other for groups of less than four. The restaurant is fairly spacious, has comfortable seating arrangements, and a very strong aroma of BBQ meat along with hot pot. As for the service, there was only one waiter on the floor and despite his slow service, he tried to be somewhat as efficient as he could (after a few tables complained to him).