The Yay Guide to Vancouver
This summer, I spent two wonderful weeks in Vancouver. Going on vacation, anywhere, after 3 years of isolation in Hong Kong, would be great right? But my time in Vancouver was so special because it was spent with my brother.
My brother is 13 years younger than me and just such a light. We were very close growing up but then I moved abroad for 10 years and I missed so many things. In the past 3 years alone, I missed his high school graduation, start of university and online animation school, and all the excitement that went along with him interviewing for his first full-time job in animation, getting it, and then and then moving out — all the way to Vancouver! At age 20!
The rest of our family couldn’t make it so the two of us explored the city. He showed me his favourite spots, we discovered new favourite spots, and overall it was just a trip I’ll remember forever because there really is nothing like quality time. Also time with my brother aside, Vancouver is also just so cool and physically stunning. Amazing to see mountains in between skyscrapers.
The Neighbourhood
My brother shares a townhouse in the Olympic Village / Mount Pleasant neighbourhood which is full of heritage buildings, street art, and creatives. It’s just 3 stops and 10 minutes by SkyTrain to downtown Vancouver (about $3 per ride). We spent a lot of our time between here and downtown, though one night we also walked from his place to Granville Island which was an easy 25 minute scenic walk through Charleson Park and along the Seawall.
Now that I’m in a new chapter, starting grad school and my first business, I’m focused on spending wisely. It was my first vacation in 3 years though so I allowed myself to spend a little but also wanted to save where I could! When I was exploring alone, I walked downtown instead of taking the SkyTrain which took about 30 minutes, saved me $3, fit in some exercise, and helped me settle into the city.
If you’re looking to go the Airbnb route, I’d highly recommend the Olympic Village / Mount Pleasant neighbourhood for those that want to feel like a cool, creative local and yet still be close enough to the SkyTrain and walking distance from all the main attractions. If you’d prefer to book a hotel, on past trips I’ve stayed at the Best Western (around $250+ per night) and the Fairmont (around $400+ per night). Both were as you’d expect those chains to be, with the Best Western offering clean but casual offerings (ample space though!) and the Fairmont offering luxury but charging for it!
The Food
Our family loves food. Whenever I plan a trip, I spend the most time researching restaurants. At first I just Googled “best places to eat in Vancouver 2022” and the like and put together a lengthy list. But during my two weeks there, there was an unexpected heat wave. I mean it was like Hong Kong summer weather — SO humid! So there were a couple of must eats on my list (Ask for Luigi, Hawksworth, Maenam, Purebread) but alot of what we discovered was just searching via Google Maps because sometimes it just felt too hot to venture too far and we just looked for something near where we were. Here are some of our favourite finds.
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Baked goods in Hong Kong generally had a “not too sweet” vibe and I don’t think — speaking as someone who was a food writer there for six years — anyone made things like Nanaimo bars or butter tarts. So one of my first stops was Purebread, a Whistler-based bakery chain that had piles of the most delicious-looking treats I’d ever seen including, of course, Nanaimo bars and butter tarts.
My first visit was to their Mount Pleasant location where I ordered a raspberry lemon slice and a ginger tea (and a butter tart ‘crack’ bar to go). I enjoyed them both while writing in my journal for a while, processing all that had happened the week before in LA (testimony for another post). The next week, I visited their downtown location for breakfast — had a ham and cheese scone and a latte. Both orders were less than $10. Drinks OK. Baked goods excellent.
Various locations including 5 E 5th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5T 1G7
Though my brother had been in Vancouver about three months when I visited, he hadn’t yet tried any sushi places and wanted to. One evening, I met him after work and we walked over to Tsuki Sushi Bar — a highly rated spot on Google Maps. The sushi platters and rolls looked generous and the reviews lauded the quality. We ordered a Spicy Roll Combo (with sockeye salmon, tuna, and chopped scallop), a Volcano Roll (spicy scallop and salmon, unagi and spicy sauce — seared), and a Tsuki Dynamite Roll (with cucumber, baby shrimp, spicy mayo — torched). Our favourites were the rolls — great value and creative flavours. I noticed others were ordering more traditional nigiri etc. so I’m sure they do that well too. About $40 for two.
509 Abbott St, Vancouver, BC V6B 2L2
I was on a real Middle Eastern food kick so the first place we checked out was Paramount. This was another Google Maps find — a chain. Decent though slightly pricier than similar places. Great hummus and pickles. My shawarma wrap could have been larger. About $40 for two.
560 Robson St, Vancouver, BC V6B 2B7
I visited Superbaba in the middle of the afternoon and customers kept coming in. This place is extremely popular for good reason! It’s got great branding and backed by a well-known chef, but it’s also super satisfying with generous portions and bold flavours. At $15+ for a bowl it’s not the cheapest quick eat but if I lived in Vancouver I’d definitely be a regular.
Various locations including 2419 Main St, Vancouver, BC V5T 3E1
As soon as I saw the chicken souvlaki wrap on Google Maps, I knew I couldn’t leave Vancouver without trying it. Yes it just a wrap with fries but I’d go to the ends of the earth to try the best french fry and these looked so good! This was near Josh’s office so again we went after work. The space is cozy, seating about 10 people and everything is made fresh to order. We waited nearly 15 minutes I think but was our chicken souvlaki wrap with fries ever fresh. A cheap eat done well — this was also about $15. Would definitely go back.
26 Powell St, Vancouver, BC V6A 1E7
One day I was walking from my brother’s place to the Mount Pleasant Public Library (libraries are my happy place — more below) and just couldn’t make it without a break. The heat was so intense. Or maybe it was Emelle’s cute patio that persuaded me to take one. It seemed like a neighbourhood place, filled with people working from the creative businesses nearby. I opted for a blue plate special with beef tenderloin topped with a shallot demi glace and pasta, and a vegetable soup. A filling steal at $11.
177 W 7th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Y 1L8
While in Vancouver, I went to Westside Church with my brother. During the first Sunday, we went to the welcome desk and met a man named James who jovially answered our questions and pointed us to the newcomers gathering. Later we ran into him and his wife, and they suggested we might get together for lunch next Sunday. How kind! The week after, they took us to their favourite Mexican restaurant and treated us to tacos and nachos. This was delicious and messy (in the best way), a real ‘if you know you know’ kind of spot, and the meal was made all the sweeter as it was shared with brothers and sisters in Christ.
1049 Granville St, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1L4
If you live in Vancouver, Uncle Fatih’s is a very obvious choice for pizza. If you’re visiting, maybe you haven’t heard of it, but definitely check it out if you’re looking for a cheap and cheerful slice! Or full pie. This homegrown chain is popular for a reason — they’re generous with the toppings, have really interesting flavour combinations (blue cheese beef, anyone?) as well as the classics, are very well priced, and the dough is a great mix of airy and chewy. We had this at least four times. The BBQ chicken is ace.
Various locations including 477 W 8th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Y 1N7
Delicous, smooth and silky, milky softserve served with a hunk of honeycomb.
25 Alexander St, Vancouver, BC V6A 1B2
Rain or Shine is one of Vancouver’s best known brands (the other being Earnest, which unfortunately I didn’t have time to try). We grabbed ours to go, after dinner at Maenam, and I couldn’t stop raving about the Honey Lavender. So fragrant.
Various locations including 1926 W 4th Ave, Vancouver, BC V6J 1M6
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The carnitas at Chancho was my first solo meal in Vancouver. That morning, Josh went to work, I stayed home and did a week’s worth of laundry (running low on clean clothes after the previous week in LA), then headed out in the early afternoon for some fuel. Chancho was recommended by a bunch of blogs so I tried it and scarfed down this entire tray. Pricey, as tacos aren’t on their happy hour. But good.
560 Davie St, Vancouver, BC V6B 2G4
One Friday, my brother took a half day which meant we were able to explore happy hour together. Our pick? Tacos at La Taqueria! We went to the Mount Pleasant location and had the best time. Not only was the vibe and service great, the food was even better. Such great quality. And at less than $5 a taco (during happy hour), what a steal! This was definitely one of our favourite meals.
2450 Yukon St, Vancouver, BC V5Y 0A4
I knew once I left Hong Kong that my eating out habits would change. No longer would I be a restaurant reviewer, eating at new restaurants / trying new menus multiple times a week. And honestly, I was ready. It was the biggest blessing over 6 years and God used it to grow me in more ways than I could count. But when the seasons change, may we embrace where he is leading! So while I was embracing this new frugal lifestyle, I still hoped to try at least some of Vancouver’s best restaurants. Hawksworth — by David Hawksworth, one of the best known chefs of contemporary Canadian cuisine — is at the Rosewood Hotel Georgia so I wasn’t sure a five star lunch was something I should splurge for. But then I saw their three-course lunch menu was under $40. A very fair price. So I went… and had such an awesome time. The service, setting, and quality of food were all 10/10.
It was such great value that I went back the next day for their happy hour, as I’d read somewhere that they had an excellent burger and during happy hour guests can get a burger, fries, and beer (or non-alcoholic alternative) for $20. Seeing as a random food court meal at the mall costs $15 these days, this was an absolute steal. I’m not sure why there aren’t lines out the door for this place every day! My top pick.
801 W Georgia St, Vancouver, BC V6C 1P7
I first visited Vancouver a few years ago and wanted to try Ask for Luigi then. We didn’t have a chance, so I was hoping to go this time around. While the restaurant does take reservations, a deposit is required and I wanted a bit more flexibility in case something came up with my brother’s work. But one day he got off on time so we went to Ask for Luigi, put our names down, and were told it would be a 1.5 hour wait. And we’d gotten there at like 5:15pm!
We decided to wait and were honestly delighted by two plates of the tastiest, heartiest pasta we’ve ever had. We chose the Mafaldine from their daily specials list (with guanciale, morels, summer truffle and pecorino tartufo) and the seafood pasta from their regular menu (with cherry tomatoes, uni butter, and pangrattato). Possibly double the price of other casual Italian restaurants but worth the splurge.
305 Alexander St, Vancouver, BC V6A 1C4
For my last night in Vancouver, we decided to be chill. Maybe get some Uncle Fatih’s and slowly pack up. But then while we were out at the aquarium that day, my brother got a text from James encouraging us to try a Vietnamese-Cambodian spot called Phnom Penh Restaurant — that I should really try their butter beef and garlic chicken wings before I left. Those dishes sounded awesome (what was butter beef…?) so we went and, as James warned us, we were told the wait was at least an hour. That was fine for us though, we put our names down and went down the street for happy hour at Fiorino which had an excellent house white for just $1 per oz.
Butter beef ended up being a carpaccio-style dish with loads of cilantro and fried garlic in a sweet-tangy sauce. I couldn’t get enough of this! As in I could have easily polished off a whole plate. My brother thought it was just OK. What he loved was the Luc Lac (like a saucy stir-fry) and the garlic chicken wings with tangy dipping sauce (with preserved lime?). These I thought were just OK. Together we left happy and polished off the whole meal haha.
244 E Georgia St, Vancouver, BC V6A 1Z7
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We went to Hy’s to celebrate Josh’s 20th birthday (round 1). I surprised him with the restaurant which was lovely and classic, all dark wood and moody lighting. We got all the things Hy’s is known for — the cheese bread for two, table-side Caesar salad, Porterhouse with garlic mash, creamed corn, creamed spinach, and Banana’s Foster. It was a lovely evening though if I were to do it again, I might choose somewhere with a younger vibe!
637 Hornby St, Vancouver, BC V6C 2G3
In Hong Kong, Aaharn is one of my favourite restaurants. It’s by David Thompson, one of the world’s top experts in Thai food, and his proteges have cooked up some of the best meals I’ve had in my life. While researching Vancouver restaurants, I learned the chef at Maenam was also trained by David Thompson — and that some of his dishes looked very similar to ones I’d had at Aaharn! I went with my brother for his 20th birthday celebration (round 2) and really enjoyed it, especially the local sweet corn salad with sweet papaya salad, the grilled Thai sausage salad with crispy rice, and the tom gati curry of house smoked duck for two.
1938 W 4th Ave, Vancouver, BC V6J 1M5
Activities
Neither Josh nor I drive but we wanted to do a hike at some point. Lynn Canyon is so easy to get to from downtown Vancouver (we followed this guide) and has so much to offer — suspension bridge, waterfalls, clear water for swimming, rugged-ish trails (we saw some mountain bikers!) and more. Visiting this park is a wonderful way to spend half a day and it’s completely free.
3663 Park Rd, North Vancouver, BC V7J 3K2
Does anyone else like visiting libraries when on vacation? Whether on vacation or just in regular life, libraries are up there with museums as places where I feel so hopeful and alive. Maybe that sounds a bit dramatic but I’ve had so many wonderful dreaming, reflecting, researching, hoping sessions in these places and this time was no exception. I had a lot to process after leaving Hong Kong — I hadn’t quite realized the full extent of how difficult the year had been (those articles about how 1 in 3 Hong Kongers have experienced PTSD since the start of the pandemic are not to be dismissed…). So while Josh was at work, I spent a lot of time exploring in my mind. Another thing to do that’s totally free and so enriching.
Various locations including 350 W Georgia St, Vancouver, BC V6B 6B1
The Gallery isn’t as large as I thought it would be and it was twice as expensive at $40+. But the UNINVITED Canadian Women Artists in the Modern Movement is so well curated — felt like the second half of The Canadian Collection at my beloved AGO. I wish I’d had a second day to explore alone and think and feel and get inspired. Alas. Next time, hopefully!
750 Hornby St, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2H7
My brother is a HUGE animal lover. And he loves the aquarium which is honestly the only reason why I splurged on a ticket which was also $40+. It was really fun seeing his reaction to seeing God’s creatures — even if some parts of the aquarium (ahem creepy crawlies) stressed me out! Lol. One cool aspect was visiting the Wet Lab which helps visitors identify local marine animals and understand more about conservation issues. The session happened to be led by my brother’s friend from high school — a lovely girl who, along with her mom, picked him up from the airport when he first arrived in Vancouver and brought him to her church. Being part of God’s family is such a gift. Praying we all see how we can be family to one another on a deeper level this year. :)
845 Avison Way, Vancouver, BC V6G 3E2
I love theatre and hadn’t seen a show in years! There wasn’t much on during my trip but there were improv shows happening at The Improv Centre on Granville Island. Tickets were affordable (ours were $23 I believe) and our Friday night show was very well run and f-u-n-n-y. (It was also good for people watching!) Would definitely go again.
1502 Duranleau St, Vancouver, BC V6H 3S4
This isn’t really an activity but sometimes on vacation you really want / need your nails done and it’s so upsetting to receive a subpar mani or pedi. While I’m learning to do my own nails, my big toe nail had split during my trip so I needed a professional pedi. I randomly walked past Magic Nails — right around the corner from the Vancouver Public Library and Hawksworth, my two favourite spots hah — and decided to give it a try mostly because they had availability. My pedicure was so through that three weeks later it still looks decently fresh! I wasn’t expecting it but it’s definitely the best pedicure I’ve had in awhile. So including it in this guide. A gel pedi plus dip powder for my two big toes was about $70.
557 W Georgia St, Vancouver, BC V6B 1Z5
Enjoy your trip!
While I was out and about in Vancouver, I came across many other tourists from as far away as South Africa and Australia. It’s such a great feeling being able to travel again as well as meet people from all over. And write a travel blog post — literally it’s been 3+ years! I hope these suggestions are useful for your next trip to Vancouver (or that it provides some relaxing dreaming time!). If you have any questions or want more details, feel free to reach out on IG. Happy travels!
