Vancouver Good

[Update March 2011: Now closed, but in its placed is Cafeteria, another great restaurant]

Near the corner of Main & 11th is….nothing, really. There are some stores and restaurants, but you’d never guess hiding amongst everything is Ping’s Cafe, a Japanese Restaurant specializing in Western influenced Japanese comfort food.

Ping’s does not look like much on the outside and they don’t go out of their way to advertise their location. Ping’s is marked with a basic, slightly dirty looking white sandwich board plus a similarly basic restaurant sign. Even the name was haphazardly developed- the website describes how they found the sign when renovating the restaurant and kept it.

When you walk in, it’s another story.

Beautiful white room, minimally but beautifully presented with soft grey banquettes and cool light fixtures and art. It’s nothing like the outside.

Food is delicious and well priced. You can order a bunch of small plates and share, or order some bigger plates as a main course. I opted for a bunch of small plates.  Some highligts:

• Bang Bang Tofu Salad: Fresh, crunchy, and a tasty sesame dressing
• The Ping Dog: A surprisingly tasty grilled bratwurst dog with pickled beets & ponzu sauce
• Ping Fries: Yummier than I thought. Crisp fries topped with mayo and a sweet yoshoku sauce
• Ebi Gyoza: Handmade dumplings
• Sake Drunken Chicken: Tender pieces of grilled chicken with a hint of sweet sake
• Tofu Furai: Deep fried tofu triangles with a chilli mayo dipping sauce. Junk food at its best!

Pings Cafe
2702 Main St, Vancouver
604-873-2702

Hours:
5:00 – 10:30
Friday and Saturday : 5:00 – 12:00
Monday Closed