On a parting note, my favourite baby clothes so far have been from Parade Organic Clothing. Cute and functional designs that look and fit great on my little one. Plus, they have an outlet open all year in Gastown, where you’ll get their beautiful designs for a super reasonable price. The outlet is at 235 Cambie Street, between Cordova and Water St.

See you soon!

But posts all coming shortly on lots of places, including:

- Gorilla Foods
- The Corner Suite Bistro Deluxe
- Boneta
- Aphrodite’s
- Edible BC Chinatown Tour
- Oru

I haven’t been writing, but I have been eating!

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

1.Goodbye Chow Restaurant

Sadly, Chow Restaurant on Granville & 15th has closed its doors. Tonight was its last service. If you’re visiting and have a guidebook, I’m sure Chow is mentioned as it was a fantastic restaurant, including the most yummy “gourmet” grilled cheese sandwich.

Take it off the list now.*sigh*

2. Modern Club

Ever been to the Modern Club at 3446 Dunbar St? It is Vancouver’s only (that I know of) restaurant specializing in the Japanese dish okonomiyaki, a delicious pancake made of cabbage, grilled,  and topped with yummy sauce and toppings.

Well, it was sold awhile back to new owners and even though the menu is the same, it’s not the same. The dishes I used to dream about are different. The okonomiyaki comes out WAY too fast (it’s a slow cooking process and should take 20-30 minutes) and lacks the oomph it used to have.

You will likely be disappointed if you go all the way over there now. But it used to be great.

Where to get okonomiyaki now? Hard to say. The Eatery and Clubhouse do tasty versions, although I wouldn’t call them authentic. I’m on the hunt!

The sad news: Angus An’s restaurant Gastropod will be closing at the end of April, although it will continue on as a catering business.

Overall, Gastropod is am amazing experience. Every time I go it’s excellent service and lovely food. But really, everyone MUST go to Gastropod for one dish: oysters with horseradish snow.

Oh my god. The first time I had this dish the stars aligned, it was THAT good. I ordered a second serving to make sure everyone at the table tasted the dish. You pop this amazingly fresh oyster into your mouth and then it explodes in your mouth as you taste the light, fresh horseradish “snow.”  Heaven.

I am going back this weekend for the oysters and will probably go back at least one more time. And now, you can order the oysters by the piece – even better.

Gastropod – enjoy it while it’s here!

Gastropod
1938 W. 4th Ave
Vancouver
604-730-5579