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Urban Explorations: Grilled Cheese at Hi-Five

Tucked into a tiny storefront at 22 Cordova St. E. in Gastown, you could easily walk right by Hi-Five.

Tucked into a tiny storefront at 22 Cordova St. E. in Gastown, you could easily walk right by Hi-Five. In fact, every time we go, someone does just that before doing a double take to see why we’re standing in front of a little window on an otherwise nondescript stretch of sidewalk. [embed]https://flic.kr/p/DP5XSz[/embed]

If they’re lucky, though, they’ll stop and order because in the case of Hi-Five, small size means big taste. Measuring about 100 square feet, Corben Winfield’s Hi-Five is a grilled cheese shop that consists of a walk-up window narrower than a car door. [embed]https://flic.kr/p/Ec8nEb[/embed]

When Corben heard from a friend that the space was going to be available after years of lying dormant, he knew he had to find something that he could make easily within the 100sqft space. “The concept had to be simple,” he said, “and I had to be able to execute the menu. I wanted it to be open late on weekends, so food that appealed to that crowd was important. Not pizza, not hot dogs or donairs... Grilled cheese!” [embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/BB-95ado5Jt/?taken-by=h_i_f_i_v_e[/embed]

Hi-Five’s core crowd is late nights on Friday and Saturday. Though open for lunch Tuesday to Friday, midnight to 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays is prime time. Corben notes that late-night customers are particularly enthusiastic about their sandwiches (which makes up for the fact that staff are working so late). For the staff of Hi-Five, a good late night soon moves into the ‘grill zone’ with a steady stream of hungry, appreciative customers and lots of music to keep the flow going.

Corben keeps things simple with six variations on the ultimate comfort food. Sandwiches range from the TBT (American cheese and Sriracha) to the Melter Skelter (pepper jack, jalapeños, cilantro, and bbq chips inside!!).

To make things even more comforting, you can get tomato soup and homemade pickles with your sandwich. Corben branched out into pickles because, as he notes, “it’s hard to find a decent pickle in this town.” Dubbed Brine Adams, these babies seriously crunch. Corben made the first batch with a couple of friends and they are almost sold out. If you missed them, don’t fret because he’s making an even bigger batch soon. [embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/BAs0u4vo5GN/?taken-by=h_i_f_i_v_e[/embed]

This is one of Vancouver’s best values, too. Show off in front of your friends and order the most expensive thing on the menu - $6. And if you decide to get a haircut after you eat, you can pop next door.