It may not be the hottest neighbourhood in Vancouver for dining out, but I have a soft spot for the West End. There are a lot of casual restaurants, cafés, pubs, mom-and-pop shops and ethnic eateries, but it flies under the radar. There are actually a handful of hidden gems and some of my favourite dishes in downtown Vancouver are found in the West End.
Here are a few “must try” spots mixed with a few local secrets (in no particular order).
Chefs Rafael and Bernice, who worked for one of my favourite chefs in the city, Hamid Salimian, back when he was at Diva at the Met, are the talented couple behind Molli Café. Originally from Mexico City, their casual eatery serves a variety of tacos, tortas and a couple soups. The soups, housemade chorizo, avocado and queso cheese taco, and pollo torta (shredded chicken, cheddar cheese, avocado, tomato, chipotle onion, cilantro, mayo) are just a few of my favourites. The food is traditional, but executed with finesse, and on occasion with a few modern twists. It’s my current favourite for a quick and casual bite.
It’s not a hidden gem, but it’s one of my favourites in the West End and I can’t leave it out. Vancouver has very limited options for Spanish cuisine, and I dig this spot as a Spanish-inspired restaurant. Chef and owner Neil Taylor is really good at what he does, and sous chef Derek Gray (aka Boomer) sings the same tune. It’s arguably the busiest restaurant in the West End and for good reason. The menu changes frequently so it’s hard to make a recommendation, but I recommend you to just go. I don’t get to re-visit restaurants as often as I’d like, but when I get to, this comes to mind.
They opened early this year and offer a limited menu ofBanh Mi and salad rolls, but the real highlight is theirchè (Vietnamese desserts). To be honest, I’m not keen on these sweet Vietnamese beverages, soups and puddings loaded with jellies and beans, but my rule of thumb is to “try it until I like it”. And guess what? I started to like it! And it was all because of this place. They make their own jellies and use natural palm sugar. It also wasn’t overly sweet and you can customize your own. I went for their most popular Chè-Licious Special - pandan jelly, agar jelly, pom pearls, toddy palm, jackfruit, longan, and coconut milk with added durian (as the staff recommended) and I enjoyed it. I didn’t expect to enjoy it either, so that says a lot.
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