Good Greek

Need your fix of Greek grub? Apparently you may have to wait a while... 

Discovering a new city through its culinary provision is THE BEST! (ensuring you haven't already been on Yelp) Food wise, you come with no preconceptions about anywhere, except with the knowledge that if the place is a Greek restaurant, you're pretty sure it will serve olives and feta. Nothing unsurprising there. However, it is great when a place surprises you, just like Stepho's did. Authentic, wholesome eating in the heart of Vancouver.

Off twenty-odd years experience, this taverna is not only homely and comfortable, but very friendly and familiar. It may look a bit tired from the outside, decor wise, but if anything that adds to its Hellenic charm. It's sat in a very busy restaurant district, along Davie St, and I can see how you would need to stand out to stay afloat - catching a waft of the roasted lamb, as I walked past, drew me in! That and the fact that if there is a long line-up outside it means it is probably worth the wait...

Once through the door you are greeted and seated by the most welcoming of staff. It has a cosy ambience. Exposed wood, clay tiles, and plenty of harmonious traditional music. The menu is extremely budget friendly, and includes all the Greek faves, think dolmathes, youvetsi, and baklava for desert. I was extremely pleased with my lamb souvlaki served with a zingy tzatiki, spanakopita and greek salad. What's more, it only cost 20 bucks - incredible value for money, and a warm feeling of fullness on leaving.

By The Sea

White Rock - where the sun is always shining!

The past couple of days I have been out in the 'burbs', discovering some parts of Greater Vancouver. My girlfriend descends from Surrey, which is situated more or less at the end of the Expo Line. Unlike Surrey (UK), this version boasts quite a large East Indian population, and has many malls and large expanses of farmland, and far less private schools full to the brim with spoilt kids installed with the statutory toff accents!

Coming out of Surrey Central, you soon realize this area is where people choose to build a family. Lots of primary and secondary schools, open spaces, no sidewalks, and large MTV Cribs style houses/mansions. It is a really nice area, although I have been reliably informed that Surrey does have a grizzly underbelly too - like anywhere really?! 

Anyway, it wasn't Surrey that I wanted to write about. Just 20 minutes away is not only the mighty US of A, but a stunning little seaside town (although I understand that it is actually a city?) called White Rock. It is so named after a very large white boulder that sits on the shoreline - apparently a glacial erratic from the last ice age. It is so large and vibrant that it has often been used a point of reference for navigators, including good ol' Cpt. George himself! 

My goodness is it steep when trying to slowly manoeuvre your car down into a parking space towards the general promenade area. That brings me to the incredible view that such a gradient provides. Looking out over Semiahmoo Bay, this is an area that is known for staying vibrantly sunny, which it was. Looking back inland there was no hesitation that the grey skies only meant one thing, that rain was bucketing down. 

As my girlfriend and I ambled down the pier, taking in the sea air, and noticing the clanging from the masts of the boats moving in the wind, I asked the obvious question when at the seaside... is there a good fish and chip shop? 

Not expecting anything special, as y'know, the idea of fish and chips in Canada is like trying to find the best salmon in the Humber Estuary. We walked alongside the railway tracks, that I understand are still used for goods transportation to the States, and ended up at the Moby Dick Seafood Restaurant. Boy was I in for a shock!

You go inside, a highly accredited establishment since 1975 (due to the countless 'Best Eat' stickers plastered on the door), and the place has a warm feel to it. Lined with pictures of famous celebs and sports stars (hockey players mainly) you get to the counter and are greeted in a friendly, wholesome manner. We ordered 2 pieces of lingcod and some crumbed oysters, which we decided to take away and eat at a bench whilst the sun went down.

That was some of the best fish I have ever had. Evident too by the amount of seagulls that were lurking to wait for us to drop some. What's noticeable is the lightness of the batter. Usually you feel so sluggish after eating an inch think of stodgy batter, but this was light and had a sweet beer taste - served with a great, fresh tartare sauce. What's more, when you order 2 bits, you get three, order 3, get 4 etc.

After our snack, we strolled back along the road, eyeing up the best of the seafront properties, and sucked in the last of what is a undeniably stunning view. The only down side is the brutal hill start that you have to try and coax all the horses out of your cars engine to drag you up the steep hills! We will definitely be back here in the Summer.

Save On Meats

Find the brilliant Save On Meats at 43 West Hastings

Enough of all this talk about paperwork. Time to get back to experiencing more of what Van has to offer. Somewhat strangely it has been blindingly sunny in the earlier part of the week, which has been glorious. Due to the sun I have been hitting the pavement hard and exploring new spots around the city. I ventured off down into Gastown, an area easily defined by its brick streets, boutique shopping, and enterprising restaurants, bars and sandwich shops. I understand that historically this area hasn't always been that desirable with the seedier aspects a bit further east!

Anyhow, it was here that I found this awesome diner, Save On Meats. It originally opened in 1957, but has only re-opened recently after being closed since 2009. The place was packed when I strolled past the window (always a good pointer) so I thought I would grab a bite to eat - plus there are some sweet neon signs that (almost forcibly) guide you in! Straight through the door you notice a stunning jukebox belting out 70s and 80s classics. A typical diner bar lines one side of the joint with booth seating the other side, all dressed in retro brown vinyl with plenty of exposed brick.

Now to get in to the food. They have a really well planned menu, catering for all levels of hunger. Whether it is a snack or a hearty meal, your needs will be met. I went for the classic burger (only $6) with a root beer float to wash it down. Quality for mega value. I will definitely be going back to try more! Attention to detail is what makes this place. The graphics are quirky and clichéd, but that is what you want from a diner. What's more, it was on leaving that I realized there is an adjoining butchery and deli counter, with a take-away sandwich counter in between. Great!

Oh Canada!

Phnom Penh, Vancouver. We had dinner here Thursday evening. 

Touch down YVR. It is now Saturday (I landed on Thursday morning) and I now feel that I am compos mentis, and steadily getting with the programme here in Vancouver. I am sitting typing whilst watching the Canucks game against San Jose, so you could say that I am a fully fledged Canadian already!

I will just run through the past couple of days. I spent much of Thursday in bed, after Krista met me at the airport and lovingly guided me back, in full zombie state, on the SkyTrain back downtown. After getting showered and doing some much needed general arranging we headed out to dinner. 

First up. We went to Phnom Penh in Chinatown where we had a great meal of butter beef, which had great zingy acidic taste, along side a pounds worth of their famous chicken wings. Dinner was great, just what I needed. However, the weather, not so much. -7 degrees downtown was a considerable shock, coming from what has been a very, very mild Winter back in the UK.

After another prolonged rest (13 hours) we decided to finally leave the warmth of the apartment yesterday. This time it wasn't the cold so much, but the driving rain that we were up against. To compensate for the disappointment with the elements we headed to the American Cheesesteak Co. on Davie. Oh boy! Do they know how to make a sandwich. Splitting a Cowboy between the two of us was more than enough. How you deal with sides on top of all that meat I don't know... Needless to say we took a stroll around soggy Vancouver to try and walk it off before dinner. 

Heading up the trio of Van eateries that we hit-up in under 24 hours was Maenam. As part of Dine Out Vancouver, we decided to go and try their fare - serving innovative Thai dishes with big flavour. They did a great job of turning around tables in the hour and a half slots promised. Great service and attention to detail did not go unnoticed. The surroundings within the restaurant are stylish, sophisticated and intimate, which make for a personal dining experience. Food wise, the steamed mussels and seared tuna salad were fresh and flavoursome, whilst the penang curried beef was creamy, rich and tender. 

All in all, a crazy couple of days food wise. At home, in the UK, not much can beat what my mum rustles up in the kitchen. I couldn't be much further from home-cooking at the minute so it's awesome that with these three meals, all so different, they delivered the same result, a very happy and full stomach.