Takeout review: The Fish Counter

Local chef and sustainable-seafood champion Robert Clark finally opened the doors to his new business venture in December, called The Fish Counter.  It’s on Main Street (between E 22nd and E 23rd avenue) The left half of the business is a fish monger, featuring whole fish, freshly filleted fish, and shellfish on ice. While the right…

Restaurant review: Indochine Kitchen & Bar

Having driven past Indochine on many occasions, and wondered how it compared to Phnom Penh, we decided to give it a try. I knew that Indochine featured menu items that are very popular at Phnom Penh, but was unaware of the actual relationship between the two establishments.  As explained by our server, the two restaurants…

Restaurant review: Pizzeria Barbarella

Following a hectic incident where we were running around town, trying to restore things, it was getting late to go home and make dinner, so we stopped in at Pizzeria Barbarella on East Broadway (just off Fraser St). When we arrived, the front house was bustling, but we were seated immediately. We started with a…

Takeout review: Raviolino

On a frigid winter night, with a refrigerator bereft of fresh food, I decided to grab some takeout from a local pasta place. Raviolino is a small cafe style eatery on West Fourth ave, just off MacDonald St (probably seats 30 or so), adjacent to Darby’s Pub. Everything is made fresh on the premises, and…

Restaurant review: Itadakimasu Izakaya

Hoping to make use of a Groupon before it expired, we visited Itadakimasu Izakaya on Main st. (For non-Japanese, that name is challenging to pronounce). We arrived at 6:30 pm and were seated immediately.  The house was probably at half capacity. After surveying the menu, we decided on three small plates, starting with the Pari pari…

Restaurant review: Marcello Pizzeria & Ristorante

Marcellos on Commercial Drive has been operating for quite, predating the recent surge in italian pizzeria places by a good decade or more.  It’s predecessor, Lombardo’s in the Il Mercato shopping plaza has been around even longer (I’m aware of the history of these two restaurants, but I’d rather not get into it on this…

Restaurant review: Nook (Yew Street)

On a week night, we decided to visit Nook in Kitsilano for a light dinner.  This is the second location for the Nook (the first being Denman street in the West End).  They don’t accept reservations here, but we arrived early in the evening, when it was still quiet. I found menu amusing. The disclaimer…