Restaurants
Vancouver's Best Cheap Eats 2012
By Rebecca Philps published Jun 1, 2012
Our guide to the city's best-value, mind-blowingly delicious meals including artisanal pizzas, fragrant pho, and more
Modest but hospitable joints offering delicious food with head-scratcher prices-that's what we set out to find, and after combing the streets and following leads from foodie friends, we arrived at this adventurous list. True that the cheap-eats road often points east, but we've also uncovered excellent, frugally minded spots downtown and on the West Side.
Hida Takayama
203-1610 Robson St., 604-633-1884
Half a block away, the hordes are lined up outside Santouka and Kintaro ramen houses, but here on the upper level of the Robson Public Market is a little kiosk serving our favourite bowls. It must be said that the place has a Dawn of the Dead vibe, but it also follows that ole cheap-eats dictum that the more fluorescent the lighting, the better the grub. The thin but firm noodles, which maintain that all-important delicate snap, are made in-house (the only ramen house we've come across to do so) and the ratio of noodles to cha-shu (braised loin slices from barley-fed pork) is liberally calibrated-the owner used to run the fine Niku-ya Meats butchery in Richmond before turning it over to his son. The broths on offer go beyond the typical offerings and include natural rock salt (a clean, bright flavour), white sesame, and tomato. On fair days, retreat to the small outdoor terrace and gloat over the unsuspecting masses.
Jethro’s Fine Grub
3420 Dunbar St., 604-569-3441
There are many tempting things on the menu (say, gator nuggets, $11, or chicken-fried steak, $12), but for two cheap eaters it’s gotta be the ridiculous Frisbee-sized buttermilk pancakes to share ($10; Gold Rush adds banana, pecans, caramel, and streusel; Grrreat Cakes, frosted flakes and fresh strawberries), and a side of scrambled eggs—it’s the meal of choice for one Vanmag editor and his teenage son, so know that you and a brunch mate will be more than satisfied, too. There is a catch: unless you plan to eat at 2 p.m. on a Tuesday, you’ll be waiting in line—even before the Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives spotlight, this place was a zoo.
Trilussa
4363 Main St., 604-558-3338
While Neapolitan style is all the rage, remember that we live in a democratic nation, and it is your right to choose from an array of flatbread-with-topping options. You're at Trilussa for pizza al taglio (pizza by the slice), the ubiquitous street food of Rome, and a formula that calls for a thick, bubble-riddled foundation upon which simple ingredient combos-like the Capri with potatoes, pesto, and pecorino; or the Vancouver, served cold, with smoked salmon and salad-are built; the rectangular slab is then cut into regular (five inches, $5.50) or large (seven inches, $7.50) slices. You’d do well to start the day here, too, with the Buongiorno panino (ordering it is almost as fun as eating it)—eggs, ham, and provolone are insulated by a freshly baked housemade panino bun ($5.95).
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