Vancouver's Best Ethnic
Restaurants

There's a world's fare of cuisines in our own backyard, tasty, inexpensive and well worth exploring. We review 23 of them.

By Joie Alvaro Kent, Dee Hon, Andrew Morrison
and the editors; photographs by Shannon Mendes

Jamaican
Estimated Greater Vancouver Population: 1,745

Riddim and Spice
Smiling to reveal two gold front teeth, Jamaica-born Andre Barrett recalls being unable to find any Caribbean restaurants in Vancouver when he arrived in 1981. "The only Jamaican place around was run by an Iranian guy" he jokes, eyes flashing behind designer glasses. Barrett opened Riddim and Spice, he explains, to "bring the people to the real deal." Together with chef "Mr. Currie" (whose hagiographic portrait hangs on the wall), they make the room a sunny escape on even the wettest of wintry days. The jerk chicken, slow-cooked for an hour and a half after an overnight marinade heavy in Scotch bonnet peppers, is superb. "It don't get no more authentic than this," Barrett beams. The plate comes stacked with rice, beans, slaw and plantains for $9 (a smaller version is available for $7.50). Wash it down with a tall can of malted coconut water for $3 (the jellied coconut pieces within are an acquired taste) before succumbing to the sweet draw of plantain tarts ($2.50 a piece).—A.M.
Riddim and Spice: 1945 Commercial Dr., 604-215-9252


Hungarian
Estimated Population: 7,390

Budapest Restaurant
Hungarian food is comfort food, rich and deeply spiced. As Sonia Fabian, wife of chef Miro, explains, it's more about the flavour than the fire. At Budapest Restaurant Miro cooks dishes like goulash, a thick beef soup cooked with onions and potatoes that carries the sweet heat of Hungarian paprika. Start with an order of lángos, a large round of deep-fried bread that's accompanied by sour cream for dipping and a clove of garlic (which should promptly be sliced in half and rubbed across the bread while it's still piping hot). Be forewarned: lángos is addictive. The pork schnitzel is outstanding—the Transylvanian Wooden Plate for two stacks enough food to feed a small army—but resist the temptation on your first visit in favour of sampling some traditional Hungarian fare. Chicken paprikás is a softly flavoured dish of chicken simmered in paprika and sour cream and accompanied by nokedli (spätzle) and a slaw of red cabbage and apples braised in egri bikavér (bull's blood) red wine. It's typically served with cucumber salad dressed with lemon juice, garlic and, yes, sour cream. Try to save room for a krémes slice, vanilla custard and whipped cream sandwiched between layers of delicate pastry; or somloi galuska, the multi-layered Hungarian version of tiramisu.—J.K.
Budapest Restaurant: 3520 Main St., South Main, 604-877-1949; Open Wed. to Sun.


Persian
Estimated Population: 17,945

Kashcool
Amid auto body shops, warehouses and tattoo parlours, this delightfully atmospheric spot, run by Mahtab Saraf and her daughters Maryam and Mehnosh Mehrtash, is the restaurant of choice for the North Shore's Iranian community. Sip a glass of dough (pronounced "doo"—a refreshing mix of soda water, yogurt and mint), while you use lavash bread to scoop the divine kashk-eh-bodem jahn (eggplant, onion, garlic, walnuts and mint) appetizer. The polows and kabob dishes are rich and substantial (go for the chicken, which is moist and tender). Finish with Persian ice cream (saffron, pistacchio and rosewater), baklava and Persian tea. For $7.95, the intrepid can also smoke flavoured tobacco through a water pipe.

A couple of miles east on Lonsdale, a cluster of Persian shops offers everything from books, DVDs and hookahs to shirmal bread and dried watermelon seeds. Yaas Bazaar (pictured) is a splendid riot of fresh-baked breads, exotic sweets, olives, dried plums, scented waters and imported goodies that will have you alternately salivating and scratching your head.—G.R. Kashcool: 222 Pemberton Ave., North Vancouver, 604-904-3904 ; Yaas Bazaar: 1860 Lonsdale, North Vancouver, 604-990-9006

Somali
Estimated Population: 1,470

Mogadishu
The bathroom looks like it belongs in a Mogadishu garage. The drinking water tastes faintly of garlic. The owner preferred staring down a plate of rice to talking to this magazine. But the food is so cheap, plentiful and good, it's no wonder Somali guys make this place their hangout. Somali food is unlike that of its better-known Ethiopian neighbour: it's a simmering stew of Italian, Indian, Persian, Arab, Malaysian and Chinese flavours, the product of Somalia's long history as a coastal trading post. Despite this blend, Mogadishu's menu is small, with fewer than a dozen items. A typical dish is chicken or beef sautéed with peppers, carrots, heaps of garlic, and hints of Indian spices. With it comes saffron rice, or spaghetti spiced with cumin and coriander. It's comfort food: warm, rich flavours distilled from a multitude of cuisines.—D.H.
Mogadishu: 664 E. Broadway, East Side, 604-484-3752


German
Estimated Population: 44,470

Jagerhof Schnitzel House
If you remember the day Gavrilo Princip took out Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914, chances are you've been a regular at this Lonsdale homage to the Austro-Hungarian empire for every one of its 27 years. Owners Alex Doubrava and Mike Von Lokvenz are pre-Velvet Divorce imports from Czechoslovakia (Von Lokvenz is a Sudeten German), and they take turns serving up 14 inexpensive versions of pork tenderloin schnitzel served with spaetzle and red cabbage. Other notables include the debreziner, a spicy Hungarian sausage (with excellent sauerkraut) and a traditional German bratwurst sourced from Burnaby's International Sausage House (1846 Gilmore Ave., 604-294-8248). Austrian strudels are made in-house and Palatschinken crepes stuffed with ricotta, whipped cream and apricot preserve are essential punctuations brought in from the old country. A selection of German and Czech beers adds further authenticity, but it's the stuffed game birds, wild boar heads and stag antlers on the walls (along with portraits of Franz Josef and the Kaiser) that makes the Jagerhof an escape not just from the ordinary, but from the contemporary as well.—A.M.
Jagerhof Schnitzel House: 71 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouver, 604-980-4316

The Vancouver Alpen Club
A gathering place for German and Austrian immigrants since it opened in 1935, the Alpen Club has seen its membership decline steadily in the last 20 years (from 1,600 to 800). It's rich in a time and place that exists, like the prices, only in memory, but foodies should take note of the fare. This is inexpensive, classic comfort food served in an otherworldly restaurant (the chef, an Austrian, sharpened his knives in Munich and on cruise ships before landing in Vancouver). Head cheese with fried onion rings and potatoes ($7.95) stands out on a menu that sees wurst and pork hock leading to ice creams, melbas and strudels. (Go for the massive "Hunter Schnitzel" with its thick wine and mushroom cream-a steal at $14.95.) Artur Lübkemann, the current president of the club, wishes more young people would come. "We're trying" he says, "but it has been difficult." Dancing, strudel and Gluhwein (German mulled wine) on a Saturday night—what's not to love? And with beer at just $1.95 a glass, we're seriously considering membership.—A.M.
Vancouver Alpen Club: 4875 Victoria Dr., East Side,
604-874-3811


Kosher
Estimated Population: 8,135

Omnitsky Kosher
Vancouver's best kosher joint was founded 85 years ago—in Winnipeg. The story goes like this: Louis Omnitsky opens a kosher meat market in 1921; his son William inherits the business and runs it until 1985, when he sells it to current owner Eppy Rappaport, a New Yorker "weaned on hot dogs" who'd come to Winnipeg to study sociology at the University of Manitoba. Rappaport opened the Vancouver location in 1995 and likes to think of it as a "jack of all trades kind of place." There's a traditional deli counter stocked with everything from chopped liver to brisket to smoked meat (the pastrami and all-beef pepperoni sticks in natural casing are Rappaport's personal faves), a selection of hard-to-find kosher ingredients and a full-service bakery. Try the astonishingly good mandelbroit (the biscotti-like cookies covered in dark chocolate, coconut and almonds sell for $1.50 a piece) and if you're there on a Thursday or Friday go for the chocolate cake. It's absolutely decadent, feeds 15 and, at $11.49, may just be the best deal in town.—R.Poole
Omnitsky Kosher: 5866 Cambie St., Oakridge, 604-321-1818


South African
Estimated Population: 945

Serengeti Trading
Once the head of a sausage company in South Africa's hinterland, Pasquale Cozza brought his family (and his recipes) to Vancouver in 1996. Here, at his out of the way import shop in North Van, old-school Afrikaners trade gossip and score their rooibos tea, droëwors (dried sausage), coffee dunking ouma rusks and Simba potato chips (the oddest range of faux-flavours in all of Chipdom), but the real draw is Cozza's special biltong; shards of sun-dried jerky given a traditional treatment of rock salt, coriander, coarse black pepper and vinegar. This centuries-old safari staple is like catnip to ex-pat Springboks pining for the open bushveld, and can prove highly addictive to uninitiated carnivores.—A.M.
Serengeti Trading: 1054 Marine Dr., North Vancouver, 604-987-1140


Afghan
Estimated Population: 2,145

Afghan Horsemen
On news reports, Afghanistan seems a dust-caked land where nothing grows but beards and AK-47s. You might not guess it's a nation of foodies, with a cuisine as rich as its history. At the Horsemen, the past comes alive in the meals. Dolmah—made with cabbage instead of grape leaves—and salads with feta give nods to the Greeks, while the lentil-based dahl palaw pays homage to India. The aushak, Afghan-style ravioli topped with spinach and a sour cream and yogurt dip, is delicious. The charbroiled kebabs are popular with the Persian community. Afghanistan's national dish is kabuli palaw, rice topped with sautéed carrots, raisins and almonds. The spices are mild and the food so hearty it induces post-meal comas—ask for seats in the Afghan room, with its low tables and cushions on the floor.—D.H.
Afghan Horsemen: 445 W. Broadway, Mount Pleasant, 604-873-5923


Portuguese
Estimated Population: 9,490

Senhor Rooster
Daniel Alexandre was only a boy when his family emigrated from Angola to Portugal, but the flavours and dishes of his birthplace remained strong in his culinary memory. He first rolled up his sleeves to work in a professional kitchen at age 15, and enrolled for chef's training in Lisbon three years later. Alexandre honed his skills in top-notch kitchens such as Lisbon's Hotel Ritz and Vancouver's Hyatt, Fado and Il Giardino before striking out with two restaurant ventures of his own. Third time's the charm, however, as this warm, relaxed restaurant (soon moving to larger premises at 850 Renfrew Street) has a devoted following of those smitten with Chef Daniel's sophisticated approach to full-flavoured Portuguese cuisine. Traditionally, Portugal's food is hearty fare with spices like piri-piri, saffron, vanilla and cinnamon from its former colonies used for adding richness and depth to simple ingredients. Add the Angolan predilection for heat, and the spice factor is boosted by another notch or two—Alexandre isn't afraid to fan the flames, but he's also adept at dialing back the fire with his silky, luxuriant sauces. The menu features a lineup of well-executed Portuguese dishes: impeccably crisped pastéis de bacalhau (cod and potato croquettes) and piquant prawns piri-piri are two standouts. But keep an eye on the specials board for surprising culinary gems like Dungeness crab cakes with beurre blanc and blackberry sauce. Those in the know call a day in advance to order Chef Daniel's succulent salt-encrusted Cornish game hen with mandarin orange and rice stuffing. Round out your meal with a velvety mango mousse or a flambé of blueberries in house-made liqueur.—J.K.
Senhor Rooster: 3885 Rupert St., East Side, 604-434-1010

Casa Verde Restaurant
You'd probably drive right past Casa Verde's unassuming façade if you didn't know it was there. It was once a Portuguese soccer clubhouse; the sports memorabilia and a TV in the corner tuned to the latest matches is evidence of that. For the past eight years, however, it's been a bustling family restaurant run by members of the Barbosa family: daughter Sarah works the front of house with charming efficiency, husband Jonel is at the helm in the kitchen, and papa Armando keeps everything under control. You'll find the room abuzz with lively Portuguese conversation as families gather around large tables groaning under the weight of food. Try the lulas grelhadas, beautifully tender squid that is first grilled and then pan-fried in garlic, olive oil and lemon juice. Sip on a refreshing glass of vinho verde to accompany the carne de porco alentejana, a mélange of pan-fried marinated pork cubes, chourico slices and steamed clams tossed together in a house sauce with a healthy dose of garlic, all served atop a bed of homemade fries. Spice things up with camaroes piri-piri, succulent prawns bathed in a zesty sauce that'll leave you reaching for your water glass. Available on weekends only is frango no churrasco, juicy barbecue-roasted chicken in piri-piri sauce, but make sure to ask for batatas a rodelas to accompany it—thinly sliced homemade chips so perfectly seasoned and crisped that you won't be able to stop at just one.—J.K.
Casa Verde Restaurant: 3532 Commercial St., 604-876-7647; Cash only, open Wed. to Sun.

Ethiopian
Estimated Population: 870

Harambe Restaurant
Forget everything your mother ever told you about not eating with your hands. At Harambe, dining is an intimate communal experience; food is typically served on a common platter and shared. A variety of richly spiced dishes are arranged atop a blanket of injera-flat, spongy bread with a tang reminiscent of sourdough that doubles as both utensil and comestible in the absence of forks and knives. With the vividly coloured mural above the bar and the warm red walls, Daniel Mekonnen has created an atmosphere that's vibrant yet cosy. Johannes and Rosa Kebede are a husband-and-wife team in the kitchen, and their cooking is infused with traditional deep, earthy flavours. The combination platters—either Chef's Choice or Veggie Lovers—are the best way to sample traditional menu items, which focus on richly spiced meat and vegetable stews. Berbere is a complex mixture of up to a dozen different spices that's an essential component of Ethiopian cuisine; yebeg wat is a piquant stew of lamb that's slowly simmered in berbere sauce, and misir wat is its vegetarian counterpart with split red lentils as its central ingredient. If your taste leans towards the unusual, try kitfo, a version of steak tartare that's amped up with a powerful kick. Although sweets don't factor into the Ethiopian diet, Harambe offers banana tibs as a simple yet delicious dessert: bananas simmered in a delicately spiced sauce of orange juice and honey and then served warm with scoops of vanilla ice cream. It's like the best banana-orange creamsicle you can imagine.—J.K.
2149 Commercial Dr., 604-216-1060


Russian
Estimated Population: 6,480

Rasputin
Come for the food. Stay for the dancing to "Mustang Sally," sung with a Russian accent. Rasputin is old-fashioned cooking, and an old-fashioned party. The woman behind the food is Tanya Shinder. This summer, she spent a miserable vacation with husband Michael, pining for a helicopter back to her kitchen. Classic Russian cuisine demands hours of toil, so it's good she loves it there. Her specialties include tabaka, a Georgian hen marinated all day in buttermilk, onions, garlic and spices before being flat-fried under a brick. She makes perogies and cabbage rolls, along with pelmeni—tortellini-like dumplings stuffed with beef, pork and garlic. Glitzier dishes include caviar and trout stuffed with couscous pilaf. The man running the party is Michael, who hosts vodka-fueled birthday and anniversary celebrants dancing to the house balalaika band. Rasputin just turned 10 years old. The dance floor needs new floorboards.—D.H.
Rasputin: 457 W. Broadway, Mount Pleasant, 604-879-6675


Spanish
Estimated Population: 4,995

La Bodega
Time may have stood still at this Spanish institution, but owners Paco and José Rivas' old world charm still plays host to a tapas-hungry crowd night after night. Their regular customers have been remarkably resistant to the food trends that wash in and out of Vancouver, and are quick to complain at any sign of change. A seat downstairs at the circa 1971 bar sees these ancients cracking wise with bartenders Hector and Paul, who dole out tall glasses of sangria and glass goblets of inexpensive red wine. Sit nearby and you'll hear one of them proudly volunteering their decades-long patronage to any newbie who flirts with their real estate (this is their turf, and they won't hesitate to pleasantly let you know it). Mainstay must-haves include crouton-heavy gazpacho "Andaluz," fiery "patatas bravas," and hearty albondigas (Spanish meatballs). "We are not perfect," says the diminutive Jose. "When we make mistakes, our people forgive us." With ridiculously low prices and a time capsule atmosphere, why wouldn't they?—A.M.
La Bodega: 1277 Howe St., Downtown, 604-684-8815


Salvadorean
Estimated Population: 1,835

Rinconcito Salvadoreño
Whether it's late afternoon or well into the evening, there seems to be a steady stream of customers at this casual neighbourhood spot. Latino or otherwise, most diners have one thing on their mind: Ana Herrera's pupusas. Born in El Salvador, Ana comes from a long line of family cooks—her grandmother was renowned for her tamales and made 1,000 each week for 20 years. Ana arrives long before the pupusería opens to begin preparing salsas and dough for her pupusas, a thick corn-flour tortilla filled with either cheese (queso), crispy pork rinds (chicarrónes), refried beans (frijoles fritos) or a combination of the three (revuelta). Each pupusa is made to order, and Ana has distilled the process to an art form, churning out one a minute on average. Curtido, a pickled cabbage salad, is the traditional accompaniment. Gem-like beef and chicken Tostados make delightful appetizers with their ingredients artfully layered atop a crisped tortilla. The pollo asado is outstanding: moist, delicately seasoned grilled chicken that's served with chimol (fresh tomato salsa). There's cerveza to douse the flames, but try one of the Salvadoran sodas or house-made refrescos (fruit juices)-mango and tamarind are lovely. If you're lucky, mar y tierra will be on the specials board: a large platter for two with grilled top sirloin steaks and prawns accompanied by rice, red beans, avocado and warm tortillas.—J.K.
Rinconcito Salvadoreño: 2062 Commercial Dr., 604-879-2600


Lebanese
Estimated Population: 1,730

Nuba
This tiny, brick-lined room sees quite the line-up come lunch hour, and for good reason: it boasts the best falafel in the city. Co-owner Victor Bouzide may be Canadian, but the recipes of his Lebanese grandmother are as authentic as they come (she represented Lebanon with them at the Chicago World Fair in 1893). "Lebanese cuisine is one of the healthiest in the world," says Bouzide. He might be right, but that benefit doesn't come at the expense of flavour. Begin with the crushed organic red lentil soup, which comes close to overwhelming the senses with a battery of Lebanese spices, before tucking into what you came for. The full falafel plate, miraculously inexpensive at $6, comes stacked with hummus, taboulleh, salad and pita (all made in house). You might be hard pressed to find a seat, but another location (Seymour and Davie) is due to open in late October.—A.M.
Nuba: 322 W. Hastings. St., Downtown, 604-688-1655


Romanian
Estimated Population: 4,440

Transylvania Flavour
How does owner Nick Cruciat describe Romanian food? "Eastern European... but different." You've probably seen similar dishes on the menus of other restaurants: sausages, schnitzels, chicken cordon bleu and cabbage rolls. But Cruiciat's food is exactly as he says-different. Take the sausages. Most sausages are nitrite-laden meats stuffed into a casing. Not here. Transylvania Flavour loads pork and beef sausages with garlic and thyme, giving them a robust flavour that's not overwhelmed by salt. And they're fluffy, like a good scrambled egg, thanks to the lack of casing. Pastries are another specialty here (the chocolate layer cake is mercifully subtle in its sweetness). Most Romanian of all is ciorba de burta, the tripe soup beloved by Romanians but feared by outsiders. It's filled with tripe, garlic, vinegar and vegetables, and comes with hot peppers, sour cream and bread on the side.—D.H.
Transylvania Flavour: 107 Carrall St., Gastown, 604-683-3290


Nepalese
Estimated Population: N/A

Café Kathmandu
As the owner of Vancouver's only Nepali restaurant, Abi Sharma is a willing guide to the cuisine and culture of his native country. The menu reflects the multi-ethnic nature of Nepal and the culinary influences of its border nations: China, India and Tibet. Start with bhaatmas: crunchy toasted soybeans quick-fried with finely minced ginger, garlic and chilies and then tossed with fresh coriander. This is sprinkled with chiuraa, delicate lightly toasted flakes of beaten rice. Next up is a plate of toonie-size dumplings filled with either vegetables or chicken, typical street food that evolved from the Shanghainese xiao long bao. Choose from three chutney-like dipping sauces (achaar) seasoned with timmur, a cousin of the Szechuan peppercorn native to Nepal; there's a cool cilantro-sesame sauce, a bright, fruity hot sauce laden with chopped red chili peppers or a fresh tomato-based sauce pureéd with garlic and ginger. Main dishes are a variety of curries, their flavours more delicate than their Indian counterparts. Khasiko maasu is goat meat slow-simmered until tender in a dark, rich curry; kaauli is an earthy dish of turmeric-infused cauliflower with fenugreek potatoes. Dessert is not traditionally served in Nepal, so finish off your meal with a creamy ganges mahee, a Nepalese yogurt drink blended with mango, or a steaming cup of Nepali chiyaa (chai).—J.K.
Café Kathmandu: 2779 Commercial Dr., 604-879-9909


Slovenian
Estimated Population: 630

Milan's Bistro
Slovenian ex-pat chef Milan Hrovat may have opened his pan-European themed Yaletown restaurant only recently, but he's been a fixture of our food trade for 15 years. He arrived in Vancouver from Ljudljana, in the pouring rain, with only a few bucks in his pocket and little English. It was hard going at first, but after a year making winches (at $13 an hour), he saved enough to bring over his wife and kids. Trolling outside rodeos and festivals in the 'burbs with portable barbecues, they sold shishkabobs and sausages. Soon, they stowed enough away to open up Abbotsford's A&M European deli (still serving up a cross-section of eastern European goodies). His Hamilton Street restaurant has framed tourist posters of his native land lining the walls, and a Balkanized menu. Souvlakis and pastas share space with St. Louis-style barbecued ribs and basic grilled cheese sandwiches, but it's his perogies, cabbage rolls, barbecued farmer's sausage (sourced from his own deli) and chicken schnitzels that say home.—A.M.
Milan's Bistro: 1223 Hamilton St., Yaletown, 604-915-7225


Eritrean
Estimated Population: 190

Red Sea Café
Eritrea, a tiny country on the North East African coast, shares a highland plateau with Ethiopia along its southern border. This geographic commonality translates into shared culinary customs between the highland peoples. Born in Eritrea and raised in Ethiopia, Ainalem Abraha and his wife Senayt Tsegaye opened Vancouver's only Eritrean restaurant in 2004. Dining here is communal and utensil free; small pieces of tangy, pillowy injera are torn from a large shared round and used to pinch bite-sized portions of deeply seasoned meat and vegetable stews. (Helpful hint: eat only with your right hand and avoid touching your lips or licking your fingers.) Though similar to Ethiopian cuisine, with berbere and mitmita as primary seasonings, Eritrean flavours are rendered more soft and subtle when an herbed butter called tesmih is substituted for these two fire-breathing spice mixtures. Kilwa dorho is a lush, velvety dish of chicken marinated in turmeric, ginger and garlic before simmering with tesmih and jalapeno peppers; a vegetable mixture of cabbage, potatoes and carrots receives the same delicate treatment. But there's definitely heat to be found on the menu: tender marinated chunks of lamb in the kilwa awaze are rich with seasoned chili paste. Strong coffee (bun) and tea (shahi) with plenty of sugar are the beverages of preference; here, as in the Eritrean lowlands, the tea is served spiced with cinnamon, cardamom and cloves.—J.K.
Red Sea Café: 670 E. Broadway, Mount Pleasant, 604-873-3332