South Cambie

ARROY-D THAI RESTAURANT
Simple decor, a striking central wooden dining area, and a downtown vista provide a welcome diversion from Cambie Street’s clatter. Lunch specials are a cost-effective way to sample the kitchen’s skill ($5.99-$8.99). Try the gang kaew warn (green curry; $9.99) or the praram long srong (spinach with chicken and peanut sauce; $9.99). Outstanding soups and the pad Thai ($11.99) are aromatic and pungent, fresh and balanced—just as Thai food should be. 3106 Cambie St., South Cambie, 604-879-9944. $-$$

CHAO PHRAYA
Authentic Thai cuisine outshines the weirdly Mediterranean interior at Chao Phraya. Choice lead-ins are green mango and papaya salad or larb gai, minced chicken meat sautéed with shallots, toasted rice, roasted chilies and a healthy dose of cilantro. Though gaeng keow-wan (green curry with eggplant and green beans) is said to top the heat meter, give your server a nudge and they’ll knock the capsaicin count through the roof. 2325 Cambie St., South Cambie, 604-732-3939 $$-$$$

FIGMINT
The aesthetes behind Glowbal, Coast and Sanafir midwifed this sleek 180-seat room. Slate and banquettes (with Paul Smith fabric) are topped with iconic “cloud” lights by Frank Gehry in an open dining room, while the lounge sees a white quartz bar sitting a mix of staid hotel guests and scenesters sipping from next-generation cocktails. Chef Lee Humphries’ steady, Euro-focussed hand in the kitchen impresses further. Lunch might offer a superb burger laid thick with English cheddar and pancetta, or a bitingly creamy risotto with fresh peas and asparagus, but the real treats arrive after dark: salvos of sunchoke and Riesling soup with saffron-braised veal cheeks are plated with corn purée and pine nut butter, (order a side of minted peas). Service, black clad and all business, runs tight. 500 W. 12th Ave., South Cambie, 604-875-3312. $$$

HENRY'S KITCHEN
A new location, sandwiched between a bank and a laser dental clinic, still rewards the intrepid diner with honest-to-goodness, and budget conscious, French and Italian standards. Henry makes everything from scratch; creative daily specials showcase fresh seasonal seafood, and the extensive menu ranges from beef striploin with bone marrow shallot reduction ($22.95) to a slow-braised lamb osso buco with wild mushroom risotto ($19.95). Grilled calamari steak with mango papaya salsa and crisp papadam ($11.95) is a winner. Finish with Henry’s irresistible cheesecake with brandied blueberries ($5.95). 904 W. King Edward Ave., South Cambie, 604-738-9883. $$

KIRIN MANDARIN/KIRIN SEAFOOD
City Square mall finds Cantonese-style cuisine focused on daily delivered seafood. Kirin specializes in banquets at a cost of $398-888 for a table of 10, but ordering à la carte is also viable. Tops is the “gold and silver lobster”—a whole lobster stir-fried with veggies, its legs deep-fried with rock salt and pepper. Service here is attentive and the city view—temporarily marred by condo cranes—breathtaking. 2nd Floor, 555 W. 12th Ave., South Cambie, 604-879-8038; also 102-1166 Alberni St., West End, 604-682-8833; 2nd Floor, 7900 Westminster Hwy., Richmond, 604-303-8833. $$$-$$$$

LANDMARK HOT POT HOUSE
Vancouver’s first Chinese hot pot restaurant, where DIY traditionally warms body and soul on long wintry nights, is now an all-season affair. And at Landmark, it’s unrivalled in quality. Picture prime ingredients like live spot prawns, geoduck, lobsters and house-made seafood meatballs. Dip them in a dozen soup stocks, ranging from fiery Szechuan mercilessly spiked with chilies and fagara to sweet-savoury-nutty satay or a clear broth perfumed with ginger and mushrooms. The seafood combination, which includes a substantial platter of meats, seafood, vegetables and cellophane noodles, is a good start. House-made dumplings also recommended. 4023 Cambie St., South Cambie, 604-872-2868. $$

RICH OCEAN SEAFOOD
Seafood is the focus, obviously, so order either crab or lobster prepared with a choice of sauces like creamy onion or ginger and green onion. Ask that they be served on a bed of e-fu noodles, which will soak up all the delicious flavours. Be adventurous and order the deep fried chicken “knees”, small chicken nuggets with bits of cartilage for textural crunch. The complimentary red bean dessert was a real highlight—house made (rather than from mixes that most restaurants use) with whole, tender red beans and pungent citrus peel. Dim sum service is also a stand out. 108-777 W. Broadway, South Cambie, 604-876-8388. $$$

SALA THAI
Som Tum (salad of green papaya, chilies and lime, $7.99), golden shrimp cakes ($7.99), and Gaeng Pa-nang: sautéed tiger prawns, scallops, coconut meat and kaffir lime leaves in a fiery red curry ($9.99) are as authentic as they come. Terrific value at lunch and daily specials. Cambie location has been a neighborhood fixture for over 20 years, but the opulent downtown room also delivers consumate curries and pad Thai. 102-888 Burrard St., Downtown, 604-683-7999; 3364 Cambie St., South Cambie, 604-875-6999. $$-$$$

SEASONS IN THE PARK
Take a walk through the Bloedel Floral Conservatory and the blooming beds, then evacuate to the shady back patio or sunny western side to partake of chef Buddy Wolfe’s confident if high-volume offerings. Find pan-seared wild salmon with kaffir lime and lemongrass butter sauce ($23), or miso soy marinated black cod with pineapple chive vinaigrette ($25). Don’t leave without a slice of the signature sunburnt lemon pie. Popular brunch spot for large groups—try the Hunan pork sandwich. Queen Elizabeth Park, W. 33rd Ave. at Cambie, South Cambie, 604-874-8008. $$$-$$$$

SHIRO
This tiny spot illustrates how good our Japanese neighbourhood restaurants can be. Habitués aim for seats at the sushi bar, where owner Shiro Okano cheerfully holds court as he deconstructs fish with his cleaver. Expect fresh sushi, good gyoza and amazing deep-fried squid. 3096 Cambie St., South Cambie, 604-874-0027. $-$$

SPICES
Artful black-and-white photographs showcasing the people and architecture of Vietnam grace the deep red walls of this casual Cambie Street spot. Tune out the muzak and focus on flavourful entrées like drunken prawns marinated in spiced wine and sautéed in a buttery garlic-citron sauce, or pan-fried pomfret fragrant with grated lemongrass. Combination plates offer a taste of everything for the indecisive, and banh mi—the Vietnamese equivalent of a sub sandwich—is ideal for lunch on the go. 3446 Cambie St., South Cambie, 604-876-6618. $$

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