Kerrisdale Food Crawl

Exquisite Viennoiserie baking has citizens lining up for the best pains au chocolat (baked four times daily so they’re always warm) in town at Faubourg (2156 W. 41st Ave., 604-266-2156. Faubourg.com).

Kerrisdale just nudges Quil­chena as the least likely city quadrant to have a terrific Vietnamese joint, so finding Pho Tan (2076 West 41st Ave., 604-606-0688)-authentic down to its slightly dodgy interior and Fraser Street pricing (a banh mi thi, aka a Vietnamese sub, is $3.75)-is rare indeed.

When the workers building the neighbourhood’s mini-mansions want honest grub they come to Art’s Place (2407 W. 41st Ave., 604-261-6012). Sure, the vinyl in the booths is peeling, but it’s hard to beat two eggs and toast for $4.25, or an open-face hot turkey sandwich for $7.95.

An entire generation of privilege has been raised on the double dog ($7.55) at Red Onion (2028 W. 41st Ave., 604-263-0833), which goes a treat with a root beer float ($4.75). The wieners are the skinny “European” sort, but at least there are two of them.

Ordering dim sum off a menu takes away all the fun. Golden Ocean Seafood (2046 West 41st Ave., 604-263-8886), a pretty Cantonese throwback, gets this, so on weekends the steam carts roll out bumper to bumper, full of rubbery goodness like har gau and shao mai at astonishing prices.

Next to two ducats for Michael Buble’s next show, a table for high tea at the Secret Garden Tea Company (5559 West Blvd., 604-261-3070. Secretgardentea.com) is the area’s hottest ticket. Three-tiered towers of crustless cucumber sandwiches are ideal for raising a pinky with your daughter.

Locals often whisper that Shota Sushi (5688 Yew St., 604-263-8068. Shotasushi.ca) is the best sushi in Vancouver. They’re wrong, of course, but it is the best in Kerrisdale. They also do a great job with lobster sashimi and rice dishes like Spider Don with soft-shell crab, egg, and onion.