best restaurants near Westin Bayshore

[poss]

Prefer Asian or seafood. Hope to find restaurants within easy walking distance-- 15 minutes or so.

 

About 10 years ago in Vancouver, we had a wonderful dish called "Drunken Crab." I believe it was in an Asian (maybe Japanese?) restaurant, but I can't remember. It would have been walking distance from Fairmont Bayshore, where we were staying that time. Anyone know what the restaurant might be? Or is that dish fairly common on Vancouver menus?

 

Thanks!

[xlxo]

Never tried it.... but I see the Malaysian Tropika has a Drunken Crab soup on their menu. There is a location on Cambie outside of downtown.

http://www.tropikavancouver.com/

 

Vina Vietnamese mentions drunk crab on page 42 of this link... Vina has two downtown locations. One on Denman, but it to be closed on Google. The second location appears to be in food court. Not likely going to find it there.

http://www.myvirtualpaper.com/doc/where-vancouver/where-vancouver-may-2011/2011042503/42.html#42

Edited January 28, 2016 by xlxo

[martincath]

There's no such hotel as the Fairmont Bayshore. From your other thread you're staying in the Westin Bayshore this time for the first time, so I'm guessing you got the Fairmont part right and Bayshore part wrong. The Fairmont Waterfront has been there for 25 years, and the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver since the 1930s. If you were in a curvy glass building right next to the pier last time, it's the former - if you had to walk a few blocks from something much more European and vaguely castley-looking it's the latter.

 

Either way I can't think of a resto offhand with Drunken Crab nearby - I recall some Vietnamese and Asian Fusion joints in Toronto that served a dish with this name, usually white wine and lots of garlic or occasionally a spirit like gin flamed off on the crabs then stock added. If I'm remembering right, then xlxo's Googling that brought up Vietnamese and Malay places seems to fit.

 

Joyeaux is another French-Vietnamese similar to how Vina was described back then; there used to be a sit-down branch of Vina on Denman Street, same block as Kingyo, but now the resto is in West vancouver over the water. They still list Drunken Crab on the menu, but I doubt their food court locations would serve it.

 

I already suggested other restos on your other thread so won't repeat myself.

[poss]

Thank you both. And yup-- the hotel we stayed at before was the Fairmont Waterfront. (I hope that we'll enjoy the Westin equally well-- though it was fun being right across the street from the pier.)

[avcruz]

Thank you both. And yup-- the hotel we stayed at before was the Fairmont Waterfront. (I hope that we'll enjoy the Westin equally well-- though it was fun being right across the street from the pier.)

 

 

Westin Bayshore is lovely and in a great location for waterfront walks.

[poss]

Thanks for chiming in, Avcruise. We're for sure looking forward to our visit. Do you happen to have any restaurant suggestions for places that are quite close to the hotel? Maybe 10 min. walk or so?

[3Fluffies]

Westin Bayshore is lovely and in a great location for waterfront walks.

 

Is it walkable to Canada Place during daylight? I have a free day before my cruise and would like to catch one of the shuttles from there. It seems to be a busy main road, but there appears to be a walking path at least part of the way along the water.

 

Can anyone who's been there advise? (This is without luggage, naturally - I'll just take a cab on sailing day.)

[martincath]

It's a very pleasant wander down the Seawall (you can't possibly get lost if you go this way either) of about 30mins, assuming you stop to gaze in awe at the mountains or take a few pics. Just marching as fast as possible you can probably do it in 15-20mins depending on your walking speed if you stick to the most direct route - most sensible paths are well-chosen by Google Maps, here.

 

NB: I put in Pan Pacific as end point, because the shuttles all go from the sidewalk just outside here (the ticket booth advertising FlyOverCanada etc. is a good landmark).

 

Also NB: that one of the Capilano shuttles stops outside the Bayshore, not just Canada Place. It may not have any seats left a popular times, but depending when you're going it would be just as quick to wait for a bus, see if it's full, and if not either walk or wait for the next one or even two (frequency of the shuttles gets very fast in high season). Grouse shuttle only goes from Canada Place though.

Edited March 7, 2016 by martincath

[3Fluffies]

Thanks much! As for restaurants, how are the ones in Stanley Park itself? I see a couple of different places listed, but I'm guessing they're probably pricey in that location. Has anyone been to them - are they worth it?

 

 

(Also, how busy are they likely to be on a Saturday evening. Should I try to eat somewhere else after I arrive at Westin Bayshore before wandering the park?)

[martincath]

Restos inside the park will feed you just fine, but with a hefty markup. They all have to actually kick back a small % of income to the Park Board as part of their lease. Unfortunately they generally then pad the prices by significantly more than that required markup, and frankly the views from them leave a lot to be desired for most seats so bluntly none of them are worth the spend in comparison to restos outside the park IMO.

 

If you're nearby the Westin, Lift is far and away the best option (not cheap, but considerably better value IMO for the quality of food and views on offer compared to Carderos or anything inside the park, and a fantastic wine list); if you manage to get to the other side of the peninsula before you want to eat then Cactus Club Cafe right on the Seawall at English Bay spanks all the other restos on that side (and charges just the same price for food as their other branches, despite having to kick back income to the Park Board for being on the Seawall).

 

Anything with a view is likely to be busy in nice weather; if it's a crappy day there's a better chance of getting a table but I'd still recommend booking in advance for any downtown Vancouver resto at peak dining hours on Saturdays in general.

[chrismakris]

You're about a 15 minute walk from what I like to call restaurant row. That's on Alberni St. just off of Thurlow. There you will find a few of the more popular restaurants in Vancouver(Italian Kitchen, Black & Blue etc.).

 

If you like seafood the Joe Fortes would be the place to go. They are definitely on the pricier side, but if you go during their happy hour they have a good size menu with appetizers that can be had for cheap and good size portions. I was there on Monday and quite surprised at the choices. If you like fresh shucked oyster, they sell them for $1 each. Not my thing but a good price if you do.