Hawkers Delight (4127 Main Street, East Vancouver, 604-709-8i88) cooks up genuine Malaysian and Singaporean street food for take-out at a basic storefront. For inexpensive sit-down Singaporean dishes, there’s popular Kam’s Place (1043 Davie Street, West End, 604-669-3389). Kam’s fiery green and red curries, tempered with coco¬nut milk, come highly recommended. Also popular is the Malaysian Pandan Leaf Restaurant (2718 Main Street, East Vancouver, 604-876-3288).
Simply Thai (1211 Hamilton Street, Yaletown, 604-642-0123) has done well with its fusion decor and similar cuisine. The Urban Thai Bistro (1119 Hamilton Street, Yaletown, 604-408-7788) is part of the Thai House chain (other outlets include 1116 Robson Street, Downtown, 683-3383; also 1103 Denman Street, English Bay, 604-685-8989; and 1766 West 7th Avenue, Kitsilano, 604-737-0088). Its signature dish is Horw Mok Maprao, a boneless chicken with red curry. Sawasdee Thai Restaurant (4250 Main Street, East Vancouver, 604-876-4030) is another option, as is the Thai Restaurant (770 Bute Street, Downtown, 604-602-0603), known for its seafood, including local crab. The spiffy and minimalist Tropika (3105 West Broadway, Kitsilano, 604-737-6002) offers a large selection of Malaysian, Indonesian, and Thai dishes.
There are Indian restaurants all over town, and I’ve mentioned several in “Punjabi Market.” But for fusion food in a gorgeous space — with affluent boomers waiting, chai in hand, to be seated (no reser¬vations) — head to Vij’s (1480 West 11th Avenue, Central Vancouver, 604-736-6664). An evolving menu will include the likes of grilled garlic mutton on skewers and “garnet yam and green chili dumplings in puréed onion and tomato curry,” with cottage-style beers and well-selected wines by the glass.
Another Indian restaurant with a loyal following is Akbar’s Own (1905 West Broadway, Kitsilano, 604-736-8180). City food writer James Barber likes its neighborliness, and its Kashmir and Mughlai¬style dishes rich in cream and vegetables. Favorites include a lamb vindaloo served in a thick, spicy sauce “tempered with potatoes.”
Clove (2054 Commercial Drive, East Vancouver, 604-255-5550) employs radical chic to transform Indian dishes into inexpensive fusion-type fare. This is the kind of place, with a pleasing if plain-
Jane decor, that looks like it might be gone tomorrow, but isn’t. Hope it’s still there.
Vietnamese (particularly) and Cambodian restaurants are ubiquitous. Among the most popular is the Phnom Penh Restaurant (244 East Georgia Street, East Vancouver, 604-682-5777). Others along south Main Street with large, loyal clienteles include noodle-rich Pho Hoang (3388 Main Street, East Vancouver, 604-874-0832) and Pho Thang Long (3710 Main Street, East Vancouver, 604-872-4872).
Several blocks of Cambie Street, south of West i6th Avenue, have accumulated good, inexpensive eateries, among them the Zagat-rated Thai Away Home (3315 Cambie Street, Central Vancouver, 604-873-8424; also at 1736 Commercial Drive, East Vancouver, 604-253-8424; and 1206 Davie Street, West End, 604-682-8424).
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