Vancouver, BC in Canada is known for its beautiful nature and diverse food scenes. I love the food scene in Vancouver and it has even better Chinese/Cantonese and Japanese options, which are quite hard to access in New York City. If you're also super into food like me AND cannot drive like me, this four-night Vancouver trip post is perfect for you. The itinerary of my first trip to Vancouver is public transit-friendly and focuses on must-try, worth-it quality foods. So let's dive right in:
Day 1 - Arrival
Vancouver BC is about 6 hours from New York City. I landed at Vancouver International Airport in the afternoon and getting out of the airport was a breeze. The airport is also very close by to the city center and has many options to get into the city. I chose to rideshare to an airbnb in Downtown Eastside, on the "famous" E Hasting St so we could make it to a popular oyster happy around 3:30 PM.
📍 Fanny Bay Oyster Bar & Shellfish Market
Because it was on a Tuesday late afternoon, plus it was raining, there was just a few tables inside the restaurant. We grabbed the famous happy hour oysters (~$2 each at the time), fries, and clam chowder to start off this food trip. The oysters were fresh without any extreme fishy taste. I only got appetizers here because I had to save my appetite for a ramen spot, which is now closed unfortunately so I couldn't recommend anymore. However, I listed a few recommended ramen spots on Google map here based on research if you're interested in the ramen scene in Vancouver.
📍 Vancouver Art Gallery
It was still raining after our dinner so a perfect spot to go on a Tuesday evening was the Vancouver Art Gallery: The gallery had a "by-donation" night on Tuesdays from 5-8pm donation at the time of visit so I was lucky to partake in that. The gallery no longer holds this Tuesday night program but admission is now free on the first Friday of every month from 4 to 8 PM. See more details on their official site here.
📍 La Casa Gelato
Day 2
📍 Mello Donuts, Explore Chinatown and Gastown
Mello Donuts specializes in soft, fluffy, Asian-style brioche donuts. Located in Vancouver's Chinatown, Mello makes their brioche donuts daily and features a combination of basic fillings and more creative fillings. I tried the lemon curd and cereal milk cream and my favorite had to be the cereal milk one: The brioche donut is filled with a smooth cereal milk cream and covered with crunchy cereal and powdered sugar. If you're into texture like me, I highly recommend this donut for you. There is also an everything bagel donut that caught my attention but had to save my appetite for the rest of the trip. So let me know if you have tried that one before!
Aside from the signature filled brioche donuts, Mello also have dipped brioche and old-fashioned donuts if you're more into the basic styles. Seasonal flavors are also available all year round.
📍Chef's Choice Dim Sum 當家海鮮酒家 (955 W Broadway, Vancouver, BC)
📍Kingyo
My next stop was to Kingyo -- one of the restaurants I looked forward to visiting. I love Japanese food and seeing the beautiful thick-cut sashimi donburi from Kingyo just made me want to get there even faster. I made my way there via bus and you can see my full review here about Kingyo. A sneak peak: It was SO GOOD.
📍North Vancouver: Maplewood Farm, Shipyards
After lunch at Kingyo, I took an Uber to Maplewood Farm in North Vancouver for a quick escape to nature. This farm is truly a hidden gem in the area: it has a good mix of animals, ranging from sheep, goats, peacocks, roosters, cows, and more. It's a well-kept place overall and not to mention, the entry ticket is very affordable. The farm closes at 4 PM everyday and the opening times varies per season. Check their website for more details.
📍Guu Izakaya - Guu Garlic
Guu Izakaya is credited as the first izakaya in Vancouver. There are several Guu locations in Vancouver and each focuses on a specialty. I ended up picking Guu Garlic because of its emphasis on garlic in some dishes. Menu updates often to reflect specials of the day. I truly enjoyed all the dishes I got during my visit, and it was great to end the meal with a smooth almond tofu.
Day 3
📍Golden Paramount Dim Sum
I had to fold in another dim sum visit while in Vancouver: dim sum is so good here! Originally, I went to Kirin for dim sum but they did not take walk-ins at the time. I stopped by Golden Paramount for some no frills dim sum adventure instead and was impressed by portion and variety of dim sum on the menu. I ordered things I normally don't see on the menu, like stir-fry chen cun fei and steamed chicken patty over rice. I was stuffed after eating everything; beware and don't over order if you don't eat much.
📍Lido, Pacific Mall
Lido is a cash-only Hong Kong-style cafe in Richmond and yes, most locals aren't happy with this place hence the lower ratings on Google and forums. What the place is really known for is their pineapple bun (bo lo bao), which has gotten a lot of media attention ever since they opened. I was aware of the negative reviews, so I only came here for the bo lo bao and got an egg tart as well. I certainly enjoyed the warmed bun with icy cold slice of butter inside: It did bring me back to Hong Kong for a moment. It was fluffy-ish, with a nice crisp on the top. Egg tart was multi-layered like some of the ones in Hong Kong, and tasted quite nice. I don't recommend coming all the way here just to get these two things: If you happen to be around and have the space to eat, feel free to grab a pineapple bun to see what's up.
📍Maruhachi Ramen
Maruhachi is known for its tori paitan (creamy chicken broth) ramen. It was a rainy day when I visited, so it was perfect time to chow down some ramen to beat the cold. As you can see, the broth is milky-like, but taste-wise, it was still light and easy on the stomach. You can also order the dipping version of the chicken ramen—tsukemen, which comes with sesame flavored chicken broth and thick noodles topped with char shu. Personally, I prefer a thicker, even creamier, type of tori paitan so it didn't hit the spot for me here.
Day 4
📍Granville Island
Everyone must check out Granville Island! It's not exactly a real island: you could even walk over there via the Granville Street Bridge. It's a charming area for locals and tourists to visit, filled with unique shops, produce vendors, and mom and pops. At the time of visit, I checked out the candied salmon vendor and tried some well-known salmon, as well as grabbing two donuts from Lee's Donuts. The donuts at Lee's are traditional style, but were surprisingly good. Sometimes, simple is the best.
📍English Bay, Nero Waffle
The laughing statues at English Bay is always nice to visit for some pictures. Nearby the area, you will find one of the few locations of Nero Waffle: a local liege waffle café that's been in the area since 2012. Waffles come in classic flavors and seasonal flavors, and you can pair them with a hot cup of London fog latte.
📍Stanley Park
You must save a day for the city's crowning glory: Stanley Park. This 1,000-acre green haven is less a park and more a sprawling coastal rainforest, offering a perfect escape right on the edge of downtown. A vital stop at Stanley Park is Brockton Point, home to the iconic collection of First Nations Totem Poles. This is British Columbia's most-visited cultural site and it tells the stories of family lineage and history.
There are so many other things you could do at Stanley Park: Cycle or walk the famous Seawall, stopping by the rose garden, and visiting the aquarium, etc. Stanley Park is a refreshing blend of nature and culture that truly captures the spirit of Vancouver.
📍Café Medina
For a certain kind of foodie, the pilgrimage to Vancouver is incomplete without a stop at Café Medina. This is brunch spot I'd certainly recommend if you could only have brunch once and it's your first time in Vancouver. Nestled in the city's Library District, this is more than just a café; it's a bustling institution that has redefined brunch, transforming it from a simple meal into an almost legendary culinary experience. I love the brunch items I got, especially the orzo paella and liege waffle with passionfruit sauce. This is a great spot featuring Mediterranean-inspired soul food with a Moroccan-meets-West-Coast flair.
Make sure to make a reservation in advance: the line is real.
📍Earnest Ice Cream
📍Sushi Ajisai
When I was doing research on sushi in Vancouver, a lot of locals mentioned this local spot all the way south from the city center called Sushi Ajisai. Locals praised this spot for affordability and good value of sushi. Tucked away in a quiet mall courtyard, Ajisai doesn't boast harbor views or a theatrical, multi-course omakase. What it offers is something rarer and more profound: consistently and authentically great sushi. Everything I got were super fresh and high quality...especially the rice!
Be warn: Ajisai is famously tiny, with limited seating at the bar and a few tables. If you're planning a visit, especially during peak lunch or dinner hours, be prepared to wait.
Day 5 - Leaving
I had to arrive the airport by 9:30 AM, but I was still ambitious with food! There aren't many places that are open this early, so I picked these two spots below that fit into my plan perfectly:
📍New Town Bakery
Even if you've been to Chinese bakeries in your area, you may still want to stop by New Town in Vancouver just to check off the list. It's a very iconic spot in Chinatown that is featured everywhere, kind of like Mei Lai Wah of New York City Chinatown. Was it good? As someone who grew up eating things from Chinese bakeries, it's a meet-expectations spot. But if you never tried anything from a Chinese bakery before, this is a good place to start. I got a box of different buns and pastry to go and enjoy at the airport. There is also a dine-in area in the back if you want to have a quick breakfast.
📍OEB Cafe Brunch
After grabbing the box of bakery goods, I walked along the water down to an OEB Cafe on Marinaside Crescent. It was a beautiful early morning walk to be honest: The air was fresh to breathe, the streets were clean to walk on, and you have a nice view by the water along the way. Anyway, OEB Cafe is one of those fast-casual brunch spots known for taking the morning meal far beyond the basics. There are many brunch spots in Vancouver, but since this OEB location fitted where I needed to go, plus it opens really early (opens at 7 AM), I decided to give a try, even though some of the reviews were mixed.
This place was already packed by 7:30 AM! I sat at one of the high tables by the window and ordered from from the breakfast & brunch menu. It's a very expansive menu featuring breakfast platters, sandwiches, scrambled eggs, griddled goods, and something special: breakfast poutines. I found eating even fancied up poutine in early morning to be too heavy, but do let me know if you have tried this!
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This concluded my first trip to Vancouver as a hard-to-please foodie! I recently visited Vancouver again to continue trying other worth-it restaurants. Be sure to follow my Instagram for more food recommendations and stay tuned for more detailed blog about my next Vancouver trip.