Prima Taste Restaurant (map, web site, 570 Robson Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-685-7881) serves authentic, modern Singaporean cuisine in an upscale and casual atmosphere. My friend who is from Malaysia says that Prima Taste is his favorite restaurant in the downtown area, and after visiting on two occasions and falling in love with the flavors, I can really understand why. What’s more, prices are quite reasonable: the main courses are in the $9 to $12 range at lunch time, and a tad more for dinner time.

Pictured below is a delicious chicken dish (of which I forgot the name, priced around $11 and  included soup and rice). Also shown below is the Laksa Prawns dish ($9.50). The Laksa Prawns featured some succulent cooked prawns served with inari bean curd, fish cakes, and noodles in a rich broth made with coconut milk(?) and some hot spices. This was a real treat and I finished every last drop!

For some more info and photos, please view Part 1.

(above) Singaporean Chicken dish, also served with rice and soup.

(above) a Singaporean dish, the Laksa Prawns ($9.50)

Earl’s (web site, map, reviews, 1601 W. Broadway, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-736-5663) is a popular chain of restaurants that serves casual Canadian and American-style cuisine. There are two Earls locations on West Broadway in Vancouver, one at Fir street (which I visited) and another just east of Oak street (901 W. Broadway, Vancouver, phone: 604-734-5995). For a complete list of the other Earl’s locations in the Greater Vancouver area, be sure to visit their web site.

Earl’s offers a good selection of pizzas, soups, burgers, sandwiches, pastas and wok dishes, as well as signature entrees such as steaks, seafood, and chicken. The prices are quite reasonable, with most dishes in the $10 to $20 range. I especially like their pizza. Pictured below is the Californian Pizza (around $12.50), which is made with shrimp, pesto, sundried tomatoes, and feta. The Margharita pizza ($10.50, also pictured below) is a simple but tasty pizza made with fresh basil, rich tomato sauce, mozzarella and white cheddar. We also enjoyed the Calamari (deep fried squid, pictured below, $10) which was served with sweet red onions and a special tzatziki sauce made in house.

The Earl’s location at Fir and Broadway is quite large, easily accommodating large groups, and has a bright solarium that is great for dining on sunny days. There is limited free parking available (provided you register your license plate with the host/hostess) and the restaurant is also on the Broadway bus route.

(above) Californian Shrimp Pizza ($12.50) at Earl’s Restaurant in Vancouver

(above) Calamari appetizer ($10) at Earl’s restaurant on Broadway at Fir

(above) Margharita pizza at Earls in Vancouver ($10.50)

Tsunami Sushi (map, 238 – 1025 Robson Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-687-8744) is a Japanese sushi restaurant located in the heart of downtown Vancouver on the trendy Robson Street shopping strip (near Burrard Street). At Tsunami, there are boats floating around a central “chef island”. The chefs load the boats with a steady stream of tasty sushi rolls and pieces, which you can grab to eat as they float by. It’s not a fixed price for “all you can eat” however: at the end of the meal, they count up how many empty plates you have and charge you based on how much you ate. Nevertheless, this is a cool concept that makes for a fun dining experience. The quality of the sushi is quite high.

kenjisan10, a reviewer on DineHere.ca writes (read review):

I was at Tsunami’s the other night and had a great meal. My wife and I have been regulars for many years and think the sushi tastes very authentic and is reasonably priced. I’m Japanese and have taken my friends from Japan there and they say the same thing… good “aji” or flavor. Hilary Duff and her entourage were right next to us and apparently (according to the staff) always makes a point to eat there when she is in town. Well she may not be a sushi expert but she can certainly afford to go anywhere where wants. I’m impressed she’s a regular.

The price per person is in the $15 to $30 range, depending on how hungry you are. Pictured below are some of the dishes that we ate.