Shabusen Japanese Yakiniku House (web site, 755 Burrard Street, Unit 202, Vancouver, phone 604-669-3883) is an immensely popular all-you-can-eat Japanese Sushi and Korean BBQ restaurant conveniently located on Burrard Street near the trendy downtown Robson shopping strip, and near the Burrard skytrain station. At lunch you can enjoy an all-you-can-eat sushi meal (pictured below) for $13.50, which on weekends and holidays also includes all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ. (Korean BBQ is where you are given bowls of your favorite marinated meats and you cook the meat yourself at a grill set into your table.) Dinner prices are around $23.

The decor at this restaurant is worth noting too: above the sushi bar is some wild florescent lighting, and some of the larger tables are set inside wooden boats complete with sails. This restaurant is a definite must for visitors who want to experience something that truly speaks of Vancouver, where surprisingly good food quality and quantity combine at a meeting of western and Asian cultures. Reservations are recommended.

Chicken Teriyaki

Japanese Sunomono Salad (cold rice noodles in a sweet vinegar broth with a few vegetables)

Tamago sushi (egg) and Salmon Sushi

Dix BBQ and Brewery (web site, 871 Beatty Street, Vancouver, phone 604-682-2739) is a large restaurant/pub located very close to BC Place Stadium and GM Place Stadium in downtown Vancouver. The kitchen handled our group of 17 people flawlessly, and we were satisfied with our entrees such as Whole Chicken Breast ($12.95, pictured below) and their famous pulled pork sandwich. Their in-house brewed beers such as Red Truck Ale are some of the best in town.

The Davie Mongolian BBQ (1161 Davie Street, Vancouver, phone 604-669-4545) is an affordable, all-you-can eat version of the Mongolian BBQ on Broadway. Fill up a bowl with your choice of thinly sliced meat, tofu, vegetables, and a plethora of sauces, and watch as the chef quickly cooks your selections on a massive, round metal grill, and then scoops your meal with a flourish into a clean waiting bowl. If you’re so inclined, add some garnish of sweet pineapple or sesame seeds (pictured below). For dinner, you can eat as many bowls as you like, for a low price of $10.99, which also includes rice and salad. What a great deal!