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)

I made another visit to White Spot in downtown Vancouver (click here for location and more info), and enjoyed their Salmon Burger lunch special (pictured below), which was a reasonable $11.99 and came with a very large Caesar salad. This was some of the best food I’ve ever had at White Spot, and I gobbled it up so fast that I was finished much sooner than my coworkers.

White Spot (web site) is a chain of restaurants that serves Canadian/American style food. This downtown location (80 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC, phone 604-662-3066) is really close to downtown theatres, the Granville St. Entertainment district, and BC Place Stadium (home of the BC Lions Football Team) as well as GM Place Stadium (home of the Vancouver Canucks). View Part 1 for more info and another photo from White Spot.

Salmon burger from White Spot in downtown Vancouver ($11.99)

Wild Ginger (web page, map, reviews, 2015 – 88 West Pender Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-893-8608) is a Korean – Chinese fusion restaurant in the International Village Mall, hidden away behind the Tinseltown Mall food court. To find this restaurant, go up to the food court level in Tinseltown / International Village mall and look across from the center escalators for the entrance to the restaurant in the middle of the food court. (The food court is one level below the popular Cinemark Tinseltown movie theatres.)

Wild Ginger has quite an extensive menu, with a range of Korean dishes (including Korean BBQ), Chinese food, and even some western-fusion dishes. The Beef Tenderloin (around $18, pictured below), was quite a treat – tender slices of beef were served atop potatoes and stir fried vegetables, with accompanying Chinese egg fried rice that was arranged quite artfully in the shape of a fish. The restaurant is quite large and could easily accommodate a large group (but please call ahead to make reservations so that they can be ready for you!). There is free parking in the mall (upon validation by the restaurant), and the restaurant is very close to the Stadium Skytrain station (Vancouver’s subway).

One thing to note is that this restaurant doesn’t have very many choices for vegetarians. My friend wasn’t too impressed by his “vegetarian delight” ($11) which was more of a side dish. But for those who enjoy eating meat or seafood, Wild Ginger has plenty of enticing dinner selections. Check out their web site for the current menu. For another photo and more info please view Part 1.

Beef Tenderloin at Wild Ginger (with egg fried rice, potatoes, and stir fried vegetables, around $18)