Jules Bistro (web site, map, visitor reviews, 216 Abbott St., Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-669-0033) is a upscale but casual French bistro in Gastown that is attracting the talk of the town.
“Very French” – The husband and I had dinner here last night and had a very enjoyable evening. Steak Frites were tasty as was my halibut. Creative wine list made up of BC and French reds. This place reminds me of many Paris bistro’s with it ambiance and joie de vie.
I love the size of the restaurant. It is intimate yet it avoids the slightly cramped feeling of, say, Pied-a-Terre or Grub. The design is cool too: exposed brick wall, mod furniture and woodiness.
To start, I ordered an amazing sounding soup from their menu, the Bisquede Homardet Dungeness Crabe ($12, pictured below) which is lobster and dungeness crab bisque served with croutons, Rouille and Gruyere cheese. It tasted even better than it looked, and I’m a big fan of both lobster and crab so this was the perfect combination. Now I want to go to Paris, right away!! Speaking of Gruyere cheese, over the holidays I tried an incredible smoked Gruyere – I think it’s quickly becoming one of my favorite kinds of cheeses.
I was then treated to the Coq au Vin aux carottes fondantes et choux de Bruxelles braises ($19, also pictured below) which is braised hen in red wine with glazed carrots and brussel sprouts. I noticed that this item is no longer listed on their online menu so they may have changed things up since I visited (Dec. 9th 2008). I really enjoyed this dish and would definitely order it again.
Like many of our city’s higher-end restaurants, Jules Bistro is also a popular hangout for some Vancouver celebrities and public figures. A friend reports that Gordon Campbell was dining at the next table to him, the night after I visited. After noticing Hon. Campbell, my friend chatted with the waitress and she said that the Premier had winked at her when ordering his soft drink, saying that he was the designated driver. Apparently that didn’t stop our Premier from having a raucous good time.
Future music star hopefuls might also want to pay Jules a visit, as k-dawg73 writes: “Famed music manager Bruce Allen came in and sat down at the table next to us with a group of 6 other people.”
Bisque de Homard et King Crab ($11) - Lobster and King Crab Bisque Served with Croutons, Rouille and Gruyere Cheese from Jules Bistro in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Coq au Vin aux Carottes Fondantes et Choux de Bruxelles Braises ($19) - Braised Hen in Red Wine with Glazed Carrots and Brussel Sprouts from Jules Restaurant in Gastown, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Pacific Centre Mall in Vancouver (map, web site, 700 W Georgia St Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone 604-688-7236) is an upscale shopping destination in Vancouver’s trendy downtown core. Close to the Vancouver Cruise Ship Terminals (Canada Place), the business district, Vancouver Art Gallery, and a short walk from Robson Street, Pacific Centre is a place to browse the latest fashions and then indulge in some good eats at the food court.
The mall closes at 9pm most weekdays, and if you head down to the food court at around 7:30pm or 8pm you can fill up on some really cheap food, such as the “buy one get one free sushi” (pictured below) or a heaping plate of Chinese fast food for $5. The sushi pictured in the video below was $10 for everything, including all-you-can-drink Miso Soup.
The food court has sleek, modern decor with cool lighting and funky chairs.
Ebi (shrimp) sushi, salmon, tuna, and unagi (BBQ eel) from Pacific Centre mall food court.
The food court has sleek, modern decor with cool lighting and neat chairs.
California Roll from Pacific Centre food court in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Ridge Gardens Chinese Restaurant (map, previous review, 3113 Arbutus Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-736-7006, fax: 604-736-5231) offers Chinese food delivery in the Vancouver area, as well as excellent banquet meals for large groups choosing to dine at the restaurant.
My family always goes there for big get-togethers and it is always a marvellous feast that satisfies everyone. This time, I brought my video camera along and took a video of the dishes as they arrived (see player below, or click here to view on Youtube). Because of the low light the video is kind of grainy, but you can get the idea!
Prices are affordable, within the $15 to $25 per person for a large banquet (or slighly more depending on how many crabs and seafood items you order).
Below I’ve also included photos of the crab and chicken hot pot that I took in my previous visit (see Part 1 of my review).
Chinese style hot and spicy crab from Ridge Garden Restaurant in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Chicken and black fungus hot pot from Ridge Garden Chinese restaurant in Vancouver, BC, Canada
