Maruchu Japanese BBQ Dining (2065 – 4580 #3 Road, Richmond, BC, Canada, phone 604-214-3770) offers an authentic Japanese version of the popular Korean BBQ style dinner, where you are given marinated meats and cook them yourself at a grill at your table. If you’ve tried Korean BBQ before you’ll find the Japanese style quite similar, but perhaps a bit less spicy. Reservations are recommended, as the restaurant is quite small and gets full on weekends. Price per person is in the $20-30 range, depending on how hungry you are!

A plate of raw meat that is marinated and topped with sesame seeds and green onion.

A plate of marinated meat before we cooked it on the BBQ at the table.

The BBQ in action!

Green Lettuce Restaurant (112- 6350 120th Street, Surrey, BC, Canada, phone 604-572-8677, at 120th Street and 64th Ave) is a Chinese – Indian fusion restaurant with a truly unique approach to the combination of these two cuisines, as reflected in the extensive menu full of remarkable and delicious dishes.

A reviewer on DineHere.ca writes (click here for review link):

First off this is the best Chinese/Indian restaurant out there. The food is amazing and always good! Being Indian, I love the authentic Indian taste with the Chinese twist. The menu is huge, and everything is worth a shot.

As an appetizer, we tried the Deep Fried Mini Buns (pictured below, $1.95). We also enjoyed the Green Lettuce Masala Wrap, which is like Chinese lettuce wrap with Indian spices, served with chutney sauce (also pictured below, $13.95). Other dishes we liked were the Hot and Spicy Squid (shown below, $14.50) and the Chinese stir fry vegetables (pictured below, $10.50). This restaurant is one of my all time favorite restaurants, mostly because of the unique and tasty way the dishes are spiced.

The restaurant is also very popular for take-out orders for those lucky enough to live in the North Delta/ Surrey area.

Deep fried mini buns ($1.95)

Masala Lettuce Wrap ($13.95) – also includes a head of lettuce.

Chinese stir fried vegetables ($10.50)

Hot and spicy squid ($14.50)

Cactus Club (web site) is a chain of really fun, trendy, and dynamic restaurants with outstanding food. Pictured below are the Soft Fish Tacos (around $11) which were delicious! The restaurant is also known for their steaks, rice bowls, appetizers and specialty drinks.

Cactus Club’s West Vancouver location (in Park Royal Village, at 855 Main Street, West Vancouver, BC, Canada, map, phone: 604-922-1707) is only about a 20 minute drive from downtown Vancouver (depending on the traffic on the Lions Gate Bridge).

If you’re looking for a great way to spend New Years Eve 2007, the West Vancouver location is putting on a special evening of live jazz by the Geoff Peters Trio. Be sure to give them a call for more info.

More photos: View Part 1, Part 2.