Clubhouse Japanese Restaurant (web site, map, 255 West 2nd Avenue, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-879-8998) is a casual Japanese restaurant near False Creek that has an eclectic and wide-ranging menu with everything from the typical sushi and teriyaki to specialty items such as Japanese Pizza and curry.

Christine G. Louie writes in the Peak, SFU’s student newspaper (click here to read article):

The Umai tofu salad ($5.75) is a great summer salad, and incredibly cheap considering the size and content of the salad. The salad consists of a heaping bed of crisp iceberg lettuce, generous amounts of shredded carrots and beets, cubes of fresh tofu and peanut buttery gomae spinach. Finally, the salad is topped off with a generous amount of a refreshing ginger miso dressing that pulls all the ingredients together. Chilled slices of cucumber and tomato adorn the rim of the large, white plate. I’m not a vegetable or tofu fan, and I love this salad.

The Clubhouse is about a 15 minute walk from Yaletown, a scenic stroll over the Cambie bridge that is stunning at night. It’s also close to major Vancouver transit routes which you can find using Google Transit or Translink.

Pictured below is the large Mixed Seafood Okonomiyaki Pizza served on yakisoba noodles ($16.50). This was really delicious and very filling (I took some of it home and enjoyed a snack later in the evening). Christine writes in her review, “Okonomiyaki is a flat, savory pancake, similar to a latke, but made with flour, shredded cabbage, egg, and other various ingredients. It takes about 20 minutes to cook on the griddle, arrives piping hot, and is covered in a tasty Japanese sauce…” Thanks Christine!

Also pictured below is the pan fried garlic butter squid ($6.95). Yum!

For another photo and more info please view Part 1.

Mixed Seafood Okonomiyaki Japanese pizza served on Yakisoba noodles ($16.50) from Clubhouse Restaurant in Vancouver.

Garlic Butter Squid ($6.95) from Clubhouse Japanese Restaurant in Vancouver.

Caffe Artigiano (web site, map, 4359 Hastings Street, Burnaby, BC, Canada, phone: 604-473-2180) is a coffee house / cafe with several locations around Vancouver. They are famous for their award winning specialty coffees. The manager of the Burnaby location, Sammy Piccolo, is a Canadian Barista champion, and several-time medal winner from the World Barista Championship.

Pictured below is the Smoked Turkey Panino ($8.49) which was really tasty, as well as a Tall Caffe Americano ($2.45). I don’t usually drink coffee, but I’m sure glad that I made the exception and tried the coffee at Caffe Artigiano!

Check out their web site for a list of their other locations in Vancouver and Calgary.

Smoked Turkey Panino ($8.49) and Tall Caffe Americano ($2.45) from Caffe Artigiano in Burnaby.

Urban Thai Bistro (map, reviews, website, 1119 Hamilton St., Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-408-7788) is a great place to go for delicious and affordable Thai food in the heart of Yaletown (in downtown Vancouver).

At lunch time, there are some great specials which include a salad, spring roll, a main entree and rice for $8.00 before tax and tip. Service is fast and attentive, and the restaurant’s decor is pleasant and inviting. Urban Thai Bistro also serves a good selection of vegetarian and tofu dishes which make it a regular place to visit for some of my vegetarian friends. Dinner time prices are also reasonable, in the $12 to $18 per person range.

Pictured below is Lunch Special 76S ($8.00), which their menu describes as beef with green curry paste, eggplants, bell peppers, peas, basil leaves and coconut milk. It is also served with a spring roll and a green salad (not pictured).

For more photos and info, please view Part 3, Part 2, and Part 1. Their menu is also available on their website.

Beef with green curry paste, eggplants, bell peppers, peas, basil leaves & coconut milk