glowbal grill steaks & satay (formerly known as glowbal grill and satay bar, website, map, 1079 Mainland Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-602-0835) doesn’t need much of an introduction. Glowbal made international headlines in 2009 when teen-heartthrob Twilight stars Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner were spotted dining at glowbal and other restaurants around Vancouver. But apart from being a favorite of celebrities, glowbal is one of the trendiest, hippest places for the high-class citizen to enjoy superb – dare I say world-class dishes.

Our group of incredibly intelligent, geeky, and immensely wealthy software developers from a nearby office were probably some of the most casually dressed patrons at Glowbal today. I’m not sure where all these fancy people come from, but walking through Glowbal at noon on a weekday is like stepping into a movie set from perhaps the opening scene of a Bond spy thriller. The place exudes class and style, and they’ve got everything down from the subtle electro-jazz that pulsates, to the affable and dynamic serving staff who are up to date on the latest social nuances.

The food is some of the best I have tasted in this price range (which can be perused on their menu) and is incredibly flavorful, making use of the full palate and leaves me smacking my lips for every last morsel. Well, maybe this time I toned down the smacking, but beware upon the future occasion!

Today I ordered the Linguini off their lunch menu (pictured below), which came with jumbo tiger prawns, tomato, oregano, capers, stewed tomatoes, and of course olives. I’m sure that if you don’t like olives, or only want to eat olives and nothing more, executive chef Erik Heck and his staff will be able to accommodate your special dietary needs.

Vegetarians will note that this restaurant doesn’t advertise many vegetarian or vegan-friendly items on their menu. However if you end up at Glowbal I think you’ll do fine if you explain your needs to your server and they will be most amenable to providing tasty substitutions and a dish that you’ll likely enjoy.

Delicious Prawn Linguine from Glowbal restaurant in Yaletown, Vancouver BC Canada.

Yummy Seafood Linguine pasta from Glowbal Grill in downtown Vancouver BC Canada.

Tasty Prawn Linguine from glowbal grill steaks and satay restaurant in Vancouver BC Canada.

Capones Restaurant and Jazz Club (website, map, 1141 Hamilton Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-569-1770) is one of Vancouver’s hottest places for live jazz music in the downtown core.

Located in the trendy Yaletown shopping and restaurant district (which is accessible via the Yaletown-Roundhouse Canada Line train station), Capones features live jazz music 7 days a week combined with their upscale and sumptuous food reminiscent of the great pizza, pasta, and other meat and seafood specialties found in New York’s fine jazz eateries.

Capones recently underwent a major renovation and features a brand new bar area. I haven’t seen it yet and am looking forward to checking it out soon!

I visited Capones a few months ago. For an appetizer, we ordered the baked brie cheese which was topped with fresh sweet blueberries (pictured below). For the main course we tried their pastas, the Carbonera fettucini and the seafood fettucini (also pictured below). As usual the food was very delicious and the portions were just the right size – not too big to be uncomfortable but still enough to be heartily satisfying.

Prices are reasonable considering the restaurant’s location and the quality of the food. A meal tends to be around $20 to $40 per person depending on whether you order appetizers or drinks.

The music that night was provided by Phyllis Adelyne, an accomplished jazz singer with a warm personality and a classic sound drawing back to greats like Ella Fitzgerald.

I can’t wait to see what great performers and tempting dishes Capones has in their lineup next. Highly recommended.

Baked Brie Cheese from Capones Restaurant and Live Jazz Club in Vancouver BC Canada.

Carbonara fettuccini pasta from Capone's restaurant and Live Jazz Club in Vancouver BC Canada.

Frutti di mare (seafood) fettuccini from Capones restaurant and live jazz band club in Yaletown, downtown Vancouver BC Canada.

Phyllis Adelyne singing jazz at Capones Restaurant and Live Jazz Club in Vancouver BC Canada.

No. 9 Restaurant in Richmond (web site, map, 5300 No.3 Road, Richmond BC, at Landsdowne Shopping Centre, phone: 604-278-7700 or 604-279-0002) is an Asian / Western restaurant that serves quality Chinese food and North American items.

It’s amazingly open (and busy) 24 hours!

I really enjoyed the spicy green beans, the Seafood Congee, and the silverfish, which I show in the video below. Total price for a large and satisfying meal for two people came out to around $23 dollars, which is a pretty good deal.

Video from No. 9 Restaurant

Congee Soup from No.9 Restaurant in Richmond BC Canada