Glowbal Grill and Satay Bar (web site, 1079 Mainland Street, Vancouver, phone 604-602-0835) is a trendy, upscale place to enjoy “Westcoast regional” cuisine – a kind of food rooted in the western tradition with influences from other cultures. Their signature dish is Spaghetti with Kobe Beef Meatballs, which I must say is not your ordinary spaghetti and meatballs. The spaghetti is done in a light cream sauce with black truffle shavings on top. The meatballs are liberally garnished with fresh herbs and spices that make them simply irresistible. ($25, pictured below)  We also tried the Satay Platter ($23, pictured below) which included a big selection of little delicious grilled items such as the lamb, octopus, chicken, beef, salmon, and prawns.

Griffins at the Hotel Vancouver (900 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, phone 604-684-3131) is a decidedly upscale and yet casual restaurant in the sumptuous Hotel Vancouver in the middle of downtown. Most of the patrons at lunch were wearing business attire, but this was not surprising considering that the restaurant is located very close to Vancouver’s main business and financial district. The attraction here is the lunch buffet which is a somewhat formidable $27, but at this price offers a good degree of quality as well as the expected quantity. Pictured below are some of my choices from the buffet table: there is a variety of cold and hot selections including seafood, salads, soup, cuts of meat and pasta dishes, as well as some very tempting desserts.

The Eatery (3431 W Broadway, Vancouver, phone: 604-738-5298) is a funky Japanese restaurant that has a candle-lit night-club atmosphere and is a popular hangout for UBC students. The primary attraction here is the inventive fusion sushi rolls, with off-the-wall names such as “Andy Warhol Roll”, the “Erotica Roll”, and the “Viva Las Vegas Roll”. The specialty rolls are in the $5 to $8.50 range for a roll, and there are different specials depending on the day of the week. Pictured below is the “Assembly Line” sushi platter which has a large selection of specialty rolls ($47.50) – this enough food for four people with average appetites, or will surely satisfy two people who are very hungry.