I made another lunch time visit to Zachary’s on Robson (map, web site, 121 Robson Street, Vancouver, BC, phone 604-605-1472) and was very pleased with the food this time. Apparently the restaurant is under new management, and I think the chefs are really on the ball now.

(please read to the end for the free coupon info)

Their menu is almost the same – a selection of pastas, sandwiches, burgers, and fancier items such as seafood, steak, and appies, priced quite reasonably for the downtown neighborhood. (The restaurant is part of the Hampton Inn and Suites hotel and is immediately across the street from BC Place Stadium.)

I had ordered several different cream-based pastas from Zachary’s on my previous visits, but for some reason the flavors of the sauce seemed a bit off, maybe a strange aftertaste -it’s hard to describe, but I can tell when a restaurant does its pasta sauce right. This time I was extremely happy to take the first few bites of my gorgonzola penne ($12.95, pictured below) and finally encounter a pasta sauce that frankly delighted my tastebuds with honestly good and sophisticated creamy sensations. The aftertaste was clean and faded away quickly, preparing my palate for the next bite. I made it through the entire, generous dish without getting tired of the ingredients, which is a problem I run into when eating huge amounts of pasta at places like Antons in Burnaby. (Well, thinking again, it was good except to maybe the third or second to last bite, but this was pretty much the best as I could expect for a pasta costing $12.95).

For more info, check out my reviews from previous visits Part 5, Part 4, Part 3, Part 2, Part 1

Gorgonzola Penne Pasta from Zachary's on Robson ($12.95)

Free Coupon! I was given two coupons by the restaurant in my bill, and I would like to give them away to some readers of this site who are interested in trying the food. The first coupon has $3 Off Lunch (“Join us for lunch and receive $3 off per couple or $1.50 for a single lunch, Valid until June 30th, 2009”), and the second coupon has $5 off dinner for a couple on one side, and on the other side, a pre-game event prime rib dinner special for $13.95.

Please note that in order to get these discounts you’ll need to get the actual coupon from me, since they won’t accept printouts. If you’d like a coupon, please email me (geoff@gpeters.com) and first person who emails me will get one coupon. Second person will get the other coupon. You can pick the coupon up from me in Yaletown.

I’ll post a message here when the coupons are gone.

Goldfish Pacific Kitchen (web site, map, 1118 Mainland Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604 689-8318) is an upscale restaurant in Vancouver’s downtown Yaletown neighborhood, that offers fine dining in a trendy, lively atmosphere.

In a previous dinner time visit, I enjoyed their ling cod ($22). Since then I’ve been back three times for lunch. Goldfish offers daily lunch specials which are $10 plus tax and tip. These specials really showcase the talents of executive chef William Tse.

Flat Iron Steak (on Thursdays) is served with mushrooms, snow pear, and mustard green salad. On Fridays, their special is the seafood fricassée (pictured below), with mussels, fresh fish, thai basil, coconut, and fresh chiles.

The flavors in the fricassée were fantastic, expertly crafted into bringing out the freshness of the seafood, with a rich broth that went with the rice perfectly. The fresh chiles were extremely spicy but our helpful server warned us about them, and thankfully they were served on the side. Another popular lunch choice from our table was the Shanghai Noodles, which can be ordered with beef short rib or chicken.

Many food fanatics (or “foodies” as they are affectionately known) love Vancouver because of the remarkable East-meets-West fusion that happens in the kitchens of our many talented, daring, and masterful chefs. As a port city we are fortunate to have some of the freshest ingredients arriving in our markets from Asia and the Pacific Northwest. Chefs like William Tse and restaurants like Goldfish are setting the stage for Vancouver as a world-class food city.

Please visit the Gold fish restaurant’s web site if you’d like to browse their menu or see some photos of the room’s cool decor.

Seafood Fricasse from Goldfish Pacific Kitchen restaurant in Yaletown, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Amuse bouche, a little complimentary appetizer created by their chef.

The Keg Steakhouse (web site, map, 1499 Anderson Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-685-4735) is a restaurant chain with a location on Granville Island, and several others around Vancouver’s Lower Mainland area (visit their website for a list of their other locations).

morgan, a reviewer on Dinehere.ca writes (click here to read review):

I like the Keg. The food and service is consistantly good, but my problem is I always order too much steak. I have a soft spot in my heart for the baseball steak and it always beats me. Next time I visit the Keg I will explore the menu a little bit more.

The Keg is great for a quiet dinner with friends or even someone special. The many nooks and crannies of the restaurant are cozily furnished and have fireplaces throughout. There is also a bar area with upbeat music.

I ordered one of their Keg Classic Dinners, the 8 oz Teriyaki Classic Sirloin steak with a Caesar salad (both pictured below, $23.95), and it was served with a selection of stir fried vegetables and a big baked potato. I especially like all the toppings they have for the baked potato: green onions, sour cream, butter, and bacon bits. They also served some very nice sourdough bread (with big pieces!) while we were waiting for the meal to arrive. The steak looked small, but it was actually quite filling.

Caesar salad at the Keg Steakhouse restaurant.

8 oz Teriyaki Classic Sirloin Steak ($23.95 including Caesar salad) from the Keg Restaurant on Granville Island.