Tandoori Delight (map, online orders and menu, 205 51st East, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-324-1212) is an Indian food takeout restaurant on the corner of Main Street and E. 51st Street in Vancouver.

Rasputin45, a reviewer on Dinehere.ca writes (click here to read review):

Best rolls in town! We stop by here often when we are in the Main Street area. The seekh kebab (lamb sausage) roll is excellent and unlike anything else I have had in this city.

Mia Stainsby of the Vancouver Sun writes (click here to read article):

Predominantly takeout with lots of choices. Excellent value for tasty kebabs, tandoori dishes, curries, and wraps, all under $10.

You can view their menu and order online by clicking here. I tried some of their rolls, and I must say they are really delicious!!

Wraps from Tandoori Delight foods in Vancouver

More wraps from Tandoori Delight foods

Kababs from Tandoori Delight Foods

Indian food take out in Vancouver from Tandoori Delight Foods

Chill Winston (web site, map, 3 Alexander St., Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-288-9575) is a hip, young restaurant in Gastown with upscale and contemporary Pacific Northwest style food.

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

Great place to “chill”. I’ve come here a few times before (always during the dinner hour) and have likened each experience. It’s decorated like a lounge with large (and comfortable) low chairs. […]the dishes are prepared impeccably well. I will return to try out their brunch/lunch menus.

The crowd is mostly well-heeled twenty and thirty-somethings, who get together to have a good time. The low-light atmosphere is happy, relaxed, and at times boisterous, with much cavorting, indulging, romancing, and “chilling” going on.

To start, I had the Duck Bacon Unwrapped Scallops ($13, pictured below) which their menu describes as “Baja scallop and citrus ceviche topped with coffee and molasses cured duck bacon on brioche”. Phew, that’s quite a description, but my interest was piqued by the creative combination of ingredients. Fusion at its best, I thought while munching contentedly on every last bit of the Ceviche.

The main course I tried was the Sea Tiger Prawns ($25, also pictured below), which are grilled prawns in a lemon basil oil with a spinach and almond risotto. My dining companion commented that the chef had presented this dish differently on a previous visit (my serving was more “aggressive” looking, kind of like an angry crab). An angry crab made of risotto and prawns is an angry crab that I would like to meet again!

Sea Tiger Prawns ($25) from Chill Winston in Gastown, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Duck Bacon Unwrapped Scallops from Chill Winston in Gastown, Vancouver ($13)

Nikkyu Japanese Restaurant (web site, map, 3302 Main Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-873-2220) is one of the few sushi restaurants on the east side of Vancouver that offers free sushi delivery within 5km. Check their web site for their menu and you can even order your sushi online. But how was the food, you might ask? Read on for more…

My friend and I are definite sushi aficionados, having tried many awesome sushi restaurants in Vancouver. We were originally in the area to try the Japanese food at Toshi’s at Main and 16th, which has a great reputation. Unfortunately due to its popularity there was a huge lineup outside Toshi’s. My friend’s friend (who lives in the neighborhood) gave us a hot tip that there is a sushi place near Toshi’s just a few blocks north on Main Street. We walked around and the only one we saw was Nikkyu, so that had to be the place. We were in for a real treat!

As a food photographer I always appreciate restaurants which put extra care and detail into their presentation of the food. Attractive and creative presentation is something I only expect at high-end restaurants, where the portions can be tiny and the food becomes more like edible art.

Many Japanese restaurants in town go for quantity over quality, and while I do enjoy all-you-can-eat and gigantic roll places, I don’t mind splurging for aesthetics once in a while.

But I was pleasantly surprised by Nikkyu Japanese Restaurant when the food arrived – the obviously very fresh sushi was presented in a simply beautiful fashion, with no grain of rice out of place, and the sprinkling of masago on the rolls put the finishing touch on some miniature masterpieces (pictured below).

Here’s what we ordered (all pictured below): 4 Saba Sushi ($4.60), Mango Smoked Salmon California Roll ($5.95), Chopped Scallop Roll ($3.85), House Roll ($4.75), Q.E. Park Roll ($7.50) and 6 pieces Salmon Sashimi ($7.95). Looking at these photos makes me hungry again!

Beautiful sushi from Nikkyu Japanese Restaurant in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Sushi rolls from Nikkyu Japanese Restaurant in Vancouver.

Saba sushi (Mackerel) from Nikkyu Japanese Restaurant in Vancouver.

Salmon sashimi from Nikkyu Japanese Restaurant.

Chopped scallop sushi and saba sushi from Nikkyu Japanese Restaurant in Vancouver.

More delicious sushi from Nikkyu Japanese Restaurant in Vancouver, BC, Canada.