Honjin Sushi Japanese Restaurant (menu, map, 138 Davie Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-688-8808) is an upscale sushi restaurant in the Yaletown neighborhood of downtown Vancouver. It is one of my favorite places to go for lunch with coworkers. I enjoyed a true sushi feast (pictured below) and the total price including tax and tip came to $25 per person (for six people). After your meal, you might want to enjoy a walk along the False Creek waterfront seawall, which is just steps away. The restaurant is also very close to the Yaletown Canada Line Skytrain Station which will be operational in 2009. In the meantime it is a 5 minute taxi ride from most downtown hotels. For the printable menu, please click here, and for more photos please view Part 2.

Ebi Sunomono Salad – with shrimp, $3.50

Sunshine roll with mango (other pieces not pictured, $11.95)

Dynamite Roll (shrimp tempura) – $4.25

Tuna and salmon sashimi (9 pieces, $11.50)

Tuna and Salmon Nigiri Sushi (Tuna: $1.50 per piece, Sockeye Salmon: $2.00 per piece)

Click here for the printable menu.

Nu Restaurant (web site, 1661 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-646-4668) is an award winning Vancouver waterfront restaurant with fabulous views and upscale, modern food. The style of cuisine at Nu has definite French/European influences and a west-coast twist. The decor is space-age, the atmosphere is light hearted, and the patrons are stylish!

Nu Restaurant is located right out on the water on the north/downtown side of False Creek, underneath the Granville Bridge. There is ample free parking available in a lot shared with the Stonegrill restaurant (another restaurant worth visiting which is located in the same building, one floor above Nu).

To start, I enjoyed the Pan Seared Bayne Sound Scallops, with pickled mushrooms, cauliflower puree, and red wine jus ($16.10, pictured below). The scallops were really tender and tasted great! As a main course, I tried the Roasted Cornish Game Hen with smoked local gouda, braised swiss chard, wild BC mushrooms, and rich chicken jus ($26.10, also pictured below). The serving of Game Hen was fabulous, with a really prime cut of meat and a great combination of the cheese, mushrooms, rich jus and vegetables. I finished off this fantastic meal with a Passion Fruit Sponge Cake ($7.90, pictured below) which was light and refreshing.

The restaurant also features live jazz for Sunday brunch with Juno nominee Melody Diachun. Please call the restaurant (604-646-4668) for more info about the live music, or check out their web site for their menu.

Pan Seared Bayne Sound Scallops ($16.10) at Nu Restaurant in Vancouver

Cornish Game Hen at Nu Restaurant in Vancouver ($26.10)

Passion Fruit Sponge Cake at Nu Restaurant in Vancouver, BC, Canada ($7.90)

Marmalade Kitchen and Bar (web site, #3 – 1010 Beach Ave, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-689-7800) is a London-inspired casual waterfront restaurant with a great patio, overlooking one of the marinas at Vancouver’s False Creek. It’s located just east of the Burrard Street bridge, on the north side of False Creek downtown. You’ll find it in front of the Chilli House Thai Restaurant at the bottom of Hornby Street. Google Maps (click here for map) incorrectly places their address on the west side of the Burrard Bridge, when in fact it is just to the east.

Marmalade is a great place to go for cocktails or dinner, and the restaurant is also open for lunch, weekday breakfast, and weekend brunch. Visit their web site for their current menu and specials.

Enjoy dishes that bring out the best of London-style cuisine, such as the Chelsea Flair (sauteed wild sockeye salmon with red onion marmalade, served on a bed of sauteed potatoes, $17.95) or the Knightsbridge Chic (half garlic herb-roasted game hen served with tomato ragout and saffron rice, $16.95). Or if you’re looking for something a little more traditional, there’s always the comforting and satisfying Shepherd’s Pie ($12.50, served with mixed greens) which is a rich stew served with mashed potatoes, vegetables and a tasty gravy. Pictured below are some of the chef’s creations.

Mushroom at Marmalade Kitchen and Bar

Tuna at Marmalade Kitchen and Bar (photos courtesy of the restaurant)