Shiru Bay Chopstick Cafe (web site, address: 1193 Hamilton Street, phone: 604-408-9315) is a fun, upscale Japanese tapas restaurant located in Yaletown. Dishes are creatively and aesthetically presented and the menu is a romp through Asian-European fusion, with definite French influences. For $35 per person you can experience the Chef’s Tasting Menu which includes an impressive sampling of their menu (some of which is pictured below).

Sashimi

Pork cutlet

Japanese Omelette

Ebi-mayo prawns

Mussels

Sushi

Moxie’s Classic Grill (web site, address: 180 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC, phone 604-684-8434) is a contemporary chain restaurant that serves Canadian style food. Moxie’s has a large and varied menu, ranging from affordable entrees such as burgers, sandwiches, and rice bowls, to more upscale and expensive choices such as the “Land Sea Grill” – a plate that includes a 4 oz steak, a skewer of prawns, and a fillet of salmon, as well as your choice of mashed potatoes, stuffed baked potato, or fries, and a seasonal vegetable, all for $22.99 (pictured below). In my experience, Moxie’s has served our large office groups quite well in the past, but during the busy lunch rush, it is best to make a reservation if you have a large group.

Sonomama Japanese Restaurant (web site, 980 Granville St., Vancouver, phone 604-662-3770) is a relatively new addition to downtown’s Granville Street strip, amidst the nightclubs and fast food restaurants near the corner of Granville and Nelson. A lot of care has obviously gone into the design and decor of this restaurant: it’s an ultra-modern and stylish room with huge vaulted ceilings, a glowing wrap-around sushi bar, tables and a few comfortable booths. For best value, be sure to try items from the combination menu, such as one of the sushi combinations ($10 to $13) or the Chirashi and Udon combo ($12.95). Chirashi-don (pictured below) is a bowl filled with rice and topped with fresh seafood, and the combo also came with a bowl of hot udon-noodle soup.

Update (Jan 1, 2008): Sonomama has closed and there is a new Indian restaurant there now.