The Noodle Box (web site, map, 1-1867 4th Avenue West, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-734-1310) is a South East Asian noodle bar (near Burrard and 4th) that is popular with the young, hip student crowd for casual dining and drinks. The restaurant is cafeteria style in that there is no table service: you order and pay first, and then find a table yourself. When your food is ready one of the chefs will call out your name. The atmosphere is high-energy and lively, making this a great place for hanging out with friends and people watching. Prices for entrees are in the $10 to $14 range, such as the Thai Green Curry (pictured below, around $12), which I ordered with a chicken and prawns combination. Thai spices were simmered in coconut milk and lime juice, served with rice noodles, Asian greens, mushrooms, sprouts, and herbs. Yum!
The Noodle Box also has two locations in Victoria: Chinatown (626 Fisgard, Victoria, BC, Canada, phone: 250-360-1312) and downtown (818 Douglas, Victoria, BC, Canada, phone: 250-384-1314).
Thai Green Curry from the Noodle Box restaurant in Vancouver
Ridge Gardens Chinese Restaurant (map, visitor reviews, 3113 Arbutus Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-736-7006, fax: 604-736-5231) offers above-par Chinese food in the affluent Arbutus Ridge neighborhood of Vancouver, which is close to Kitsilano to the north and Kerrisdale to the south. It’s in the same strip mall as the Ridge Theatre.
My family always chooses to dine at Ridge Garden for big get-togethers, where we order off the banquet menu and share many dishes.
Prices are reasonable: for a huge meal including soup, crab, and at least one dish per person, the total cost came out to around $20 each including tax. There were enough leftovers for a couple more meals at home too! The Ridge Garden restaurant also offers Chinese food delivery to the nearby Vancouver vicinity, as well as take-out.
Pictured below are the Hot and Spicy Crab (market price), the hot pot with chicken and black fungus (very tasty, believe me!), and the house soup (flavorful and savory). Ample free parking is available in the lot just north of the restaurant on Arbutus street, and the restaurant is also accessible by bus (view easy transit directions to the restaurant).
The Naam (web site, 2724 W. 4th Ave. Vancouver BC Canada, phone: 604-738-7151) is a full service vegetarian restaurant that is open 24 hours and is popular for inventive organic and natural foods dishes. The Naam has won the “Best Vegetarian Restaurant” award for the last ten years in the Georgia Straight Magazine’s Golden Plate Awards (Reader’s Choice).
The Naam serves breakfast from 6am until 11:30 am on weekdays (and until 1:00pm on Saturday and 2:00pm on Sunday). I enjoyed the “Naam Special Breakfast” (pictured below, $9.50) which is two eggs any style, two whole wheat pancakes, veggie sausages or “Sam’s strips” (a kind of veggie patty) and home made potato fries. Yum!
For lunch and dinner, the restaurant serves tasty creations such as enchiladas, burritos, burger platters, curry, rice bowls, and wok dishes.
The Naam also features live music (mostly folk, jazz, and blues) from 7pm to 10pm every evening. Check out their web site for the upcoming schedule.
Video from the Naam:
“Naam Special Breakfast” ($9.50) – two free range eggs any style (pictured above, scrambled), two whole wheat pancakes and syrup, veggie sausages, and home made potato fries (which were very delicious, and totally not greasy!)
