A friend recommended an authentic Korean restaurant (1638 Robson Street, Vancouver, phone 604-689-3898) called Book Kyung Ban Jeoun Korean & Chinese Restaurant, located on Robson Street downtown between Bidwell Street and Cardero Street.

As is customary with most Korean restaurants, a few small accompaniments were provided with our meal such as the Kimchi (pictured below), onion, pickle, and a sweet sauce. The dish which I ordered was the Black Bean Noodle with Seafood, which comes in two bowls: a bowl of plain noodles, and a bowl with a thick rich sauce made with black beans, onion, and assorted seafood (pictured below, approximately $9.00). The very dark black bean sauce looks quite different from anything you might encounter at a Western-style restaurant, but I assure you it was very tasty!

Quiznos is a fast food chain restaurant that serves grilled subs and pizzas with fresh ingredients. Their downtown Yaletown location (206B Davie St., Vancouver, phone 604-647-0123) is a bit hard to get to because of the Canada Line construction, but is worth a visit if you’re in the area. Click here for addresses and maps to Quiznos’ other numerous locations in Vancouver.  My favorite sub at Quiznos is the Turkey Bacon Guacamole (pictured below, around $8.50), which is no longer displayed on the menu, but can be ordered on request at most locations. Quiznos is a slightly more upscale competitor to the Subway chain of sandwich restaurants, and Quiznos uses a different toasting process which I find doesn’t dry out the bread as much. The menu at Quiznos also features some vegetarian selections.

Milestones (more info, 1109 Hamilton Street, 604-684-9111) is a trendy chain restaurant which offers a selection of westcoast and American cuisine. The downtown Vancouver Yaletown location has been recently renovated in a post-modern/minimalist style with exposed wooden ceiling beams, halogen spot lighting, comfortable cushion booth seating, a brand new sound system and wide screen televisions. Price for entrees lies in the $15 to 20 range, and the restaurant also has an extensive drink menu. Service is generally excellent: the staff are personable and attentive. I ordered the Portobello Mushroom Chicken which was an inventive dish (pictured below, $16.95) that featured chopped portobello mushrooms with chicken cooked in olive oil served over a capellini pasta.