Pacific Northwest Thread

[dji]

thanks for tipping the scales in favour of the Shangri-La.

the Santouka in Bellevue is 5 mins walk from my apartment, they're decent but heavy on the MSG. not sure if the Vancouver location is notably better? sounds like there's plenty of solid options though, thanks guys.

[gregor]

the broths are great at santouka, the chashu can be beaten, but is still great by north american standards. for vancouver eating, the value is also there, which is always nice.

i'd say so, i always feel like asian-american food is a bit more msg-intensive than even asian-canadian.

either way, enjoy yourself in van, presuming you haven't been before, it's a great city, so long as you don't stray into surrey or the dtes.

[dji]

oh yeah, and any good day trips out Vancouver? looks like I'll have a lot of free time while there..

[hausofblaq]

for vancouver eating, the value is also there, which is always nice.

He's coming from the states, our dollar is like the American quarter right now, he'll get value on anything and everything

oh yeah, and any good day trips out Vancouver? looks like I'll have a lot of free time while there..

If you ski/snowboard/snowshoe, definitely go up to Whistler, such a beautiful mountain. I grew up in Vancouver and hadn't gone snowboarding anywhere else until I came over to Ontario for school, and man, the rest of Canada just pales in comparison...

[gregor]

oh yeah, and any good day trips out Vancouver? looks like I'll have a lot of free time while there..

victoria, maybe? really beautiful city in my mind, if you don't mind the ferry.

[absintheparty]

Given your list, I'm assuming you've been to some of the standard places. Is there something specific you're looking for or are you just not a fan of the style here?

Mainly straight espresso drinks for me. I mean don't get me wrong, coffee is always good - i've yet to be taken away

Most places i've been are serving the local stuff that is crazy acidic, not so much my style. maybe something a little more mellow?

victoria, maybe? really beautiful city in my mind, if you don't mind the ferry.

This! Also consider taking the ferry around the gulf islands, very beautiful.

[dji]

cheers guys, a trip up to Victoria is definitely on the cards but might wait till summer and drive straight from Seattle.

went to Pestle Rock in Ballard for lunch today, very solid Isan Thai food which isn't particularly common in this area.

[dji]

any standouts around Richmond BC?

[hausofblaq]

Kokko would probably be the only place worth visiting. Their prices are pretty steep, but since you're visiting from the US, the prices might seem reasonable.

Food-wise, there's not much that's outstanding. There's a Guu location in the same mall that Kokko is in.
G Men, a ramen store is on Alexandra Rd., there's usually a line however.

Richmond is pretty Chinese-dominant, I would recommend some more restaurants but they're like hole-in-the-wall type of places, and honestly I think I like them only because they have an authentic Hong Kong 'feel' to them, where I'm originally from.

[dji]

cheers hausofblaq, was looking for somewhere to eat around Kokko so Guu might do the trick. tried the OG Guu, bit of a mixed bag but a fun vibe.

[dji]

thanks again for the recommendations guys. in Vancouver BC I liked:
brunch
Cafe Medina
Chambar (fantastic cocktails too, should go back for dinner)

izakaya
Guu (OG and Garlic were both solid)

ramen
Ramen Danbo

pub grub
Alibi Room (excellent tap list and surprisingly decent bar food)

street food
Japadog (oh man that ice cream filled fried hot dog..)

also tried Vij and Maenam which were okay but not really worth the hype/price. didn't care too much for Kintaro.

found the Hong Kong style hovering SAs at Kokko to be pretty obnoxious so didn't spend long looking.

[curiouscharles]

definitely come visit Victoria this SS if you can dji - charles & co. will be happy to host you!

edit: the co. is my wife & puppies [you gotta come see the puppies].

[dji]

sounds good to me!

[dji]

I take it that there's no shopping of note in PDX? the missus and I are heading down for a long weekend there (the Fresh Hop Fest. is on!), staying in an Airbnb just off The Division.

[julian_doe]

So, aside from great vegan food, Portland is extremely lame.

In regards to the West Coast love for awful Woodstock attire, Portland locals pioneer the fishing-vest and plaid garments that one can witness by watching documentaries from the time.

Not sure why I was expecting anything different, but this is truly worse than Haight/Ashbury in SF.

I went to one (1) goth club called Lovecraft after receiving great feedback from several locals, and stumbled upon a Spencer's Gifts looking place full of Mall Rats.

However, Homegrown Smokers' Vegan Mac'n Cheese is fucking incredible.

I need to exit the U.S..

[Faust]

Agreed, found Portland extremely underwhelming the one time I went.