RESTAURANTS

 

THE DISH : RESTAURANT REVIEW: DB BISTRO MODERNE

Sophistication in the guise of simplicity
In place of Feenie's, Daniel Boulud's new resto swaps pretension for a laid-back room and food that raises the bar

Lumière may be my new fine-dining passion, but one cannot live by truffles, foie gras and caviar-crowned hamachi alone. At least not in this economy.

Thank goodness for DB Bistro Moderne, Daniel Boulud's other new Vancouver restaurant, which is much more affordable yet just as impressive in its own way.

If this casual sister restaurant with its luxe burger and rarefied comfort food feels familiar, it should. Feenie's, the restaurant it replaces, was closely modelled on the original DB Bistro in New York.

But whereas Feenie's often strutted a slightly condescending, hipper-than-thou attitude, DB Bistro seems much more humble, almost bashful.
I roll up for my first visit on a snowy Sunday night and the place is packed. Everyone on the floor - from the timid hostess who isn't quite sure what to do with our coats to the restless manager who circles the room anxiously rubbing his hands - looks jumpy and nervous.

And they haven't even recognized me yet.

If they had, I sincerely doubt that the woman seated beside me would still be waving a bill holder in the air as she tries to catch her waiter's attention. Or that we would have to wait this long to order drinks.

We're still waiting, quite thirstily, when executive chef Stephane Istel pops out of the kitchen and looks over. He probably spied me on the video monitor. (Mais oui, there are hidden cameras in the dining room with a view of every table so the cooks know when to start prepping the next course.)

Et voilà, the whole atmosphere changes. The reinforcements swoop in. The cocktails (spicy Bloody "Bulls" stirred with veal stock) arrive promptly. And the woman beside us has her credit card processed, tout de suite.

C'est la vie. Even with all this fluttering around the table, the service is still warm and unpretentious, much like the dining room, which has undergone a complete transformation.

The restaurant is larger, having absorbed the old Lumière Tasting Bar, yet pleasantly understated. The fire-engine reds have been replaced with a more neutral palette of beige, taupe and burgundy. And the bare wood tables, set with butcher paper placemats and plaid linen napkins, lend the space a chic farmhouse feel.

It's all very comfortable, especially on the eyes and ears. Listen. The music gently hums along in the background thanks to speakers that have been meticulously placed just so. And look at those lights, softly lit yet amply hung (so you can read the menu without straining, and still look fabulous).

Dinner reveals a similar sophistication cloaked under the veneer of simplicity. Take the legendary db Burger, for instance. This is no mere hamburger. It's a multilayered extravaganza that consists of a creamy foie gras centre surrounded by a truffle-marinated boudin of wine-braised short rib, wrapped in an outer layer of ground prime sirloin.

The softball-sized patty is served split in half on a parmesan bun with a daub of tomato compote, frilled frisée ruffle and a silver cup of golden fries on the side.

The meat is ground in-house so it can be served on the juicy red side of medium-rare. Don't bother trying to order it well done. A friend of mine did. "Sorry," he was told. "This is one of our signature items." I admire the integrity.

Be warned: There's no dignified way to eat this burger. And at $28, it probably won't inspire many Sunday-afternoon cravings. (The $150 db Burger Double Royale, layered with 20 grams of shaved black truffle, hasn't made it to Vancouver yet.)

It's one of those finger-lickin' delicacies that has to be tasted at least once. But there are other signature dishes worth trying.

The venison ragout with handmade orecchiette pasta ($26) is incredibly lusty and rich with red wine. The deeply flavoured sauce, studded with chestnuts and squash, is so dark and earthy it almost tastes like liver (in a good way).
Escargot and chicken oyster fricassee ($18) takes the tender, round morsels of dark meat found on the back of the bird and encases them in a light, golden crisp. They're married with slippery snails, soft garlicky button mushrooms and a chewy spaetzle that's been sprinkled with tiny pieces of hazelnut crunch. It's all pulled together with a bright, glossy, emerald-green broth that's been thickened with calves' feet and finished with parsley.

A few months ago, Mr. Boulud said he would create a special "V" (vegetarian) burger for Vancouver. He hasn't yet whipped up that one, or many other original dishes, but he does make a few nods to the West Coast by using local Dungeness crab (in place of the Peekytoe used in New York) and sablefish (as a substitute for farmed Atlantic salmon).

The menu, mind you, isn't a slave to local ingredients. To wit: big-eye tuna in the niçoise salad ($17). Chef Istel says the quality is better than albacore. And it's hard to argue his point once you've tasted his melt-in-the-mouth confit belly, which is snuggled up in a warm bed of garlic aioli, under a blanket of lightly seared ahi, salty anchovies, runny quail's egg, soft potatoes and crisp greens.

DB Bistro Vancouver has more charcuterie on its menu than you would find in New York (where cured meats, pâtés and terrines are the domain of Bar Boulud). But here it's a natural fit for Mr. Istel, who originally hails from Alsace.

The young chef, who has worked for Mr. Boulud since 2005, is already making his own sauerkraut and will soon be adding boudin blanc and noir to the menu, though the cured meats come from the Oyama Sausage Co. on Granville Island.

His creamy pork loin pâté en croute ($18) is elegantly layered with silky foie and crushed pistachios. The plate is prettily dotted and swirled with plump raisins, sharp French mustard and house-pickled vegetables cut into cute little rectangles and squares.

Berkshire pork duo ($29), alas, is the weak link on this menu. Here in Vancouver, we've been spoiled by the insanely succulent pork from Sloping Hill Farm. Mr. Istel gets his from a different supplier and the flavour doesn't compare.

And dessert is a partial letdown. Pastry chef Bruno Feldeisen, who trained at Alain Ducasse's Le Louis XV in Monaco and ran the show at Senses Restaurant and Bar in Toronto, makes wonderful lemony, buttery soft madeleines ($8), served warm right out of the oven.

But the dark chocolate tart ($11) comes on a crust so hard it's inedible. I'm still trying to hack through it with a knife and fork when I look up to see Mr. Boulud walking into the restaurant, straight from the airport.

Ah, so that's why everyone's been acting so skittish.

There are plenty of Vancouverites who resent the recent invasion of fly-in celebrity chefs and fail to see how they might raise the bar of competition. Some have even told me they won't step one foot inside DB Bistro.

That's their loss, but perhaps for the best. The restaurant isn't perfect, but apart from the service (which will improve with time) it comes pretty darn close. And if the naysayers ever change their minds, they'll have to eat crow.

DB Bistro Moderne: 2551 West Broadway, Vancouver; 604-739-7115.

- Alexandra Gill    2009 February 11       GLOBE & MAIL

THE DISH: RESTAURANTS: PERSONAL FAVOURITES
Where I eat when nobody's footing the bill
No one wants a negative review on Christmas Eve. So in the spirit of giving, here's my list of Vancouver's tried and true

Last week, I had a festive lunch with a couple of dear friends at Café Il Nido. The food was scrumptious, the conversation was scintillating and we were all having a jolly good time - until they asked about my next column.

I haven't had the best of luck with new restaurants lately and was dreading the thought of having to write a negative review for Christmas Eve. I'm honestly not a Grinch at heart.

"Why don't you write about this place?" one of my girlfriends suggested.

Indeed, why not? Whenever people discover what I do for a living, they almost always ask about my favourite restaurants. So in the spirit of giving, here's my oft-recited list of Vancouver's tried and true.

BACCHUS RESTAURANT

"What's the most romantic restaurant in Vancouver?" I hear that request all the time. You really can't go wrong at this voluptuous, velvet-draped love den, especially at this time of the year when the fireplace is crackling and the Christmas lights are twinkling. Chef Lee Parsons, who trained under Raymond Blanc at London's esteemed Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons, is cooking some of the finest full-bodied French food in the city: 845 Hornby St. (in the Wedgewood Hotel); 604-689-7777

CAFÉ IL NIDO

This hidden gem (tucked below the Manhattan Apartments, behind Starbucks) is perfect for girly get-togethers and intimate tête-à-têtes. The cozy, low-ceilinged room is unpretentious and owner Franco Felice is utterly charming. The simple trattoria cooking won't blow you away, but it's dependable, authentic and decently priced. In warmer weather, the courtyard patio is a tranquil oasis in the heart of the city: 780 Thurlow St.; 604-685-6436

CHOW

I love everything about this restaurant. The room, with its white drywall and polished concrete, is chic and modern. The cocktails are to-die-for delicious. The service is down-to-earth. The food is locally sourced, mostly organic and all very high quality (think heritage-breed Berkshire Pork from Sloping Hill Farm or sunflower-seed-fed ducks from Polderside Farms). Chef Jean-Christophe Poirier lends a Quebec-style heartiness to regional West Coast cuisine and a finesse that's quite astonishing for mid-priced small plates: 3121 Granville St.; 604-608-2469

CIOPPINO'S

MEDITERRANEAN GRILL

This bustling Yaletown warehouse conversion, perfect for splashy special occasions, has big-city ambience, oodles of celebrity clients and one of the best wine lists in the country. The Tuscan grilled meats and light-bodied seafood pastas are outstanding. And contrary to popular belief, the menu offers excellent value. I tested most of the recipes in Pino Posteraro's cookbook last year. His famous veal-cheek pappardelle, slowly roasted in a luscious brown stock, took me almost three days to prepare. In the restaurant, a bowl only costs $25: 1133 Hamilton St.; 604-688-7466

GASTROPOD

When I ate the legendary bacon-and-egg-flavoured ice cream at Heston Blumenthal's world-famous Fat Duck restaurant last summer, I thought it tasted like bacon-flavoured Drano - interesting, but not very appetizing and obviously chemically derived. When I tasted Angus An's bacon-infused ice milk at Gastropod the next month, I thought it tasted like a creamy gelato infused with double-smoked bacon and licked with a dark hit of molasses - interesting, yet natural and unexpectedly delicious. Mr. An is, bar none, the most innovative chef in Vancouver. He dabbles in molecular techniques, but never at the expense of flavour: 1938 West 4th Ave.; 604-730-5579

GO FISH

It's just an outdoor shack at the foot of the Fisherman's Wharf. But this unassuming takeout shop serves the freshest, tastiest tempura-battered fish and chips in the city - in addition to awesome daily soups, simple grilled fish nestled on huge mounds of greens, spicy wild salmon tacos, and plump oyster po' boy sandwiches on soft Portuguese buns. Why can't someone do something like this indoors? 1504 West 1st Ave.; 604-730-5040

RANGOLI

Everyone loves Vij's, but who wants to line up in the hour-long queues? The food at its sister restaurant next door isn't quite so refined, and the décor is a lot less sumptuous: Rangoli is a casual diner with a takeout counter, where you can also buy boil-in-the-bag packaged meals. But the food is prepared with the same blends of freshly roasted spices, house-made yogurts and local fish and meats that make Vij's one of the best modern Indian restaurants in the world; 1488 West 11th Ave., Vancouver. 604-736-5711

*****

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Still don't have plans for New Year's Eve? Search for deals through OpenTable.com, a reservation site that allows you to peruse menus, search by neighbourhood, name or cuisine, and check up-to-the minute availability. Here are a few other specials worth checking out:

COMPASSIONATE JAZZ

At Bistrot Bistro, jazz duo Rebecca Jenkins and Joel Bakan will serenade diners at two seatings (6 and 9 p.m.). The four-course menu costs $75, but will be free for one hard-working couple who deserve a night out. Customers are encouraged to make their nominations by Dec. 26: 1961 West 4th Ave.; 604-732-0004

NO FRILLS

The Irish Heather will simply be opening its doors. No cover charge, no mandatory meal and no free fizzy drinks. From now until New Year's Eve, 25 cents from every pint of Guinness sold will be donated to the Vancouver Food Bank: 210 Carrall St.;

604-688-9779

NO RESERVATION REQUIRED

Trattoria Italian Kitchen will be offering a special meat and fish platter in addition to its regular value-priced menu, along with complimentary champagne and canapés at midnight: 1850 West 4th Ave.; 604-732-1441

SIX FOR SIXTY

Hamilton Street Grill is featuring a hearty six-course dinner with six wines for $60 a person: 1009 Hamilton St.; 604-331-1511

PARIS LOUNGE

"Be Fabulous" is the theme of the Opus Hotel's glittery soiree, organized by independent party promoter the JetSet Crew ($125). The musical lineup - DJ Leanne, DJ Dickey Doo and percussionist Zuzu - sounds funky. But the five-course menu at Elixir Restaurant ($75) featuring Belvenie double-wood single-malt scotch beef tenderloin sounds even better: 350 Davie St.; 604-642-0557

Next week, we will look at the best Chinese restaurants and sushi joints in the city, which deserve a list of their own.

Have a great holiday.

- 2008 December 24       Alexandra Gill    GLOBE & MAIL   

THE DISH: RESTAURANTS

Vancouver is a serious food town. It's also a little crazy.

More than 100 restaurants opened this year. I doubt any city of a similar size in North America has seen so much moving and shaking in such a short time span.

As we bid adieu to 2007, I have compiled my list of the year's most significant culinary events, worthwhile trends and saddest slips.

Rob Feenie leaves Lumière

The biggest news story in the Canadian food press this year. Deservedly so, since Rob Feenie is the most famous chef in the country. He might sometimes act like a devil, but he cooks like an angel.   I feel sorry for Dale MacKay, the new chef who got stuck in the middle of the ownership battle. But don't hold your breath.

I will not be reviewing his cuisine until the legal dispute comes to some sort of resolution, which I will duly report on. To do otherwise would be a conflict of interest.

Locavore is the new religion

Locavore, the new verb and noun used to describe the concept of eating seasonal, locally grown ingredients, was selected as 2007's Word of the Year by Oxford University Press.

A group in San Francisco was credited with coining the term, but Vancouver's own Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon probably did more to popularize the trend by documenting their year of eating locally, first at Thetyee.ca and then in a book called The 100-Mile Diet.

Heroin chic

I didn't believe haute dining and crack junkies could happily co-exist. I was proven wrong. Gastown, Vancouver's last bastion for affordable rents, exploded with new restaurants this year. My favourites are Boneta, which features great cocktails and even better window-side theatrics (I've seen people streaking outside) and La Marrakech, a wonderfully kitschy Moroccan oasis replete with belly dancers and fragrant dishes tossed in rosewater, orange-blossom honey and pomegranate vinegar.

Requiem for the entrée

The traditional main course is dead. Mid-size plates, priced between an appetizer and an entrée, are the new way to eat. The trend, popularized locally by such restaurants as Boneta, Chow, Flite and Plan B, is also spreading across the United States, according to The New York Times. Some people think the concept is a rip-off. I like the variety it offers.

Dinner deconstructed

There once was a time when salads arrived at the table with all the ingredients properly mixed. Was that too much to ask? These days, dishes are artfully parcelled and scattered across plates - a bit of greens here, a little quail's egg there, and usually no room to toss. The restaurants that pull it off (Chow) are those that realize a whole is the sum of many splendid parts. The restaurants that don't (Deuce) seem to be blindly following trends.

On-site Butchering

And you thought Vancouver was the land of sprouts and lentils? Restaurants are big on meat these days.

And in a show of newly acquired respect for the long-lost art of butchering, many chefs are buying their carcasses whole, butchering the meat in their own kitchens and dry-aging steaks on site.

Sean Cousins at So.cial is the leader of the pack. He has his own deli in the back of the restaurant, where you can buy some of the tastiest sirloins in town. Rob Belcham of Fuel is also a serious devotee of the snout-to-tail philosophy. As an interesting dichotomy, I hear that he also serves up one of the best vegetarian tasting menus around. Jean-Christophe Poirier of Chow also butchers on site and rotates among cuts as the week progresses. (Anyone care to take a guess on my favourite new restaurant of the year?)

Mushy meat

The downside to this carnivore obsession is that everyone wants to try something new with a product that is not at all conducive to technical experimentation. Honestly, I think I might be sick if I have to eat one more limp or undercooked piece of meat.

Fuel turned my stomach when they served me a flaccid loin of pork slowly boiled under water with no sauce. What's wrong with a little char? Metro made me gag when they gave me a chewy piece of veal tenderloin grilled blue. Haven't they heard of connective tissue? It needs heat to break down.

Back to the basics

Stop the fusion!

Vancouver customers have spoken. They've had enough lavender-infused halibut slivers with vanilla "paint" daubed on the edge of their plates. They want simple, traditional food, done well. And they don't want to pay an arm and a leg for it.

Why else would Jules Bistro in Gastown be packed night after night? The restaurant serves simple steak frites and a three-course table d'hôte for $23. This is what people want to eat.

****

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Toast the New Year in style.

Herewith, a few dining options.

Bubbly Abandon

Pop in the New Year at NU Restaurant + Lounge. The $50 price of admission includes complimentary canapés, dance tunes from DJ the Stuntman and tiny bubbles from a Lawrence Welk-inspired contraption. 1661 Granville St.; 604-646-4668.

Cool Jazz

Chill out at Cin Cin Ristorante, which will be ringing in the New Year with a DJ and live jazz

saxophonist. The $40 cover charge (from 8 p.m. on) does not include dinner. 1154 Robson St.; 604-688-7338.

Civilized Debauchery

At Chambar Belgian Restaurant, tickets, $130, are all-inclusive of food and drink. 562 Beatty St.; 604-879-7119.

Soviet Chic

S Novim godom from the Opus Bar, where a Russian-themed fete will feature vodka bars, faux furs, zakuskis (Russian canapés) and funky tunes from DJ Steven Quarré of the U.K. disco label Hed Kandi. Tickets cost $150. 350 Davie St.; 604-642-0557.

Haute Hotel

The brand-new Yew Restaurant and Bar at the Four Seasons Vancouver invites you to ring in 2008 with simple sophistication, no cover charge and the standard menu. The one thing we loved from our sneak peak: The sommelier will open any bottle of wine, no matter how expensive, if two glasses are ordered. 791 West Georgia St.; 604-692-4939.     - 2007 December 26   GLOBE & MAIL    by Alexandra Gill

NEW YORK TIMES STORIES
VANCOUVER - MOST LIVABLE & FABULOUS ASIAN FOOD

For the third year in a row, Vancouver has been voted the world's most livable city by the William M. Mercer Institute, a British consulting firm that bases its decisions on 39 quality-of-life criteria. With more than 170 parks, a temperate climate, a diverse cultural scene and a low crime rate, Vancouver can impress visitors at any time of year. Summer, however, is its most spectacular season, with long days that allow for plenty of outdoor activities, festivals and concerts. Situated on a peninsula, the city has many waterways on which Vancouverites parade their maritime skills -- kayaking, canoeing, sailing and cruising. For Americans, the appeal is even greater now that the United States dollar buys about $1.54 in Canadian currency (prices below are in American dollars).  >>  New York Times article

CHOICE TABLES

 Asian Stars Are Bright in Vancouver's Firmament

Vancouver  is to Asian food what New York is to European: A place where a cuisine is often as good, and sometimes better, than in its country of origin. So splendid is the Chinese cooking in Vancouver that it rivals that of Hong Kong; so original and satisfying are its Japanese, Indian and Thai restaurants that frequent travelers to those countries who are familiar with Vancouver see little difference in the quality of the best establishments.  

And its natural resources give Vancouver one advantage over almost any place else. The Pacific Northwest is justifiably famous for its seafood, and the interior of British Columbia -- specifically the Okanagan Valley, reminiscent of Napa 30 years ago -- produces a delicious bounty of summer produce as well as some of the region's best wines, especially whites. (The Blue Mountain pinot blanc, for example, on most good wine lists in town, is world class.)

It isn't only the homegrown and imported Asian talent that makes the Vancouver restaurant scene so exciting. Though Lumière gets the most press, there are a dozen or so other non-Asian restaurants worth visiting for the freshness and simplicity of the local ingredients. Chief among these is the venerable Bishop's, a model for the delicate treatment of seafood; the Pear Tree, a tiny but charming husband-and-wife operation; Cioppino's Enoteca, an informal Italian place that may be the best of its kind in the city; and Raincity Grill, a more experimental restaurant that often strikes pay dirt.

Vij's
Vikram Vij worked for the above-mentioned Bishop's and Raincity Grill before opening his own place in 1994. Here, he concentrates on the front of the house, leaving the cooking duties to a loyal and competent staff supervised by his wife, Meeru Dhalwala Vij. The couple's sophisticated taste is evident everywhere, from the massive antique carved teak door to the glowing, backlighted rectangle of alabaster hanging over the bar, to the locally handmade plates.

It's especially evident in the food, which has hints of fusion but is as carefully prepared as any Indian food in North America. You might start with chai -- black tea with spices, sugar and milk -- or a fruity white wine from the thoughtfully assembled list.

Seasonings are important in every cuisine, but the complex combinations upon which Indian cooking relies are especially difficult to master; Meeru Vij's palate seems perfectly attuned to these, so the sauces and chutneys make even simple dishes sing. Potato-caraway bread, freshly fried, is served with mint and cilantro chutney; vegetable fritters come with tamarind-mango and mint chutneys. A dumpling of eggplant and summer squash with a sweet potato curry, surrounded by mango-spiked yogurt, is hot, sweet, tender, spicy, cool and mild at the same time, a marvel of complexity.

Similar in texture but markedly different in flavor are carrot-and-yam dumplings in a slow-cooked onion sauce. Grilled loin lamb chops, served on a bed of spinach and new potatoes with a fenugreek cream curry, are equally alluring. There are crisp yucca fries sprinkled with chili and garam masala, a magnificent goat curry and a stew of jackfruit. Even the simple dal is irresistible, and the aloo paratha (layered bread stuffed with spiced mashed potatoes) is a paradigm.

Vij's is spare, with nearly unadorned tables -- there are candles in elegant goblets -- overhung by Indian-style lamps that filter the light. It's moody; one night energetic and jazzy, another quiet and almost mysterious.

Unfortunately, the desserts are not up to par. I was not turned on by the pistachio ice cream, nor the almond rose pudding, nor the gulab jamun, doughnutlike pastries in cardamom sugar syrup. These imperfections are minor: I have eaten here four or five times and always leave wanting to come back.

Sun Sui Wah
The last time I ate at Sun Sui Wah, widely considered the pinnacle of Cantonese cooking in a city that knows a thing or two about the subject, I brought a crowd of about 10 people, and we sampled more than 30 dishes. I left satisfied but craving those tidbits, still streaming from the kitchen, that I had not managed to taste.

We had some of the usual dim sum: two kinds of steamed dumplings, one with a paper-thin wrapper and a shrimp filling, the other with a slightly thicker wrapper made from tapioca flour encasing peanuts, pork and vegetables. The memorable roast pork buns are small, flaky and crispy, with a fine barbecued pork filling and a sprinkling of sugar and sesame. Hot, crisp radish cakes, juicy, tender shu mai, and spicy, soft tiny spareribs are all impeccable.

The list of uncommon dim sum is even more impressive. Sticky rice laced with sausage, vegetables and seasonings is wrapped in a banana leaf, steamed and served with a Hong Kong specialty based on dried scallops, XO sauce. Braised duck tongues (don't knock 'em until you've tried 'em) are served on a bed of taro. And speaking of taro, there is a taro cake that gave me new appreciation for this usually boring tuber.

I don't know that you could find a more eclectic or esoteric meal elsewhere without spending a small fortune. Yet the story doesn't end there, because this is a Chinese restaurant with desserts that appeal to non-Chinese. Green tea and coconut pudding is delicious, despite an abundance of green food coloring; as is the warm steamed fresh tofu with ginger syrup. A light egg custard in a buttery crust would pass muster in Paris. Amazingly, however, a creamy, subtle warm almond pudding is served with canned fruit cocktail.

The service is exceptional for a large restaurant and the dining room is relatively attractive. But even if it looked like my high school cafeteria, I'd eat at Sun Sui Wah when I was in town.

Lumière
For years, I ignored the pleas of my Vancouver friends to visit Lumière, officially the Best Restaurant in Town. If there is one thing New York-based food writers don't need, I argued, it's the local four-star maison.

But Robert Feenie's Lumière is in that rare category of restaurants where the food is often original and sometimes stunning. Mr. Feenie, a candid admirer of the better-known North American chefs, does not so much imitate them as allow himself to be inspired by them.

And he takes full advantage of the Northwest's enviable local ingredients. One of his classics is black cod with sake, maple syrup, mushrooms and hijiki (black seaweed), a uniquely North American twist on a Japanese classic. Raw sockeye salmon with beluga caviar and a touch of tapenade is a bare-bones treatment of local seafood.

A signature dish is Mr. Feenie's ravioli with red curried squash with truffled beurre blanc -- sweet, spicy, tender and juicy, the kind of dish you cannot get enough of. But not all of his special dishes are so precious: local white and green asparagus are served with a soy vinaigrette; raw tuna comes with a simple Thai salad of green papaya dressed with lime

The offerings in Lumière's spare and subtle main dining room are based on four different tasting menus and, by New York standards, they are not expensive (especially given the favorable exchange rate), ranging from $50 to $75 in U.S. currency. To me, the less elaborate ones, with a mere seven or eight courses, are preferable to the grand one, which consists of a dozen or so plates and will take you nearly three hours to eat. In fact, for economy of both dollars and time, you might consider sitting in the attractive bar, where you can order many of the tasting menu dishes, and some other specialties, for $7.50 (United States) each.

Desserts are refreshingly restrained. Lemon sorbet laced with lemon peel and served with deep red, sweet strawberries is one example, as is arborio rice pudding with rhubarb confit. These are designed not to overwhelm you with their brilliance but to provide a nice finish to a good meal. Bravo.

The service at Lumière is knowledgeable and competent if sometimes overly friendly. But the servers, along with the near-flawless food, the clean, bright, stylish feel of the place, the superb wine list -- which offers standard haute cuisine accompaniments, but also a broad native selection -- combine to keep Lumière at or near the top of everyone's Vancouver list.

Tojo's
No sushi fanatic can possibly visit Vancouver without a visit to Tojo's, inventive and beautiful. The room itself has panoramic views of the city; you can sit on the terrace, in one of a couple of small, semiprivate rooms (on the floor on cushions), or in the main part of the dining room (the interior tables, away from the windows, are less desirable).

Most of the action, however, is at the 10-seat bar. There, omakase, the chef's tasting menu, is priced at $31.30 (United States) and up. (Much as I like to cut costs when possible, this is a place where you are best off putting yourself in hands of the chef, Hidekazu Tojo, and then paying the bill without directly looking at it.) When serving omakase, the chef steers clear of standards. Sablefish is steamed in parchment paper with mango, shiitakes, shrimp, and gobo (burdock); a crepe comes filled with crab, shrimp, scallops and chile; sockeye, lightly smoked, is served nigiri-style; seared tuna is marinated in citrus; a geoduck hand roll combines herring roe, daikon, cucumber and chile, a super marriage of textures and flavors. Mr. Tojo's cold seafood salad with surf clam, slivered fried eel, shiso leaves, cucumbers, green noodles and a light soy dressing, is memorable.

As is the overall experience. This is not only good eating, it's good theater. A dramatic, forceful character, Mr. Tojo changes dishes and ingredients at whim. He seems to see North America not so much as a place to follow the traditions of his native cuisine, but as one where it can evolve. In Vancouver, he approaches cult status: for a young chef, working with him is an honor, and the enthusiasm of those lucky enough to whirl like dervishes behind the counter send out not only gorgeous food but also near-nuclear energy in every direction.

The wine list is limited, but there is a good selection of white wines from British Columbia, as well as a dazzling array of sakes. Most desserts are nicely done versions of the standards -- such as the inescapable green tea ice cream -- but the daily special is usually worth sampling. On my last visit I had black sesame ice cream served with fresh fruit, including pineapple marinated in strawberry juice, a pretty touch.

Bill of fare
Vancouver is easy to get around in: Cabs are plentiful and inexpensive, and if you are driving you probably won't get lost. Parking is easier than in most major cities, and none of these restaurants are right downtown. Just carry ''loonies'' and ''toonies'' (1- and 2-dollar coins) to feed the ubiquitous parking meters. All these restaurants take credit cards, and none allow smoking.

Prices are in U.S. dollars, calculated at $1.60 Canadian to the U.S. dollar.

Vij's, 1480 West 11th Avenue, just off Granville; (604) 736-6664. Open for dinner daily; no reservations (be prepared to wait, though, except for peak times, it often isn't bad). Dinner for two, about $45.

Sun Sui Wah, 3888 Main Street, near 23rd Avenue; (604) 872-8822. Open every day, lunch and dinner; reservations accepted. Dim sum, less than $13 a person. Dinner, $13 to $20 a person.

Lumière, 2551 West Broadway, near Larch Street; (604) 739-8185. Open for dinner, Tuesday through Sunday, closed Monday. Reservations almost essential, except for the bar, which can get crowded. At the bar, spending less than $15 a person is possible; otherwise, figure at least $50 a person.

Tojo's, 777 West Broadway, near Heather Street (second floor); (604) 872-8050. Dinner only, Monday through Saturday. Re