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I had a chance to check out Cassis Bistro here in downtown Vancouver recently and it was pretty tasty. They whipped up a vegetarian pizza for us as an appetizer that wasn’t on the menu because I really wanted to try Raclette cheese on a pizza (they had it on another one but it had prosciutto on it). I love it when restaurants are totally open to being accommodating to vegetarians and whip up something delicious and tasty on the spot.

Then as my ‘main’ I had the baked brie and papaya chutney crepe. Sooooo yummy! Cassis is really great little spot to have lunch, especially on a sunny day like today where you can enjoy the cute little patio in the back.

I’ve walked passed it a billion times and always thought to myself what a great name it had, but it wasn’t until I did a search on urbanspoon for nearby restaurants that it popped up and I resolved to check it out. And I’m glad I did! Btw that nearby search thing is so useful.

A few of my friends have been going on for months about some sushi place off Main Street that’s really good but annoyingly always has a huge line outside. On Sunday, one of them suggested we go there for dinner so I figured I should finally go see what all the fuss is about. The place is none other than Toshi Sushi.

We thought if we got there early, it would save us from having to wait in line. We arrived at about quarter to five only to find a line of about 15 people waiting for the restaurant to open at 5. It was actually kind of entertaining to watch bewildered passerbys look and wonder what all the fuss could be about.

I’m not going to go into minute detail about every aspect of the experience but I would say that overall I thought it was a good place and if I’m in the mood to wait in line I’d definitely go back. I was pretty happy to find that they had a natto roll, which I ordered, and it was quite tasty. I also ordered a cream cheese and green bean tempura roll (it originally had salmon in it but when I asked to get a vegetarian version they were very accommodating) which was quite good. The only thing is that half the roll had roe on it, so I gave that to my friend to eat. Next time I’ll have to remember to be very very specific and make sure they don’t put any roe/tobiko on my rolls. After that I was still hungry so I ordered a soy film and veggie roll which I actually didn’t care for too much. It was basically one of those overloading on the veggies rolls that just ends up tasting like crunchy water in rice (blaaaaand). Overall though the sushi was good. The service was great, they were always refilling our teas and waters, and the waitresses were super friendly and chatty. This is definitely a good place to go if one is missing Japan, it’s got an authentic Japanese atmosphere to it which is nice.

Since my last couple of posts were about food and restaurants, it seems fitting to share this: Miss 604 recently posted about Vancouver restaurant health standards. Let me just say that I will be checking the BC food establishment closures pdf before I pick my next place to eat out.

It’s actually quite amazing what information is online in terms of avoiding places with dirty problems. For example I was pretty relieved to see that my new apartment does not turn up on the Bedbug Registry (although it’s a bit frightening how many places in the West End do). The only thing with initiatives like the Bedbug Registry is that you gotta take that information with a grain of salt since anyone including disgruntled bad tenants can write slanderous posts just as easily as legitimate complaints.

I finally got to try The Eatery a few days ago. I had great hopes for it, despite hearing mixed reviews from friends. While I wasn’t disappointed, it was no Sushi Island replacement either and so my search for awesome inexpensive veggie sushi in Vancouver continues.

I started with the Veggie Croquettes which I thought were pretty authentic-like for a veggie version, I mean as far as I could tell never having really eaten tonkatsu or the like. The sauce was authentic anyway.

Then I had the Tasty Trio veggie sushi combo. Nothing special about the avocado and yam tempura rolls (well ok the yam rolls were very nicely arranged), but I had high hopes for the Mango Paradise roll. Unfortunately, all I can say is that it was ok. I think the mango kind of got lost in with all the other stuff. It wasn’t bad by any stretch, but didn’t blow my mind either.

Anyway, the food was good and there are all kinds of interesting and enticing things on that menu so I’ll very likely be back. The Mochi Okonomiyaki definitely has me intrigued…

I’m starting to accept that I’m not going to find my replacement for Pizzaiolo or Amato here in Vancouver, or even Bitondo’s (in fact I’m seriously starting to question whether Vancouver even knows how to make a decent cheap-by-the-slice pizza), but with a sushi joint on every corner I for sure am convinced there must be a place where a girl and go to get her fix of tempura and green grape sushi?!

Where is my Vancouver version of Sushi Island hiding?! I’ve made it a point to try different sushi places every time I go to one, but I’m started to get worn out by always finding the same veg options everywhere I go. Some lame combination of avocado, iceberg lettuce, and shredded carrots. I mean, it works, but come on Vancouver sushi joints where is the excitement and innovation for us populous vegetarians who happen to enjoy their veggies (and occasional fruit) wrapped in some rice and seaweed?

I am however excited to try vegetarian dim sum at the Hon’s Wun-Tun Hous on Robson one of these Saturdays, which I was very happy to discover at the Dine Out Here Vancouver blog.

For those of you lucky enough to be in Vancouver, the 2007 Circle Craft Christmas Market looks like it’s going to be chock full of creative goodness. It’s happening Wednesday, November 7 to Sunday, November 11, 2007 at the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre.