Chongqing Seafood Restaurant

205 - 1665 West Broadway

604-734-1668

Atmosphere - Dim sum is served between the hours of 9am and 3pm. The restaurant is jammed packed during the weekend with hungry diners, especially busy during and after lunch time. Chongqing has one very large main dining room that looks out onto West Broadway plus two additional, cosier rooms at the back of the restaurant. During dim sum hours the food items are wheeled around on carts by waitresses who shout out what the particular item is. Usually we just end up trying whatever comes by because it gets so busy you may not get a cart to come a while or it will be empty when it gets to your table.

Service - During dim sum hours it can be quite chaotic, probably because of too many tables for the staff to contend with but they do their best. Patrons at different tables compete with each other to get the cart to their table and then find out what the waitress has. If you have specific dietary requirements and you don't eat meat (I would not recommend this restaurant for strict vegetarians) you can usually order certain items off of the dim sum menu, though you must remind the staff of your order.

Food - On the dim sum menu you can find any thing from pork to chicken feet to shrimp dumplings. I usually go for the shrimp dumplings, Gai Lan, which has to be ordered, plus spring rolls. They usually provide some tea and a side of hot chili sauce which is good mixed with soy sauce.

Whom to take - Take your friends or out of town guests for a weekend brunch. Be sure you have a bit of time to spare.

Value for Money - Good, each dim sum item is $2.

Cappones Restaurant & Live Jazz Club

1141 Hamilton St.
604-684-7900

Atmosphere - Low lighting and and live jazz create a relaxed tone. The small round tables situated in front of the stage attracted a very ecclectic crowd, especially considering the location.

Service - Excellent. Our waiter was very attentive and friendly throughout the evening.

Food - We ordered the portobellini mushroom and the crab cakes to start and shared the smoked salmon pizza. I both loved the starters, the mushroom was juicy and had lots of flavour and the crab cakes were fresh and nice and crispy, they were served with a tasty aioli. I have been to Capone's before and enjoyed one of the best pizzas I've ever eaten. But this time I found the smoked salmon pizza was just too rich for me, though my date loved it.

Whom to take - Jazz lovers or for just a cool night out. If you go with a group I would suggest sitting towards the back of the restaurant away from the stage. You'll still hear the music.

What to wear - Looking around I spied everything from business wear to Harley Davidson jackets.

Value for money - Average. I agree with most pricing on the menu but the pizza prices seem a little high.

Sushi Yama

371 E Broadway
604-872-0053

Atmosphere - This tiny sushi restaurant is located about 2 blocks east of Main Street and is busy at all hours of the day whether you go at 12 noon or 9pm.

Service - The servers to an amazing job keeping up considering the traffic, especially at lunch time. Plan to wait for a table at peak times but they are friendly and quick staff will to take down your name and get you seated as soon as the next table becomes available. If you are in a hurry at lunch they do take reservations.

Food - I'm convinced that it would be impossible to top Sushi Yamas spicy tuna roll. As far as the other sushi each roll that is served is fresh, delicious and beautifully prepared.

Whom to take - Go for lunch or with friends for dinner, they will be glad that you did.

What to wear - Casual all around.

Value for Money - Excellent. You will be hard pressed to find a better sushi restaurant along Broadway.

Portobello Ristorante

2585 W. Broadway
604-734-0697

Atmosphere: Low lighting, Italian opera music, cozy but with enough space between tables. There is an open kitchen area so you can watch the chefs create your meal while they banter with the waiting staff. One of the chefs broke in to an a cappela version of O Sole Mio while we were waiting for our main course.

Service: The waiting staff are warm and friendly. Our waiter said to choose anything we wished as "everything would be perfect."

Food: I ordered the mussels in white wine sauce and the salmon pasta in cream sauce. The white wine sauce that the mussels were served in was fantastic, tangy and with a hint of lime. I found that the salmon filet was a little dry but the cream sauce was delicious, if not a litte too creamy. My date ordered the melon and prociutto appetizer, a traditionally Italian dish and the spaghetti bolognase. Both tasted just as they should.

Whom to take: Low lighting and ambiance make the perfect place to go on a date.

Value for Money: Good. A little pricey but worth it for the tasty food and great staff.