Anh and Chi is a vietnamese restaurant in Mount Pleasant, Vancouver.
Anh and Chi on Main Street is the sibling-run modern Vietnamese kitchen since 2016, Michelin Bib Gourmand 2022, Vancouver's reference banh xeo and pho.
Signature dishes: Banh xeo crepe, Bun cha Hanoi, Pho bo dac biet
Must order: Banh xeo with the family-style sharing platter; siblings Amelie and Vincent Le run the room.
Tip: No reservations; walk-in line for dinner from 17:00. Weekday lunch is the easier seat.
Address: 3388 Main Street, Vancouver, BC V5V 3M9
Kingyo Izakaya on Denman is Vancouver's reference modern izakaya since 2008, named one of Canada's best Japanese rooms by Air Canada's enRoute in 2014.
Signature: Stone-grilled gyu tan, Buta kakuni, Sake-steamed clams
Order: Stone-grilled gyu tan and buta kakuni, the kitchen's standout izakaya plates.
Tip: Lunch walks in. Dinner books on OpenTable a week out; the chef's counter takes the omakase.
Dachi on East Hastings is a counter-style izakaya since 2018 with a deep sake list and seasonal fish, Michelin Bib Gourmand 2022 and a Vancouver Magazine top.
Signature: Daily fish crudo, Wood-grilled skewers, Sake selection
Order: The kitchen's fish crudo from the daily list, then yakitori skewers with a glass of sake.
Tip: Tock reservations open 30 days out; the counter walks in for the early seating.
Joe Fortes on Thurlow is Vancouver's long-running upmarket seafood house since 1985, named for Vancouver's first lifeguard, plus a rooftop oyster bar.
Signature: Oysters on the half shell, Cedar plank salmon, Crab cakes
Order: A dozen Read Island oysters with a glass of BC sparkling, plus the cedar plank salmon.
Tip: The rooftop oyster bar walks in for sundowner oysters from 16:00 May to September; the dining room books on OpenTable.
Phnom Penh on East Georgia Street since 1985 runs the Cambodian and Vietnamese kitchen the city sets its bar by, Michelin Bib Gourmand 2022.
Signature: Crispy chicken wings, Butter beef carpaccio, Pho ga
Order: A double order of the crispy chicken wings and butter beef carpaccio; Phnom Penh's reference plates.
Tip: No reservations; arrive before 18:00 or after 20:30 to skip the line. Cash takes a discount.
Sushi Masuda on West 1st Avenue is chef Hirofumi Masuda's small edomae counter since 2018, Michelin-starred in the inaugural 2022 Vancouver guide.
Signature: Edomae omakase, Akami tuna, Hokkaido uni
Order: The omakase at the counter; chef Hirofumi Masuda trained at Sukiyabashi Jiro and Sushi Saito.
Tip: Reservations on Tock open 60 days out and book within minutes; one omakase price point.
Fable Kitchen on West 4th from chef Trevor Bird is a farm-to-table room since 2012, Top Chef Canada finalist and the city's reference Kits neighbourhood pick.
Signature: Wood-grilled steelhead, Crispy chicken, Brunch poutine
Order: The crispy fried chicken with smashed potatoes; a Top Chef Canada Kitsilano standby.
Tip: Reservations on OpenTable open 30 days out; Sunday brunch books on Resy.