# Seattle and Vancouver advice **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 6, 2008, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seattle-and-vancouver-advice/466674 "2008-10-06T14:31:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seattle-and-vancouver-advice/466674/21 "2008-10-06T21:53:47Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > The city is Victoria, but it’s on Vancouver Island. (There’s also a Vancouver, Washington, just across the river from Portland, Oregon; all named for George Vancouver, who commanded an early mapping expedition of the area.) Huh. Learn something new everyday I guess. I visited there a few times when I was stationed at Ft. Lewis and never noticed the distinction. Or maybe I’d forgotten. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seattle-and-vancouver-advice/466674/22 "2008-10-06T22:26:23Z")
**Le Panier** for pastry and coffee in the morning. **Etta’s** , right down the street for full breakfast. **Serious Pie** for pizza and beer. **Salumi** is a hole in the wall that will net you a good, hearty soup and Italian sandwich, but the line can be long at lunch. **Wild Ginger** for dinner (get the seven flavor beef, then kill yourself). We went to a terrific Indian place in Vancouver, BC, but I can’t remember the name of it. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seattle-and-vancouver-advice/466674/23 "2008-10-06T22:34:22Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > We went to a terrific Indian place in Vancouver, BC, but I can’t remember the name of it. Vij’s is the place everybody always raves about. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seattle-and-vancouver-advice/466674/24 "2008-10-06T22:48:45Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > **Salumi** is a hole in the wall that will net you a good, hearty soup and Italian sandwich, but the line can be long at lunch. Seconded, but note, it’s open four days a week for only a few hours. If you don’t work downtown, you have to make a serious effort to make its window. > [@](#): > > _ **Wild Ginger** for dinner (get the seven flavor beef, then kill yourself)._ I respectfully disagree. Wild Ginger is a tourist-friendly flashy Asian fusion place, but as far as the food goes, it isn’t even top twenty in its category in the city. You can get much, much better Asian food here. > [@](#): > > _We went to a terrific Indian place in Vancouver, BC, but I can’t remember the name of it._ Per the above, this is probably Vij’s. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seattle-and-vancouver-advice/466674/25 "2008-10-07T00:15:13Z")
EMP is ok if you have low expectations and can get someone else to pay for it. And it does have the advantage of being indoors. If you’re not used to rain, this time of year “being indoors” is a definite advantage. As for Vancouver: > [@](#): > > a visit to some beach area she likes - google the beach. Depending on your sister’s sense of humor, you may really want to have done that. ---
**Author:** ![Shamozzle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shamozzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shamozzle)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seattle-and-vancouver-advice/466674/26 "2008-10-07T00:42:24Z")
> [@Pork\_Rind](#): > > Vij’s is the place everybody always raves about. Vij’s is excellent but a bit uppity and not the usual-type Indian food you’ll find in Vancouver. _Raga_ on Broadway is very good. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seattle-and-vancouver-advice/466674/27 "2008-10-07T01:00:52Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > Wild Ginger is a tourist-friendly flashy Asian fusion place, but as far as the food goes, it isn’t even top twenty in its category in the city. You can get much, much better Asian food here. Agree. And you’d be surprised just how bad their Health Department reports are. Just last year, they came a few points from being _shut down_! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![lizardling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@lizardling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lizardling)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seattle-and-vancouver-advice/466674/28 "2008-10-07T02:38:18Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > The EMP is overrated and way expensive. I promise, you’ll walk out at the end and say to yourself, well, that was a waste of sixty dollars. But it’s kind of something you need to prove to yourself, I guess. This. Absolutely. I’ve been to the EMP/SF Museum twice, and both times it was because of a company event that meant no shelling out. I wouldn’t have gone otherwise, and would not consider the sum experience (without the company shindig) worth more than ten or twelve bucks if that. > [@](#): > > Vietnamese: Monsoon (Capitol Hill; hard to find but worth it) and Tamarind Tree (edge of international district). Also, if you like pho, try Than Brothers, Cyclo, or Pho Bac. Than Brothers is famous for its giant-ass bowls and its cream puffs. (word of advice: order the small OR the medium if you haven’t eaten all day. Seriously. Medium bowl = size of head.) There are conflicting opinions on whether the pho is Worth It or not. Me, I’ll drop by the Ballard branch if I’m jonesing, but I don’t know that I’d seek them out. > [@](#): > > Dim sum: Good options, but none is particularly great. New Kowloon has decent food but the service is spotty. Honey Court is usually okay, sometimes great, sometimes bad, very inconsistent. Jade Court is consistently average. My favorite in the area is Jeem’s, but it’s on the Eastside and out of your way. There’s much better dim sum in Vancouver anyway. Interesting, Jeem’s has a pretty small and unexciting dim sum selection compared to some – I’d have given them a 3 on a 5 star scale. Maybe they’re more exciting on Sundays? My family swears by someplace in the International District that I can’t remember but which I always mix up with Heaven’s Gate, forgive me. > [@](#): > > Indonesian: Julia’s Kitchen on 65th is great. My family is Indonesian, and they endorse this statement for good ol’ home cooking. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seattle-and-vancouver-advice/466674/29 "2008-10-07T04:20:40Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > **Salumi** is a hole in the wall that will net you a good, hearty soup and Italian sandwich, but the line can be long at lunch. True, but the three words you really need to remember at Salumi are “Hot meat plate.” And FYI, you can also now find Salumi salami at DeLaurenti’s in Pike Place Market. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seattle-and-vancouver-advice/466674/30 "2008-10-07T05:18:48Z")
> [@lizardling](#): > > Jeem’s has a pretty small and unexciting dim sum selection compared to some This is probably my personal bias, but I’d rather have a smaller selection of dishes, done well, than a larger selection of dishes, done inconsistently. Everything in the limited selection at Jeem’s is B quality, which means that nothing is an A, but nothing is a C or lower, either. You can get better individual plates elsewhere, and a broader scope, but I know when I go to Jeem’s everything will be satisfying, nothing will get screwed up, and (this is important) the service is consistent. But like I said, dim sum in Seattle is generally hit and miss. That’s why we have Vancouver. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seattle-and-vancouver-advice/466674/31 "2008-10-07T06:48:55Z")
> [@Hunter\_Hawk](#): > > And FYI, you can also now find Salumi salami at DeLaurenti’s in Pike Place Market. And the grocery store (Metropolitan Market) which has more convenient hours. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seattle-and-vancouver-advice/466674/32 "2008-10-07T13:34:52Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > Seconded, but note, it’s open four days a week for only a few hours. If you don’t work downtown, you have to make a serious effort to make its window.I respectfully disagree. Wild Ginger is a tourist-friendly flashy Asian fusion place, but as far as the food goes, it isn’t even top twenty in its category in the city. You can get much, much better Asian food here.Per the above, this is probably Vij’s. I’m not surprised about Wild Ginger, I guess, but the seven flavor beef was freaking outstanding the two times I had it. I didn’t think my wife’s dinner was nearly as good. Vij’s it was, in fact. There’s a mini-Vij next door to it for those who don’t want to wait. We also had some decent Brazilian food in Vancouver. Another good place for breakfast is **Lola** (another Tom Douglas place), although I’ve never gotten past the pancakes to try anything else. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seattle-and-vancouver-advice/466674/33 "2008-10-07T20:38:14Z")
You aren’t inviting her to Trivia night? We had a great time with you guys when we visited! ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seattle-and-vancouver-advice/466674/34 "2008-10-07T22:42:31Z")
Well, she did say she’s going to be here for only a day or two, so it didn’t really occur to me. But thanks for the nice words. **Antigen** , if you’re here on a Tuesday night and find yourself at loose ends, and would like to hang out at a beer-soaked table full of pedantic wankers, you’re invited to join us for pub trivia. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![straight\_man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/straight_man/32/3027_2.png) [@straight\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/straight_man)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seattle-and-vancouver-advice/466674/35 "2008-10-08T00:56:34Z")
My time in Vancouver has mostly been a lot of walking around (being a poor student and all), so take this with a grain of salt, but walking across the Lion’s Gate Bridge was absolutely spectacular. That’s really all I have for you. The aquarium was kind of fun, but not mind-shattering. Same could be said of Stanley Park in general. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seattle-and-vancouver-advice/466674.md?page=1)