The food and service is good. However, there is a weird smell inside the building that smells like…read morewet clothes that have not been dried. The pungent smell threw us off but the food more than made up for it.

First time here and the staff were sooo welcoming! Tried out a few of their dishes!…read moreSinigang shrimp - a little too sour but lots of veggies and shrimp inside! Highly recommend ordering rice to go with it Chicken adobo - Chicken came off the bone and was perfectly marinated! Beef pares - thought the noodles were too soft and it was on the salty side Buihon guisado - big hit amongst the group!

Super tasty Filipino place a few blocks N of Lonsdale Quay…read more Parking is available but limited on the streets. The interior is pretty dumpy. Basically a hole in the wall. Nice casual comfort food. Looks like a mom & pop (brother & sister?) place. The guy used to the executive chef at Truffle House (now closed) in Ambleside (West Vancouver). I happened to enter the place near their closing time (incorrect business hours) but they were kind enough to still serve my buddy and me with whatever they had still available. I had their litson (lechon) with garlic rice. Super tasty. Gobbled up the entire thing. The lechon skin was a bit hard, but I think that was more because it had been sitting all afternoon. Not going to hold that against them. Served with tangy chili(?) dipping sauce. They have other cafeteria items available if one comes earlier in the day. Definitely will be back to try some of their other stuff. Recommended.

What a great discovery! Filipino food is the unsung hero of South Asian cuisine. Unbelievably…read morefriendly and helpful. The chef was quite jovial and the lady who ran FOH was lovely. It's a teeny place with only 5 or 6 small tables, so takeout might be a great option too. I had the grilled squid stuffed with sisig (sautéed pig parts) and garlic rice and it was spot on. Best Filipino garlic rice I've had in vancouver. Squid was perfectly grilled and the sisig never lets you down, especially with the great vinegar sauce that comes with. Lovey had the 2 dish special with garlic rice, and her two dishes were Bicon Express (pork in coconut milk with a bit of chili) and Laing, which is taro leaves cooked down in coconut milk. Superb, even if it's not the most appetizing looking! Can't recommend this place enough. I'll be back again and again.

Supper affordable good eats! Been to LA Grill & Bistro many times with friends and always had a…read moresolid meal. Their drink prices are like from 20 years ago! They also offer lunch and dinner specials so check out their website for the daily specials. My favourites are the nachos, chicken souvlaki, New York Steak. My friend loved the BLT and LA Burger. Located in the mimi mall complex so lots of free parking around.

There is discount eating and then there is discount dining…read more Ikea and Golden Coin, qualifies in the former. Golden Coin, IMHO is actually *healthier* than Ikea. Who knows what fillers and other preservatives is in the pre-prepared food of Ikea. Is Ikea edible? Yes. Will it Kill you? Unlikely. LA Grill is the latter, discount dining. Ironic that its next to a discount grocery chain, FreshCo in the same strip mall. If you want an addition to discount eating, there's also the Arches in the strip mall complex. There's also the option of fighting with the bottle collectors for some couch change at the Return-it Recycling depot a stone's throw away. DDDD, dumpster diving discount dining at its best. Derision aside, LA Grill is quite decent for what it is. It's not fancy, nor is it gourmet. The menu is not extensive, let alone exhaustive. Very simple with options for everyone's palate. The pricing is the bonus. It's extremely reasonable. Hauntingly similar to X-Site Bistro in North Burnaby. Others have mentioned that they maybe the same owners or related in some way. Worth a visit.

It was my first time here. The food was delicious. I should try the other food in the menu in the…read morefuture. The service was great.

This is the kids' new favourite place. Great service, great food. Pad Thai with chicken is the…read morebest. Imperative to start with crispy spring rolls - 1 per person.

A group of us were on the waitlist for Tom Sushi, but the wait was 90 minutes, and a couple of us…read morewere hungry, so we decided to stop here for a drink and quick bite. Being familiar with Maenam, Sen and Fat Mao, I had a certain level of expectation for Sainam. It was early on Friday evening (around 6pm) and it wasn't busy. I didn't make much of a note of the decor - a nice enough space, but not memorable by any means. What I tried: - Lychee Rhubarb Lemonade: Good. It was refreshing. - Som Tom Sua: Not good. It lacked flavour. I wouldn't order it again. - Laab Fried Rice: Good. Good flavour and wok hei. Quite expensive for the portion size though. Service was adequate. Friendly and attentive enough, but nothing remarkable. I recognize that we didn't sample a lot, but what I did have was mixed. I would consider coming back to give it another chance.

We came for dinner on a Friday and there weren't many people as it was still early in the night…read more The som tam was really well balanced. Had a seafoody flavour to it that I liked. The portions as pretty big as well and not too spicy. The beef carpaccio has a very powerful kick to it. The meat was a bit chewy but that was fine. I liked the balance of the mint and the onions. It gave it a freshness. The cabbage is necessary in this dish and so is the cucumber. The Tom yum gong is where it went downhill. It was way too salty and I know it's meant to be had with rice but it was still too salty. I wished it was more sour. There was a lot of mushroom in this dish along with chicken. The Thai tea was pretty good. Had the chatrumae flavour to it. Not too sweet. The service was good not overly attentive. Everything came out really fast. Overall not bad but I wouldn't purposely come here just for the Thai food.

Service was really good! I had a really wonderful experience here. Food also are amazing…read more I ordered Fish Hot pot, Steak Salad, Pad Thai, Mango Sticky Rice. It was delicious! Definitely come back to try more dishes.

Rens Cafe is a beautiful dinner spot with a glass-ceiling indoor terrace that fills the space with…read moresoft natural light and creates a relaxed, airy atmosphere. I ordered the mixed mushrooms with glass noodles from the main dishes menu (one of the few vegetarian options available). It's a simple stir-fry--fragrant garlic, mushrooms, and silky glass noodles. Nothing overly complicated, but comforting and satisfying in its own way. At first, it feels quite understated, almost plain-looking, but it grows on you with every bite. The little chilli sauce on the side is what really elevates everything. A bold mix of green chilli, garlic, ginger, and lime juice--it completely wakes up the dish and turns each bite into something bright and punchy. It honestly made me realize how much I miss ginger in everyday cooking. The stir-fry is a bit oily, but it seems intentional, helping keep the glass noodles from clumping and giving them that smooth, glossy texture. My only wish is that there were more plant-based options on the menu--because the space and flavours here really deserve a stronger vegetarian selection.

Stopped here for family dinner simply because it was close by, and I had a craving for Thai food…read more We made reservations online, and showed up on time, and were quickly seated. As I entered, I quickly remembered being in the space not long ago when it was a El Gato Gab Gab. The space has stayed mostly the same, but the decor has been updated to have a more Thai theme. We initially had our mind set on 5 dishes, but were told 2 were sold out, so we had to make some changes. They had mentioned a couple other items (which we didn't order) were sold out too, so they clearly had some supply or planning issues to work out. Here is what I tried: - Stuffed Chicken Wings: Very good. The batter had volume, but stayed quite light. The chicken was mostly deboned, and fully stuffed. Probably my favourite dish of the night: - Crispy Frog Legs: Very good. Quite similar to the chicken wings in terms of the light batter. - Khao Soi Chicken Leg: OK. Tasted fine, but the chicken, although tender, had a slightly mealy quality to it that I thought was a bit strange. - Pad Ka-Pao Beef: Good, but the beef was more "wet" that I normally see it. - Naem Fried Rice: Good. No complaints. Service was very pleasant, and they took the time to present and describe the dishes. They did seem less attentive as the place got busier though. I would rate this visit a 3.25 out of 5 - a little better than average. I really liked the stuffed chicken wings and crispy frog legs, but everything else was a bit more average including the service. Not having a few dishes we wanted shows signs that they need to iron out some operational issues.

This place has changed many times, and now it's a Thai restaurant!…read more I really enjoyed it overall. They kept the original structure but redesigned the interior, which now has a beautiful Thai-inspired fusion style. Food-wise, I liked everything I ordered. The two appetizers complemented each other well--one deep-fried and one herb-based, creating a nice balance. The chicken leg noodle had a very creamy soup base. Last but not least, the cocktails were creative too--Thai-inspired but not overly boozy. The service was great as well. All the servers were friendly and always smiling.

Food is half way decent. This isn't authentic Mexican food I will say that. Good vibe tho, drinks…read moreare cool. Good happy hour.

I went with a friend who comes here one afternoon in December, so we sampled from the Happy Hour…read moremenu and a few drinks from their regular drinks menu. We tried: Happy hour Cubano - I appreciated it that it was not greasy, and wasn't a goopy mess of mayo like other ones I've had. I think I would like a bit more meat in it, but overall it was good. Happy hour burger - it was actually pretty good. The bun was fresh, the veggies crisp, and the patty was a good smash burger with nice flavour. If I were ordering it again, I would ask for an extra patty, as the meat gets a bit lost with everything in the burger. Happy hour chips & salsa - we added guacamole to our order. The salsa was very bland. We both doused each chip we ate with the very mild hot sauce they brought to the table. The chips were good. Happy hour beers - both the house lime lager and ale were tasty. The Cuban old fashioned - my friend enjoyed her drink. I thought it was too sweet. Santa Clara sling - it was good, but needed more acidity and was sweet. Classic pineapple daiquiri - good but needed more lime. I appreciated that while it wasn't on the menu, they made it for me and only charged me $10 during happy hour! Guava margarita slush - it was actually pretty good but a bit too sweet for us. We fixed that by adding a couple of extra shots of tequila to it. The place got very busy by 5:30pm, and the atmosphere was lively and staff were great. I think my main quibble is that the drinks and food menu seems to think it's mostly a Mexican restaurant, which is why I'm only giving it 3 stars.