Peaceful, yes, with creative cuisine to liven anyone’s tastebuds
Mark Laba
Province
Charlie Huang, owner of the Peaceful Restaurant with some of the Northern Chinese-style dishes that will intrigue and satisfy.
PEACEFUL RESTAURANT
Where: 532 West Broadway, Vancouver
Payment/reservations: Major credit cards, 604-879-9878
Drinks: Unlicensed.
Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. every day
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Peace seems to be that unattainable quality of living that we search for all of our days. Even in death it’s never a sure bet, which leads us to engrave “Rest in Peace” on our headstones to send us on our hopefully merry way into the afterlife or onto the compost heap depending on your beliefs or lack thereof. Peace in the Middle East has almost become the punch line to some kind of existential joke and peace just about anywhere is as fleeting as a shadow cast by a butterfly’s wings in a hurricane.
But it’s good to know that there’s still hope, even if it dwells for those few tranquil moments when you’re putting food in your mouth. Some Chinese restaurants don’t beat around the bush and just call it as they see it when it comes to naming their establishment. Hence there are Enjoy Garden, Fantastic Restaurant, Good Deal Restaurant, Happy Date Restaurant, Success Seafood and even Super Happiness. Add to that list Peaceful Restaurant specializing in cuisine from Northern China and some intriguing twists on Mandarin-style cooking.
Peaches and I stepped into their spanking new digs with its non-descript but pleasant décor and a long glassed-in open kitchen running the partial length of the room. It makes for great viewing when the cooks get to whipping up their wonderful homemade noodles. It’s kind of the Cirque du Soleil of noodle-making.
Ironically I’m not the most adventurous eater when it comes to some Asian foods, even though I’m a reviewer by trade. Beef tendons, chitterlings (pig intestines), tripe or duck beaks don’t sit that well with me or my belly.
But this menu with its eclectic mix of dishes creates enough intrigue to beg return visits.
Northern Chinese cooking presents a tantalizing array of flavours you may not associate with Chinese cuisine including cumin- or cilantro-scented lamb, curried chicken or a dish known as Cat’s Ear stir fry which is a kind of Chinese gnocchi. This restaurant does it up big time and the amount of dishes from hot pots to hand-dragged noodle creations is mind-boggling along with the critters thrown into the mix.
Previous dining adventures here have always been inspiring and, on this particular visit, Peaches and I, on our server’s advice, tried the beef rolls ($6.50). Thinly sliced five-spiced beef rolled in a green-onion flatbread with hoisin sauce proved to be outstanding. Szechuan dishes are also well-represented and we took the plunge with Szechuan Thousand Chili Chicken ($11.95), which sounds like a slow torture method for poultry. You will die the death of a thousand chili chickens or something to that effect. They’re not kidding when the say a thousand chilies. The fumes alone had me choking and the sight of all those red, slightly-charred chili peppers looked like a vision of hell if you were a chicken. For good measure, they also threw in a bunch of garlic. Very tasty although I think the chilies sucked up all the sauce trying to douse their own fire.
Playing it safer we sampled good old beef with broccoli, also liberally flecked with garlic ($9.95) and also went to work vacuuming up Shanghai noodles ($8.95). Both very good.
So check out the spicy salt-dusted tofu or the hot-and-sour potato, the pork claypot with homemade meatballs lolling about with napa cabbage, yam vermicelli, tiger lily buds, shiitake mushrooms and crispy tofu, the rice wine cod or the black-tea smoked duck.
Peacefulness abounds unless you accidentally suck back one of those chilies.
5 GREAT PLACES FOR CHEAP MEXICAN RESTAURANTS
1. Doña Cata Mexican Foods: From the amazing lineup of homemade salsas that cover every flavour to the terrific homecooking you simply can’t go wrong. 5438 Victoria Dr., Vancouver, 604-436-2232
2. Salsa & Agave Mexican Grill: Humble little joint that belies the excellence of the cooking. I suggest trying the Carne Tampiquena, a great combo plate that includes thin-cut grilled top sirloin and a chicken enchilada with green tomatillo sauce. 1223 Pacific Blvd., Vancouver, 604-408-4228
3. El Pulgarcito: Like an outdoor taqueria moved inside with checkered plastic table coverings and a bottle of hot sauce to keep the excellent Mexican and Salvadorian food company. 2522 E. Hastings St., Vancouver, 604-258-7922
4. Burrito Del Rey: Mexican home-cooking at amazingly cheap prices at this casual order-at-the-counter type of hole-in-the-wall eatery. 4140 Hastings St., Burnaby, 778-319-7761
5. La Conquistadora: OK, it’s in Whalley next to a motorcycle shop, but step into this family-run Mexican and Salvadorian restaurant and the home-cooking will transport you to sunnier climes. 10609 King George Hwy., Surrey, 604-588-2291
Got a suggestion for Mark?
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CHEAP EATS: DANNY’S DOGS & SHAKES
Selling point: This little shack on the seawall serves the cheapest thing you’ll ever find in Coal Harbour to eat and the dogs and milkshakes are truly delicious.
What to eat: Not a lot of choice here. It’s an excellent all-beef hotdog for $2.50 or two for $4 with a decent bunch of condiments to dress your wiener properly. The ice cream and milkshake flavour listings are extensive with entries like black cherry, espresso flake, cookies ‘n’ cream, chocolate peanut-butter cup, vanilla bean, New York Cherry Cheesecake or Triple Tornado to name a few.
Located on the Coal Harbour Seawall by the Coal Harbour Community Centre, 480 Broughton St., Vancouver
EDIBLE CITY: BURGOO
Lowdown: A longtime stalwart on the Point Grey dining scene offering its hearty stews, soups, sandwiches and more, Burgoo branched out to the North Shore and has now opened a new location on Main Street complete with a patio, a new summer menu and drinks guaranteed to make your brain glow and pulsate.
What to eat: Check out the summer salads or fresh veggie-and-dip plates; also a great chicken Caesar clubhouse or a monthly quiche and in the stew department look for the classic mac ‘n’ cheese, the ratatouille, a Thai-inspired coconut curry, or the zarzuela, a Spanish dish with seafood, plus smoked ham and veggies. And desserts like sticky toffee pudding, summer fruit crumble are great finales.
3096 Main St., Vancouver, 604-873-1441
© The Vancouver Province 2008