The Library Square Pub

The Library Square Pub has been around since 1995 and at one point, was part of the Donnelly Group and subsequent Freehouse Collective.  They are now an independent outfit and still offer up a killer location for those wanting to grab a bite before or after events at the nearby stadiums and theatres.  We were there recently for the Superbowl party and watched the Seahawks capture their second Vince Lombardi trophy.  Atmosphere was electric and the food was reasonably-priced.  This time around, we were here for their Sunday specials, in particular, their Steak & Lobster for only $25.00.  Yes, you read that right.  Steak & Fries are only $13.00!

Let's get right to the point of this blog post - the Steak & Lobster!  So just because it costs only $25.00, we weren't getting something crappy.  Resting on a bed of crispy Cavendish fries, we found a 6oz NY steak prepared medium-rare.  It was actually quite tender despite the low price tag.  On top, there was a decent sized broiled lobster tail.  The meat was bouncy and sweet.  Pretty good with all things considered.

Now if you want to get a bit more spendy, for $30.00 you get a 6oz NY Steak with Lobster and Snow Crab Legs.  Things were the same with the steak but it was topped with some caramelized onions and sautéed mushrooms.  That in itself added more umami to each bite of steak.  The snow crab was pretty typical where the meat was briny with sweetness.  

We tried other items from the Sunday Feature Menu including the Fresh Shucked Oysters.  These local Pa'aje oysters are famed by the Tla'amin Nation in the waters of Okeover Inlet.  Rather than being briny, these had a subtle melon finish.  There was still sweetness and they were fresh.  We didn't find any shell fragments and the oyster shells themselves were presented nicely.  This came with mignonette and creamy horseradish.

Served in a toasted bread bowl, the Seafood Chowder was thick and rich.  It started off a bit more brothy, but then settled into a denser viscosity since it started to soak into the bread.  Not a bad thing though as we tore off the bread and it was delicious.  The chowder itself had some brininess to got with appealing sweetness.  Lots of chunky ingredients and this was definitely filling.

Staying with the seafood theme of the menu, there was also the 1/2 lb of Mussels in a chorizo & white wine sauce.  Really enjoyed this as the mussels were plump and cooked just enough.  That broth was so packed with flavour that was part spicy, a little sweet and plenty garlicky.  Those grape tomatoes provided some brightness and tang.

We got 2 cheesy dishes in the Baked Smoked Oysters and the Escargots.  Both were served with crostinis and that was critical because we definitely needed something to balance out the richness.  For the smoked oysters, they were the typical ones you would find in a can (hence the serving vessel), but were topped with a inordinate amount of cheese.  As for the escargots, they were their usual bouncy-textured self while spiked with a lot of cheese and garlic.  Very aromatic and yah, needed that bread.

We couldn't come to a pub without having some drinks right?  From left-to-right, we had the Sangria, Cocktail Tower and a Caesar with prawns and a crab claw.  Naturally, the cocktail tower would be best shared and it consisted of fruity flavours mixed with tequila.  Loved the sangria as it was refreshing but still had enough wine in it.  Caesar was at its tomatoey and briny best with the bite from Vodka.

We ended things off with their rendition of PNE Mini-Donuts.  Hey, I've worked at the actual stand at the PNE and in comparison, these were pretty darn good.  With the sugar and cinnamon crusted onto each soft and fluffy donut, these were legit.  A side of dulce de leche dip added even more sweetness.  As you can see, the food here on the Sunday Feature Menu at The Library Square is both affordable with more-than-acceptable eats.  You really can't beat that.  I would recommend that you try it out for yourself.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Incredible pricing

- Good food quality for that price point

- Generous portion sizes

The Bad:

- It can get busy, due to the pricing, so you need to be patient

Sainam - Thai Isaan Eatery and Bar

You've probably heard me talk about how many of the restaurants we have in Vancouver (and many other spots around the world) take the "tourist" approach to their menus.  Hence, we see multiple cuisines from different regions of one country all packaged into one restaurant.  We are seeing more often that restaurants are being dedicated to one region as customers are becoming more aware and are also demanding it.   This brings me to one of the newest Northeastern Thai restaurants in town in Sainam.  Opened by Angus An, Sainam joins a growing list of Isaan (or E-Sarn) focused Thai restaurants in Vancouver.  Known for their sweet and sour flavour profiles and Loatian influences, it is definitely different than the usual coconut thick curries and seafood of the South.

Predominant on the front page of the menu, there is a section dedicated to Som Yum (Papaya Salad).  Although it was suggested we try the one with salt cured little crabs, we opted for the Fried Papaya Salad instead.  I've had the one with the crabs before and it was definitely briny and full of umami.  However, this fried papaya salad was all about the textures.  So much crunch in this and bathed in a sweet and tangy dressing that was also plenty spicy.  It was a balanced spiciness though as I could still taste everything else and not kill my tastebuds for the other dishes we ordered.

For our next item, we had something that is not unique to Isaan cuisine, but definitely a Thai favourite as the menu states.  This was of course, the well-known dish of Pad Thai.  I would say this was prepared in a familiar way and it was probably intentional.  For those who are not familiar with Isaan Thai, this (and the other items in the Thai Favourites section), would be accessible.   The noodles were chewy and al dente while doused in enough tamarind for a tangy bite.  There was a touch of brininess and balancing sweetness.  It was pretty mild, but the side of chili powder helped kick things up.

Another dish from the same section of the menu was the Laab Fried Rice.  This had sufficient wok hei for some nuttiness from the rice.  The rice itself was moist, yet not wet, where it was chewy with discernible grains.  It was seasoned well where every bite was full of flavour including the various herbs including the sweet star anise hit from the Thai basil and some spice from the chilies.  Of course we had some brininess as well as plenty of sweetness too.   Some background acidity balanced things out. The big chunks of chicken were rather dry, but not in a bad way.  It had crispy bits on the edges and a firm chew everywhere else.

One of my favourite cuts of meat has to be Pork Neck or aka Pork Collar as it is fatty and tender.  Therefore, we ordered the Nam Tok Pork Neck.  There are 2 versions on the menu and this particular dish found the sliced pork neck tossed with roasted rice powder, herbs and spicy lime dressing.  As per usual, the pork neck was fatty and plenty bouncy in texture.  Very nice mouth feel with tangy spiciness as well as the brightness of the herbs.  There was some nuttiness from the rice powder.

Whenever we are dining on SE Asian cuisine, ordering Fried Chicken Wings is a must.  Something about how they seasoned them and the dipping sauces...  So good!  Well, the one here at Sainam was pretty decent.  The wings themselves were still moist with rendered crispy skin.  We would've liked to see more fish sauce glaze on the outside though.  It was plenty flavourful with caramelized sweetness and briny saltiness.  The dipping sauce on the side was a good combination of saltiness, sweetness, tanginess, herbaceousness and spice.

We ordered one veggie dish in the Stir-Fried Cabbage with fish sauce & dried chili.  This was quite good in terms of flavour as the sweetness of the palm sugar was evident and it was caramelized.  Nice briny saltiness from the fish sauce and there was an earthiness in the background.  There was definitely some spice in the end too.  One thing that we would have liked to see was more wok hei and charring of the cabbage.  Texturally, the cabbage was still crunchy and vibrant.

Onto dessert, we had the Pandan Custard Cake which was in a nice shade of pandan green.  It was soft and mildly sweet with the unmistakable floral and nutty notes.  Definitely tropical tasting and not super heavy.  The sweetened egg topping was texturally pleasing while adding an extra hit of flavour.  Overall, Sainam is a solid choice for Northeastern Thai food.  Yes, I didn't get to dive deep into the true Isaan dishes on the menu, but I wouldn't mind coming back to try them.

The Good:

- Nice flavours

- Attentive service

- Unique dishes on the menu

The Bad:

- Wok hei was sufficient, but we would've liked to see even more smokiness

Kobe Japanese Steakhouse (Dine Out Vancouver 2026)

Now this is a Vancouver classic... Kobe Japanese Steakhouse has been around since 1968 and has been delighting customers with grilled-in-front-of-you eats complete with a show.  I've been here numerous times over the years, but believe it or not, the last time was in 2011.  Yes, there are far too many places to dine at and getting around to ol' favourites is difficult.  Well, I'm happy to report that things are still going strong here and they are offering a Dine Out Vancouver menu for 2026 that is only $60.00.  It is complete meal were Jackie and I previewed it prior to the start of DOV on January 21st.

The meal started off with a bowl of Shabu Shabu Soup which consisted of chicken & beef stock.  It was a clear and clean soup that was mildly seasoned.  It had some fried onions which added sweet aromatics.  There was also sliced mushrooms and green onion.  Of course we were here for the teppanyaki and our chef gave us a show that included many fireballs, an onion volcano, shrimp tail tossing and plenty of sound effects from the metal spatulas and seasoning shakers.

With our food being prepared in front of us, it did heighten our anticipation as the smells and aroma made us salivate.  The Teppan Shrimp was seasoned and tossed in a good amount of butter and lemon.  It seared up well and had a buttery snap to go with the brininess.  Prepared at the same time, we had a good amount of Vegetables including zucchini, onions and mushrooms.  It was cooked well so nothing was mushy and there was enough seasoning as well.  Two sauces were provided for dipping including a mild Ginger and a punchy Garlic & Mustard.  That garlic & mustard was my favourite and went really well with the steak and chicken (that you will see in the few pictures).

In addition to the shrimp, we also had Tiger Prawns that was cooked in a liberal amount of butter.  These were meaty with a sweet snap and went well with the ginger sauce.  For the base DOV menu, there is a 5oz Sirloin steak included, but for another $14.95, it can be upgraded to a 6oz Beef Tenderloin (which is in the picture).  These were seared on all sides with butter, seasoned and then cut into cubes.  More butter and seasoning followed an extra sear.  These little morsels were buttery tender and although there was good flavour already, I dipped it into the Garlic & Mustard sauce.

Our last course was the Teriyaki Chicken and that was probably my least favourite since it was chicken breast.  It wasn't overcooked per se, but wasn't juicy either.  At least it had lots of sauce to add moisture.  Went well with the provide bowl of rice.  Dessert was a choice of Mario's Gelato: Vanilla Tofulatti, Matcha or Mango.  We tried all three of them and believe it or not, the vegan Tofulatti was my favourite.  Flavour was mild and sweet enough while the texture was somewhere between ice cream and sorbet.  The Matcha and Mango were rather sweet, yet pretty creamy.  Overall, for $60.00, the DOV menu at Kobe is a good value with more than enough food for one person.  Sure, it isn't the most amazing meal in the world, but the food was good for what it was and you get a show to go with it too.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- It's a fun night out
- DOV menu has enough food
- Meat quality is good

The Bad:
- Will never be a "fine dining" experience, but it isn't trying to be

 

Dovetail

So I finally made it out to Dovetail...  It has only been 2 years since they have opened!  Replacing Nightshade (which was vegan), Dovetail's menu features a California-inspired West Coast menu with various influences.  Honestly, I didn't mind Nightshade, but the offerings at Dovetail look a whole lot more appealing to me.  With a chic, but casual atmosphere, Dovetail's menu is closer to chain restaurant pricing.  That makes it a bit more accessible than many other Yaletown restaurants.

Starting off light, we had the Tuna Tartare.  This was rather refreshing due to the use of yuzu ponzu.  Lots of tanginess and brightness, but I felt that the dish was far too saucy.  With that being said, I still enjoyed it due to the aforementioned refreshing flavour profile.  Clean-tasting, the cubes of tuna were soft while being contrasted by the crispy fried lotus root chips.  We found some edamame, avocado, sliced radish and tofu added to the mix as well.  I was not really feeling the tofu and that could've been omitted.

The most surprising dish for me was the Bang Bang Shrimp.  Normally, when I see that on the menu, I stay far away because it is usually a disappointment.  However, this one was fantastic!  Super plump and large, the shrimp were lightly coated being crispy while the inside was buttery and bouncy.  There was just enough spicy aioli for moisture and some creamy spice.  The pickled fresnos levelled up the spice with a balancing acidity.

Another delightful surprise was their Burger constructed with 2 beef patties, onion, pickles, American cheese and comeback sauce.  All of this was served on the softest of buns.  This gave us Big Mac vibes in the best way because it didn't have an extra bun nor the messy lettuce.  Beef patties were well-seared and properly salted.  Meat was still moist.  The side of fries didn't look like much but were crispy and plenty potatoey on the inside.

With a strong mushroom essence emanating from Mushroom Mafaldine, I could not wait to try it.  This did not disappoint as the salt levels were on point.  Lots of umami from the natural mushroom flavour as well as a light touch of truffle.  Sauce was super creamy, yet not overly heavy.  Pasta was al dente and held onto the balanced amount of sauce very well.

We went big with the 26oz Bone-in Ribeye prepared medium as suggested.  I agree with the steak being cooked to medium as ribeye can be chewy if too rare.  However, the cook on this was a bit uneven.  The middle was perfect but the end pieces were completely cooked through and looking very grey.  With that being said, it was still tender and properly salted.  Loved the creamy and mild horseradish cream on the side as well as the herbaceous chimichurri.

On the side, we got the Broccolini that was beautifully grilled.  Sporting some char, there was smokiness to the dish.  Although cooked through, the broccolini was still crunchy and vibrant.  It was tossed in a roasted shallot vinaigrette which added a background acidity.  To top it off, we found some crispy shallots as well.  Once again, on point use of salt here.

Of course we didn't skip dessert and in fact, we had two.  The first of which was the Lemon Tiramisu.  As expected, this was lighter than the traditional version.  Although, the lady fingers were soaked with limoncello, it wasn't that sweet.  The lemon curd immediately made this tangy and helped balance the heaviness of the mascarpone.  This was quite pleasant.

I wasn't going to order the Passionfruit Cheesecake at first (since we were quite full), but we got it anyways.  Good decision as it was NY-style being rich and thick.  The brûlée on top added sweetness (as the cheesecake itself was not that sweet) and a smoky caramel crunch.  Tangy and sweet, the passionfruit sauce made this eat a whole lot lighter than it was.  Overall, the food at Dovetail was really good and fairly-priced.  Definitely a good option in Yaletown and an alternative to the chain restaurants.

The Good:

- Delicious food

- Reasonably-priced, especially in Yaletown

- Nice vibes

The Bad:

- Ribeye could've been cooked more consistently

Jinmi

I guess it has come full-circle for Chef Jay of Jinmi.  Well-known for their South Korea Seosan Female Soy-Marinated Crab, Jinmi's original location was on Denman (Jinmi Juga).  Chef Jay actually started out at Black Rice and eventually went on to feature his marinated crabs, cumulating in that B&M store on Denman.  Now he takes over the former location of Ju, which which started out as Black Rice.  Back at the scene of the crime, he is now offering up his delicious marinated crabs and his spin on South Korean cuisine.

Naturally, a visit to Jinmi would not be complete without going for their Premium Soy Crab Bansang.   At $62.00 per person (this one is only one order), we got one female marinated crab, rice, seaweed soup, 4 side dishes, sesame oil and gamtae.  Compared to other places I've had raw marinated crab, this one was quite good.  There was lots of roe and crab butter, which was sweet and briny.  The meat was soft and mushy as expected.  Went well with the chewy rice and sesame oil.  I used the gamtae (seaweed) to wrap the rice and crab.  Delicious!  The sides included eggplant, zucchini, kimchi and pancake.  These were decent with the eggplant being my favourite.

Usually, a Korean seafood pancake has all of the seafood encased inside.  At Jinmi, they present the seafood on the outside.  We got the Seafood Chive Pancake and it was super thin with chives in the middle.  Being thin and containing much less moisture, it was super crispy.  We found marinated mini-octopus and grilled shrimp placed on the top with globs of tangy mayo.

The marinated raw crab didn't end with only one dish though.  We also got the Gae-Jang Gooksu (Cold Noodles with marinated crab).  Even though I personally prefer the crab with rice, it wasn't bad with the chewy buckwheat noodles either.  Properly cold with the sweetness of the crab roe, meat and butter, this was bright with the taste of the sea.

Our last dish was super delicious in the Prime Angus Beef Steak.  This was actually a 6oz beef short rib that was slow cooked before being grilled.  Hence, the meat was so tender, it required little chewing.  With that being said, it still had a meat texture and was flavourful in a meaty and sweet way.  On the side, we found some gamtae chimichurri, salt and spicy pepper sauce.  In general, the food at Jinmi was solid.  Seeing how they kept much of the old decor from Ju, the surroundings were pleasant as well.  Service was also quite good.

The Good:

- Solid eats

- Good service

- Nice surroundings

The Bad:

- If you drove, the parking situation is challenging

- Prices are on the higher end, but it is Downtown though

Tre Viet

It is nice to see the increasing amount of Northern Vietnamese spots opening up in the GVRD.  Growing up, all I was exposed to was Southern Vietnamese, where the menu sported various versions of Pho, Rice dishes and Vermicelli Bowls.  Yes, there is more to Southern Vietnamese cuisine than that, but that is what we got.  The latest Northern Vietnamese spot is Tre Viet on Denman in Downtown Vancouver.   This is the sister restaurant the CHÉN Vietnamese in Burnaby, hence you will find many of the same delicious dishes on the menu.  We dropped by for a tasting of the menu.

To start, we had the Hanoi Crisp Crab Parcels and the Anchovy Chicken Wings.  Although crispy (from the rice paper wrapper) and generally pleasing, I would've liked to see more crab in the parcels.  I would gladly pay more money for it.  As for the wings, they were quite good.  Nicely caramelized fish sauce with its classic salty brininess.  The meat was juicy and tender.

Our next appie was something that would appear in another dish later.  These were the Deep Fried Young Rice Cakes.  Really enjoyed the "meatiness" of these with a pleasant chew that went well with the sticky rice.  We also got the Rainbow Salad with prawns.  This was a fresh and appetizing mix of purple cabbage, carrot, onion, mint, peanuts and fried onion.  Lots of crunch and aromatics to go with the chili sweet & sour dressing.

Onto the soup noodle portion of the meal, we had the veritable Bún Bò Huế.  I found the broth to be clean with sweetness and the impactful aromatics of lemongrass.  Then we had the hit from the spicy oil as well as some brininess.  Pretty good!  In place of a pork knuckle, we got sliced pork hock instead.  We also found cubes of pork blood in addition to the other meats.  

Rather than ordering the typical Phở, we went for Tre's Special Soup.  The moist interesting thing in the bowl was beef meatballs encasing a salted egg yolk.  Like a Vietnamese Scotch egg, this was bouncy and flavourful with the nutty and salty egg yolk.  There was also thinly sliced rare beef with rice noodles in a phở broth.  Again, the broth was clean with mild flavours (just like how Northern-style phở generally can be).

We tried a new item that isn't on the menu yet in the Peanut Satay Phở.  This was aromatic and of course, nutty.  It was rich, but not thick (if that makes sense).  Hence, it was completely drinkable with some briny spice at the end.  There was also a balancing amount of sweetness.  We got some aromatics in a herbaceous manner.  Really good and the thin-sliced beef was tender.

 

Our last noodle soup was the Lemongrass Chicken Phở.  The chicken was actually served on the side, but we put it in the broth for the picture.  However, that actually was great in function too.  The smokiness from the charred chicken helped add depth to the broth.  Normally, a Phở Ga is pretty mild-tasting and sweet (which this was), but with the chicken added, we got the lusciousness from the chicken fat.

All of the dishes we've had so far was delicious, but the Bún Đậu Mắm Tôm Đặc Biệt was striking and even more delicious.  This platter consisted of pieces of vermicelli noodle, fried tofu, sliced pork hock, fried young rice cake, fried intestines and blood sausage.  All of this could be dipped into a punchy fermented shrimp paste sauce.  On the side, we found calamansi, peppers and lime.  Great for brightening up the flavours and cutting through the richness of the fermented shrimp paste.  Really enjoyed this as the textures of each item were different and that shrimp sauce was full of umami, funk and brininess.

So we did get one rice dish and it was the Grilled Lemongrass Pork Slices and Prawn Skewer.  We added 2 fried eggs for good measure.  This was a generous portion of food where the pork was charred and caramelized.  Since it was fairly fatty, it was tender as well.  Good marinade on it where it was plenty sweet, briny and salty.  The prawns were charred as well but a little overdone.

We had the Tre House Special Banh Mi.  This was similar to a đặc biệt where it had a variety of hams and meats.  It was plenty saucy with butter mayo and pate.  It wasn't devoid of flavour where the meats provided umami while the ample pate added aromatic meatiness.  Pickled veg offered up crunch and tanginess while the cilantro did its herbaceous thing.  The baguette was crunchy and fairly soft on the inside.

To go with our food, we had a variety of beverages including Matcha Coconut, Avocado Coffee, Calamansi Ice Tea and Fresh Sugar Cane Juice.  Hands down, the calamansi was a hit for me.  The tartness and sweetness really was refreshing and help compliment the dishes we had.  Avocado coffee was rich and smooth.  This would be the drink I would have by itself.  Aromatic and tropical, the matcha coconut also had the requisite bitter aftertaste.  It was nicely balanced.  Of course the cane juice was sweet, but on the other hand, it was diluted enough that it was not too sweet.  Overall, the food at Tre Viet is delicious and served in generous portions.  Some real distinctive dishes you'd not find at the run-of-the-mill Southern Vietnamese spots in town.  Definitely worth checking out.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Distinctive Northern Vietnamese dishes

- Large portions

- That fermented shrimp sauce!

The Bad:

- Wished there was more crab in the parcels

- Pork slices could've been a bit less fatty