[Vancouver, BC] Queen vs. Shuraku (Music or Food?), the Showdown

Shu-Raku
833 Granville St

Vancouver, BC

(604) 687-6622

J: In this trip to Vancouver, our goal was to have fun at the Queen and Adam Lambert concert at Rogers Arena. Part of our plan after the show was to revisit one of our favourite ramen joints, Ramen Jinya, before heading off to the Kingston Hotel for some well deserved rest. Unfortunately things do not turn out as I hoped. My mind could understand Ed’s enthusiasm to stick around after the concert to meet the musicians, but my stomach was not so forgiving. After 30 minutes and no food nor autograph in site, Ed and I did what we always do best — to hit the pavement and hope we could find something remotely edible along the way.

E: One of these days, meeting a musician I adore and getting an autograph will happen! I need something to sit next to my much beloved photo with Metal Queen Lee Aaron! All it takes is persistence and that’s what I do best. But even my tummy was aching and did I want to pass up the foodie scene in Vancouver? I think not!

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Nothing New at the Old Spaghetti Factory

603 Douglas St.,
Victoria, BC
250-381-8444

The rustic flavour of the Old Spaghetti Factory is one of the main draws for some tourists. But for locals, you either love it or hate it.

Originally started in Portland, Oregon, the chain became popular and expanded to all ports at sea. For those people coming out of the Victoria bus depot or the Coho ferry, this restaurant may very well be the first place people can go to have a fast meal before heading off to other destinations unknown.

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Fast Food and the Fickle Finger of Fate

La Fogata Latina
749 View St.
Victoria, B.C.
250-381-2233

J: Like the fickle finger of fate, my stomach is rarely satisfied with one incident and so it was a Colombian-influenced hot dog that was my next call of destiny. Pineapple sauce and crisps (chips for the non-British) is something that wasn’t as appealing as it sounded. If you’ve ever watched Red Dwarf then you’ve heard of Hitler’s infamous banana and crisps sandwich but would Adolf have switched to a pork cylinder in a bun and ruin his perfectly good mustache?

E: Or maybe that Colombiana cola which tasted as smooth as a a cream soda. I knew I had to take James to La Fogata Latina on my next visit to try out the rest of their menu. On my first visit, I tried their Mazorca ($4).

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The Melt Serves Up Simplicity


Note: This place has closed permenantly.

The Melt

G2A – 1001 Douglas St
Sussex Place
Victoria, BC
(250) 590-4636

The Melt replaces the former pizzeria that once operated here. While I liked what the previous establishment made, square shaped pizzas, it did suffer from one problem: the lack of proper heaters to keep the pizza warm.

Ironically, the new establishment fulfills a certain need. The Melt properly grills its toast so that the cheeses are satisfyingly gooey at every bite.

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L’Authentique Poutine & Burger Reawakens!

L’Authentique Poutine
& Burger

Langford, BC

Can this fact be true? Is “Zut alors” a cuss word? Well, that’s beside the point, but an exclamation must be used to let folks know that L’Authentique Poutine & Burger is back! And the best part of all is that their new truck is sporting the colours of the Quebec flag. One just has to excuse the wood panelling that’s added to the design too.

Although this food truck operation took longer to get going again, and I can certainly understand the Winter break. Although the Inuit do consume fatty meats to help them stay warm, the Victorians (let alone the folks in the Western Communities) do not need to.

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Fast Bites at La Crêperie Voilà

La Crêperie Voilà
707 Pike Pl.
Seattle, WA
(206) 447 – 2737

A word to the wise, most fast foods need to be eaten after it’s made than saved for later. At La Crêperie Voilà, they are made on the spot and the scents are a delight to tickle the taste buds. Although they ran out of the ratatoulie late at night, I certainly hope this place is well stocked during the day for those hungry crowds looking for a lunch-time bite. At the rate this place is able to churn out a product, the time between order to delivery is very good.

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