Commercial Drive - Vancouver - page 253

Cherubim - attached to a wholefood grocery store - goes the whole hog with a full-on
vegan and veggie menu of hearty, well-priced comfort foods. There's an Indian feel to
much of the menu, with pakoras and chapati wraps proving justifiably popular. Go for
the great-value thali combo to fuel up for the day.
The desserts are also worth dropping in for. Consider a mid-afternoon pit stop on the
woodsy patio with a cheeky Nanaimo bar or a not-quite-so-cheeky raw hemp and blue-
berry smoothie.
CANNIBAL CAFÉ BURGERS $$
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( www.cannibalcafe.ca ; 1818 Commercial Dr; main $12-15; 11:30am-midnight; ; 20) This
is a punk-tastic diner for fans of seriously real burgers. Made with love (and the service
here is ever-friendly), you'll find an inventive array from classics to the highly recom-
mended Korean BBQ burger. Top-notch ingredients will ensure you never return to a
fast-food joint. Check the board outside for daily specials and keep in mind that there's
a good kids menu here, too.
KISHIMOTO JAPANESE KITCHEN + SUSHI BAR JAPANESE $$
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(2054 Commercial Dr; combo mains $9-14; 11:30am-2:30pm & 5-9:45pm Tue-Sun; 20)
Reservations are not accepted at the Drive's best Japanese restaurant, so arrive early to
snag a table or expect to join a long line. Even if you have to queue, it'll be worth it:
the sushi here uses fresh ingredients with exquisite presentation and attentive service.
The salmon and OMG rolls are recommended but they also do an excellent okonom-
iyaki (Japanese pancake).
The menu is generally good value, but consider a combo bento box for the full
stomach-stuffing effect. And if the pine mushroom soup is available, slurp it up imme-
diately: it's a seasonal house specialty.
CARTHAGE CAFE FRENCH $$
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( www.carthage-cafe.com ; 1851 Commercial Dr; main $15-32; 5-11pm Mon, 11:30am-3pm &
5-11pm Tue-Sat, 5-10pm Sun; 20) This hidden gem is the Drive's most romantic
European-style restaurant. Hunker in a candlelit corner with your date and stare lov-
ingly at a menu of French-Tunisian dishes that come to your table perfectly prepared.
You can't go wrong with the spicy lamb shank on couscous, but consider the mussels,