VANCOUVER - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 107

yours—from type of meat, portion size, and how it's cooked to accompanying starches and
vegetables.
A few blocks north of the Hyatt Regency toward Burrard Inlet, sleek Show Case (1128
W. Hastings St., 604/639-4040, breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily, $15-30), at street level of
the Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle, features floor-to-ceiling windows, contemporary styling,
a split-level restaurant/bar layout, and a six-meter (20-foot) canvas hanging from the ceil-
ing. Breakfast comprises all of the usual traditional North American choices ($26 for a full,
cooked breakfast including coffee), but it's lunch and dinner that shine, with well-priced yet
exotic dishes prepared using local seafood and game, simply and stylishly presented.
Seafood
One of Vancouver's finest seafood restaurants is M YEW Seafood + Bar (Four Seasons
Hotel, 791 West Georgia Ave., 604/692-4939, 7am-midnight daily, $25-41), a cavernous
space within one of Vancouver's finest hotels. The casual decor is British Columbian all the
way, while the menu swims with schools of piscatory pleasures. Wild salmon, papaya, and
peanut salad is one of more than 20 appetizers, while traditionally prepared entrées, such as
paella stuffed with the freshest local seafood, make up the main menu. The extensive wine
list is especially strong on white wines—the perfect accompaniment for a feast of seafood.
At Canada Place is Five Sails (999 Canada Place, 604/891-2892, 5:30pm-10pm daily,
$32-40), in the Pan Pacific Vancouver Hotel. The fabulous setting and harbor views are re-
flected in the prices. The menu features dishes originating in the chef's French homeland,
but steers away from using the fusion techniques that are prevalent in many of Vancouver's
better restaurants. For an appetizer, the Dungeness crab salad is an easy choice, while main
dishes include roasted halibut char and olive-crusted rack of lamb.
Slick and chic, Coast (1054 Alberni St., 604/685-5010, from 5:30pm daily, $27-38) is
a cavernous dining room that bristles with energy. It was formerly a warehouse, and the
industrial feel has been softened with a light color scheme and modern furnishings. The
menu of fresh seafood is a knockout from beginning to end: Start with clam chowder with
smoked bacon, which comes with chunks of sourdough bread for dipping. Then move onto
entrées such as tempura-battered halibut with aromatic spiced fries or one of the seasonal
grill choices, which may include ahi tuna or wild salmon.
Steak
Steak lovers who feel like a splurge should consider Gotham Steakhouse (615 Seymour
St., 604/605-8282, 11:30am-3:30pm Mon.-Fri., from 4:30pm daily, $32-58). The cavernous
room holding this restaurant is divided into a restaurant and a bar, meeting in the middle un-