VANCOUVER - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 116

African
One of Vancouver's few African eateries, Nyala (4148 Main St., 604/876-9919, from 5pm
daily, $15-25), at King Edward Street, provides the opportunity to try some unique dishes
(think ostrich stew) without spending a fortune. Pakora, an appetizer of battered vegetables,
is an Ethiopian staple and can be combined with a variety of stir-fries to create a main meal
for around $18 per person.
Italian
Q4 Ristorante (2563 W. Broadway., 604/734-4444, 11 11:30am-2pm Wed.-Fri.,
5pm-10pm daily, $18-35) exudes an elegant yet casual atmosphere, and the walls are lined
with cabinets filled with wines from around the world. An outdoor deck features table set-
tings set amid flowers and shrubbery. The menu emphasizes traditional country-style Italian
cooking, including pastas and specialty dishes, such as beef tenderloin ravioli.
Indian
One block north of West Broadway at Granville Street is M Vij's (1480 11th Ave., 604/
736-6664, from 5:30pm daily, $28-30), one of Vancouver's most acclaimed Asian restaur-
ants. Vikram Vij, the East Indian owner, is a master at combining the intense flavors of his
homeland with the tastes of his Vancouver customers, thereby creating a unique menu that
appeals to everyone. Presentation and service are of the highest standard, but the food really
makes this restaurant stand out. No reservations are taken, and getting a table often involves
a wait, which says something about a place in a nondescript building within one block of a
kilometer-long strip of other restaurants.
NORTH SHORE
If you've crossed Burrard Inlet on the SeaBus, visit Lonsdale Market (123 Carrie Cates
Ct., 9am-7pm daily) for local produce, including a couple of market stalls selling seafood
fresh from the trawlers.
The pick of spots for breakfast or lunch in suburban West Vancouver, west of Lonsdale
Quay and the Lions Gate Bridge, is Savary Island Pie Company (1533 Marine Dr., 604/
926-4021, 6am-7pm daily, lunches $7-12). Join the line at this super-popular café and order
a slice of foccacia pizza or a generous slab of chicken potpie, saving room for an oatmeal
cookie or brownie.