From sushi to hotdogs, doughnuts to deli, these are easy on the budget
Mark Laba
Province
Tim Simpson with a ‘chaurice’ sausage at Falconetti’s Eastside Grill. Photograph by : Les Bazso, The Province
Here’s a round-up of some of my favourite cheap eating spots, whether it’s take-out or perched on a stool dining with nothing to think about except a happy belly and an even happier pocket lining.
Au Petit Cafe
This place produces undoubtedly the best Vietnamese sub sandwiches in the city. Everything is great, served up on fresh and toasty French bread. Try the #1 with homemade ham, meatballs, cucumber, cilantro, mayo, carrots and hot peppers if so desired, the #2 with the same fixings but switching liver pate for meatballs plus savoury shredded pork or curried chicken variations. With a Vietnamese iced coffee, it’s a taste of heaven.
4851 Main St., Vancouver, 604-873-3328
Duffin’s Donuts
The brand new venue on East 41st Avenue near Knight includes Chinese food and Cambodian beef noodle soup also. Fantastic torta subs on fresh buns, loaded with lettuce, tomato, avocado and hot peppers. Try the spicy shredded beef machaca, chorizo and egg, the beef steak, ham and cheese or one of their new Vietnamese subs. Plus an Asian smorgasbord covering everything from lemongrass chicken to Szechuan beef and, of course, don’t forget the fresh doughnuts.
1391 East 41st Ave., Vancouver, 604-325-5544; 4898 Main St., Vancouver, 604-879-5551
Elena’s Country Kitchen
Besides the full-wall photo mural of alpine scenery that places you on a mountaintop somewhere, this place dishes up some great European treats. There’s all-day breakfast, pancakes, omelettes and classic lunchtime sandwiches but the real stars are the homemade perogies, sausage and cabbage rolls. This is simple comfort food right down to the apple pie or Rice Krispie square desserts.
1-5360 176th St., Cloverdale, 604-574-8806
Sabra Kosher Restaurant
This place makes a mean falafel and shwarma plate but that’s just the tip of the iceberg here. There’s also classic chicken and matzo ball soup, a veggie chili fajita with pita standing in for the tortilla, steaks, roast turkey drumsticks, penne Bolognese, classic dips like hummus or marinated eggplant plus extensive Chinese food listings. Black pepper beef, chicken chow mein and more on this recently revamped menu.
3844 Oak St., Vancouver, 604-733-4912
Nuba
The great take-out or eat-in quick- fix Lebanese cuisine that the original Nuba dished up is now available at this second location. Check out Najib’s Special of deep-fried cauliflower zapped with lemon and salt served up with tahini and hummus, great baba ganooj or mjadra, a lentil-and-rice concoction in a jalapeno-and-onion reduction, sirloin kebabs, amazing kibbeh with ground lamb, bulgur and pinenuts or shish tawook, which sounds like a Star Wars character but is really grilled chicken marinated with lemon, garlic and paprika. And the Turkish coffee here will either put hair on your chest or burn it off with each sip.
1206 Seymour St. near Davie, Vancouver, 778-371-3266; 322 West Hastings, Vancouver, 604-688-1655
Dona Cata Mexican Foods
A small family-run taqueria with authentic Mexican food and the most amazing array of homemade salsas. Try the combo platter with rice, beans and meat of your choice for soft taco wrapping. The spicy pork sausage longaniza, the carne enchilada, grilled bisteck, chicken mole or the pork al pastor are all excellent, simmered for hours to heighten the flavours and spices. On the weekends look for specialty soups like the hearty pozole, a corn hominy creation with tender pork and order it with deep-fried bean tacos on the side for dipping.
5438 Victoria Dr., Vancouver, 604-436-2232
Falconetti’s East Side Grill
Homemade sausages of the finest order that come in a specially designed bun to hold their curvature perfectly. I recommend the honey bratwurst, the Chaurice with Cajun-spiced chorizo, the 100 per cent ground-sirloin Polish creation, the tropical Thai Chicken with coconut, lime, curry and ginger, the Yucatan Chicken with cilantro and jalapeno or the good old sweet or hot Italian job. And the handcut Kennebec fries make a perfect side.
1812 Commercial Dr., Vancouver, 604-251-7287
Chicken World
A halal fast-food place focusing on clucker meat and there’s even a drive-thru for chicken-on-a-bun for those on the run. Chicken every which way but loose and running about. Try the jerk chicken, tandoori-basted or teriyaki sandwiches and burgers. They also do great fried chicken and honey-garlic chicken wings and, with fries and generous portion sizes, you’ll soon feel the gravitational pull of Chicken World and end up orbiting this planet of poultry regularly.
12842 96th Ave., Surrey, 604-588-0221
Hiroshi’s Sushi Creations
Besides the usual sushi and sashimi, this place has a listing for Creation Rolls. Almost sounds biblical. Tasty sushi cold-fusion concoctions like the Energy Roll with tuna, pumpkin and garlic lime sauce, the Refresh Roll with tuna, cilantro and lemon mustard, the Pumpkin Roll with parmesan and curry mayo or the smoked salmon shlimazel with red onion and ponzu. Sound strange? Your stomach won’t think so.
3720 Oak St., Vancouver, 604-737-7728
Thai Terrace
Chicken or beef sauteed with a variety of veggies and done up in a bevy of sauces from oyster to black bean to chili paste with basil leaves, along with tasty yellow, green or red curry dishes. Look for the Thai Terrace spicy pan-fried rice noodles or the Panang curry with lime leaves, basil, coconut milk and your choice of beef or poultry.
2872 West Broadway, Vancouver, 604-738-2824
Screaming Mimi’s
An amazing fresh seafood deli and oyster bar. Try the jalapeno creamy oyster on a bun, the Mediterranean marinated octopus salad, garlic beer prawns, the wild halibut melts, the crab and shrimp Louie, wild salmon rolled in puff pastry or the zingy ceviche chockfull of tasty sea critters just beckoning to be eaten.
Lonsdale Quay Market, North Vancouver, 604-987-3466
La Charcuterie Deli
Owner Salam Kahil calls himself the Sandwich Nazi and a sign on the door reads “This deli contains coarse language and nudity.” He told me, “if you want great sandwiches this is the place; if you want good service go elsewhere.” His sandwiches are certainly tasty. With names like the Brokeback Mountain’wich with Montreal smoked beef and garlic sausage, the Homy Cow’wich with Italian mortadella and hunter sausage and the Manwhore’wich with roast beef and beer sausage they’re as much fun to say as they are to eat.
19080-96th Ave., Unit #8, Surrey, 604-882-0881
Donair City Gyros
Sink your teeth into the Spicy Beef spiked with banana peppers and hot sauce or the Saucy Chicken that’s lathered with tzatziki and a hot or sweet sauce. There’s also a Hawaiian concoction, the Greek, the Maritimer or the Super Deluxe along with different meat or veggie variations on each theme. Build a donair city in your belly with these creations.
22329 Dewdney Trunk Rd., Maple Ridge, 604-466-8840