I first went to Happy Valley about five or so years ago. I was driving out of Vancouver around midnight, and it happened to be open. DL spotted it while we whizzed by on East Broadway. When Happy Valley first opened, they had late-night hours and were open until 1 or 2 am. The next time we went for late night snacks, they had tweaked their hours to close at 11pm or midnight.

I’m having a quick breakfast at Damien’s Belgian Waffles in Steveston Village this morning. It’s a tiny little waffle factory located in Chatham Plaza on Chatham Street. (And by “quick breakfast” I mean much, much less than two hours. This will make sense later...) It’s a bit DDE when I scan the strip mall, but once I head inside, the waffle aroma makes me forget about the exterior.

I’m at The Crab King today.
I came home, briefly, and now I find myself back in Steveston? I did not plan this. So here I am, again. The weather is crisp and sunny this afternoon. There are people milling about in flip flops! Now, that’s a bit extreme. It’s warmer than winter, but it’s not flip-flop warm.

I am in Vancouver for several days attending a conference for work. I’m hankering for some Hainanese Chicken Rice. I also want some bubble tea when I’m done, so I set my sights on City 1 Café on the corner of Oak Street and King Ed. City 1 Café is conveniently kitty corner to Dragon Ball Tea House.

French Made Baking arrived near the corner of Kingsway and Broadway not too long ago. The location is convenient for me as I’m in this vicinity fairly often when I stay in Vancouver. It’s a bakery if you haven’t already Columbo’d that from the name. I pick up a few croissants and things to make a quick breakfast this morning; along with other items for nibbling throughout the day.

Macarons ($10.00 for six)

The last time I ate was 22 hours ago, and that was 6 cubes of honeydew and 4 cubes of cantaloupe. Needless to say, at this point I am willing to eat a leather shoe.

I remember going to Banana Leaf Malaysian Cuisine back in my days in uni; back when Ais Kacang was still on their dessert menu. The initial Broadway location was located further west down the street. A Taste of Vietnam Restaurant occupies the old space now. The faded Yoplait Source yoghurt container that Banana Leaf used to hold their take out menus is still hanging outside the original location.

I’ve been cooling it with sushi lately, but due to an extended stay in Vancouver I find myself in Kerrisdale. Well now, I decide to treat myself to a roll or two. Ajisai Sushi is a compact Japanese restaurant. The floor space is a bit awkward but it works. It’s elbow to elbow in here today, but I find bar seating in front of the window.

Assorted Sashimi ($16.00)

The Kingsway Deli sits next to Tung Hing Bakery, near the corner of Kingsway and Inverness. For years I've been playing out my own version of the Battle of the Bánh Mì between these two. If you come to get a bánh mì at the Tung Hing Bakery, then you must stop by Kingsway Deli as well. They also serve bánh mì, and it is tasty too. Kingsway Deli's subs are slightly cheaper than Tung Hing, but the real reason why I come here is for their popsicles. Yes, my friends, the frozen fruit pops!

Or Tung Hing for short...We’ve been purchasing our bánh mì here for several years. Back when the most expensive sub on the menu came to a whopping $2.00. The price has crept up over the years, but at a thrifty $3.25, they are still far cheaper than any other sub sandwich.