Beer Garden, Vancouver

My beef with Canada is the lousy exchange rate and the FIFTEEN PERCENT TAX! When we arrived it was CAD$1 = USD$1.004!!!

Needless to say, there was a moratorium on shopping.

Then, there was the search for inexpensive places to eat in Central Vancouver. One high end Italian Restaurant close to the Fairmont was charging CAD$22 for Spaghetti. With the current exchange rate, that was just ridiculous. And the restaurant looked no better than UGO in Culver City (which, last I checked was charging US$10 for Spaghetti Aglia e Olio).

This was the cheapest meal we had in Vancouver clocking in at CAD$22.75 (Hon's Chinese clocked in at CAD$28).



Welcome to the Beer Garden. It's Cafeteria style with acceptable food which they re-heat as you order (sigh).


Above, clockwise from top left: Turkey Pot Pie, Fruit Cup, Small Ceasar Salad, Chicken Curry.

Steamworks, Vancouver

This was the first restaurant we hit after arriving. It's next to Canada Place, right by the water and had a good after-work crowd going.

And No, Tony, IT'S NOT A BATH HOUSE!




It's a microbrewery and the light beer was very good. Clean and no aftertaste. Above you can see the brewery and open kitchen.


Above: On the left is Salmon with Pastry crust and on the right is Chilean Sea Bass. Yumm


Above: Dessert was Key Lime Pie which I polished off. Above right: That's a Gooseberry which I also ate. Dee-lish!

Metropolitan Hotel, Vancouver

The Metropolitan is supposed to be a boutique hotel in downtown Vancouver, but it looks like a regular upscale hotel. The Molton Brown amenities was a great touch.

The location is great. Close to shopping, the Vancouver Art Gallery, Robson Street Shopping, Restaurants and Canada Place where the cruise ship docks. It's short walk to Gastown, Chinatown, Granville and Davie Streets.


The room is spacious and the bed is comfy. There is nothing interesting in the interior architecture to push it to boutique status. As a matter of fact, that round cocktail table looked completely tacky and the built-in nightstands are completely 70's, and not in a good way, as Nina Garcia would say.


The bathroom is spacious with a separate tub and shower.


Molton Brown toiletries and hotel stationery, including a letter from management informing us of construction blasting next to the hotel.

Out and About Vancouver

Above: Canada Place, where the cruise ships dock.



Above:Vancouver Bay View



Above: Lovely Indoor/Outdoor space.



Above: Blenz Coffee Shop. Love the date bars!



Above: Vancouver Art Gallery.



Above: Impossible Van at the Vancouver Art Gallery



Above: Street performers outside the Vancouver Art Gallery.



Above: Gastown, Vancouver.

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Above: Steam Powered Clock in Gastown.

Vancouver is Under Construction

First Stop: Vancouver. The whole city seems to be under construction. Getting ready for the 2010 Winter Olympics? I did notice that there is a profusion of high-rise buildings, which I did not expect.

This big blasting hole was immediately next to the hotel where we were staying: