The James Barber "I Love Good Food" Guide to Eating in Vancouver

Lori A. Dunn is a freelance writer in New Westminster, British Columbia.

This book profiles the favorite Vancouver eateries of the “Urban
Peasant.”

The book reflects the ethnic diversity of Vancouver’s restaurants.
Korean cooking is included along with Japanese and Chinese, and in
addition to the usual European fare (Greek, Italian, and French), there
are profiles of restaurants specializing in Portuguese and Hungarian
food. Barber attempts to demystify Fusion cooking by describing it as
“not more than using whatever happens to be at hand to substitute for
whatever a recipe calls for and isn’t in the cupboard.” Atmosphere
is addressed as well. The restaurants profiled range from “very, very
family” places where “the kids do their homework in the back corner
by the cash register,” to places that are “very French—elegant but
minimal” or to places that feel “romantic and opulent the moment the
doorman opens the door.”

Unfortunately, the book lacks specific information about price. Barber
is clearly not a man on a budget. “Good value,” “expensive, but
worth it,” or “a lot cheaper than throwing a party at home” is
about as explicit as he gets on this important subject.

That criticism aside, Barber has packed a great deal of useful
information into this slender guide.