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Window Perches 1 & 2 At Haru Korean Kitchen On Cambie Street

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A long time ago we posted a reader’s poll listing what we considered to be the top five restaurant tables in Vancouver. We received so much in the way of reader feedback – both positive and negative that we’ve decided to shine a brighter light on the subject, one excellent table at a time. You’ll find more great tables here.

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by Andrew Morrison | I fall in love with dishes regularly. The one that currently has me in its power is the gently spiced fried chicken nugget plate at Haru Korean Kitchen (324 Cambie Street). It’s my new favourite thing in the world, and so are two of the seats it offers. The new restaurant on the edge of Gastown (hardly a month old) is simply designed with a basic but beautiful interior. The floor plan is a typical box layout with a series of modular four-tops on one side and a banquette spine running down the other. No one seat is better than another in such a configuration, but there are two elevated perches on either side of the front door that make a huge difference.

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These bar-height counters – referred to internally as “Bar 1” on the left and “Bar 2” on the right – provide the only window seats in the house. There are three swivel-stools to each counter, each of them affording excellent views of the comings and goings of the block, including Revolver Coffee across the street and the alley connecting Cambie to Homer. You may have your back turned to the rest of the dining room, but there’s just something so special about watching the world go by from a previously unavailable vantage point that makes the sacrifice worthwhile. (This address has seen several restaurants come and go in recent years – eg. Tropical Fusion, Afro-Canadian, Avemar – none of which, for reasons that escape me, ever thought to take advantage of their windows.) I can’t resist these seats in the same way that I have trouble saying no to Haru’s fried chicken, so when I can get both at the same time it’s a very special thing indeed. Take a seat and enjoy.

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