A no messing around guide to the coolest things to eat, drink and do in Vancouver and beyond. Community. Not clickbait.

‘Tis the Season for a Classic 1940’s Cocktail (That’s Cheaper Than a Plane Ticket)

You Need To Try This is a running archive of all the awesome drinks and delicious dishes we’ve come across over the course of our professional and private lives.

If you’re not going anywhere warm during the hectic run-up to Christmas, a transportive drink like the classic Mai Tai is definitely in order. Invented in California towards the end of the Second World War (1944), the tiki concoction – made of rum, curacao, orgeat syrup and lime juice – was specifically designed to be evocative of the South Pacific. It’s not too complicated a puzzle to make at home (even if you screw it up it will still taste pretty damn good), but as is the case with many delicious things a Mai Tai will almost always taste better when someone else makes it. Go ahead and indulge in the one offered at Notch8 in the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. It just so happens to be exemplary (made with Mount Gay and Bacardi Black rums) and it’s half price during during their Happy Hour service. Apparently this week’s weather is going to be brutal enough to require such a liquid daydream, and chances are you’re going to be in the neighbourhood doing some Christmas shopping anyway…so bottoms up!


Notch8 (at the Hotel Vancouver)
Neighbourhood: Downtown
900 West Georgia St.
604-662-1900

An Updated List of Where to Grab a Weekday Breakfast Around Vancouver

We've compiled a (non-exhaustive) list of our go-to breakfast joints to share with you, where you can get something beyond coffee and a muffin.

Vancouver’s Best Fries: Nine Versions

Although the origin of French fries may be implied in their name (more likely, Belgian, though), the food has since been picked up and modified by almost every cuisine going. Here are our choices for some of the best versions in Vancouver.

Expert Intel on Vancouver Area Dumplings

William Liu from Kam Wai Dim Sum shares his favourite dumplings and where to get them just in time for Year Of The Dragon celebrations.

The Tricky Business of Finding Vancouver Restaurants Open on Monday

It's the beginning of the week. You want to meet friends for a meal (or just don't want to cook), but so many restaurants are closed that figuring out where to go only leads to frustration, compromise, or a sad frozen pizza... No more! This updated guide is here to help.