"Everything was different now. Everything." was how Anthony Bourdain described the wake of his first slurp as a child, and I get it.
I try to avoid preceding meals with a bunch of carbs, but I'll make happy exceptions when they're warm and loaded like this.
The rolled-up beauty is hit with high heat to blister the skin, resulting in toothsome crackling that will make your knees buckle.
Beyond the taste of the delicious thing, the appeal is sustained by an appreciation of consistently perfect presentation.
My favourite sees chocolate ice cream mixed with peanut butter and pretzels, all topped with Nutella whipped cream...
Pro tip: sitting at the bar alone is how to best avoid Cafe Medina's famous queue...plus you don't have to share.
Including any kind of salad on our Comfort Food map might seem a little...er...wrong, but shut up and look at this thing.
The effect of this treatment is bright and mildly spicy with a gentle acid tang, all up in a creamy texture reminiscent of melting butter.
The thin layer of explosive flavour and crispy/chewy texture match all of my late night memories of New York City.
I like other bowls at chef Angus An's Chinatown restaurant (not to mention the roti), but this one has magic restorative powers...
The Chicago-style 'Wrigley Field' is my go-to at 'What's Up? Hot Dog!', but no matter the condiments the star is always the wiener.
The restaurant's waterfront location adds some extra authenticity to the experience, even if it is the wrong coast!
The original is from Barcelona, where street vendors have been selling versions of it for years outside the Bikini Concert Hall.
Joining our ever-growing list of Vancouver's greatest comfort foods is one of the best sandwiches available in East Van.
The sublimely saffron-y rice feast is one of the world's most impactful food experiences, and this stuff is straight out of a Valencian sunset.
Seasoned with paprika, cayenne, and onion/garlic powders, the artichoke chunks play tasty tricks on the teeth of fried chicken fans.
There are two big meatballs per order, and these are made with a combination of beef, pork and three cheeses (pecorino, grana, ricotta).
The heat typically comes from cayenne, but its Scoville levels can be upped to an insane, face-melting degree.
It has all the 'comforting' elements from crunchiness to gooeyness, plus enough umaminess to ignite a palate well-rinsed in cold beer.
The original 1955 recipe called for a butter and cheese mix melted like an enveloping blanket over thick slabs of white bread...
This pioneering seafood market has several versions of the crispy stuff, from Pacific Cod and Ling Cod to Halibut and Salmon.
While everything about this dish is comforting, it's really the aroma that seals it. Stick your face over this beautiful thing and breathe.
Mmm...brioche bun, chive scrambled eggs, maple bacon and caramelized onions under a warm blanket of American cheese!
This is a dish I regularly climb into like a onesie pair of pajamas. It's been on the menu at the Belgian-Moroccan restaurant since forever...
I regularly go through steamer baskets full of these at this always bustling Chinese eatery in the heart of the West End's Ramenland.
Made using the holy trinity of beef, pork and veal studded with pine nuts and currants, the impactful orbs are soaked in neckbone gravy.
"The thin noodles still have some bite to them and the fukuoka-style tonkotsu base broth is an umami bomb that never stops going off."
The "Hawaiian" pie from Strathcona Beer Company is the first pizza to be included in Scout's Comfort Food Guide to Vancouver.
