North America’s gateway to the Pacific Rim

Canada’s third largest city, Vancouver is blessed with one of the most beautiful settings in the world. Ocean and mountains surround the city and expanses of tree-covered parkland fall within its boundaries. Vancouver is also the jumping-off point for exploring the spectacular scenery of British Columbia, from the islands and fjords of the Pacific Coast to the mountains of the interior, as it is located in the southwestern corner of the province, where the Fraser Valley meets the Georgia Strait. Vancouver is also the commercial and cultural heart of Canada’s West Coast and a major convention and tourist destination.

Traditionally, Vancouver’s dominant industries have been in the primary sector, drawing on the vast wealth of resources in the province of British Columbia. Even today, the industries that represent the largest proportion of the 134 firms with head offices in Vancouver are in the forestry and mining sectors, followed by construction, food distribution, retail and financial services.

What to see

Stanley Park
The ten-kilometer Seawall that circles Stanley Park provides incredible ocean views for strollers, joggers, cyclists and in-line skaters. If you haven’t packed your ‘blades, sports equipment can be hired nearby. The network of trails that crisscross the 400 hectares of rainforest and parkland connects the Seawall and beaches with an open-air swimming pool, restaurants, a totem pole park and the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre.

Gastown
Gastown, the reconstructed old center of Vancouver, is a pleasant array of cobblestone streets, cafés and shops. The area is named after Gassy Jack, a voluble saloon owner who offered the local mill-workers all the whiskey they could drink if they helped construct his saloon. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he was open for business the next day. Gastown is also the site of the unique Steam Clock, driven by steam from the system used to heat Downtown’s office buildings.

Chinatown
Vancouver’s massive Chinatown district is centered on Pender Street and Main Street, offering a kaleidoscope of colors and rich scents. The night market (open Friday-Sunday, 18:00-midnight, from June-mid-September) is especially worth a visit.

At the western edge of Chinatown, the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden was the first full-sized, classical Chinese garden to be built outside of China and offers an oasis from the gritty urbanity that surrounds it. Based on Ming Dynasty precepts, the combination of water, plants, limestone rock and pavilions has finely composed views and is suffused with symbolism.

What to eat

Vancouver is a paradise for Pacific Rim cuisine; the city’s restaurants span the price spectrum from budget to blowout. If you want to eat well, you’ll be spoiled for choice - and you won’t have to spend a fortune to do so. As you’d expect, the city also offers a wide range of ethnic cuisines. Chinese and Japanese cuisines have the highest profile (though the latter tend to be expensive). Vietnamese, Cambodian, Thai and Korean are more recent arrivals and can often provide the best starting points if you’re on a restrained budget.

Sun Sui Wah
3888 Main Street
(604) 872-8822
Step inside and you’ll think you’ve gone to Hong Kong. The food is beautiful to see and to eat, and the king crab is exquisite. This huge restaurant is run like a perfectly tuned machine. The wait staff is cordial, efficient and knowledgeable.

EN Japanese Restaurant

4422 West 10th Avenue
(604) 730-0330

The sushi and sashimi are, as would be expected, excellent – but the cooked dishes are just as good. Start with the best miso soup in town and order a bowl of rice to add to it. Then try the seared tuna served with black and white sesame seed sauce, the asparagus gyoza, the prawn gyoza, the tuna nori wasabi (done in a barely visible tempura batter), and the bok choi in a nut sauce.

Pho 66

3663 E. Hastings Street
(604) 299-3860

THE place to come for the eponymous Vietnamese noodle soup. One bowl is a complete meal, full of meats, noodles, and vegetables – the perfect food for one of those damp, chilly days Vancouver “occasionallyâ€? gets. Depending on your level of culinary adventurousness, you can choose from among dozens of varieties, from a mild beef broth to the cryptically labeled “Traditional Vietnamese Soup” – for which the menu doesn’t even attempt (or dare) to describe all of the ingredients.

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