Vancouver

Steam curls up from bustling carts and shouts echo in a dozen languages. The salty slap of the Pacific rides along with sesame and chive, oyster and lime. Vancouver’s food scene hums with the energy of the world pressed tight into a handful of seawashed neighborhoods. Here, hunger rarely outpaces excitement. Grab chopsticks, dig into street fare, and expect to eat better than you do at home.

• JapaDog: A Japanese-style hot dog, grilled and topped with seaweed, wasabi mayo, or teriyaki onions—street food born from Vancouver’s fusion roots.
• Salmon Candy: Maple-cured salmon, lovingly smoked to a sticky-sweet finish—sold at Granville Island Market. It’s BC’s ocean heart in a single bite.
• Spot Prawns: Spring’s fleeting prize. These local pink prawns, served shell-on and dripping butter, burst with briny juice at Yaletown’s seafood joints.
• West Coast Sushi: Ultra-fresh wild salmon nigiri, often served with sweet dashi tamago. Vancouver’s sushi scene holds its own—premium, but never stuffy.
• Butter Chicken Pizza: Tangy-spiced Indian curry blanketing crispy dough—Vancouver’s immigrant kitchen magic in slice form, found all over South Fraser Street.

Rain or sun, street eats rule in Vancouver. Try fragrant pork buns and bao at Richmond Night Market, where neon lights bounce off roasting skewers and shaved ice. Chinatown’s food trucks, winding down Pender Street, sling al pastor tacos and Korean-style fried chicken. Granville Island Public Market stays busy all day—sample fresh-shucked oysters or tangy spruce tip lemonade, then chase down walnut-studded banh mi from the sandwich window. Prices climb fast in touristy corners, but tuck into alley nooks or market stalls for real value and local flavor. Find bold, global snacks in almost every pocket.

Doughy coconut buns, warm and sticky, pile high at New Town Bakery. Pair with strong Vietnamese iced coffee or cold-brewed local tea. At Bella Gelateria, small-batch pistachio gelato stays creamy and bright, even as queues lengthen on hot days. Filipino halo-halo, loaded with ube and condensed milk, offers cool relief in East Van. Vancouver craft breweries drop crisp IPAs, while sake bars along Water Street bring clean, floral pours for a rainy evening.

• World-class seafood plucked from cold Pacific currents—salmon, Dungeness crab, mussels, and more.
• Rich, creative immigrant cuisine—Japanese, Chinese, South Asian, and Filipino kitchens thrive beside each other.
• Markets packed with fresh produce and passionate small vendors, showcasing British Columbia’s wild bounty.
• Inventive fusion: nowhere blends old-world comfort and West Coast adventure quite like Vancouver.

Every night, neon spills across wet pavement as restaurants shut their doors and diners drift home. Vancouver’s flavors linger—ocean salt, ginger heat, something smoky and sweet. The city’s plates tell its story. And every bite is an invitation to return.