After I emerged from the park, I made the quick hike downhill to famous Stanley Park Seawall, which took over 60 years to complete. My goal was to make it to the viewpoint at the top of the Seawall and then take an Uber back to my place. So, off I went on this magnificent pathway.

I eventually made it to the Lions Gate Bridge, which connected to West Vancouver.

Just on the other side was the lookout point.

As evidenced by the pictures above, the lookout wasn’t exactly an easy spot to catch a ride so I decided to continue down the path.

I eventually came across a small beach where people were taking advantage of the last bit of sunny weather probably for awhile. At this point, I decided I might as well just finish the entire path, which ended near English Bay Beach.

I was exhausted by the time I got back to my place but still had one more night out ahead of me where I’d finally check out the Gastown section.

Gastown was on the other end of town and had become the new hip area, with more of an industrial chic vibe than the sleek modern part where I was staying. My friend Stephanie had recommended a spot called L’Abittoir and I soon was sitting at a great table overlooking the main room

I opted to stick to sparkling water this time to give my body a break. I also didn’t want to eat a ton so I opted for 2 appetizers as my meal. First up was smoked trout with fresh horseradish and a peasant bread lathered with butter. I tried the trout first with a piece of the bread, which while delicious, was way too rich. So I ate the rest without anything else. It was delicious, with the horseradish adding some nice kick to the perfectly smoked trout.

Next up was the grilled scallops with sliced fennel in a pumpkin sauce. The scallops were dense and beautifully cooked with the fennel helping cut through. The pumpkin sauce was bursting with flavor and surprisingly light.

I decided to walk off my meal by taking a stroll around the area, which for a Sunday night, was pretty active. It was fascinating though how different the look and mood was from Yaletown.

My final stop was at the famous steam clock, which as the name implies, is a large clock powered by steam. A tribute to the city’s more industrial past and a fitting way to essentially end my visit to this great city.

The next morning, the weather had finally turned, with a steady downpour that lasted throughout my departure. My trip home was thankfully uneventful (and not really pic worthy) but I intend to return sooner rather later to continue exploring this jewel of a city.

Vancouver had been on my list for quite awhile since I fell in love with it while visiting when I was a kid. With birthday pending, it seemed like it was finally time to return for a few days.

Unlike most of recent travels, my plane seat for this one was a wee bit cramped. Fortunately, it was a quick 2.5 hour flight and next thing I knew, we were landing, greeted by this fella.

It was a pretty quick drive to where I was staying, an Airbnb in a very central location. Given it that was now after 9pm and in a state of hunger, I opted for a spot very close by – a sake bar with plenty of food options too.

My very friendly server soon presented me with my choice of cup I wanted for my sake. Given it was my bday, I opted for the festive glass one. To go with my sake, I ordered a Japanese bar staple – takoyaki aka “octopus balls” – and some mixed tempura.

The takoyaki was just the right texture with the perfect amount of Japanese mayo and bonito flakes – delicious. The mixed tempura was light and was enhanced greatly by dipping into the accompanying green tea salt. I also was intrigued by a sake they had that was stored in cedar to ferment, which gave it this faint smoky flavor. I said my goodbyes and headed back to the condo to get some much needed sleep.

After working for a few hours (gotta pay for this trip somehow!) I hopped in a quick Uber to another Japanese spot for lunch – this time for a local favorite – aburi sushi.

Aburi style sushi, in which the fish is seared with a torch, has apparently become all of the rage in Vancouver and Miku is considered to be one of the vanguards. I decided to go with a set lunch which featured both aburi sushi and some of their other favorites.

First up were a pair of chef’s choice appetizers – tuna sashimi and seared sable fish with edamame. Both delicious along with a really good miso soup. Given how hungry I was, this was a nice start.

Next up was the main event – an assortment of their deluxe rolls, premium nigiri and of course, the aburi sushi (the ones in front) All it was very good, and I was wise to save the aburi sushi for end as I was very full after those.

The weather was pretty much perfect so I decided to walk off my lunch with a stroll along the waterfront, including watching sea planes land and takeoff for parts unknown.

I continued my walk along the water until the marina, which featured some truly unique looking boats amongst the usual yachts. Further on there were a series of luxury condos that probably cost a pretty penny.

The weather was so nice I decided to continue my wandering to the other side of the coast, which featured the 2 main beaches of Vancouver- English Bay and Sunset.

Next thing I knew I had basically circled all the way back to my neighborhood, which was a good thing as I was starting to tire. I gave it a final push forward and made my way back to my condo for a much needed nap. Tonight would be what I was considering my real birthday dinner. But that’s for another post.

During my research for places to eat in Vancouver, one stop kept coming up again and again – Published on Main, which also had recently received a Michelin star. That, unfortunately, had also led to it being very tough to secure a seat.

Fortunately, they had a sister restaurant – Bar Susu, which had a slot available for me. Even better, their version of a tasting menu was half the price. Score.

The original Bar Susu had unfortunately suffered some major damage due to a fire, which had made them move temporarily to a coffee bar they also owned. They actually did a great job of disguising it with some mood lighting and transforming the coffee bar with an actual bar.

I was soon greeted with my first course, which they dubbed as “snacks”’- chicken liver rosette and fried cheese with tapioca. I’m not the biggest fan of liver, mostly a texture thing, but I did my best with this version. Not my bag but I could tell it was expertly made. The cheese was definitely more my speed, with the tapioca adding some next texture.

The next course was much better – scallop crudo with watermelon radishes in a coconut, ginger, lime leaf broth. The scallops were perfectly seasoned and the slightly bitter radishes paired beautifully with the acidic broth. Absolutely superb.

Next up was one of the best salads I’ve had in a long time – autumn salad with a white mustard miso dressing, radish, beets, shaved goat cheese, seeds and nuts. This was a symphony of flavors and textures, each bite different than the last. I was blown away.

The next course was really why I was there. It wasn’t supposed to be my main course but I sweet talked them into allowing me to swap it with the other main course. Hot smoked trout with sautéed spinach in a tomato tamarind dashi. The trout was perfectly cooked and so fresh, and the dashi was bursting with flavor. Absolutely superb.

My final course was Basque cheesecake with quince sorbet and shaved beets. As shown in the pic, they added a birthday candle but thankfully did not sing to me. This was a great way to finish with the rich cheesecake tempered by the tart sorbet.

I chatted a bit with the manager and told him how I had originally tried to go their main restaurant. He said if I wanted to go there for a nightcap he could set that up. I graciously accepted.

After hiking up the hill a bit, I arrived at Published on Main, which was still quite bustling. They had set me up at the bar, and I was soon handed a book – I mean a literal book – of their autumn cocktail selections. Each cocktail had a page story from the bartender about their childhood home and what inspired them to make the cocktail.

I decided to go with one made by the bartender who was serving me – Oban Little Bay, Los Siete Misterios Doba-yej mezcal, Campari, Coconut bitter blend. This was one seriously complex drink, especially the coconut bitters mixed with the various alcohols.

I chatted a bit more with the bartender, who was from Nova Scotia and had bartended all over the world before landing in Vancouver. He also told me how amusing it was for people here trying to deal with some rare snow they had last year. He, of course, was more than used to it and had to help some friends with their snow shoveling.

I finished up my drink and said my goodbyes. Tomorrow was going to be another beautiful day so I intended to take advantage of it as much as possible.

I woke up to a bright and sunny day that beckoned me to get out and about. So off I went to the nearby Granville Island.

Not surprisingly, it was already packed with locals and tourists alike. My main destination was the Granville Island Public Market.

I saw what I assumed was the line to get into the market but turned out to be just for what was apparently the best donut shop in all of Vancouver.

The line actually moved pretty quickly and soon I was faced with a wondrous variety of donuts from which to choose. I opted for a glazed pumpkin donut (apparently one that people stand in that line for) along with a German chocolate and coconut donut.

I wandered around the massive main hall, which featured just about every type of food imaginable and was ultimately drawn to a small stand that featured both whole rotisserie chickens and carved sandwiches. I chose the chicken au jus with caramelized onions, lettuce and Dijon mustard on a pressed ciabatta roll.

This was a mighty fine sandwich, with the juicy slices of chicken blending perfectly with the lettuce and the tangy sauce. I ate it on a bench outside listening to a guitarist strum softly away mixed with the occasional outbursts of screaming kids running around.

I finished up my sandwich and decided to explore the rest of the island for a bit. For such a relatively small area, it boasted an impressive variety of stores, theaters and even a couple of breweries.

I had originally intended to go dinner at a spot on the island called Bridges, which I had gone to as a kid many, many moons ago. It had closed during the pandemic but had recently reopened as part of a local chain. I needed a beer break so instead of dinner, might as well go there now.

It turned out to be a wise decision as the restaurant had been complete gutted of its fine dining past in favor of what didn’t look like very good pub food. Fortunately, the local beer I had was quite refreshing, and I had a table with a great view.

The best and more economical way to leave the island was via one of the ferry services, in this case False Creek Ferries, which shuttled people up and down the coast. After waiting about 20 mins in line, I was soon puttering away towards my nearby destination- David Yam Park.

The park ran along the waterfront, which was filled with what I assume were very pricey condos. The weather continued to be perfect so I continued down the waterfront along the park, which was filled with people similarly appreciating the sun mixed with pleasant breezes.

My entire body indicated it was done with my strolling so I turned around and made the relatively short trip back to my place. After some rest, it was dinner time and fortunately my choice for tonight was very close by.

A local favorite celebrating its 20th anniversary, Nuba is a Lebanese restaurant in the trendy Yaletown neighborhood, only a few blocks from my place. The menu was heavy on garlic but fortunately one of their signature dishes – Najib’s special – didn’t.

It was a large bowl of perfectly fried and seasoned cauliflower with tahini and pickled red onions. Delicious.

I decided to stick to vegetarian and next ordered the grilled halloumi cheese with a grapefruit and arugula salad. This was another winner with the dense salty cheese nicely balanced with the tart grapefruit and the peppery greens.

I wasn’t originally going to get a dessert but a white chocolate crème brûlée was too good to pass up. With a perfectly crisp top and dense, luscious white chocolate with some hints peppermint, it was a very unique but delicious brûlée. Too bad I didn’t have anyone to share it with as the portion size was massive. I made the prudent choice not to eat the whole thing.

I had just enough energy left for a quick nightcap and the nearby speakeasy The Stock Room sounded like a cool spot. Hidden behind a burger joint vía as the name implies, a stock room, it definitely had a speakeasy vibe and I was soon seated at the end of the bar.

There were lots of intriguing options but my eye was drawn to one called Lost Luggage, which turned out to be one of my bartender’s favorite.

The drink was a fascinating mix of Havana Club 3 year, Campari, Aperol, Lime, Orgeat and toasted cinnamon. The lime counteracted the bitter notes and the rum with the toasted cinnamon sweet notes were in turn balanced with the bitterness. I enjoyed the deep house beats and the overall vibe of the room but I suddenly hit the wall, hard. It was time to go and catch some Zzzs to save up strength for my final full day.

I woke up to the cumulative toll on my body starting to come due. Still, the show must go on so I dragged myself out of my place and headed to the West End for some dim sum.

Vancouver has a massive Chinese population so dim sum is very popular and plentiful around town. Since I wanted to check out Stanley Park, I selected a spot called Jingle Bao which had been highly recommended.

I decided to try an item from each of the main sections of menus, starting with dim sum sides – fresh shrimp spring rolls.

Most shrimp spring rolls have a fair amount of shrimp mixed with filler. Not these though. It was entirely shrimp completely through. Delicious and a great way to start.

Next up my favorite – sui mai or pork dumplings. I should have taken another pic to show how huge these were. It took 3 full bites to finish one off but they were fantastic.

Finally, I had to get something from their bao (buns) options and chose one of their specialties – the bun platter, which was a BBQ bao, a pandan (veggie) bao and a chicken bao. The pandan (the green one) was the particular standout and would never have guessed it was vegetarian.

Needing both to walk off all of that food and also wanting to check out Stanley Park, I set down the street to the entrance of the massive park.

The weather was once again perfect and the path was filled with tree changing into their autumnal colors. Soon I was greeted with my favorite statue in quite awhile, welcoming me to the park.

Why thank you, Lord Stanley. Shortly beyond the entrance was a series of massive sequoias trees that shaded the entire area.

I made my way through this beautiful trellis and into the main trail of the park.

My ultimate goal was walk the Stanley Park Seawall but first wanted to check out Beaver Creek, which was teeming with endangered species.

Unfortunately as evident by the pic above, it wasn’t exactly easy to spot anything. My back was staring to hurt too so instead of trying to get a better view, I went up the trail to connect with the Seawall.

What followed was a 3 hour along the entire Seawall that was so stunning, it deserves a separate post. Coming soon…