Recommended food places

I like to run anime convention presentations, but I also like to check out new places for food both locally and abroad. This list isn’t exhaustive, but here are my favourite places to go to along with some notes on specific places.

British Columbia

Greater Vancouver

Oof, this one is tricky as I live in Metro Vancouver and been to so many restaurants. I will need to turn this list into a separate page, heh.

The favourites

Aiyaohno Cafe (“Aiyaohno”) - Japanese-inspired pastries, drinks, and “404 meat not found” meals from a lovely husband-wife duo (Bev and Greg).
- This is my favourite cafe (let alone, place for food in general), because Bev and Greg aren’t afraid to use their kitchen as a playground to bring their ideas to life and make those ideas tasty - my favourites are the (iced) royal milk tea, the teriyaki “chicken”, and the now-retired “hambagu” donburi.
- If any of you received matcha shortbread from me during out-of-Vancouver cons (starting with Otakon 2023, where I dropped one to the con’s programming director), they come from here. Aiyaohno may not be prestigious, but the shortbread is durable while highlighting Japanese culture in Vancouver.
  - “That is so good!” - Tsukino-Con’s panel coordinator, as he walked past by me taking a bite out of that cookie during the 2024 con.
- This is where I took my Donghua intro slide pic, thanks to Greg.
The Tannenbaum Restaurant (“Tannenbaum”; vielen Dank Keichoro!) - Homestyle German fare with the most extreme customer service I’ve seen in my life going to restaurants.
- This is the best clue-in that I’ve received. I’ve been dying to check out this place since Keichoro posted his birthday meal on Instagram, and I’m glad that Mira (the owner) made it worth the two-month wait…AUF DEUTSCH!
- My go-to is a Wiener Schnitzel and a black forest cake. I’ve also enjoyed the Jägerpfanne, the cheesecake, and the seasonal turkey meal.
- While Mira didn’t take the picture, this was where I took my Anime in the Philippines intro slide pic.
Butterfly Tea & Dessert (“Butterfly”) - K-Pop inspired bubble tea place that’s cheaper than what the chains offer.
- I am not part of the ARMY let alone a K-Pop stan, but I come here because the drinks (both the quality and creativity) slap, the service I’ve received from Nush (the owner) and her parents (Deepa and Anil) is also extreme, and they serve savoury yet filling snacks.
  - Nush took the intro slide picture that I use for both Hunger Games vs. Battle Royale and any Korean-adjacent panels.
  - I’m impressed with how Nush takes feedback seriously. I made a comment about the pizza bread and how it goes better with marinara sauce (rather than ketchup). She followed up with me in-person during a later visit about why it’s unfeasible, before recommending me another dip for that bread.
- If you hate tipping, you will love this place. Everyone there (be it Nush, Deepa, Anil, or their hired help) will always bypass the tip screen before handing you the terminal. Try to force a tip into their hands by treating their cup holder demo as a tip jar? They donate everything in that cup to a non-profit that Nush volunteers at.
- Thanks to their vast menu and ever-changing specials, I don’t have a specific go-to although I lean more towards their fruity teas.

The other good places

Petite Bao - An Asian twist on your usual hamburgers (bao burger buns). Love their char siu bao burgers.
Mello - Compared to Lee’s, I like the texture (soft brioche!) and flavours more. They’re also satisfying to have during a train ride to Seattle for Sakura-Con.
- My favourite flavours are cereal milk and strawberry cream.
AKD Kitchen (thank you Jesse!) - Local ramen chain whose miso “ajitama” ramen hits the spot.
- This place was my original post-haircut lunch spot (as my salon is also in DT New West) before Tannenbaum/Mira OHKO’d it out of that spot, but wouldn’t mind returning back to meet up with someone.
MunChi - The best pretzels I’ve had; they’re crunchy on the outside yet pillowy on the inside.
Greens and Beans (thank you Eat New West) - Haven’t tried their sandwiches, but they have an amazing soup flight.

The honourable mentions

Notch8’s brunch buffet - It’s your typical upscale brunch buffet so you know what to expect. But my mom’s side of the family and I are huge fans of both Raluca and Adrian; they’re super entertaining and Notch8 is lucky to have them as servers!
Candy Alley - Not really a restaurant, but it’s where I get my candy from before showing up to Tannenbaum. Sheryl (the owner) is a trip!

Victoria

The Bubble Tea Place (thank you Tsukino-Con Programming) - This is a textbook example of how you don’t need to have Asian owners to successfully sell bubble tea. The pearls have the right chew and I like how they disregard authenticity where they turn to cocktails for their lineup’s inspiration.
Ramen Arashi - Got this recommendation from one of my Donghua audience members at Tsukino-Con 2024. This passes as a local Vancouver ramen joint with crispy gyoza that tastes as if it’s not from frozen, creamy tonkatsu broth for the tan tan ramen, and melt-in-your-mouth chashu.

Sunshine Coast

Coastal Crust Pizza (thank you Jarvis!)

North America

Seattle

Salt & Straw
FOB Poke Bar (thanks Emily!)
Maneki
Beanfish
Momiji (thanks Lee!)
Ludi’s (thank you KuroRaiden, Jesse, and Jarvis) - Silogs whose flavours take you straight back to the Philippines.

Toronto

COPS Donuts (thank you Chloe!)
Craig’s Cookies

Baltimore

Mera - Middle Eastern and Mexican fare that hits the spot after a long flight to the city.
Ice Queens - Black-women-owned snowball place with friendly and chatty service.
Ramen Utsuke

Washington DC

Prost! - German food a couple blocks away from the Otakon venue. The chicken schnitzel benny (as much as it’s a crime itself) is solid.
Reren Lamen (thank you AniTwitter!)
Ben’s Chili Bowl (thank you Mike!)
Captain Cookie and the Milkman