Coal Harbour, Lunch at Gyoza Bar and Gastown

Day 1 in Vancouver was structured light on purpose, as the 6 AM flight from SFO necessitated a 4 AM pick-up, and a 3:15 AM wake-up. The fact that I stayed up past 11 PM without a recharging nap is really quite remarkable. What didn't help was upon exiting the Sky Train that took me from YVR to the city center, I was greeted with a delightful 8 block walk to where I was staying, luggage (for 2 weeks) and all!

The AirBnB I selected was located on W. Georgia Street, which happens to be the main east-west thoroughfare through the city center. It was located 4 blocks from the entrance of Stanley Park, and 2 blocks from the Coal Harbour waterfront. It was a clean, small room with a full sized IKEA bed and an attached bathroom. By far the best thing about it was the view.

A room with a view.
2016 Vancouver, BC.

Dumping off the luggage and taking a snap or two, I walked down to the waterfront to take in the outdoorsy side of Vancouver. What I was met with was a delightful contrast between the natural beauty of the water front, and the majestic splendor of all the towers.

Riverfront panorama.
Coal Harbour. 2016 Vancouver, BC.

versus...

Urban efficiency.
Coal Harbour. 2016 Vancouver, BC.

After taking  stroll along the waterfront towards the city center, it was getting close to lunch. Having breakfast at 4am, I was starving for some excellent Asian food. Equidistant from Coal Harbour (to the west) and Gastown (to the east) lies Gyoza Bar. As the name suggests, the joint is known for their gyoza. I also had on good authority that they made killer ramen. I sat down and ordered a Pender Collins cocktail, followed by an order of pork Teppan gyoza, and Tamari-Shoyu Tonkotsu pork ramen.

Pender Collins
2016 Gyoza Bar

The Pender Collins was a concoction of elder-flower, lemon, soda, gin and white wine. It had excellent balance, with the sweetness of the elder-flower pairing nicely with the tart lemon. The white wine gave it a great depth of flavor, while the gin rounded the libation out nicely.

Pork Teppan Gyoza
2016 Gyoza Bar

When the gyoza arrived, I soon understood why this place had been given its reputation. The skin had consistent thickness of a medium stock sheet of paper, and was neither rubbery nor too oily. The filling inside had great flavor. The dish was presented with both a normal and spicy dipping sauce. Both were well balanced, imparting subtle savory and saltiness to the gyoza.

Tamari-Shoyu Tonkotsu Pork Ramen
2016 Gyoza Bar

Finally, the ramen showed up. First sampling the broth, I found it to be velvety smooth with rich pork flavor, and not too salty. The pork, which lent its flavors to the broth, was tender and buttery. My only complaint was that there wasn't enough of it in the bowl... only 2 silver dollar pancake sized pieces. The noodles were perfect; just a shade off al dente. The egg was done right: cooked enough so that if you cut it in half, the yoke stays in the egg, but still semi-liquid. Everything was just right, and it might be some of the best ramen I have ever had.

With a full belly, it was time to do some more walking. I trekked further east before turning north towards the waterfront. At the confluence of Cordova St. and Water St. starts a neighborhood called Gastown. Named after "Gassy" Jack Deighton, who among many things was the first saloon keeper in in the neighborhood, is neighborhood teeming with hip-chic restaurants, boutiques, bars, galleries, and shops. The centerpieces of the neighborhood are the famous steam clock, and a statue of ol' Gassy Jack himself.

Ol' Gassy Jack
2016 Vancouver, BC

Famous steam clock
2016 Vancouver, BC

A few blocks south of Gastown lies Vancouver's vibrant Chinatown. Here the place is full of walk-in/carry-out dim sum joints and Chinese bakeries. Herb stores stock all the ginseng you could ever use, along with herbs and spices that I have no idea what they are because they are only labeled in Chinese.

Gates to Chinatown
2016 Vancouver, BC

Chinese medicinal herb store
2016 Vancouver, BC

Dragons on the lamp posts
2016 Vancouver, BC

After perusing a few blocks of shops and restaurants, I ducked into the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden for a brief peek. The gardens, which is a representation of a classic Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644) garden, was the first of its kind of out China. Within its walls you are treated to lush ponds, beautifully sculpted trees - some flowering - hiding a pagoda or two. I personally always appreciated oriental gardens for their ability to unify plant, water, and man-made structures. This one certainly didn't disappoint.

Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Gardens
2016 Vancouver, BC

At this time, I could feel the fatigue of travel setting in, so I headed back to Gastown and found a perch at Smart Mouth Cafe. With a coffee in hand, I relaxed and read some from Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Identity. A hour or so later, I started the trek back to the crib to change for dinner. More on that culinary experience, as well as the night after, in my next post!