Whenever I go out for Vietnamese, I usually end up with either a bowl of pho or a sub. Both are great, but that's all Vietnamese food ends up being. When a friend suggested that an unsuspecting restaurant has some specialty dishes to try, I immediately agreed to going. That's how we ended up having dinner at Le Petit Saigon, located right on the corner of Renfrew and Hastings.

The weekend is here folks and you survived the rain. With the sun back in style it is time to get out. So hit the beach and make your way to the Topanga Café for some après with your friends.

The Topanga Cafe is a little gem on the west side between Point Grey and Kitsilano that should not be missed. The menu is largely made up of Mexican dishes prepared with a Californian flare. The result is a flavourful mix of tastes and some great drinks that will make most anyone relax a little bit as they ease into the weekend.

Shogun is your Japanese ramen house if you are a daytime city dweller or far away commuter. Located on Hornby beside the Vancity (at Pender) and next to the International Food Fair, you should expect a small crowd by the door. The lineups never take that long as this place moves people through in a hurry.

The food is decent if ramen is your fare and the order will be at your table fast. If you opt for a fried rice and/or curry dish you will also get a kind of miso soup that differs from the norm: a very oniony soup which is very good, it reminds me of a Korean BBQ dish I had in the West End once. Pickled bean sprouts also come with the non-ramen foods on the menu.

The original plan was to go to Boneta. Alas, we found out at the last minute that it's closed on Sundays, so we had to quickly come up with an alternate restaurant for dinner. Italian Kitchen was one of those places that opened when I was away from Vancouver, so I didn't catch much of the press surrounding it. My friend also hadn't heard of it before, so we were walking in there with clean slates. As we stepped in, I was immediately impressed by the simple and sleek design of the room, and the way it contrasted with the brightly-lit bar. We chose to sit at a more secluded corner booth inside (although there is a small but inviting patio!), and immediately began scoping out their menu. Choosing was difficult, since the restaurant offers a good deal of variety in terms of both appetizers and mains. After we finally made our selections, it wasn't long before the antipasto arrived at our table...

With the Victoria Day long weekend now behind us you're probably getting down to business right about now, sorting through all of your tasks and wondering where your next business lunch will be.

Sala Thai's Burrard Street location is a good option for lunch with colleagues, potential clients and even your mom when she comes to town. The prices are reasonable for a casual dining environment that borders on having a formal atmosphere.

I ended up at Legendary Noodle because I had been bugging my Chinese-teacher-turned-friend to take me for Chuan'r, a type of Chinese meat-on-a-stick street food. It's very popular and available all year round, but is best had on late summer nights, while sitting outside with a bottle of Tsing Tao beer. When we got to Legendary Noodle on Main Street, we were informed that Chuan'r was only available at their Richmond location. A little disappointed but very hungry, we decided to stick around and give the handmade noodles a try.

There were three of us, so we ordered three appetizers and three noodle dishes. We started with the Tudou Si, a type of shredded potato dish available in pretty much any restaurant in China. It was very well done, with just the right amount of spice and flavor. We then tried the Pea Shoots with Garlic, which were fresh and incredibly tasty. I would go back again just to have them. We also had Guo Tie (fried dumplings) - these were a favorite of mine in China, but the ones at this restaurant had just a little too much ginger for my liking.

More on the main dishes after the jump...