The Metro Vancouver Retail Thread - Page 366

spm2013 · #**7301** Posted **Apr 5, 2014, 5:34 PM**

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LeftCoaster · #**7302** Posted **Apr 7, 2014, 4:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by sacrifice333

It's too bad. Both Shore Club & Ki have done quite well in Toronto, from what I gather.

Guess we're not so world-class afterall... friggin' Keg.

Ki and Keg, until a month ago, had the same ownership. Neither are world class.

Shore club struggles in Toronto, but Ki is a huge success... but then again the downtown earls is so busy there's a bouncer, so I wouldn't take the Toronto financial district food scene too seriously.

phesto · #**7303** Posted **Apr 7, 2014, 4:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

Ki and Keg, until a month ago, had the same ownership. Neither are world class.

Shore club struggles in Toronto, but Ki is a huge success... but then again the downtown earls is so busy there's a bouncer, so I wouldn't take the Toronto financial district food scene too seriously.

Ha! I was just going to mention that Earl's is considered a hot-spot in the financial district in Toronto, so everything's relative...

sacrifice333 · #**7304** Posted **Apr 7, 2014, 5:26 PM**

Our restaurant scene here is quite intriguing in deed. The typical steakhouse, or even a not so typical Japanese steakhouse doesn't seem to fare so well... Shore Club, Ki, Morton's, etc.. But maybe Aisenstat decided to sell his leases for SC & Ki to the Keg to take a few more bucks off the table and just keep one or two jewels in his restaurant crown when he sold to Fairfax.

Maybe high rents in downtown and creativity in Gastown are to blame. We're quite fortunate a city to have such great quality and variety of cuisine at relatively cheap prices.

Pinion · #**7305** Posted **Apr 7, 2014, 5:32 PM**

Are our restaurant prices still relatively cheap? Seems to have gone up a lot in the last decade and isn't cheap compared to Washington at least anymore.

sacrifice333 · #**7306** Posted **Apr 7, 2014, 6:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pinion

Are our restaurant prices still relatively cheap? Seems to have gone up a lot in the last decade and isn't cheap compared to Washington at least anymore.

Regular priced food in Seattle, for example, is probably slightly cheaper than Vancouver prices. Alcohol is priced similarly. However happy hour is obviously a significant bargain over our 'normal' prices.

I was more thinking in terms of major cities, possibly world-class ones since that term likes to be thrown around, like New York, Los Angeles, London, Tokyo, Sydney, etc.

spm2013 · #**7307** Posted **Apr 7, 2014, 6:45 PM**

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officedweller · #**7308** Posted **Apr 7, 2014, 11:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by connect2source

It has nothing to do with 'world class' but everything to do with that we're 'authentic 'Asian' here in Vancouver and have very sophisticated tastes for Asian food.

North American Asian-Fusion type restaurants typically fail here, Red-Door, Chinois all attempted to bring a P.F.Chang style menu to Vancouver but closed soon after. KI was seen as similar, North American concept and very pricey compared to what we're used to paying for top-notch Japanese Cuisine.

Agreed.

Remember "Oritalia" at the Sheraton Le Soleil?
I think that was one of the first fusion places in town.

bc2mb · #**7309** Posted **Apr 7, 2014, 11:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by spm2013

They're opening a Waygu steak restaurant from a chain in Tokyo in Gastown..

interesting.. know where in gtown?

spm2013 · #**7310** Posted **Apr 8, 2014, 12:18 AM**

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connect2source · #**7311** Posted **Apr 8, 2014, 12:34 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by officedweller

Agreed.

Remember "Oritalia" at the Sheraton Le Soleil?
I think that was one of the first fusion places in town.

Haha yes, terrible name and not good, was there when Le Soleil was brand new, I guess very late 90's. It is still the Copper Chimney ( or something ).?

connect2source · #**7312** Posted **Apr 8, 2014, 12:38 AM**

Sephora on the 1000 block Robson progressing, identity is up on hoarding and looks like it will match the neighbouring former Robson Galleria re-do well in terms of design, only wish this project had included the last 3 remaining CRU's between this and the Manhattan Building.

Photo By : connect2source