West End restaurants were recognized among the city’s best at the 2016 Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards, held yesterday at the Sheraton Wall Centre and hosted by the CBC’s Gloria Macarenko and Stephen Quinn.

Selected by a panel of 18 judges, a goodly number of Asian restaurants on the “Ramen Row” along Denman and Robson Streets cleaned up, rounded out by a few neighbourhood favourites such as Espana, Tavola and the Molli Café.

AND THE WINNERS ARE…

Best Casual Japanese (2 stars) – KINGYO IZAKAYA

Best Casual Chinese (3 stars) – DINESTY CHINESE RESTAURANT

Best Korean (1 star) – DAMSO MODERN KOREAN

Best Korean (Honourable Mention) – MA DANG COUL

Best Noodle House (3 stars) – HOKKAIDO RAMEN SANTOUKA

Best Noodle House (2 stars) – MARUTAMA RAMEN

Best Noodle House (1 star) – MOTOMACHI SHOKUDO


Best of the Americas (3 stars) – MOLLI CAFE

Best Casual Chain (3 stars) – KINGYO IZAKAYA

Best Casual Chain (Honourable Mention) – GUU

Best West End (3 stars) – KINGYO IZAKAYA

Best West End (2 stars) – TAVOLA

Best West End (1 star) – ESPANA

Best West End (Honourable Mention) – GYOZA KING


Congratulations to all of this year’s winners! Get out and support these amazing local restaurants sometime soon.

Middle photo courtesy of Vancouver Magazine.