East is East (Broadway)

Added Nov 11, 2009 by wwasn of Surrey (23 Reviews)

Great Service
Ambiance:
The restaurant was very interesting. The decor inside feel very relaxing. They have booths with pillows and curtains drawing down. The lighting was very dim, but with a candle at each table.

Service:
The waitresses there were very friendly and nice. They smiled a lot and were informative about the menu. Throughout the night their service was great from table to table.

Food:
The food was not that special. However, there were some plates were you can order and get refills of. I'm not sure if they mean the refill of the rice, roti, and vegetables, or the actual curry as well. Yet by the end of finishing a that plate we were full. They have other items, but we were only there for a quick dinner, so we weren't able to sample other foods.

Value:
It's a solid value. You get what you pay for.

If I have more time on my next visit, I'll definitely try their other dishes.

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Added Oct 7, 2009 by Bonka of Vancouver (290 Reviews)

Flavours abound
A small group of us gathered here for a Sunday evening get together. Not knowing what to expect we were thrilled with the outcome.

Its soothing decor takes you away from the traffic of Broadway with warm colours that leaves you with a sense of calm. Right down to the furniture details everything feels authentic, including our tree slab counter; it's concave nature made for some cautious maneuvers. Really, the sense of authenticity.

The menu is kept simple, really only 2 entree choices: the stuffed roti rolls or the Eastern plates that offer various small dish samplings. It was easy to forget that most of the dishes are vegetarian while I enjoyed my potato and cauliflower roti and the fantastic Dhal soup and especially the various nibbles off my gf's plate, which included Afghan rice, Saag Paneer and Chicken Masala. The portions here are not the hefty North American servings so it can be a bit of a shell shock, but this is where good flavours and textures overwhelm you and truly where less is more. The complimentary teacup of spiced chai also hit many notes on the tongue once we were seated.

Our server was friendly, cheerful and full of zest. A bit tardy on the ball once the dinner rush really got going but worked through the grind with poise.

Delicious.

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Added Aug 19, 2009 by kewpiebaby of Vancouver (119 Reviews)

Very Unique
Happened to stop by here on a Sunday afternoon after checking out the local farmer's market. What a lovely little restaurant! The service is friendly, ambience is a bit dark but cozy and warm. Food is delicious. I had the Eastern Plate - Dhal Soup, Salad, Roti, Afghan & Coconut Rice w/ Chicken Masala & Mango Butter Squash, and my hubby had the DHAALCHA - Roasted chunks of lamb in organic dhaal soup, topped w/ lime, red onion, & Afghan rice served w/ Roti. Both dishes filling and yummy! I was so full from the Eastern Plate that I didn't have room for the free refill! Next time! Love the flavours and food - will definitely be back for more! =)

Added Apr 12, 2009 by manja of Kitsilano, Vancouver (2 Reviews)

East is East
The food is flavorful but too expensive for the portions. Taste the chai before you order a full cup as it's tasted different from time to time.. somedays are better than others, otherwise, it's the best chai around. The ambience is fantastic but too dark during the day. Service is good, friendly. The Tali plate is the best deal. For $17 or 18 bucks, you get refills of whatever you want but they don't always tell you that when you order... It's Afghan food, not indian per se... so if you're expecting butter chicken and naan bread, you'll be disappointed. Overall, it's the best chai in the city with a great evening ambience.

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Added Jan 18, 2009 by berbere of Vancouver (5 Reviews)

Afghan Eggplant is delicious!
I highly recommend going for the Eastern Plate option for lunch. I had the Organic Lamb and Afghan Eggplant. The food is so delicious. The Ambiance makes you feel like you're part of a caravan traveling the rugged mountains of Afghanistan during the silk trade.

Let's just say I left the place happy. The service is excellent where the staff is friendly and helpful. I would definitely go back here for lunch!

Added Aug 6, 2008 by uberkelly of Coal Harbor, Vancouver (5 Reviews)

I liked it!
We stumbled into this place not knowing what to expect. They gave us a sample of their hot chai which was out of this world. We ordered a shake that was also really delicious.

My bf couldn't agree on which wrap to split, so they made a wrap half-and-half for us. It was good but not outstanding - but I would like to try some other varieties to see if they are better.
The lentil soup that came with is was absolutely delicious. Splitting one wrap was enough for both of us and was something like $11.

The servers were friendly and nice. I would go back again.

The decor is very interesting and pretty, but if you don't like sitting in anything other than normal chairs, beware.

I also think this would be a great place for vegans/veggies.

Added Jul 30, 2008 by skarlatt of Mission, Fraser Valley (1 Reviews)

East is East
Kind of a disappointing experience. This was my second visit to this restaurant. The first visit I was disappointed that the portions were so small and the meal was served lukewarm to cold. I loved the atmosphere. Just thought it was a bad night but a group of us went again last week and had the same experience. We made reservations (online) as we were coming to Vancouver from out of town. We saw on the website that there was a free drumming class on the night we had reserved. Sweet...Got to the restaurant and the server didn't have our reservation, and had no knowledge of the drumming session and the part of the restaurant (The Chai Room) that we had reserved to eat in was actually closed and being renovated. After we had our meal (again disappointing....very small portions and served up cold/lukewarm. Rice was too dry to chew and the Alu Gobi was inedible - burnt and looked like it had been scraped from the bottom of the pot.), we were standing outside and heard the drumming from the restaurant upstairs. I asked some patrons on the street and they knew about the drum class. Too bad the serving staff didn't. Regarding the small portions - too bad the serving staff didn't let us know about the "more food" option - apparently you can ask for more of your entree. I learned of this when I read about the restaurant on this page. Personally I think $17 for a meal that is little more than finger food or pickings is too expensive. Drinks were expensive as well considering their size. $7 for a relatively small mug of chai tea. With tip it was close to a $30 meal. Not worth it. Sorry....I doubt I'll be back.

Added May 26, 2008 by vancouverpiggie of burnaby (34 Reviews)

Solid Restaurant
Went here tonight with 3 other people and I am quite satisfied with the place. Since my pros happen to be more than my cons, i'll start with the cons.

Cons below

#1 - small tables - i'd say 90% of the tables seemed to be made for people under 5 feet (no offense) because they are really just that small. Combine that with a large party and people will start fighting for elbow space.

#2 - lukewarm food - the food are all pre-made so they came lukewarm not hot which is usually what foods "should" be at.

that's basically all the cons :) nothing too serious so now onto the pros!!

#1 - generous place - FREE REFILLS of entrees. This is going to be their number 1 selling point and customer grabber.

#2 - generous place - FREE UNLIMITED SAMPLES OF DRINKS. Another big sell off because you can practically get 4-5 samples in 1 swoop and that'd be enough for you free loaders :) of course I tried both samples and also ordered :P.

#3 - mostly organic ingredients - the use of organic produce in this restaurant is one of the reasons I will return for more.

#4 - pretty waitresses - hehehe

#5 - semi-authentic with a dash of contemporary flavors = creativity

#6 - the drumming upstairs got me anxious because I couldn't eat up there tonight :(...they're only open wed- sunday for upstairs entertainment and buffet.

#7 - fair price - for the amount of free refills and sample drinks i'd say the price is more than fair for this place, even if entrees start at $17 a pop it is actually only half that because you will definitely have room for more. Take your time :).

I'd definitely return tot his place because i love the drinks and their watiresses @O@

Added Apr 23, 2008 by tuesday of Kitsilano, Vancouver (8 Reviews)

More than 10$
Firstly, I think the description above should be changed: East may be East, but it is NOT an under $10 restaurant! Expect between 20-30$ if you plan to get a meal and a drink, entres go between i think 11 and 17 dollars.

Unfortunately, they messed up our reservation, but our server was timely and polite.
We got awesome samples of their signature spicy chai and the amazing mango lassie.

The food was really good, smaller portions than we expected- what you really come for is reliably tasty cuisine and a truly different atmosphere. Stepping into the restaurant feels like you've just been teleported- its extremely bohemian, exotic, and sexy!

I'll definitely come back soon!

Added Feb 10, 2008 by badgerbalm of pretentious yaletown (40 Reviews)

wish it was cheaper
this place is quite expensive for what it is, but does taste good. And considering they don't actually have a kitchen, they do a pretty damn good job of serving up meals.

The curries are refillable, but they take so long to give you the refill, by the time they arrive, your brain has had time to catch up with your stomach so you're not hungry anymore. Ended up having my friend eat the rest.

The sample chai they give you is strong and good, but not sure I want to pay $5 for a cup of tea.

Overall, the taste is exceptional, but so is their high price.

Added Nov 9, 2007 by eldukae of surrey bc (5 Reviews)

An interesting experience
Went to the main street location first with wifey, it looked really cramped so we picked up my bro and move on to the broadway location. The Ambieance is top notch, really cool decor, servers are very charming and helpful.

We all ordered eastern plates, which to some might seem very expensive @ $17 for two entrees+rice+salad+dall......but what most ppl dont know ( and its not mentioned on the menu..i think ) is that they are bottomless, you can have refills. The lamb and daal was excellent, the strawberry urugula salad was great. We also tried a bunch of vege dishes which were okay, the chicken and beef dishes were not spiced well enough to my taste. The only downside were the rotis, they looked like store bought tortillas. Tried the chai, and I must repeat my self over here, why the hell do ppl add sooo much spice to their chai, chai is supposed to be lightly spiced!!...

We even checked out the CHAI loung upstairs, looked like a cool place to hangout, but a bit pricey at $25 a pop.

Will definitely be back to try out the roti-rolls. Not a place for real indian / afghan food afficionados...

Added Sep 14, 2007 by Robert of Vancouver (12 Reviews)

An enjoyable dining experience
Wary of the reportedly high prices, we dined here on a Saturday night with Entertainment Book coupon in hand.

The Persian tea was wonderful! I cannot explain in words the delicate flavours that tickled my tongue. My wife’s Kama Sutra smoothie was also an extremely tasty beverage.

When our meals arrived, the amount of food appeared to be rather small. However, by the time I had finished my meal, I felt quite satisfied. I really enjoyed the soup that accompanied my dinner platter.

All in all, two thumbs up for the great flavours.

Added Aug 25, 2007 by Chloe of Yaletown (3 Reviews)

unusual and fantastic
Try East is East, I have been going there since they opened a few years ago. the chai-no powdered concoction like you would normally get, the shakes, and rolls are so exceptionally good and different. Also, people who complain about the decor or lack of alcohol are typical mainstream diners, who think Earls is where it's at. My big complaint?? The prices are too over the top. The quality is good, but the prices do not match the product.

Added Jun 25, 2007 by ragazzo of East Side, Vancouver (4 Reviews)

delicious but too expensive
For what you get, this restaurant is a bit of a rip-off. Nevertheless, the food is quite delicious (especially when you use the sauces!), and the shakes are to die for! Try the shake with ice cream, pistachios, cardamom, and rose water! The four-berry one is also delicious. The service is ditzy and the portions are tiny. At one point, there was a giant nail sticking out of a bench where customers wait for their take-out orders near the cash register, and when I told the girl behind the counter, she said "oh really" and then proceeded to do nothing about it. Not cool... So yeah, mixed review. I like this place a lot (and often get take-out here to go to the beach with to watch the sunset), but it also annoys me. Kind of like family :) I recommend to the owners to have less (but more competent) staff, lowering prices, and promoting take-out.

Added Mar 18, 2007 by LovesCupcakes of Downtown, Vancouver (10 Reviews)

Bad Seats & No Booze
Overall the food was good, but portions are small and I found it over priced for what you got. I left still feeling hungry (& I'm a girl!). While the food had a lot of flavour, it wasn't spicy enough for Indian and was kind of cold by the time it arrived.

The seats are horrible. You either get stuck on a stump or a bench that looks comfortable but isn't. The stumps were so bad that I had to keep standing up and wandering around during my meal so my bum didn't get too sore!

And the absolute worst thing about this place is...THEY DO NOT SERVE ALCOHOL. I'm not just talking the hard stuff, no beer, no wine, no nothing...no love! No one bothered to tell me this, so be warned.

Added Dec 27, 2006 by goatcheese of kitsilano, vancouver (16 Reviews)

blah food, but nice pillows
the ambiance here is very nice- pillows, rugs, candle lights...looks like the mideastern room at the playboy mansion. but don't count on getting a good table. a canoodling couple spent hours hoarding a large cozy booth while 3 other large parties (including mine) were crammed on the comfortable wooden floor. if you have large legs or sensitive knee caps, you won't find East is East comfortable.

the food was pricey for what you get- i had a roti wrap thing that was tastey, but left me hungry. the chai samples were great, but 5 or 7 bucks for a cup of tea seemed extreme- i'd rather buy a beer and get more buzz for my buck.

i sampled the 17 dollar platter but found it greasy and unimpressive, like a foul version of an indian thali meal. the spices were off and the food was overpowered by oil. if you want to spend 17 bucks on a meal, go down the street to the eatery and get some delicious sushi- its a much better deal.

if you find it difficult to eat while strangers are engaging in soft porn and taking love naps in the booth, don't come here. and by all means, don't bring your children.

Added Aug 31, 2006 by vancouver of kerrisdale (5 Reviews)

interesting restaurant
Food- Very good

Prices- a little expensive for the amount you get, the shakes are good but also don't expect the large one to fill you up.

Ambience- definately neat! A great first date sort of place. But although the place cool cushions and wood stools, it is so NOT comfortable. I'm short and I was knocking knees with the table.

Added Apr 16, 2006 by chairmankaga of vancouver (13 Reviews)

take out perhaps
After reading the other reviews I had high hopes for this place. The food, however, was sub-par. It was not served very hot, and it was mostly bland. The chai tea was pretty good.
Service was laid back, and the relaxed atmosphere fit very well with the room.

Added Jan 23, 2006 by eastzeast of Kitsilano, Vancouver (1 Reviews)

Critics’ Choice / Georgia Straight
You can cross the globe by climbing a single flight of stairs when you visit Chai. An Aladdin’s cave of cushions and candles, Chai offers the adventurous dinner and immersive experience. The heated enclosed patio off the north end is a pleasure on its own. Everything here is outstanding. Go to Chai and settle in for a night of sensual relaxation.

Added Jul 13, 2005 by passiontaster of Vancouver (4 Reviews)

Tasting is Believing
How does something that looks so nondescript from the outside hold such pleasures within? From your first sip of the complimentary Chai tea to your final bite of roti both East is East and it's sister restaurant upstairs are not to be missed. It is about time that someone got creative with the dining experience in this city and chose to challenge their clientele. My first experience was upstairs at CHAI. From the decor to the subtle touches of garnish on the most incredible snapper, I was in awe.