.DAUNENCG

A Hot S

tar is born on

the restaurant scene

New NV eatery goes beyond the regulation

sweet and sour with its Szechuan cuisine

The Hot Star Mandarin and
Szechuan Restaurant, 741
Lonsdale Ave., North Van-
couver, 986-2088. Mastercard
accepted. Open every day from
11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Take

the kids or call a babysitter?
You could do either.

dinner menu

Timothy Renshaw
TABLE HOPPING

ERE IS one hot star

that won’t give you

indigestion from
overly rich helpings of self-
importance and pretension.

It opened in January in a loca-
tion that has housed several res-
taurant variations over the past
few years, but the Hor Star might
have the ingredients North Shore
diners cou!d not find in its
predecessers.

For one thing, the Hot Star
serves Chinese food, for which
North Shore diners seem to have a
particular affinity; for another, the
restaurant’s selection goes beyond
the regulation sweet and sour
horizon, past which ever more
diners are daring to venture.

And maybe Nonh Shore folks
are finally getting used to having a
restaurant at 741 Lonsdale.

Around here it takes time to get
used to such changes of mercan-
tile rhythm. After ail, it wasn’t that
long ago that you could buy the
latest Sensational Alex Harvey
Band record where the Hot Star
now stands.

Tatk about indigestion ...
digress.

The Hot Star has replaced the
Pizza Pazz, a restaurant that was
part pizza parlor, part Persian res-
taurant and maybe another part
uncertain of what it wanted to be.

but J

THERE'S THE beef...and broccoli, and a lot more at the new Hot
Star restaurant on Lonsdaie in Nerth Vancouver. The Hot Star

NEWS photo Terry Peters

features Mandarin and Szechuan variations of Chinese cuisine.

Table Hopping never got around
to paying Pazz a visit. It never ap-
peared to be very enthusiastic
about what it was serving and who
it was serving.

The Hot Star, however, appears
to have hit the location at a full
trot. Its menu features dishes that

range from mild-mannered to
challenging, and its staff is courte-
ous and efficient.

Rather than stepping gingerly | in-
to the culinary unknown, walk-in
traffic are swept in without delay
knowing that there will be at least

See Menu page 31

This week Wine Spots recommenids:

TVRRELL’S LONG FLAT
WHITE, 1990. $9.95
(AUSTRALIA)

Obviously white, long fon
finish), but flat? Hardly. Don’t be
put off by the old name or grape
melange unusual even for Oz:
Semillon borrowed from
Bordeaux, with discreet lashings
of Alsatian Traminer and Italian
Trebbiano to thoroughly and
delightfully befuddle the palate.

Result: a crisp, full-flavored, ut-

terly unique wine.

What else would you expect
from a winemaker who brags
about being related to the
murderous henchman of
Shakespeare’s Richard Ul?
CONCHA Y TORO CABERNET
SAUVIGNON/MERLOT. 1938.
1.5 LITRE. $10.95 (CHILE)

This “jug o’ fun’’ disappears
from LDB shelves so fast it must
be the worst kept secret on the
North Shore.

Not as complex as some
Chilean ‘reservas’ maybe, but an
amazingly well-made example of
a classic grape pairing: abundant
likable fruit tied down to a solid
yet smooth tannic structure.

Works out to about $5.50 per
bottle, an unbeatable value for
your wine dollar in this magnum
(two-bottle) size; doubly conve-
nient on account of its high
“evaporation” rate in convivial
company.

Sas

Wednesday, March 11, 1992 — North Shore News - 29

Q in the rain?

ALL YOU CAN EAT—

Indoor, smokeless B8Q

$995

Dinner: $1 495

Chiidren under 10: $9°
Best quality in town!

Lunch:

tunca: Mon-Fri. 11:20-2:30pm
Dinner: Mon-Sat. 5pm-lipm
Sun.4pm-10pm

687-5567

1124 Alberni St.
tat Thurlow), Vancouver

av nn a

IMEXIGANA...

RESTAURANT

Genuine and Califomia
style Mexican Food

© Present coupon win
order

* One coupon per
© Not vahd with other

coupons
© Not vald during major
holdays:

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT
NIGHTLY 2'sig screen Sports
We cordially invite you and your guest to enjoy
One Complimentary

LUNCH OR DINNER ENTREE
-when a second Lunch or Dinner entree of equa! or greater value is

ang, 985-TACO

(Reservations Recommended)
TO ..Neoscoccscccccoccacs .

Su

me

1200 Lonsdale
North Vancouver

THE

SEAFOOD. & STEAK: HOUSE _

$1090 off the total
food bill with this
coupon when 2 or
move entrees are
purchased. Valid for
dinner, 7 days a week.
VALUE w ©

APRIL 50/92
7" Seafood & Steak House on
Q - 2070 Marine Dr., N. Van 980-2611

‘The Beach Side Cate is a canny little restasrant that, with

its recent spiffing-up, should not only give North Shore
residents pause — why bether driving downtown for dinner?
— but lure some Vancouverites over to the North Shore for
a meal, which would be a real turning of the tables.

— Scott Mowbray (Vancouver Mogarine) |
1362 Marine Dr, West | Vancouver 8