eae, 24 - Wednesday, January 11, 1989 - North Shore News dining Rt Dundarave Cafe is a good neighbor to have THE BUNDARAVE CAFE, 2427 MARINE DRIVE, WEST VAN- COUVER, 926-8838. VISA, MASTERCARD AND AMERICAN EXPRESS AC- CEPTED. WHEELCHAIR AC- CESSIBLE. I WAS strolling the well-lit and well-heeled streets of Dundarave recently, plotting my next restau- rant critique and tipping my hat to the good and siriple folk of West Vancouver, when a bouquet of balloons and a makeshift sign in- vited me to “‘A Pasta Party!"’ Delighted. Because, as the song says, ‘‘I don’t get around much anymore’, and the offer, from the Dundarave Cafe, the new and neighborly res- taurant incarnation that has moved -into the hallowed heritage halls of the Sager Building in the wake of former restaurant tenants, Bran- do’s and The Swan, seemed especially warm and especially all-you-can eat. So in I strode. The Dundarave is making a ge- nuine pitch to be the neighborhood's culinary baliclub, and the philosophy behind throw- ing an impromptu party appears to bear that out. It also appears to be convincing area residents to give the Dundarave a whirl: its. party was alive with enthusiastic pastaphiles. The all-you-can eat party price was $6.50 per person. Additional $2 drink tickets, which qualified Film Rain Man patrons for a glass of red or white wine or a Foster's lager, were available at the door. Before attempting to estimate the number of drink tickets I might need, I took time out to scan the Dundarave's regular menu. It emphasizes appetizers, salads and soups (Black Eye Bean Dahl a TIMOTHY RENSHAW table hopping $3.25; Shrimp and Linguine Salad, $6.45), seafood and lighter entrees (Smoked Salmon and Caper Om- elette, $6.50; Assorted Seafood with Dijon Mustard Cream, $9.50; Filet Mignon Cafe de Paris, $12.50) all rendered with a distinc- tly oriental accent (Vegetarian Stir Fry, $7.95, Sricy Szechwan Chicken, $8.95) by chef and co- owner Sam Okamoto. Because that menu was pre- empted by the pasta pot-pourri, I was unable to sample any of its specifics. But the edible end of the Dundarave’s pasta party provided ample evidence of the restaurant’s i character and abilities, Rain Man eee (United Artists) Rated M (at the Stanley, Richmond Square, Station Square 7, Eagle Ridge 6, Guildford Cinemas) CHARLIE BABBIT (Tom Cruise) thinks that making a con- nection has something to do with juggling Lambourghini deals while the bank closes in. Human connections are another matter. To get results from his employees, Charlie yells and snaps his fingers impatiently. When his girlfriend, Susanna (Valeria Golino) wants to talk, he doesn’t see the problem (O.K. — so, talk). It’s at his father’s funeral that she learns his coid manner might stem from his childhood. The only good thing Charlie can remember is the Rain Man, an imaginary friend. TIM BELL film reviewer His mother died when he was two and his father was aloof and ungiving, calling the police when Charlie took his prized Buick for a joy ride. Even death doesn’t keep the old man from holding out on his son. He wills Charlie the car and his beloved rosebushes, but leaves the bulk of the estate to a mysterious heir. Charlie soon discovers that the beneficiary is his autistic savant brother, Raymond (Oustin Hoff- man), who has been hospitalized for over 20 years. infuriated that Raymond, who has no concept of money, inherits three snillion dollars, Charlie takes his older brother on a cross-coun- try ride to extort “his” snare. Along the way, he adapts to his brother's autism and profits from the savant. Dustin Hoffman is brilliant as Raymond. When he’s faced with any change in routine, he cones by repeating the Abbott and Costello comedy bit, “‘Who’s on First’’. He eats only with toothpicks, doesn’t go outside when it rains and watches ‘‘Peo- ple’s Court’, with Judge Wopner, religiously. But he is a genius with numbers, able to calculate square roots faster than a computer . Tom Cruise has the opportunity to exhibit the mest change, grow- ing from a self-centred maverick to a compassionate brother. His both of which showed imagination and promise. Dishes digested included a spicy pasta-noodle salad with red pep- pers, celery and broccoli in a soya-ginger sauce and sesame seed oil; corkscrew pasta in a hot pep- per sauce and a plate of pan-fried tofu adrift in a soya, ginger and sliced green onion sea. There was also fettuccine in a cream and Parmesan cheese sauce that was spiced with a hint of nutmeg, and a side dish of chicken wings in a subtly spicy tomato sauce sprinkled with sesame seeds. A noodle salad rounded out the table. It included thin white rice noodles accompanied with a wide array of cabbage, red pepper, green beans, ceiery root and shredded carrot — very good and very light. All the pastas were colorful and appetizing. I took several laps around the small but popular buffet table, try- ing as best I could to turn a profit on my $6.50 investment. The ploy, I noted, was not original or peculiar to me. Waiting staff, somewhat un- comfortable with the free time on their hands while the self-serve party ran its course, hovered over tables providing welcome servings of geniality and filled drink orders with great efficiency. . Regular menu desserts at the Dundarave include Chocolate Fudge Cake ($3.35), Cointreau eeee _ Excellent eee —_ Very Good ** = — Average * Poor frustrations and sometimes unsuc- cessful attempts to understand Raymond account for the bulk of the movie's laughs. With a perfect balance of humor and heartache, this is 1988's best film. NORTH SHORE VIEWS Park Royal: Scrooged; Naked Gun; Tequila Sunrise; Oliver & Co. West Van Odeon: Twins; Land Before Time; Without a Clue Park & Tilford: Twins; Dirty Rat- ten Scoundrels; Hellbound; My Stepmother is an Alien; Cocoon: The Return; Working Girl; Land Before Time NEWS photo Mike Wakefield DUNDARAVE CAFé owners John Wiechold (left) and Sam Okamoto enjoy fresh cappuccino and fresh baked buns in their new West Van- couver restaurant. The Dundarave serves a light and interesting cuisine in the old Sager Building on Marine Drive. Orange Cake ($3.75) and Cin- namon Roll ($1.25). Again, and most unfortunately, they were not on the party roster, but each looked like a good reason to make another visit. Like any good neighbor, the Dundarave Cafe is not afraid to stray from its well-trod back HOT WAX \ ‘RECORD & COMPACT DISC RENTALS garden path to keep its neighbors’ lives interesting. Its food is sound, simple and full of interesting twists of the kitchen wrist. The Dundarave will surely in- spire frequent visits, and when was the last time your neighbor did that? : ; ’ Open every day from 11 a.m. is ‘the pick’ of 1988’s crop - 2°A professional - Y. mobile Dj service.