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From page 16

* Szechuan Beef ($7.95) « Singapore-style Chow Mein. ($7.50)

IT might not have the open-air waterfront ambience of West Vancouver’s famed seawalk, but North Vancouver’s C-Wok cooks.

Different walks alrogeth- er. I know, I know. Bur there are comparisons to be made.

The West Vancouver sea- walk is all about exploring North Shore harborside sights and sounds at a brisk pace, and, perhaps, sharing some pithy social commen- tary with a walking partner.

The North Vancouver C- Wok, on the other hand, is al! about exploring some of the more far-flung regions of Chinese cuisine.

Both nourishing excur-

ions. Unlike Seawalk West

Vancouver, C-Wok North

Vancouver is essy to miss.

It’s been in che old Umbertino’s pasta bar loca- tion for the past four years, Not the most appetizing storefront around, sitting as it does on the southside of Marine Drive behind a bus stop shelter and adjacent to a vacant corner store that previously housed a 7- Eleven.

More a place to hurry past on your way to or from area mails.

But C-Wok is worthy of investigation.

Table Hopping’s began after staff reports indicated steady patronage at the restaurant despite its awk- ward location (entrance is restricted to an east-hand turn off Pemberton). More interesting, according to the reports, patronage was pri- marily fom the Chinese community, which (and this has been cleared with the language police) knows its Chinese food.

On a chill winter evening, Table Hopping set off on an exploration of the North Vancouver C-Wok. First positive signs, after

si

‘d:-icing vehicle locks and

making the requisite off- Pemberton turn: restaurant windows heavily steamed up, parking lot filled, bur table available in the smail 50-seater.

Interior is in the best of spartan Chinese cafe tradi- tions: a few Oriental icons on the wail, along with assorted evening’s special menu items written in Chinese — an uncluttered eating house dedicated to whipping out the close to 200 dishes offered by the C-Wok’s kitchen.

Length of menu is noth- ing new in a Chinese restau- rant, but breadth can be.

C-Wok offers impressive latitude in both directions. The careful menu reader will, for example, come across such eyebrow-raisers as Braised Spinal Cord with Seafood in Oyster Sauce, Beep Fried Pork intestine and Beef Qmasium with Black Bean Sauce.

Further along: an entire menu section given over to Hot Pot Volcanic Eruption Cuisine.

Egads!

Aprons ail round. And a five-minute cruption warn- ing, if you please, waiter.

Spicy curries and Szechuan dishes punctuate C-Wok’s menu. Degree of spiciness is indicated by a system of stars, one being at the low end (General’s Chicken sauteed in Chili Soy Sauce, Curry Chicken, Szechuan Chicken saute); three at the top end (Hot Pepper Beef, Dai Ching

Wi sic

Tuesday-Saturday Portsie Reom * focated within the

25th io Jim Stade

ie znd Ty ee Or ae

FOOT OF LONSDALE AVENUE

Lunch or Dinner

Breast of Chicken, Cordon Bleu

Sea Bass, Puerto Vallarta Schnitzel, Tyrolian style Alert Bay, Seafood Stew

9.95 10.95 9.95

5 995

A Fluffy Cheddar Cheese Omelette 7.95

f All New Lunch & Dinner Menus Items such as - Medallions of Lamb Epicurean Curry of Lamb, Madras, Sea Bass Yera Cruz

445-13th Strect, West Vancouver 926-8922

int “Certiffeates: Ava a bi

Chicken).

Quality of the food served is very good. A sam- pled Hor and Sour Soup was thick with seafood, chicken, tofu and vegeta- bles. Ir struck an exhilarat- ing balance between hot (spicy) and sour (vinegar). On a snowy winter evening, it was precisely what the Chinese herbal doctor ordered.

The other dishes sampled were alj well prepared. Green pepper and onion, workhorse vegetables used as plate filler by far too many Chinese restaurants in far too many dishes, were largely absent. In their place were a variety of leafy green vegetables (choi: Ka’ Larn;

Serving

bok; tai gu), mushrooms and bean curds.

C-Wok’s kitchen also dis- plays a deft hand when it comes to administering chilies, peppercorns, star anise and other favored Chinese herbs and spices. None is too heavily applied.

Ingredients are fresh and Portions generous.

Menu prices range from around $5 on up to $14.

Service in the crowded C-Wok dining room is effi- cient and the staff, overali, is friendly.

For those secking a good introduction to more adven- turous Chinese cookery in non-pretentious surround- ings, start with a vigorous C-Wok

World Famous Fish & Chips

in HORSESHOE BAY since 1946

for Expires Feb. 4/97

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© Dine-in onty

® Not valid with other promotional offer:

Buy the first entree, and receive a second entree of equal or lesser value with this ad,

As

6408 Bay Street West Vancouver

Neighbourhood Pub 135 Pemberton Ave. N Van

BEFORE YOU VENTURE ABROAD

EXPLORE THE MEWS

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Wednesday, January 22, 1997 — North Shore News — 47

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