Empress Hotel Bengal Room - Curry buffet & all the trimmings

The Empress Hotel is really a stunning setting for meals - whether you're in the tapestry laden tea lobby for afternoon tea, the dark wood-paneled formal Empress room for dinner or in the British Indian decorated Bengal Room for a fancy cocktail and a light (or more substantial) bite to eat.

Bengal Lounge entrance

The interior is has a library or reading room feel to it, with a touch of safari....

TUC Craft Kitchen - make friends with the new(er) kid in town.

Another Vancouver trip....another great restaurant to eat at. It's a tough hobby, but someone's gotta…well eat and talk about it.

TUC is a new'ish restaurant near Gastown on West Cordova St. (they've just marked a year in business). Sandwiched in between the Army & Navy and the Woodward's condos.

The space is very "loft" feeling - with high ceilings, exposed pipes, reclaimed wood and neon sign art (think cool, partial cafe sign, not eye-rolling MillerTime).