Chantecler

Just a few steps from Grand Electric there's another restaurant filling seats right when its doors open.  In the heart of Parkdale, Chantecler has become popular for its cheap and cheerful $21 lettuce meal that easily feeds two people.  The dish comes with a piece of very tender braised beef and equally tender slow smoked pork shoulder, steamed rice, spicy sauces, pickled veg (including carrots, cauliflower and kimchi) and of course big leafy lettuce.  They also regularly have specials you can add on to the meal like duck leg or crispy tofu.

The rest of Chantecler's menu consists mainly of seafood plates that all sound appealing (wild pacific cod wrap, calamari with caramelized peanuts, albacore tuna ceviche and oysters with lemon and kimchi juice) but the spicy popcorn shrimp shown below is one you can pass on.  The shrimp wasn't as spicy as promised and the kitchen went too heavy on the popcorn batter.

Chef Jonathan Poon also offers a tasting menu.  Reservations for the November tasting is fully booked. December bookings open Nov 1.

The cocktail menu is fun and not overly complicated (a good thing in our books) and there's an extensive wine list.
The 30 seat restaurant is open everyday of the week, with the kitchen still cooking Thursdays and Fridays until 12am and Saturdays until 1am.