indian >> i like nirvana on main street.

chinese >> i like floata in china town for the big chinese cafeteria style or boss on main street for chinese bakery style.

Vij’s for Indian food! Amazing, but be prepared to wait. (Although even the wait is fun becuase they give you delicious snacks and wine)

http://www.vijs.ca/

are you looking for traditional Indian? and what type of Chinese? there are so many styles.

A really great traditional Indian is India Grill on 4th Ave. in Kitsilano (5 mins from downtown but worth it). I wouldn’t go to the places downtown they are more expensive and touristy and not as tasty.

The best “fusion Indian” cuisine probably in the world is also in Vancouver, called Vij’s (on 11th Ave., just over the bridge from downtown, very close). One of my personal favorite restaurants anywhere. I always recommend it to anyone visiting Vanc.

A popular Chinese place downtown on Robson St. is Hon’s Wun-Tun, but the one I love is Sha-Lin Noodle House on Broadway & Cambie near city hall (they make stretched noodles by hand).

Best Indian Restaurant:

House of Dosas is my absolute favourite. They are priced just right and the place just ROCKS. I go there about twice a month.

http://www.vaneats.com/2005/01/29

I also recommend VJs. More expensive, but good as well. But, House of Dosa’s is so much better…

http://www.vaneats.com/reviews/restaurants/vijs

Kits is not “really” downtown but if you want to be pedantic :-)

My favs anywhere in Vancouver:

Indian: Vij’s and Rangoli, Tamarind Bistro, Deli Darbar and any Indian, Sri Lankan, etc. Restaurant with Masala Dosas!!!!!!

Chinese: (not in this order) – Kwong Chow Congee & Noodle House for noodles and congee, The Boss for Hong Kong Style Ice Tea, cheap treats and Hong Kong style cafe food (grilled cheese), Sun Sui Wah for dim sum, Green Village for Northern Chinese, Double Double for Chinese doughnuts plus whatever Stephen wong writes e.g. http://straight.com/content.cfm?id=16737

Double clicking on Chinese:

Chinese in “real” downtown:

Kirin on Alberni, Shanghai Bistro on Alberni, Victoria (dim sum) at the Hyatt, and as Kris said Floata and The Boss in Chinatown plus as hamish said, Hon’s in Chinatown and on Robson

Chinese in Vancouver but not “real” downtown:

Sun Sui Wah on Main, Legendary Noodle on Main, Sha-Lin Noodle House on Broadway near Cambie, Spicy Court on 40th and Cambie, Double Double, Koon Bo

Daniel if this is not enough email me roland AT rolandtanglao.com or call me at 604 729 7924.

The Sitar in Gastown is our favourite Indian restaurant, by far. Kerry is the best waiter there – we invited him to our wedding… that’s how much we like him and The Sitar!

Sitar on Powell is the best for Indian food. Great food, friendly wait staff

i think the best northern indian in vancouver is at akbar’s own, at 1905 broadway st. (broadway and cypress, i think). it serves authentic kashmiri cuisine and is wonderful. a north indian friend of mine who travels a lot went there and said it was the best food he had ever tasted outside of india.

house of dosa’s is great, too. it’s cheap and super tasty — but also a hole in the wall and in an uninteresting part of the city. it depends on what sort of dining experience your sister in law is looking for, how mobile she is, and where she’s staying, of course.

the best indian fusion is vij’s. vij’s has this super hip retro 70’s chic thing going on with an indian twist, and vij himself usually wanders around graciously chatting the guests up. the service is tops and the food unique and fantastic. while waiting (and you will have to wait) they serve you chai and little snacks from the kitchen. it’s on the pricier side, for sure, but it’s not crazy expensive.

my favourite chinese in the city is either szechuan chongqing, or hon’s. there’s one szechuan chongqing location at commercial and 12th, and one on broadway just west of burrard. i love their pea leaves and general tsao’s chicken (or was it crab? it’s been a while). for fast, efficient, no frills chinese, i like hon’s. there’s one on robson, downtown, and one in china town. you will be stunned by how fast you get your food at hon’s. plus, it’s inexpensive.

My boyfriend recommends Akbar’s west of Broadway and Burrard (he’s guessing, so you might want to look it up!)

For Chinese, I like Szechuan Chong Quing with is a small place, upstairs, and it’s east of Broadway and Burrard.

Make sure you get some Thai food at SalaThai if you’re in town. :)

“Downtown” really limits the options available, so I’m going to make like the rest and… flagrantly ignore that part of your question!

Chinese: Greasy Sunday brunch dim sum upstairs at the Park Lock (Keefer at Main) is a quintessential Vancouver experience so long as the carts are being trundled about (essentials include the sticky rice in a leaf — while you’re in the area, swing by the New Town bakery, Pender at Main, for some pork steam buns and coconut buns); the Shao Lin Noodle house at Broadway and Cambie (remember that intersection if you ever want to eat in Vancouver) offers a great subset (focus: noodles) of Chinese food, plus which you get the entertainment of watching them make your noodles through the glass kitchen window; the Bo Kong on Main offers some of the best vegetarian Chinese food (an elusive variety) probably in the world, without resorting to the meat-simulation of the late, lamented Buddhist Vegetarian Restaurant. Hon’s ain’t real good, but there’s a real lot of it, real fast, for real cheap. For a more pan-asian thang, my roommate (er, the sour-chef) would probably endorse the Red Door on Granville.

Indian I don’t have so many recommendations — the area around 49th and Main offers several similar buffets that offer you much more than you pay for, but aren’t likely to satisfy adventurous palates. (Surrey might, but that’s venturing a bit far afield from downtown 8) House of Dhosas (Kingsway at Knight) we can’t seem to praise enough, so I’ll instead shed some light on Major Chutney, a fusion joint (conducted inoffensively) on Cambie.

Can’t decide? At the Green Lettuce (Kingsway at Victoria) you can get Chinese-Indian, Indian-Chinese food — made by a Chinese family from India, making Chinese dishes using Indian ingredients and techniques!

I was going to suggest Vij’s for Indian as well :-)

For Chinese I like Yopo Cafe. It is a tiny place, so I usually get it take-out. Great quality food!

Palki is a nondescript Indian restaurant off 15th & Lonsdale Ave, in North Vancouver. The only real indication of its whereabouts is a neon sign with the name. However, dont judge it by the exterior. Hardly any money for the quality of food, I strongly suggest it.(try the butter chicken:)