Shared Plates at Bao Bei

Richmond's best Cantonese dim sum means har gow, siu mai and a 90-minute deadline that focuses the mind wonderfully.

The plant-filled Main Street room that makes a first date feel like it's going well before a word is spoken.

Butter chicken poutine, paneer tacos and spiced cocktails in Surrey's slickest Indian lounge, open until 3am.

Steps from Metrotown SkyTrain, a food court where the yellow-sign dumpling stall beats Din Tai Fung for half the money.

Crispy chilli paneer, wok-charred Hakka noodles and a cold drink to put out the fire, in Surrey's Newton neighbourhood.

PoCo's beloved dim sum room: carts, steam, har gow to xiao long bao and the best argument you'll have all week.

The only dinner where eating with your hands from the same plate is not just allowed, it's the whole point.

One of Vancouver's highest-rated Indian spots on The Drive, where street-food snacks flow into proper cocktails and a room that hums.

Six or eight tables, Ethiopian art, and a tradition called gursha where you hand-feed each other, which is romantic on purpose.

A dim, jazz-soaked 1960s Tokyo cafe in Chinatown, where tajarin with uni is just how dinner starts.

Ethiopian stews by hand, a live Friday band, and the kind of injera-sharing that requires getting very comfortable very quickly.

Michelin-listed Main Street kitchen where Peru meets Tokyo and Canton: alpaca tartare, arroz con pato, and a pisco bar that hums until close.

Where Pondicherry's centuries-old French-Indian love affair lands in Hastings-Sunrise, with a coconut tequila chaser.

Chilli paneer, gobi Manchurian and Hakka noodles in Richmond's warm Indo-Chinese room, plus handcrafted pizza if you need it.