Keeping Kosher at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver

Enjoying the Vancouver Olympic Games but can’t find what to eat? Thankfully, there is some kosher food in Vancouver to keep you satiated and perhaps titillate your taste buds.

There are at least 5 kosher eateries in the Vancouver area (although none are downtown):

• Sabra Glatt Kosher Restaurant & Bakery (3844 Oak Street) [Meat]
• Pini’s Kosher (729 West 16th Ave.) [Dairy]
• Nava (located in the lobby of the JCC – 950 West 41st Ave) [Dairy]
• Maple Grill (1967 W. Broadway) [Meat]
• Falafel Plus & Catering (446 W 8th Ave)

To read more about these restaurants, check out our “Kosher Travel” post on Vancouver, BC.

Use the BC Kosher website as an additional resource while in Vancouver and the surrounding area.

If you’ve found other places & ways to keep kosher at this year’s games, please let us know and comment below!

Feel free to repost this to your blog, but please include the original link to this post: http://yeahthatskosher.com/2010/02/keeping-kosher-at-the-2010-winter-olympics-in-vancouver

Tags: bc, british columbia, Canada, jews at winter olympics, kosher bc, kosher british columbia, kosher olympics, kosher vancouver, olympics, vancouver, winter olympics

✈ Vancouver, BC

Contributed by: Dani Klein | Last Date of Travel: August 2009

Kosher Info: Vancouver was a city I did not expect to find many kosher options, and was surprised to have a found a few.
One thing to keep in mind: most, if not all of the places I will list, close early – especially if you’re from New York or Toronto. Really early.

I met a few friends and colleagues at Sabra Glatt Kosher Restaurant & Bakery (3844 Oak Street), which has a sit down meat restaurant, and a take out section as well. The food has a mix of Israeli with other Middle Eastern flavors. The soups were good, and the main dishes were pretty tasty as well. This was not a fancy restaurant, but good enough to hit the spot when on vacation. Sabra closes at 8pm or earlier, so check in advance.

Pini’s Kosher (729 West 16th Ave.) is a pizza place and a kosher market combined. The pizza slices were quite small, and the flavor is nothing to write home about. I guess you cant complain about kosher pizza when traveling far from home. The market carried many American and Israeli kosher products.

On our last day in Vancouver, we headed to the JCC for lunch. Nava is a Dairy Restaurant located in the lobby of the JCC (950 West 41st Ave). They had pizza, pasta, sandwiches, salads, and soups. Although it was a fast food sort of cafe, the food was relatively fancy and tasty, and I highly recommend eating there. The cafe also has to abide by the hours of the JCC, so call in advance for their schedule.

Sadly, there were some places I did not get to try when in Vancouver:

• Maple Grill seems to be a meat restaurant that is a fusion of multiple cuisines (1967 W. Broadway).
• Falafel Plus & Catering (446 W 8th Ave)

Please keep in mind that none of the kosher restaurants are in the downtown or West End area of Vancouver, which is really the nicest place to stay. You’ll need a car to access the restaurants, which is relatively close by, all under a 15 minute drive from the West End neighborhood (where we stayed).

For an up to date list, contact the Orthodox Rabbinical Council of British Columbia (BCK) before you travel.

Travel Info: Vancouver is an amazingly beautiful and clean city. There is a hustle and bustle, yet looking at the nearby mountains makes it serene. In fact, many films (portraying large cities) are filmed there.
I loved exploring the streets and parks of Vancouver, especially Stanley Park on the tip of the West End. Stanley Park is an amazing place to walk, jog, roller blade, or ride a bike. We decided to rent bikes nearby and take the path around the seawall of Stanley Park. The views of the city, and the mountains were amazing. The seawall actually extends beyond the limits of the park into the city, allowing all those who stroll along to take in it’s amazing views. Many tour guides and books actually recommend biking the seawall as one their top things to do in Vancouver, and I agree.

Another great place to visit and explore is Granville Island, situated directly across from downtown Vancouver. Granville Island, actually a peninsula, is a former industrial manufacturing area, but is now a major tourist destination, with amenities such as a public market, a large marina, a hotel, and a major shopping area. Granville has shows and a nightlife as well. We had a great time exploring the Granville shops, the fresh food market, and the views of downtown Vancouver.

Directly north of the city is Grouse Mountain, a great place to escape the steel and pavement and experience nature. Driving to the foot of Grouse Mt. takes less than 15 min from downtown Vancouver without traffic. On the way we stopped by the Capilano Fish Hatchery, which produces 3 million salmon each year. Nearby is the Capilano Suspension Bridge (which we did not get to experience) which has breathtaking views and gives you insight into rainforest trails through magnificent evergreens and the unique perspective of a walk high in the trees.

Once you’re at Grouse Mountain, you have a bunch of options, depending on the season. During the summertime, you’ll enjoy the SkyRide to the top of the mountain, giving you amazing views of the entire city of Vancouver. When we arrived to the top, we were greeted by thick morning fog which did not allow us to see more than a few feet ahead of us (that eventually cleared around 12pm). Every hour or so there is a hokie but cute lumberjack show, which the kids will definitely find enjoyable. There are 2 grizzly bears that live at the mountain’s wildlife refuge. A tour guide gives you some background as to how they got there. For extra fees, they offer ziplining between mountains, paragliding, and other outdoor activities. Word of advice to those visiting Grouse (especially in the summer): no matter the time of year, dress warm. It is at least 10-20 degrees colder at the top than the bottom.

In the wintertime, Grouse Mountain is a ski resort. Enjoy the beautiful scenery and skiing / snowboarding the slopes. Grouse is probably the closest ski resort to any major city I can think of. Grouse Mountain is hosting some events for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

An off the beaten place we found in Vancouver was the University of British Columbia (UBC) Museum of Anthropology. It was a very educational and fascinating museum, with many statues and artifacts about the Native Americans / Canadians whom are called “First Peoples” as well as British Columbian anthropological history and culture.

Jewish Info: While we did not spend Shabbat in Vancouver, or stay in the Jewish community there, the Jews we did meet were very friendly and warm. We also saw many Israelis around the city which wasn’t expected. If you are looking to spend Shabbat there, contact the Chabad which has centers Downtown, Vancouver’s residential area, and out in the burbs in Richmond: Chabad of British Columbia.

Tags: 2010 olympics, 2010 winter olympics, british columbia, Canada, capilano, first peoples, grouse mountain, hiking, kosher bc, kosher british columbia, kosher vancouver, museum of anthropology, olympics, outdoor, pini's kosher, sabra glatt kosher, skiing, stanley park, UBC, vancouver, vancouver kosher, west end, winter olympics

Seattle, WA & The Olympic Peninsula

Contributed by Dani Klein | Last Date of Visit: August 2009

While a post on Seattle was posted this past January, my recent trip there was so great, I wanted to highlight some of the points from the previous post: http://yeahthatskosher.com/2009/01/seattle-wa

Kosher Info: Whilst in downtown Seattle, we had a late night dinner at Bamboo Garden, a great kosher vegetarian Chinese place in the Seattle Center, walking distance from the Space Needle. I highly recommend the corn chowder as an opening appetizer. I didn’t expect anything to be open late, but they were open until 10pm (not quite as late as in larger cities, but just late enough).

On Mercer Island there’s the highly acclaimed Island Crust pizza. Also on the island is Albertson’s ( what locals call “Albertstein’s” for their large kosher section), a large supermarket chain.

We also had an amazing dinner at Pabla Indian Cuisine in Issaquah. They also have a location in Renton south of the city.

Tourist Info: On our first full day in the area, we spent the day outside of Seattle, in the “Olympics” or the Olympic Peninsula or Olympic National Park. Getting there from Seattle is interesting. You can drive around the Puget Sound, or you can take one of many ferries across the sound which take about 20 minutes. It’s a really beautiful ride.

Driving through the woodsy Olympic Peninsula, we stopped in the small town of Sequim, WA (pronounced Squim). The town is known for its lavender farms, of which there were many. Our trip at the end of August was about a week or so after they had harvested the majority of their lavender. We visited the Lost Mountain Lavender Farm, which had a store for us to purchase lavender products, and many different types of plants unharvested. There are dozens of lavender farms in and around Sequim, and I definitely recommend checking them out. There is also an annual Lavender Festival in the summertime.

Our next stop was Port Angeles which is the largest town on the Olympic Peninsula. From there you can hop on a ferry to Victoria, BC or stop in the Olympic National Park Welcome Center. A 40+ minute winding drive uphill from the welcome center is Hurricane Ridge. From there you have beautiful views of the Olympic Mountain Range and multiple hikes ranging from 20 minutes to a few hours. . You can also see across the Puget Sound to the tip of Vancouver Island, Canada or find some wildlife.

Olympic National Park is known for it’s massive redwood trees which stand hundreds of feet tall and are hundreds of years old. The park also boasts a few waterfalls. Some are accessible right off the road, others after 30+ minute hikes. Lake Crescent is a crystal blue lake surrounded by mountains. We decided on a whim to just jump in – and boy what is it refreshing. Cold — but refreshing.

Further West toward the Pacific Ocean is the town of Forks, where the Twilight book series is set.

The next day we spent time in downtown Seattle. In the morning we had breakfast at the famous Pikes Place Market, home of the original Starbucks. We found tasty organic vegetables and vegan pastries. At the market we also found unbelievably beautiful flowers for super cheap – a great place to buy your Shabbat hosts a bouquet of flowers.

Other places in Seattle I recommend visiting:

• The Seattle Underground Tour – learn the history of corrupt Seattle
• Kerry Park – an amazing lookout point in a beautiful neighborhood
• Gas Works Park – a Gas Plant turned Park – strange but fun

Seattle is also know for its glass blowing studios. There are a few here and there, so if you find one, pop in and watch them make really cool glass. Just search for “Glass Blowing Studio Seattle“.

Jewish Info: The Jews we met in Seattle were so friendly and inviting. We spent the Shabbat on Mercer Island – which is absolutely stunning, with views of Mt. Rainier in the distance. We went to shul at Shevet Achim, which is in the middle of Mercer Island.

The largest Jewish community in the Seattle area is in Seward Park, which we did not get to visit.

We really enjoyed our visit to the Seattle area, and look forward to going back.

Tags: bc, forks washington, Gas Works Park, hiking, hurricane ridge, jewish travel, kerry park, kosher seattle, kosher travel, kosher washington state, lake crescent, lavender, lavender farm, lavender festival, Mercer Island, mt rainier, Olympic national park, Olympic Peninsula, olympics, pikes place market, port angeles, Puget Sound, Seattle, seattle underground tour, sequim, seward park, twilight books, vancouver island, victoria, wa, washington, waterfalls

Beijing, China

Contributed by: Gavi Lewy-Neuman | Last Date of Travel: October 2008

Kosher Info:

There are 2 Chabad centers in Beijing.  The main Chabad house is located in the Chaoyang District, in the northern area, whereas the smaller Chabad center is further south from there (both in the east of Beijing).  I only visited the larger of the 2 centers. There is a kosher restaurant in the same vicinity, called Dini’s Restaurant.  (Note: there is an Israeli restaurant almost next door to Dini’s, and even though it has Hebrew writing on the sign, it is NOT kosher).  The restaurant is meat and delicious and fairly priced.  You may order food “to-go” there.  The Shabbat meals, both Friday night and Shabbat day are eaten in the restaurant as well (not at the Chabad house!).  Go to www.kosherbeijing.com for Restaurant info.

There is a supermarket “chain” (there are at least 2 of them) in Beijing called Jenny Lou’s, and they sell a ton of American products, many of which are kosher.  They even have kosher soy milk there.  I believe there is another supermarket called “Super Center” that also sells a lot of American products.  Exact information can be received from contacts at Chabad.

Suggestion: Bring your own packaged soups that just require added hot water.  A main part of the Chinese culture is soup, and on-the-go most Chinese people will have “cup-of-soup” equivalents, and to cater to that, hot water is available everywhere, even on long distance trains. This goes for everywhere in China. Traditions soups (and its equivalents) will be very helpful in China.

Tourist Info:

Beijing has extensive subway system great for getting around, and any trip, no matter destination costs only 2 Yuan.  The subway is preferable to on road travel due to lots of constant road congestion.

There is plenty to see in Beijing and its surrounding areas.  I would suggest not to miss the Great Wall of China (any part will do – Badaling is the most touristy, and easiest to get to by public transport), The Forbidden City/Tienanmen’s Square (a private guide of the audio guide is well worth the investment – both can be picked up right outside the entrance), and the Olympic village.  Having just hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics, Beijing exhibits great pride in that fact, and the Olympic village, home to the National Stadium (or “Bird’s Nest”) and the Water Cube… all well deserving of a visit.  Get there before 3pm to ensure the ability to buy an entrance ticket to the Water Cube, and before 5pm for the Bird’s Nest.  There is lots more to choose from – read up about it and choose for yourself! Lonely Planet has been a very useful guidebook to lead me around Beijing.

Jewish Info:

Visit www.chabadbeijing.com for full details.  The main chabad has minyanim on shabbat (most of the time) and sometimes during the week.  There is a Mikvah located by the Jewish School about 30 minutes from town (get details from the Chabad family).   Get directions in Chinese and English on the website, and print it out to show to a taxi driver.  The website will also show places to stay within walking distance nearby.  No youth hostels are really within walking distance under an hour, but there is a budgeted hotel called the Home Inn closer by.  The whole Chabad family, including the children really add to the atmosphere and they are very welcoming.  The re are currently 3 Chabadnik girls brought in from France to help with the Shlichut and they too are very much a part of the community.   Chabad Beijing = a really wonderful experience!

Tags: jewish travel, kosher china, kosher travel, olympics