Food: I really liked the mango dish they had. All the meat dishes were disappointing though...the fish and the beef tasted the same - dry!

Service: They missed our refills once and it took forever to reorder it. They need more servers.

Value: I wish they gave you the option to try 3 dishes (without refill) for a cheaper price. I know the price is as it is because of the unlimited refills. However, the 3 dishes filled me up quite quickly and I didn't think it warranted the price tag.

Ambiance: Really cozy; I totally love the setting. The table and chairs may not be suitable for really tall people though. They had live music that night; it sounded great.

I may consider returning, but more for the ambiance than for the food.

That's about all I can say. The place is definately different. Ok once. After that the food has to be good, the service great and the value there. That's where it all falls apart. We all had different food and it all tasted the same! It was very dry too, I did not order one of the refillable plates, which is good because I tried some of my friends' food and was not a fan so I would not have refilled. Most of them did not either, which seriously affectedt the value rating. But, then I left hungry! It was quite expensive too. But I really didn't want any more of that kind of food, I actually felt like a Filet-O-Fish. That's how much the whole place turned me off. Hit Mcds and was ok. Would not go again.

East is East is awesome. The food is fantastic. I have rarely dissappointed. I like the Broadway location better then Main because of their quality and the cook does a better job!

I like the chickpea wraps the best and the chai is too die for.

Thank you for many years of deliciousness and nutrition.

My husband and I decided to try this restaurant. We were pleasantly surprised. The decor was definitely interesting with wooden tables, benches and perusian rugs on the walls. Ethnic music played in the background.

BEVERAGES: All we have heard about with this place is how good the chai is. We both had the Darjeeling Marsala Tea and it was absolutely amazing. The best chai I have had in Van anywhere. It is SUPER spicy, but SO GOOD!!! Water is served in stainless still glasses, with lemon, which is a nice touch.

FOOD: The menu is certainly not extensive; however, there seemed to be some good items. We decided to go with an appetizer salad and share a "feast" meal with the Silk Road Salmon and Spinach Paneer as our entree's. The salad was good with lots of vegetables, served with an excellent hummous; however the salad in itself had no dressing on it, so I found it to be a bit bland. I really liked the addition of the beet and fresh herbs though. The "feast" dinner we found very good. It's not huge, but by the end of the dish we had eaten everything and were FULL. The Dahl Soup was excellent with tons of flavor, the tabboulli salad was good (nothing special). The salmon was excellent and the Paneer was good as well, but quite spinachy (not as creamy as we expected). The rice was also good. We were actually impressed with how good the food tasted.

VALUE: A little bit more on the pricey side, but I certainly don't think the food is overpriced, for what you get. The portion sizes could be a bit bigger, but by the end of the meal we were full.

SERVICE: We had no proble with the service. Our waiter was friendly, polite, attentive and prompt with the cheque. Food came out within a satisfying time frame.

Overall, we will definitely be back to try this restaurant again. It was a great experience!

Roti rolls w/meat are superb! I was so impressed by the fact that the roti wrapping the juicy contents had NO hint of sogginess--even better was the fact that the wrap was crispy to a point but still completely giving off the texture of bread & no grease! Absolutely mouthwatering! The meat/veggie plates are good as well--served w/single roti to use as you will, salad, soup & rice. If you like thick, fuller flavoured drinks, go for icec ream shakes, not the lighter lassies. I'd recommend their delicious teas or chai's whilst eating in (you get a sampler cup while waiting for seating or for takeouts, etc., either w/milk or soy added) to go with your dinner @$2-4. After your meal, wait around out/inside for a takeout order of the thick dessert drinks being that small's $4.50 while large is $5.50, but dining in, they're $5.50 & $7 respectively. A warm drink'd actually better complement the meal. The fact that the entree plates are served on a round sectioned metal dish/pan (think tire/wheel cap and/or prison dishware), it only adds to the experience (practical to use/clean, sanitize, and durable, etc., I'm sure)*grin*. The service is friendly & enthusiastic. Few seating lends for a cozier atmosphere. 2 tables of 4 seated on comfortable benches; 2 larger tables of 6-7 with one side seated on cushioned/couch along the one wall which may double up as possible communal tables; and 1 possibly larger table at the back. It is spaced well enough that you aren't anywhere near bumping elbows w/neighbouring tables. The rice pudding dessert would have been better if it was served slightly warmed so that the refridgerated-rice texture & taste wouldn't have been so apparent. Entree plates @$17; single roti wrap dish (comes w/potato lentil soup & baby spinach leaves) $11.50 or two rolls (can choose a different meat/type for 2nd) for $14 instead. Their simple menu consists of lamb, beef, chicken, vegetarian/vegan dishes, and a grilled shredded salmon variety. I'm in love~

I stopped in here after hearing good things and really enjoyed my meal. The chicken thing (whatever they call it, it was simply butter chicken with rice and raisins in a whole wheat wrap) was delicious. The salad was a garnish and didn't taste good (again with boxed greens and nothing).

I got a sample of the lassie and it was great although they put nuts in it so you have to chew carefully....

I enjoyed it but I thought it was overpriced (12$ for a chicken wrap, not insane but for something out of a takeout window it seems a bit odd). might go back might not

My Girlfriend and I decided to check this place out after casually walking by. Seemed like an interesting place, but there was a catch. We first ordered a large shake to share, and when it came we were gasping! The large looked like a small to me. Also we decided to share a *feast* and what a disappointment. We couldn't believe we were charged $20 for a scrap of food. The soup was in a dip bowl, the dali or whatever was a stain and there was a splash of salad on the plate. We scoffed the food down like ravenous pixies, and we both left mad at each other for stepping foot in the place. What a rip! We both felt like we were robed. The food quality is ok, but the portion size is very poor. The conveniently say that if you share there are no refills, but this was like sharing an appetizer. I would highly advise you avoid unless you already ate.

The food was yummy and fun to share, the server was just lovely, and the ambiance was terrific! Aside from the overwhelming scent dispenser, the place was pretty spectacular in terms of mood and atmosphere -- the live music is a special treat. Do try it if you feel like getting away from the buzz of city life for a while!

Went here in early January for a friends birthday with a group of 6. Surprisingly, although my friend had called ahead and made a reservation for dinner, the restaurant had somehow lost it! But, they were extremely accommodating and rushed to find us a table. In the meantime, half of us crammed into the tiny restaurant to wait while the other half waited out in the cold on the street - but the restaurant was nice enough to serve us some complimentary chai! Very nice gesture, and just the thing to warm us up while we were waiting.

A short while later, we were seated. The atmosphere inside was lovely. The walls are covered in Persian rugs and there were low hand-crafted tables and benches with lots of pillows and cushions. There was even some traditional music being played live in the background. Now, this is something worth mentioning, as they had rushed to find us a table, they ended up seating us at a table with a couple who were just finishing their meals. This means that the seating is basically communal style - and if you come with a group less than 6/8, you're likely to get seated with another couple of people if it's busy. This wasn't a problem for us though, the other couple was pleasant and recommended some dishes to us.

There are basically only two entree options: an eastern platter (includes rice, soup, bread, salad + 2 choices of mini entrees - like curry) and the roti rolls (sort of an eastern style burrito + soup, salad). I had the eastern platter w/baked salmon + chicken masala. The platter was huge! All of the items on the platter were small in portion, but after eating a little bit of everything, you begin to feel full. Some of my friends (college-age guys), however, finished the platter easily - but the great thing with East is East is that they offer complimentary refills of all the items on the platter (you can even try a different entree from the 2 you originally chose!) - so everyone is happy. Both of the entree options are a little under $20 bucks - not incredibly cheap, but for the amount of food you get and the variety, it's a good value.

The servers are cheerful and quick to bring refills/top off water. The only issue we had was towards the end of the night. The restaurant was less busy, but it did take a long time to bring out the birthday cake and even longer to get the bill. However, I would definitely recommend East is East; as it provides great atmosphere, unique food and all of that with happy servers and good value.

I confess that I only like to get take-out from East is East. While some may enjoy the ambiance and theatrics, it is not my cup of tea. Yes, Kitsilano was once a hippy haven, and this restaurant acts as a hommage to a previous era. Personally, I prefer not to reek of patchouli after enduring an hour of sitar and silly stage sets! So: I do encourage other yuppies out there to try the take out. It isn't easy to find healthy options when on the run. I recommend the Daal soup, which is fantastic. Most of the Smoothies and shakes are unbelievably good. I appreciate the fact that the take-out window exists - and they even let you sample the chai when you order from outside!