Ping’s Café

Deceiving exteriors are tricky. What looks like a draby Chinese place from the outside is actually a really cool place inside. Literally, it has a ‘cool’ atmosphere. Ceiling to ground grey velvet curtains that create another ‘world’ within the restaurant, grey felt upholstered seats, and silver tables, along with black and white chandaliers (Omar Arbel!) make this place a comforting one. I really like the interior!
This place is tiny-​nothing more than 30 seats, so be sure to make a reso or come early to guarantee a seat. They specialize in homestyle Japanese cooking-​Yoshoku style. Americanized (Canadianized) Japanese food.
My first visit here was when it first opened back in 2008, and have recently been back. Their menu has changed a little, and food doesn’t seem to be as good.
Recommendation is the Ping Fries-​Fresh hand cut potato fries, served with our Yoshoku sauce, mayo & aonori. and the Ping Dinner –1 Hambagoo (Japanese Mama style hamburgers with Yoshoku sauce,), 2 Hire Tonkatsu (panko deep fried pork tenderloin) and 2 Ebi Furai (panko deep fried prawns), with side house salad, potato salad & rice. You can try a bit of everything and see what you like.
If you’ve never tried this Yoshuku style food, then welcome to Ping’s World!

Ping’s has one of the prettiest décor’s on Main St. Everything (except the seating) was handmade by friends or the owners.
This kind of care extends to the food and table service. I was craving a bowl of dashi broth (not on the menu) and the chef obliged, coming out of the kitchen to make sure it was to my liking.
I think they’ve worked the menu to make it more fresh and less deep-​fried. I heard a rumor about too much deep-​fried food when it first opened.
Get there early if you can so you can really soak in the atmosphere.

Sorry folks, even though I wanted to desperately like this place, I’m going to have to go against the grain of positive reviews. Japanese comfort food in an izakaya environment outside of downtown? The ironic nod to the Chinese café that used to occupy the space? All sounded like a recipe for success — however, I walked away disappointed.
Came here at about 8PM on a Saturday night and the waitress estimated that the wait would be about ½ hour as my friend didn’t want to sit at the bar. As accurately predicted, a group of 4 was ready to leave within the 30 minute wait. However, another party of 4 showed up out of nowhere and were given the table. The waitress apologized and claimed the group had reservations before we showed up (even though she initially said we were next up and we waited outside the entire time). I would have happily taken my business elsewhere and wrote off the half-​hour wait, but my friend felt we were too invested so we waited another half-​hour before another table of 4 left.
Okay, so I tried to give them the benefit of the doubt (possible that there was some mixup over the waitlist, but more likely they gave the table to the bigger group) and hoped the food would make up for the hour-​long wait. We ordered a lot of small tapas ($ 5 — $ 9 each) and the $ 18 Ping Dinner (a sampler dish). Other than the Sapporo on tap for $ 4.80 for a smallish-​pint, most of the food was sub-​standard.
The poutine was bland thanks to the gritty vegetable curry. We ordered what we thought was ebi gyoza, I didn’t see/​taste any prawns and was hit with the overpowering taste of ginger and shiitake mushrooms — I’ve had better gyozas from a supermarket. The hambagoo was cold and mushy at the core. Finally, the waitress sheepishly told us they ran out of rice — allow me to repeat this: a *Japanese* restaurant running out of *rice*.
The niku-​jaga and fresh deep-​fried items (tonkatsu and ebi furai) were only items I felt merited the price point. Sadly, it looks like you do need to go downtown for decent Japanese tapas with drinks. However, the vibe is much more subdued and quiet enough to hold a conversation unlike the more popular Japanese izakaya options.
This place definitely is aiming for the hipster clientele with the location, vegetarian offerings, minimalist interior and wannabe-​best-​kept-​secret name and exterior. However, it’s really more flash than substance — then again, the ‘underground’ novelty is the main lure for poseurs. I would have given the Ping’s a ²⁄₅ stars for the ‘meh’ food and drinks at poor value. But knocked off a star due to the souring waiting experience.

Wow. Pings really blew us away!
We were looking for a real deviation from our usual fare.
It was kind of early for dinner and the sun was still hot off the pavement when we peeked into Pings. The menu was a curiosity but the décor really drew me in. To me the interior is like a contemporary art gallery. The lighting and the wine storage are something to behold for sure. See the pictures!
We started with Fries, I would call these Fries the «Jappa Dog» of Fries. They were really fun, fresh and yummee. Striped with mayo and spotted with ginger.
The Ebi Gyoza was a nice complement to the Ping Dog.
I ordered the Sukiyaki Steak.
This was mouth watering tender beef cooked to perfection served with salad and yes, more fries, to celebrate my fries kick that I’m on.
A conversation with our server revealed that she also is heading towards the wheat free diet and had several recommendations for Gluten Free choices on this menu.
Here are her picks:
Potato Salad
Edamame
Ping Dog
Ikia Karaage
Drunken Chicken
Also available in N.G. on request:
Sukiyaki Steak
Cod Miso Teri
Tuna Tataki
This meal was fresh, tasty and SAFE for me to enjoy. We had such a relaxing time and felt quite satisfied and well treated.
No doubt we will be back to try more of this unusual fare.

I was told by a friend about this place, yoshoku/​tapas Japanese food. This restaurant is easy to pass if you are not looking for it. From the outside it looks uninviting, but upon entering, you will be welcomed by grey and white décor (love it!). I like the story, that the «Ping’s Café» sign was apparently discovered under another sign (previous occupant in the past). They left the sign up with the awning that once covered it, and decided to call it Ping’s Café again.
I went with 2 friends (one visiting from NY) and he loved that place! We shared 6 small plates (Ping Salad, Tuna Tataki, PIng Poutine, Pork Gyoza, Tori Karaage and Kabocha Korokke). My fave dish is the Kabocha Korokke which is Kabocha pumpkin, potato, & sautéed onion croquette with yoshoku sauce. But the rest of the dishes were heavenly!
We finished the meal with in-​house made apple cheesecake. The best dessert I had as of yet!
I will definitely go again and try other dishes!

Yes, I gave Ping’s four stars, but I do think the reviews in print and online for this hole-​in-​the-​wall establishment are a tad too favorable. I believe that these gushing reviews can be explained by the fact that the restaurant surpasses expectations, when considering its drab exterior.
I love spring, lemurs and jogging, but not as much as I love tapas… and Ping’s has some tasty tapas (yoshoku = Japanese comfort food). Most of the small plates at Ping’s are priced between $ 5 — $ 9. We ordered seven of the small dishes and highlights were the agedashi tofu and the squid with wasabi tartar sauce. They also have Sapporo on tap! I agree with others however… this is probably a better place for a snack and beer than for a meal.
The only things that bugged me about Ping’s were the mismatched tableware and boho servers. I know it’s a trendy spot and it’s on nouveau-​hip Main St, but the supposedly blasé vibe came across as unnecessary affectation.

A Japanese restaurant with a Chinese name.
It’s on the corner of 11^th and Main, and look for it because unless you do, you will miss it. Grey interiors, gold and black hanging lights, a really cool funky wine wall that is literally in the wall, with holes cut-​out and the wine placed in it and upholstered couched with pleats and elementary syled chairs to sit on. Josh the owner and his aunt run the place. You will find typical Japanese style dishes like edamame, tuna tataki and gomae. The real difference is in the yoshoku or westernized Japanese cuisine, although it’s pretty much American fast-​food. Hambagoo is their hamburger without the bun and really tasty, the prawns are deep fried in bread crumbs and the pork cutlet looks like a schnitzel. They have plain white rice, potatoe salad and yeah. That’s the deal of yoshoku I think. It’s inexpensive, cozy and allows for the most important thing when in company of others. The ability to have a conversation.

There’s a new restaurant in Vancouver that is very hush hush. Seldom know of its existence and you would be forgiven for walking straight past it.
Discrete Ping’s Café has a shop-​front that is bland to say the least, with frosted glass panels that keep prying eyes at bay and rusted metal that suggest construction is still in progress.
If you aren’t an in-​the-​know local, the only hint of what’s inside are the small white letters etched onto the glass that quietly invite you in to try Yoshoku-​style Japanese cuisine, (aka westernized Japanese food).
If you do dare to step inside — and dare you should — you will be greeted with décor that shatters Ping’s nondescript façade. Floor to ceiling curtains welcome you, behind which a tiny space has been decked out by Vancouver artists and designers. It’s a stark interior, probably a little bland for some. Black and white chandeliers hang overhead as you sit on unbleached wooden chairs and dine on such dishes as Kabocha Korroke («croquettes»), Yakitori Skewers, and Karaage Gyoza that will have your tastebuds doing backflips.
As far as mysticism goes, Ping’s steals the show. You’ll feel as though you stepped inside a magic wardrobe, into a culinary Nania. Delicious!

Grubby on the outside, gallery-​like on the inside, Ping’s Café on Main Street features a unique style of Japanese comfort food called yoshoku. You can order hambagoos, Ping’s dogs, fries sprinkled with dried seaweed flakes, and so on. Wash it all down with one of three types of sake. Unique cuisine that’s worth a taste!