Burnt ends: Keep an eye on your Twitter feed—it’s the best way to find out when John Lim Hing’s irresistible Burnt Ends are on special. These succulent chunks of smoky meat goodness are trimmed rib ends (well, technically brisket ends) slathered in sweet and tangy house-made barbecue sauce. After one bite, you’ll be hard pressed to share.

Lamb Popsicles: The lengthy dinner queue of eager diners starts early at Vij’s, and wine-marinated lamb popsicles in fenugreek cream curry is a signature dish that’s well worth the wait: a pyramid of Frenched lamb chops atop a lush, delicately sweet curry. Forget about the utensils—this is finger food of the highest order.

Montreal smoked meat on a sesame bagel: 3:00 am when a meat urge hits? No worries… Siegel’s Bagels has you covered with a supply of smoked meat shipped in weekly from Montreal. Sliced thinly and steamed, it’s piled high on a sesame bagel with a schmear of mustard and served with a Mrs. Whyte’s pickle spear.

Veal “Ossobuco” alla Milanese: Pino Posteraro’s take on this traditional Italian dish is rich and indulgent, bold yet flavour balanced. It’s a sizeable portion of slow-braised veal shank, served on the bone with a generous stash of bone marrow that takes this dish completely over the top and saffron risotto to pad the luxe quotient. [Image via Sherman's Food Adventures]

Double-cut veal chop: Michel Jacob’s impeccable French fare sets an unprecedented standard of excellence, and his double-cut veal chop definitely hits the mark. Served on the bone, it’s pan-seared and accompanied by chanterelle mushrooms, artichokes, and caramelized onions in a glazed veal jus — truly extravagant.

22 oz. Porterhouse steak: Open since 1962, Hy’s Encore is a venerable Vancouver dining institution. Their 22 oz. bone-in Porterhouse steak is a showstopping piece of meat, so large that it includes both a tenderloin and a strip steak. Word is that you can request a Porterhouse to your size of choice; the recent record stands at a pair of 60 oz. behemoths.

Kurobota Teri Mayo: From its humble food cart beginnings, Japadog has expanded to a total of six locations. The Kurobota Teri Mayo is firmly entrenched as one of their best sellers: Kurobota pork sausage topped with teriyaki sauce, Japanese mayo, fried onions, and shredded nori.

Tacos al Pastor: If it’s an authentic pinché taco experience you seek, look no further than La Taqueria. The tacos al pastor stay true to traditional flavours, a perfect porcine balance of achiote’s earthiness with pineapple’s sweetness.

Currywurst: Take a perfect pork thuringer sausage from Oyama Sausage Co., slice it up, and serve it on a bed of fresh-cut fries with warm curried ketchup. It’s the stuff that cravings are made of. Order it “schranke style” for a drizzle of house-made mayo and a sprinkling of green onions.

Beef Tartare: Joel Watanabe absolutely nails this fusion of a classic French dish with seasonings from a Chinese flavour palette. Pemberton beef tenderloin is finely chopped then accented with preserved mustard root, roasted garlic, burnt scallion oil, soy sauce, ginger, and a quail egg. Scoop it up onto a taro chip along with some crispy shallots and watercress… umami off the charts.

Banh Mi Dac Biet: Taking the first bite of Ba Le’s Banh Mi Dac Biet is always a serious endeavour. The crispy-crusted house-baked baguette shatters into a mass of crumbs before yielding to a light pillowy interior brushed with vegetable oil, fish sauce, and soy sauce. Fillings include cilantro, cucumber, onions, and jalapeños as well as pickled carrot and daikon but, really, it’s all about the meat: deli-style slices of Vietnamese pork sausage and ham as well as pork liver pâté. Priced at just $3.50, it’s an incredible deal. [Image via http://wisemonkeys.ca/]

DP Dirty Burger: Cholesterol be damned— ask for it 'Foghorn Leghorn' and it'll come topped with breaded deep-fried chicken skin and melted cheese - the double-patty iteration of Refuel’s much-loved Dirty Burger should probably be served with a side order of Lipitor. But this a 40-day-aged beef patty on a scotch bap bun fried in butter and lard is so damn worth it.

Chicken and waffles: The secret to Yolk’s organic fried-chicken deliciousness? Brining it in honey, citrus, salt, and fresh herbs before battering with buttermilk and panko breadcrumbs. Slide it between two Belgian waffles, then add chicken gravy and maple syrup for good measure. Very moreish.

Pulled-pork Pancakes with Jack Daniel’s Maple Syrup: Who says pancakes are for mornings only? Brad Miller and crew serve up this tall stack of three buttermilk beauties layered with pulled pork, topped by a hefty pat of butter, and drizzled with Jack Daniel’s spiked maple syrup for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Triple O burger: A Vancouverite isn’t a true Vancouverite if he or she hasn’t eaten at least one Triple O burger in a lifetime. Seems that you can find them everywhere now—even gas stations and on BC Ferries—yet nothing beats the iconic old-school experience of eating them from a tray in your car at a White Spot drive-in. Nat Bailey’s restaurant chain has been around since 1928, the burgers themselves since the 1950s, but the Triple “O” sauce recipe still remains a closely guarded secret.

Yukon-style bacon and eggs: This family-owned diner has been dishing out comfort food for nearly 90 years, and the Yukon-style bacon and eggs was a menu cornerstone from day one. Start your day off with five slices of bacon (good God… five!), two free-run eggs, a mountain of hash browns, and thick-sliced Klondike toast—you won’t have to eat again until dinner.