16 spots for comfort food in Burnaby

October 04, 2022

Despite an unusually warm start to October, the rainy season will soon be on its way and there’s no better time to start planning where to eat a cozy meal on a cold day. We’ve got you covered with this list of your favourite places in Burnaby to grab some of the most popular comfort foods with input from Beacon readers, as well as a few new places we’ve added to this list since last year.

If you’re in the mood for hot pot on a chilly day, Goduko Shabu Shabu is the place to go. Known for its fresh ingredients, diners can enjoy a range of seafood, meat, and veggie options. We recommend trying the combo, which offers a healthy portion of meat, veggies, noodles, and a drink.

Address: 4250 Kingsway #5

Recommended by Beacon reader Rachel Thexton (@rthexton), this cute little diner near Holdom Station is your typical greasy spoon, but with a Chinese twist. Apart from great value for money breakfast options and delicious burgers, you can also find Chinese comfort food options such as chicken egg foo yung.

Address: 5901 Broadway

A hidden gem in Edmonds, Bún Riêu Phương Nam is a great spot to warm up with a satisfying bowl of pho or other soup-based options. We recommend the special crab soup vermicelli, which is known for its rich, flavourful broth.

Address: 7405 Edmonds St.

Fraser Park Restaurant is a family-owned and operated restaurant dedicated to serving generous portions of Eurasian-style cooking using seasonal ingredients. Beacon reader Sandra Thomas (@sthomas10) says, “…the beef dip will feed you for lunch and dinner and the German breakfast is over the top.”

Address: #103-4663 Byrne Rd.

Recommended by Beacon reader Dr. Birinder Narang (@DrBirinderSingh), Pho Century is a neighbourhood staple and it serves up hearty portions of pho in light and flavourful broth. It also offers a wide variety of Vietnamese food for those who are craving dry noodles or rice dishes. For more pho options, check out our list of the 9 Vietnamese restaurants in Burnaby you need to try.

Address: 6701 Kingsway

Speaking of noodles, nothing is cozier than slurping a tasty bowl of ramen on a chilly day. Recommended by Beacon reader Michael Kwan (@michaelkwan), this ramen joint in Royal Oak offers a wide variety of ramen along with delicious appetizers such as bomb onigiri and sous-vide chashu salad. They also serve a limited quantity of donburi, so keep an eye out for those!

Address: 6514 Royal Oak Ave.

In a hurry and looking for a quick bite of comfort food? Head over to Crystal Mall to grab some xiao long bao from Shanghai Dimsum House. This unassuming restaurant in the food court is a neighbourhood staple, and the burst of hot, meaty broth when you bite into the xiao long bao is guaranteed to bring you comfort.

Address: 4500 Kingsway

Picture this: it’s a chilly autumn night and you’re looking for the perfect pizza to fulfill your cravings, and you also don’t want to bother cooking.

If you’ve ever found yourself in that predicament, we recommend you head to Wild Flour Pizza Co. The fast, casual concept specializes in sourdough crust using a natural fermentation approach while “utilizing sourdough and heritage grain elements in the crust.” Wild Flour serves up classics like Margherita and funghi, as well as pies with creative and gourmet flavour combos like blue pear (white sauce, mozzarella, roasted pears, gorgonzola piccante, caramelized onions, fresh arugula, thyme burnt honey), the butter paneer (butter masala sauce, mozzarella, caramelized onions, paneer, spiced crema, fenugreek, cilantro, garlic “naan” crust), and they also have an impressive vegan menu. 

Address: 2900 Bainbridge Ave. #104

Na-Re Korean Kitchen has all the Korean fried chicken classics (and if you love your spices, make sure to try the uber-spicy cheese buldak flavour), but lots more for the seafood or noodle fans in your group, too! Plus, soju cocktails

Address: 7413 Edmonds St.

Agra Tandoori has two locations and is highly recommended by Beacon readers. It is known for consistently serving delicious Indian food in generous portions, and it offers many awesome specials like the lunch special thali, which includes a curry served with rice, naan, dessert, and salad. For more Indian food options, check out our list of the Best Indian restaurants in Burnaby according to Beacon readers.

Address: 7366 Market Crossing/110-3790 Canada Way

Featuring authentic Greek food and delicious pizzas made with homemade dough, this family-owned joint in the Heights is a local favourite. Beacon reader Michael Kwan (@michaelkwan) recommends the slow roasted lamb shoulder, which comes with a side of rice, roasted potatoes, greek salad, tzatziki, and pita. For more pizza options, check out our list of the 11 pizza spots in Burnaby you need to try.

Address: 4651 E. Hastings St.

Nothing says comfort like a big plate of Pad Thai or a savoury bowl of green curry, and you’ll be able to satisfy those cravings at Chad Thai. Known as one of the best Thai spots in the city, Chad Thai offers an extensive menu including noodle-based dishes, soups (like Tom Yum Goong, Poh Tag, Tom Kha Gai), curries (green, red, panag, yellow), seafood dishes, and much more.

Address: 4010 E. Hastings St.

This cozy eatery serves up plenty of classic comfort foods such as chicken and waffles, hearty sandwiches, and a daily soup special. This is the perfect place to go on a chilly day when you’re craving something to warm you up.

Address: 4190 Hastings St.

This global ramen chain originated in Kawaguchi, Japan in 2001, and established its first Vancouver outpost in 2013. Now, with a Marutama location in Burnaby, you can stick close to home while enjoying its large variety of ramen made with fresh noodles, chicken broth, and Aosa (sea lettuce) shipped directly from Japan. Marutama came highly recommended by several Burnaby Beacon readers, so you know this is the spot to go for delectable, creamy, ramen, especially on a chilly day.

Address: 5278 Kingsway

Something Sweet Cafe is the place to go if you’re looking to satisfy your breakfast sandwich cravings. They serve up a mean shrimp egg sandwich that comes with scrambled eggs in between slices of toasted brioche bread and two types of melted cheese. It’s all topped with Hollandaise sauce and three shrimp. If that doesn’t scream comfort food, we don’t know what does.

Address: 101-6888 Royal Oak Ave.

22's Grill

Sometimes the best comfort food comes in the form of a burger, and we’ve got the perfect spot for you to check out. The smash burger at 22’s Grill (known as the 22 Smash Burger)  is made with a fresh all-Canadian beef patty served on a brioche bun and filled with all the fixings you’d expect on a burger: crisp iceberg lettuce, beefsteak tomato, cheese, onion, pickles, and house-made burger sauce.

Address: 4990 Canada Way

With files from Vikki Hui and Marco Ovies.