Paul's Omelettery Restaurant — Restaurant in Vancouver

It felt like we've stepped back in time, perhaps to a diner in a small US place, with all the brunch menu items that were popular 30 years ago. The one clue that says we are in Canada is that the portions are suitable for Canadian appetite and not left-over-gigantic. The one clue that says we may not be in healthy Vancouver is that there is no mention of plant-based Just Eggs or plant-based mayo. On a holiday Monday, we were on Granville street and a lot of food outlets were closed. We were hungry and remembered that we used to eat at Paul's Omelettery regularly on weekends. So, it was a matter of eating there, or driving elsewhere to look for vegan lunch. A quick check on Google yielded a review comment from 5 years ago from a patron who said "Would love to see some more vegan options on the menu" and Paul's response at the time was "Thanks. I've been thinking the same thing. I'll work on the vegan dishes." Well, I thought, Paul have had five years to plan out his vegan menu, surely there are vegan items on the menu by now. It turns out the Omelettery's understanding of vegan is like Google, which turns out vegetarian food (with lots of eggs) whenever I searched for vegan menu items. I did not see any Just Eggs on the menu. The Beyond Meat Burger is served on egg-brioche bun, with egg mayo. The Garden Veggie Burger contains Cheddar Cheese and egg-mayo. If there is a vegan or two among a family or group of people wanting to eat at Paul's, the people with egg sensitivities would be out of luck. Why is it that we always have to be left out simply because our bodies cannot process egg proteins? And besides, it's not just us, is it? It's everyone. Dr. Gregor of nutritionfacts.org made it very clear that a plant-base diet can reverse a lot of diseases. Same message as to all menu-planners: please have some compassion for everyone's general...

We had a wonderful Boxing Day brunch at Paul’s Omelettery.

Atmosphere: a small, busy and boisterous restaurant with most tables being half booth, half chairs. We got a small table for two that was pushed up against the bar. It felt a bit claustrophobic with servers bustling by every few minutes but we were glad to get a seat as every table was full with the lobby full of waiting people. The noise level was high as the place was packed.

Service: we were warmly greeted by the host who was very busy seating guests and busing tables. I believe our server was actually the owner and it was nice to see him active in the restaurant and giving big greetings to the many regulars that were there. Coffee arrived quickly as well did our food which was surprising seeing the restaurant was full full. Plate clearing and paying the bill was slow and I had to flag down someone who wasn’t our server to help.

Food: I had the Denver omelette and my husband had the black Forrest ham eggs Benedict. Both of our breakfasts were the delicious. My omelette was perfectly cooked. It was tender and pale yellow without a speck of brown. It had a perfect amount of filling and cheese and was literally the best omelette I have ever had. I am not usually an omelette fan but this was so expertly cooked that I would be happy with it at any time. I added on the potatoes for $3.75 which felt expensive for the amount received (maybe 3 fingerling potatoes worth?). Drip coffee was also expensive at $4.95 per cup but it was hot, fresh and they were constantly refilling so you could have as much as you wanted. My husband’s Benedict was also perfect with a nice twist of tangy cheese sauce vs hollandaise. The entrees were priced very comparable to the current breakfast market for a sit down restaurant ($22 ish each)

Overall it was a great experience and we will...

Wonderful place to get breakfast. I don’t say this that often but it’s the whole package! Lumberjack included a little delicious, creamy delicate 3 cheese omelette and everything was so perfectly done. I don’t even usually like omelettes that much and would normally choose poached eggs but I take the hint when some dish is part of the restaurant’s name. Glad I did. Lots of combos and choices on the menu. Room is comfortable. Service is incredibly warm and friendly. And prices are reasonable, on top of that. Coffee is decent and bottomless, and cream is served in a tiny pitcher (and not those little plastic throwaways, but the whipped butter is. I don’t mind that as much). Coffee could be a bit richer tasting but they serve espresso drinks too. I love the holder of condiments on the table, as opposed to the server asking what you need. There was even some Jamaican hot sauce that had a lot of heat. I had to ask for coffee refills when I saw someone with the pot but that doesn’t really bother me. But that would be the area of improvement - a little bit more efficient service. Plenty of seating so they never had a wait when I was there mid-morning. Usually it bugs me when an establishment calls themselves the best in Vancouver but in this case, im inclines to agree that it’s the best breakfast place I’ve been to in a long while at least. They have...