Mamie Taylor's - YVR Chinatown brunch, hold the dim sum

Breakfast in the big city - Vancouver to be exact, in Chinatown - but hold those dumplings. This feast had nary a shui mai or har gow....

Only the address of Mamie Taylor's would make you think the food would lean towards Asian - once you're inside. There are certain hints to suggest what lays waiting for you.

Keep your eyes peeled for it as you stroll East Georgia....

...it's quite an unassuming entrance amid the fruit & vegetable stands and meat markets of the rest of the street.

Entrance to Mamie Taylor's

Once inside, you'll find the front furnished with high tables and stools while the back sports a long banquette for comfortable seating for your brunching. The exposed brick wall, wood tables and assorted, mounted taxidermy make for a quirky, rustic and fun setting.

Banquette seating and exposed brickwall

Mamie's has great touches on the table too - tea-towel style napkins (three cheers for cloth!) and sake carafes for the cream in your coffee.

Three cheers for fabulous napkins

A sake carafe for your cream

Breakfasts are hearty and we did our best to cruise the menu and make as many selections as possible (but I lament not trying the veal tongue croque monsieur - next time!).

First up - the fried green tomato B.E.L.T.  (with a "still-runny" fried egg, served on toasted multi-grain with home fries) and the chicken & waffle (the former was crunchy, but moist and piping hot and the latter was crisp, despite the weight of the large fried item it was under).

Fried green tomato BELT

Fried chicken and waffles

Dish three was a special of the day - braised pork belly benny (chili-spiced and served in a cast-iron pan with super-soft poached eggs, smooth hollandaise, green chilies and a side of grilled cornbread - this was excellent). #4 was the classic "breakfast!" (2 scrambled eggs, toast, home fries and a side of thick-cut bacon).

Daily special - braised pork belly benny

Breakfast! (+ a side of bacon)

And finally a fruit salad (a generous amount of fresh-cut fruit topped with yogurt and sprinkled with granola) with a side of waffles (topped with fruit).

Fruit salad (w/ yogurt & granola) & waffle side.

Mamie's was a really great place to meet some friends and grab brunch, we'll be back for sure - there's more of the menu I need to hit up (I'm coming Monsieur!). I like that the menu has a few traditional dishes and some more adventurous (game-on!) ones that puts Mamie's a step above some other breaky destinations. The setting is relaxed and the service is great (you don't feel rushed nor abandoned).... and there's (currently) no crazy brunch-line-up.

Mamie Taylor's
251 East Georgia St
Vancouver, BC
Phone 604-620-8818

Brunch on weekends 11am-3pm

web: www.mamietaylors.ca
Facebook: Mamie Taylor's
Twitter: @MamieTaylors
Instagram: mamietaylors