We’re taking our first-ever family vacation with Iris. This morning we caught the train to Vancouver and are currently ensconced at the [Hotel Le Soleil][LeSoleil], which seems very nice so far. The location is perfect (a couple blocks off Robson and right by to a major transit hub), and it’s amazingly cheap (CAD 125/night for a suite).

We hit [Vancouver Kidsbooks][VKB], where Iris read many books and kissed many stuffed animals, including dinosaurs, poodles, sheep, and a great horned owl puppet. Then we caught a bus to [Vij’s Rangoli][VR].

[LeSoleil]: http://www.lesoleilhotel.com/
[VKB]: http://www.kidsbooks.bc.ca/
[VR]: http://www.vijsrangoli.ca/

Pretty much everyone considers Vij’s (the parent restaurant, as opposed to the Rangoli) one of the best Indian restaurants outside India, and I agree. It’s a full-on experience, though: they don’t take reservations, and the wait is long. While you’re waiting, they ply you with free chai and fried breads, but it’s still a wait. Also, Vij’s is incredibly loud. Plus, they’re closed this week.

Vij’s Rangoli is Vij’s lovable new kid brother, located right next door to the original at 11th and Granville. I was going to say it’s less hip; actually it’s just as hip but in a different way, less dark and more Euro. We got there at 5:45 and were seated almost immediately. Iris liked poking her head into the kitchen, which was behind her, to see the billows of steam.

We pushed Iris to her limit today–up before dawn, a long train ride, then another train ride, then a late nap in a weird crib, then a bus ride, and so on. I was worried she’d refuse to eat, or only gnaw on bread. I had insufficient faith in Vij. We had vegetable samosas, wild salmon cakes, and pork curry with fennel and yogurt. Everything came with sides and chutneys.

Iris gobbled it all. She ate a bite of fishcake. “Spicy!” she declared, and took a big drink of water. Then she ate more. Later, there was one fishcake left, and I said to Laurie, “I’ll split it with you.” I ended up splitting it with Iris. They really were incredible fishcakes, spiced with ajowan and garam masala. The pork curry was sublime. I think curries must be one of the hardest dishes in the world to make really well. Most any Indian restaurant serves pretty good curries, but to take them to the next level, from pretty good to “I want to mainline this sauce” good, I have no idea how you do that. Vij’s does.

The Rangoli is inexpensive. It was $42 Canadian for the three of us. Most amazing of all, nearly everything on the menu is available in frozen or refrigerated takeout pouches, and prices range from about $7-$10. If you live in Vancouver and you don’t have any Rangoli in your fridge, some kind of culinary secret police should be knocking on your door right now.