Number 9: pizza a family affair at Neighbour's Restaurant
George Tsoukas and his family have been serving up pies since 1982
On The Coast's Lisa Christiansen and Jason D'Souza are exploring the diversity of Vancouver through its food. In a new series called Number 9, they go to some interesting restaurants, order dish number nine off the menu, and see what they get.
The final leg of Lisa Christiansen and Jason D'Souza's little adventure took them to the corner of Victoria and 49th, where Neighbour's Restaurant has been serving up pizzas since 1982.
"Which in Vancouver, is kind of an older restaurant," Christiansen offered.
He says this neighbourhood is a diverse one, and has seen several waves of new residents of different ethnicity come through.
George Tsoukas, Neighbour's owner, agrees with her assessment.
"The only way I can say it, is it is a pleasant surprise in many ways," Tsoukas said. "The Asian community have been great supporters of our restaurant. … The Chinese people, they do dim sum Greek style: pizza, pasta, lamb, souvlaki. It's fun! It's really fun."
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For Tsoukas, the restaurant is a family affair. His father was a baker all his life, and he perfected the crust. His contribution is coming up with all the sauces.
"I don't think I would be getting any credit myself. It is 'we' did it, my family, my wife" he said.
Dish number 9: ham and pineapple pizza
Tsoukas says that his ham and pineapple pizza is great because of the ingredients. He says the ham (or bacon) is "the best of the best — very, very lean; very, very flavourful."
But he says what makes all of his pizzas great are the sauce and his father's crust.
Christiansen has the decision.
"That's a good pizza. That's what you want pizza to taste like."
Christiansen also noticed something groundbreaking while eating at Neighbour's: everyone likes pizza.
She asked Tsoukas why he thinks that is.
"It's a finger food, it's simple to have a conversation, have a beer, have a bite of pizza," he said. "Very simple and casual, yet filling. It doesn't take much: you can put your order down, put your elbows down, and talk and talk."
The trip to Neighbour's concludes Christiansen and D'Souza's look at the diversity of Vancouver through food.
They agreed that they learned a lot, and it's an easy — and fun, and delicious — way to get to know the city.
"If you want to hear some really great stories about who lives in Vancouver, go eat some food," Christiansen said.
To hear the full story, click the audio labelled: Number 9: Neighbour's Restaurant brings family touch to pizza