By Tim Pawsey
Only a few minutes from Richmond, YVR or downtown New Westminster, smart and sparkling Starlight Casino blends a range of dining options with everything from Blackjack to Roulette.
If you’re having a tough time leaving your favourite slot spot or roulette table, barely a few paces away, the Buffet at Starlight offers a set price brunch, lunch or dinner, with themed buffets that vary by the day, from Italian to Mediterranean and Mexican. Feeling a need to celebrate those winnings? Cozy in to a booth at the red velvet festooned Redbar Lounge, where you can also cut loose on the dance floor with live entertainment.
Adjoining the main casino, expansive Match Eatery & Public House offers a friendly welcome, along with an army of taps, featuring a full spectrum of local and imported brews, as well as good pub fare. Pasta, fish ‘n chips, gruyere stuffed meatballs, and nachos are mainstays, along with skillet roasted mussels, beef dip, pizza and plenty more. Moreover, there really isn’t a bad seat in the house if you’re there to watch a game; the restauraunt boasts no less than 27 high definition screens. Outside creature comforts include booths and fire tables, with overhead heaters for winter and misters for when the mercury climbs.
For a change of pace, all it takes is a short wander next door to Shang Noodle House, with its modern, light-wood trimmed decor and central bar with high stools, perfect for a quick snack. The choices here range from dim sum bites such as Shanghai style, wontons and spring rolls to substantial servings of stir fried ramen with prawn, scallop, chicken and barbecued pork. The house specialty, seven different kinds of nutritious and beneficial Japanese mushrooms are blended into hand pulled noodles and blended into the delicious house broth.
The jewel in the Starlight crown, however, is next door Kirin Restaurant, one of four Kirin across Greater Vancouver, which enjoy a well-deserved reputation for excellent cuisine. The menu is extensive, including a cornucopia of live seafood, and the presentation artfully exquisite. Among the lengthy list of “don’t miss” house specialties: creamy and nutty giant geoduck, sliced and shaved paper-thin; the chilled seafood appetizer platter; salt and pepper spiced Dungeness crab with onion, black bean and chili sauce; roast squab; classic Peking Duck and ‘Love Bird’ fried rice. No wonder, later in the week there’s rarely a spare table in this luxuriously appointed spot with its relaxing mood and polished service.
Starlight Casino
350 Gifford St
New Westminster, BC
www.starlightcasino.ca
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