Charles cooks classic Commercial Drive cuisine at Cafe Deux Soleils

Charles has been cooking at Cafe Deux Soleils on Commercial Drive in East Vancouver, B.C., Canada for the past three years - ever since he moved to Vancouver. Today he did an especially good job on my favorite item because he used the perfect amount of sauce and cooked all the ingredients to the exact level of texture I like. The tofu was lightly browned the perfect amount, adding a slight crispness. Generous amount of sauce, perfect texture, excellent!

Tofu scram. It's the one thing I always order at Deux Soleils. I never get anything different. Chunks of fluffy tofu, sweet peppers, and onions marinated in a garlic-ginger sauce. I order mine with no mushrooms - but for the many people who like mushrooms, I'm sure this would be a tasty addition. Prices are very reasonable at this excellent vegetarian restaurant that has been a Commercial Drive fixture for many years.

Cafe Deux Soleils is my favorite breakfast spot on Commercial Drive. My son, now 8, likes to order a side of "marble toast" with garlic butter and a side of vegi sausages. With a lot of wide open space and a very laid-back atmosphere, it's a great place to bring kids. You order your food and pay at the counter, grab your own cutlery, find a table, and wait for the staff to bring your food. If it's busy, listen up: they may be calling out to you.

By day, toddlers and preschoolers play with kitchen toys and draw pictures on a big black board on a stage. By night, this stage is home to live music and poetry slam events. The Cafe has a licence for beer - popular at these evening events - and they have nice choices on tap. It's not uncommon to see folks enjoying a mellow, afternoon beer with friends. Line-ups can be long on the weekend and it gets really crowded, but if I get a craving for tofu scram (or feel like meeting up for breakfast with friends) I will gladly wait in line - and eavesdrop on other people's conversations. It's definitely worth the wait, so don't let the line-up scare you away.