Vancouver may be the unofficial capital of the Canadian West, but it has been looking East since the mid-1800s, when a large wave of Chinese immigrants landed. Lately, the city's multi-ethnic heritage has sparked a new wave of fusion food and a diverse arts scene. Long in the shadow of cosmopolitan Toronto, the city is emerging as exciting and urban in its own right.

Currying Favor: Watch restaurateur Vikram Vij and you learn what it means to be a host. Every evening at his South Granville namesake Vij's, he flits from table to table, greeting visitors at each course. He offers up basmati rice and dill yogurt to temper his curries; his staff keeps guests well-plied with chai tea and peppery pappadams. His cuisine, a fresh take on Indian fusion (traditional dishes, like chicken curry, with a Western presentation), has sparked a wave of imitators who try to match the food but can never surpass the service (1480 West 11th Ave.,             604-736-6664      , dinner for two is about $40).

Out to Sea: Contemporary, cool and chrome-filled, C is Vancouver's sleekest dining room, right down to the steely gray flannel on the chairs. It's the perfect place to sample local seafood, like abalone tempura with Dungeness crab legs and geoduck, grilled British Columbia salmon, and roasted Georgia Strait cod with saffron corn chowder (2-1600 Howe St.;             604-681-1164      ; dinner for two is about $75).

Porcelain Palace: The Wedgewood is the Jackie O of Vancouver's hotels, blending substance with style. Rooms come with data ports, Web TV, and multiple phone lines, but the understated mahogany armoires and fireplaces evoke Park Avenue elegance. The hotel restaurant, Bacchus, has a new French-style chef whose chez-grand-maman menu of cassoulet and beef bourguignon has made a splash with local gourmands (845 Hornby St.;             800-663-0666      ; rooms start at $130).

Dream Works: Admire the works by local artists in Vancouver's galleries? Book a room on one of the Gallery Floors of the Listel Vancouver hotel, where each is filled with original pieces by Canadians. The paintings have been carefully hung, and the rooms decorated to set the scene, with contemporary touches like opaque blue glass light fixtures and funky velvet headboards (1300 Robson St.;             800-663-5491      ; rooms start at $130).

Savory Souvenirs: Sure, there are plenty of places on Robson Street-the Champs-Elysées of Vancouver-to shop for local finds like Lush's British Columbia honey waffle soap ($3.30;             604-687-5874      ) or M.A.C. makeup (about one-third less expensive than in the U.S.;             604-682-6588      ). But for the culinary classics that British Columbia does best, like ice wine ($37), locally smoked fresh salmon ($15), and locally roasted organic coffee ($8), cross False Creek to Granville Island's public markets (take bus #50 or #51, or a water taxi;             604-666-5784      ).

Balancing Act: There are lots of green spaces in this city of green thumbs, but the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden was the first traditional Chinese garden built here, as well as one of the first outside China. From the patio floors, inlaid with stones in feminine flower shapes (yin) and rigid octagonal shapes (yang), to the round stone moon entranceways (yin) and the wooden square ones (yang), the garden balances a series of opposites. Sit on a bench and listen to the waterfall and the fish splashing in the lily pond. The garden's new museum, funded in part by $18 million in private donations, features an English-language reference section on Chinese culture and exhibitions of Chinese brush paintings (578 Carrall St.;             604-662-3207      ; $5 for admission to the garden, $2 for the museum).

Dishing It Up: Whether or not you buy the hype that Yaletown is the hippest new neighborhood around, don't miss out on Barbara-Jo's Books to Cooks, a cookbook store and cooking-class center. Loved the sushi at Tojo's, the French cuisine at Lumiere, or everything at Bishop's? Stop by and take lessons from the masters (1128 Mainland St.;             604-688-6755      ; classes range from $30 to $84 and include a cookbook and sample).

Turn Up The Tapas: In a city where dim sum is a religion, the new fusion tapas trend comes as no surprise. Some of the first — and best — are at Bin 941 and sister restaurant Bin 942. Try grilled squid stuffed with olive tapenade, or Digby Bay scallops in smoky tomato- butter sauce, and you'll remember why we wanted to fuse in the first place (Bin 941, 941 Davie St.;             604-683-1246      ; Bin 942, 1521 West Broadway St.;             604-734-9421      ; dinner for two is about $27).

Where The Eagle Has Landed: The bald eagle may be our national bird, but from November to January the highest concentration of bald eagles in the world can be found in Brackendale, an hour north of Vancouver. At season's peak, late December to mid-January, as many as 3,700 eagles flock to the Squamish River for salmon. The Canadian Outback Adventure Company offers guided rafting tours of the river — they supply waterproof clothing as well as transportation to Brackendale. Just call it extreme birdwatching, and let the eagles' appetites work up your hunger for fresh B.C. sushi (100-657 Marine Dr., West Vancouver;             604-921-7250      ; $100 for a two- to three-hour trip and lunch).