November 9, 2007
by Karen Persson of The Columbian

Anoush Deli International Food Market makes borscht, left, fresh daily. The gyro dinner platter, right, is served with fresh tomatoes, onion, lettuce, kalamata olives, pepperoncini, pita bread and cucumber sauce (also known as tzatziki). (JANET L. MATHEWS/The Columbian)

Where we ate this week: Anoush Deli International Food Market

Why: If you want to make a meal of borscht and gyros, Anoush Deli International Food Market may be the only spot in Vancouver where you can get both. The deli menu features Russian and Greek food, and the market shelves are stocked with foodstuffs from around the globe, including Russia, Eastern Europe, Greece and Bosnia.

Atmosphere: A bakery, deli, groceries, videos, music CDs and a few small dining tables crowd into the small building. Mementos on the walls provide a glimpse into an Armenian-Russian community with a significant heritage.

The food: The simple menu offers a veggie or traditional gyro (pork and lamb mix), Russian borscht, basic sandwiches, a Greek salad, and a gyro platter with onions, tomatoes, black olives, pepperocinis, feta cheese and pita bread. I tried the veggie gyro without onions. Fresh pita enfolds cucumber, Swiss cheese, lettuce and tomato all drenched in tzatziki. The homemade tzatziki, or cucumber sauce, reminded me of ranch dressing. The sandwich is a veggie wonder, but grab extra napkins because it's very messy.

The two most captivating items in the bakery case were peach confections and Napoleons. Of the two, the Napoleon was my favorite. Sprinkled with powdered sugar and phyllo crumbs, the simple dessert consists of homemade phyllo dough layered with a cream that has the density of a light frosting.

The peach confections look like small sugared peaches, but they don't taste of fruit. A bread-like peach-colored crust surrounds a soft center with little flavor except a hint of chocolate. Even though the peaches were my least favorite, I'm glad I tried them because they are unlike anything else I've had.

Deli and more: The deli case holds mostly sausages, beef sticks and cheese. You'll find oodles of candy and chocolate in the market aisles.

I couldn't read many of the labels, but most have pictures depicting the contents.

A seafood case holds a variety of fish, including salmon, dried white fish and mackerel. The bread selection is abundant and baked fresh daily. I brought home a loaf of apricot bread that was still warm. The crust was a glazed bronze and the loaf had just the right amount of sweet apricot preserves.

Cost: A cup of borscht is $2.75. Meat gyros are $4.99, veggie gyros $3.99. Sandwiches are $4.50. Greek salad is $1.99 and a gyro platter is $5.50. Feta cheese is an additional 35 cents.

Hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Sunday.

Where: 6808 N.E. Fourth Plain, Vancouver.

Contact: 360-693-4359.