Situated on the corner of Lonsdale and East 2nd, in North Vancouver, Fiction Five has tenaciously become a favorite amongst young hip professionals in and around Vancouver. With its New York chic and endearingly charming staff, this cozy tapas bar has all the lure of a funky uptown lounge sans the pretentious attitude.

A quick glimpse of the menu divulges why this is known as "the" place to come to enjoy well crafted martinis and scrumptiously eye-appealing tapas. Apart from a reasonable wine list and a deliriously yummy 50-plus martinis selection, the newly expanded tapas menu now includes over 25 various Asian-inspired fusion recipes.

What initially began as a slam-bam visit for me, ended up lasting well through the evening as I sat with owner and chef, Nathan Chiu, to learn the back story of Fiction Five and gain some helpful hints that are sure to reinvent my entertaining over the holiday season.

First and foremost, tell me a little about the name Fiction Five?

Well, though I was born in Vancouver, my parents moved me to Calcutta when I was only 6 months old, after which I attended boarding school in Missouri at the age of seven. So no wonder I'm into fusion.

Much of my childhood was actually spent in India. Growing up, I remember I used to love reading this series of detective novels titled Fiction Five, which was really just the bootleg version of the "Famous Five" series sold in Britain. Also, five has always been a lucky number for me, so when it came time to come up with a name - "Fiction Five" just seemed to fit.

So is much of your menu inspired by the cuisine of India?

Definitely. Especially the "Rubicon Chicken", which is heavily inspired by Indian masala chicken. It's actually one of our more popular dishes - that is, apart from our obvious signature house dish, the Key Lime Ahi Tuna Tataki, which is ahi tuna seared rare, marinated in a honey soy vinaigrette and sesame seeds. It's beautiful crisp and fresh. My staff refers to it as the 'beef of the sea!'

Your food menu consists primarily of tapas, which are great when it comes to entertaining. What would you recommend as some staple food items that one should always have on hand over the holiday season for entertaining from home?

My philosophy on entertaining during the holiday season is to spend as little time preparing food and spending maximum time with the people you care for most. So its not surprising that during this time of the year I like to be stocked on items that are not only rich in flavor and textures but also a cinch to whip up for hungry guests. (On a side note almost everything I make is centered around pairing for wine, since that's all my friends and family seem to drink during this time.) Dairy items like eggs and whipping cream are a must to have in the kitchen because of their versatility. They're a base in creating quick tasty dishes from sautéed squash and onion omelets, to deserts like ginger and cinnamon crème brulee. Of course for the holidays, items like ham, game meats, turkey, sweet potatoes, sweet breads, butternut squash, and pumpkin come to mind as being appropriately hearty staples to keep on hand. Cheese, nuts and dried fruits are also great items to quickly plate for a light snack to share and are great pairing for wine.

A favorite of mine is to plate cold cheeses like stilton, parmigiano and fresh goats cheese arranged around a thick wedge of gorgonzola wrapped in crispy phyllo pastry. Drop some dried cranberries, figs, cashews, pistachios with fresh bread and balsamic and olive oil. This platter will please almost everyone. Lastly if money is not an issue then stock up on the trinity of foie gras, truffles and caviar and I guarantee your guests will insist upon having every Christmas party at your pad.

Remember, the need to create a great dinner for your date around the Christmas season doesn't necessarily have to translate into a day long mission. Pick up some duck breast from the market, marinate it with olive oil, cinnamon, fresh ground pepper, sea salt and pumpkin seeds. Sear skin side down on a pan over medium high heat until skin gets crispy, and then put it in a 425°F oven for 8-10 minutes depending on the size of the breast. Plate the duck breasts skin side up and crumble some Roquefort cheese on top with diced green apples (skin on). Steam some asparagus and toss in butter and seasoning salt, add a little rice or whatever starch you have on hand and voila you're done. Takes only 15 minutes to prepare and you've got a fantastically balanced meal. And pick up some interesting garnishes that are vibrant in colour like red chili, lemons, goose berry or star fruit to finish plating that dish. Remember we eat with our eyes first.

Any tips for those of us who are culinarily challenged?

The first tip that comes into mind is to start off by picking ingredients with a lot of versatility like chicken, potatoes, onions, asparagus etc. Versatile ingredients first and foremost are easier to cook just by the sheer number of ways you can cook them. That allows you more room to experiment and learn. Another important tip is to acquire the best ingredients you can buy. Do this and you've won half the battle in the kitchen. Lastly do what we do in our kitchen - keep things as simple as possible.

Well that takes care of the kitchen but what about the bar, what are some liqueurs that are great for entertaining?

Well, as long as you have Crown Royal, you're sure to keep the men happy! But for the ladies, I would definitely be sure to keep some Alize and flavored vodka, such as razberi, on hand. For those of you with a little more bling to spare, there's a new vodka out called 42 Below that comes in some nice flavors. I would combine the Manuka Honey and the Passion Fruit flavors, and then drop in some fresh juices like cranberry or mango, and you're guaranteed a great martini. A tip when it comes to buying alcohol, spend a little extra and get the better quality booze, I always find it gives me less of a hangover.

So there you have it, some great tips and recipes to help you entertain in style, from the comfort of your own home, this holiday season. But honestly, when told that if you "give us three hours of your life, we'll make it magical", how can you possibly resist the challenge presented by Nathan and his team at Fiction Five? Personally, I have yet to tackle the challenge of narrowing in on my top five favorite martinis from the menu. But you know what they say, try, try, and try again until you succeed-and so I fully intend on doing!

FICTION FIVE, 604-904-2338; 100 East 2nd Street, North Vancouver.