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Back to the old town, Chinatown that is!
Everything that makes Vancouver Chinatown!
13 Places
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Simon’s 4-star review: One of the trusty bakeries in Chinatown with an attaching restaurant that serves some HK cafe-style food. I haven't come here in a long time, haven't climbed that flight of stairs and waited for a table in at least a year, if not more, and it is still what I remember it to be. When it comes to what Cantonese people eat for breakfast, or what I was made to believe, this would be my first choice. Looking at the plastic stand showing the specials, they haven't changed since the turn of the century, and longer. A + B = $6.25 or something cheap like that, yeah sure the price has gone up over the years, but it's a damn good deal, a hot drink (usually HK milk tea to start), a dinner roll (substitute that with a pineapple bun, ask for the butter!), eggs with a sausage (at least it ain't some no name beef weiner!), and some pickled vegetables, pork, and vermicelli (which can be substituted, but this is my staple breakfast dish). This is quite a bit of food when you think about it, and when you see it, but it goes down great. Maxim, the bakery has been in Chinatown forever, and abit longer, and they always seem to deliver in their small upstairs restaurant. Depending on what time you go, this place is packed, with the usual local suspects. People buying their Chinese Ming-Pao newspaper, reading it up, while sipping on their HK style drinks, eating some white toast, or whatever dinner roll suits their fancy. The plates/portions that are served here are pretty generous, and everything comes out piping hot. I come here for breakfast, but they also serve this breakfast special mentioned above at lunch if you ask, also they have lunch and dinner specials that are listed on the table. The regular menu is also under the glass table for each seat to see, and it is pretty extensive, from your rices, noodles, sandwichs, soups, and drinks they keep it coming. After your done eating, you can take some of their buns home to mom, or take them home for yourself to relive what you just ate! -
Simon’s 3-star review: When I come to Chinatown, usually one of the things I am coming down here for is some HK style breakfast (many Cantonese friends of mine would call it the A-B meal, I will get to that in a second.) There are only two places that I will actually enter for some decent food, here and Maxim's around the corner. Both are pretty much the same in terms of what they serve, the only difference is location, and the fact I don't have to walk up a flight of stairs to the restaurant portion of this bakery. Out of all the 'local' Chinese bakeries, I will give 'The Boss' credit for having one of the better mooncakes (oh... autumn moon festival is around the corner) yet I have become a mooncake snob lately and have been feasting on some fine ones from across the Pacific Ocean... no matter. Trying their selection of buns lately, BBQ pork bun, pineapple bun, egg tart, it feels they have slipped in quality and taste. They don't have that 'fluff' as they used to. As for the "A-B" meal... it's a breakfast terminology, as breakfast served at these places consist of a selection of A, B, or A + B. A usually is tea or coffee with eggs, bacon and a bun. The B is usually some heavily weighted dish to go along with your eggs, like a bowl of rice vermicelli served with pickled cabbage and pork, in soup, or something on those lines. On this day I ordered just the A, which got me eggs, some mystery sausage that was cut into cute little pieces, and a pineapple bun on the side. My drink, HK milk tea. The eggs seemed a little on the over oily side, and the sausage was generic, not as generic as a package of no-name sausage in a 12 pack you buy at Superstore, but it was what it was. The pineapple bun, well, the top was crumbling quite quickly after my first bite and was probably the best part of this meal, including the drink of course. Right now, I would suggest Maxim over 'The Boss', which means I will have to go there again, then come back to see if they decided to improve.. or keep it as is! -
Simon’s 4-star review: I really don't know where to put this, is it a 4, 4.5.... it's somewhere there and a place I always think about going when I am in Chinatown. I was raised on this type of food at this place, and I can say not much of this place has changed for this place. If you are in Chinatown, and just need the best BBQ pork located around here, come here, whether it is to go, or you are sitting in, you can't go wrong, and depending if you want flavour, and willing to clog your arteries a little bit (or a lot!) ask for the fatty piece, or a half-halfer! Don't forget to ask them to add more sauce (or drench it), to make the rice (don't bother with noodles, rice is where it is at with this dish!) more tasty and make every spoonful bite the more happy to your mouth! Forget about aesthetics, that was thrown out the window a long time ago, probably after this place opened up. When I was a kid I still remembered the paintings on the wall, and the jade green paint they used, well not much has changed, if anything at all. Don't ask me about the washroom as I have never been there, and wouldn't want to know what I find in there. When you come in, on both sides there is something going on. On the left, is where the butcher is dicing up the meat for you to devour, and on the right is the other guy who is cooking up noodles in broth, it's your standard setup for these type of BBQ meat houses back in the day. My dear partner was looking for some soup noodle on this cold day, and I thought may as well come to this place. We came in, and it wasn't too busy (this place is big, it may not look it from the outside, but it's deep) and we were welcomed, and practically sat ourselves. A tip, if it's cold outside, don't sit near the front, from the constant people coming in to get good grub, you are going to feel the wind hit your back! We ordered a bowl of round rice noodle (lai fun) bbq pork and roast duck, and a bowl of round rice noodle and fish balls. This maybe simple dishes, but when was simple ever easy? This place does it right, it may not look like much when you get the plate of 'whatever' in front of you, but it's just comforting knowing that what has made them successful continues to be the food here. There some old stained bottles of sauce on the side. From the salt shaker, and the white pepper, to the soy sauce, and their chili oil. I don't know what is in their chili oil, but it's like magic sauce when you use it to dip, or put it in your bowl (watch out though..... it's HOT) it just goes with what your eating. I always seem to enjoy my food here, whatever I order, there are sometimes I just buy the BBQ pork to take out. My mom says their stuff costs more, but you know what.. I would rather smile eating the whole piece of meat, than be let down by a more inferior version of the same thing! Aside from your generic tea served in a big glass cup, and trying to get any ounce of service here, as we ordered from one of the cooks who was bringing a plate out to the table, this place always has a soft spot in my heart. Even though there wasn't many people sitting in this place, the constant cutting from the butcher (as the knife hits the meat) and the feeling of the cold wind from the door opening and closing tells me they are doing just fine, and will be here a long time. Chinese BBQ meats, you want the best, your in Chinatown, get your ass in here, don't mind the 'hole-in-the-wall' ambiance, and eat up! -
Simon’s 3-star review: I haven't come here to eat in a very long time, but I will come down to Hon's to actually shop. It's kinda sad seeing the once all mighty place that is practically a former shell of itself in terms of eating joints, but they still make some pretty good products that you could buy in the fridge section at a local T&T, but why not just come and buy from the source. What am I talking about, I come here to buy their rice rolls, rice noodles, the chili oil they use in the restaurants. They have quite a bit of things when you enter their store on the left side. What I saw the last time was here was roasted meats, fish balls, meat balls, frozen pots, other sauces, full on uncut sheets of rice wrap, used to make flat rice noodles, and also the skin for the steamed rice rolls you see in dim sum joints which they sell fresh for under $1 a pound. The prices are by weight here, and even though this place is showing it's age, I come down to buy noodles here cause it is fresher than going to buy the packaged stuff from the big box grocery stores that also sell their goods. I don't know when I will come back to sit and eat, but I know I will definitely come back to shop for noodles here. If you have seen any of their products in stores, just know you will find it here, maybe without the label that is standard on all their packages, but what you also won't take home, in terms of the noodles, is the styrofoam tray that is also served with this at the grocery stores. The place kind of runs like a mom and pop shop, and reminds me of shopping at Hon's during my childhood. -
Simon’s 4-star review: I guess Chinatown is the new 'hip' and this is one of the joints that makes it that! Open for less than a year, in a spot I remember in my childhood that used to sell all types of Chinese knick-knacks, all the way to the outside of the store where you used to get good deals on cheap rubber/styrofoam like slippers/thongs and Bruce Lee slip on kung-fu shoes, and then 'poof' that was gone, and somehow there's an oyster joint here? What happened, and looking inside this place looks pretty cool. That was my first impression of this place before I went in, I will get a chance, bookmark. Well, now I've come here twice, once during their 'so-called' happy hour, and once near the end of the night, I like the joint, and I would come again for the food and the service. When your at happy hour, a buck a shuck, just remember, it's a dozen limit per head, good enough, hoping you don't want more cause they do put that restriction on you. And it's not all their oysters, there are certain specials of the day as to which the 'buck-a-shuck' apply to. That all being said, nothing is like having a good huge plate of fresh, raw, opened oysters in front of your face ready to devour. Before these bad boys even get to your face they bring over the tabasco sauce, the marinara sauce, and some red wine vinegar with some minced shallots inside, all to coat that slimy oyster down your throat, yum! We will get back to the oysters in a minute, some other things we have had during our time here, an oyster like bisque soup, with mid sized fresh cooked oysters swimming in the soup. They were like crocodiles floating above the soup waiting to bounce. A good flavour of oysters in the soup, and anything that is creamy, is like homey food, comfort food, it was good. We had a friend join us and they had a bucket of steamed mussels, I had a try, and good stuff, so if you ain't into the raw, they have some items that are cooked for your liking! Back to the oysters, fresh, and brought in everyday, I came in last night, wanting to catch the triple overtime period of the hockey game, and asking what the $1.50 special was, as it was another different variety, a little bigger than the ones I had previously, but freshly shucked to order. While watching the hockey game on their hung up flat screen (No HD feed from what I saw, by the way!!!), the oysters came and from concentrating on the tv, to concentrating on the wonderful plate of shelled seafood, it was tough. This place probably sits the maximum of 20 people, and that maybe really pushing it. The decor is simple, none of this dark brown wooded stuff, this place is bright light wooded colored, with windows around, some high tables and stools, sitting at the window to people watch (or street watch), chalk board on one side showing what the stock of oysters is. Simple, that is what this place looks like, and good on them for that. The alcohol list is small, your not getting your Canadian or Coors Light here, but they do have a light beer, some different wines, if your looking for cocktails, wrong place for you, the place is similiar to the menu = SIMPLE. I've had two good times here, and on my last visit I was chatting up with the owner while he was opening up my food on hockey. Great guy, and I hope this place does well in the new 'hip' Chinatown. I recommend this place for anyone who wants oysters, and wants to get away from downtown.. this place ain't too far from there and way easier to find street parking! Cozy, comfortable, simple oyster place to just chill out. -
Simon’s 3-star review: Talk about never knowing about a place till you walk by it, this was exactly that place. So me and my dear decided to hang around Chinatown, walk around, find some new things, and we walked by this place twice, once parked, and then going back, and I did not see this place the first time. Probably because it wasn't opened till 5:30 PM is why I did not notice this place one bit, that and the shady area it is located in. On any given day you will see peddlers, crack addicts, interesting people coming in and out of the alleyway, and this is the surrounding area, I wonder how I missed this place. There is no new looking store front, just a very simple front, with the name shown as the initial D S, the only thing that tipped me off of this place was that they put out their sandwich board. We just finished snacking at another place, so there was really no intention of eating, or looking for any food, but the curious people that we are made this a must hit, just looking at the place there was curiosity as to what they do, what they serve, is it any good, and why in this area? This place has a very simple look, forget about rustic, this place keeps it's roots, with old wooden tables, worn, beaten fold-up metal chairs, high ceilings with nothing covering the ceiling, open kitchen concept, and a menu that looks like it only has 10 items max (maybe more, but it was small), this place looks very promising! My dear kept on looking at the menu and one thing kept popping into our faces "Pork Belly Steam Bun", whoa..... I thought we weren't hungry, but the thoughts of meals we had in the past came back like Scrooge with the ghost of Christmas past, and that's when the hand started reaching the wallet. There was a predicament, one bun, or two, we could go for 1 for $5, or 2 for $9, we ended up doing the latter, two buns, each different, the first was the "Pork Belly, Spicy Cilantro Salad, Lime Gochuchang" the second was "Korean Fried Chicken, Lime Mayo, House Kimchi". The conversation between my dear and the chef was funny too, as she kept on asking him, "how is your Korean fried chicken" and he just kept on coming back that, "it's good". So money was given and we waited. We sat near the window, observing everything of this place, it's charming to be sitting in Chinatown and having such a hip place. It is a snack bar, so the plates are of smaller variety, and it's a good place to have a few drinks. The place is spacious, yet cozy, and they have this funky, white, papered chandelier hanging above. I would use the word 'hipster' (alright, I can click that tab for ambience!) to describe this place. Our buns eventually came, served on a metal plate, back to back on eachother. These were pretty, from the bright white of the Pac-Man shaped bun housing all that meaty goodness, where to begin, which one to eat first? We started on the Korean Fried Chicken, and it wasn't what we expected, no honey glazed gooey sauce over the fried portions, but this was nicely done, crispy on the outside, juicy white meat on the inside, a little messy, where the bun wouldn't keep all it's contents in place, but a great bite to this whole package, mixing with the kimchi, this would definitely go good with a beer. We saved the pork belly for last, and this was pretty nice, there was bite though, and it wasn't just a chunk of belly fat melting in your mouth, but who else serves this in town. The glazed goodness of this belly meat definitely would go good with a beer. This place has what you can call 'snacks' it's in their name after all, and it is very promising what I see here. A 3.5 for now, but I will come back, as I heard they serve a pretty good BiBimBap made in house, the staff is very friendly, and it seems like Chinatown is growing out from it's shell, I hope to try more things on their menu next time, but do check this place out! -
Simon’s 4-star review: I just finished some business in Chinatown, and the only free parking I could find for my car was in front of this place, I stepped into my car and was thinking of driving off, but just gazed at this little spot wondering about it. I exited my car and decided to walk on in and go take a look, I was greeted by Omar (the owner) and as I was looking at the menu and talking to him, said, what the heck I'll order a sandwich from you. First, before you enter, get the stereotype out of your head, your not going to get a Vietnamese person serving you up a sandwich, as Omar is far from Vietnamese from his skin color to his accent, but what you are going to find is a guy that bought the business from the previous owner, and has learned the trade, and is one of the most friendly guys you'll meet, and it's hard to hold your money in your pocket from his enthusiasm towards you that you just want to buy something. When you look up at the menu above there is nothing that can break the bank, nothing over $8, and I cheated a little, and went with the chicken sandwich, as it was mentioned in a review. Omar was a great guy, and right when you put the order in, he goes to the side to make you your banh mi, while he bobs his head to the music as he is carving up the bread he asked me if I could take spicy, as his chicken sandwich adds the Sriracha on the inside. I took the sandwich with me to the car, but maybe next time I will eat in this little place. It was still pretty good a few hours later as I arrived at my dear's house. Even after a few hours, when we decided to have it, sure it was cold, as this was warmed up to begin with, but the bread had a good toasted crunch, and Omar definitely didn't go stingy on the chicken, as my dear could identify the chicken breast meat used, and there was enough pickled veggies and sauce to make this a good cheap snack.. for $3.. this is a deal. Omar has definitely learned from the previous owners how to make a good banh mi so don't hesitate to go in here and plop some money down. The area itself maybe not the most attractive at any time of the day, pan handlers and the darker side of Vancouver that is where you are, but don't let it sway you from entering here, especially with this guy saying, "hello" to you and serving you up some food. I'll be back, and if you have a car, depending on what time of the day, there's free parking right on Hastings, right in front. Hole in the wall, yup, but one that is worth the visit! -
Simon’s 4-star review: After being turned away from two places, due to being a Friday, I decided to come here with Mark H. and just chill out and drink, as none of us have been here, this was going to be a new experience. I already knew about this place from reading it on multiple sites, and thinking the last time I was in here was way over a decade when they use to serve dim sum. I really didn't know what to expect, except the fact that the two of us needed somewhere to just park ourselves to drink, and we found it here. I didn't see much green (based on the name) on this night in here, but what I found was a pretty cool lounge on any night to just chill in. This place is what I would call a retro lounge, something you would see in one of those 70's - 80's Hollywood movies minus the smoking indoors. It definitely has that classic ambience which really can't be described until you actually are in here. Coming out the flight of stairs you really don't know what to expect, as I remember coming here as a child to eat dim sum on the weekends, and this place has been vacant for at least a decade. And once we arrived at the top of the stairs it was a totally different scene from that of below, heck, you could walk by this place a ton of times, and not know that there was a lounge like this upstairs, I wouldn't call it hidden, it's just not apparent. All this place is missing is a disco ball, there are a good two sections, one, the main bar, where there is a ton of standing room only, then there is the other section, with seperate tables, and booths, good for you to bring your crew, and if you don't like to stand, lounge around. As the place was not overly packed, but busy, we had the leather sofa in between the bar area and the main seated area. This place used a lot of what the old Chinese restaurant had before, with the wood, and pillars, which gives that classic feel.... wait.. it doesn't give... it just has inherited it. We sat down, and ordered some drinks, and the music was popping, not too loud, just right, where your head would shake to the beat, top 40's, lights dimmed setting the mood of this hangout. We even went as far as ordering some food.. as in devil'd and scotch'd eggs. I can't say for any of the other food.. but for the eggs, they were fine. The drinks came in a good amount of time, the waitresses working here were all very attentive, it's just a place you can just let lose. If you are looking for a new place to drink, can't deal with the packed craziness of the brewery scene, don't want to go to some dive bar, I think this really maybe the spot for you! Another place adding to the new Chinatown scene... it keeps on changing but it gives people options. -
Simon’s 4-star review: If you are looking to stock up your kitchen with toys, not wanting to go all cheap (Walmart, Target, IKEA.... etc.) and want some 'real' good stuff that only the well educated in stuff like this know about, and you are willing to drop some real coin, come on to this location. Why this location you ask, it's kinda like their flagship store.... in Chinatown... yes, odd location, but it's a Vancouver original.. since 1917 (as their website says) and keeping with history, they have kept this store that still has it's historic flair. When you come in, the front feels like one of those old Chinese stores that sells old goods, like bamboo rods, and paper umbrellas, not unless you really look, like get to the window displays do you realize that this is a true full on cookware store. When you walk in, things are well organized but at the same time, not like a boutique store, as they are using all of their real estate in here, with very little to no space to the next product line. The old wooden plank board floors, some squeak pretty good, are prevalent here to give it that rustic look. Going through this store you will find things from pots, pans, knives, utensils, grates, baking pans, steamers, plates... etc. Don't look for major electric items, cause that's not what they carry, but if your looking for the high end cookware things in life... your bound to find it. From Global, to Shun, to Whustof, to Le Crueset, and Reidel..... If you like this kind of stuff.... you will identify with this place... if you have ZERO clue as to what I just said.. well... this store definitely ain't right for you. Sometimes there are actually deals here, depending on what you are looking for. The service here is spot on, as the staff knows where things are, and if you can describe it.. they can find what exactly you are looking for, they are trained to know.. and it can tell... like a mechanic to a car, these people know cookware. It's in an odd part of town, not much in terms of free parking, but lots of street parking, if you are going to go to a Ming Wo.. come to this one.. you'll get the most out of it. -
Simon’s 5-star review: The changing times of the old Chinatown has brought an influx of new business to the area, once a place that places were closing down has become a new place for people to reside, and with that comes new, fresh ideas in the food industry. Lately Chinatown has been spawning with 'hipster' like locations in food and style, but no-where to just eat sweets... until now. Welcome Daniel to the neighbourhood, bringing something new, not only to Chinatown... but to Vancouver, a shop, his shop.. making unique flavoured crème brulees, house made waffles served with in-house ice-cream. It's a pretty cool and cozy spot to come to, as the block has changed quite a bit. There are a few bar style seats along the front and side of the place, and 4 outdoor seats, with the option of eating here or taking out. I've come here from the beginning when it first open, and even yesterday, and things just keep getting better. Feel free to open your mind on the specialty of this place - crème brulee, as his flavours are his own creation which someone just spark out from ideas like a mad scientist, from a Guiness & Bacon brule, Durian, Earl Grey, Lavender, even black sesame, whatever he is thinking of making.. will be on the menu..... just know that when you step in here... the flavours maybe different from when you were first here. Also remember this is a one-man show, and looking at business (and how it has grown) you may have to wait for your sweet, it's not something where he can just reach into a fridge and give to you right away, Daniel takes care in turning on the flame to create that perfect caramal top on each of his creations, and if you in the back of the line... well.. expect to wait, just be patient on things. Now if you are here when it's not busy, then you have to figure out what flavour you want..... and that can take some time also. I see that he's also trying something new... in taster flights served in a Chinese steamer, where you can get 3 flavours, smaller sizes just to try a sample of what Daniel is cooking up. What's really good about Daniel is that he is passionate about what he is making and always ask for how it taste to you and always trying to perfect things. Let's say you are coming here with someone and they (or you...) are not a crème brulee fan... well he serves fresh hot Liege waffles made to order in front of your eyes... and serves this up with ice cream... that he made! Yup... it's an interesting twist as his waffle is sweeter than his ice cream, try it on it's own.. both sides... and then put them together.... and just enjoy. If you are down here, or need somewhere and something new to try... see what flavour of the week Daniel is making in his shop. One of the more unique places in Vancouver, and one where he built from the ground up. -
Simon’s 3-star review: Every Chinatown needs one of these, a place that sticks with what makes a place what it is, and keeps how it looks, and in some ways the prices too, for our Chinatown.. this is the place, especially after Gam Kok Yuen burned down a few months ago, there are not many of these places left. Vancouver Chinatown has gone through an odd hipster transformation recently, and with the addition of new condominiums popping up, the Chinatown that I grew up in is definitely disappearing, but coming in here, and it's not for everyone, is like jumping in the DeLorean in 'Back to the Future'... nothing seems to have changed here. If you need to know where this is, it's right next to Kent's Kitchen, and from once we sat down, entering the place, I was just amazed at all the heritage, from the tables, booths, colors (there's this odd dark green that dominates this place), the workers (feels like a family affair), and the real kicker - the price of stuff. This place is cheap, dirt cheap, compared to the usual suspect places I go for congee, noodle and rice dishes, this place flies in on the prices that used to be the norm. $4.50 (or was it $4.25) for a bowl of wonton noodles, seriously, is this like a mini portion? $4.50 for a bowl of BBQ pork and BBQ duck rice.... this can't be right... but when you look at the menu presented to you, this thing hasn't been updated in ages, even at the table, the specials that are under the glass between the table showing you the stuff they couldn't cram into the menu has some very fair prices, like you were shopping at T&T or a food court having takeout food. We really did order those two plates, after finally having someone come to our table. It didn't take too long after putting it in, to receiving our food, and this is more of a pay for what you get, as I was pretty satisfied with my bowl of rice, they gave me some good cuts of pork and duck, and even granted me the extra sweet soy sauce on the rice. The rice in the bowl itself was a little dry, but something about it really was good, mixed in with the sauce, it truly was authentic. With my partner in tow, her dish was the flat rice noodle siu gao soup, and the one minor thing she had with this dish was the taste of the siu gao.. dumplings, said the meat may have been a little off, but the flat rice noodles were prepared well. We had an order of Chinese donut sliced up in small pieces for us to eat. One surprising thing was that my rice bowl came with another bowl, which was the housemade soup, and surprisingly this hot liquid was very tasty, well done, and it wasn't a small bowl, practically the same as the rice bowl I was being served. I am going to say, I will be back, and give this place a good 3.5 for now, it's not bad, and the next time to steer clear of the siu gao and choose something else. I would definitely classify this as 'hole in the wall' with the ambiance of classical Chinatown, and it just seems like these places are becoming harder to find. Come on in to give this place a try, be patient with the people working here, as I have a feeling some of the people have been here for decades and it's sad to think once the people who work here.... are gone.. this place will probably go into history too. But for now, if you are looking for a cheap meal, got some bucks in your pocket (cash only) and are in Chinatown.... come on in and you'll say WTF on the prices in the menu. -
Simon’s 3-star review: The word 'gentrification' comes to mind once you see things like a Starbucks 'pop-up' in our historic Chinatown, which is becoming less historic given the new buildings that keep raising out of the ground. Walking in here one day I was amazed that a few years ago this corner was an entirely different building with the Chinese newspaper company in here, now..... the green mermaid, well there goes the neighborhood. I have a feeling that this coffee joint will survive and stay here just because of all the new buildings and people that will be moving into the area they call Strathcona. When you come into this place, it is as welcoming as all green mermaid joints with a little twist, using a nice brick wall background behind all the barristas and where you order, the place seems big from the outside, but I find it smaller than most Starbucks in the city. There is of course a few small tables on the side, but really not much sitting room knowing what location this is in. On this day I was here for some breakfast, and it's the normal serving of breakfast sandwich's, wraps, small buttery sweets and your assortment of green mermaid goods. The place is Chinatown afterall, and even on an early morning on a Saturday, due to the area, sometimes it can get interesting. I heard screaming from an argument over using the washroom. It does put you in another mode, but this is really not the fault of the place, yet the area. Oddly enough it wasn't the workers that were trying to calm the situation, but the people in the coffee shop. Eventually everything calmed down, and the background music seemed to be dictating the atmosphere. This Starbucks is very central in Chinatown with the new building going up, corner spot, right on Main Street, you can't miss it, especially if you are planning to meet someone this is probably going to be a destination called out for people. Is it needed in this area, really what is but another company trying to get a portion of the pie, as in the last few years there has been a number of coffee joints opening up in this new Chinatown that has overseen a facelift. If you are one who is out of tune with the coffee scene but still wants his/her motor oil in the day, and especially with all these stratas being built in this new Strathcona area well the knowledge of having something you know is a good thing. I don't see this place going away, but more things growing around it, a good addition to Chinatown, but maybe a step where you take the Chinese out of Chinatown. -
Simon’s 4-star review: I can say that I have not been to many Caribbean food places in Vancouver, are there even much in terms of variety, so I am no pro on this matter, let us get this out of the way. Another thing I do not usually do is dine around this area, but I have heard of the place, so when my friend invited me I was eager to see what this place was about. I feel this place is more in the Chinatown realms than Gastown as I feel Hastings is that border that separates things. It is in an odd part of town, where our parents (if you grew up here) have told you of strange things and even on this night it was true before I reached the door. When I entered, I believe I was the last one to the party, I quickly found my seat near the window while everyone was getting to know each other. From what I saw, it was a cozy room, the nice use of wood colors from the tables and chairs, to the not so bright rooms helped give that feel, not the chic hipster bright joints that we have been accustomed to. When I sat down the drinks were already being dispersed, and a man working there named Terrell greeted me, and somehow in that instance we were talking about where he was from (Brooklyn) and those times back in NYC. I forgot the other man's name, but he was telling us what calabash stood for (which is gourd) and what it is used for. Onto the food, and we were served family style starting out with their roti and dip, they even brought out the hot sauce, and it did have a good kick, during the mains we had a vegetarian platter, jerk chicken, and ribs... now the last one I saw disappear very fast and I was lucky to get my hands on some bones with the succulent meat falling off of them. Each dish had it's unique flavor, and it was described to us, I actually was seeing myself go after the chick peas quite a bit. We eventually made it to dessert, and this food can really creep up on you, we were treated to their house made deep fried coconut balls, served with fresh cut up fruits and some creme and a caramel like sauce on the side. What we didn't know about the place is that it was bigger than what we see on the main floor. If you get a chance come to the downstairs, which is a full on bar, restaurant, stage for live music, wall for presenting local artist, and in some ways and old museum, as their is quite a bit of history in this building. Starting with this mammoth of an old carcass of an elevator. Yes, they actually made these things to move people back in the day, and this goes to show the respect to history Calabash has to the space they are in, and the next time you are walking outside, know those lights coming from the ground are coming from their underground! I did not get the chance to enjoy the downstairs, but I can see this place really happening at night, and you can be lost in the fun of this space.... I can say the people are passionate about what they do, and I learned a lot to say I would come back.
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