This week marks the beginning of the Chinese New Year. You may have been to Chinatown before, but in honour of the Year of the Monkey, head back for a fresh look (and some good food).
Follow me.
1. Start at International Village, the awkwardly awesome mall at the corner of Abbott and Pender. Highlights include:
-Cineplex Odeon. It is Oscar season, after all.
-The Ayden Gallery, probably the coolest art gallery in a mall you will ever see.
-If you like cats with your coffee (??), visit Vancouver’s first Catfe.
2. Next stop, The Sam Kee Building at 8 West Pender, which is only 1.8 metres wide. According to the Vancouver Heritage Foundation, when the city expanded Pender Street in 1913, the building’s owner, Chang Toy, refused to sell the land and had a narrow building designed for him along with public saunas in the basement. Look down at the coloured glass blocks on the sidewalk beside the building. They were originally intended to allow more natural light into the saunas.
3. Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Park - It’s beautiful and free to visit the park. Enter from Pender and just feel the calm. Different and amazing in every season.
4. Look across the street at the building, Ming Wo’s Kitchen Store, 23 E Pender, which opened in 1917. Now cross the street and step inside. Beautiful.
5. Lim Sai Hor Benevolent Association at 525-531 Carrall St. This is one of the only original buildings left in Shanghai Alley. We got lucky and ran into Laura Sun, Sing Tao Daily reporter, as she was heading in to teach a Mandarin class on Saturday morning. She brought us upstairs to meet Orville Lim who gave us a short history of the Association, including their plan to restore the building to its original glory in the near future. (More on this later!)
The original design.
The building today.
6. Tea! It may not be old, but The Chinese Tea Shop at 101 East Pender is steeped in tea history. The store is gorgeous and the tea a connoisseur’s delight.
7. Hungry yet? Pop into New Town Bakery at 148 E Pender. It’s famous (for good reason), and you’ve probably been there, but grab a number and feast on the apple tarts and sweet and savory buns.
8. At Dollar Meat Store at 266 Pender Street East, you can grab a delicious BBQ duck or salted chicken to take home. When people line up out the door at a butcher shop, you know it’s good.
9. Turn right on Gore Street and walk to Keefer. On your right you will see another meat store and a fresh seafood store packed with shoppers. Seriously.
Fresh!
10. At 232 Keefer, you’ll find one of the best food deals in the city at Kent’s Kitchen. For $6.95 you’ll get a veritable mountain of food - rice with two HEAPING veg, fish, or meat toppings. If you had too many buns, one plate can feed two for sure.
11. If you just want bakeries and dim sum. there are plenty of places scattered around the stretches of Pender, Keefer, and Georgia between Carrall and Gore. They may not be as famous as New Town, but they’re all good.
12. After your meal at Kent’s, turn left on Main and walk up and down Georgia to buy fresh fruit and vegetables. You’ll need something to go with your roast duck or chicken tonight.
13. For a little more art to accompany your walk, check out Semi-Public, Vancouver Especially, by Ken Lum, at 221 E Georgia Street, There is only one week left! See a physical representation of just how much housing prices have increased in our lovely city.
Vancouver special.
14. Finally, if you aren’t full or didn’t feel like eating at Kent’s, check out Goldstone Restaurant and Bakery at 139 Keefer. Settle into a big booth in this Chinese diner and go nuts. Staff are friendly, the bakery is good and the man at the table next to us said they had the best baked pork chop on rice in the whole world, even better than in Hong Kong.
