After 33 years on Keefer Street in Chinatown, Gold Stone Bakery & Restaurant is no more.
The beloved bakeshop and cafe business was first listed for sale in mid-June for $500,000, but after not managing to snag a buyer, the price was dropped a whopping $350,000 to $150,000 on Oct. 1.
Open since 1986, Gold Stone was a treasured spot for locals who took great comfort in its menu of Hong Kong diner-style fare.
Among the many items on the menu that diners adored at Gold Stone were its HK milk tea, as well as their breakfast combos, baked pork chop over rice, pineapple buns, egg tarts, and chow mein.
Here you could find instant noodles swimming with slices of spam and a sunny side up egg, fried rice studded with chicken and ham, and golden Hong Kong-style French Toast. Come lunchtime, diners would tuck into bowls of Russian borscht with a dinner roll before moving on to things like plates of chicken in black pepper sauce or black bean spare ribs with rice, or a more western-style Club Sandwich.
Known for their quick, no-frills service, plexiglass-topped tables with menus pressed beneath, and a cash-only policy (for their hallmark affordable prices), losing Gold Stone is a blow to the city, not just within the Chinatown community itself but for all those who flocked to Gold Stone in search of what many felt were the best examples of classic HK diner eats in the lower mainland.
Gold Stone is also an example of an "intangible" kind of heritage that preservationists constantly seek to save. Gold Stone is named throughout the 2015 Heritage BC "Vancouver Chinatown Intangible Heritage Values Report," as a place of value in the community that doesn't have a "heritage" designation that would keep it from being removed, altered, or destroyed.
"The cultural activities and events that take place in Vancouver’s Chinatown contribute to its value and significance for participants. The rich history and existing physical heritage of Vancouver’s Chinatown also contributes to its value and significance for participants because it embodies the history and experience of Chinese Canadians in B.C.," reads the report's introduction.
The closure of Gold Stone began back in the spring, as the COVID-19 pandemic forced restaurants and businesses to close their doors. Since then, however, Gold Stone's temporary shut down has morphed into a permanent one.
For any prospective buyers, the listing for Gold Stone, at 137A-139 Keefer Street, is through RA Realty Alliance.
Check out some food pics shared in the recent past by fans of Gold Stone:
