Offering diners a fresh approach to modern Chinese fare, a new restaurant set to open its doors in downtown Vancouver is taking inspiration from the rich legacy of street fare in Yunnan province.
Called Street Auntie Aperitivo House, owner Yuyina Zhang's new venture is located at 1039 Granville St in a space that had previously been the Vietnamese restaurant Timon.
Zhang says she is drawing from a childhood spent knowing local street food vendors affectionately as "Street Aunties."
“The fond memories I have of the Street Aunties I knew as a child – and who are still a warm and welcome sight for hungry passersby – were a true source of inspiration for me,” says Zhang, “I can’t wait to help bring people in Vancouver together to experience an upscale and immersive street-food experience while enjoying great company at Street Auntie.”
Set prices, rotating menus
To reflect the diversity of dishes sold on Yunnan streets, Street Auntie will take a unique approach to create a dining experience for guests.
Diners will be able to choose as many dishes as they wish from a weekly rotating menu, during a one-hour dine-in meal, priced per person at $38 during lunch, and $58 for dinner. During opening week, Nov. 25 through Dec. 2, for example, diners will be offered the Ocean Auntie Menu and can choose from dishes such as Crispy fish skin with duck egg-yolk; Yunnan ghost chicken; a dim sum basket, Spicy crispy garlic fried soft shell crab; as well as sweet items for dessert, among others.
Customers wishing to do take-out can order curated take-home boxes featuring three courses and dessert for $28.
Street Auntie will launch on Nov. 25 and will be open Wednesdays through Mondays for lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch. Pre-paid reservations for tables of up to six guests can be made now online.
