issue #2

preview copy

welcome~ to the second issue of Pender Keefer Georgia!

photo: the Chinatown Millenium gate,

“Remember the past and look forward to the future.”

T oday, Vancouver’s Chinatown is rapidly growing, exploding with a stream of new developments, residents and businesses. Some of its shops and attractions are well known to locals, but many are overlooked, hidden, or intimidating to the uninitiated.

This series of guidebooks explores the people and businesses of the past that have laid the foundation for the Chinatown we know today. We highlight those that are still around and prospering, as well as those at risk of fading away into history altogether.

Pender Keefer Georgia aims to bridge the gaps between the many diverse cultures of the area, encourage culinary adventures and new shopping experiences, and keep you up to date on our favourite part of the city.

We release one or two issues a year, so be sure to check out issue #1.

volume 01 issue #2

© 2012 Pender Keefer Georgia

Vancouver BC, Canada

Editor-in-Chief & Designer Jill Southern

Editor Joni McKervey

Contributing Photographer Helen Eady

Head of Sales David Stansfield

All photography by Jill Southern except page 22, by Helen Eady

Special thanks to the Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden

For inquiries, email: info@penderkeefergeorgia ca

penderkeefergeorgia.ca

01 good eats 02 New Mitzie's Restaurant

04 Dim Sum

06 The Chinatown Supermarket

08 Ba Le

10 Hong Kong bbq

12 Siêu Thi Wong Xin Thai & Vietnamese Market

14 An Ocean of Choice: Chinatown's Fishmarkets

16 shopping & living 18 Chinese Herbal Medicine

20 Peking Lounge

22 Ho Sun Hing Printers

24 Jane's Tea & Arts

26 community & culture 28 Sun Yat Sen Garden Through the Seasons

30 Gung Hei Fat Choi!

32 The Wing Sang Building

34 Year of the Snake

36 BusinessListings

37 Feature take-away map: dim sum

contents ~ volume 01 issue #2

Known traditionally in Cantonese as going to “drink tea,” going for

dim sum is a Chinese food tradition reaching back to the days of

travellers on the Silk Road. Typical dim sum dishes contain bite-

sized or individually portioned dumplings, steamed buns, and rice

noodle rolls. Congee pudding, and steamed or fried meat and veg-

etable dishes are also common options. Ordering at dim sum is

part of the fun, especially at places that offer cart service, where

fully cooked dishes are pushed around the restaurant on carts

that diners can select from while seated at their table.

Cart service can be found at the larger restaurants in Chinatown,

like Garden Villa and Floata. Recently, pkg visited the more inti-

mate Jade Dynasty Restaurant on East Pender. Orders at Jade

Dynasty are made by marking on an order sheet with a pencil—

another dim sum convention. The service and plastic table covers

gave the experience an in-out-nobody-gets-hurt sort of feel, per-

fect for diners who prefer efficiency over frills. The pumpkin prawn

dumplings, Siu Mai and pork steamed buns were delicious, and all

agreed that we would return to try some of the more adventurous

dishes, like the Nutty Taro Roll, soon.

dim sumhoj

vi good eats

Friendliest staFF in Chinatown!

The Chinatown Supermarket, located at 239 Keefer, is the largest independent grocer in the Chinatown area. It features a wide variety of fresh produce, all the percent-ages of milk (hard to find in this neighbourhood!), canned and dried goods, as well as a large fresh and frozen meat section.

The staff is friendly, accommodating and outgoing, especially Bob the butcher, who's always up for conver-sation—even if he doesn't really like getting his picture taken. If you appreciate a local grocer who remembers your order, then Bob is your man. To top it all off, most of csm’s meat is sourced locally, fresh and sold at a great price. Chinatown Supermarket is open seven days a week from 9–6, so if you work regular office hours, be prepared to brave crowds on the weekend.

We know many markets in the neighbourhood can be a little intimidating to a first-time visitor, so if you are look-ing for a more accessible shopping experience definitely give them a try.

thechinatownsupeRmARKeT

Vietnamese bÁnh mÌ

New cafes and restaurants serving lunch have been appearing all over Chinatown in recent months, but for your buck the best option for a sandwich is still Ba Le’s bánh mì. If you’ve never had one, the bánh mì sandwich combines French ingredients like baguette, pâté and mayonnaise with native Vietnamese staples such as cilantro, hot peppers, and pickled carrots. A by-product of French coloniza-tion in Southeast Asia, bánh mì refers to the baguette roll the sand-wich comes in, which continues to be a staple in former French colony countries like Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

At Ba Le your choice of meat fillings are usually chicken, beef or pork and a tasty vegetarian option is also available. Priced at $3–$4, depending on the filling, you can afford to eat two, but the sandwiches are well sized and most of the time one is just enough. Located on Main Street at Georgia, kitty-corner to the London Pub, Ba Le has the best prices and is always fresh. You can also score a bánh mì at the take-out counter at Golden Garden restaurant on Main, Truong Giang on East Hastings (another pkg favourite), as well as Hanoi Pho on East Hastings. Union bar offers a modern take on the bánh mì with 4 different options: fried fish, tofu, pork belly and lemongrass chicken. Not quite as economical as the others but irresistibly delicious.

ba le

xi good eats

Chinese herbal mediCines: zheng gu shui

There may have been a time, not too long ago, where the idea of having someone stick a bunch of needles in your skin in the name of health and healing seemed esoteric and maybe even a little scary. These days acupuncture is widely recognized as an effec-tive form of physical therapy, and it’s companion practices from the Chinese Medicine tradition are also becoming commonplace.

Is your qi stagnant? Are you suffering from a lack of xue? Your remedy is close at hand. Chinatown is filled with 'trading compa-nies' like Tak Hing Loong, which supply herbal teas, dried foods and traditional Chinese medicines.

For a quick fix to what ails you, go up to the counter of Tak Hing Loong and tell a staff member your ailment. They'll whip up a cus-tom tea blend on the spot. At the back of the store there is a wall stocked with oils, liniments, and pills for all your health needs.

One exceptionally useful product that we recommend is Zheng Gu Shui, a medicinal liniment for muscle and joint pain. This herbal heat treatment promotes the flow of blood and qi to injured and tired limbs. At less than $4 for a 100ml bottle, Zheng Gu Shui penetrates the muscles and improves blood circulation. It absorbs into skin quickly and easily (be sure to wash your hands after, or use a cotton ball—this stuff gets hot!) After applying the liniment, sit back, relax, and feel the mellow burn as it works into your muscles.

xiii shopping & living

wing sang & company

Built in 1889 by local businessman and community leader Yip Sang, the Wing Sang building is China-town’s oldest structure. Yip, who came to North America as a labourer in 1864, made his way from California to Vancou-ver, where he founded a labour contracting business called Wing Sang Company in 1888. Yip Sang left a powerful legacy to the city as a founder of the Chinese Benevolent Society and the Chinese Board of Trade of Vancouver, among many other achievements and gifts to the community.

The Wing Sang building was not only the company’s head-quarters, but also home to Yip’s enormous family (four wives and 23 children, holy moly!), and contains Vancouver’s old-est schoolroom. Vancouver developer Bob Rennie acquired the building in the early 2000s and, 4 years and about $10 million later, it now serves as his own business headquarters and houses his extensive private art collection. While the Rennie Collection is not open to walk-in traffic, anyone can reserve a spot on one of the guided tours that run on select days throughout the year (renniecollection.org).