Vancouver Chinese food scene enters a new era as Cantonese cuisine evolves
A Chinese Vancouverite, on a culinary adventure in her hometown, finds that while the Cantonese food in the city retains much of the cuisine’s original flavours it has a unique Vancouverness to it
It doesn’t take long for visitors to Vancouver to notice there are a lot of Chinese people here. According to the latest census, nearly one in five people in Greater Vancouver identifies as ethnic Chinese. The city’s Chinese population includes people originally from Hong Kong, mainland China and Taiwan, and ranges from new transplants to families that have been in Canada for generations. This diversity is reflected in Vancouver’s Chinese food, which blends traditional cuisine with the city’s influence – and which has a reputation for being some of the world’s best.
Yet, despite being Chinese Canadian and a born-and-raised Vancouverite, I didn’t really understand these nuances until I spent a week eating with Lee Man. A local food writer and judge for the Chinese Restaurant Awards, Man led me on a culinary adventure in my own backyard.
On a quiet Monday morning, I slide into a booth across from Man at New Town Bakery, in Chinatown, which was established in the 19th century by men, largely from Guangdong province, who built the country’s railroads. Exclusionist policies restricted Chinese immigration until the mid-20th century, but things didn’t ramp up until the late 1960s. That’s when looser immigration laws coincided with the Cultural Revolution and prompted many to flee Hong Kong, including Man’s family and my parents. While Chinatown was no longer the de facto place to live, it remained the nexus of the Chinese community.
“Do you want chicken feet?” Man asks. I shake my head, and he orders in Cantonese. Soon, we’re enjoying minced beef accented with tangerine peel and wrapped in rice noodles, as well as a bowl of congee redolent with beef.