sf7307

We live in San Francisco -- I guess the only larger North American Chinatown than Vancouver. Question is ---- is there a restaurant in Chinatown you would highly recommend to visitors who have access to excellent Asian (including, but not only, Chinese) food at home?

Second, last year, we went to an Edmonton Oilers game and people recommended a nearby restaurant as 'the place" to eat near Rexall Place -- and they were right! (Coliseum Steak, for the record). So, is there somewhere near Rogers Arena that's a 'must do' before a Canucks game?

(I'm pretty sure our second of three dinners will be Vij's -- we love Indian food, and it sounds fantastic)

sf7307

Rogers Arena, I mean.

laverendrye

For food, don't bother with the old Chinatown. It's a shadow of its former self and surrounded by a pretty seedy neighbourhood. Most of the good restaurants are elsewhere in the city or in the suburb of Richmond where there are hundreds. With so many restaurants it's hard to make a recommendation, so I'll leave it to a piece from the NYT published for Olympic Visitors which might be helpful:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/03/di...nted=1&_r=1&hp

This should get you started and I'll leave it to Vancouverites to chime in with their personal favourites. You also check out Chowhound.

Be prepared to wait as there are usually long lines for Vij's, but you can always go to Vij's Rangoli next door if you can't take the time.

BTW the Chinese Canadian population of Toronto is now greater than that of Vancouver, and in the opinion of many, its best Chinese restaurants surpass those of Vancouver. (Wait for incoming fire!).

SOCALOC

Skip Chinatown and if you do go-leave your expectations at home otherwise you'll be very disappointed.

sf7307

I've read several threads now that lead to believe Vancouver's Chinatown is a "must-miss"!

Sam_Salmon

Real Life in Chinatown happens <b>east of Main Street</b> most visitors end up having a look @ Dr Sun Yat Sen Chinese Garden which is on the quiet edge of Chinatown and then conclude there's little else to see.

http://www.vancouverchinesegarden.com/

Two places to eat of note

http://www.bao-bei.ca/

<b>Phnom Penh</b>
244 East Georgia Street
Vancouver, BC
(604) 682-5777

sf7307

Sam, I'm not sure what you're suggesting. Is there some part of Chinatown east of Main Street that you recommend for a first-time visitor? (BTW, the same thing is true of San Francisco's Chinatown, there's "tourist" Chinatown, which is Grant Street, and there's "real" Chinatown, which is one block west on Stockton Street).

laverendrye

Vancouverites like Sam_Salmon are much more knowledgeable about the cutting edge than visitors ever can be, and Bao-Bei certainly seems to be on it. It sounds like a wonderful place.

From its website, here's a good article about the beginnings of a rebirth for Old Chinatown.

http://www.vancouversun.com/business...759/story.html

Sam_Salmon

"<i>Is there some part of Chinatown east of Main Street that you recommend for a first-time visitor? </i>'

Yes-all of it-have a stroll along Pender, Keefer and East Georgia Streets and Gore St that connects them.

It's not glitzy just real life-people shopping/stopping/gossiping in the same stores that have been there for ages.

Occasionally one shuts down and another opens but overall the pace of change is slow-as is life-it's an older/poorer demographic that lives in the area but that's part of the charm IMO.

Visitors often confuse Chinatown with the area around it-Main & Hastings comes to mind-which has devolved into a slum that shocks people who think Vancouver is immune from the real world.

SMac

Bao-Bei! My favourite restaurant in Vancouver. It's on Keefer, in the first block west of Main Street. A 2 1/2 block walk to Rogers Place. Good food. Very lively. Great cocktails. Afterwards you can wander a few doors over to the Keefer Bar (same block) for an evening drinky.

You won't find it "uncomfortable" to walk on Keefer. Yes, you will see some instances of drug addiction in the area, but other than asking if you have any spare change, people will leave you alone. They're just people. So no real worry about anything.

It's not that the area is a slum, it's that the downtown area of Vancouver is small. So you can be in the expensive area of the city and then very quickly be in another area that's more rundown.

SOCALOC

Visitors often confuse Chinatown with the area around it-Main & Hastings comes to mind-which has devolved into a slum that shocks people who think Vancouver is immune from the real world.
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Sorry, but I found the homeless population in Vancouver overwhelming and I'm not immune from the real world. In fact, a year later I'm still perplexed over it. They were no threat but it WAS shocking to see such a huge amount. It was an education indeed.

Sam_Salmon

<i>"I found the homeless population in Vancouver overwhelming and I'm not immune from the real world. In fact, a year later I'm still perplexed over it. They were no threat but it WAS shocking to see such a huge amount.<b>It was an education indeed.</b></i>"

So your eyes have been opened a tiny bit but you still have your rose-coloured glasses on.

Jesus said <i>"The poor you shall always have with you</i>"

BCgal

"Sorry, but I found the homeless population in Vancouver overwhelming and I'm not immune from the real world. In fact, a year later I'm still perplexed over it. They were no threat but it WAS shocking to see such a huge amount. It was an education indeed."

"So your eyes have been opened a tiny bit but you still have your rose-coloured glasses on."

I don't think there's anything rose-coloured about Socaloc's observations. Vancouver's DTES is one of the poorest, most desolate postal codes in North America. It's not only poverty and homelessness that are the problems, bu their root causes; severe drug addiction and poor mental health. And it's unconscionable that a few blocks away live Canada's healthiest, wealthiest citizens.

I'm glad it's shocking to people - I would hate to think Vancouver's serious social issues just roll off people's backs.

BCgal

Oh - and to the original poster, sorry to hijack your thread with social commentary!

I've got one restaurant recommendation for you that's close to the arena. I LOVE Chambar. It's not exactly in Chinatown, but on the edge of it - a place I think they're marketing as "Crosstown." Anyway, it's really close to the Stadium skytrain station. Delicious Belgian (and more) food. Make sure to make reservations though!

sf7307

No problem withe hijack (I've been known to do that myself on occasion!). Thanks for the restaurant rec.

What does DTES stand for?

SOCALOC

last comment
Thanks BCgal- I didn't feel it was my place to say your words but that's how I felt about it.

sf7307

"Google is my friend" -- Not sure why it was a problem to say it out loud "Downtown Eastside", there were 169,000 google search results

BCgal

Yeah - DTES = Down Town East Side. I didn't think twice typing it, but of course it's totally a local acronym. Sorry!

netcinc

I grew up in Vancouver and I traveled through many parts of the Downtown Eastside (DTES) the problems there are due to many of the factors that where mentioned already drug addiction and mental health. But I have also traveled through other major US cities along the west coast and the problems are there as well. They may be better hidden and not directly in the public eye but they are still there. As an example while in Anaheim in April (I took the family to Disneyland) there are plenty of homeless and drug addicted people on the street right out side of the front gate. When you get a few blocks away it looks worse than the DTES and the police where at the gates 3 times in the 5 days that we where there. Vancouver is not immune to the problems just like any major city. Even smaller BC cities are rampent with drug addiction and mental health issues and have areas that look much like the DTES but they do not get as much press Vancouver does. This situation is something that needs to be delt with but it will take many years and a boat load of money to fix.

As for Resturants in Vancouver not to miss there used to be an Indian Resturant on Broadway at Fir that was amazing all though I cannot remember what it was called.

SOCALOC

As an example while in Anaheim in April (I took the family to Disneyland) there are plenty of homeless and drug addicted people on the street right out side of the front gate.
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LOL that was the UNION strike!