One of the things I liked most about Toronto was the diversity of neighbourhoods – it was great to be able to take in such a variety of areas even in the short amount of time I was there. I know there were many neighbourhoods I just didn’t get to – I look forward to [...]

The topic of Chinatown revitalization has been bandied about a lot in the past year, especially with flashy projects like the Yorkton Development residential towers and the Wild Rose Circle Development. But in the short term, existing businesses that bring people into the area will have a greater impact – no area can rely on [...]

When travelling, I have a tendency to try and plan out our days as much as possible. In the case of San Francisco however, I didn’t have much time to do so (I was still frantically reading guidebooks on the plane ride over). But because we had ten glorious days to spend in the Bay [...]

The green onion cake. Savoury, crispy and oh so satisfying, it is one of my favourite indulgences, but only when done right. I’m not a fan of the flat pancake-like versions at the Fringe that many others adore; my preference is for the doughnut-shaped cakes – airy, and really, with even more surface area to [...]

Emperor’s Palace, the newest addition to Chinatown, mirrors Urban China in many ways. Clean and modern, they are both a part of a movement towards the kind of restaurants Vancouver (and Calgary, to some extent) already have down pat. We’re always looking for new dim sum places, so it made sense that my first two [...]

In September, I noticed that Viet Huong Noodle House would be moving a few blocks east into the Chinatown space that had been vacated by Hoang Long. Knowing a makeover of their restaurant on 107 Avenue was in dire need, it seemed a move into a more modern and frequented street would do them well. [...]

At the rate we’re going, Dickson and I will be sampling pho restaurants into the next decade. With new establishments popping up all the time (such as Pho King on Alberta Avenue and Phonatics in the north end), old favourites yet to sample (like Pho & Bun), and restaurants changing hands, it’s guaranteed pho lovers [...]

A few weeks ago, my Dad asked me for my opinion on two new-ish Chinese restaurants downtown, looking for an evening venue: Bird’s Nest of Beijing (10425 100 Avenue) and Urban China. I haven’t yet been to Bird’s Nest (though I had heard that their dim sum was fairly reasonably priced), and though my only [...]

I can usually find a pretty good excuse to try out new restaurants. On Monday, that excuse was the Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts. We’ve been attending the annual arts awards and recognition evening for three years (sadly, there was no on-stage closing dance number this time), and needed to have a pre-show meal. Samurai [...]

Two co-workers and I decided to indulge in a dim sum lunch last Friday to celebrate Chinese New Year. With only two options within reasonable walking distance for our one hour break, we chose Noodle Noodle over Urban China. Though I hadn’t been to Noodle Noodle in years, from what I remember, the prices weren’t [...]