Hugo’s may be the new restaurant in town, but the roots of this operation go way back. The Garcia family immigrated from Mexico to Canada in 2002, and instead of searching for the flavours of home, they brought home to Canada’s west coast.
By Lenée Son In the 1970s in Hong Kong, Andrew Leung was still a young adult unsure of what path to take when his father encouraged him to work at a restaurant. His father, a fireball restaurateur who managed several eateries, asked the chefs at the restaurants he managed to mentor his son. Over 30 years later, Leung is the owner of Gain Wah Restaurant in Vancouver’s Chinatown and still makes his char siu (barbecued pork) the exact same way his teachers showed him. After emigrating from Hong Kong to Vancouver in 1973, Leung found job prospects to be limited for Chinese immigrants–but one way for new immigrants to support their families was to enter the restaurant business. “It was hard to find work for immigrants in those days,” said Leung, “my dad brought me into the restaurants in Hong Kong to learn how to cook and it ended up…
There’s nothing better than community coming together for a great cause. Especially when the gathering involves local BC seafood, freshly caught, and sold right at the docks.
By Catherine Dunwoody Modern and fresh French cuisine, in Richmond–you better believe it. We sat down with Origo Club’s David Pan to learn about his journey from Taiwan to Coquitlam to Burnaby, and a career in culinary. Where were you born? David Pan: Born in Taiwan and raised in Coquitlam since 8 years old. What was food like in your growing up household? DP: Classic Chinese cuisine from north and south regions. Comfort food, healthy and light in seasoning and oil. Quality ingredients. Did you cook at home during your childhood? DP: Yes, assisting my mother for simple preps like washing, cutting and tasting. Where did you study culinary and when? DP: 2002 at Malaspina University College in Nanaimo, now known as Vancouver Island University. Then I finished my apprenticeship and Red Seal at Vancouver Community College. Most rewarding experience in your earlier days? Any mentors? DP: Washing dishes together…
By Ian Lai, Executive Director of the Richmond Food Security Society INGREDIENTS Onion, diced (1 large) Leek, whites only (1/2) Garlic, minced (1 clove) Flour (2 Tbsp) Potatoes, diced (2 cups) Sunchokes, diced (1 cup) Sprig of thyme Butter (4 Tbsp) Homogenized milk (1 litre) Salt and pepper INSTRUCTIONS Sweat onions, leek and garlic in butter on medium heat until translucent Add potatoes, sunchokes and thyme Cook for 5 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally Add flour to coat everything Add milk Bring to a simmer stirring occasionally Cook until vegetables are soft Blend using a food processor or an immersion blender until smooth Season and taste Enjoy with a slice of crusty baguette Richmond Chef and Educator Aims to Make Healthy Food Accessible By Tourism Richmond It’s a sunlit autumn morning, and Ian Lai has just returned from Tomsett Elementary School in Richmond, helping to set up growing towers…
By Jaclyn Jularbal Take yourself on a tasty adventure with Richmond’s self-guided Dumpling Trail. With each location just a short walking distance from each other, the Trail makes it easy to experience new flavours that are sure to make their way onto your favourites list. Each restaurant has been hand-selected by Tourism Richmond to ensure a great experience, so travel as a group or take your best foodie friend with you and experience all of Richmond’s top dumpling hotspots. The Dumpling Trail is designed to take you on an exciting culinary adventure. Where to begin? Try one of these sure-fire places: Empire Seafood Restaurant 200 – 5951 No. 3 Road Tel: 604.249.0080 Avid dim sum lovers look no further. Empire Seafood Restaurant has all the staples, including an elegant white tablecloth and round-table environment to enjoy good dumplings over conversations with your whole family. The quality of each bite is…
Russian-born, Paris-trained pastry chef Elena Krasnova opened Mon Paris Pâtisserie in Burnaby in January 2017; creating classic French pastries, divine desserts and chocolates that are a work of art.
By Kathy Mak Before you say yuck to cricket protein, you may be surprised to learn that a large portion of the world and most cultures are consuming edible insects by choice, a practice known as entomophagy. For centuries, feasting on insects as a source of nutrition has been common in Asia, Africa and South America. The concept of eating bugs as an alternative protein has more recently started to make sense in North America. And one of the companies banking on bugs is Coast Protein. This New Westminster start-up is on a mission to normalize eating crickets as a viable, sustainable and healthy food source in various types of cuisine. Currently, they make edible cricket-based protein bars and powders that are available in 225 stores in Canada, of which there are 175 locations in British Columbia and 120 in the Lower Mainland. Crickets constitute the largest portion of the…
By Brittany Tiplady When visiting a new city, choosing where to eat can be a daunting task, especially when the options are abundant! Metro Vancouver has an incredible amount of culinary options to enjoy, so, why not book a food tour and let your guide make the restaurant selections for you? Don’t know where to start? If you’re in the mood for fantastic Asian cuisine (Metro Vancouver has no shortage of that!) check out this list of tours available in Metro Vancouver. A Wok Around Food Tours Robert Sung’s guided food tours are unparalleled. Mr Sung is a third-generation Chinese Canadian who was raised in BC’s food hospitality industry–his family has been involved the industry for over 70 years. As a member of the Chinese-Canadian Historical Society of BC and a current member of the Vancouver Chinatown Revitalization Committee, Sung has a wealth of local, culinary, and cultural knowledge. A…
By Wade Kinley New Westminster has grown out of the early settlement along the banks of the Fraser River into one of the lower mainland’s most charming cities. Now with a newly revamped waterfront showcasing entertainment, shopping, and dining, any time of day is a good time to visit New West, but we know the best time, and that is approximately 3:00 to 6:00 in the afternoon. Carlos O’Bryan’s Housed in the old Canadian Pacific Railway Station in downtown New Westminster, Carlos O’Bryan’s Pub is big on tradition. Sports, pool, darts and, of course a great draught list can all be found in the traditional Irish pub upstairs in the building built back in 1899. Luckily for us, they’ve kept the tradition of happy hour as well. From 2 to 5 PM daily, along with drink specials that range from $4.50 to $6, their extensive menu of appetizers are available…