Vancouver's Chinatown BBQ

Chinatown BBQ celebrates the neighborhood and its' legendary food traditions

The meat is served with a scallion and ginger sauce.

We’re not big meat eaters, yet we found ourselves at Chinatown BBQ in Vancouver’s Chinatown neighborhood. We’ve been vegetarian, pescatarian, and poultry-only throughout the years, but one of us can’t fully quit barbecued and smoked meat.

Aside from the barbecue, we also sought out Chinatown BBQ because we wanted to pretend we were back in Hong Kong - or somewhere in China we’ve never been. We wanted to be transported somewhere that felt completely different and immersive - the feelings we’ve got every time we’ve gone to Asia.

For the meal, we were eager to get recommendations from our friendly host, and we practically let him order for us. Here’s what we ended up getting and would also recommend to you:

To drink: the complimentary hot barley tea and the Pale Ale from the local 33 Acres brewery

To Eat: you can’t just try one thing…

• BBQ Duck

• BBQ Pork

• Soy Sauce Chicken

• Or, the Roasted Pork - we got a taste, and it melts in your mouth

• Gai Lan with Garlic Oil (this is Chinese broccoli)

• Steamed Rice (comes with the meat) - it’s a nice contrast to the rich meat

We were having such a good time talking to our server - who I am calling our host, about the history of the neighborhood and restaurant that we decided to order dessert to extend our time there.

We ordered this lychee and goji berry pudding:

The ‘pudding’ dessert in the shape of koi fish.

As you can see, what came out was a jello-like mold of koi fish with bits of fresh lychee and goji berries inside. It wasn’t at all what we were expecting when we read “pudding,” but it was refreshing and light, and such a nice surprise - a great way to end a rich and fatty meal.

These booths were perfect for lunch for two.

30 E Pender Street
Vancouver, BC
V6A 1T3, Canada

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