Blog Archive

At the start of the year, in late January/early February, when the Dine Out Festival was on, Alex Wan, one of the co-founders of Chopstick Fest, was looking for authentic Chinese restaurant options in Richmond. When he didn’t find any, he and some friends started musing about the idea of creating their own festival — […]

Five-spice Powder is a staple of Chinese cuisine, an essential pantry item for anyone looking to explore Chinese culinary flavours. Five-spice powder is often used with fatty meats such as pork, duck or goose. Chinese cuisine often uses it as a spice rub for chicken, duck, pork and seafood, it is also added to the […]

In North America, we tend to start the day with a bowl of cereal, yogurt or a smoothie. In China, breakfast is a whole other affair. As with almost all other food traditions in China, what people eat tends to vary by region says Matt Reichel, one of the co-founders of Chopstick Fest. In Beijing, […]

NOTE: All food and beverages were complimentary, but all opinions are based on my own personal experience. Thanks to the team behind Chopstick Fest, I was invited to a tasting at Morals Village, as they will be a participating restaurant during the festival that will run from October 15 – 30, 2016. Morals Village is […]

A delightful mosaic of Middle Eastern, Central Asian, and Chinese flavours One of the most exciting things dining out is trying the regions’ cuisine. One restaurant that particularly stands out is Efendi Uyghur Restaurant located along Kingsway (1345 Kingsway, Vancouver, BC V5V 3E3). Uyghurs are a Turkic ethnic group that occupies the Xianjing region in […]

For North American diners, service in Chinese restaurants can often seem like it lacks a personal touch says Matt Reichel, one of the co-founders of Chopstick Fest. Reichel has lived in China for extended periods, calling it is his second home when he’s not in Vancouver. Until recently, he says dining out was largely reserved […]

Fortune cookies first appeared in the late 1980’s at a Japanese tea house in San Francisco. By 1989 these cookies became so popular that they were imported into Hong Kong to be sold as “Genuine American Fortune Cookies” but were considered “too American” and failed to become profitable in China. Up until World War II, […]

Orange Corner is an authentic Taiwanese restaurant in the heart of Kerrisdale. In early September, it was recognized by the Government of Taiwan for its authentic cuisine — one of only two restaurants in Vancouver to receive this designation, and 15 restaurants in North America. Opened in 2004, Orange Corner offers a unique mix of […]

Dining in Chinese restaurants – where I sometimes wish I could speak and understand Mandarin fluently!!! 🙂 Hey, ordering food in Mandarin (or any other language corresponding to the cuisine) can come in handy and is a great skill to have. It helps a lot to know another language but luckily for us we had […]

Have you ever seen memes online of “Asians Taking Pictures of Asians Taking Pictures of Food“? I used to laugh at the sillyness of it all but 2 weeks ago, i was that Asian being pictured taking pictures of food. What happened? I attended my first Social Media Influencer Foodie event. Restaurants invite food bloggers, […]

This chain is one made famous in China, Singapore and other parts of Asia. In Malaysia, I remember this was called ‘steamboat’ but most other parts of the world it’s called ‘hotpot.’ Hotpot essentially is a big bowl of boiling liquid where raw things that need to be cooked are placed inside one at a […]

Chopstick Fest is an event that honours Vancouver’s Chinese history through exploring the culture, history of Chinese cuisine. Chopstick Fest will be happening from October 15 – 30, 2016 with over thirty restaurants that will feature their unique and delicious dishes. I am super honoured to be one of the lifestyle/food bloggers to help promote Chopstick […]

Opened in July 2016, this is the first North American location for this long-established chain — a restaurant empire which originally opened in 1996 and now boasts 400 locations in China. Here, you’ll find hotpot of the Sichuan variety. What distinguishes the hotpot here from other varieties are the presentation (meats are carefully threaded onto […]

I got to learn to cook, I got to learn English, I got to watch the Chinese Chefs and learn from their mastery. Vancouver’s notoriously first-rate culinary offerings are rooted in the diversity of our immigrants, communities, and cultures. One of the many establishments that sustains that diversity is Ken’s. Ken Leung, head chef, and […]