As it continues to battle the aggravated challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Vancouver’s Chinatown is experiencing something of a restaurant renaissance, with a burgeoning summer terrace scene, a diverse selection of restaurants, and a soon-to-be-reopened explosion from the past.
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“Chinatown has this whole amazing history of being an entertainment hub in the city,” Aaron Chapman, local historian and author of Vancouver After Dark: The Wild History of a City’s Nightlife, told Global News.
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Chinatown in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, circa 1960. (Photo by Archive Photos / Getty Images).
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In the 1960s and 70s, the neighborhood was a neon strip of restaurants and nightlife.
“There were places where you could not only eat but see a show,” said Chapman.
Black and white photo of four “China Dolls”, the regular dancers in the Marco Polo Restaurant in Chinatown.
Tom Carter Collection / Vancouver Archives
“The Marco Polo is perhaps the best of the bunch. It opened in 1964 and that was the place where you could get entry for US $ 20 and see some acts like Nina Simone, Richard Pryor or Sly and the Family Stone. “
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A musical group that performed on the Marco Polo stage in the 1960s.
Tom Carter Collection / Vancouver Archives
The focal point of the entertainment center on Pender Street was the iconic Ho Ho Restaurant.
“It’s pretty legendary,” said Carol Lee, chairman of the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation.
“It was one of those restaurants that many people who grew up in Vancouver will remember.”
The famous Ho Ho restaurant that anchors the neon strip of Chinatown.
Vancouver City Archives
Opened in 1954 on Pender Street, Columbia, Ho Ho was known for its bright neon signs depicting a bowl of noodles and chopsticks – and its home-style Cantonese cuisine.
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“The people who came to work on the railroad were trying to recreate some of the food they ate in their home country,” Lee told Global News.
The famous neon bowl of noodles and chopsticks on the former Ho Ho sign in Chinatown.
Dominion Films / City of Vancouver Archives
After serving as one of Chinatown’s original restaurants for more than four decades, the Ho Ho sign was removed in June 1997.
Foo’s Ho Ho Restaurant, which Lee said had operated a block west, then moved to 100-102 East Pender Street and continued to serve traditional fare for more than a decade.
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In 2015, Lee bought the business and has since rented the ground floor space with plans to reopen the famous eatery, known for community gatherings such as weddings, banquets and birthday parties.
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“Those memories are anchored in the Ho Ho and I think it will be a great way to bring people back to Chinatown.”
Lee, an entrepreneur and full-time volunteer, opened the Chinatown BBQ Restaurant in 2017, believing restaurants are part of the recipe to keep culture and vibrancy.
The Chinatown BBQ Restaurant opened on the 100 block of East Pender Street in 2017.
Chinatown BBQ
“Chinatown has always been a place for the wider community to eat, see the sights and sounds, and the food,” said Jordan Eng, president of the Vancouver Chinatown Business Improvement Association.
The 100 block of Keefer Street is becoming a terrace dining destination, according to Eng, who said Chinatown has 60 restaurants, cafes, bars, and eateries spread across six square blocks.
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The historic district is also home to some of the city’s best restaurants, including Bao Bei and Kissa Tanto.
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“We have the best donuts in town, we have some of the best coffees in town, and we have some of the best bars in town,” said Eng.
And next year comes the revival of the original Ho Ho restaurant.
“Bringing something like this back is a huge undertaking,” said Lee.
The 1911 building at 100-102 East Pender Street that previously housed the Ho Ho Restaurant – July 28, 2021.
Global news
The centuries-old building in which the former restaurant is located is currently under construction. His shop window front is currently covered with graffiti.
Still, Lee is eager to unleash his past success and install a new shield to make the Ho Ho glow again in the New Year.
“Hopefully it’ll be enough of a draw to bring them back,” Lee told Global News.
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The Ho Ho neon sign illuminated the Chinatown strip in the 1960s and 70s.
Vancouver City Archives
“Vancouver is a neon city,” said Chapman.
“It will be great to see that bowl of chopsticks sticking out again.”
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