Chinatown’s annual block party, “Light Up Chinatown!” Is back for its 5th year. Hosted by the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation, it is centred around food, as the festival celebrates culture, and community.
It is running on Saturday, August 16, from 11:00 am – 9:00 pm, and Sunday, August 17, from 11:00 am – 6:00 pm and will host exclusive food collaborations from popular local vendors.
Today we were getting a sneak peek of what to expect 9 days earlier, sampling the street food dishes that will be made available from local favourites like DD Mau, Golden Smell Mee, and Chinatown BBQ; all in a curated Hawker’s Lane setup.
We convened at Chinatown’s Storytelling Centre for a quick presentation from show runners before witnessing a food demo by Holy Duck Chilli Oil and Ember BBQ.
Holy Duck has brought together their line of chilli crunch with Ember’s vacuum sealed pork products, for meats you can enjoy any time and at home, to make this nostalgic noodle bowl.
They are calling their travelling food cart concept “Bowl Cut Noodles”, playing off the shared experience we all had as children, rocking a bowl cut hair style that our parents bestowed upon us.
Each customer receives a check list menu that they can use to customize their bowls, choosing type of noodle (which they cleverly call “fringe”), saucy toppings, and meaty toppings seasoned with Holy Duck’s collection of sauces and their own homemade MSG.
Today we had the “Hong Kong classic” “doll noodles”, which we know as instant style ramen noodles. This was blended with the spot prawn saucy layer using their Spot Prawn Chill Oil wok-fried with minced pork.
Then topping it flame torched Typhoon Shelter Garlic Pork Belly. This crispy garlic and buttery belly meat is an ode to HK’s typhoon shelter culsine. The result was a delicious bowl of noodles that is levels more tastier and more unami driven than anything I have ever made at home or have had when I was younger.
This was followed by the exclusive Light Up Chinatown! collaboration between long term partners Chinatown BBQ and Beaucoup Bakery, making yet another meat stuffed pastry that you would line up for.
This is their Golden Rooster Croissant. Beaucoup Bakery’s flaky scallion butter croissant filled with tender soy-marinated chicken from Chinatown BBQ, fragrant ginger-scallion sauce and their signature sweet soy BBQ glaze. This was as tasty as it was striking in presentation with red ribbons of colour a sprinkling of both black and white sesame seeds, and the glamour of edible gold leaf. It was best warm where the centre of the pastry was soft and chewy, soaking up the fragrant and sweet flavour of the sauces and paralleling the tender pieces of dark meat chicken; all wrapped in a crispy outer shell.
This is one of the three limited edition food collaboration releases that will be available on the weekend, within the corresponding shop/restaurant. The other is a White Rabbit Mochi Nest by Daan Gao Bake Shop available at Foo Hung Curios and Juke Fried Chicken and Say Hey Cafe teamed up of a Spicy Fried Chicken Hoagie, made available at the former.
From here we left the Storytelling Centre and walked a few stores down to the newer Golden Smell Mee, a Chinese cafe from the same owners of local beef jerky purveyors BKH Jerky. They are bringing both concepts together within Chinatown, with plans for a jerky window where you can witness meat being dried.
I would later learn that the owner, Scott Lim and his restauranteur family are from Brunei (where I am too) and that many of their recipes and noodles are authentic to our country of origin. I will have to visit them one day to try their “mouse dropping noodles”.
However, today we would try what they would be offering for sale at Light Up Chinatown! Hawkers Lane. This was a tasting platter with a skewer of satay chicken and two sheets of roti and curry for dip. During the actual market you can also order their curry puffs and spring rolls.
Today, these batch made platters were not a true tell of their cuisine and I would definitely like to return fit the real experience. I found the satay hard and dry in tough chunks, so relied heavily on the chunky, sweet, and savoury peanut butter dip to add interest.
I preferred the roti. Incredibly crispy folded sheets, a little on the oily side, but enjoyable with the curry dip. I just would have liked the curry sweeter for my preference, as that is what I grew up with.
We ended this with their soon to be iconic pandan soft serve ice cream, available all year round as the perfect lighter and sweet end to any meal. The colour was striking and the flavour fragrant. I would come back just for a cone to go.
Our last stop of this sneak peek tour was across the street at DD Mau. We sat down for some seasonal refreshing Vietnamese food and drinks that will be available the weekend of the 16th and 17th.
Today we had the non-alcoholic version of their butterfly pea flower and lychee spritz. The boozy version with vodka will be available at their bar, with late night happy hour pricing.
The group loved the Pho Cuon Rice Rolls, which is rice sheet with satay beef and fresh herbs, sitting in a tangy fish sauce pool, topped with fragrant, crisp onion. All together the two bite rolls were tangy, sweet, savoury, and refreshing. Served chilled, I found this a great street snack to keep cool and full with.
And thus ended our tour.
The following information is as per the press release.
Presented by RBC, this festival wraps up the summer in Chinatown, recognizing small businesse with live music, prizes, celebrity chefs, artists, and plenty of street food.
Set up on the 500 block of Columbia, the street will be transformed into a lively hub of culture, food, and entertainment, with locals and visitors alike exploring and celebrating this iconic neighbourhood.
This year, the festival brings an even more exciting lineup of experiences celebrating the chefs and restaurants around Chinatown. Attendees can indulge in mouthwatering dishes and food collaborations with the return of Hawkers Lane food stalls on the festival grounds. New vendors include Torafuku, Street Hawker, Potluck Hawker, Golden Smell Mee, and a collaboration with Holy Duck Chili and Ember HK BBQ. Also returning will be DD Mau and a collaboration between William Lew and Mama in the Kitchen. Festival-goers can also enjoy onsite treats from Lee’s Donuts, Hype Chocolate, and the Light Up Chinatown! Bar and Slushie Station, alongside exclusive neighbourhood food collaborations, like the Golden Rooster croissant from Chinatown BBQ and Beaucoup Bakery and Kam Wai’s special Light Up Chinatown! Bao.”
There will also be live music and performances from a lineup of performances by up-and-coming artists. “Vancouver talents like Marie Hui, DJ May Q, and The Phonix Band will light up the stage with electric contemporary sets that are not to miss.
New this year, Light Up Chinatown!: After Glowfeatures a new Saturday evening experience with an R&B performance by FARA, a DJ set, happy hour festivities, and an official after party at Fortune Sound Club. Beyond the music, the event also celebrates tradition with Chinese opera, folk music, and dance performances. Families can enjoy the dedicated Kids Zone, featuring interactive stations like our selfie station, craftmaking, face painting, plus prize giveaways.”
You can also pick up a passport to win prizes.
The return of the Passport Program will encourage visitors to explore the neighbourhood and collect stamps from local small businesses, which will be offering special discounts during Light Up Chinatown!, highlighting all that Chinatown has to offer. Participants have a chance to win prizes, including a selection of concert and pro sport event tickets, experiences from Grouse Mountain to Science World plus gift certificates and apparel from brands including Arcteryx, Lululemon and Patagonia.
Beat the Heat with Cool Events Inside the Chinatown Storytelling Centre
The festival will also introduce unique programming inside the Chinatown Storytelling Centre, including a watercolour workshop on Chinatown’s neon signs led by artist Donna Seto, and a remarkable HK Milk Tea “pulling” demonstration by Master Chef Canada winner Christopher Siu. For those seeking hands-on creativity, craft stations in the Chinatown Storytelling Centre will be open both days for colouring and button-making activities.
To learn more about Light Up Chinatown!, visit lightupchinatown.ca.
