SCREEN | 'Spring After Spring' Parades Around Chinatown x VAFF 2025

"She wanted to see us thrive."

Vancouver Asian Film Festival

Chinese-Peruvian-Canadian local filmmaker Jon Chiang, making his feature debut, directs Spring After Spring, a Vancouver Chinatown-based documentary following three remarkable dancer sisters, Anabel, Val, and Lisa Ho. They reunite to lead the annual Lunar New Year Parade after the death of their mother, dedicated community leader and dance teacher Madame Maria Mimie Ho.

SCREEN | 'It Takes A Village: An East Van Story' Gives Back x VAFF 2024

"Community is survival."

Vancouver Asian Film Festival

Vancouver native and first-time feature filmmaker Christopher Cho tells a tale of community in his Ugandan immigrant love letter to the neighbourhoods of East Vancouver. It Takes A Village: An East Van Story dives into the Mubanda family's move to Canada after escaping the violent Ugandan civil war under the brutal dictatorship of President Idi Amin.

SCREEN | 'Big Fight in Little Chinatown' Finds Trouble x DOXA 2023

"Chinatown is a nesting place of living heritage."

DOXA Documentary Film Festival

Montreal-based filmmaker Karen Cho documents the battle for the soul of various fading Chinatowns across major North American cities—including Vancouver's. Big Fight in Little Chinatown tackles the disappearances of these historical neighbourhoods amidst the fervent anti-Asian racism that accelerated during the global pandemic.

KAFFE | Snacks and Plants x The Garden Strathcona x East Van

Strathcona—East Hastings' The Garden Strathcona has been open for a couple of years now, operating as its own little concrete oasis full of plants (lots of them and many for sale) and snacks across the street from Les Amis de Fromage in its changing East Van neighbourhood.

KAFFE | New in Town x Harken Coffee x Japantown Café x Railtown

Railtown—Formerly operating as a pop-up known as Aubade Coffee inside the Chinatown antique store Space Lab, the new Harken Coffee shop takes its cues from the surrounding Japantown heritage neighbourhood on Powell Street.

SCENE | For Rent – 'House and Home' x Firehall Arts Centre

Andrew Wheeler and Jillian Fargey / Photo credit | Matt Reznek

Railtown—Playwright Jenn Griffin's new stage play House and Home, loosely inspired by her own experiences as a homeowner, explicitly addresses our much-obsessed-about Vancouver housing crisis from the very heightened perspectives of its struggling characters. Running now after premiering at the Firehall Arts Centre in East Vancouver, the twisted comedy directed by Artistic Producer Donna Spencer bravely ventures into the troubled waters of affordability and livability from all sides.

KAFFE | Coffee Italian Style x Caffe Di Beppe x Gastown

caffè mocha

Gastown—Caffe Di Beppe, the front-facing coffee shop portion of the two-hander space of Di Beppe, has quickly become a charming little cafe destination after replacing the short-lived Joe Pizza location from the same proprietors behind St. Lawrence and Ask for Luigi, Kitchen Table Restaurants.

FEAST | Québécois Cuisine x St. Lawrence Restaurant x Railtown

Railtown—After being named one of Canada's best new restaurants by various outlets, including enRoute Magazine, last year, I recently finally got around to dining at the much-ballyhooed, award-winning St. Lawrence Restaurant to sample some of their fine French-Canadian cuisine from Chef J.C. Poirier and the team behind Ask for Luigi for myself.

KAFFE | Iktsuarpok Coffee Stand x Downtown Eastside

Downtown Eastside—The tiny, shiny, and new Iktsuarpok Coffee Stand utilizes its compact but bustling 183-square-foot to-go space and location to serve some precisely brewed coffee.

GRUB | By the Slice x Joe Pizza x Gastown

Gastown—From chef/owner J.C. Poirier and the Kitchen Table Restaurants team most recently behind the award-winning Ask for Luigi Italian restaurant (also Pourhouse and Pizzeria Farina), the newly opened Joe Pizza aims to be West Cordova's no-nonsense (and very hipster friendly) by the slice neighbourhood pizzeria. So far, it mostly lives up to that hype, especially with its gorgeously lit corner space in the old Rainier Provisions location.

FEAST | Greasy Spoon Diner Vol. 13 x Chef Jesse Grasso

Gastown—(March 21, 2016) This time around, Chef Jesse Grasso from Supermarine was behind the kitchen serving as the latest local cook chosen to feed diners some of his comfort food favourites for Volume 13 of the monthly Greasy Spoon Diner Supper Series also celebrating its first anniversary of dinners at Save On Meats.

FEAST | Greasy Spoon Diner Vol. 12 x Chef Josh Gale

Gastown—(February 29, 2016) Chef Josh Gale from Wildebeest (previously, the recently shuttered Nicli's Next Door) and TV's MasterChef Canada cooked up a few of his favourite comfort food dishes for Volume 12 of the Greasy Spoon Diner Supper Series last week.

FEAST | Fall Menu x PiDGiN x Gastown

Gastown—PiDGiN restaurant and Executive Chef Shin Suzuki launched their new fall menu last week and celebrated with an intimate seven-course pairing dinner featuring seasonal dishes each matched with a special cocktail, sake, or fine wine from bar manager Nelson Navasero and wine consultant Neil Ingram.

GRUB | Lunch and Pasta x Ask for Luigi x Railtown

Railtown—I'm definitely late to the party, but I finally got around to dining at the much buzzed about and award-winning Ask for Luigi ristorante. It already has a high reputation for a relatively new eatery with long lines and spectacular reviews. I snuck in for an early lunch to avoid the crowds.

SOUND | Best Coast x 'California Nights' x Imperial

Chinatown—(June 3, 2015) California indie rock duo, Bethany Costenino and Bobb Bruno, better known as Best Coast came to town for a vibrant yet chill set at Imperial lounge to kick off their tour supporting their latest album, California Nights.

FEAST | Chef and Tasting x PiDGiN x Gastown

Gastown—(April 29, 2015) The acclaimed, award-winning, and previously controversial PiDGiN restaurant last month welcomed new Executive Chef Shin Suzuki into the fold. Last week, over a social dining and tasting experience, they showcased their freshly revamped and refined menu full of East meets West flavours.

From Pasta to Lunch x Nicli's Next Door x Gastown

Lunch menu and pasta tasting at Nicli's Next Door in Gastown on March 26, 2015.



Now open for lunch service, Chef Josh Gale has made a basic prix fixe lunch menu of salad and pasta available for easy dining at Nicli's Next Door (conveniently next door to sister restaurant, Nicli Antica Pizzeria). The evolving menu is focused on authentic, rustic Italian flavours using fresh and seasonal ingredients with freshly made, in-house pastas.

From Pasta to Kitchen x Nicli's Next Door x Gastown

Pasta making and tasting inside Nicli's Next Door's kitchen in Gastown on December 8, 2014.



Nicli Antica Pizzeria's aptly named sister restaurant next door has quietly built up its reputation as a kitschy yet sophisticated ristorante in its own right. Nicli's Next Door is a stylish and authentic Italian eatery with a cool, casual vibe, drowned under the stark yellow lights, while the kitchen focuses on small bites (think Italian tapas), meats/cheeses, and array of pastas.

From Lobster to Duck x Railtown Catering & Cafe x Winter Menu

Railtown Catering's winter menu launch party at Railtown Cafe in Railtown on November 18, 2014.



Railtown Catering & Cafe introduced their winter menu by way of a cocktail party before the holiday season. Dishes included comforting takes on fancy ingredients like duck and lobster. Cocktails like the canary (with Chamomile infused vodka, Aperol, Alvear fino sherry, lemon, green cardamon syrup, and sparkling wine, above) were served as guests mingled while sampling hors d'oeuvres and entrées.

Postmark Brewing x Settlement Building x Railtown

Beerfest at Postmark Brewing's grand opening in The Settlement Building in Railtown on June 17, 2014.



The team behind Vancouver Urban Winery, FreshTap (wine on tap), Roaring Twenties Wine Co., and the newly opened Belgard Kitchen have launched their long in the works in-house brewery, bringing the same passion and zeal for wine to craft beer at 55 Dunlevy Street with Postmark Brewing.