Asian Fusion at the Heart of Chinatown

I recently had a tasting at Sai Woo located on 158 East Pender St and I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the large variety of flavourful Chinese fusion dishes. This store has a lot of history behind it being that it used to be called Sai Woo as well when it first opened as a Chinese restaurant back in the day. I found it really meaningful that they kept the original name and continued to build on its history but also put a unique twist to it through their Asian fusion dishes.

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Their KFC (Korean fried chicken) is pictured above!

This is their Confit Duck Lo Mein Noodles.

Their Chongqing Style Sticky Pork Ribs is pictured above. According to Kenny @hangryhippovancouver, these were one of his favourites from the night.

As most of you know, I am vegetarian so I didn't personally taste too many dishes! However, I really enjoyed their fried cauliflower + tofu dish because I am a huge cauliflower fan. It was slightly spicy and their dishes were definitely very rich in flavour. I also tried their korean pancakes which came with four slices of pancakes + kimchi and korean bbq pork shoulder + a ponzu dipping sauce. I only ate the pancakes with the kimchi and I did find the pancakes to be a bit on the dry side since the pancake itself didn't have stuffing inside and the kimchi or pork was meant to be put on as a topping. They actually do have a lot of other vegetarian options that I didn't get to check out yet but once I do, I'll definitely keep you guys updated!

Another unique dish that stood out was their Chinese Paella (the half cut off dish at the very top of the above photo)! It's one of their best sellers filled with prawns, cod, Chinese sausage, xo coconut broth, and jasmine rice. I am probably being a horrible blogger right now because again, I didn't taste this but it was apparently really good according to @hangryhippovancouver.

We also tried their desserts! The one in the picture above was a lemony icecream bar and we also tried another one called the chocolate torque which was a chocolatey bar with raspberry sauce. I actually enjoyed the chocolate one more and it was surprisingly not sweet or too heavy which I really liked. The lemon one above is definitely a summer treat that is refreshing but I did find it more icy in texture kind of like a popsicle.

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Another thing that stood out to me was their atmosphere! They have a really nice modern aesthetic vibe especially at night with the lights. The area is also very open and casual. They also have a basement area (pictured in the right above) which is currently still reserved for private bookings and open Saturday nights if I am remembering correctly.

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All in all, I did enjoy my tasting experience at Sai Woo! I like the history that was behind this store and as a foodie, I have always enjoyed listening to the stories that each owner has to tell because it no longer becomes just about the food, but also about culture. It was also super inspiring listening to the chefs tell their stories of their creations! I think now that Chinatown is becoming more developed and more unique stores like these are popping up, it would perhaps lessen the stigma that has been previously attached. I truly love exploring the different aspects of Vancouver culture and I think Chinatown itself has so much rich history and so many stories that make it amazing and should be embraced more! In terms of the food, I definitely would like to try their other vegetarian dishes. Personally, I think their prices may air a bit on the pricy side for the portions but I guess that the ambiance is also part of the whole experience and that was really nice. I don't think I can give a justified rating yet until I've tried more of their dishes but I would recommend it for anybody who is looking for a casual Asian fusion restaurant with a nice atmosphere and flavourful dishes!