From Old Days to New Town
our incredible edible adventure to New Town Bakery
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New Town Bakery and Restaurant
Not only do they sell baked and steamed goods, but also frozen buns one can take home, and some of Hong Kong's favourite snack foods.
Once past the bakery, we are seated in a large round table and handed menus. The extensive menu features 568 dishes, ranging from Italian pasta to dim sum to the Philippine favourite, halo-halo. There are also special features for breakfast and lunch, in a combo style similar to many Hong Kong restaurants.
The Canucks memorabilia on the wall is a charming touch from the owner's loyalty for her home team. During game days, she says, all the workers wear Canucks jerseys.
I don't typically go out to eat Chinese food, but coming here really made me realize what I've been missing out on! The noodles were deliciously seasoned, and the portions were big enough to share with up to five people. The dim sum and buns were amazing, steamed to perfection and very tasty. My trip to New Town has really sparked an interest for me to go out for Chinese food more often with my friends! -Jamie
Being Korean, I'm not huge on Chinese food so I didn't really know what to expect other than being told it was a bit salty or greasy. But New Town Bakery's Chicken Chow Mein was neither- flavoured just right. The pork bun that I bought was also nothing short of perfect- it made me regret not ordering more, and you can be sure that I raced over to the take-out to order more of them for the road! -Chris
The pineapple bun with butter was definitely one of the best that I have tried. Its smooth centre and crisp top made my taste buds happy. The bor lor bao was undeniably baked to perfection. The tea that comes with the mini-set meal is a hong kong style milk tea. It is creamy with condensed milk, and you can literally taste the authentic Hong Kong background that it is created to portray. Add 2 spoons of sugar, and you're good to go! mmm... -Tammy
I remember the first time I visited Newtown Bakery and Restaurant in 1982. It was the first Hong Kong style restaurant I went to after immigrating to Vancouver, and it definitely reminded me of home. I would say that Newtown is a very successful restaurant chain that makes good food!
Mrs. Kwan's memory is one that interestingly captures much of New Town's entire history, but we went to the owner of the restaurant, Mrs. Suzanna Ng, for the whole story.
| 餐廳的歷史背景： |
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| 1。這家餐廳開放多久了？ 擁有超過30年。我們是第二名業主，我們於1980年接手經營。然而，新城於1975年已開業，所以我想你可以說，近40年了！ 2。為什麼選擇這個特殊的位置？ 正如我上面提到的，我們是第二名業主的餐廳。首次業主決定選擇唐人街，因為他們是菲律賓的中國移民。 3。如何選擇這家餐廳的名字？ 首次業主認為這將是合適的命名的餐廳“新城”，因為他們轉移到一個新的陌生的地方。這是開始一個新的開始，所以他們決定選擇當前的名稱。我們從來沒有想過改變它，因為客戶已經熟悉了這麼久！ 4。你為什麼決定進軍食品業務？ 我丈夫和我曾經在香港食品行業工作，他是一個點心廚師！與以前的業主，我們是很好的朋友，他們退休的時候，我們認為這是一個很好的機會來接手經營餐廳。 5。菜單怎麼來？是否有家庭成員或傳統流傳下來的任何食譜嗎？ 這是一個混合的不同的菜餚。我們有港式菜，菲律賓菜和傳統的中國菜餚。大包子（雞肉豪華），讓我想起了我年輕的時候。買一個包子是一種奢侈，我和家人只能間中買得起它。所以，我決定把它放在菜單上，因為它讓我想起從前快樂的時光。 |
| Historical Background of the Restaurant: |
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| 1. How long has this restaurant been open? Over 30 years. We are the second owners, and we took over the business in 1980. However, Newtown was opened in 1975, so I guess you could say close to 40 years! 2. Why was this particular location chosen? As I mentioned above, we are the second owners of the restaurant. The first owners decided to choose Chinatown because they were Philippine-Chinese immigrants. 3. How was the name for this restaurant chosen? The first owners thought it would be suitable to name the restaurant ‘Newtown’ because they moved to a new and foreign place. It was the start of a new beginning, so they decided to choose the current name. We never thought about changing it because customers have been familiar with it for so long! 4. Why did you decide to venture into the food business? Both my husband and I worked in the food industry back in Hong Kong, he used to be a dimsum chef! We were good friends with the previous owners, and when they retired, we believed it was a good opportunity to take over the restaurant. 5. How did the menu come to be created? Were there any recipes passed down by family members or from tradition? It is a mix of different kinds of dishes. We have Hong Kong style dishes, Philippine dishes, and traditional Chinese dishes. The big bun (chicken deluxe), reminds me of when I was young. Buying a bun was a luxury, and my family could only afford it once in awhile. So I decided to put it on the menu because it reminded me of happy times from the past. |
| 業主的歷史背景： |
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| 6。通常什麼樣的客人來餐館？ 我們擁有三家分店，有不同的客人。我們的主餐廳，這裡是唐人街，我會說，我們的亞洲和西方客人是相等。在烈治文，肯定更多的中國客人。在素里，有更多的菲律賓客人。 7。你是哪裡人？ 我在香港出生和長大的。丈夫和我都是住在香港和工作直至移民到溫哥華。 8。你為什麼選擇移民加拿大的溫哥華？ 我有幾個親戚在這裡。一個更美好的未來的前景吸引了我。我申請學生簽證來到這裡，作為一名學生，並入讀了一年的學校。後來，我幫我的家人申請移，然後開始了我的打工生涯。 9。你還記得餐廳開幕嗎？ 我不在這裡的第一個新鎮隆重開幕。但在搬遷到這個位置，實際上是第三的位置，我們有一個大的慶祝活動。有舞獅和音樂！覺得非常有意義，因為我們投入了大量的時間和精力改造這個當前的位置，我很高興終於看到我們努力工作的結果。 10。你可以告訴我們你的餐廳一個有趣的故事？ 這是一個很難回答的問題，我可能有一段時間去想它。嗯...我認為這是總是聽到客戶談論他們的故事在新城。有很多家庭3代一起來到新城，這不是罕見的！我們能夠成為其中一部分人的傳統，令我很開心。 11。你的餐廳的整個歷史過程中發生的最重要的事件是什麼？ 除了新店開幕，我會說，正在拍攝的溫哥華電影局的紀錄片及被提名CNN作為在世界上最好的唐人街一個必須探訪的地點，是最重要的事件發生在這裡。我們感到非常高興和自豪地參加這些難忘的經驗！ |
| Historical Background of the Owner: |
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| 6. What kinds of customers usually come to the restaurant? It is different for each of the 3 branches that we own. For our main restaurant, here in Chinatown, I would say that an equal amount of Asian and Caucasian customers visit us. In the Richmond branch, there are definitely more Chinese customers. In Surrey, there are more Philippine customers. 7. Where are you from? I born and raised in Hong Kong. Both my husband and I lived and worked there together prior to moving to Vancouver. 8. Why did you choose to immigrate to Vancouver, Canada? I had a few relatives here. The prospects of a better future attracted me. I applied for a student visa and came here as a student and attended school for a year. Afterwards, I helped the rest of my family apply for immigration, and then started my working career. 9. Do you remember the grand opening of the restaurant? I wasn’t here for the first grand opening of Newtown. But after moving to this location, which is actually the third location, we had a big celebration. There were dancing lions and music! It felt very rewarding because we put a lot of time and effort into renovating this current location, and I was very happy to finally see the results of our hard work. 10. Is there an interesting story that you can tell us about your restaurant? I think that it is always interesting to hear customers talk about their stories that they have had at Newtown. It is not rare for a family to have all 3 generations come together! It warms my heart to know that we are able to be a part of someone’s tradition. 11. What is the most important event that occurred during the entire history of your restaurant? Next to our grand opening, I would have to say that being filmed for a Vancouver film board documentary and being nominated by CNN as a must visit site in the world’s best Chinatown, are the most important events that happened here. We feel extremely happy and proud to take part in such rewarding experiences! |
From what we gathered at the archives, 148 East Pender Street, a predominantly Chinese quarter has an extremely long history with many different owners and stores through the years starting from 1928. Ranging from Chop Suey restaurants to a watchmaking shop, the last occupants of 148 East Pender Street managed a grocery store named Fong Lee Grocery from 1952 until 2011. In 1991, Mrs Ng moved her business next door to 158 East Pender Street, before finally settling in 148 East Pender Street in 2011 after deciding to do a restaurant make over.
Though it has undergone some changes here and there, it never strayed far from its identity as one of the foundational businesses in the heart of Chinatown. From the days of Mrs. Kwan in the 1980s, to the present with the restaurant's long queues demanding its iconic pastries, New Town has remained one of the most popular and most renowned restaurants in the area, and for good reason.
148 E. Pender St, Vancouver, BC.
604 681 3713
Open seven days, 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
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