Nearly seven years after it was gutted by fire, an iconic restaurant has reopened in Vancouver’s Chinatown – bringing new life to the historic neighbourhood.
The Daisy Garden Kitchen at 142 East Pender Street started welcoming patrons back on Mach 3 in what its new owner calls a “soft opening.”
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“They’ve been waiting a long time for the reopening,” said Susanna Ng.
Ng, who also owns the Newtown Bakery next door, said her employees will work together and get used to the new equipment during these first few weeks.
In April 2015, the building which housed the former Daisy Garden Restaurant was destroyed by fire.
The eatery first opened in 1979 and had been run by the same family for years. Ng said one of the original owners recently retired.
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“It took us seven years to rebuild it and to get to this stage,” Ng told Global News.
“Because of the pandemic and lots of reasons you know, we were not able to find an operator so I ended up [running] it myself.”
Longtime customers, including Chinese Restaurant Awards judge Lee Man, are thrilled to see Daisy Garden return.
“This place is like, an absolute icon,” Man told Global News.
“This restaurant used to be an absolute cornerstone of the Chinatown community.”
The eatery’s extensive renovation and relaunch is a sign of the community’s resilience and Ng hopes it will help bring people back to Chinatown.
“It’s really nice to see them open again,” added Man.
“They’ve spent a lot of money – just a little bit of life in Chinatown again.”
The Daisy Garden, which is known for its wonton soup, curry dishes and barbecued duck, plans to have a grand opening later this month.
© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
