Over a couple of visits I have experienced this newly opened café in the Crosstown neighbourhood; this beautiful cafe offers nostalgic and gluten-free Hong Kong-inspired food and drink.

Founded by siblings Eric, Sarena, and Jamie Siu, the cafe space occupies the first floor of a 1904 home, which belonged to their grandparents since the early 1950’s. Eric designed the cafe’s unique Mid-Century and vintage Vancouver Chinatown style, taking inspiration from traditional Cantonese aesthetics from his grandparents’ upstairs apartment.

The front entrance is adorned with plants bathed in natural morning sunlight from a wall of windows. A few pieces of furniture and artifacts have been preserved from the house, such as a redwood cabinet with intricate reliefs, tables made from recycled wood from the building, and several framed Cantonese craft pieces displayed near the entrance. The tiled cocktail bar wall is styled with the Siu family’s generational memories and tributes to Chinatown, featuring traditional Chinese pottery from the 1960s, and large apothecary jars filled with dried red dates and tea leaves.

Everything that I have tried thus far is a must try including their Black sesame caramel cookie, Pineapple coconut cookie, HK Milk tea brownie, HK Yuen Yeung mochi brownie, the Char Siu bbq pork puff on the food side of things, as well as the Iced yuen yeung drink (a mix of coffee and tea) and a Flat white.

Even the bathroom has quite the history, ask about it.

Saan Saan Café and Restaurant is located at 227 Main Street in Vancouver. You can follow the café on Instagram @saansaancafe 

By: Richard Wolak