If food lovers in the Lower Mainland know Burnaby Heights, it is probably because of Anton's, a pasta restaurant at 4260 Hastings Street renowned for its giant portions and long lineups. However, there is much more culinary fare to the Hastings shopping street. In the 4000-, 4100-, and 4200-blocks of Hastings alone, there are 39 restaurants and grocery outlets, 41 if you count each of the three storefronts in the Coiffi's Meat Market and Deli empire.
A Hidden Gem for Food Enthusiasts
"The Heights is a hidden gem, has been for years," said David Wiebe, standing in the 4100-block on a sunny Tuesday. "The locals all know it, people grew up around here certainly know what it's about. There's always been great restaurants and a lot of little niche food places to hit."
Cathy Aikenhead knew there were many Greek and Italian restaurants in Burnaby Heights when she moved there from east Vancouver eight years ago. But she and her husband Ian were pleasantly surprised by the wide variety of restaurants available.
"We have a huge Asian community here, which really surprised us when we moved here," she said. "The little sushi bar Kilala (4789 Hastings Street) is run by a lovely family. And we have that Mexican restaurant Sabrosito (4421 Hastings Street), which used to be Don Oso's. I love the quesadillas there, and the tacos. I think it's $3.75 for a taco. I mean, you can't beat that."
"Then there are all the pho, Vietnamese and ramen places (such as Quan Chen at 4280 Hastings Street). There's a Thai place (Siam Le Biem Thai, 4217 Hastings Street), and there's Sopra Sotto (4022 Hastings Street), the pizzeria."
Diverse Cuisine Reflects the Neighbourhood
The diversity of the restaurants reflects the neighbourhood's multicultural character. "We're very close to Confederation Park," said Aikenhead. "On a nice day, there are so many families (there), you can hear 10 to 15 different languages in 10 minutes. It's just a fantastic destination for picnics, and has sport fields and everything else there."
Lena Truong speaks four languages: English, Lao, Cantonese, and Mandarin. Her family's small restaurant, Triple Coconut Tree (4126 Hastings Street), has been selling a delicious mix of Vietnamese and Lao cuisine, reflecting their ethnic background: her father is Vietnamese, her mother is from Laos. But they recently transitioned to a Laotian menu, rebranding as Bi Chai.
"In Lao, it means happiness," she explains. "Because food makes people happy."
Asked what the difference is between Lao and Vietnamese cuisine, Truong said: "They have a lot of similarities, but they also have a lot of dishes that just stand out on their own. Lao food is a little bit closer to Thai food, but not quite. Lao food focuses more on sour and savoury and a lot of herbs, and a lot of natural spices."
