Ive been happy to see establishments such as , , The Dunlevy Cafe, Electric Owl, The Everything Cafe, , , Cafe Brixton land on the edges of Chinatown. Im all for seeing that diversity increase....
And so I welcome , a new Southeast Asian effort at 219 Union (off Main, next to the Jimi Hendrix shrine) from the folks that gave us The Cascade and Habit several blocks to the south. Chef Lisa Henderson has picked up close from where she left off at the restaurant she used to own in Tofino (the long-defunct, Thai-flavoured Rainforest Cafe), serving an assortment of Thai standards alongside Indian, Vietnamese, Indonesian and Malaysian shareables.
Its a much more social restaurant than what we usually see in Chinatown, and one of the better looking ones, with clean lines, atmospheric lighting (love the huge, low-hanging green lamps), and the lyrics to Hendrixs Crosstown Traffic emblazoned around the kitchen window. The seating is mostly communal (think connected picnic tables in rows), and the bar isnt some after-thought that is seldom sat at because it only serves Molson Canadian, mystery wine and pop from a soda gun. On the contrary, its up there with The Keefer and Bao Bei in terms of inventive options, as is its level of expertise and customer engagement.
What to order? The menu is short and sweet. Start with some shrimp toast, which is simply two pieces of warm bread spread with a duly intense paste of sesame and shrimp. Its an ugly dish, and a bit of overreaching silliness at $6, but it enlivens the palate nonetheless, letting the diner know that although The Union is far from fancy, its not going to short-change anyone on the flavour front. The same can be said of the pork and beef satays, which are juicy, tender and saddled with rice and interesting dips (soy coriander and peanut, respectively). All basic, but very good. The Pad Thai is a must. Its tangle of rice noodles deliciously stained with tamarind and its perfectly cooked prawns bearing the Ocean Wise seal may have been small in portion size for $14, but Id go so far as to say that only West 4ths award-winning Maenam does a better one. The Nasi Goreng stir fry was also spot on; its chicken, shrimp and egg flecks licked mildly with even spice.
If I were to pick a favourite, it would be the chicken wings, which are tossed in a heady Nam Jim dressing before kissing the pan. The spice pulsates gently, allowing for the full flavour effect. Are they better than the almost famous, super salty, deep fried wings at Phnom Penh? Tough call, but they pair beautifully with the Banga #3 cocktail from former Cascade barman Arthur Wynne (a mason jar of crushed ice, bourbon, mirin, fresh mint, calamansi, orange peel and ginger beer). Im looking forward to tackling the rest of the menu, especially the Bahn Mi sandwiches and the hot and sour soup.
Some within (and without) my community might be wary of The Union as more evidence of the neighbourhoods creeping gentrification. I suppose the g word gets floated around because The Union is different in character from the rest of the neighbourhood. Its modern, not at all squalid, and it stands to bring in people from other areas (as if thats some new sort of devilry). I dont see the threat, really, nor do I mind paying a small premium for such an improvement (these being the dynamics of deliciousness, not gentrification). Chinatown may be vulnerable to development, but any move away from its culinary insularity should be seen as a net positive for it and its surrounds.
219 Union St. | 604-568-3230 |
