餐室補鞋修單車 華埠內外覓遺珠 Chinatown and beyond- City Hidden Gems (二)

圖/文: 劉耀國 Stephen Low

在歷史長河中，加拿大是個年輕的國家；温哥華是個年輕的城市，因此百年機構、企業及商店自然是難能可貴，例如聖保羅醫院成立於125年前，中華會館成立於113年前等。

私人生意方面,子乘父業多數只能傳一兩代，數十年如一日的都俱有對本行濃厚興趣兼一份堅持，默默無聞卻是自得其樂。一但被人發現就稱為滄海違珠。

上次介紹了三個行業及人物（http://van.zsssaa.com/?p=67673)

今次介紹了十多個，大部分是餐室。非餐飲的補鞋、修單車亦使人大開眼界。

In comparison, Vancouver is a young city; by comparison, we have more hidden treasures then we think, take small businesses for instance. Last time we looked at 3 of them (http://van.zsssaa.com/?p=67673). Today we share with you

10 of them and then some. Some were handed down from generation to generation; some just opened recently, all with people who are happy and dedicated on what they are doing. To us, they are gems, hidden or not!

We will start from Vancouver’s Chinatown: Opening under new management. 玉龍軒易手後重開, 点心出奇地好食. 很多西人光臨惠顧.

lovely décor. 裝飾清雅.

Most popular subjects in Chinese paintings 梅蘭竹菊四君子, 書法繪畫同欣賞.

Spring is in the air! 無意苦爭春，一任群芳妒.

Chinatown BBQ restaurant. Back to the good old days. 華埠燒腊餐館復古式裝修.

BBQ duck, chicken and porks. 燒鸭,豉油雞,义燒,火 肉色香味俱全.

The 4 seasons. 四季圖.畫框名貴, 餐枱燈古色古香.

Washroom 洗手間風格一轉, 變為西方復古式.

Classic painting. 古典油畫及牆紙

Ovaltine Cafe, One of the oldest cafe/restaurant in the world, is located near Chinatown. From 1942 until now, it had witnessed both prosperity and decay of the area. In some ways, hasn’t changed much, from its neon sign to the classic diner interior. In fact, the aesthetic is so striking that the cafe has been featured in a variety of film and TV productions, including the X-Files, Supernatural and I, Robot. 歷史老店, 原始風味. 由霓虹燈到餐室佈置，77年來似乎都沒有變动. 很多电視电影製作曾在此拍攝

Grace Chen and daughter Rachel are the present owners(since2014), They maintain good relationship with the customers including the homeless, police, lawyers and artists (some 200 in the area). Notice the “have a cup, give a cup of coffee” little Post-it notes. 現任東主 Grace Chen 陳琪來自北京, 對基層人士同情、諒解 , 價錢大眾化. 圖見一些愛心小貼紙, 是熱心人士喝一杯送一杯(咖啡), 送給有需要者享用.

325 Carrall Street -Wing’s Cafe no more! 1889 Heritage building to be restored with 7- storey addition. 華人經營數十年的咖啡店関閉將改装為七層大厦(受保護文物).

Old timer corner grocery store in Gas Town. 煤氣鎮古老士多.

Movie crew at Gastown and Chinatown. 附近常有拍电影活動.

They were at Carrall Street today. 卡路街到中山公園多組攝影队分头工作.

They always use their own lighting Day or night. 不分日夜, 永遠用灯光而少用自然光.

Shoe Repair shop at Chinatown Plaza. 華埠補鞋匠 Michal 比想像中年輕有型, 但店內机器彷彿穿越至百年前的欧洲. 钨絲燈泡光芒耀眼, 真有時光倒流的感覺. 黃校友自告奮勇送他一紙修鞋匠中國書法, 可惜至今未能裝框裱好掛出.

Michal 家庭來至波蘭, 長大于 Squamish. 不愛電子商務却喜歡鞋子. 子承父業. 數年前找到一批古老机器, 華埠廣場剛好有鋪位出租, 胆粗粗在華埠開業, 其他商戶亦表歡迎且提供協助

Michal and Nicole. Dedicated and happy on the job. 米高与助手黃小姐. 年輕人融入百年古典風景中. 樂業敬業精神化作神采飛揚, 顧客也為他們高興。

Full of century 0ld machineries. Some from 1969 and 1970 or older (one instruction booklet were printed in 1949). 黃小姐及各种造鞋補鞋机器. 有心人士半賣半送, 般運費比机器本身更昂貴. 好在功能仍佳, 皆大歡喜.

Industrial Pfaff Porsche machine made in Germany. 德國百福時捷工業机.与勝家名噪一時.重型工業机物有所值.

Constructions have begun in front of the huge mural, one of the Chinatown attractions. 唐人街著名巨型壁畫前建新厦.

New building had covered up the original mural.They were kind enough to put up a replica high above. 新厦掩蓋了老子璧画, 建築商在外牆高處畫上原作一般的壁畫 (程樹人作品), 聊勝於無.

Bakery store at the Vancouver community College – bakery made by students of the Baking & Hospitality. VCC工業学院提供过百科目. 「整餅亅只是其中之一. 学生習作出品在此出售.

Very reasonable priced! Open for the public and from $1.75 to $3.75 a tray. 学生实習產品超級便宜并好食.

A-1 Cycle bicycle shop on Main Street. Old style bike shop thrives amidst slick, modern competitors. They fix everything, build wheels from scratch for fixed-gear “track” bikes, and share advice when other bike shop technicians call with a difficult problem. 基本單車行.大半个世紀如一日.

A-1 Cycle on Vancouver’s Main St. is packed floor to ceiling. Bicycles balance precariously one on top of another like circus acrobats, tires on handlebars and saddles, leaving narrow, barely negotiable spaces for walking. Mr. John Quon 關先生默默經营大半生, 与幾代顧客關係如朋友. 曾接受十多次傳媒訪問. 最近一次是CTV 的 Mike McCardell 第二次專訪.如故友重逢,談笑風生.

“We get 20 to 25 bikes in every day,” Quon said of the repair side of his business. A-1 sells 300 to 400 bikes a year. “We’re not fooling around.” 87岁的關先生永不言休. Jeff take notice: Any problem about bicycle or bicycle parts- go ask A-1 Cycle.

Also on Main Street, Helen’s Grill have a long history. Established 1961, The building and inside decors brings back good old memories. 緬街海倫咖啡店餐室.古典風味舒適明亮.

A comfortable and friendly place. 很想試試他們的猪扒,但今天只來拍照及去單車行訪問. 未能坐下來點唱一首60年代流行金曲.

A jukebox is a partially automated music-playing device, usually a coin-operated machine, that will play a patron’s selection from self-contained media. Jukebox was very popular in the 50s and 60s. 五,六十年代青年人最喜歡的點唱机.自選一曲只需五仙(現在是25仙)

After the 60s, portable radio and cassette players (Walkman etc.) were the new thing. the jukebox had became a thing of the past. But now you can come here and “play it again, Sam!) 點唱机因随身聽流行而式微. 如果想重温過去情趣, 來此再坐一回吧.

Killarney Community Senior’s Centre Senior lunch program started January. 2019.(the new Senior wing opened last year). Here is the new chef Julie So: 「I earned my Commercial Cooks’ & bakers’ certification at Pacific Vocational institute in 1988. Since then, I have worked for local restaurants, caterers & cafes. I also owned & operated a mobile coffee truck for 18 years. I currently spend my Fridays producing roast beef & Yorkshire pudding dinners for the crowd at the Billy Bishop Legion in Kitsilano. my other passion is cycling. In the summer of 2015 I bicycled across Canada with my teenage son」. 嘉蘭尼社區中心新夏今年每週三天提供長者午餐. 首席厨師蘇朱麗及比利笑容可掬.

Julie also said 蘇小姐又說: 「I can’t remember a time When I wasn’t passionate about cooking & baking, using food to express my creativity. I love preparing food for others & providing the pleasure that a good meal can offer」. With a attitude like that, we are looking forward for many good things to come 如此思維，我們可以預期這個長者午餐計劃不會令人失望 All stainless steel professional kitchen. 全不銹鋼廚房.

All these for $6 0r less. 價格合理, 份量充足.

Fish and roasted beef are most popular dishes. 魚柳及焗牛肉最受歡迎.

Beef Stew with red wine & star anise, rice & vegetables. Looks good, tast good. 雜菜燜牛肉.

New building Grand Hall. capacity 120 plus. 新厦大廳可容百多人共進午餐. 頗受歡迎. 美中不足是排队太久, 如果誏大家先入座. 然後分批輪侯就更佳.

Full house most of the time. An instant success! There is room for improvements, the Seniors were saying why not let people sit down first then call the ticket numbers to get their foods in small groups? 座無虛席,十分成功.

Return to Chinatown回到唐人街. Chinatown’s Ken’s Kitchen. it is not a Chinese fast food, it’s instant food! 權記價錢便宜食物佳,且份量十足.

Newtown Bakery is not hidden but a gem never the less. 新城餅家這棵明珠無需尋尋覓覓因為久已聞名遐邇.

Susanna Ng ,New Town Bakery close the restaurant for a day, it had to be something big — as big as a movie starring comedian Ali Wong. A scene from the hit Netflix movie Always Be My Maybe was filmed at the restaurant.(official picture) 美國电影”可能還愛你”的喜劇愛情故事發生在三藩市, 却在温哥華拍攝. 上圖在新城餅家華裔喜劇女星黃阿麗演技收放自如.( 官方網照)