Our Catering Favourites
As an Asian-led and -serving organization, food has always meant a great deal to us, but portraying the importance of having culturally affirming food at our gatherings hasn’t always been so easy to describe. Food is a form of care—from the way we provide it, to the kind of food we provide, to its place as a social lubricant and reason to come together—food is political and we have always known it.
We know that providing food at our events can help support the health and access of our guests, which is why we have and always will have a plate warmed and waiting for anybody who shows up. It’s also no mistake that the common greeting in so many of our cultures is to ask, “have you eaten yet?”. Making sure we have food at our events acknowledges our shared humanity, that we are people before all else: not just attendees, survey participants, or data points, and most of all, that we all deserve care and nourishment. We can’t assume to know where people are coming from, and whether their life patterns have allowed them an opportunity to eat before coming. But there’s an assurance and a security to knowing that there will be food at our events to sustain our bodies—it’s a process of foregrounding intentionality.
Equally as important is the kind of food that we provide. Serving culturally affirming food, as people from various Asian diasporas, can be a meaningful part of our events. So often, the food that is seen as the ‘norm’ at events is assumed to be white food, which in many ways, is a reproduction of white settler thinking and white supremacy. Why is a Costco sandwich platter bought instead of a tray of banh mi? Why is one of these considered ‘normal’ and the other is ‘ethnic’ (read: other)? On a micro level, our attendees get to see themselves reflected in the food that they are served. On a macro level, where we spend our money matters. We love supporting mom & pop food providers, and there’s something extra special about sending them an e-transfer or paying them in cash instead of ordering through a third party food delivery portal. When we pick up the food and chat with the staff, sometimes, they throw in a few extra things. And that feels like a family member tucking a few extra snacks in your bag just in case you get hungry on the road.
That extra bit of care, the feeling that someone is thinking about you, is something else that food can provide. Dietary restrictions are often navigated with a tolerance, so instead of feeling cared for, one can feel left out or neglected. Having dietary accommodations that are not just ‘the regular thing, with your dietary restrictions subtracted’, but an actually good option is so important. No one wants to eat a sandwich that’s just lettuce and tomatoes, because they are vegan. Adding to our previous point on culturally affirming food, some of the best vegetarian options can be found in our traditional foods—Chinese Buddha’s feast, Vietnamese mock meats, Indian daal, chana, and paneer—the list goes on.
Food can also act as a social lubricant, bringing people together, facilitating conversation. What might have been a stark roundtable discussion can transform after making a plate and coming together. It can ease the process of warming up to each other over food. Of course, it can also be the impetus for many of us to maintain sometimes tenuous relationships with people in our lives. At gatherings where one can often feel like an outsider, food is a connection point. Through shared family recipes and cultural food practices, food is something that we have in common when there is little else. It can be the canvas to build trust and vulnerability, which fosters the type of deeper intimacy necessary in community building work.
The list of our catering favourites that we’ve collated below is an outcome of more than a decade of programming events for the Asian diaspora. We give the following disclaimers/context:
Location
Our office, for the past decade, has been located in Chinatown and the Downtown Eastside. We favour ordering from restaurants that are walking distance from the venues we use for events, that can be shuttled to via our office wagon. We do occasionally stray further from our neighbourhoods, but they’re usually still in East Vancouver.
Price
We’re a non-profit organization, and have to spend our money wisely! We usually cap our fully catered events at a $25/head max price point, but there’s lots of options here that offer more snack-y options, as well as cheaper per head dinners.
Cuisine
We work with, serve, and are an organization made up of Asian diasporic people. As such, a lot of the food that we order reflects the food we grew up with and still crave today.
Ordering Out vs. Eating In
What we order to cater our events is different from what we would order if we were to eat in at the restaurant! For example, we love soupy noodle dishes, but they tend not to pack well and are difficult to share amongst larger groups. Therefore, our catering orders tend to be finger food friendly, easy to eat from a plate on a lap with one utensil, and packable for leftovers.
Categories
Restaurant Name
Cuisine
Price: $ / $$ / $$$ - cost per head
Location: Neighbourhood | Address
How to order
Vegetarian options: Y/N → would a vegetarian person actually enjoy eating this food or will it be sad slop?
Vegan options: Y/N → would a vegan person actually enjoy eating this food or will it be sad slop?
Dietary restriction accommodations: Gluten-Free/Lactose-Free/Shellfish/ALL
Portion size: Smaller than usual/Regular/Larger than usual
Favourite dishes
Listed alphabetically
Bai Bua Thai
Hastings-Sunrise | 1-2443 E Hastings St, Vancouver
Cuisine: Thai
Price: $$ - about $25/head based on our dinner orders
Location: Hastings-Sunrise | 1-2443 E Hastings St, Vancouver, BC V5K 1Y8
How to order: Phone (778) 379-9699 with your requirements, and they’ll liaise with you to refine your order, then arrange pick-up. Note that car parking can be difficult to find in this area, but that there is ample space on the sidewalk for bike pickup and many frequent buses nearby.
Vegetarian options: Y. Most vegetarian options are tofu based here. Note that they may default to using fish based sauces and that you’ll need to clarify (based on how strict you are) to use vegetarian sauces as well.
Vegan options: Y-ish. Some limited vegan options.
Dietary restriction accommodations: ALL—but be extra aware of disclosing shellfish or peanut allergies, as they are ingredients used frequently in Thai cooking. Please also note that due to this being a Thai restaurant, their food is spicy! They offer a scale of spice, ranging from mild to hot, so choose this at your own discretion!
Portion size: Regular
Favourite dishes:
Crispy Wonton
Som Tum (Papaya Salad)
Kaprao Fried Rice (Pork)
Pineapple Fried Rice (Chicken)
Prig Pao Seafood
Pad Thai (Prawns)
Green Curry (Tofu)
DD Mau
Chinatown | 145 E Pender St, Vancouver
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Price: $$ - about $20/head based on our dinner orders
Location: Chinatown | 145 E Pender St, Vancouver, BC V6A 1T6
How to order: Email info@ddmau.ca with your requirements, and they’ll liaise with you to refine your order, then arrange pick-up or delivery. We usually call them on the phone ((604) 559-6076) in advance to give them a heads up that we’ll be putting in a larger order, especially if you’re ordering within a couple of days from when you need the food.
Dietary restriction accommodations: ALL—they’re really flexible and experienced with meeting any and all dietary needs.
Vegetarian options: Y
Vegan options: Y
Portion size: Regular
Favourite dishes:
Mixed Banh Mi Tray (lemongrass chicken, beef, bbq pork kimchi, tofu)
½ Spring Roll and ½ Salad Roll Tray
Spring roll trays from their catering menu can be made a mix of pork and veggie on request
Himalaya Restaurant
Punjabi Market | 6587 Main St, Vancouver
Cuisine: Indian, Punjabi
Price: $ - about $10/head based on our lunch orders
Location: Punjabi Market | 6587 Main St, Vancouver, BC V5X 3H1
How to order: Order in person, via phone, or through their online portal!
Vegetarian options: Y. A plethora of incredible vegetarian dishes awaits you here.
Vegan options: Y. Most of the vegetarian options can be made vegan, and lots of their dishes are vegan already.
Dietary restriction accommodations: ALL
Portion size: Regular
Favourite dishes:
Vegetable Samosas (Vegan)
Chole bhature (Vegetarian)
Masala chai (Vegetarian)
IG: @himalaya_restaurantltd | https://order.online/store/himalaya-restaurant-main-st-98603
Kam Wai Dim Sum
Chinatown | 249 E Pender St, Vancouver
Cuisine: Chinese, Dim Sum
Price: $ - about $13/head based on our dinner orders
Location: Chinatown | 249 E Pender St, Vancouver, BC V6A 1T8
How to order: Order via their online catering platform at least 48 hours in advance. Catering can be ordered in large trays or individual to-go boxes, but we’ve found that the large trays keep a bit better.
Vegetarian options: Y-ish. Standard dim sum party trays tend to lean a bit more meat-heavy, with some pescatarian-friendly options, but this is largely the case with dim sum in general.
Vegan options: Y-ish. They have a dedicated vegan party tray, though the selection is a bit more limited.
Dietary restriction accommodations: ALL
Portion size: Regular
Favourite dishes:
Mushroom dumplings (Vegan)
Basa & Spinach Beancurd Roll
Black Sesame Bun (Vegan)
IG: @kamwaidimsum | https://kamwaidimsum.ca/
Kulinarya Filipino Restaurant
Commercial Drive | 1134 Commercial Dr, Vancouver
Cuisine: Filipino (“pinoy recipes, local ingredients”)
Price: $$ - about $18/head based on our dinner orders
Location: Commercial Drive | 1134 Commercial Dr, Vancouver, BC V5L 3X2
How to order: Phone (604) 255-4155, and they’ll help refine your order, then arrange pickup or delivery.
Vegetarian options: Y—many vegetarian options!
Vegan options: Y—one of the few restaurants that is known and loved by both vegans and omnivores alike! They have a separate vegan menu.
Dietary restriction accommodations: ALL
Portion size: Larger than usual
Favourite dishes:
Adobo (Vegan or Chicken)
Sizzling Sisig (Tofu or Pork)
Ginataang Kalabasa (Vegan or Original)
Bihon (Vegan or Original)
Manpuku Bento
Chinatown | 288 E Pender St, Vancouver
Cuisine: Japanese, bento
Price: $$ - about $17/head based on our dinner orders
Location: Chinatown | 288 E Pender St, Vancouver, BC V6A 1T7
How to order: For bigger catering orders we typically phone in ((604) 687-0849) ahead of time to coordinate. Food can be ordered in individual bentos for smaller groups or in large catering trays for finger food. Sometimes we’ll let them know our budget and dietary accommodations, and they’ll suggest a platter to meet our needs.
Vegetarian options: Y-ish. They have a limited number of vegetarian-friendly options, but the selection opens up more for pescetarians.
Vegan options: Y-ish. Though they do have ‘options’, we don’t have much luck with these as standalone meals for vegans. They recently added some vegetarian sushi items to their menu, but we have not tried them yet!
Dietary restriction accommodations: GF/LF/Shellfish/ALL. Their menu clearly delineates protein type and whether or not they contain shellfish.
Portion size: Regular. Bentos can also be ordered ‘small’ (less rice) to reduce food waste.
Favourite dishes:
Mixed fry platter (Karaage, Aji fry, Ebi fry, Veggie spring rolls, Tofu nuggets, Edamame, tartar-sauce, tonkatsu sauce)
Saba-misoni bento
Mix fry bento
Sun Fresh Bakery
Chinatown | 245 Keefer St, Vancouver
Cuisine: Chinese, Home-style and Cantonese-style bakery
Price: $ - about $5/head based on our lunch orders
Location: Chinatown | 245 Keefer St, Vancouver, BC V6A 1X5 – note: sometimes they close earlier than the stated hours on Google
How to order: Smaller orders can be made in-person, but if you go later in the day there are certain items that might be sold out. If you are making a large order, it’s best to call ahead! Note: rice rolls are steamed fresh, and so you may have to wait up to 15 minutes for your order to be made.
Vegetarian options: Y! Lots of options with mushrooms, tofu, and vegetables available.
Vegan options: Y! They have some of the better steamed veg buns in the neighbourhood available!
Dietary restriction accommodations: ALL
Portion size: Larger than usual
Favourite dishes:
#28 Bola bola 大包 (Pork)
#7 pork rice roll
#30 Mixed vegetable bun & #33 Mixed vegetable wheat bun (Vegan)
IG: @sunfreshbakery
Tamam: Fine Palestinian Cuisine
Hastings-Sunrise | 2616 E Hastings St, Vancouver
Cuisine: Palestinian
Price: $$ - about $17/head based on our dinner orders
Location: Hastings-Sunrise | 2616 E Hastings St, Vancouver, BC V5K 1Z3
How to order: We usually email (info@tamam.ca) and coordinate needs with the owner at least a week ahead of time, but you can also call them (604)-620-7078) and they will help you!
Vegetarian options: Y. So many vegetarian options, which are made to be vegetarian from the jump.
Vegan options: Y. Almost all of our favourite dishes there are vegan.
Dietary restriction accommodations: ALL
Portion size: Larger than usual
Favourite dishes:
Muttabal (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
Mujaddara (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
Falafel (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
Hummus (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
Kibbeh
Tatos Kitchen
Chinatown | 232 Keefer St, Vancouver
Cuisine: Chinese, Chinese Canadian, Cantonese
Price: $ - about $13/head based on our dinner orders
Location: Chinatown | 232 Keefer St, Vancouver, BC V6A 1X5
How to order: Catering can be ordered in-person in individual to-go containers or in large trays. It’s best to order at least 48 hours in advance for large catering orders.
Vegetarian options: Y. A good number of vegetarian options, as most dishes can be made vegetarian by request. If you are strict about broths and sauces, request a vegetable broth or sauce as well, as most sauce bases are usually either chicken-based otherwise. If you do not eat eggs, make sure you disclaim this too, as eggs are often used as a binder in many dishes, including fried rice!
Vegan options: Y. A good number of vegan options. Make sure to ask for no oyster sauce!
Dietary restriction accommodations: ALL, but make sure they write this down when taking your order!
Portion size: Larger than usual
Favourite dishes:
Fried Tofu with Eggplant (Vegetarian)
Singapore-style Fried Vermicelli (can be made Vegetarian or Vegan)
Beef and Broccoli
Honey Garlic Chicken
Egg Tofu with Mushrooms (Vegetarian)
Braised Five Spice Beef with Radish
IG: @tatos.kitchen | https://tatos-kitchen.com/
Special Mentions
We love going to lots of restaurants that we don’t often order catering from, and the following list names some of the places we frequently book for hosting staff parties, events, and celebrations.
