Grief as Vancouver’s most beloved Hong Kong cafe closes. But can the spirit of Goldstone Bakery be saved?
- Over 34 years Goldstone Bakery was a pillar of Chinatown, a movie set, and the scene of a notorious triad killing
- A historian says the outpouring of sadness over the iconic restaurant’s closure should be harnessed to retain the location as a community and economic hub
On social media they mourn, for baked pork chops on rice, pineapple buns and egg tarts.
Goldstone Bakery and Restaurant, Vancouver’s most beloved Hong Kong-style cha chaan teng cafe, has closed, prompting an outpouring of grief over the loss of its retro menu and a vital community space in Chinatown.
Goldstone was a regular weekend dinner spot for the family of affordability activist Justin Fung in the 1980s. “I still remember the sizzle of the black pepper steak served on the hot plate,” he wrote on Twitter. “They’d have you hold a napkin up over your shirt while they poured on the gravy so you wouldn’t make a mess of your clothes. Ugh I miss it.”
News last week that the iconic restaurant had put its fittings and lease up for sale, ending its 34-year tenure on Keefer Street, had left his students “in tears” said University of British Columbia history professor Henry Yu.
Its closure is a new blow to a neighbourhood that has been under siege from forces of gentrification, declining trade among long-term Chinese businesses and now Covid-19 – the last straw for Goldstone, said property agent Raymond Cheung.
The owners hope the buyer will take over the remaining three years on the lease or negotiate a new one with the building’s owner, said Cheung.
