Reviving Gain Wah: A beloved Chinatown diner reimagined as a community food hub

Honouring the legacy of Gain Wah in Vancouver’s Chinatown

“We really wanted to honour that legacy of having affordable Chinese food in Chinatown,” says Julia. “[Gain Wah] was one of the spots where you would go and get a cheap bowl of noodles late in the night.”

The cozy diner, which Julia describes as having a strong working-class history, was home to many regulars since it opened in the 80s, serving up warm, inexpensive comfort food late into the night.

For decades, the Gain Wah restaurant sold food that many local residents could afford.

During the first years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the restaurant collaborated on a voucher program to serve people who needed immediate support to get food, including some folks living in the Keefer Rooms SRO (affordable “single room occupancy” units) above the restaurant. And Julia says the owner had an informal “tab” system. He didn’t mind if someone couldn’t fully settle up.

A community vision for affordable food, affordable housing, and belonging

Julia is the Intercultural Research & Development Coordinator of the Downtown Eastside SRO Collaborative Society, SRO-C for short, a member of Right To Food’s Good Food Organization program. This national network brings together over 450 organizations offering impactful community food programs and engaging in civic action on food insecurity and poverty.

After a 2022 building fire at the Gain Wah Restaurant, owner Andrew Leung decided to retire and agreed that the Gain Wah Steering Committee could take over the restaurant’s operations.

Located on the same block as the Gain Wah restaurant, the SRO-C ran different programs with the tenants who lived above the restaurant, and were well connected to its previous owner.

As for the building itself, which was home to many people living in SROs: “Thankfully, the province, BC Housing, bought the building in 2023 and saved it from some unknown future,” explains Julia.

It is important to Julia and the team at the SRO-C that the Gain Wah restaurant and building remain an affordable and lively community space. “We’re really grateful that this building has been bought and saved. However, we’re still hoping for community control.” The building will be operated by the Downtown Eastside Community Land Trust, with the hope for a pathway to ownership in the future.

What’s next for Gain Wah?

Planning and construction of the new Gain Wah space has begun and the Gain Wah Steering Committee has been dreaming of future programs like karaoke nights and mahjong tournaments.

When Gain Wah reopens, Julia hopes to see it thrive as a multigenerational space that honours Chinatown communities. Julia imagines young people hanging out on the weekends, and older people like their maternal grandmother, who lives in the neighbourhood, enjoying each other’s company and celebrating cultural holidays.

Julia talks fondly about a block party they help run each year next to the Gain Wah restaurant, on the anniversary of the fire. In future, they envision throwing an even bigger event, with local small businesses, musicians, dancers, artists, and the new Gain Wah regulars coming together and joining in on the fun. We look forward to celebrating with them.

Thank you to photographers Joshua Berson, Mark Ng Shun, and Gudrun Wai-Gunnarsson.