Asian cleaver A big, heavy-set knife with a rectangular blade used in Asian kitchens. Heavier cleavers with longer, wider blades are usually used for chopping and cutting thick meats, while lighter cleavers with thinner blades are used for slicing and cutting vegetables.
Asian spatula A short stainless steel or carbon steel version of a shovel with a round edge designed for stir-frying and tossing large quantities of heavy food.
Bamboo or wood skewers Long, thin bamboo or wooden sticks used for grilling food over direct heat. Soak the sticks in water so that they are thoroughly wet before you use them, to prevent burning. Japanese also use skewers to check the readiness of food while it’s cooking without blemishing it.
Bamboo steamers Round, flat-bottomed woven bamboo containers of different sizes that, when set over a pot or wok of boiling water, allow hot air to stream upward and steam-cook the contents within. The usual sizes range from 4 to 12 inches in diameter, and a matching cover should come as part of the set. Clean the steamers with a mild detergent and a soft cloth, rinse them under warm running water and blot dry with a towel. Air-dry the steamers away from the sun.
Ceramic pot (Clay pot, Sand pot) A round clay or ceramic pot available in a variety of sizes for cooking rice, stews and hot pot entrées. Buy one with two handles for safer, easier handling.
Chinese fondue pot A 10- to 14-inch round steel pot with a divider down the middle that creates two even compartments so that two different soup stocks can be used at the same time. A good fondue pot should have heatproof handles and a flat bottom so that it can sit securely on a portable butane stove set on the table. It comes in a carrying case for convenient storage.
Chinese fondue skimmers Small wire baskets with long handles, used to cook ingredients in a Chinese fondue pot. Each guest at a fondue meal receives a skimmer and a set of chopsticks.
Chopsticks (Hashi) Originally made from branches of even length, chopsticks are now shaped from polished processed wood, plastic or often bamboo, too. In Korea, most chopsticks are made of stainless steel. A pair of chopsticks is still an essential eating implement in much of Asia.
Daikon grater A flat-bottomed bowl-shaped container with a raised surface full of holes used for grating daikon and ginger, this is an essential tool for Japanese cookery, as it grates finely while capturing all the juice. The steel grater looks like a regular cheese grater but has a longer handle. Substitute a box grater set in a bowl, if you don’t have a daikon grater.
Hangiri Used for mixing steamed rice with seasoned vinegar to make sushi rice, this large, round wooden bowl or tub cools and aerates the grains. Varying in size from 15 inches to 28 inches and usually made of cypress wood, the large surface releases steam and cools the rice evenly as you mix. Although the cypress wood imparts a distinct flavour to the rice, you can use a wooden salad bowl as a substitute, if necessary.
Makisu A bamboo mat for making and rolling sushi. Most mats are 10 inches square, but the size does vary. Look for well-lined and securely fastened mats and clean them with mild detergent and a soft cloth under warm running water. Air-dry the mats away from the sun.
Mortar and pestle Instead of a blender or food processor, this is the tool recommended for grinding fresh or dried herbs and spices. Look for hard, solid mortars with a deep-set bowl made of stone or wood. The pestle should be a thick cylinder with round edges and made of the same material as the mortar.
Noodle strainer A large wire, cup-sized strainer with a long wooden heatproof handle to remove cooked noodles from boiling water. The cup helps to measure the quantity of noodles and holds them in place during the boiling process.
Otoshi buta (Drop lid) A flat wooden lid floated directly on simmering liquids in a pot. It is used in Japanese cooking to gently hold delicate foods in place so that they do not lose their original shape and to distribute heat more evenly.
Portable butane stove A tabletop single-burner stove fuelled by disposable butane canisters for Asian hot pot (fondue-style) meals. Both the stove and canister (sold separately) come in a single size and are available at Asian supermarkets and kitchen stores.
Rice cooker A must-have gadget in most Asian households, an electric rice cooker is the easiest way to cook rice of any kind. For cooking rice, buy a simple model instead of a multi-purpose one.
Shamoji A flat wooden, round-headed spoon or paddle designed with soft edges that won’t cut the rice grains and used mostly to fold and serve rice in Japanese and Chinese kitchens.
Sushi or sashimi knife The most important utensil in the sushi chef’s kitchen. A clean and razor-sharp knife is the key to perfect cuts of meat and fish, and chefs are fastidious about maintaining their knives before, during and after cooking by cleaning and wiping the blade with a soft cloth after every few cuts and sharpening the blade on a whetstone every day. Made of stainless steel, a sashimi knife has a long, narrow shield-like blade with a pointed tip and ranges from 1 to 10 inches long. A wooden handle with a good grip allows the chef to cut with precision.
Wok The must-have utensil for Asian cookery, a wok is used for boiling water, making soup, cooking rice, steaming, stir-frying and deep-frying. The original woks were made from iron, then carbon steel, stainless steel or aluminum. Nowadays, even Teflon is used but cast iron or carbon steel best retain their shape and distribute heat evenly. Look for a wok that’s at least 3 inches deep and has a round bottom, which will evenly distribute the heat. Use a wok stand if you have electric elements or a flat stove surface. It should come with a matching lid but, if not, buy one on the spot to ensure it’s the right size and height. A 14-inch wok is the most common size, but 10 inches in diameter or larger is functional for basic stir-frying or pan-frying.
To treat a new carbon steel or stainless steel wok, soak in hot water with a few drops of liquid detergent, then clean and dry it with a sponge. Season it before cooking by setting it on medium heat and rubbing it evenly with a lump of raw pork fat, then wiping it dry with a paper towel. Repeat this seasoning process a few times until the paper towel shows no traces of black residue. Like cast-iron pans, woks should never be washed with soap or harsh detergents.
Wok brush A basic brush is made of thin strips of bamboo or wood gathered in a cluster and wound with twine at one end. A fancier version has a wooden or bamboo handle inset with long bristles. Still used in many Asian restaurant kitchens, it’s used to brush the wok under very hot running water to remove any residue without using detergent.
Wok ring A large, rigid stainless steel or carbon steel circle used to stabilize the wok on flat surfaces. It can be placed on a countertop or over a stovetop burner.
Wok steamer A wire ring or perforated stainless steel rack that can be placed inside a wok to hold a bamboo steamer or food for steaming.
Asian Way Supermarket
2800 East 1st Avenue, Vancouver.
604-251-3006
Banana Grove Market and Deli
2705 East 22nd Avenue, Vancouver.
604-435-0646
Dong Thanh Supermarket
1172 Kingsway, Vancouver.
604-873-8534
East West Market
4169 Main Street, Vancouver.
604-873-8082
Grand Value Asian Market
20–8251 Westminster Highway, Richmond.
604-273-9877
Grand Western Asian Market
4096 Oxford Street, Burnaby.
604-298-9515
Granville Island Public Market
1689 Johnston Street, Vancouver.
604-666-5784
Osaka Supermarket
3700 No. 3 Road, Richmond.
604-276-8808
2200 Park Royal South, West Vancouver. 778-279-8988
South China Seas Trading Co.
125–1689 Johnston Street, Vancouver.
604-681-5402
1502 Victoria Drive, Vancouver.
604-254-5403
T&T Supermarket
179 Keefer Place, Vancouver.
604-899-8836
100–2800 East 1st Avenue, Vancouver.
604-254-9668
1000–8181 Cambie Road, Richmond.
604-279-1818
15277 100th Avenue, Surrey.
604-930-2388
2740–2929 Barnet Highway, Coquitlam.
604-945-3818
10153 King George Boulevard, Surrey.
604-580-3168
147–4800 Kingsway, Burnaby.
604-436-4881
Chinatown Supermarket
239 Keefer Street, Vancouver.
604-685-3583
Cho Farm Market
4151 Hazelbridge Way, Richmond.
604-233-1968
Chong Lee Market
3308 East 22nd Avenue, Vancouver.
604-432-6880
6399 Victoria Drive, Vancouver.
604-323-8133
1772 Renfrew Street, Vancouver.
604-677-0026
Good Neighbour Crystal Mall Supermarket
4500 Kingsway, Burnaby.
604-438-7216
Great One Supermarket
8131 Park Road, Richmond.
604-279-8928
Hing Shing Market
1757 Kingsway Vancouver.
604-873-4938
Joyce 99 Market
3369 Kingsway, Vancouver.
604-438-1195
Lian Hua Grocery Store
4500 Kingsway, Burnaby.
604-568-3360
New Hong Kong Supermarket
1178–3779 Sexsmith Road, Richmond.
604-231-0810
Oriental Food Mart
1292 Kingsway, Vancouver.
604-873-3727
South Burnaby Market
7890 6th Street, Burnaby.
604-516-8666
Star Asian Food Centre
2053 West 41st Avenue, Vancouver.
604-263-2892
Sunrise Markets
300 Powell Street, Vancouver.
604-685-8019
Super 8
4500 Kingsway, Burnaby.
604-433-1777
Tin Cheung Market
6414 Victoria Drive, Vancouver.
604-322-9237
Two Thousand Supermarket
1418–8388 Capstan Way, Richmond.
604-232-1318
Wah Shang Supermarket
8108 Park Road, Richmond.
604-278-8309
234–2800 East 1st Avenue, Vancouver.
604-251-2799
Western Rice Mills
6231 Westminster Highway, Richmond.
604-284-5162
71 Food Store
8710 Granville Street, Vancouver.
604-263-6018
Aling Mary’s
8085 Park Road, Richmond.
604-231-1918
2656 Main Street, Vancouver.
604-873-6005
13979 104th Avenue, Surrey.
604-930-6059
Aling Pining
4245 Fraser Street, Vancouver.
604-873-0519
Bayanihan Pinoy Food Mart
12153 Harris Road, Pitt Meadows.
604-465-0048
Fiesta Filipino Grocery
222 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver.
604-983-9111
114 West 15th Avenue, North Vancouver.
604-983-0301
Jeepney Mart
C-1071 Austin Avenue, Coquitlam.
604-936-2745
3229 Kingsway, Vancouver.
604-431-0247
Kababayan Grocery Store
106 East 3rd Street, North Vancouver.
604-983-0277
Kay Market
5169 Joyce Street, Vancouver.
604-454-9097
Ken Koy Filipino Food
13551 105A Avenue, Surrey.
604-588-4538
Nipa Hut
10059 136A Street, Surrey.
604-957-2842
Pinoy Dragon Mart
919 12th Street, New Westminster.
604-525-3377
Pinoy Q Mart
6526 Victoria Drive, Vancouver.
604-325-1001
Tatak Pinoy
5032 Joyce Street, Vancouver.
604-568-1009
Tindahan Grocery
120–5960 Minoru Boulevard, Richmond.
604-304-0469
All India Foods
6517 Main Street, Vancouver.
604-324-2195
Fruiticana
6387 Fraser Street, Vancouver.
604-321-9931
4101 No. 5 Road, Richmond.
604-244-9520
15933 Fraser Highway, Surrey.
604-593-5163
12788 76A Avenue, Surrey.
604-597-1676
12047 80th Avenue, Surrey.
604-591-5032
18438 64th Avenue, Cloverdale. 778-597-0999
13787 72nd Avenue, Surrey.
604-590-2080
13639 100th Avenue, Surrey.
604-585-6100
2807 Shaughnessy Street, Port Coquitlam.
604-464-0822
31205 MacLure Road, Abbotsford.
604-504-5877
13174 64th Street, Surrey.
604-598-9220
7028 120th Street Surrey.
604-590-8864
12855 96th Street, Surrey.
604-588-6620
JB Foods
6607 Main Street, Vancouver.
604-321-0224
Patel’s Specialty and Bulk Food Store
2210 Commercial Drive, Vancouver.
604-255-6729
Polo Market
6475 Fraser Street, Vancouver.
604-321-7117
Punjabi Food Centre
6635 Main Street, Vancouver.
604-322-5502
Sidhu’s Supermarket
7565 6th Street, Burnaby.
604-540-6032
Spicy Land
9336 120 Street, Surrey.
604-951-0566
Datong Japanese Food Store
4500 Kingsway, Burnaby.
604-436-0499
Fujiya Foods
912 Clark Drive, Vancouver.
604-251-3711
113–3086 St. Edwards Drive, Richmond.
604-270-3715
112–1050 West Pender Street, Vancouver.
604-608-1050
624 Shelbourne Street, Victoria. 250-598-3711
Izumi-Ya Japanese Market Place
7971 Alderbridge Way, Richmond.
604-303-1171
Konbiniya Japanese Centre
1238 Robson Street, Vancouver.
604-682-3634
Minato Food Market
3900 Steveston Highway, Richmond.
604-271-7732
Han Nam Supermarket
4501 North Road, Burnaby.
604-420-8856
1–15357 104th Avenue, Surrey.
604-580-3433
H-Mart (Han Ah Reum Mart)
590 Robson Street, Vancouver.
604-609-4567
329 North Road, Coquitlam.
604-939-0135
19555 Fraser Highway, Surrey.
604-539-1377
Hyundai Oriental Food Market
3488 Kingsway, Vancouver.
604-874-1651
Kim’s Mart
519 West Broadway, Vancouver.
604-872-8885
88 Supermarket
4801 Victoria Drive, Vancouver.
604-876-2128
Binh Duong Grocery Store
717 East Broadway, Vancouver.
604-873-4845
Can Tho Market
3345 Fraser Street, Vancouver.
604-876-4551
Hen Long Market
14357 104th Avenue, Surrey.
604-585-8588
My Tho Supermarket
1106 Kingsway, Vancouver.
604-879-2718
Sieu Thi Wong Xin Market
747 Gore Avenue, Vancouver.
604-688-8235
Thuan Phat Supermarket
377 East Broadway, Vancouver.
604-873-8587
Viet Hoa Market
724 Kingsway, Vancouver.
604-876-6350
Western Oriental Market
101–1050 Kingsway, Vancouver.
604-876-4711
Wing Sang Meat and Vegetable Market
3755 Main Street, Vancouver.
604-879-6866
Galloway’s Specialty Foods
110–8620 Glenlyon Parkway, Burnaby.
604-430-6363
7860 Alderbridge Way, Richmond.
604-270-6363
Alvin Garden
4850 Imperial Street, Burnaby.
604-437-0828
Always Seafood Restaurant
4298 Main Street, Vancouver.
604-876-6110
Ashiana Tandoori
1440 Kingsway, Vancouver.
604-874-5060
200–8072 120 Street, Surrey.
604-593-5458
Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie
163 Keefer Street, Vancouver.
604-688-0876
Blue Water Cafe + Raw Bar
1095 Hamilton Street, Vancouver.
604-688-8078
Bon Café
4909 Main Street, Vancouver.
604-325-1199
Buk Jang Do Ga Korean Cuisine
19539 Fraser Highway, Surrey. 778-278-0788
Cactus Club Cafe
1136 Robson Street, Vancouver.
604-687-3278
588 Burrard Street, Vancouver.
604-682-0933
1530 West Broadway, Vancouver.
604-733-0434
575 West Broadway, Vancouver.
604-714-6000
357 Davie Street, Vancouver.
604-685-8070
7320 Market Crossing, Burnaby.
604-430-5000
4219B Lougheed Highway, Burnaby.
604-291-6606
4653 Kingsway, Burnaby.
604-431-8448
111–101 Schoolhouse Street, Coquitlam.
604-777-0440
855 Main Street, West Vancouver.
604-922-1707
900 Main Street, West Vancouver.
604-922-8882
1598 Pemberton Avenue, North Vancouver.
604-986-5776
5500 No. 3 Road, Richmond.
604-244-9969
15079 32nd Avenue, Surrey.
604-535-8799
Café D’Lite
3144 West Broadway, Vancouver.
604-733-8882
Café Kathmandu
2779 Commercial Drive, Vancouver.
604-879-9909
Celadon Fine Korean Cuisine
300–4293 Mountain Square, Whistler.
604-905-4188
Charm Modern Thai
1269 Hamilton Street, Vancouver.
604-688-9339
Chinese Bistro
4274 Mountain Square, Whistler.
604-962-0328
Chutney Villa
147 East Broadway, Vancouver.
604-872-2228
Coast Plaza Hotel and Suites
1763 Comox Street, Vancouver.
604-688-7711
Cru Restaurant
1459 West Broadway, Vancouver.
604-677-4111
Curry 2 U
281–1689 Johnston Street, Granville Island Public Market, Vancouver.
604-662-7778
Delicious Cuisine
7911 Alderbridge Way, Richmond.
604-207-1388
Dessert Dynasty
149–4800 Kingsway, Metropolis @ Metrotown, Burnaby.
604-438-8608
Dirty Apron Cooking School
540 Beatty Street, Vancouver.
604-879-8588
Edible Canada at the Market
www.ediblecanada.com/bistro.php
1596 Johnston Street, Granville Island Public Market, Vancouver.
604-682-6681
Evergreen Vegetarian House
1155–4540 No. 3 Road, Richmond.
604-879-3380
Fiesta Filipino Restaurant
222 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver.
604-983-9111
Hapa Izakaya
1479 Robson Street, Vancouver.
604-689-4272
1516 Yew Street, Vancouver.
604-738-4272
1193 Hamilton Street, Vancouver.
604-681-4272
Hon’s Wun-Tun House
268 Keefer Street, Vancouver.
604-688-0871
1339 Robson Street, Vancouver.
604-685-0871
310–3025 Lougheed Highway, Coquitlam.
604-468-0871
408–6th Street, New Westminster.
604-520-6661
iCafé Restaurant
2525 Heather Street, Vancouver.
604-630-0238
Jade Dynasty Restaurant
137 East Pender Street, Vancouver.
604-683-8816
James Snacks
4540 No. 3 Road, Richmond.
604-716-1328
Ken’s Chinese Restaurant
1097 Kingsway, Vancouver.
604-873-6338
Kirin Restaurant
1172 Alberni Street, Vancouver.
604-682-8833
201 City Square, 555 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver.
604-879-8038
200 Three West Centre, 7900 Westminster Highway, Richmond.
604-303-8833
2001 Henderson Place, 1163 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam.
604-944-8833
350 Gifford Street, New Westminster.
604-528-8833
Lin Chinese Cuisine and Tea House
1537 West Broadway, Vancouver.
604-733-9696
Long’s Noodle House
4853 Main Street, Vancouver.
604-879-7879
Maenam
1938 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver.
604-730-5579
Master Hung BBQ Restaurant
8780 Blundell Road, Richmond.
604-272-3813
New Asia Deli
1113–3779 Sexsmith Road, Richmond.
604-279-4288
Northern Delicacy
2788–4151 Hazelbridge Way, Aberdeen Centre, Richmond.
604-233-7050
Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts
1505 West 2nd Avenue, Vancouver.
604-734-4488
Pan Pacific Hotel Vancouver
300–999 Canada Place, Vancouver.
604-662-8111
SalaThai Thai Restaurant
102–888 Burrard Street, Vancouver.
604-683-7999
Shaktea
3702 Main Street, Vancouver.
604-873-5151
ShuRaku Sake Bar and Bistro
833 Granville Street, Vancouver.
604-687-6622
Spice Islands Indonesian Restaurant
www.spiceislandsindonesian.com
3592 West 41st Avenue, Vancouver.
604-266-7355
Spring Garden Chinese Seafood Restaurant
832 12th Street, New Westminster.
604-525-6000
Sun Fresh Bakery
245 Keefer Street, Vancouver.
604-688-3868
Sun Sui Wah Seafood Restaurant
3888 Main Street, Vancouver.
604-872-8822
102–4940 No. 3 Road, Richmond.
604-273-8208
Tamarind Hill Malaysian Cuisine
103–628 6th Avenue, New Westminster.
604-526-3000
1440 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver.
604-990-0111
Terracotta Modern Chinese
52 Alexander Street, Vancouver.
604-569-3088
Thai House
www.thaihouse.com/thai-house-restaurant
1116 Robson Street, Vancouver.
604-683-3383
1766 West 7th Avenue, Vancouver.
604-737-0088
116 West Esplanade, North Vancouver.
604-987-9911
129–4940 No. 3 Road, Richmond.
604-278-7373
Thai in the Village
300–4293 Mountain Square, Whistler.
604-935-8828
Tina Fineza Service Excellence Restaurant Consultants
tinafineza@hotmail.com
Vancouver.
604-551-7755
Tojo’s
1133 West Broadway, Vancouver.
604-872-8050
Tropika
1128 Robson Street, Vancouver.
604-737-6002
2975 Cambie Street, Vancouver.
604-879-6002
1830–4151 Hazelbridge Way, Aberdeen Centre, Richmond.
604-233-7002
West Restaurant
2881 Granville Street, Vancouver.
604-738-8938
Westview Oriental Restaurant
108–2609 Westview Drive, North Vancouver.
604-987-7799
Wild Rice
117 West Pender Street, Vancouver.
604-642-2882
Zephyr Tea House Café
100A–7911 Alderbridge Way, Richmond.
604-270-2588
Zest Japanese Cuisine
2775 West 16th Avenue, Vancouver.
604-731-9378