If you live in a city for long enough, you start to notice curious places. Movie theaters that appear permanently closed, with no evidence of staff or customers, that still change their movie posters every six months. Or the gallery-like stillness of the now papered-over Lido Grocery Store near Broadway and Fraser.

Are you curious about the silent buildings you pass each day? Wondering about that odd gathering of people you see every Wednesday night? Piqued by the things around you that you just cannot explain?

Send your queries to inexplicable@toothanddagger.ca. Our staff will use our combined local knowledge, a trainee reference librarian, and the power of the press to answer your questions about Vancouver’s inexplicable places, habits and happenings.

Dear Inexplicable,

A few times I have noticed small groups of well-dressed people standing around Sun Sui Wah restaurant at Main and 23rd. These people are predominantly Asian and they’re always dressed to the nines in little sparkly dresses and dark suits, even though the neighborhood is hardly a glamor hotspot. Aside from Sun Sui Wah, this intersection features a tool rental shop, the Legion, and a vacant lot filled with weeds. What gives? What secret glamorous happenings are going down in my shabby-chic neighborhood?

– Threadbare on Main Street

Salutations Threadbare,

Before answering, I’ll just clarify the meaning of the word “Asian” as posed in your question: I use “Asian” synonymously with “Chinese” or “Hong Kong Chinese” sometimes, but it’s worth pointing out that this slang habit, however common in Vancouver-English, is wildly vague, because Asia also includes India, (The Republic of) Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, etc.

I’ll assume in this case you’re referring to Chinese or Hong Kong-ese people, though I think it’d be great if we tried to stop over-generalising. I can’t speak for everybody, but I much prefer “Chinese” or “Chinese-Canadian” to the all-encompassing “Asian” (or worse yet, “Oriental”).

On to your question. I’m not sure if family gatherings are considered glamorous these days, but that’s generally what’s going down if you see a large group of what looks like several generations dressed to the nines. Sun Sui Wah has a reputation among older Chinese for being a good place to take your family or other honoured guests on special occasions (such as birthdays or if someone is visiting from out of town): the food is good, they take reservations, and it’s reasonably classy and expensive. Expensive is key because, generally, the amount of money you spend is seen as directly proportional to how much you like and/or respect your guest.

If you ever get invited to or have to host a dinner like this one, be sure to take up the tea pot and pour; when a dish arrives, spin the lazy susan around to the honoured guest so they can eat first, and always serve those sitting next to you before serving yourself. But don’t take more than what can fit into those little bowls, even if you’re putting it on a plate—taking too much is rude.

With all the ethnic-gang related news bits kicking around Vancouver these days, I suppose large mono-ethnic gatherings can be cause for alarm, but Sun Sui Wah seems ok. They have a location in Richmond as well if you’re up to traveling over there on your shabby-chic little bike.

Hope that answers your question, Threadbare. Let us know if you have the pleasure of participating in one of these gatherings one day.

– “Asian” correspondent, Chua Tze Hiang