Delicious food, they attended to our every whim, even whipped up a lychee martini for a picky guest! Love this place!
Went in for brunch on a Sunday they had DJ K Rec playing funky soul sounds that went great with the backpackers breaky. Nice day, good service will be back for sure.
Cool "hipster" hangout - great server from NZ! Food sooooooooo good.
Love this spot! Great for every occasion, I come here with my family all the time.
Great food every time. Tried the brunch for the first time, will definitely be back. Prompt, efficient service as well
Good food Good service Good time a must restaurant in Vancouver
Been there before for dinner, went today for brunch. First time I've eaten something with lemongrass that was perfectly fragrant, not overpowering. Perfect, just the right touch.
Service Great, Food extra ordinary
Great food, great atmosphere and great service. You can't go wrong with this spot.
absolutely LOVED the eggs benny on the soft bao bun - what an interesting combo! i got the salmon dill combo and it was good - very flavorful and got me feelin so FULL after! an affordable and hip place to hit up with yo franz at lunch :)
溫哥華唐人街曾是北美洲僅次於三藩市唐人街面積最大的華埠，卑斯省政府更於1971年將之列為歷史城區。但1980年代起華人新移民的大增，很多具有經濟能力的華人開始選擇到華埠以外市鎮定居和創業。由於近年在列治文和本拿比開了不少華人超市和商場，導致市內華人的衣食住行不再局限於華埠。其次被列為歷史城區後市政府為保存區内特色而附設的建築限制反而窒礙華埠發展。另一方面，市中心東端日益惡化的毒品、娼妓和治安問題連帶鄰近的華埠也受到負面影響。正當華埠近年生意一落千丈之際，却吸引不少洋人進駐華埠開設各式食肆，其中比較知名的有Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie、Calabash Bistro、Juniper Restaurant、Bestie、The Tuck Shoppe等等，今天我光顧的亦是眾多洋人經營的餐廳之一
“The Union”是一家東南亞風味餐廳酒廊，餐點包含菲律賓、泰國、越南等亞洲多國融合菜色。餐廳尚有兩間姊妹店分別唐人街附近，一間為美式酒廊的The Cascade Room，另一間為南美街頭小食酒廊的El Camino's。The Union平日只有夜市，星期六日才會加開午市，由上午10時至下午2:30供應Weekend Brunch，我今天就是來品嚐店家的週末特色菜。這裡的裝修別具一格，可以形容為豪邁或者簡陋，而我個人感覺有點像電影裡囚牢飯堂的格局，見仁見智吧！
Rhe cocktails here are a little too strong/unbalanced. However the food is very flavourful and the portions are generous. Prices are good too. The service is friendly but not very attentive. Didn't see our server much and had to ask for our drinks multiple times.
We always have a good meal here and love sweet and sour fish in the bowls. Gotta go for the desserts too - the earl grey pot of cream was super delicious last time. I like to try the mezcal jars personally and they are often on special.
The Union is an industrial-chic hub serving creative cocktails and Pan-Asian eats. They have happy hour and weekly features, so my coworkers and I like coming here for celebrations and farewells. Many good late nights have been had here. They have happy hour drink specials and their weekly features. On Wednesday, you get Wings and Beer for $15. Wings and normally $15, so it’s essentially getting a free beer.
Great fusion restaurant to go to for lunch. I tried the veggie bibimbap bowl. It was full of simple and healthy deliciousness. Seriously. There were so many veggies on my plate and you can't go wrong with a sunny side gooey egg! We also tried the bahn mi. It was $10 which we thought was really steep pricing being that it is double a regular bahn mi but unfortunately we didn't think it was justified price wise at all.
The Union is a fusion restaurant located by the edge of Chinatown. The inside is very spacious, and it has a casual and vibrant feel. For our late brunch, we ordered a couple of dishes and a drink. Cha Yen – $5. As stated on the menu, this is a concoction of lychee black tea, coconut milk, pandan syrup, and a couple of spices: star anise and cardamom.
Very nice fusion good. I tried the Shanghai Scramble. The rice was a little salty but tasty. The shipyard mushrooms were cooked well and the rest of the ingredients were fresh and blended well with the dish.
Surprisingly good Southeast Asian food for a hipster place. Firstly, the space was clean and trendy which is not what one would normally find in a Southeast Asian restaurant. Second, the service was friendly and attentive. Third, they have great beer and cocktail selection which is definitely rare for a Southeast Asian restaurant. I really enjoyed the flavour mix of the banga #1.
The food ranged from average to very good. The five spice dry ribs were average. The five spice seasoning was a little too subtle for my taste. The nasi goreng was a good portion and had a good balance of rice to meat & veggies. Everything was nicely cooked, but the seasoning seemed a bit watered down. I didn't taste any shrimp paste. The cha ca Hanoi was a winner. It had big bold flavours and a nice coconut sauce. I could've easily eaten a bowl of this myself.
Initially the prices seemed a bit high, but the portions were generous enough. We actually couldn't finish everything, which almost never happens to me.
There was nothing we wanted to try at the food truck festival and decided to look around chinatown for food. We decided to have the Union a try - the menu was very interesting and realizing it was an asian fusion place. Had a Bangalore hash - it was surprisingly spicy I think there was sriracha or chili sauce. But it was a good choice - nice presentation and taste (other than the spiciness). Service was also very good. Overall it was a good experience 😊
Tried this place for the first time and it was about what I expected. It's a trendy fusion restaurant on the outskirts of Chinatown. For a weekday it was fairly busy but we were seated right away without a reservation.
I ordered a noodle dish and was looking forward to it. I received what I thought was my order but actually got a bibimbap instead. Nonetheless it was flavorful and delicious. Not the same as at an actual Korean restaurant but that's not why you come to a place like this. When my actual order arrived and the server and I realized the mistake, I was already halfway done the bibimbap. Despite the mistake I enjoyed the dish. The dish I actually ordered looked great as well. I would definitely consider coming back to this place in the future.
I get why this place is always busy now. The hype is real. They have incredible interesting and yummy cocktails and a really tasty and fresh Vietnamese fusion menu. I could easily try everything on this menu and couldnt stop looking at their different items as they came out. The service here is also complexly non pretentious and attentive. I love the atmosphere as well. The communal tables give this place a vibe that Vancouverite's crave so much but so rarely actually embrace... Communally having fun. The atmosphere forces you to enjoy others company regardless of who is in your clique. Oh! Did I mention everything is prices very reasonable.
Had brunch at The Union today. I wasn't sure what to expect from something so close to Chinatown, but was pleasantly surprised. The decor was a typical hipster minimalist concrete / wood mix. It was very bright, clean, and open - a good atmosphere for brunch. We got there right as they opened at 10am and were the first ones there. There was no line up and only three other tables when we left and hour and a half later.
All in all I had a great experience. Now that I know the bennies are solid, I'm intrigued enough by the other menu selection to return. I'm surprised it wasn't busier, but I like not having to wait. I'd recommend it, but am afraid it'll be too popular and then I won't be able to return without waiting in line.
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My senses perked up the minute I walk into the UNION - the dim lighting, the vibrant trendiness of this semi-hidden joint boasting in their creative flare on Southeast Asian cuisine. I must admit, coming from a family who runs an authentic Chinese restaurant business, I was a little skeptical of any restaurant that tries to replicate Asian cuisine.
Long picnic table style reclaimed wood benches filled the restaurant and created a cozy friendly atmosphere, as strangers shared a bench with each other, separated by an the expected awkward gap. It reminded me of those high school cafeteria days minus the awful stark white florescent lighting of sterile uniformity of our school system. The use of polished wood as the primary structural design of the place fits right in to the definition of a typical casual hip Main St. Vancouver food joint.
We ordered from the standard menu. I noticed the “$10 Banh Mi & A Pint” special and decided to give it a try.
First off was the Channa Dahl with pappadams. The presentation was nothing special but looking at the thin sheets of crispy pappadams lying there next to the dish of chunky thick dahl, I was quite a little fearful the fragile crackers cannot hold up the weight. Hungry like little monsters, we all reached over for a piece of the thin sheets and attempted to scoop up the flavor booster. “Snap…. Snap!” Like we predicted, the cracker failed to hold its form and disastrously broke into pieces, sinking itself inside the dahl. The more we played with it in attempt to fish it out, the more it broke apart. Well, at least the taste was good. I had no complaints. The pappadam was seasoned quite nicely highlighting the flavors of chickpea, while the dahl adds a good punch of spiciness and saltiness to stimulate appetite.
Finally, the mains arrived - my Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi.
Toasty bread – check. Wrapped in parchment to mimic traditional Vietnamese street food – check.
Excited for the unique addition of Sriracha aioli, I carefully grabbed the crunched up parchment enclosing the sandwich in my hand, and took a generous bite piercing my teeth through the subtle sweet toasty bread. Welcomed by the crackling sound of paper and crispy crust, the flavors of tanginess and saltiness melted in harmony. The refreshing crunchy crisp of marinated radish, carrots and cucumbers gave a slightly tangy sour taste. Warm tender barbeque chicken strips caramelized with faint lemongrass spices. Finally, the underwhelming Sriracha aioli coats the roof of my mouth in a disappointing resemblance of tasteless mayonnaise. I would say this dish is lacking a punch of flavor. Every ingredient could have been turned up a notch, and the only strong flavor that stands out was the infamous cilantro - the only ingredient that was not prepared by the chef. What an embarrassment.
As for dessert, I’d like to comment on the Coconut milk mango panna cotta. I would rename this as “coconut milk jello” as it was too watery and missing the thick and creamy mouthfeel of a real panna cotta.
To conclude, I think this restaurant has a decent menu with fairly low pricing, with entrees ranging from $10-15. It’s a good choice for a casual spot to relax with friends on a weeknight after a long day of work.
The menu resembles a newsprint 1 pager – simple and to the point, with the main ingredients listed for each menu item.
Ambience: lively and trendy for young cultured professionals and non-cultured individuals alike.
Recommend: Overall, I have the impression that the menu lacks a balance in flavor and technique. It has a good value for money, and is on the right track with creativity, but the chef could do with a little fine-tuning with flavor boldness in the right places. ***
This place has awesome food, great selection, prices, service and atmosphere! Also it's right on the bike path and very central. Nothing bad to say about this place.
Happy, bustling restaurant. Always very impressed by the cocktails, and divine dishes. Warm and friendly atmosphere. Beautiful setting and cozy seating 💝
I ventured here twice in the span of a week: brunch, then for drinks. Brunch won, it was busy but easy to get a table. The service was great and food & drinks great. My cousin and I won order-wise. We split the Pandesal French Toast (acted as our dessert) and Bao Bun Bennie, and to drink a Thai Ceasar (great twist on an original) and Lychee Mimosa.
Also a good place to come for drinks, their cocktails are properly done. We tried a wide range, which were good, but their beer list is a bit lacking. The Fried Tofu with naan was pretty good, but the Indo Peanut Noodle bowl was pretty bland.
I went to the Union for brunch today and it was pretty dang AWESOME!! Fusion food can be tricky - but the Union nails it!! Pandensal French Toasts, Banh Mis, not too mention their awesome drink menu...they even have traditional filipino breakfasts!! I had pay tribute to my roots hehe, so I eventually settled on one of their bao bennies!! It's not your average english muffin benny... it's made with a BAO!! Yes, a chinese bao bun!!! I was SUPER excited hehe...cause baos are practically my life (though I should probably eat them more often.) Oh, you guys may not know this about me, but my nickname (that my parents have been calling me since I was little) is Ai-Bao LOL!! Which is Taiwanese for "Bao Bei" which means "Baby."
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Too bad it doesn't open for lunch. Saigon Sour (apple juice, chamomile syrup, lime, gomme, ginger, lemongrass, thai basil, kaffir lime leaf, cilantro, red chili pepper, fresh lime, egg white, fresh apple) $5 4/5 - not overly sweet. Too bad it was 1/2 filled with ice. I picked this because a lot of their drinks have ginger in them.
Hawker Thai Chicken Wings (sweet & spicy nahm jim glaze) $13 4.5/5 - It was about a pound. Crispy skin with flavourful glaze. The flavour reminds me of honey glazed BBQ. Some pieces with chili on top can be a bit spicier. Some people tried to compare them to Phnom Penh's but I think they are totally different things.
Cha Ca Hanoi (ling cod, market greens, turmeric chili coconut milk, dill, rice vermicelli, nuoc cham, fresh herbs, scallions) $15 3/5 - the rice vermicelli was too mushy. Very strong taste of coconut milk but a little bit too bland. The lingcod was not that fresh.
Indonesian Peanut Noodles (shiitake mushrooms, charred eggplant, spinach, bean sprouts, egg noodles, sambal ginger peanut sauce) 3.5/5 $14 - I didn't enjoy this as much as my friend did. I found their noodles were a bit overcooked too.
Nasi Goreng (classic Indonesian stirfried rice, chicken, shrimp, tomatoes, sweet onions, peas, fried egg) $15 4/5 - very big portion and I took 1/2 of it home. Very flavourful. The rice was on the wet side. Too bad they put too much salt on my fried egg.
Chai Chocolate Pot, milk chocolate, candy crumbs $8 3/5 - strong chai flavour. A little thicker than I want.
Coconut Panna Cotta, pineapple salsa, shaved ice $7 3.5/5 - reminds me of the yellow split pea coconut pudding.
They only have benches but no chairs. It might be a problem for some people. We had to wait a bit for our mains to come after our wings. The starch were a little too soft for me but flavours were good. I would visit more often if it opens for lunch (at least on weekends).
Delicious drinks and food, genuine service. This casual spot is worth a visit, you'll return guaranteed. I've been about 7 times, and have always had genuinely great service, even though they've been busy every time. My favourite dishes and cocktails??? Doesn't matter, you will enjoy and devour whatever appeals to you on the menu. Cheers!
Delicious Asian fairer with a kick! Recommend the vegetable pakoras and the hot and sour soup. Service was friendly and fast :)
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Easy going atmosphere. Had a group booking at the Union bar on a Saturday night. The service is really great-easy going and pretty efficient. With the food you get decent sizes and everyone at the table was pretty happy with there food. The menu are just paper and mine was a bit worn out with drink stains on it which I thought wasn't really good.
The restaurant interior is very cool and has a really nice relaxed vibe. The music is great and not too loud-although it got pretty noises when the place was full of people. There is a nice bar and kitchen that is semi open and pretty close to the tables. Its cool to see where you food is made but the negative of this is that the smell of the fried food drifted into the restaurant a lot. A couple times throughout the evening I noticed that there was a haze of smoke and that they opened the door to let it out. Because it was really cold outside we instantly felt a draft of cold air when they did this. When I came home my partner said that I smelled of fried food. So they might need to check out whether there fans are working probably or if they need to look into getting some more. Despite this I would recommend this place and come back again-maybe for cocktails next time on a Sunday.
Flavour Madness. 12 or 13 friends (not sure, a lot of Banga's :). Had the waitress and chef select the dishes. ALL fantastic! Crisped tofu in curry sauce, blistered green beans, beef short ribs, the best chicken wings ever, pad Thai, nasi goreng, peanut noodles, lemongrass chicken, green papaya salad, finished with chocolate pannacota.
Great food, great service, creative cocktails, lively atmosphere.
This little piggy smiled and waddled all the way home.
Good Place. A lot of things going right here. Space looks great, solid music and really tasty food. Love the cocktails and communal tables. For food, enjoyed the pekoras, beef short rib and cha ca fish bowl. Looking forward to getting back here.
This place is SO good! Amazing food, great prices. U gotta try the mussels!
Order the #3 jar...you won't be disappointed.
Love this place. Yummy pad thai. enjoyed the minty, gingery shooter. this part of town is fantastic and changing really fast ....so great theres a good place to eat here!
I never had any intention to go to the Union because I don’t have an interest in Asian fusion food. I’d often rather have a more traditional dish at cheaper price when it comes to Asian food. Then, I looked up the Union’s brunch menu and the fusion brunch offerings sounded far too intriguing to pass off on. For example, their take on french toast involves pandesal (a Filipino sweet bread) as the base with a five spice toffee sauce, sautéed pears, whipped cream and toasted coconut. Pandesal is pretty awesome on its own when it’s fresh and warm. Use it in french toast and then you take it to a whole other level! The pandesal’s slightly crisp exterior and super soft and subtly sweet interior make it a perfect bread for french toast. Eggs and hollandaise on bao buns? That sounds weird and like they wouldn’t compliment each other well. That’s what I thought. I was wrong. You can have their bao bun bennies in three varieties: 1) soy chile pulled pork and papaya achara; 2) Asian guacamole
Southeast Asian fusion. Traditional flavours meet modern techniques, in a contemporary setting, nestled in historic Chinatown. The birthday girl chose this as our destination, in which to celebrate her. She has a track record for impeccable taste when it comes to choosing restaurants, so I was excited. Even more so when I found out the cuisine was Southeast Asian fusion. If you have read any of my pervious relevant posts, you know that I love Malaysian food, as it is the cuisine I grew up enjoying. So I knew this would be a delicious night. Seeing as they don’t take reservations, I set upon the task of coming in early to put our name on the wait list and get us a table. It’s been a while since my last trip to Chinatown. So after listening to my iPhone’s map app direct me onto a one way street, I finally found my way to “The Union”, parking a block away to do so. This definitely wasn’t what I expected from a restaurant in Chinatown. The food was definitely Asian, but the crowd, ambien
Not that I need another reason to love Strathcona. But the transformation is nice. It’s nice to see a few more independent eateries with unique culinary flare rather than cookie cutters on conveyer belts. Now I have another reason to go to Chinatown besides Phnom Penh and Campagnolo. The Union Bar located on 219 Union Street, Vancouver is recently opened restaurant bar with a modern take on Southeast Asian dishes: Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysian, Indonesia, and Singapore.
These wings. These wings were life changing. Freshly cooked and coated with thai hot nahm jim glaze, the wings, dare I say it, were probably even better than (or at least on par with) those of Phnom Penh.
I really dig the Southeast Asian style decor, atmosphere, and vibe of this Chinatown pub. The drink and beer selections were cool and the interesting food options did the trick.
The Union Bar has quickly become one of my favourite places in the city for a cocktail. Note: they do close fairly early (around midnight, I believe) so if you are looking for a late night of drinking, do not set your sights on the Union.
We wanted to have happy hour at a different location but ended up here. What a great surprise, it wasn’t busy and it was super spacious. The vibe is very chill and our server Julia is such a delight.
We ordered a few appetizers and it was delicious, high recommend the sweet and spicy cauliflower. Tuesday was happy hour for all the bowls so we each got one. The were huge portions and very flavourful. I especially love the peanut bowl with noodles.
The peanut butter cheesecake was the last touch. I would love to come back again for drinks and more food.
Came here for wing night and it was absolutely delicious. The wings were perfectly flavourful, not too saucy, a little bit crispy on the outside. I got the hawker Thai. Will definitely come back on Wed. The server was also super nice and kept asking if we were ok.
A reliable, fun, good restaurant in a city that is suffering from availability of same.
Flawless service, nice space, creative eats & cocktails, and a healthy selection of local taps.
We had a mixed party of six on a Saturday night with various nutritional preferences. Wasn't a problem for this operation.
The only oddity was the amazing speed of the kitchen (first world problems...)
Recommended.
I had a really nice experience having dinner on the Union’s outdoor patio. The area is bustling which made for great people watching, the service was decent, and the food was good. It was quite as good as I had thought, but good enough for me to want to return and try more dishes. The prices aren’t cheap though.
First time at the Union, and it was what I expected - fresh and tasty, flavourful and tangy! Top picks is their cod based “Cha Ca Hanoi” made with all kinds of herbs and turmeric Chili coconut milk - yum! (See photo). Their Massaman Curry was very nice too, a red curry taste in a yellow curry look, unexpected and very nice. Their Bombay Masala Chicken Wings with vegan ranch dressing - what a nice combo of flavours! Highly Recommend this place…
Just had the best time chilling here at The Union. Such great vibes here on a weekday evening, friendly servers, wicked tunes, and very fine food. They have house made mystery (lol) hot sauce which I slathered over every.thing, and I really liked the peanut noodle bowl with sambai ginger peanut sauce and crispy tofu cubes. Gochujang wings excellent, and the comment from my friends on the kimchi fries was they wished they could taste more kimchi. Thanks Union for the super hospitality. Will be back!
We were really happy with this choice. The wings were a total standout and all of our noodle bowls completely hot the spot. Good cocktails and service as well. Would definitely come again.
The nasi goreng was glorious. Every part of the bowl was perfectly cooked, with crispy fried rice, juicy shiitake mushrooms, and flavourful chicken. There were fresh scallions scattered overtop, which was a great touch. The price is not cheap, but at least the portion size is big to compensate. My only comment is that the bowl was lacking in a bit of seasoning.
Wings were alright. Great sauce and interesting flavours, but a bit too oily.
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