Review The Union - Vancouver

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.

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.

Wasn't impressed, went here last night, service was super slow. There were tons of staff working, less than 20 people inside. Won't be back again.

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.

Some stuff is fantastic, like the crepes, others are missing the mark.

Everything is so good.

Like the name suggests, the portions and prices here are more worth it when you share with friends. The seating arrangement is also community table style. It's an Asian-fusion restaurant that has Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean flavors, which is honestly a bit confusing on what their specialty is. <br/><br/>- Tom Kha Mu - This is a coconut chicken broth. Wow. I love the flavors and creaminess of the soup. One of my fav dishes here.<br/>- Bali Bang Bang Chicken Wings - I like the flavor but the wings are very dry/not juicy.<br/>- Gochujang Chicken Wings - Again, wings are dry/not juicy<br/>- Spicy Green Beans - Nothing special here, just some green beans stir-fry with spice and soy. There's a lot and it's spicy but not worth the price.<br/>- Kimchi Fries - This one was ok. Flavor was less flavorful than expected.

I am a fan of fusion restaurants and the menu sounded delicious, so I suggested that we meet here! The Union is located in Chinatown on Union Street.

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<br/><br/>“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.<br/>

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.<br/><br/>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.<br/><br/>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.

came here after a quite filling dinner in another restaurant, and the reason why we came in because we were meeting a friend over and also we're curious about the southeast asian food month/week it was in the union. there was definitely southeast asian food such as nasi goreng, banh mi, and deserts. my friend went for the banh mi and i went for the desert. so then, the banh mi is definitely alright slightly below average, the meat seasoning and flavouring is a little bit different from the regular pho places, similar but something is different. and as for the desert i did enjoy it, even though it's totally different flavour from those in southeast asian restaurant or southeast asia itself, but the desert was enjoyable. but price wise it's definitely more than what i wanted to give out for the food. but definitely okay nothing much more than average for the taste.

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.<br/><br/>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.

We ended up here after the restaurant we wanted to go to couldn't handle seating 5 people. It was our poor man's substitution but in the end was a decent place. <br/><br/>We ended up having some glitches with our meals and had to send stuff back but the staff were only to happy to make it right and it didn't ruin the experience. <br/><br/>To start we got spring rolls, wings, gyoza and a viet sub with lemon grass chicken. I loved the wings and sub best. The mains were decent I had sweet beef in egg noodle...the beef cuts were a bit chewy but the flavor of the dish was good all around. I loved the pho Bo best but to bad all 3 pho bo's were lukewarm when they arrived. At least the food was cheap. <br/><br/>Thank God for the cocktails ...this is something this place does well and I am suffering for it today. I turned a guava and ginger mock tail into a gintail and it was amazing. I tried some others and all pretty yummy. 80% of my bill was cocktails and it was worth it . The food I could go either way. I love the communal tables you get to meet new and crazy people.

The drinks are great; unique cocktails with a SE Asian twist. Love the bangas. Brunch items are also delicious, with their twists like Benny options on a bao instead of English muffin, and curried home fries. At night, the mussels and papaya salad bring me back, but the bowls and other entrees have always left me disappointed. Very vermicelli noodle heavy, the spices and sauces get lost in them. The chicken wings are a small portion for the price and missing big flavours.

I had really wanted to like this place but the food is bland and not well executed. The poached eggs were overcooked, mushrooms werr flavourless, the bao was oversized any way too fluffy which was the wrong texture for the benny. I had a dirty tea cup with coffee stains on the in and outside of the cup. When I asked for a clean cup the waitress gave looked over at the cup and did not appear to be impressed to have to get me another one. This place was not busy. The waitress was nonchalant and did not appear to be happy to be at work. Overall the experience was better left in the past. I would not return.

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. <br/>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.

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.<br/>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. <br/><br/>We ordered from the standard menu. I noticed the “$10 Banh Mi & A Pint” special and decided to give it a try. <br/>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.<br/><br/>Finally, the mains arrived - my Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi. <br/>Toasty bread – check. Wrapped in parchment to mimic traditional Vietnamese street food – check. <br/>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. <br/>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. <br/><br/>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. <br/><br/>The menu resembles a newsprint 1 pager – simple and to the point, with the main ingredients listed for each menu item. <br/><br/>Ambience: lively and trendy for young cultured professionals and non-cultured individuals alike. <br/> 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. ***

The Union is named after the street it’s on at the edge of Chinatown. It’s hipster looking with long wood communal tables and lucky for us, we sat by the window and had a great view of a dumpster outside since the Union is right next to an alley. They do Asian fusion food. My friend had the Lychee Mimosa with prosecco and candied chili. There was a big piece of lychee at the bottom! You can just taste a hint of spice at the end.

I work out an office in the Chinatown area. I am lucky to be surrounded by delicious food destinations. One of my favourite places nearby for post- work drinks and dinner is The Union. One of my colleagues was raving to me about how good The Union's brunch is. He even mentioned that he liked working some weekend shifts because it meant a tasty brunch....specifically he had one favourite dish, The Bangalore Hash.

Appalling food in a nice place with nice people.<br/>Absolutely shocked to get a noodle bowl advertised as containing eggplant, spinach, etc, to find approx. 1/8 cup chopped eggplant bits hiding in the noodles, a few shreds of spinach and nothing much else but a few bean sprouts. Topped with a heavy peanut sauce. My companion h ad a vermicelli and cod bowl, which again may have had 1/4 cup or less of actual fish bits scattered about in a huge swimming bowl of noodles with some kind of Thai ish sauce. Not exaggerating. At 15 bucks a shot, when you can get real versions of Asian dishes with real portions  for about half that anywhere in town, we will not be back. How can people get away with this sort of thing?

Portland has taught us to be less dismissive towards an ultra-hip location run by Caucasian folks serving Asian cuisine (thank you Pok Pok). But unfortunately the Union did not deliver. Lukewarm bibimbap, barely-cooked-through rice for my nasi goreng, sopping-wet Vietnamese vermicelli with burnt chicken, and the desire to make everything spicy (an easy way to embellish an otherwise mediocre dish) culminated in a disappointment for us. On the plus side, service was decent.

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.

Unfortunately this is of one those return visit posts that had me changing my original “yay” to a now a “nay”. I haven’t been in a while, but had fond memories of the place, so when we were looking for a place to eat, I suggested “the Union”. Though I would later regret my decision, even if my guests didn’t. I choose this more unique pick, hoping that my guests have never been and that the setting would impress them. But the food was definitely not worth the wait. We waited what felt like forever for a table. And as we waited, we felt like we were constantly being by-passed. First it was a verbal 25 minute wait, then an updated 30 minute, but in reality we were kept waiting for over an hour. However we saw plenty of tables get seated before us, even after we took a lengthy stroll around Chinatown to kill some time. It was because they were tables for two that could only seat parties of two that freed up, and they needed specific seating to seat our three. Yet we waited patiently for our turn. Though the final frustrating straw was having them seat a group of three that came after us, before us. They only waited five minutes before getting a great corner table seat in the centre of the room. It was considered top notch as most of the tables were large family share style. Picnic style tables and benches that you didn’t want to get straddled sitting in the centre of. I suspect they knew the hostess the way they were chatting it up with her. Connections are important. We did get the next available table, it was a high top in a dark corner. It was a tight fit that had me jabbing our waitress in the back as she helped the table behind me, this embarrassingly happened a few time. Though at this point, being able to sit was enough for us.

I'd been to the Union for brunch and was not particularly impressed with my particular order. But my friends liked it enough so I had it in mind to go back for the dinner menu. Finally got around to it tonight. Sweet & Sour Fried Fish Bánh Mì ($10) Vietnamese sub with spicy sriracha aioli, jalapeños,

Too many ch garlic. Pho is more Thai than Real Vietnamese. Nice looking drinks though. Bibimbap looked OK, but missing the traditional protein.

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. <br/>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.

Disappointing. Our group of 8 came for a birthday brunch/lunch on Saturday and were thoroughly disappointed with the entire experience. The drinks missed the mark and were plain confusing with the attempted "fusion" of flavours, the service was inattentive and just rude, and to make matters worst the kitchen ventilation or exhaust does not work or was not working on that day and made our clothes, hair and belongings reek of charred barbeque and smoke. Our eyes were watering because of the smoke. I can say the food was so-so, although nothing special. If you'd like actual Asian food, go to an actual Asian restaurant - spend less and enjoy the meal more.<br/><br/>The location and decor along with the communal tables and inspired menu seemed promising but we couldn't wait to get out of there.

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."

The Union caught my eye--especially what seemed to be a creative fusion brunch (i.e., more than just omelettes and eggs benedict). The location is in a sketchy part of town, but on the Sunday morning we showed up for brunch right at 10 AM when they opened, the street was very quiet with most of the action just one street over with their busy grocery markets. There's a bit of street parking for cars as well as a bike lane. The neighboring stores are all revitalized and new-ish looking, compared to the rest of the Chinatown neighbourhood. Long communal tables and a mix of short benches and single-seater stools make up the dining space in The Union. This being Vancouver, don't count on the seating arrangement to necessarily encourage conversation with neighbours you don't know. Oddities include soy sauce in what look like cough syrup bottles, and a sign that boasts "premium cigarettes available". Pandesal French Toast ($11) five spice toffee sauce, sautéed Asian pears, whipped cream, rum toasted coconut The quantity of toast you get roughly adds up to two and a half or three average slices of bread. Clearly a lot of coconut involved and even seared directly onto to the toast. The pears didn't taste like anything at all. Probably a fluke kitchen accident or something. There's rum in this? Despite the list of ingredients, this basically tastes like toast soaked in toffee sauce, with a large dollop of whipped cream. Filipino Pankaplog ($14) two eggs (choice of fried or scrambled), sinangag, pickled papaya, pandesal, curry spiced hashbrowns, choice of sausage or bacon Pankaplog is a slang term for breakfast that mainly consists of pan de sal (bread), kap e (coffee), and itlog (egg). Coffee is not included in your order. It adds up to a decent meal but the neat piles of each item on your plate makes your order look small. The quantity of sinangag (garlic fried rice) you get looks small, but

Missed the Mark Completely. Dropped in on a late Saturday afternoon for a few drinks and dinner. Staff managed to get our beer to us but the rest was a mess. Appies we ordered were brought on dirty plates. Dipping sauces were running over the sides of the bowls and the spring roll was dripping old oil. And, we got no utensils - had to retrieve those ourselves from the serving area. I had hopeful expectations for this place given it's location, cool space and apparently imaginative menu ... but the food, service and sanitation were all sub par.

Good Food, Great Cocktails. Another little gem. Good food, I couldn't fault it, and amazing cocktails. I think this is one of those places that has a great balance between the too. Everything we tried on the menu was good, an we over ordered as a result. But the cocktails impressed us even more tying into the menu so nicely with their hints of ginger and spice and tom yum flavourings. A must visit.

Food is mediocre and drenched with one specific flavor (eg. Peanut or coconut) which I didn't like. Drinks are delicious though! They have interesting flavors and use fresh ingredients - looks like a fruit stand behind the bar. So refreshing.

What a great spot!. My wife and I love everything about this place - the warm and soothing atmosphere, the bar and communal tables, the great beer and bangas selection, the friendly service that is always right on the mark, and, of course... the delicious Southeast Asian / Indian influenced food. Last night we shared the beef satays, the arugula and asian pear salad (wow!), and the delicious Singapore Laksa. Other "don't miss" items include the hawker Thai chicken wings (the city's best) and the sambal green beans. <br/>I've done a LOT of work in Malaysia, Singapore, and India over the past decade, which I love because of the food, especially from hawker stands, The Union transports me right back.

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.<br/>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.<br/>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.<br/>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.<br/>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. <br/>Chai Chocolate Pot, milk chocolate, candy crumbs $8 3/5 - strong chai flavour. A little thicker than I want. <br/>Coconut Panna Cotta, pineapple salsa, shaved ice $7 3.5/5 - reminds me of the yellow split pea coconut pudding.<br/><br/>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!

I loved the cha ca Hanoi! It's amazing. I thought the service was really good. She was very pleasant and didn't mind splitting the bill among 8 of us. I will definitely come back with friends.

Nice ambience, very poor service. Went here last night with my friends after hearing great reviews of this place. Our server was not friendly and seemed annoyed when I asked what the drink specials were. Upon ordering, my friend asked what rau thom is, one of the ingredients in the goi ga salad is. Our server couldn't tell us and responded with " I actually don't know" and didn't bother finding out. I felt that our server was in attentive, bored and uninterested as displayed in her body language and facial expressions. Despite the poor service, the ambience was nice, it was spacious and comfortable with long tables. Does that make up for the lack of service? No. I will not be back again. Futhermore, there are other restaurants out there that serve better food- the union served mediocre food at best.

Great lively atmosphere and food is good - nothing special but good. The service is not very friendly and VERY inattentive. As in you have to order your second drink before you get up our first... And they will probably still forget. Had to ask for every little thing nothing was offered even when drinks were visibly empty for a very long time.

Not bad place but you'll end up stinking like their kitchen. And it's a greasy smell I've only smelled once before years ago at The Cambie. Food is good though so I don't know why exactly it makes your clothing smell so gross...

We had the chicken wings, nasi goreng and the nua pad mee.... The ambience was lovely all the tables were share tables the food was only ok. The goreng was overly sweet and the pad mee was a little to spicy. The food took over an hour but the server was friendly.

Delicious Asian fairer with a kick! Recommend the vegetable pakoras and the hot and sour soup. Service was friendly and fast :)

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. <br/><br/>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. <br/>Great food, great service, creative cocktails, lively atmosphere.<br/>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.

First Time Fail !! I won't return or recommend The Union. I was taking a good friend, avid foodie and writer out to discover my neighborhood bar, The Union, last night with high hopes that we would be impressed by the food, drinks and services. Instead all three were HUGE FAILS!! I had gotten excellent reviews from many of my neighbours stating things like "The Union has delicious food, great price points and all star service." Last night we didn't see any of that what so ever. We were sat at a window seat, tossed a couple menus and told "I'll be back" There were 5 people seated at the bar one table of two next to us and two tables of four. The Bar was being tended to and our server was clearly not in the mood for serving as it then took her more then 10 minutes to return to us just so we could order a drink,. We actually had to go to the bar and order it then she brought it to us. She didn't offer any information on specials or when we asked her what she thought was delicous to order (as it was our first time) she responded with "everything! I'll be right back" then went back to chat, laugh and use her phone behind the Bar. So after a few minutes we waved her over again and ordered The Banh Mi or Vietnamese Sub (sweet and sour Fish). When it came she was midst a conversation with the barmen so she ploped it on the table said "enjoy" turned around and was right back into her conversation. She didn't even notice that our drinks were empty and we didn't have plates or napkins to eat on. It was hands down THE WORST SERVICE I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED. <br/><br/>The Sub: The smell was delighful and the first three bites were flavourful and fresh. Then the Jalapenos hit hard. I am a spicy food person and I love Jalapenos but this was out of control. Neither of us could actually finish the first half of the subs as they amount of Jalapenos in the first three bites was so much that my mouth, nose, lips and eyes were "on fire". With no nothing to drink to calm the burn again we are back at the bar asking our server for drinks. She put down her phone smiled said "yup, just a minute" I went back to the table waited for the drinks and requested our bill. At this point the disappoint ment was evident as niether of us had finished our food but again the server did not inquire any further. At this point I mentioned that the sub was overwhelmingly hot and was not enjoyable because the thick layer of Jalapenos was over kill and ruined what would have been a flavourful sub. Her response was "yeah sometimes those kitchen guys can get a little cazy with the Jalapenos" she giggled and went for our bill.<br/><br/> Now it was clear they were trying to close for the night so nothing else was offered. No mention of desert, no up sale on our beverage, nothing.The bill came, she then couldn't have gotten us out of there fast enough. <br/><br/>This is a tight knit community and little did the staff at the Union know my friend is writing a series of articles on our community Eaterys and Bars that will recieve a terrible review. I have never felt compeled to write about a experience until now, that is how aweful it was. The Union Bar was a huge FAIL!! I WILL NEVER GO BACK AND NEVER RECOMMEND IT to any one in my community.

This place is SO good! Amazing food, great prices. U gotta try the mussels!

Can't support or recommend them anymore. I was a regular customer because I like the ambiance & the food is tasty. I actually had organized & brought 5 guests that had never been here for dinner last night.<br/><br/>Unfortunately, our server Kylie was aweful last night! I can't support them anymore & am embarrassed that I brought my friends. The place is popular and after patiently waiting 2+ hours at the bar for our table she was slow, barely friendly... but kindly let us know 5 times at time of billing that there was no gratutity on our $300 bill... We left her $40 cash (13% to ensure we covered anything she tipped out... but should have asked her what she thought she earned in a tip with all her rude reminders about bill not including grat! BRUTAL! <br/><br/>Sadly, many other disappointing aspects... but will simply move on to the other great options we have in the city.<br/><br/><br/>-----27 Mar, 2012-----<br/><br/>Had fantastic service from Kylie and delicious eats. Especially loved the tofu appy and the pad Thai. Highly recommend this place.

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

These dumplings are good. I was surprise on how crispy the outside are and the burst of flavour that comes out. It’s even better with the scallion soy dipping sauce. It adds that extra saltness to it.  Side Note: Try out there non alcoholic drinks Some are really tasty. Urban Spoon Rating of Restaurant: Location:   219 Union St, Vancouve

This pork belly banh mi looks skimpy but was delicious. Firmish belly instead of melt-in-the-mouthy.

... the Thai red curry was actually more like butter chicken curry, but still very tasty; a smidgen spicy but not too much; crispy tofu of course not crispy as it was soaked in the curry, but the tofu itself was passable; shiitake flavorful...

This post contains mostly pictures.

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.

It was a girl date night with The Style Guru and we decided to walk from her place on mid-main street to the Vancouver Art Gallery for their Friday FUSE event (for info on FUSE click here - it was a very cool event, I recommend checking it out.) As usual, we had a tough time deciding on where to go because we are both food nerds

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.

As I described, “The Pandan Fashioned Cocktail hits the tongue with familiar bourbon and bitters, followed by the nutty pandan flavor that lingers. This simple drink is made with only 3 ingredients, including a pandan-infused simple syrup, but it’s surprisingly complex.”

A couple of weeks ago, I visited the newly opened Union Bar next to the Jimi Hendrix Shrine across the Georgia Viaduct in Chinatown. The restaurant is the fourth from the Cascade group (think the Cascade Room, Habit Lounge and Latitude, all further up Main Street). There are about 80 seats with about 10 to 15 seats at the bar. Much of the space is wooden and the walls adorned with various art installations. The food is Southeast Asian with several rice and noodle dishes, curries, pad thai and nasi goreng, as well as a variety of small plates, including beef satays, salads, and banh mis. Notables include veggie pakoras and the mildly sweet and spicy chilli chicken wings. The Cascade's Arthur Wynne has created a diverse Asian-inspired cocktails list with a twist. For a sweeter cocktail, try the Banga #1, served in a fashionable little jar, or a virgin cocktail with Lapu Lapu cucumber juice, coconut water, calamansi and pandan syrup. For a Sunday

I had the pleasure of visiting The Union Bar with my good friend Jason Sanders a few weeks back. As you know, I'm not very much of a fan of some types of fusion food/drinks/cocktails, but the Filipino-South-East-Asian cocktails that The Union Bar serves are definitely some of the best cocktails I have had in this town, and while they are on the medium-to-higher end of prices, I can safely tell you that they are some of the best cocktails that I have had in a long while. I also loved how spacious the room is, how friendly the staff is, and how (despite not having reservation), it was full without being insanely crowded. Close to the Skytrain station Main Street/Science World, in the heart of Chinatown, The Union Bar is proving once more than you can have a successful business in Strathcona without destroying the nice vibe of the neighbourhood. I will not comment on the actual food, even though from where I was standing, the food was just as equally delicious, and the prices weren't to b