This week, Kim’s Convenience star Andrew Phung uploaded the first in a three-part video series highlighting Calgary’s Chinatown.
Born and raised in Calgary, Phung’s connection with the city runs deep, and Chinatown in particular is a place that holds a lot of significance to Phung and his family.
"I'm a Calgary kid, born-and-raised, and many of my weekends were spent with family eating in Chinatown. With Calgary taking steps to reopen, I wanted to help shine a light on all the delicious places to eat in this truly special area of our city,” Phung explains. “With the help of The City of Calgary, I've created some videos of my favourite places, all filmed prior to COVID-19 quarantine.”
The series was conceived in Calgary’s pre-pandemic era with the intention of bolstering local businesses in Chinatown that were facing a big decline due to misconceptions surrounding COVID-19 abroad.
And although the sudden and drastic changes from the pandemic ultimately delayed the series’ release, Phung says now that businesses are beginning to reopen, his message is as relevant as ever.
“This is a community of small business owners, and the food here is spectacular. I think about this food on a daily basis. I'm literally craving some BBQ pork buns and dim sum right now,” Phung continues. “Let's support local in Calgary and give Chinatown a visit. Your tummy will appreciate it!"
Phung’s first video highlights family-owned Rainbow Bakery in Calgary’s Dragon City Mall, who Phung says produces the city’s best BBQ pork buns and egg tarts. Phung says that as a kid, one of the things he looked forward to the most was seeing that white bakery box on his kitchen counter, and now as a dad, he loves to see kids react similarly.
Phung’s next two videos will highlight his favourite candy shop and his favourite place for dim sum. The videos are slated to release on Phung’s Instagram and Twitter feeds on June 12 and June 19, respectively.
