Vancouver-born and bred Chinese actor Ricky He is a huge foodie who’s scoured every corner of his city to find the best takeout. He went from studying psychology at the University of Columbia to starring in ABC’s The Good Doctor and the upcoming Russo Brothers’ sci-fi horror series From—set in a frightening middle America town that forces its residents to survive the surrounding forest and fight for a way out.
Below, the actor gives us his favorite Vancouver take-out spots—whether you’re looking for some 3 a.m. post-bar grub, a “stupidly cheap” hole-in-the-wall, or the GOAT of Phở.
From is available for streaming in the US on Epix on February 20th and on Netflix outside the U.S.
THE POKÉMAN KAKIGORI CAFÉ & POKÉ SHOP
“There are tons of poké spots in Vancouver and around the world these days, but PokéMan is an easy standout for me. Head chef and co-owner Tom Yamasaki used to be sous-chef at Miku—which is a sexy, high-end sushi spot here in Vancouver, so you can trust the quality, freshness, and preparation that goes into each bowl. They also have an unreal Japanese Beef Curry in case you get there and your friend suddenly decides they don’t like raw fish.”
3742 W 10th Ave / Vancouver, BC V6R 2G4, Canada / 604.428.7653
HAWKERS DELIGHT DELI
“Bomb-ass Singaporean place. This is the perfect take-out spot for a night-in, or if you’re ordering a bunch of items for a (small, socially distanced) potluck. You cannot go wrong with the Fried Char Kuey Teow—a broad rice noodle dish stir-fried with egg, bean sprouts, prawns, fish cakes, and auntie’s LOVE. Add some spring rolls and Roti Pratas to your order and you’re fucking set bucko.”
4127 Main St / Vancouver, BC V5V 3P6, Canada / 604.709.8188
SIEGEL’S BAGELS
“Drunk food. The best drunk food. Or high food. Regardless of your choice of poison, your follow-up poison should be Siegel’s Bagels. Housemade bagels, all your usual choices of toppers, and Montreal Smoked Meat. The fucking Montreal Smoked Meat. Look, is it as good as a New York bagel? I don’t know. But when you’re inebriated, it’s pretty damn close.”
1883 Cornwall Ave / Vancouver, BC V6J 1C7, Canada / 604.737.8151
NO. 9 RESTAURANT
“On the topic of inebriation, I gotta bring up a classic for many of my friends growing up. 3 a.m. after the club? No. 9. Quick meal before snowboarding? No. 9. Post-karaoke chow-down? No. 9. This 24-hour Cantonese food place is located inside a mall with a menu that’s way too big and offers way too many choices. I’ll be brutally honest, this is one of those quantity over quality situations. But for super reasonable prices, you get massive portions of solid Cantonese food that will satisfy your cravings and leave you enough for lunch the next day.”
5300 No. 3 Rd #812 / Richmond, BC V6X 2X9, Canada / 604.278.7700
WANG’S SHANGHAI CUISINE
“Wang’s is easily my favorite Shanghainese spot. It’s a tiny hole-in-the-wall, mom-and-pop restaurant with stupidly cheap prices. You won’t get better Xiaolongbao soup dumplings and beef noodle soup at this price. The XLB’s are exactly how you want them—a thin dumpling skin with the perfect, chewy mouthfeel stuffed with a ball of meat sitting in a jacuzzi of broth. It’s cozy; it’s warm, and it’s my definition of comfort food.”
3328 Kingsway #110 / Vancouver, BC V5R 5L1, Canada / 604.428.6818
BUN CHA CA HOANG YEN
“One of the best things about growing up in Vancouver, and particularly the east side of Vancouver, is the incredible selection of fucking amazing Vietnamese food. We have so many choices here that a lot of restaurants actually have dishes that they specialize in. And one of the best versions of that is Hoang Yen’s Bún Chả Cá. Bún Chả Cá is a special fish cake and vermicelli noodle soup—the tomatoes, the sweet and sour, the perfect noodle texture, the dill. It doesn’t get much better (or warmer) than that when you’re staying in on a rainy Vancouver day.”
5083 Victoria Dr / Vancouver, BC V5P 3T9, Canada / 604.321.2711
PHO 37
“Did I save the best for last? Maybe. Because this place is GOATED. Like I said, we have a lot of Vietnamese restaurants. And of course, a lot of Phở spots. But I can guarantee you, you have never had Phở like this. This place does everything really well—from the spring rolls, the lemongrass chicken on rice, to the vermicelli bowls. But the king of it all, and the thing you must order when you come here for the first time, is the Phở Tuan or the Tuan’s Special Beef Noodle Soup—loads of thinly sliced, rare steak, a generous amount of noodles, and a poached egg to mix into your soup. The soup is the highlight though. Peppery and aromatic; the soup has this irreplicable smoky, charred, garlicky edge to it that I’ve never had elsewhere. GOATED.”
1578 Robson St / Vancouver, BC V6G 2G5, Canada / 604.354.2030
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