Inside downtown Vancouver's huge new dim sum restaurant Cold Tea (PHOTOS)

New downtown Vancouver spot Cold Tea just opened in the former location of Tsui Hang Village Restaurant, which closed its doors abruptly in December.

Despite opening its doors in the midst of a pandemic, the new eatery has been garnering buzz for both its eats and its stunning updated interior.

The new establishment, which offers Chinese BBQ, Vietnamese grub, and all-day dim sum, was initially slated to open in March 2020.

Now, the 1193 Granville Street spot is open, and it’s vibe and design aims to pay homage to the history of the building as well as its predecessor, Tsui Hang.

Brought to us by Ron Cheng (former General Manager, Hapa Izakaya, The Parlour, Tap and Barrel) and Paul Rivas (Owner of The Parlour and Bodega on Main), the new Granville destination’s kitchen is running under Chef Thien Vuong, who was formerly the Head Chef at The Parlour, Bodega on Main, and Frankie G’s.

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Described as a “new-wave dim sum space” with a “tapas sharing approach,” the food menu at Cold Tea focuses on easy-to-share handhelds like baos, banh miss, wraps, and rolls, along with traditional shareables such as Spicy Chicken XO Wontons, Gai Lan, and potstickers, to name a few.

Full family-style options will not be served until dining restrictions lift down the line.

If you were ever inside Tsui Hang then you know this space is large. Cold Tea’s owners have added big, traditional dim sum tables with inviting upholstered booths and chairs, but they opted to keep the signature chandelier along with the original vases from the space as well.

The 130-seat restaurant (pre-pandemic number) has several classic Chinese elements in its decor, including a large abacus (Chinese calculator) at the entrance, Asian artwork and murals around the space, and a “larger than life” mural in the main dining room by Vancouver artist Sace Forand.

Due to the pandemic, Cold Tea is not open for dine-in service yet. The eatery is offering delivery and takeout from Tuesday to Sunday from noon to 9 pm.

Dine-in hours are to be determined, but we’ll keep you posted once that information is updated.

Until then, be sure to order online and get a taste of what the Granville Strip’s newest spot has to offer.

Cold Tea

Address: 1193 Granville Street, Vancouver
Phone: 604-423-2653

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