Family-run Vancouver restaurant gets new home in Coquitlam — here's why you should visit

You may recognize the name Ông Bà Eatery from its original outpost on Denman Street, a small, 16-seat restaurant offering a selection of Vietnamese favourites. Recently, owners and husband-and-wife duo Viet and Quynh decided to close the original Vancouver location and move to Coquitlam, expanding the restaurant to an impressive 200 seats.

The restaurant got its start as an homage to Viet’s grandparents, named Bố and Mẹ, meant to offer the same unconditional love that shaped the family’s journey in Canada (more on that beautiful story in a bit).

We had the privilege of being invited out during its soft opening (an event complete with a lion’s dance to bring prosperity to the new business) and were blown away by the new location.

First of all, the interior is stunning.

It goes without saying that the new Coquitlam location is a much larger space, creating an environment truly meant for gathering. Expect plenty of rich tones with red (a colour the team shared represents passion, resilience, and celebration), alongside plenty of tables and a full bar.

The menu consists of a combination of Ông Bà classics alongside some new dishes. But just like the space, everything on the menu has gotten an upgrade.

Highlights from our visit included Bò Tái Chanh Tartare — a wagyu butter beef tartare served with a garlic fish sauce dressing, dijon, shallot, mint, basil, Vietnamese coriander, toasted peanuts, and a side of lotus chips for scooping — alongside Pate Nấm Truffle, which is a decadent truffle duck pate served with toasted milk bread, and Mẹt Mini Bánh Xèo, which were golden crispy shrimp pancakes served with fresh lettuce, Vietnamese herbs, and house-made fish sauce.

It could be easy to fill up on the amazing selection of starters alone, especially with other bites like the Vẹm Xanh Sốt Cà Ri Cốt Dừa; mussels served in a coconut curry broth, served with a necessary side of bread perfect to soak up all that delicious saucy goodness collecting at the bottom of the bowl. Quite frankly, we’d been happy to have been left alone with just this dish and a spoon, but there were plenty more exciting dishes to try.

Pho is a staple at any Vietnamese restaurant, and Ông Bà is no different. The Phở Sườn Bò Wagyu (wagyu beef rib pho) was equally impressive as it was delicious, served with a hefty braised beef rib, Tajima wagyu rare beef, brisket, and bone marrow.

But our favourite bite of the night was the Xôi Sườn Heo Tomahawk Sốt Thịt Kho, also known as Ba’s caramelized pork tomahawk.

A 12oz Johnston’s Farm pork tomahawk is served on a bed of addictive thit kho caramel sauce and served with a mango cucumber salad and sticky rice. This meal was so good that, once we finished it, we contemplated if it would be polite to gnaw on the bone (we opted against it, but it was a close call).

For something a bit off the beaten path, the Mì Trứng Sốt Bò Kho (beef ragu pappardelle) was a delightful fusion of Vietnamese and Italian cuisine, served with a sous-vide egg and roasted grape tomatoes that burst in your mouth with every bite.

Drinks are also a must, including options like the Vietnamese Coffee Martini (Espresso Vodka, Galliano Ristretto, robusta, and white cacao), Lemongrass Gimlet (Pandan-infused gin, Demerara, lime, lemongrass, and foamer), and Can Tho Mojito (pineapple and basil-infused rum, lemongrass Demerara, Fleur D’orange, kiwi, calamansi, mint, and soda).

If you’re like us and have a bit of a sweet tooth, dessert is also a star here. Specifically, the Caramen Cà Phê — a Vietnamese flan made with coconut chantilly cream and topped with fish sauce caramel sauce and honeycomb candy crunch (can you tell we struggled to choose a favourite dish of the night?).

While it’s easy to get swept away in the decor and incredible food, the true heart and soul of Ông Bà comes from its founders’ roots. The new location coincides with a brand refresh, complete with a new logo showcasing Bố and Mẹ later in life, representing the happy ending of their journey.

The name Ông Bà actually means grandparents in Vietnamese, and the restaurant is meant as a homage to Viet’s grandparents, Bố and Mẹ and the story of how they came to Canada.

The story goes that Bố was a captain of a supply boat, while Mẹ was a young woman working as a cook at the docks. When Bố brought Mẹ home, he had given her a sewing machine, which was the most valuable thing they owned at the time. To Mẹ, it symbolized more than its worth: it represented love, hope, and the life they dreamed of building together.

After the war, Bố helped others escape Vietnam by organizing a boat to carry more than one hundred people towards freedom. He was captured and imprisoned for four years, during a time when inmates received no food from the government. Mẹ made the long journey to the prison month after month, sometimes walking for miles, to bring Bố food and see him for a few moments.

 

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When an opportunity to escape came about, Mẹ traded the sewing machine for a small sailboat. She rode her bike to the prison, and when Bố came out, he jumped on the back of the bicycle. Together they rode towards the shore, where they escaped Vietnam in that small sailboat with four young children, and spent seventy-five days at sea before reaching a refugee camp in Hong Kong.

Eventually, Canada gave the family a chance to start anew. Bố became a minister dedicating his life to serving the community, and the two started sponsoring refugee families looking to come to Canada.

When Bố and Mẹ started showing signs of age, and especially after Mẹ had passed away from leukemia, Viet and Quynh wanted a way to preserve their legacy. Thus, Ông Bà Vietnamese Eatery was born, acting as a living monument to the values Bố and Mẹ embodied: family, generosity, resilience, and love.

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So why should you visit? Well, for everything, of course, but especially for the love put into both the space and the food. This was one of those restaurants where you could feel the love baked into each and every dish and through the service. This will definitely be a repeat visit for us, and is well worth the trek to Coquitlam for any Vancouverite.