Richmond
THEIR FAVOURITE SHOPS, SERVICES, EATS & SIPS
TRANSFORMING RICHMOND INTO AN ASIAN FOOD
MECCA
Tina Lee
Tina Lee is the CEO of Richmond-based T&T Supermarket.
PHOTO VALERIE LEUNG
With tens of thousands of votes cast, Richmond residents have once again chosen their favourite businesses.
Every spring, the Richmond News asks locals to support their favourite mom-andpop shops, their favourite services and their favourite foodie spots with a vote, and then we tally them up to come up with our A-List of businesses.
Last year, we rebranded our 18-year-old feature “Best of Richmond” to A-List –A for Awesome.
While you might recognize some of the names as big-box stores, many of the businesses chosen by our readers to be on our A-List are small, Richmond born-andbred businesses.
It’s always a pleasure to attend the A-List reception where I get to meet many of the business owners and hear their stories.
It’s not easy running a business, and I’m sure, with tariffs and higher interest rates, it’s been an even tougher go this year.
A shoutout to our sponsor CF Richmond Centre for donating a $300 gift card, which will be given away in a random draw of all the people who voted in A-List 2026.
When you’re out shopping or looking for a service, be it a dog-grooming, plumbing or accounting service, look for the “Awesome” sign that we’ll be distributing to all the winners, and consider giving them your business.
After all, they have our readers’ stamp of approval.
EDITOR
Maria Rantanen
EDITORIAL
Valerie Leung
SALES
Manny Kang
SALES
Arlene Grant, Collin Neal, Nayeli Garcia
PROJECT MANAGER
Brenda Coulbourn
DESIGN
Birgit Brunner
GENERAL MANAGER
Matt Blair mblair@lodestarmedia.ca
ThankYou,Richmond
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PHOTO: JOHNNY CHOI
THE ESSENTIALS
RICHMOND NIGHT MARKET
Biggest in North America
WORDS: VALERIE LEUNG // IMAGES: VALERIE LEUNG
The largest summer night market in North America returns to Richmond on weekend evenings, featuring food, retail booths, live entertainment, a zipline and a soccer theme this year.
Nestled close to the north arm of the Fraser River just west of River Rock Casino, the Richmond Night Market attracts up to a million visitors a year.
While the night market is fashioned after those found in Asia, the food has an international flavour, with items such as barbecue squid, ramen, Brazilian pastries, tornado potato on a stick, Japanese poutine, sushi and fresh fruit juices.
There are happy hour deals where every vendor offers selected food items under $10 and drinks at $7 throughout the evening.
The Richmond Night Market is open on Friday and Saturday evenings from 7 p.m. to midnight and Sunday evenings from 7 to 11 p.m. until Sept. 20.
General admission is $7. Children under seven and seniors over the age of 60 enter for free.
The Richmond Night Market is at 8351 River Rd. just northwest of No. 3 and Bridgeport roads.
Aside from food and shops, the Richmond Night Market has expanded its activities to include a 600-foot zipline above the market, a mega pinball duck race, carnival games and a stage with performances.
The theme for 2026 is “Little Wonder World” and visitors can see replicas of iconic landmarks from around the world.
To celebrate Vancouver’s participation in the FIFA World Cup 2026, the night market will include a new giant soccerthemed display this year.
For trading card enthusiasts, the night market is launching a trading card zone for TCG collectors to buy, sell and showcase their favourite Pokémon, anime and sports cards.
The night market is about a 10-minute walk from the Bridgeport Canada Line Station, and there is free parking on site for those visiting by car. ❚
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NEW THINGS in Richmond
Bowling Green
A long-awaited lawn bowling clubhouse has opened in Minoru Park, replacing the aging one originally built in 1968.
The official opening of the Bowling Green Community Activity Centre was in January.
City council approved $5.3 million to replace the original 1,920-squarefoot clubhouse in 2019.
The new one, however, at 3,200 square feet, is smaller than first planned.
The original plan was to build a 4,900-square-foot facility, but when bids came in higher than expected, it was scaled down, reducing the amount of amenity space.
The lawn bowling club is on the north side of Minoru Park, just off Westminster Highway, at 6131 Bowling Green Rd. ❱❱
WORDS: MARIA RANTANEN/VALERIE LEUNG // IMAGES: VALERIE LEUNG
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% Arabica
Japanese specialty coffee brand % Arabica opened a new location in Richmond Centre in December in the former Starbucks location near the escalators.
Founded in 2014 by Kenneth Shoji, % Arabica is known for its minimalist store designs and has since expanded to 24 countries with more than 200 locations.
Arabica opened its first B.C. coffee shop in July 2024 in Whistler Village, followed by a pop-up store in downtown Vancouver later the same year.
The Richmond coffee shop’s menu will include its signature Kyoto latte and Spanish latte among the 10 espressobased beverages, as well as drip coffee and affogatos.
Non-coffee drinkers can expect matcha latte, hot chocolate and lemonade as well as soft-serve ice cream.
Pathways housing
There is a new affordable rental building in Richmond, built specifically for people struggling with mental-health challenges.
Pathways Clubhouse, a Richmondbased non-profit, opened the six-storey Rio Vista housing development in March on No. 2 Road, close to Dover Park.
Apartments in the 80-unit affordable rental building range from junior onebedroom to three-bedroom units, with several accessible homes designed for people with disabilities on the first floor.
The building cost $48 million, of which $9 million came from the provincial government. The city contributed $2.2 million as well as the land valued at more than $8 million.
Steveston playground
Steveston kids can enjoy a brand-new playground next to the community centre (which itself is being rebuilt this year) on Moncton Street.
New features include salmon and fishing boat-themed climbers with interactive panels, a lighthouse tower with two big slides, a large sand play area
with a water table and digger, a train play structure and a double zip line.
There will also be “classic favourites” such as swings, spinners, slides, a playhouse and spring toys.
The city budgeted $2.2 million to rebuild the playground.
The first playground on that site was built in 1942. It was redeveloped in the late 1980s and early 1990s and expanded in 2003.
Steveston Thrift Shop
A new thrift shop has opened on Moncton Street as Steveston is on its way to being a “thrifting destination.”
The Steveston Thrift Shop, run by a non-profit society, is located in the former Steveston Hardware and Marine location.
Money raised will go to Richmond Cares, Richmond Gives and Pathways Clubhouse. Grants will also be given out from the money raised at the thrift store.
Miku at River Rock
Miku, a high-end Japanese restaurant based in Vancouver, opened a Richmond location earlier this year inside River Rock Casino.
The 4,900-square-foot space features spots for 80 customers and includes a sushi counter.
The restaurant, under Aburi Restaurants Canada, debuted in downtown Vancouver in 2008 before branching out to include a Toronto restaurant in 2018.
Miku Richmond’s kitchen is led by Aburi Restaurants Canada’s executive chef Kazuhiro Hayashi.
The menu includes Miku’s iconic aburi oshi sushi (aburi meaning “torched” and oshi meaning “pressed”), ebi fritters, Iwate wagyu carpaccio and other traditional nigiri sushi and sashimi platters.
RC underground parking
The surface parking lot at Richmond Centre tends to be a parking zoo, but there is now an alternative for those looking for deals at the mall.
Richmond Centre opened a new underground parkade last year with 785 parking spots that can be accessed off Minoru Boulevard.
When looking for the parkade, look for the sign for “Mah Bing Street” near the entrance.
While Mah Bing Street is not new, once the parkade was opened, new street signs went up. Mah Bing was born on Aug. 1, 1879, in the village of Ping On, China. and arriving in B.C. in 1900.
He first settled on Sea Island, where he worked on the Frasea Farm (Grauer farm) milking cows, according to Sea Island Heritage Society records. ❚
EATS & SIPS
EATS & SIPS
CERTIFIED AWESOME™
EATS & SIPS
TINA LEE
HELPING ASIAN MOMS FIND THE RIGHT INGREDIENTS, T&T EXPANDS TO 38 STORES
WORDS: VALERIE LEUNG // IMAGES: VALERIE LEUNG
The largest Asian supermarket chain in Canada started with the intention to help families find Asian kitchen ingredients more easily.
T&T Supermarket was founded by Cindy and Jack Lee in 1993 and was named after their two daughters, Tina and Tiffany.
Since then, the company has grown to 38 stores across the country and is now opening stores in the United States.
T&T is headquartered in Richmond with offices in Toronto and Los Angeles, but the mission is still the same, according to second-generation successor and CEO Tina Lee.
When T&T first opened, it was hard to find all the ingredients needed to make an authentic Asian meal, putting a lot of pressure on Asian mothers, Tina said.
“We took a lot of that complexity out of the moms’ kitchen and put it into the supermarket so that we can be guiltfree moms when it comes to serving authentic food to our kids and families.”
The supermarket CEO highlighted Richmond’s “ecosystem of local suppliers” and commercial infrastructure as a factor in their success.
As the City of Richmond has grown, so has the number of small suppliers, farmers, food processors and trading companies that work with T&T, Tina explained.
She told the Richmond News the second-generation owners of these
companies now work with her just like the first-generation founders who worked with her mom.
“We built the business and grew together, and some of those suppliers have now expanded with us nationally and internationally.”
All these factors have laid the foundation for T&T Supermarket to expand to where they are today, and Tina said she is hoping to “replicate what we have in Richmond to other communities.”
Richmond known as “food mecca”
Richmond is described by Tina as a food destination for people beyond B.C.’s borders – a “food mecca.”
“I think part of (T&T’s) success is being in Richmond because the standard of food execution here is high, and that pushes us as the purveyor of food ingredients to level up our standards,” she said.
“I want Richmond to be more of an international destination and known as an Asian food mecca outside of Asia.”
Tina and her team often travel to find new Asian food trends, brands and supplies to “open up the food innovation” that occurs at T&T.
“I think we have built something that is of international standard, sparks curiosity, sparks connection. I aspire (to) this for T&T as a business and also for Richmond.”
Tina described Canada as a mosaic,
“I WANT RICHMOND TO BE MORE OF AN INTERNATIONAL DESTINATION AND KNOWN AS AN ASIAN FOOD MECCA OUTSIDE OF ASIA.”
where every individual, like a stone, holds its own colour and together forms a beautiful piece of art in the country, with each culture holding onto its own identity.
Although T&T largely sells Asian groceries, 40 per cent of the supermarket’s customers are nonAsians, according to Tina.
“T&T went from being an Asian store for Asian people to being an Asian store for everyone.”
Tina said she’s looking forward to Richmond shining even brighter as an international food destination and reaching international audiences as an Asian food destination in Canada.
“By expanding our business across Canada and also into the U.S., I hope it inspires other Richmond-based businesses, smaller businesses, to follow our growth path.” ❚
TINA LEE
SHOPS & SERVICES
Phone:604273-8481
Fax:604273-4729
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FUN FACTS about Richmond
Do you know Richmond has a strip mall nicknamed “Diabetes Plaza”?
Union Square Shopping Centre was nicknamed “Diabetes Plaza” because it has the highest concentration of bubble tea shops in the city. The plaza, behind Canadian Tire at Capstan and Hazelbridge ways, currently has 10 different bubble tea stores open, with one more set to open by the end of the year.
Did you know Richmond’s fire hydrants are hand-painted?
The city’s fire hydrants are handpainted by special hires every summer. About 12 to 15 fire hydrants are typically painted in a day, and around 1,000 fire hydrants are done between June and August. Each fire hydrant is repainted every five years.
Did you know Richmond used to have two horse racing tracks?
The city had two race tracks called Minoru Park Race Track, later named Brighouse Park Race Track, and the Lansdowne Park Race Track. During
the Depression of the 1930s, horse racing shielded the city from some economic woes the rest of the world was experiencing. Richmond was one of the first places on the west coast of North America where pari-mutuel betting was allowed.
Did you know Richmond was the first official geocache city in Canada?
Geocaching is a hobby where people use GPS to find little boxes with log books hidden out in the public; it’s been going on since 2000 (just after public use of GPS was allowed). The city organized its own “GeoTour” in 2015 to become the first Canadian city to do so, where city staff members placed 30 hidden geocaches around the city for people to find.
Do you know how long Richmond’s dike system is?
Richmond’s dike system is 49 kilometres long. The city heavily relies on these dikes and 39 drainage pump stations to prevent flooding. Portions of these dikes are being raised nearly every year to keep up with rising sea water levels.
Do you know why the Hamilton neighbourhood is so far from Richmond city centre?
Also often referred to as the “forgotten area of Richmond”, Hamilton was developed as a more industrial-residential hybrid area near major transport routes as opposed to a traditional suburban city core. The area’s first school was founded in 1936 following residential growth and homes were built in the area under the Veteran’s Land Act for servicemen returning from the Second World War.
Did you know there used to be an ice cream parlour at Larry Berg Flight Path Park?
Larry Berg Flight Path Park was, and still is, one of the best places to watch planes, play and enjoy a picnic.
In 1935, the spot was so popular that Robert Gordon built the Seabright Ice Cream Parlour so plane spotters could enjoy a sweet treat while watching planes pass by.
Did you know there is an aquarium exhibit inside Vancouver International Airport?
Inside Vancouver International Airport, there is a 114,000-litre aquarium, which houses more than 20,000 marine plants and animals. The exhibit was built in 2007 as a partnership between the Vancouver Aquarium and the Vancouver Airport Authority, which manages and operates the airport.
Do you know which road in Richmond has the most religious institutions?
A three-kilometre stretch of No. 5 Road, between Williams and Blundell roads, has been deemed Richmond’s “Highway to Heaven.” This is because it houses more than 20 diverse religious institutions, schools and temples, becoming the city and the Lower Mainland’s most multi-faith area. ❚
WORDS: VALERIE LEUNG // IMAGES: VALERIE LEUNG
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HOME & GARDEN
WHAT’S HAPPENING
RICHMOND CELEBRATES SOCCER
JUNE 12: CANADA FIFA GAME
World Soccer Day kicks off at the Richmond Olympic Oval as the FIFA World Cup games come to Canada. Canada’s first match will be shown at the Oval and the public is invited to watch cultural entertainment and enjoy a barbecue.
FIFA WATCH PARTIES AND SOCCER EVENTS
JUNE 14:
Hamilton Community Park
JUNE 18:
Minoru Centre for Active Living Plaza
JUNE 21:
Garden City Community Park
JUNE 24:
Thompson/Burnett Community Park
JULY 6:
South Arm Community Park
JULY 7:
Cambie Community Centre plaza and King George/Cambie Community Park
JULY 11:
Burkeville Neighbourhood Park
JULY 14:
Hugh Boyd Community Park
JULY 18: Steveston Community Park
JULY 19: A watch party for the final World Cup match will be held at Aberdeen Neighbourhood Park. Local soccer clubs, live performances and family-friendly activities are part of the event schedule FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TIMES OF ALL RICHMOND CELEBRATES SOCCER EVENTS, GO TO RICHMONDCELEBRATESSOCCER.CA.
JULY 1: STEVESTON SALMON FESTIVAL
The Steveston Salmon Festival is one of the biggest parties in Richmond every year and takes place on Canada Day. This year is the 79th anniversary of the festival that features a parade through the village, a salmon bake, live entertainment throughout the day, food trucks and activities for kids.
STEVESTONSALMONFEST.CA.
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WHAT’S HAPPENING
JUNE 6, 7: DOORS OPEN
Many civic centres, religious and cultural institutions in Richmond will open their doors once again to the public for “Doors Open Richmond” on June 6 and 7, 2026. Participating facilities welcome the public to learn more about them.
In 2025, the public were invited to visit several churches, mosques, gurdwaras, historic sites and much more.
Doors Open Richmond runs on June 6 and 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (some sites might vary their hours).
RICHMONDMUSEUM.CA/DOORS-OPEN-RICHMOND
AUGUST 15: GARLIC FESTIVAL
Everything sweet and savory about garlic is celebrated at the annual Garlic Festival at the Sharing Farm in Terra Nova. The festival includes a farmers market, food booths featuring garlic, birds-of-prey demonstrations, a children’s area and live entertainment.
Entry is by donation and the minimum suggested donation is $5 per person. All donations go to support the work at the Sharing Farm.
The Garlic Festival takes place Saturday, Aug. 15 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
SHARINGFARM.CA/GARLICFEST
AUGUST 22, 23: MARITIME FESTIVAL
Steveston’s second biggest party, the Maritime Festival, takes place in late August and celebrates the fishing and maritime history of Richmond.
The festival features more than a dozen boats, including the SS Master that still has its original First World War surplus steam engine.
The boats are presented by private owners and groups such as the Royal Marine Search and Rescue Society.
FEBRUARY 2027:
CHILDREN’S ARTS FESTIVAL
The Children’s Arts Festival in Richmond traditionally takes place on Family Day in February.
In addition to the boats, there will be food trucks, entertainment and kids activities.
The Maritime Festival takes place on Saturday, Aug. 22 and Sunday, Aug. 23 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. along the waterfront in Steveston.
RICHMONDMARITIMEFESTIVAL.CA
EARLY SEPTEMBER: FARM FESTIVAL
After a few year hiatus, Richmond’s Farm Fest was back in 2025, and is scheduled to take place this year in early September. During Farm Fest, Richmond’s rich agricultural past is celebrated at the 136acre Garden City Lands in the heart of the city.
RICHMONDFARMFEST.CA
CHILDRENSARTSFESTIVAL.CA
CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL
With more than 250 Akebono cherry trees, Garry Point Park is the perfect spot for a cherry blossom festival. The annual festival celebrates Japanese culture and history.
The Richmond Cherry Blossom Festival usually runs in mid-April.
RICHMONDCHERRYBLOSSOMFEST.CA
