Calgary Local Guide: Asian Food, Neighborhoods, Ethnic Attractions

Many people look for Calgary local guide. In fact, it is hard to find a good comprehensive guide on Asian Food, Neighborhoods, and Ethnic Attractions. Calgary’s Asian Immigrants and ethnicity have grown steadily for the last two decades. So has the diversity of its neighbourhood. Originally, these communities served the needs of the newcomer population. However, this is different today. Everyone is interested in ethnic food and cultural attractions. Urbanites are trying Asian restaurants, eastern cuisines and non-indigenous recipes. Most importantly, they love to explore Asian neighborhoods and local attractions in the city.

Why People Like Asian Neighbourhoods?

1. A vast array of tantalizing ethnic food ideas and restaurants.
2. Can find many special ingredients, food stuff or condiments that are not available at mainstream stores.
3. Provide a great weekend activity for everyone, singles or family alike. If you are looking for fun things to do, why not visit your local Asian neighbourhoods now. Let me be your Calgary guide.

Centre Street & 2 Ave. SE

The first Chinese arrived in Calgary as early as 1885. Today the Chinese is one of the most established ethnic group. This is evident in the growth and prosperity of its community - Chinatown. Chinatown boasts a variety of authentic local Chinese food, Cantonese or Beijing style restaurants, ginger beef, noodles houses, traditional Asian cuisine, boutiques selling cultural items, and exotic herbal stores. Main attractions include the Sein Lok Society, Chinese Cultural Centre, and Dragon City Mall. Chinatown hosts many festivals including the Dragon Boat Race, Moon Festival, and Chinese New Year Celebration.

1623 Centre Street NW

This is a small yet bustling Chinese mall in the Northwest area. It has two Asian groceries, some boutiques, ethnic craft, herbal store, tea places, and food with distinct local Asian flavor. A well known restaurant that serves great dim sum is the Central Grand Restaurant. Discover dim sum, small delightful dishes that truly tingles your taste buds.

6800 Memorial Drive NE & 68 Street

The Filipino neighborhood has been active in Calgary for a long time. It hosts many activities to celebrate its heritage, i.e., Philippines Independence Day Celebration. Today the Filipino community is scattered throughout the city. However, one can find a lot of Filipino influences in the strip mall between Memorial Drive NE and 68 Street. Some well-known Filipino restaurants include Barrio Fiesta, Melly’s Bakery & Café. They offer unique local Filipino regional food. Adobo is a popular meat stew. A lot of festivals and community attractions are held here.

Castleridge Blvd. & Falconridge Blvd. NE

There are about 45,000 Calgarians who are born in India. These Asian immigrants have arrived since the mid 1960s. They now make up the largest single immigrant group coming to Calgary annually. Although local Indian stores are scattered throughout the city, the neighborhood in Castleridge & Falconbridge is indeed the heart of the Indian community. It has a wide range of specialty stores, Asian groceries, traditional shops, and boutiques. They sell ethnic products such as sari, jewelers, Bollywood movies, etc. Of course, don’t forget the biggest wonders of all, Indian food, red curry, white curry, all curry dishes, North Indian or South Indian cuisine, buffet., chicken Malabar, fish, tandoori chicken, butter chicken, naan bread, and other spicy dishes.

17 Ave. SE

International Avenue is a vibrant Asian district with a diverse ethnic composition. There is an interesting mix of businesses in this cosmopolitan neighborhood. It is an "all cultures crossroads” where you will find tasty eateries, restaurants, groceries, and retail stores from around the world. The most significant landmark is the murals. These murals reflect the community's history and cultural diversity. One of the murals “The Flower Fair” is designed by a Vietnamese artist. This work celebrates the Vietnamese community in Calgary and is placed at 2889, 17 Avenue SE on the Southview Centre building. The artwork illustrates the hustle and bustle of a flower market in Vietnam. There are two other murals. One is by a Portuguese and another by a Caribbean artist.

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10 Ave. SW & 13 Street

The Korean community hosts many local cultural events. It shares its heritage with other Asian communities in Calgary. The Korea Plaza is one of the prominent ethnic attractions in the city. It has a select of specialty stores, travel agencies, groceries, stores, pastries, health food store, and restaurants. The most well known is the Korean ‘smoke-free’ BBQ. At the Korean neighbourhood, you can get special Korean delicacies and items that are not usually seen in elsewhere. The major celebration is Korea Day, which is celebrated in the second Saturday of August every year. It takes place in the Shaw Millennium Park with Asian festive activities like traditional dances, music, food, and shows.

4909, 17 Ave SE, Calgary

Little Saigon Towne Square is the hub of the local Vietnamese community. Nestled peacefully in the SE, this small but vibrant Asian mall has Pho restaurants, community association, travel agency, groceries. Remember to try the Vietnamese submarine and salad rolls, they are wonderful. This ethnic mall has held many Asian cultural events. It is the centre of community and charity events. For example, the Vietnamese Youth Group hosted the Global Fest performances at this mall.

999, 36 Street NE

Located in the NE is a famous landmark for the Asian community, Pacific Place. Alongside the Moviedome and a couple of stores, Pacific Place stands out prominently in the area. Inside the mall you will find many Chinese stores, e.g., movie rental places, book and gift stores, electronic equipments, opticians, food court, Chinese restaurants, Hong Kong style beauty salons, clothing and shoes boutiques. There is a store that sells the most beautiful Japanese dinnerware in Calgary. You can enjoy Chinese food, especially Cantonese cuisine like spring rolls, Singapore-style vermicelli, and won ton soup. In this mall, most of the stores are trendy and upscale. The biggest one is the T & T Supermarket, Canada’s largest Asian Supermarket chain. What does T & T mean? The first "T" stands for Tawa Supermarket Inc., a California based Asian supermarket chain. The second "T" represents Uni-President Enterprises Corp., a top company in Taiwan. Both Tawa and Uni-President are major shareholders of T & T Supermarket.