A journey into downtown Brantford’s authentic East Asian cuisine

Thando Bhebhe/ Creative Director
A jar of special chilli sauce from The Chinese Sisters

Downtown Brantford has a wide variety of restaurants and shops showcasing food and drinks from cultures all over the world. This is a positive trend noted by employees and owners of these establishments, as many have expressly opened their shops for this exact reason, hoping to widen the diversity within Brantford’s cuisine culture. There are a handful of Asian-owned restaurants and drink shops around the Wilfrid Laurier University campus. Many of these establishments are a mere stroll away from campus and each place has it’s own unique atmosphere and cuisine.  

Through conversations with the owners and staff, each restaurant’s unique story reveals the hard work that goes into keeping the doors open. The hospitality at each of these restaurants is overwhelming. The staff is eager to suggest their favorite meals and introduce customers to a slice of their culture. Beneath, dear reader, you will now discover a highlight of some of the best spots to eat and drink in downtown Brantford. 

CHINESE SISTERS 

Chinese Sisters is an authentic Chinese restaurant in the downtown area. Located on Colbourne Street right across from the LBYMCA, it’s within walking distance from campus and could easily serve as a great spot to relax and replenish between classes. Chinese Sisters have been open since 2018 and initially opened as a sushi shop before the owner Ying Ping developed it even further into the jewel it is now.  

It took a lot of trial and error to reach its current form during the pandemic, as Ying Ping said she was paying attention to her customer’s preferences, buying recipes and ingredients from groceries to appease them, thus birthing the current menu on offer.  

Thando Bhebhe/ Creative Director
Colborne Street view of The Chinese Sisters

The Chinese Sisters has a very welcoming environment and the hope from owners is that their   dishes make their customers — local or international —  feel at home, especially if they are feeling homesick.  There is a blend of cuisine from traditional Chinese and Americanized Chinese.  

“​​We modified the chicken to make it more like a Chinese dish. So before the general Zao chicken was like 80 per cent American and 20 per cent Chinese,” said John Che, the store manager. “We’ve changed that to something like 70 per cent Chinese and 30 per cent American.”  

Ying Ping had to reimagine the menu to appeal to her costumers. She introduced new recipes and bought new ingredients until she struck gold —  the current menu. 

Chinese Sisters has a special member of staff that they say ensures their food is culturally authentic, a robot that cooks the food.  The restaurant integrated a robot chef manufactured all the way in China during the pandemic after their chef needed to return home.  

“It’s not an actual human-like robot, it’s more like automated equipment,” said Che.  

In conclusion, Che leaves you with a must-try dish that he highly recommends: stew Beef on rice or noodles, depending on one’s preference. It’s sure to leave you wanting more! 

MOMOKO 

Momoko is a Japanese establishment that can be found in Harmony Square. There are two parts of the store: the bubble tea shop and Asian cosmetics, games and toys and then a convenience store beside it.  The meaning of the store’s name, Momoko, is “peach” in English, which is depicted in its logo.  

Momoko first opened their doors five years ago as a convenience store and opened the bubble tea shop two years later. Through the power of loyal customers and some luck, Momoko stayed open through and during the pandemic.  

Thando Bhebhe/ Creative Director
Momoko storefront from Harmony Square

The idea for Momoko came from the owner of the store. They said they wanted to bring some diversity to Brantford where they believed the culture was lacking. The owner said they also saw the need to bring some convenience to purchasing Asian products in Brantford. Many items that are available in the store to purchase can only be found in Mississauga or Toronto, bigger cities with more options.  

Mandy Lachapelle, the supervisor of Momoko, encourages students to visit the store. she says it is an amazing experience, there is great Bubble Tea, and it is conveniently close to campus.  

Momoko’s atmosphere is inspired by Japanese culture. Employees greet all customers as they enter and leave the establishment. A quick hello and goodbye can do a lot for making people feel more welcome when entering a store or restaurant, especially if they are unfamiliar with it or the culture it is representing.  

This welcoming environment has made quite the impression because customers of all backgrounds frequently shop at the store. There is a wide variety of Asian products for sale, some that may not otherwise be easy to find in Brantford. The staff at Momoko recognize that their store is more than just a place to buy recognizable food for students who are far from home.  

“With people being so far away from home sometimes, it’s hard to find a place where you can just feel welcome,” said Lachappelle. 

PALGONG TEA 

Palgong Tea is located on Wellington Street, a bit of a walk compared to the other entries in this list, being far closer to Conestoga College than it is to Laurier. But the journey is sure to be worth it once you try their delicious menu offerings.  

Specializing in bubble tea and macaroons, Palgong Tea still has a lot more to offer prospective customers, especially ones with a sweet tooth. 

Palgong Tea is a brand originally launched in South Korea in 2017, quickly expanding to over 200 locations across the country and then going global, eventually reaching Canada’s shores. With a blend of Taiwanese bubble tea recipes with trendy Korean flavors, the brand has been able to earn multiple lovers from a diverse range of communities. 

Thando Bhebhe/ Creative Director
Palgong Tea storefront on Wellington street.

Tom Hunxino Zhang, the store manager and one of the owners of the Brantford shop, said his customer base is wide, as he has regulars from Conestoga, Brantford Collegiate Institute and Laurier, all from diverse backgrounds. Many had never even tasted bubble tea before, but after trying a sip at his shop, they’ve suddenly found a new favourite. 

All this was part of why Zhang, who himself was an international student from Toronto, chose to open a shop in Brantford. He said Canada has one of the largest Asian communities outside of Asia and in Toronto, bubble tea places and other authentic cuisine spots are plentiful. Yet for those in Brantford who might want a taste of home or a new taste entirely, they would have to travel long distances all the way to Hamilton or Toronto just to access it.  

This was inconvenient, so Zhang changed that and has now made a taste of home, or a new taste, for the uninitiated, within reach for the Brantford community. The Brantford shop was opened in December 2023 and ever since then, it’s continued to thrive, being very popular among the younger generation. 

If you ever visit the shop, be sure to try the strawberry Earl Grey milk tea with tapioca pearls. It’s sure to be a treat! 

This article was originally published in print Volume 24, Issue 3 on Thursday, November 7.