The Union

Tasty food. Dishes done in subtly different way. Maybe a tad salty in some cases. Great set up and environment inside. Communal seating can be good but sometimes not ideal. But it’s always «hoppin» inside and out with lots of people. Not much room on sidewalk for patio.

Our first meal on our Vancouver weekend getaway. My bf picked this place because he knows I like brunch while he LOVEs Asian food. This was a combo of both.
Service: AWESOME service! Our servicer was really nice and helpful. She helped answer a lot of our questions regarding the best way to get to Stanley park
Ambiance: a very cute cozy place. Love the industrial décor
Food: the food was just average. The bun for the Bao Bennie was a little soggy. The potatoes however was very crispy. The Filipino dish was just average

After driving around famished for awhile, I decided to stop in at The Union for a quick bite to eat. I have to say, the food was delicious, albeit a bit intimidating if you’re not too familiar with Asian Fusion type entrée’s. The staff was very polite, and the restaurant’s feel was great as well.
With a tiny bit more attention from wait staff, this would easily be a 5 star!

Ventured in on Saturday to meet up with some friends. Was really pleased to see quality cocktails! The atmosphere is alive and everyone is in high spirits here. The selection of drinks is great. One of my favourites was the Tom Yum Collins followed closely by the … actually have no idea of it’s name but the fact that they seamlessly mix coconut milk into alcoholic beverages is delicious and impressive.
Perhaps my favourite point for the Union is that they offer drinks made with spirits from Odd Society. Which is another favourite local spot of mine.
Will return — to try out their food!

Love the brunch menu here! Great dishes with a twist, can’t wait to try the rest of the menu.
The jimmy is basically a carnivore dish with sausages, bacon, short ribs and eggs with Mung beans but full of flavour. The Bennies has a twist served on bao rather English muffins.
Value ³⁄₅
Atmosphere ⁵⁄₅
Service ⁵⁄₅
Quality ⁵⁄₅
¹⁸⁄₂₀

So… Unilocal knows whats up! My man and I were in lovely Van for the weekend and we visited as many food, wine and beer spots we could. The union was legit. I had a fresh squeezed juice with the ginger. I love that the rind of the orange was squeezed with the other fruit. I love the bitterness and depth of flavor that the rind provides that you def miss if it is not included. We both had the phở after a long Saturday night, and it was very tasty. The noodles were different than what we are used to — but the broth was a winner. I loved the depth of flavors the spices delivered to my soul… oh…and the music mix that was playing — I could do nothing but hum as I slirrrped. Legitness all around and back… for days and days…
WAIT…the staff was amazing too. Definitely way better than American hipsters, as these hipsters were quite fashionable and very sweet and friendly… what a pleasant surprise… they were even kind to the creeper dude that came in and behaved in a very odd way. Awesome, much respect to being kind!
Lastly, the seating was quite social and fabulous! Despite the kind of cluster f it created for the servers the patrons are happy… I loved it, and found that it was quite comfy.

This restaurant had a lot of promise, but unfortunately fell short and failed to deliver. Not because of the food, but rather the people and the poor service.
We went on a Sunday for brunch at around 12:15. We were greeted right away, which is great. However, the first sign that things were not as rosy as they seemed was that with 2 cleared tables, we still were not seated for about another 10 minutes.
When we were seated, they did not take our orders for about 15 minutes. When they finally did, we waited and waited and waited for the food. After about 30 min, the food got there, it was pretty good I won’t deny. But come on this is just brunch… Even dinner entrees don’t tend to take that long.
The worst part was at the end. We had finished eating and there were 2 families waiting for a table. We repeatedly tried to flag down any server to no avail as they buzzed around not making eye contact. Waited about 15 min and I could tell the people waiting were a bit fed up, so we flagged down one of the servers and asked for the bill. She brought the bill 5 min later, I was paying by card and she never came back with the card machine. We looked around trying to flag someone down for another 10 – 15 min but to no avail.
Finally I went up to this one chubby girl with short blonde hair, possibly bartender, standing there and asked if I could pay up front with credit card. She kind of rudely stared back and said no the server will bring it to you. Well hello, if they’d done that then I wouldn’t be here!!!
We ended up leaving the place at around 1:55 ish. What kind of restaurant doesn’t want to get the bill paid and open up the tables for the next customers?
The 2 stars I gave is for the decent food. Otherwise this place would get 1 star.

Love this place. Bright, sunny and spacious with great craft beer and cocktails. Interesting, delicious creative breakfast. Staff have always been friendly and attentive. Love that it is on the bike path too!

My new fav brunch spot in Vancouver!
I am always excited by restaurants that make it difficult for me to choose an item from the menu on grounds of there being too many yummy-​sounding dishes.
Both times my wife and I went we enjoyed genuine hospitality by people who seemed happy to be there; prompt, polite, and personable! We loved the room too. The communal tables definitely add to the casual ambiance and heighten the whole casual Southeast Asian vibe/​menu.
While my wife tried the french toast the first time and the Guacamole Bao Bennie the second, both times I went for the Bangalore Hash.
The French Toast was deliciously light (quite the feat considering the French toasts out there), but we were left wanting more pears! I loved how the Bao soaked up all the hollandaise and complimented the Asian guacamole in making it a well-​rounded Bennie.
As for the Bangalore Hash… AWESOME! I would put this hash up against any meat-​filled hash anywhere! The combo of cauliflower purée, peas, goat cheese, squash, and potatoes was like nothing I had ever had. EVERY bite offered an exciting new taste. I guarantee you WILL NOT miss the meat in this hash!
A great brunch spot that I definitely recommend and cannot wait to try for dinner.
FYI– The first time we went there we saw Chef Lynn Crawford eating!!! Felt like a nerd, but I was totally star struck! If The Union is good enough for her. then it is good enough for me!

The crispy spicy tofu is amazing. You can’t get bowls after 10pm. WTF.
Really like the vibe and ambiance.

This is a nice little pan-​asian restaurant. They’ve picked a selection of dishes from around Asia (well mostly south east Asia) and they do them reasonably well.
They there is a great selection of Asian inspired cocktails and a rotating selection of craft beer.
If a server asks you if you’d like a fried egg on your sandwich or rice/​noodle bowl, say yes. You won’t regret it.

I had high hopes for this place after reading some of these reviews, but unfortunately I left disappointed.
We came in after a Canucks game and the place was nearly empty. We requested a long table in the back so we wouldn’t disturb any of the other customers, but the two girls at the front sort of gave each other this look and shrugged like we were inconveniencing them by asking to do this.
We ordered all of the Bangas, and I wasn’t really impressed to be honest. I think the only one that I liked was Banga #1. This one has gin, lemongrass, lychee, ginger, thai basil, fresh lime and gomme. For those who might not know, gomme (gum syrup) is a type of syrup to sweeten cocktails. The drinks were good, but it’s more of a «yum!» drink than a «I’ve had a long day and would like a head-​change» drink. I also ordered the fried tofu vermicelli bowl, which wasn’t bad for a place like this. I’m a San Jose native, so I’ve always been very picky about my Vietnamese food. The flavors were all great, but the veggie to noodle ratio was really off.
I’m not giving this place 3 stars because of the food or drinks, but because of the experience. Our server was… Interesting. She gave us attitude from the moment we walked into the restaurant but it only got worse as more time went on. One of my friends got up to use the bathroom, and she saw this and rushed over to our table and said «I’m going to need you guys to not switch seats.» .Ah, darn! I guess there goes our game of musical chairs we were going to play. Another one of our friends just so happened to walk in, so we were standing up and chatting next to our table and our server would scoff and basically shove us out of the way. We honestly weren’t even in her way and she could’ve asked us to stand elsewhere instead she insisted on making strange sounds, so we just let her. She also had the worst tone with my vegan friend who was asking some pretty basic questions, but would answer them in questions as if she should already know these things about the menu. We never saw her again until we needed our check, probably because she was already getting gratuity since our party was so big. Oh– And when we paid in cash, she asked us if we needed change even though she was already getting her 18%. –_​– That wouldn’t have been so odd if she didn’t openly act like she hated us. I don’t know, I usually have a pretty high tolerance for service since I was in the food industry myself and I know how stressful it can be sometimes, but there was no excuse for the way she was acting towards us. It sucks that I had to bring my friends from California here out of all the other amazing places I could’ve taken them. It left a bad taste in all of our mouths. I definitely won’t be back and will not be recommending anyone here that plans to visit.

I’d been to the Union for brunch and was not particularly impressed with my particular order. But my friends liked it enough so I had it in mind to go back for the dinner menu. Finally got around to it tonight.
Sweet & Sour Fried Fish Bánh Mì ($ 10) Vietnamese sub with spicy sriracha aioli, jalapeños, daikon & carrot pickle, cucumber, cilantro
–I was intrigued by the idea of bánh mì for dinner, so I ordered two and asked for a knife to cut them into sections to share. Bonus points to the restaurant for not only offering to cut it for us, but presenting each section in a paper pocket.
–At $ 10 per order, I had high hopes, especially as you can get a decent bánh mì for $ 4. It turned out to be absolutely the worst bánh mì ever. Anything from Subway or Quizno’s would have been better. You can get a better one for $ 3.95 from Saigon Fare Café.
–Not sure whether to laugh or cry at the token content between the bread. And I’m not just talking about the pitifully narrow slice of fish.
–That fish was sweet and sour?
-«Spicy sriracha aioli» tasted like mayo with a token bit of chili. Barely any reading on the spiciness-​o-​meter.
–There was jalapeño?
The Bowls were way better in taste and portion for around $ 15. From the bits I sampled, flavour seemed very good. Even the Som Tum salad at $ 10 had a reasonable portion for price, plus a generous amount of crispy shrimp. In comparison, my Bánh Mì was utterly embarrassing and having already invested $ 20 to share with our table, I was not willing to pour more money into this dinner.
Cha Ca Hanoi ($ 15) pacific cod, market greens, turmeric chili coconut milk, dill, rice vermicelli, nc chm, fresh herbs, scallions
–Not my order, but noteworthy for the cod being mixed in with the noodles in flakes that can be hard to spot. There *probably* is a fillet portion around the size of a pack of cigarettes, but it’s hard to tell, so if you are intent on knowing how much fish versus filling carbs you are getting, then it will be tricky.
Chai Chocolate Pot ($ 8) with milk chocolate candy crumbs on whipped cream
–Very strong flavour of chai spices, though no really detectable tea aroma. Enough flavour to compete strongly with the chocolate, but not flatten it.
–I personally found the bitterness to work against it, but this is a personal preferance.
–Make sure you share this with 3 – 4 people. Price for portion is decent for basically a small bowl of chocolate.
Peanut Butter Pie ($ 8) chocolate ganache, roast peanut praline
–The praline shows up as a generous sprinkle on whipped cream.
–Looks like a slice of cheesecake, except it tastes like peanut butter. If you eat this all on your own, you will probably get peanut butter fatigue. Make sure you share it with 3 – 5 people.
–Regulation size slice, not shamefully skinny or short. OK pricing at $ 8.
–If you like smooth peanut butter, then this is like eating a lot of peanut butter with a bit of chocolate — the strangely good combination made famous by Reese’s.
Naan ($ 2)
— Looked suspiciously like store-​bought pita bread cut into wedges.
Matahari ($ 5) guava, apple juice, fresh lime, pandan syrup, ginger beer
–Non-​alcoholic cocktail.
–Tasted like ginger beer. That strong flavour with clear ginger bite pretty much flattened everything else, so when you read the ingredient list, ignore everything except the word «ginger».
–At least it was only $ 5.
Service on the Saturday evening was good, but slow for a full room that still had line-​ups around 8pm and walk-​ins at 9pm. Felt understaffed but doing their best.
The Union is a Mealshare charity partner.

One of my favorite spots when I’m craving some spice! I love the Bangas, I usually go with Banga #1 but they’re all tasty. They’ve perfected the heat of their food with a balance of curry, chili spices, coconut & more, the food stays true to its region and as an Indian girl, I definitely appreciate that!
The Mussels to start are one of my favorites, the red chili & coconut broth make for a delicious pairing, and it comes with fresh naan to soak it all up! The Nasi goreng as an entrée is normally the way I go but you really can’t go wrong with any of them!
A great ambiance & atmosphere, my sister lives upstairs so I frequent here quite often & am never disappointed!

Great atmosphere. Great drinks. Great Asian fusion food.
Whenever I’m craving for good comfort food I can always cone to the UNION. Love the whole menu.
Recently I took some girlfriends here to get some chicken wings. We ended up ordering way too much good but it was worth it. We ordered: som tum (papaya salad), lemongrass chicken bun vermicelli bowls, Korean veggie bibimbap, & hawker Thai chicken wings. I loved all the dishes we ordered equally. All are must-​trys!!!
We also shared the lemongrass scented soda water. It’s super refreshing especially on a hot summer night. If you’re craving for some good drinks, I recommend their Banga #1.

Ive been here dozens of times and I still don’t really know why I keep going. It’s not bad… its just pricey and does a less than great rendition of all the things you like from various ethnic foods all in one bowl.
It’s like a grade 8 highschool party at the cool older guys house, with the popular crowd standing around the ultra cool smörgåsbord his mom bought of sushi, kalbi, some Viet spring rolls and a some fusion wings. You are wowed because so far all you’ve ever eaten is McDonald’s and your moms home cooked bland meals. Not only that but Jimmy cool guy is making some really exotic cocktails in the corner… wait…how do I get out of here?
OK flashback to me sitting in the Union at the bar ordering some kind of «bhanga» cocktail. I still feel like that kid at that party. Mainly that I would love to be anywhere else eating tastier food that has way less of a cool factor. None of the food items or drinks are worth the price or the slick descriptions on the menu.
Still feels like a crappy sad time warp in a bowl or glass.

11pm on a Thursday night seems like a good a time as any to get a quick snack after some extensive bar hopping!
Enter, the Union.
I have been craving a good Banh Mi for quite some time now and was floored by how amazing these meat filled sandwiches of joy were. My friend and I ordered the Tofu and also the Pork Belly Banh Mi. Both were out of this world delicious and made with simple, fresh ingredients. I swear, these things reminded me of growing up to the homemade ones that I would get at home as a child.
Now I am on a mission to come back for the cocktails and noodle bowls!

I came here for brunch on a Saturday. The food was alright, they have some really interesting things in the menu. It’s definitely an asian fusion restaurant, being a huge fan of asian fusion I have to say that some flavours just didn’t work for me. The pandesal, did not taste like what a pandesal should taste like. I had a the Rosa Milk, and it was just alright.
If your looking for a place to have brunch last minute, this is a place to check out. There’s no wait when I went, and I came in peek brunch hours. Good place to have brunch with friends, lots of room, and chill atmosphere.

Great place to have a brunch on the weekend.
I had egg benny with Chinese guacamole and I can’t complain. I liked a lot the mixture of ehh benny with some asian flavors. My husband had the egg benny with pork and he approved the dish too. :)
The location is great close to the bike lanes. So It is a great place to stop by on weekend mornings if you are passing by bike in sunny days ;D
Really cool atmosphere and staff is really friendly.

The Union is terrific! I’ve been there 3 times now, and I’ve always had a great time. It’s got a great buzzing atmosphere that’s great for having a good catch up with a friend, or sitting at the bar soaking up the hum of other people’s conversations. I like the idea of the long tables — they’d be great for a big group, or potentially making new friends!
I’ve always had great service here, whether it was at the bar or a table, so I’m surprised to see some people haven’t. I was there on Tuesday, it was jam packed but my water glass was never empty for more than a couple of minutes, our food was prompt, and the server always had a second to provide a recommendation or just say hello. She was friendly and courteous, and aware enough not to intrude when we were deep in gossip!
The cocktails are uh-​mazing! Like, ridiculous. Some contain ingredients that I’ve never heard of but am super glad are now in my life! Even the non-​alcoholic ones are inventive, and original! And the FOOD, oh my god… I’ve had a couple of the noodle bowls and I can never manage even half! They’re enormous and super delicious — really flavourful, well-​balanced, and well-​seasoned. We ordered crispy chick peas and shrimp crackers too (we were hungry, ok? No judging) and were so full from our half bowls of noodles that we picked at the chick peas for the rest of the night (so worth the full-​stomach pain!)
I highly recommend The Union, whether it’s for a quick drink or a full meal!

Ein super Restaurant/​Bar mit toller asiatischer Küche. Habe noch nie so gut asiatisch gegessen wie hier. Der Service ist gut. Das Ambiente ist gemütlich, sodass einer ausgelassenen Stimmung nichts im Wege steht. Das Restaurant ist recht klein und unscheinbar, aber ein Besuch hier ist Pflicht. Musik im Hintergrund ergänzt die gute Atmosphäre.
Eine absolute Empfehlung!