Chinatown Proud · Styled by Us ·Jul 10, 2024

Merchants of Chinatown: 3 Questions with Cullin David

We have exciting things on deck this month (Chinatown Festival celebrations), and there’s no better way to tease the upcoming events than sharing our second instalment of the Chinatown Merchants Series.

What: We asked 4 of our Chinatown neighbours 3 rapid-fire questions, styled them in Private & Co., and did a photoshoot with the talented Josan Woo @josanwoo.photo

First Up, “3 Questions” with Cullin David, Chef/Owner of Calabash Bistro.

PCo: What’s your connection with Chinatown?

CD: Growing up in Vancouver Chinatown was always an adventure, a place to find new treats, and the only place to find fresh sugar cane in the 80s and 90s. My love for fresh sugar cane was also the beginning of my exploration in Caribbean cuisine. Chinatown had a direct impact on my future.

PCo: Tell us a fun story about Calabash?

CD: Raekwon “The Chef” of Wu-Tang came in many years ago and we had a version of our chicken wings on special. “The Chef” asked to speak to the chef, and I sheepishly went downstairs to see how his meal was. He wanted more sauce in his chicken curry, and then he said, with a fist pump, “But yo, these wings right here though, these wings are the truth, the TRUTH!” He dapped me and continued eating. Needless to say, I walked back up to the kitchen buzzin, knowing my wings are “Chef” approved.