Okanagan: Chinese-Canadian Cuisine in Penticton

First time trying ginger beef, a dish not found in Vancouver

This morning we set off from Osoyoos to Kelowna. It's about a two-hour drive, but we broke it up with a stop in Penticton for an early lunch.

After a few days of Western food we went in search for Asian cuisine and on Penticton's Main Street we found Wild Ginger.

It occupies what was probably previously a Western restaurant as it as an open bar near the entrance and contemporary decor that has no hint of Asian-ness.

Cantonese-style chow mein that hit the spot

The restaurant opened at 11.30am and we walked in soon afterwards, and already there were several tables occupied by Caucasians. 

The waitress was very busy running around in a black knit top and skirt with matching runners, giving people water and taking orders, while a young man in a white T-shirt and navy apron served large portions of food to customers and then ran back to the kitchen each time.

Hearing us speak Cantonese, the waitress was thrilled to be able to talk to us in her native tongue. She later explained she came here to learn English and got married. The young man also chatted with us. We were impressed he was born and raised in Penticton and his Cantonese was pretty good. He also spoke the Toi Shan dialect.

The menu is Asian in the sense of Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese. There's pho and spring rolls, wonton soup, Thai coconut prawns, chicken potstickers, Thai red curry chicken, kung pao chicken, and pineapple fried rice to name a few.

As soon as I saw ginger beef on the menu I had to try it. It's not something you find in Vancouver -- it's an invention in Alberta, where beef is plentiful. Originally the chef was trying to create a beef snack to go with beer, and thought of something slightly crunchy, savoury and sweet. While it's called ginger beef, it's a misnomer because there is no ginger in it.

Singapore noodles with prawns and char siu

It came in finger-like pieces, deep-fried and then enveloped in a sweet-and-sour sauce with some peppers. The texture is slightly chewy and meaty, and would go best with some white rice. But we had also ordered other carbs -- Cantonese style chow mein, where pan-fried noodles came with pieces of chicken, beef, shrimp, and vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots.

We also had Singapore noodles -- a Hong Kong invented dish that had bits of char siu, prawns, peppers and bean sprouts that gave it a nice fresh crunch. Another dish was pineapple sweet and sour pork, the pieces of pork that were on the small side, making it more crunch and less meat.

Nevertheless we enjoyed having our "Asian" fix and the warm hospitality at Wild Ginger. The two hours we were there the restaurant had a steady stream of customers which was impressive, a testament of its culinary appeal to the community. The cheap prices might also have something to do with it too!

Wild Ginger

340 Main Street

Penticton, BC