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Q&A With Wild Rice Restaurateur Andrew Wong

Once or twice a week Scout poses 60 questions to a local who has made life in BC that much more interesting. They pick and choose which ones they’d prefer to answer, with a minimum response rate of 20. A Rorschach test, for sure…

Andrew Wong is the owner and front man at the award-winning Wild Rice, a restaurant that has seen good times and innovative, modern Chinese cuisine plated for the past seven years.

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Scout Q&A

Three things about your neighbourhood that make you want to live there: Chinatown/Crosstown. Great restaurants within walking distance. Close to my son’s school. The neighbouhood is filled with diversity.

Default drink of choice: Negroni.

Drink you’ll never have again: Great Wall Cabernet.

The one place you’d move to: San Fran.

Favourite wine varietal: Pinot Noir

One thing you’d like to change about Vancouver: Homelessness.

Cheap place for dinner: Shiro and Jules Bistro. I like to refer to them as inexpensive as opposed to cheap.

Book you’re reading: Heat, by Bill Buford.

Last place traveled: Maui.

Biggest fear: Cliffhanging.

Place in BC that you love escaping to: Saltspring Island.

Under what circumstances would you join the army: If canada were to be invaded.

Your paternal grandfather’s personal story: I never met the man. He had 3 wives, 11 children and passed away long before my time.

Best bar stool in the city: Gotham.

What are you proud of: Staying open for 7+ years

The thing that makes you the angriest: People that are capable of working yet choose to ask others for money.

Saddest thing about Vancouver: Panhandlers.

Most challenging part of owning a business: Staffing.

Talent you wish you possessed: Magic.

Musical instrument you long to play: Guitar.

Sport you gave up: Volleyball.

The thing that you eat that is bad for you that you will never stop eating: Deep fried chinese doughnut (yuah ja gwai) that goes with congee.

Somewhere within an hour of Vancouver that is worth checking out: Deep Cove.

The number of fist fights you’ve been in: 4.

The scariest situation you’ve ever been in: Confronting 2 burglars after hours in my restaurant.

Three things of no value that you will keep until you die: My son’s report cards, my comic books and my boy scout uniform.

How you waste time at work: Reading about wine.

The thing you wished people cared more about: Supporting local.

The dish you’re most proud of: Spaghetti with meat sauce, because it always make my son smile.

The thing that makes you the most nervous: Public speaking.

Town you were born in: Vancouver.

Old television shows you can tolerate re-runs of: Charlie’s Angels.

First memory: My green ball – hard as a rock and would not bounce.

Quality you admire most in yourself: Patience.

Album that first made you love music: The Beatles Rubber Soul.

Default junk food of choice: Cheezies.

The career path you considered but never followed: Acting.

Your top 3 films of all time: Braveheart, Salt of My Skin, Big Trouble in Little China.

The first three things you do every morning: Stretch, grab a breath of fresh air, then coffee.

The thing you’re addicted to: Chocolate.

Biggest hope: That my son will take on a moral fabric similar to my own.

Luckiest moment of your life: Meeting Louise, which lead to quiting smoking.

Favourite book as a child: Where The Wild Things Are.

Other Cool People

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There are 2 comments

  1. CONGRATS! Longevity… extremely hard to attain in this business & this man has figured out the formula! When can we expect another project ?

  2. I’m a big fan of your grace Andrew. You have done many things to lend well to this business. I enjoyed the 20 Q+A. Congratulations on the continued excellence.