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