Itineraries

Experience Steveston’s Past Itinerary

Explore Richmond’s Outdoor Escapes

Whale Watching

Whale watching—epic, beautiful, unforgettable.

The majesty of watching these giants of the sea in all their glory while your boat skips along BC’s coastal waters, it’s an unmatched experience. While Orcas are often the main attraction, humpback, gray, and minke whales can be seen depending on the time of year. Keep an eye out for the Orcas of the Salish Sea, three pods (families) of resident Orcas that live and play in the waters off the BC and Washington coast. Steveston Seabreeze Adventures and Vancouver Whale Watch both offer incredible and informative tours. Tours depart daily from Steveston (April to October). Keep an eye out for seals, otters, eagles, and other birds along the way!

Good to know:

• There is a 90% whale sighting success rate, and if whales are not spotted, operators will offer you a free return pass. 
• If you’re staying in Vancouver, it’s just a 40-minute drive to Steveston. Be sure to ask about shuttles from downtown Vancouver (and Richmond, too).
   

*Both Richmond’s whale watching operators are running tours with new safety measures and procedures. Check their websites for times and booking.

Pacific Plates

Experience an exclusive five-course culinary journey that showcases Richmond’s cultural diversity at 75 West Coast Grill.

Birding 101

Learn the skills of a birder. Explore the amazing array of birdlife found in Richmond alongside ornithologist Liron Gertsman.

Dine Like a Critic

Taste and explore the evolution of Richmond’s vibrant Chinese culinary scene with renowned food critic Alexandra Gill.

What’s in Season

With 180+ farms operating within the city limits, fresh food has always been integral to Richmond’s culinary scene. Cranberries and blueberries are the most abundant crop, but the region’s soil grows many fruits and vegetables. Locally-raised meat, along with ocean-fresh seafood sustainably caught and sold right off the boat at Fisherman’s Wharf, abounds.

• Spring (March-May): cabbage, cucumbers, kale, peppers, tomatoes
• Summer (June-August): broccoli, strawberries, blueberries, tomatoes, spinach
• Fall (September-November): Brussel sprouts, cranberries, pumpkins, pears, Swiss chard
• Winter (December-February): apples, cabbage, carrots, onions, parsnips

Farmers’ Markets

The Steveston Farmers & Artisans Market (May-September), The Kwantlen St. Farmers Market (May-October) and the Cannery Farmers’ Market (October to April) are all great places for local food and unique artisan crafts. Check out our Events Calendar for upcoming market dates.

Food Street

70+ delicious restaurants over 3 blocks

Alexandra Road, aka Food Street or Wai Sek Kai, is a three-block stretch, a foodie’s dream. It’s part of the Golden Village, a commercial district in Richmond with a high concentration of Asian shopping malls and stores. Here are a few suggestions to get you started.

Note: If you are visiting during peak hours, save yourself from gridlock during peak hours and take the Canada Line instead of driving and walk from Aberdeen or Lansdowne Station.

Leisure Tea & Coffee
8391 Alexandra Rd #1110
This long-standing bubble tea café serves fresh and creative takes on a range of tea-based—green, red, black, herbal, and milk-based drinks. They also feature East Asian desserts like Japanese cheesecake and baobing, a Taiwanese shaved ice dessert covered in toppings including fruit, jelly, and taro pearls.

G-Men Ramen
8391 Alexandra Rd #1160
Get your ramen on in this thriving, trendy Tokyo-style eatery. From classic ramen with tonkotsu (pork bone broth) to brothless takes with a range of toppings and donburi (rice bowls) with spicy cod roe to chopped octopus.

Claypot Hot Pot & BBQ
8291 Alexandra Rd
This eatery’s unique approach features a three-tiered hot pot ‘tower’ at your table. There are two broths on the bottom, a grill in the middle, and a steaming basket at the top. We love seafood in the broth, meat on the grill, and dumplings in the steamer.

Cheap Eats

Richmond is a paradise of fantastic, inexpensive bites. Here’s a list of a few incredible, yummy deals.

Note: Most establishments on this list are cash-only.

HK BBQ Master
#144-4651 No.3 Road
Tuck into Richmond’s most authentic HK-style BBQ. This family-run establishment will not leave you hungry.

Prata Man Singaporean Restaurant
9060 Capstan Way
The Hainanese Chicken Rice, Mie Goreng, or satay skewers are just a few reasons this eatery has been open for more than 20 years.

Aberdeen Centre Food Court
4151 Hazelbridge Way

Bubble Waffle Café—Go for the noodle soup bowls, bubble waffles, and tornado potatoes.

Wu Fung Dessert—Order their untrimmed, crispy breaded, Chinese-spiced chicken wings,  noodle soup, deep-fried squid tentacles, and delicious curry fish balls.

Yougo Chicken—Try the addictive popcorn chicken nuggets here. This Taiwanese street food staple makes a nice meal with noodle soup.

Parker Place Food Court
4380 No. 3 Road

Joy’s Taiwanese Kitchen––Devour their savoury gua bao (Taiwanese hamburger) or the minced braised pork on rice. Don’t forget milk tea with your meal.

Icy Bar—Sip a luscious mango tapioca drink while indulging in a shaved ice dessert. They offer creations like mango pancakes and durian plant pudding here.

Parker Place (Aberdeen) BBQ Meats—Feast on succulent grilled pork, duck, chicken and beef to-go from this small butcher. Make it a meal with rice and condiments.

Richmond Public Market 
8260 Westminster Highway

Xi’an Cuisine—Slurp their fabulous hand-pulled noodles, fried up or added to a delicious soup. Note: they tend to sell out at lunch.

Peanuts Bubble Tea—Savour their milk teas in a range of exciting flavours like winter melon and honeydew. This is the only place you can get a large cup of bubble tea for less than $4.00

Chef Liu Kitchen—Discover this authentic Taiwanese food stall. Check out their popcorn chicken and larger meals like braised minced pork on rice with stewed egg.

Best Dim Sum

This quintessential Chinese meal involves selecting small sweet and savory plates. It’s a fun, tasty way to socialize and connect, and also hugely popular and never rushed. At Continental Seafood Restaurant, you order from passing trolleys (more old school), but usually you mark your selections on a pad of paper. We strongly recommend arriving early or making a reservation if possible. Standard Dim Sum hours are 10:00am-2:00pm

Customs and traditions

Tea
Dim Sum originated in the ancient Silk Road tea houses in Southern China. As such, jasmine tea is a keystone of this meal. Remember not to pour tea for yourself, and when you require more water for your teapot, flip the lid upside down to notify the server.  

Chopsticks

Only use your chopsticks for your own food. Use serving implements or offer small plates to your companions to serve themselves. When finished, place them together to the side or at the top of your dish or bowl. Don’t stick chopsticks into food or point at people with them. It’s acceptable in Chinese tradition to tip a bowl and guide food into your mouth with chopsticks.  

Dim Sum Standouts

Empire Seafood Restaurant—One of Richmond’s oldest, this elegant Cantonese eatery has traditional dim sum as well as pork knuckle and geoduck (at dinner only).

Parkhill Seafood Restaurant – renowned for their expertise in Cantonese-style dim sum, and especially well known for their Chiu Chow (Teochew) cuisine. 

Jade Seafood Restaurant—A contemporary take with traditional dishes and western-inspired fusion.

Best Chinese

Home to one of Canada’s largest Asian populations, Richmond’s restauranteurs have brought authentic home cooking across the Pacific for everyone to enjoy. Here are a few notes and regional cuisine highlights to help you decide where to take your tastebuds next.

Sichuan (Szechuan)
Bold and spicy
Classic Sichuan ingredients include chili pepper and garlic. Chengdu, Sichuan Province’s capital city, was given a UNESCO city of gastronomy designation. One of our local favorites is Szechuan House.

Xingjiang
Rich and hearty
Fragrant lamb, freshwater fish and halal dishes dominate the dishes from China’s harsh, landlocked, mountainous northwest. Explore this cuisine at Silkway Halal and Richmond Night Market stalls like Chef James Xin Jiang Man BBQ. 

Shanghainese
Light and mellow
As a coastal city, much of Shanghai’s cuisine centers around seafood. Other specialties include xiao long baos and beggars chicken, where the stuffed bird is baked at high temperatures in a very thick clay-like dough. Suhang Restaurant is the place to go to enjoy this style.

Cantonese (Guangdong)
Diverse and delicious
Many non-Chinese North Americans think of Cantonese (egg foo young, chow mein) when Chinese food comes to mind. Our dim sum restaurants and higher-end Jade Seafood Restaurant, Sea Harbour Restaurant, and Red Star Seafood Restaurant banquet meals showcase this cuisine.

Northern Chinese
Warm and filling
Northern Chinese cuisine features noodles instead of rice. It combines rich meats, spice and garlic. Beijing’s hot and sour soup and Peking duck are classics of this region’s culinary scene.

Big Red Scavenger Hunt

We’re Going on a Scavenger Hunt with Big Red

Irish Setter Big Red used to roam Steveston Village and was known as its “unofficial Mayor”. The Cannery Cat at the Gulf of Georgia has challenged Big Red to a scavenger hunt. With your help, we’re pretty sure Big Red’s going to win.

Visit heritage sites on this free, family-friendly scavenger hunt to find the answers to clues left by the wily Cannery Cat. Complete the scavenger hunt and win a sticker and postcard.