Jando S.
Yelp
If there is anything (food wise) I really miss from Hong Kong, it's Cantonese style roasted meats (燒味). Many foods can be replicated outside of HK, such as Dim Sum, banquet style Cantonese cuisine, but very seldomly does one find a dedicated Canto BBQ of this caliber. While it's true one could easily rock a pound of Char Siu BBQ Pork in any Chinese enclave community in North America, there is always some aspect that is missing in flavor and preparation. Only here in Vancouver have I found the variety and flavor that gets it close to the real deal in HK. Enter Parker Place's Meat & BBQ shop aka, 魂感肉食 (Wan Gam Yuk Sik!), a typical English name with a not-so-common Chinese one. This place is indeed special.
First off, there is always a line. Typically people are waiting anywhere from 25 minutes to a full blown hour. I am sure the neighboring empty stores at Parker Place are in awe of the queue that wraps around the hallways on any given day. The hype is real; lines in these parts indicate something delicious is waiting at the end.
What have we learned? If at all possible, arrive early. The other bonus is availability. Most popular meats run out by mid-afternoon.
Secondly, this is not just a shop, but a true butcher shop. They have cooked meats, uncooked meats, a variety of animal parts, and will sell it however you want it. Most people are here to score the usual variety: bbq pork (叉燒), roast duck (燒鴨), crispy pork belly (燒肉), soya chicken (豉油雞). Lucky folks might be able to score roasted goose (燒鵝) and potentially orange cuttlefish (鹵水墨魚), but those are always limited in availability.
For all the other meats, I had thought that other local butchers might have an edge on the pricing, but really prices here are still pretty affordable for pig / bird / beef parts exclusively. Whether it's for making a soup or adding to the variety at a BBQ, the options here are very impressive.
Lastly, the guys behind the counter are awesome. Speaking Cantonese is obviously the preferred lingo here, but a bit of pointing-at-the-menu for our English speaking friends may do one well here. Keep in mind it is cash only and *always* be prepared to wait. It may seem like they're the only Siu Mei game in town, but in reality, they're just the best.