Oriental Fast Bowl on Main Street in downtown Vancouver has closed its doors permanently. The space will soon be occupied by a new Eastern European restaurant. (Photos by Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)Photo Gallery
Oriental Fast Bowl, a long-running restaurant in the heart of downtown Vancouver that provided cheap Asian noodle lunches to folks for decades, has closed permanently.
Wayne Magnoni, the landlord for the property, said that a new Eastern European restaurant owned by a mother and daughter team is coming to the spot at 905 Main St. A liquor license application taped to the window states its name as 7 Restaurant.
The past owners and operators of Oriental Fast Bowl, the Kim family, retired and closed the business, Magnoni said. The ownership passed through three families since it opened sometime in the early- or mid-90s, but the Kims operated it for about the last 15 years, he said.
“Everybody loved the place,” Magnoni said. “People would drive from outside the downtown area to pick it up.
“(The Kims) tried to make a go of it during the COVID shut down. They weren’t doing too well, so we cut their rent way down. They went on vacation, and they decided that that vacation was good and didn’t want to reopen.”
Yelp contributor Ryan M. was representative of most of the restaurant’s reviewers. Last year he wrote, “This spot has been a standby for me for years. Cheap food like yakisoba and teriyaki chicken. I say cheap meaning the price. The food is always good. The lady inside is always very sweet and friendly. Highly recommend the Chicken Yakisoba. Lots of food for the price. Add a little teriyaki sauce, and you’re set.”
Owners of the new 7 Restaurant that is moving into the spot did not respond to The Columbian’s request for comment on Thursday. Tenant renovations are underway.
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