HOSPITALITY SPOTLIGHT
/THE COZY WOK
by Jacqui Birchall
(click images to enlarge)
Nestled at 854 Denman Street, The Cozy Wok, a new addition to the neighbourhood, is a Hong Kong-style Cantonese food delight. The restaurant opened on March 1, 2026.
Arthur Aschiam. (Jacqui Birchall Photos)
Created by the restaurant-experienced Arthur Achiam and Ted Sze, the two share a vision of creating a restaurant that serves superb Chinese food in a western-style ambiance. They have succeeded.
The light-filled interior is beautifully presented and includes a fully stocked bar.
Both Arthur and Ted are from Hong Kong, and have spent many years refining their restaurant expertise around the world. Arthur was a shareholder, partner, and operations manager of the English Bay Cafe from 1976. He feels he is very much a West Ender.
Post 911, Arthur moved to Thailand, where he managed the catering for the prestigious Blue Canyon Country Club in Phuket, and then was CEO of the very upmarket Mango Tree Thai restaurant chain in Bangkok, a prestigious chain with 70 locations in 14 countries. Alas Toronto, but not BC.
Ted, who has lived in Vancouver for five years, has spent much of his adult life in Europe, and wants to bring good Chinese food to a western audience, an audience where the restaurant is peaceful, attractive, and gently lit; where delicious authentic Chinese food is offered. The chefs are Hong Kong trained in prestigious restaurants.
Their search for a suitable restaurant space took them to Squamish, but Denman Street turned out to be the magic spot.
Ted and Arthur are emphatic that they want the Cozy Wok to become a local restaurant, a restaurant where locals gather and feel comfortable. They have several daily regulars already. Check their website (see Related Links below) for their very profitable loyalty programme where you save as you spend.
The menu is varied.
the interior of the Cozy Wok.
Dim Sum is offered on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. I tasted all the dishes. Delicious. The popular dishes include Sui Mai, Har Gow, Sticky Rice Chicken in Lotus Leaf, Shredded Pork Rolls, Spring Rolls, Steamed BBQ Pork Buns, Bean Curd Wrap. Delicious, freshly steamed, and shareable.
Happy hour is daily from 2 to 5 p.m. At this time, all the small, shareable plates are $5 off and bar specials range from $5 to $10.
There are lunch specials, including Buddha’s Delight, BBQ Char Siu with Rice, and the typical Hong Kong favourite, Traditional Prawn Toast with sweet spicy aioli.
The main menu is delicious and extensive. I particularly liked the wok-fried beef noodles. When I commented on the amount of beef in the dish, Ted explained that while Chinese diners prefer smaller servings of protein and larger servings of carbohydrates, westerners prefer the opposite, so Ted and Arthur incorporate more protein in their dishes.
The Crabmeat Soup in a roasted Kabocha Bowl is delicious, healthy, and big enough for two. Be sure to dig into the roasted kabocha, a sweet Japanese pumpkin.
Traditional Prawn Toast.
Lychee Curry Duck and Spicy Mongolian Beef stand out, and there are several vegetarian offerings: Buddha’s Delight, Szechuan Green Beans, Eggplant with Black Bean Sauce, Tofu and Edamame, to name a few.
There will be a very special dinner offered on fireworks night, July 30. A Peking Duck Dinner Extravaganza. $49.50 per person, reservations only, minimum party of two.
If you order takeout the process is seamless. The posted time for me to pick up my completed dishes was on the dot.
There is an endless selection of beverages. Apart from a full bar, there are handcrafted smoothies, thirst quenchers, homemade iced tea, and an extensive list of delicious, quality hot teas.
Check their website for reservations, menus, and online orders (see Related Links below).
The Cozy Wok
854 Denman Street
604-428-6868
Mon-Thur 4-10
Fri-Sun 12-10
Happy Hour Mon-Thur 4-5, Fri to Sun 2-5
LOOKING BACK
From time to time I like to revisit past reviews.
THE BOMBAY KITCHEN at 1061 Robson continues to be a huge success. The charming Chef Andy is serving authentic tandoori, curries, Indo-Chinese dishes, delicious naan, and many other delights. Lunchtime specials, takeout, delivery, and happy hours. Not to be missed. Delicious and popular.
See Related Links below to visit their website.
LUCIFER’S HOUSE OF HEAT at 1682 Davie St. is another huge success story. When we wrote about the restaurant in November of 2023, owner Andrew Betteridge had moved from a store-only on Denman to a restaurant bar hot sauce store on Davie. Experiments with in-house created dishes have proved enormously successful. The popular Happy Hours there resemble Cheers. Packed!
See Related Links below to visit their website.
