‘An absolute icon’: Chinatown restaurant reopens nearly seven years after being gutted by fire

Daisy Garden Kitchen at 142 East Pender Street started welcoming patrons back on Mar. 3 in what the new owner calls a "soft opening".

Nearly seven years after it was gutted by fire, an iconic restaurant has reopened in Vancouver’s Chinatown – bringing new life to the historic neighbourhood.

The Daisy Garden Kitchen at 142 East Pender Street started welcoming patrons back on Mach 3 in what its new owner calls a “soft opening.”

“They’ve been waiting a long time for the reopening,” said Susanna Ng.

Ng, who also owns the Newtown Bakery next door, said her employees will work together and get used to the new equipment during these first few weeks.

In April 2015, the building which housed the former Daisy Garden Restaurant was destroyed by fire.

The eatery first opened in 1979 and had been run by the same family for years. Ng said one of the original owners recently retired.

“It took us seven years to rebuild it and to get to this stage,” Ng told Global News.

Longtime customers, including Chinese Restaurant Awards judge Lee Man, are thrilled to see Daisy Garden return.