An old Chinese proverb says that misfortune may be a blessing in disguise.
This was certainly the case for Kim Wah Restaurant, which moved into its new waterside location in Cowichan Bay on Oct. 15 of this year.
"We are next to the ocean, it's so beautiful," said co-owner Zan Li. "It feels really nice, and exciting to be here."
Kim Wah Restaurant has strong ties to the Cowichan Valley and was first opened by siblings Hop Wah, and Kam Chow in Duncan in the spring of 1982. Wah was a co-owner and head chef until 1997 when he made the decision to start a new chapter with his partner Yim Pink in Chemainus, and purchased Wings Cafe.
It was just a few years before Wah made his move that the Li family made a monumental move of their own as they left South China in 1994 for a better education, medical coverage and overall quality of life in Canada. Li said his family first set down roots in Nanaimo for 10 years. The focus was going to school and working regular jobs long before the dream of running their own restaurant ever became a reality. Li, and all his family members had spent years working in an array of restaurants in a myriad of capacities, so when opportunity knocked after they moved to Duncan in the fall of 2003 — they were ready to answer.
It was Wah who approached the Li family to see if they would be interested in taking on the local landmark and Chinese dynasty. Leaping at the opportunity the Lis took over Duncan's Kim Wah Restaurant in November, 2003
"Running a restaurant is very different from just working at one, there is so much stuff that you need to learn," said Li. "We never expected to have the opportunity to run a business until the former owner asked us if we would be interested in taking over after he retired. We decided to stay with the same name because Kim Wah had become a popular landmark in Duncan and everyone loved it."
Kim Wah continued to be a family affair as Zan, who is married with three young children, has had the pleasure of working not only alongside his wife and parents, but also his brothers William and Ken who are also co-owners in the business.
The Lis felt the love for several years but like most places in the hospitality industry, took a hit during the pandemic, and as restrictions began to relax it was the growing unhoused population outside their front door on York Street where the Warmland Shelter and the city's safe injection site are located, that began to make regulars feel tense. Li said every few months they were dealing with broken windows which eventually led to a broken spirit.
"Our restaurant was constantly surrounded by those who are homeless and this is what really began to affect business, even our regulars were scared to come out of the car," said Li. "That was the main problem that caused our business to go downhill."
After 20 years in the core of Duncan, the Lis were forced to shut their doors in August, 2023 when their landlord decided to sell the property, which was purchased by Canada's largest music store chain Long & McQuade Musical Instruments, giving them only 30 days to find a new space to set up shop. Little did the Lis know that this devastating news would later be music to the family ears.
Li said when they were first forced to close, the family really struggled to find a new location in Duncan that would not only be a good fit, but also a spot where they would no longer continue to be impacted by the rising homelessness crisis.
"When Kim Wah in Duncan closed down we were so desperate to find new jobs or a new space for a restaurant," said Li. "My brothers and I drove around like crazy to try and find a new location. Chinese people are known for being hard workers, we could not just sit at home because we had big families to feed."
After a long and extensive search, the Li family fell in love with the space that was formerly The Rock Cod Cafe in Cowichan Bay located at 1759 Cowichan Bay Rd., and moved in earlier this fall on Oct. 15. The residents of Cowichan Bay could not be more pleased.
"I was so excited to find this location," said Li. "We have felt very welcomed since we came here, the people here are very nice and we are very happy to serve them. It is not like Duncan, there everyone was working and it was more fast paced. Here we see more people who are retired, and semi-retired, and they are more relaxed. It is a different customer experience. It feels amazing to be here, and it really means so much to us that we are still able to run a restaurant as a family. My father Qi is now retired, but he is always around and loves to help out where he can."
Wah, who died peacefully this past June at the age of 82 after a brief battle with cancer, would certainly be pleased that his family name continues to live on in Cowichan Bay. Between family members and a few recent hires Kim Wah has a total of 10 employees and they have been adjusting to the instant popularity of their new location. Li said they didn't expect to see so many patrons pour in when they first opened and that their small kitchen could barely keep up.
"We tried to be as fast as we could but the waitresses and every person is new and we are just starting out so it will just take some time to pick up the pace," said Li. "We feel so blessed just to have a job and to be able to to continue to run our own restaurant, business has really picked up for us again, and it feels more relaxed and safe. We are so happy to find a good location down here, and we have already seen a lot of our past regulars from Duncan come here to see us."
According to the 2025 Chinese lunar calendar 'The Year of the Snake' will start on Jan. 29, the perfect zodiac animal for the Li family as they shed the skin of their former space and settle into the new seaside digs.
Kim Wah was well known for their buffet in Duncan, which was warmly welcomed by those who were on a lunch break from work, or in a hurry. Li said that in years past they would always serve a buffet with authentic Chinese cuisine for the culture's new year. Unfortunately they have not yet found a way to bring this service with them as the kitchen they have to work with in Cowichan Bay is considerably smaller than the space they had in Duncan.
"If you want to run a good buffet the kitchen has to be huge in order to prepare a variety of dishes," said Li. "We have already had a lot of people here in Cowichan Bay asking if we could do a buffet, but unfortunately it's not something we can do at this time. We used to always have specials on Chinese New Year in Duncan. With this being our first year here, we haven't yet decided what some of the specials off the menu will be."
Li, who does a lot of the cooking and loves it, said some of their most popular items include their fried rice, chop suey, chicken wings, and spring rolls.
While the winter months are typically a quieter season for the restaurant industry the Li family is excited to see how beautiful Cowichan Bay is in the summer and to have the opportunity to not only cook for locals but also the boom of tourists the warmer months are sure to bring.
"Customers keep telling us just wait until summer time, we are hoping for lots of tourists," said Li. "We are happy that we are able to offer our authentic Chinese cuisine to the people of Duncan and the South Cowichan area. When we see people come in to order our food it makes us happy, and we hope they enjoy it and leave feeling happy too."
