Asiatopia Takeout & Market
A Campbell River delight, off of the beaten path in Willow Point. You must make the visit!
The Place & People
You’ll find Asiatopia tucked a ways back from the highway in Willow Point, just behind Coho Books.
Walk into the restaurant and you’ll find a well-organized marketplace jam-packed with noodles, spices, curries, sauces and exotic ingredients imported from around the world.
Look very carefully among the shelves and you will find jars of incredible chilli oils, fermented black bean pastes and satay sauces that are made in-house. The fermented black bean paste has become a staple in our own kitchen!
The atmosphere is bright and colourful, just like the owners who’re absolutely amazing people. When the pandemic hit, they decided that they wanted to help people find ways of cooking new and exciting foods at home too, which is why they opened their marketplace. Their prices are exceptionally reasonable!
Asiatopia’s menu is a collection of dishes with flavours gathered from experiences in China & Vietnam and from cooking Japanese and Korean foods as well. You’ll find a combination of traditional dishes as well as exotic takes on traditionally western foods like wings and burgers. There really is something for everyone!
Chef Thai is perpetually smiling. You can see it, even behind his mask! We love his attitude towards food; it should be fun, creative and informed by tradition but inspired by local trends and ingredients. We feel exceptionally grateful that he was willing to turn his creative hand to raw ingredients sourced locally and provided by Tide to Table.
Chef Johnson is lovingly called Mr Sifu by Thai and Loan. He plays a fatherly role in the kitchen, providing gentle guidance and incredibly skilled hands with his over-40 years of cheffing experience in Campbell River.
Mr Sifu’s immigration story to Canada in 1980 is a story that is worth hearing; his parents were refugees from China to Vietnam when he was young. His mom thought it critical to teach him how to cook young, so that he could always take care of himself. When the situation became untenable for his family in Vietnam in the Ho Chi Min area, they fled to Montreal as refugees. From there, after health checks and personal reviews, he moved strait to Campbell River and has been here since. We’re exceptionally lucky to have his rich and diverse background influence our local cuisine.
He admires Thai’s creativity and skill in the kitchen and together, they make an incredible pair!
Visit Asiatopia in Willow Point
2092 K South Island Highway
Campbell River B.C. V9W 1C1
Phone
778-418-2727
Website
https://asiatopia.ca/