What are the opening hours?

Monday 10:30am - 9pm Tuesday 11:30am - 9pm Wednesday 11:30am - 9pm Thursday 11:30am - 9pm Friday 11:30am - 9pm Saturday 11:30am - 9pm Sunday 11:30am - 9:30pm

http://www.driftwoodrestaurants.com/

Driftwood Restaurant Nanaimo, 4711 Rutherford Road, Nanaimo, BC (2026)

10/05/2026

🥡 TONIGHT, LET DRIFTWOOD COOK!

🔥 10% OFF PICK-UP ORDERS OVER $75

Don’t feel like cooking tonight? We’ve got dinner covered! ❤️

Bring home your favourite Chinese dishes from Driftwood Nanaimo and enjoy an easy, delicious dinner with family and friends.

🥢 Chow Mein & Fried Rice
🍗 Sweet & Sour Pork & Almond Chicken
🥩 Ginger Beef & Beef Favourites
🍤 Seafood Dishes
🥟 Appetizers & Soups
🌶️ Hot & Spicy Favourites
…and plenty more to choose from!

🔥 TAKEOUT SPECIAL

Place a pick-up order over $75 and receive:

🎉 10% OFF YOUR ORDER!

Whether it’s a busy weeknight, family dinner, friends coming over, an office meal or a weekend gathering — skip the cooking and let Driftwood take care of dinner.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 FEEDING THE WHOLE FAMILY?

Check out our Group Dinner Combos for an easy, complete Chinese meal with something for everyone.

🌐 VIEW OUR FULL MENU

www.driftwoodrestaurants.com

📞 PICK-UP

Call ahead • Pick up • Enjoy

Driftwood Nanaimo
📍 4711 Rutherford Rd, Nanaimo, BC
☎️ 250-758-1558

🚗 WANT IT DELIVERED?

Stay home and have your Driftwood favourites delivered right to your door!

Order delivery through SkipTheDishes, DoorDash or Uber Eats.

🥡🚗 PICK UP OR DELIVERY — DINNER MADE EASY.

Your favourites. Your place.
Tonight, let Driftwood cook. ❤️

10% discount applies to pick-up orders over $75 only. Delivery orders placed through third-party platforms are not eligible for the 10% pick-up discount. Cannot be combined with other offers or promotions. Some restrictions may apply.

10/03/2026

📢 EARLY CLOSURE NOTICE

Please note that our restaurant will be closing at 3:00 PM tomorrow, October 3, due to a private function starting at 4:00 PM.

We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding. ❤️

Thank you for your continued support!

09/13/2026

🇨🇳 ONE DISH. ONE STORY. ONE TASTE OF CHINA.

🥢 FINAL CHAPTER — SOME CHINESE DISHES ARE BETTER LEFT TO THE CHEF! 👨‍🍳🔥

If you’ve been following our ONE DISH. ONE STORY. ONE TASTE OF CHINA series, congratulations!

By now, your Chinese cooking skills may have improved quite a bit. 😊

We showed you how to experience Chinese Hot Pot, introduced the story behind Mapo Tofu, explored the secrets of Yangzhou Fried Rice, showed you how Chinese families turn fresh greens into Garlic Shanghai Bok Choy, and even taught you how to upgrade a bag of frozen wontons into Spicy Wontons in Chili Oil.

And if you made it all the way to our Suan Cai Fish 酸菜鱼 challenge, you might even be ready to invite your friends over for your own Chinese dinner party. 🥢🍚

But…

There are still a few dishes on our Traditional Chinese Cuisine Menu that we haven’t taught you.

And there’s a reason. 😄

🔥 SOME THINGS ARE JUST HARDER TO MAKE AT HOME.

Chinese cooking can look deceptively simple.

A wok.
Some oil.
A few ingredients.

But once you get deeper into it, you start dealing with:

🔥 Very high heat
🔪 Knife skills
🥢 Precise timing
🌶️ Layered seasoning
🍳 Oil temperature
💨 And that elusive wok hei — the “breath of the wok.”

So for the remaining dishes…

Maybe just come to Driftwood and let our chefs do the hard part. 😂

🌶️ YU XIANG SHREDDED PORK 鱼香肉丝 — $18.95

Here’s one of the most confusing Chinese dish names:

“Fish-Fragrant Shredded Pork.”

But there’s no fish in it. 🐟❌

“Yu Xiang” refers to a classic Sichuan flavour profile traditionally associated with seasonings used in fish cookery.

Shredded pork is combined with wood ear mushroom, carrot, bamboo shoots and green pepper in a sauce balancing sweet, sour, salty, spicy and aromatic flavours.

The difficult part?

Getting all those flavours — and all those finely cut ingredients — balanced at exactly the same time.

Maybe leave this wok to us. 😄

🐔 KUNG PAO CHICKEN 宫保鸡丁 — $18.95

One of the world’s best-known Chinese dishes.

Chicken, peanuts, dried chili, green onion and cucumber come together in a savoury sauce.

Sounds easy?

The trick is keeping the chicken tender, the peanuts crunchy and the vegetables fresh while creating the right balance of sauce and heat.

Timing matters.

🪽 TYPHOON SHELTER CHICKEN WINGS 避风塘鸡翅 — $19.95

Now we’re getting serious. 🔥

This style is inspired by the famous Hong Kong “Typhoon Shelter” flavour, known for its intensely aromatic combination of fried garlic, chili and crispy crumbs.

Crispy chicken wings covered with fragrant garlic and chili?

Absolutely delicious.

But recreating that texture at home means dealing with frying, oil temperature and getting that garlic mixture crispy without burning it.

Our suggestion?

Come hungry. We’ll handle the fryer. 😂

🔥 SIZZLING PLATE SEAFOOD 铁板海鲜 — $24.95

This one isn’t only about cooking the seafood.

It’s about the sound.

SSSSSSSSS… 🔥

Shrimp, squid and shellfish arrive with onions and bell peppers on a blazing-hot sizzling plate.

The aroma hits you before the first bite.

This is one of those dishes where the cooking equipment itself is part of the experience.

Unless you happen to have a restaurant-style sizzling plate sitting around your kitchen…

We know a place. 😉

🌶️🌶️🌶️ SICHUAN BOILED FISH 水煮鱼 — $19.95

Don’t let the English name fool you.

“Boiled Fish” sounds very peaceful.

This dish is not peaceful. 😂🌶️

Tender fish fillets meet dried chilies and fragrant Sichuan peppercorns for that famous combination:

麻 Má — numbing
辣 Là — spicy

Together:

🔥 MÁLÀ 麻辣.

Getting tender fish, aromatic chili oil and Sichuan peppercorn fragrance all working together takes technique.

This is Sichuan cooking showing off a little.

🥣 AND DON’T FORGET HOT & SOUR SOUP 酸辣汤 — $17.95

Tofu, wood ear mushroom, shiitake mushroom, bamboo shoots and egg come together in one warming bowl.

But a great Hot & Sour Soup is all about something we’ve talked about throughout this series:

balance.

Not just sour.

Not just peppery.

The broth needs to bring everything together.

🎓 SO… DID YOU GRADUATE?

Absolutely. 😄

If you’ve followed this series, we hope you’ve learned something beyond a few recipes.

Chinese cooking isn’t simply about adding soy sauce or making everything spicy.

It’s about heat, timing, texture, balance, technique — and sharing food around the table.

Some dishes are surprisingly easy to recreate at home.

Some need a little practice.

And some?

Just come eat them. 😂🥢

That’s what we’re here for.

Our complete Traditional Chinese Cuisine Menu is now available at Driftwood Nanaimo, from the dishes we’ve taught you to make to the ones we’re happily keeping in our chefs’ hands.

Come with friends.

Order several dishes.

Put them in the middle of the table.

Share everything.

Because after all these recipes, there’s one final piece of Chinese food culture we want you to learn:

❤️ Chinese food is even better when the whole table shares.

🇨🇳 ONE DISH. ONE STORY. ONE TASTE OF CHINA.

You learned the stories.
You tried the recipes.
Now come enjoy the rest with us. 🥢

📍 Driftwood Chinese Buffet Nanaimo
4711 Rutherford Rd, Nanaimo
☎️ 250-585-5386

09/12/2026

🇨🇳 ONE DISH. ONE STORY. ONE TASTE OF CHINA.

🐟 FINAL EPISODE — SUAN CAI FISH 酸菜鱼

You caught the fish. Now, instead of grilling it… let’s cook it the Chinese way. 🇨🇳

We’ve made it to the final — and probably the most challenging — recipe in our ONE DISH. ONE STORY. ONE TASTE OF CHINA series.

Over this journey, you’ve learned a few different ways to bring Chinese cooking into your own kitchen.

You’ve learned how to fire up the wok for vegetables instead of always making a salad. 🥬

You’ve learned the secrets of fried rice. 🍚

You’ve turned ordinary frozen wontons into restaurant-style Spicy Wontons in Chili Oil. 🥟

And along the way, we’ve explored some of the flavours and cooking traditions behind Chinese food.

So for our final challenge, we’re doing something special:

🐟 SUAN CAI FISH — 酸菜鱼

And for those of us living here on Vancouver Island, this one has an extra connection.

You went fishing. You caught a beautiful fish. Now what?

For many people, the answer is:

🔥 Grill it.
🔥 Bake it.
🔥 Pan-fry it.

All delicious.

But Chinese cuisine gives you another option.

Turn that fresh catch into a steaming bowl of Suan Cai Fish. 🐟🥬

🏮 WHAT IS SUAN CAI FISH?

Suan Cai Fish, or 酸菜鱼, is a popular Chinese dish built around two main ingredients:

tender fish + Chinese pickled mustard greens.

“酸菜” (suan cai) refers to pickled vegetables with a distinctive sour, savoury flavour.

The fish is typically sliced into tender pieces and gently cooked in a fragrant broth with pickled mustard greens, aromatics and chili.

The result is very different from grilled fish.

It’s:

🐟 Tender
🥬 Savoury
🍋 Sour and appetizing
🌶️ Gently spicy — or much hotter if you want it
🥣 Rich with aromatic broth

And here’s the best part:

You don’t have to build all those flavours from scratch.

🛒 THE SHORTCUT: VISIT A CHINESE GROCERY STORE

This is one of our favourite tips in the whole series.

Go to a Chinese or Asian grocery store and look for:

“酸菜鱼调料 / SUAN CAI FISH SEASONING”

It usually comes as a package containing the pickled mustard greens and seasoning needed to create the characteristic flavour of the dish.

So instead of buying a long list of unfamiliar ingredients…

Buy one seasoning package.

Then bring the fish. 😊

🎣 CAUGHT YOUR OWN FISH? EVEN BETTER.

If you enjoy fishing around Vancouver Island, here’s a fun way to turn your catch into something completely different.

Clean and fillet your fish carefully, remove the bones, and slice the flesh into pieces suitable for cooking.

Then instead of reaching automatically for the barbecue—

reach for your Suan Cai Fish seasoning package.

One Canadian catch.

One Chinese cooking method.

A completely different dinner. 🇨🇦🐟🇨🇳

👨‍🍳 THE FINAL CHALLENGE — MAKE SUAN CAI FISH AT HOME

You’ll need:

🐟 Fresh fish fillets
🥬 1 package Suan Cai Fish seasoning
🫚 Fresh ginger
🧄 Garlic
🌱 Green onion
🌶️ Fresh or dried chili, optional
💧 Water or light stock

Optional additions:

🍄 Mushrooms
🥬 Napa cabbage
🌱 Bean sprouts
⬜ Tofu

1️⃣ PREPARE THE FISH

This is the part that requires a little more skill.

Remove the bones and slice the fish into relatively thin pieces.

Many Suan Cai Fish seasoning packages include a marinade packet. If yours does, follow the package instructions.

The goal is tender fish that stays intact in the broth.

2️⃣ BUILD THE BROTH

Heat a little oil in a pot.

Add ginger and garlic, followed by the pickled mustard greens from your seasoning package.

Stir-fry briefly until fragrant.

Add the seasoning and water or stock according to the package directions.

Bring everything to a simmer.

Already, your kitchen should smell very different from a Canadian fish fry. 😊

3️⃣ ADD SOME VEGETABLES

Want to make it a complete meal?

Add napa cabbage, mushrooms, bean sprouts or tofu.

Cook the vegetables first and let them absorb that beautiful sour and savoury broth.

4️⃣ THE IMPORTANT PART — COOK THE FISH GENTLY

Add the fish near the end.

Don’t aggressively stir it.

Let the slices cook gently in the simmering broth until just cooked through. Cooking time will depend on the species and thickness, and fish should reach a safe internal temperature.

Overcook it and the fish can become dry or fall apart.

This is where our final recipe earns its title:

The most challenging dish in the series. 👨‍🍳

But when you carry that big steaming bowl to the table…

you’ve graduated. 🎓🥢

🎉 NOW YOU CAN INVITE YOUR FRIENDS OVER FOR A CHINESE DINNER

Think about it.

After following this series, you can put together your own little Chinese dinner:

🥟 Start with Spicy Wontons in Chili Oil
🥬 Add Garlic Shanghai Bok Choy
🍚 Make a big plate of Yangzhou Fried Rice
🌶️ Add Mapo Tofu
🐟 And put your homemade Suan Cai Fish in the centre of the table.

That’s not just one Chinese recipe anymore.

That’s a Chinese dinner party. ❤️

Invite some friends.

Put everything in the middle of the table.

Give everyone a bowl and a pair of chopsticks.

And eat the Chinese way:

Together.

🥢 OR… COME TASTE OUR VERSION FIRST.

Not quite ready for the final challenge?

Come try ours and see what you’re aiming for:

🐟 SUAN CAI FISH 酸菜鱼 — $19.95

Fish fillet, pickled mustard greens, bean sprouts, wood ear mushroom, ginger, garlic and chili.

Freshly prepared and available on our Traditional Chinese Cuisine Menu at Driftwood Nanaimo.

📍 Driftwood Chinese Buffet Nanaimo
4711 Rutherford Rd, Nanaimo
☎️ 250-585-5386

🇨🇳 ONE DISH. ONE STORY. ONE TASTE OF CHINA.

You caught the fish. We showed you another way to cook it.
Now invite your friends over — you’re ready to make a Chinese dinner. ❤️🥢

09/11/2026

🇨🇳 ONE DISH. ONE STORY. ONE TASTE OF CHINA.

🥟 EPISODE 5 — SPICY WONTONS IN CHILI OIL 红油抄手

Got frozen wontons in your freezer? Let’s turn them into a restaurant-style Chinese meal. 🌶️🌶️🌶️

In our last episode, we talked about how Chinese families often stir-fry their greens instead of turning them into salad. 🥬🔥

Today, we have another simple Chinese kitchen idea for you.

Open your freezer.

Do you have a bag of frozen wontons in there?

Maybe you usually boil them, add a little soy sauce, and call it dinner.

Nothing wrong with that.

But add a bowl of fragrant chili oil sauce — and even some simple vegetables from your fridge — and those ordinary frozen wontons can become something much more exciting.

Welcome to:

红油抄手 — Spicy Wontons in Chili Oil. 🥟🌶️

🏮 What is 红油抄手?

Wontons have been eaten in China for centuries, with different regions developing their own ways of preparing and serving them.

In Sichuan, wontons are commonly called “chaoshou” 抄手.

One of the best-known Sichuan preparations is 红油抄手 — hóng yóu chāo shǒu: tender wontons tossed in a fragrant red chili oil sauce.

But here’s the important part:

It isn’t simply about making the wontons extremely spicy.

A good red-oil sauce is all about balance:

🌶️ Chili
🧄 Garlic
🥢 Savoury soy sauce
🍶 Vinegar
🌰 Sesame aroma
🍬 A little sweetness

Spicy. Savoury. Tangy. Aromatic. Slightly sweet.

That sauce is what transforms a simple boiled wonton.

👨‍🍳 FROZEN WONTON HACK — MAKE IT TASTE LIKE A RESTAURANT

Here’s the good news:

You don’t need to make wontons from scratch.

Go to your local grocery store, grab your favourite bag of frozen wontons — pork, chicken, shrimp or vegetable — and let’s upgrade them.

For about 12–15 wontons, mix:

🌶️ 2 tbsp Chinese chili oil
🥢 1½ tbsp light soy sauce
🍶 1 tbsp Chinese black vinegar
🌰 1 tsp sesame oil
🍬 1 tsp sugar
🧄 1 small garlic clove, finely minced
🥄 1–2 tbsp hot wonton cooking water

Optional extras:

🌱 Chopped green onion
🌰 Toasted sesame seeds
🥜 Crushed peanuts
🌶️ Chili crisp for even more heat

Mix everything together in the bottom of a large serving bowl.

🥦 MAKE IT A MEAL — ADD SOME VEGETABLES!

Here’s another Chinese home-cooking idea:

Don’t eat the wontons alone. Add some vegetables.

Broccoli is perfect because you can find it in almost every grocery store.

Or try:

🥦 Broccoli
🥬 Bok choy
🥬 Napa cabbage
🥕 Carrots
🍄 Mushrooms
🥬 Chinese broccoli

Now you’ve got dumplings, vegetables and a delicious sauce all in one bowl.

🥢 HOW TO PUT IT ALL TOGETHER

1️⃣ Blanch the vegetables first.

Bring a pot of water to a boil.

Add your broccoli or other vegetables and cook briefly until just tender.

Don’t overcook them — keep them bright, fresh and slightly crisp.

Remove and set aside.

2️⃣ Same pot. Now cook the wontons.

Drop the frozen wontons directly into the water.

No need to thaw them first.

Cook according to the package directions and make sure the filling is completely cooked.

Before draining, save a couple spoonfuls of that hot cooking water.

3️⃣ Into the sauce!

Put the hot wontons and blanched vegetables straight into your prepared chili oil sauce.

Add a spoonful or two of the hot cooking water.

Then gently toss everything together.

Finish with green onion, sesame seeds or crushed peanuts.

And that’s it.

🔥 Frozen wontons just got a serious upgrade.

🥟 + 🥦 = DINNER!

Think about what you just made:

A bag of frozen wontons.
A head of broccoli.
A few ingredients from the pantry.

And suddenly you have a colourful, satisfying Chinese-style meal.

That’s something we love about everyday Chinese cooking.

You don’t always need a complicated recipe.

A staple.
Some fresh vegetables.
A great sauce.

Sometimes, that’s dinner. ❤️

🌶️ ONE MORE TIP: IT’S ABOUT BALANCE

Don’t simply pour half a bottle of soy sauce over everything.

The secret is balancing:

salty + sour + spicy + aromatic + slightly sweet.

Taste your sauce.

Too salty? Add a little cooking water.
Too spicy? Add a little more sugar or sesame oil.
Need more brightness? Add a touch more black vinegar.

Make it your own.

That’s part of the fun.

❤️ TRY IT AT HOME… THEN COME TRY OURS.

Now you know what to do the next time you see a bag of frozen wontons at the grocery store.

Grab some broccoli too. 🥦

Boil it.
Cook the wontons.
Make the sauce.
Toss everything together.

Dinner is ready. 🥢

Or, when you don’t feel like cooking:

🌶️🌶️🌶️ SPICY WONTONS IN CHILI OIL 红油抄手 — $14.95

Pork wontons with chili oil, garlic, green onion and sesame.

Freshly prepared and available on our Traditional Chinese Cuisine Menu at Driftwood Nanaimo.

📍 Driftwood Chinese Buffet Nanaimo
4711 Rutherford Rd, Nanaimo
☎️ 250-585-5386

🇨🇳 ONE DISH. ONE STORY. ONE TASTE OF CHINA.

Read the story. Try the recipe. Then come taste our version. ❤️

09/10/2026

🇨🇳 ONE DISH. ONE STORY. ONE TASTE OF CHINA.

🥬 EPISODE 4 — GARLIC SHANGHAI BOK CHOY 蒜蓉上海青

In China, vegetables don’t always become salad — we fire up the wok. 🔥

In our last episode, we introduced Yangzhou Fried Rice 扬州炒饭 and the importance of wok hei in Chinese cooking.

For Episode 4, we’re staying with the wok — but this time, we’re talking about something much simpler:

Green vegetables. 🥬

For many Canadians, when you think of fresh vegetables, you might immediately think of a salad — lettuce, tomatoes, dressing, served cool and crisp.

In a traditional Chinese meal, vegetables often appear very differently.

We cook them. And we cook them fast.

🥢 A Different Way to Eat Your Greens

Walk into a Chinese home kitchen at dinner time and you’ll often find a plate of freshly stir-fried green vegetables on the table.

Bok choy. Chinese broccoli. Choy sum. Napa cabbage. Pea shoots.

The vegetable may change with the season, but the basic philosophy is remarkably simple:

Fresh greens + garlic + a very hot wok + very little time.

The goal isn’t to cook the vegetable until it becomes completely soft.

Quite the opposite.

A good Chinese stir-fried vegetable should still be:

🥬 Bright green
🥬 Fresh and naturally sweet
🥬 Tender but still slightly crisp
🥬 Fragrant with garlic
🥬 Served piping hot

It’s a completely different experience from eating vegetables raw in a salad.

🔥 The Secret Is HIGH HEAT + SHORT TIME

Chinese stir-frying is about speed.

Get the wok very hot first.

Add oil.

Add garlic.

The moment that garlic becomes fragrant—

the vegetables go in.

Then toss quickly over high heat.

That intense heat cooks the outside while helping the vegetables retain their colour, texture and freshness.

A splash of water can create a burst of steam, helping thicker stems cook while the leaves stay tender.

Within just a few minutes:

Done.

Simple? Absolutely.

But simple Chinese cooking often depends heavily on timing and heat.

🥬 Why Shanghai Bok Choy?

Shanghai Bok Choy 上海青 is a familiar green vegetable in Chinese cooking, with tender green leaves and juicy pale-green stems.

It doesn’t need a heavy sauce.

Garlic, oil and seasoning are enough to let the vegetable itself shine.

And that reflects something important about Chinese food:

Not every Chinese dish is spicy.
Not every dish needs a complicated sauce.

Sometimes the best dish on the table is simply a beautiful plate of freshly wok-fried greens.

👨‍🍳 TRY IT AT HOME — CHINESE-STYLE GARLIC BOK CHOY

This may be one of the easiest recipes in our entire series.

Ingredients:

🥬 Shanghai Bok Choy
🧄 Fresh garlic, minced or sliced
🥄 Cooking oil
🧂 Salt
💧 A small splash of water
🥢 Optional: a little oyster sauce or chicken stock

Method:

1. Wash the bok choy thoroughly and drain it well.
2. Heat a wok or large frying pan until very hot.
3. Add a little cooking oil.
4. Add the garlic and stir for just a few seconds until fragrant. Don’t let it burn.
5. Immediately add the bok choy.
6. Toss continuously over high heat.
7. Add a small splash of water if needed and continue tossing until the stems are just tender and the leaves are bright green.
8. Season lightly with salt and serve immediately.

🔥 The key: Don’t overcook it.

You want the vegetables to arrive at the table hot, green and still alive with texture.

🥢 SALAD OR STIR-FRY?

Neither is “better” — they simply reflect different food traditions.

A salad celebrates vegetables through freshness and raw texture.

Chinese stir-frying celebrates them through heat, aroma and wok technique.

So next time you have a bag of bok choy or other Asian greens in your refrigerator, instead of reaching for the salad dressing—

heat up the wok. 🔥🥬

🥢 OR… LET US COOK IT FOR YOU.

🥬 GARLIC SHANGHAI BOK CHOY 蒜蓉上海青 — $15.95

Shanghai bok choy + fresh garlic.

Simple ingredients. High heat. Fresh from the wok.

Now available on our Traditional Chinese Cuisine Menu at Driftwood Nanaimo.

📍 Driftwood Chinese Buffet Nanaimo
4711 Rutherford Rd, Nanaimo
☎️ 250-585-5386

🇨🇳 ONE DISH. ONE STORY. ONE TASTE OF CHINA.

Read the story. Try the recipe. Then come taste our version. ❤️

NEXT EPISODE → 🥟 SPICY WONTONS IN CHILI OIL 红油抄手
A little dumpling, a bowl of red chili oil — and a classic taste of Sichuan.

09/10/2026

🇨🇳 ONE DISH. ONE STORY. ONE TASTE OF CHINA.

🍚 EPISODE 3 — YANGZHOU FRIED RICE 扬州炒饭

One of China’s most famous fried rice dishes — but what does Yangzhou have to do with it?

In Episode 1, we gathered around the table for Chinese Hot Pot 火锅.

In Episode 2, we travelled to Sichuan to discover the story behind Mapo Tofu 麻婆豆腐.

For Episode 3, we’re heading east to Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, for a dish almost everyone recognizes:

Yangzhou Fried Rice 扬州炒饭. 🍚

You’ve probably eaten fried rice before.

But have you ever wondered why this particular version carries the name of a Chinese city?

🏮 The Story Behind Yangzhou Fried Rice

Yangzhou is an ancient city in eastern China with a long culinary tradition.

Thanks in part to its historical prosperity and importance in trade, Yangzhou developed a sophisticated food culture that became associated with Huaiyang cuisine, one of China’s major culinary traditions.

There are several stories about the exact origin of Yangzhou Fried Rice, and its history is not as simple as one inventor creating one recipe.

What is clear is that the dish became strongly associated with Yangzhou and evolved into a style of fried rice known for colourful ingredients, careful preparation and balance.

Instead of treating fried rice simply as a way to use leftovers, a good Yangzhou Fried Rice makes every ingredient part of the dish.

🍚 What Makes Yangzhou Fried Rice Different?

At first glance, it looks simple.

Rice. Egg. Ham. Shrimp. Vegetables.

But fried rice is one of those dishes where technique matters more than the number of ingredients.

The rice should be separate and fluffy — not wet or clumped together.

The egg should coat and mingle with the grains.

The shrimp should remain tender.

And the vegetables add little flashes of colour throughout the wok.

🔥 Then comes one of the most important elements of Chinese stir-frying:

WOK HEI — 镬气.

Literally meaning the “breath of the wok,” wok hei describes the aroma and character created when ingredients are tossed quickly over intense heat.

That’s why great fried rice can taste so different from rice simply mixed together in a pan.

👨‍🍳 TRY IT AT HOME — YANGZHOU FRIED RICE

The good news?

This is absolutely something you can make at home.

Ingredients:

🍚 3 cups cooked rice, preferably chilled
🥚 2–3 eggs
🍤 Shrimp
🍖 Diced ham
🟢 Green peas
🥕 Diced carrot
🌱 Green onion
🥢 A little soy sauce, if desired
🧂 Salt & white pepper
🥄 Cooking oil

Method:

1. Use cooked rice that has cooled completely. Chilled rice is easier to separate during stir-frying.
2. Heat your wok until hot, add a little oil, then quickly cook the shrimp. Remove and set aside.
3. Add the beaten eggs and stir quickly.
4. Before the eggs become completely firm, add the rice and begin tossing and separating the grains.
5. Add ham, carrots and peas.
6. Return the shrimp to the wok and continue stir-frying over high heat.
7. Season lightly with salt, white pepper and a small amount of soy sauce if you like.
8. Finish with chopped green onion.

🔥 Keep the wok hot and keep everything moving.

The goal isn’t to drown the rice in sauce.

The rice itself should be the star.

🥢 OR… LET US COOK IT FOR YOU.

Sometimes the simplest dishes are the ones that reveal the most about a cook’s wok skills.

Come taste our version:

🍚 YANGZHOU FRIED RICE 扬州炒饭 — $12.95

Rice, eggs, BBQ pork, shrimp, green peas, carrot and green onion — freshly stir-fried to order.

Now available on our new Traditional Chinese Cuisine Menu at Driftwood Nanaimo.

📍 Driftwood Chinese Buffet Nanaimo
4711 Rutherford Rd, Nanaimo
☎️ 250-585-5386

🇨🇳 ONE DISH. ONE STORY. ONE TASTE OF CHINA.

Read the story. Try the recipe. Then come taste our version. ❤️

09/08/2026

🇨🇳 ONE DISH. ONE STORY. ONE TASTE OF CHINA.

🌶️ EPISODE 2 — MAPO TOFU 麻婆豆腐

A humble tofu dish from Chengdu that became a Sichuan classic.

In Episode 1, we introduced Chinese Hot Pot — a dining tradition built around cooking, sharing and gathering around the table.

For Episode 2, we’re heading to Chengdu, Sichuan, for a dish that looks simple but has become one of the most recognizable Chinese dishes around the world:

Mapo Tofu 麻婆豆腐. 🌶️

But have you ever wondered:

Who is “Mapo”? And why is this dish named after her?

🏮 The story behind Mapo Tofu

The story of Mapo Tofu is commonly traced to Chengdu during the Qing Dynasty in the 19th century.

According to the traditional account, a small restaurant near Chengdu’s Wanfu Bridge was run by the Chen family.

The proprietor became known as Chen Mapo (陈麻婆), and she developed a tofu dish using inexpensive, everyday ingredients — tofu, minced meat, chili bean paste and Sichuan peppercorns.

Her dish became popular with local customers.

Eventually, people began referring to it simply as:

“Chen Mapo’s Tofu.”

And over time, Mapo Tofu 麻婆豆腐 became the name that travelled far beyond Chengdu.

From a humble local dish to an internationally recognized Sichuan classic — that’s quite a journey for a plate of tofu. ❤️

🌶️ What makes REAL Mapo Tofu special?

Mapo Tofu isn’t simply “spicy tofu.”

The soul of the dish comes from one of Sichuan cuisine’s most famous flavour combinations:

麻 MÁ + 辣 LÀ = MÁLÀ 麻辣

🌶️ LÀ 辣 — the heat of chili
⚡ MÁ 麻 — the fragrant, tingling sensation of Sichuan peppercorns

Then add the deep savoury flavour of doubanjiang, a fermented chili bean paste widely used in Sichuan cooking.

Soft tofu absorbs that rich, spicy sauce while minced meat adds another layer of flavour and texture.

Spoon it over hot steamed rice…

and suddenly you understand why such a simple dish has survived for generations. 🍚

👨‍🍳 TRY IT AT HOME — SIMPLE MAPO TOFU RECIPE

Want to make it yourself?

Ingredients:

⬜ 1 block soft or medium tofu
🥩 150–200 g ground beef or pork
🌶️ 1–2 tbsp doubanjiang
🌶️ Dried chili or chili oil, to taste
⚡ 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
🧄 2 cloves garlic
🫚 A little fresh ginger
🥣 About 1 cup chicken stock or water
🥢 Soy sauce, as needed
🌱 Green onion
🥄 Cornstarch + water for a light slurry

Method:

1. Cut the tofu into cubes and gently blanch it in lightly salted water. Drain carefully.
2. Heat a wok, add a little oil and cook the ground meat until lightly browned.
3. Add garlic, ginger and doubanjiang. Stir-fry until the oil becomes fragrant and reddish.
4. Add the stock, then carefully slide in the tofu.
5. Simmer gently for several minutes so the tofu can absorb the sauce. Try not to break the cubes.
6. Add a little cornstarch slurry to give the sauce its characteristic glossy texture.
7. Finish with freshly ground Sichuan peppercorns and green onion.

Serve immediately with steamed rice. 🍚

Spicy. Savoury. Fragrant. Numbing. Comforting.

That’s Mapo Tofu.

🥢 OR… LET US COOK IT FOR YOU.

Don’t feel like hunting down Sichuan peppercorns and doubanjiang?

We’ve got you. 😊

🌶️ MAPO TOFU 麻婆豆腐 — $17.95

Now available on our new Traditional Chinese Cuisine Menu at Driftwood Nanaimo.

Freshly cooked to order and full of wok hei.

📍 Driftwood Chinese Buffet Nanaimo
4711 Rutherford Rd, Nanaimo
☎️ 250-585-5386

🇨🇳 ONE DISH. ONE STORY. ONE TASTE OF CHINA.

Read the story. Try the recipe. Then come taste our version. ❤️

https://youtu.be/ZfsZwwrTFD4

NEXT EPISODE → 🍚 YANGZHOU FRIED RICE 扬州炒饭

From China to restaurants around the world, Yangzhou Fried Rice has become one of the most recognizable Chinese dishes.

But why is it called “Yangzhou” Fried Rice?
Did it really originate in Yangzhou? And how did a simple bowl of fried rice become famous around the world?

That’s the story we’ll explore next. 🇨🇳

09/07/2026

🇨🇳 ONE DISH. ONE STORY. ONE TASTE OF CHINA.

🔥 EPISODE 1 — CHINESE HOT POT 火锅

Our Taste of China journey begins here.

If we had to choose one food experience to begin our new Chinese food story series, Hot Pot would be a perfect place to start.

Why?

Because in China, Hot Pot is more than a dish.

It’s a way of eating. A way of gathering. And for many people, a way of making memories around the table. ❤️

🏮 So, what exactly is Chinese Hot Pot?

The idea is wonderfully simple.

A pot of hot, flavourful broth sits right at your table. Fresh meat, seafood, tofu, vegetables and noodles are served alongside it.

Then comes the fun part:

You cook it yourself.

🥩 Drop in a few slices of beef or lamb.
🍤 Add some shrimp.
🥬 Cook your favourite vegetables.
🍜 Finish with noodles.

Cook a little. Eat a little. Talk a little. Then cook some more.

That interactive experience is one of the reasons Hot Pot has remained such a beloved part of Chinese dining culture.

🔥 Hot Pot has a long story in China

Forms of communal cooking in pots have existed in China for centuries, while different regions gradually developed their own distinctive Hot Pot traditions.

Travel across China and the experience changes dramatically.

🌶️ Sichuan & Chongqing are famous for bold, fiery málà broths.

🍄 Other regions favour lighter mushroom or clear broths that highlight the natural flavours of the ingredients.

🍅 Tomato broth has become a popular modern favourite — rich, comforting and easy to enjoy.

There isn’t just one Chinese Hot Pot.

That diversity is part of what makes it so interesting.

❤️ But the most important ingredient isn’t in the pot.

For many Chinese people, Hot Pot means togetherness.

Family and friends gather around one bubbling pot. Everyone cooks. Everyone eats. Everyone participates.

There’s no need to rush.

And sometimes, years later, you may not remember exactly what you cooked that night—

but you remember who was sitting around the pot with you.

That’s the spirit we wanted to bring to Nanaimo.

🎉 NOW INTRODUCING: HOT POT FOR ONE!

Exclusively at Driftwood Nanaimo

We’ve taken the traditional Hot Pot experience and made it easy to enjoy at lunch — even when you’re dining on your own.

🔥 Your Pot. Your Broth. Your Way.

For $22.95 per person, your Hot Pot for One comes with 9 ingredients:

🥩 Beef Slices
🥩 Lamb Slices
🍤 Shrimp
🍥 Fish Balls
🦀 Crab Sticks
⬜ Tofu
🥬 Napa Cabbage
🥬 Shanghai Bok Choy
🍜 Instant Noodles

Then choose your broth:

🥣 Classic Bone Broth — Mild & Savoury
🍅 Tomato Broth — Rich & Tangy
🍄 Mushroom Broth — Light & Umami
🌶️🌶️🌶️ Sichuan Mala Broth — Spicy & Numbing

Everything arrives at your table.

You decide what goes in, when it goes in, and how you want to enjoy it.

🥢 Hot Pot for ONE — but Hot Pot is even better TOGETHER.

Come by yourself and enjoy your own personal pot.

Or bring your friends and family — everyone gets their own pot, chooses their own broth, cooks at their own pace, but still shares the experience around the same table.

That’s our modern take on a very old Chinese tradition. ❤️

📍 Driftwood Chinese Buffet Nanaimo
4711 Rutherford Road, Nanaimo
☎️ 250-585-5386

🕦 Lunch: 11:30 AM – 3:00 PM
🔥 HOT POT FOR ONE — $22.95/person

🇨🇳 ONE DISH. ONE STORY. ONE TASTE OF CHINA.

Next episode: We’ll introduce another classic Chinese dish, tell you where it came from, what makes it special — and share a recipe you can try at home. 🥢

https://youtu.be/JIkc6XcWPqo

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Monday	10:30am - 9pm
Tuesday	11:30am - 9pm
Wednesday	11:30am - 9pm
Thursday	11:30am - 9pm
Friday	11:30am - 9pm
Saturday	11:30am - 9pm
Sunday	11:30am - 9:30pm