{"key":"5013f394e9","origin":"osm","osm_id":"n12765476601","category":"Food & Drink","subcategory":"Brewery / Pub","community":"Vancouver","lat":49.2787081,"lon":-123.0979765,"verdict":"include","name":{"value":"Laowai","source":"enrichment"},"description":{"value":"Laowai is a 1930s Shanghai-inspired speakeasy concealed behind the BLND TGER dumpling shop in Vancouver's Chinatown, entered via a secret code. The venue pairs theatrical cocktails with a compact menu of dumplings drawn from regional Chinese cuisines — Sichuan, Tibetan, Xinjiang, and more. It's a genuinely hidden-gem bar experience in one of Vancouver's most historically dense and walkable neighbourhoods.","source":"sonnet_4.6"},"website":{"value":"https://laowai.ca","source":"enrichment"},"address":{"value":"251 East Georgia Street, Vancouver, V6A 1Z6","source":"enrichment"},"phone":{"value":null,"source":null},"email":{"value":null,"source":null},"route_slugs":[],"centrally_administered":false,"bike_parking_detail":"12 racks within 100m: stands (4 spaces) at 12m; stands (2 spaces) at 30m; stands (2 spaces) at 37m; stands (2 spaces) at 43m; stands (2 spaces) at 45m; stands (2 spaces) at 56m; stands (2 spaces) at 56m; stands (2 spaces) at 70m; stands at 71m; stands (2 spaces) at 73m; stands (2 spaces) at 85m; stands (2 spaces) at 87m. Total: 24 spaces.","raw_osm":{"addr:city":"Vancouver","addr:housenumber":"251","addr:postcode":"V6A 1Z6","addr:province":"BC","addr:street":"East Georgia Street","alt_name":"Blnd Tger Dumplings;Laowal","amenity":"bar","contact:instagram":"whereislaowai","contact:yelp":"https://yelp.com/biz/laowai-vancouver","description":"Laowai is a 1930s Shanghai-inspired speakeasy hidden behind the unassuming BLND TGER dumpling shop in Chinatown, where the secret code \"7\" unlocks a world of theatrical cocktails and share plates.","description:en":"Laowai is a 1930s Shanghai-inspired speakeasy hidden behind the unassuming BLND TGER dumpling shop in Chinatown, where the secret code \"7\" unlocks a world of theatrical cocktails and share plates.","description:fr":"Laowai est un speakeasy inspiré des années 1930 à Shanghai, caché derrière le modeste magasin de dumplings BLND TGER dans le quartier chinois, où le code secret « 7 » ouvre les portes d’un univers de cocktails théâtraux et de plats à partager.","description:ja":"Laowaiは、チャイナタウンにあるひっそりとしたBLND TGER餃子店の奥に隠された、1930年代の上海をモチーフにしたシークレットバーです。秘密のコード「7」を入力すると、舞台のようなカクテルやシェアプレートの世界が広がります。レストランオーナーのLewis Hartとそのチームによって考案されたこの場所は、創意工夫に富んだドリンク、美食餃子、禁酒法時代の魅力への遊び心溢れるオマージュを融合させた没入型の体験を提供します。","description:ko":"Laowai는 차이나타운의 소박한 BLND TGER 만두 가게 뒤에 숨겨진 1930년대 상하이에서 영감을 받은 스피크이지입니다. 비밀 코드 \"7\"을 사용하면 극적인 칵테일과 공유 접시의 세계가 열립니다. 레스토랑 경영자 Lewis Hart와 그의 팀이 구상한 이 몰입감 있는 공간은 창의적인 음료, 고급 만두, 그리고 금주법 시대의 매력을 재치 있게 결합한 특별한 경험을 선사합니다.","description:zh":"Laowai 是一家受1930年代上海风情启发的秘密酒吧，隐藏在唐人街那家朴实无华的 BLND TGER 饺子店后面，只有输入神秘密码“7”才能开启充满戏剧性鸡尾酒和共享小盘的世界。由餐厅老板 Lewis Hart 及其团队构想，这个精心设计的小场所带来了一种沉浸式体验，将创意饮品、美味饺子与禁酒时代的魅力巧妙结合。","dog":"no","name":"Laowai","reservation":"no","website":"https://laowai.ca"},"enrichment_extras":{"reasoning":"The OSM record provides a rich description of Laowai as a speakeasy behind a dumpling shop in Vancouver's Chinatown. The website (only 1033 bytes of content) is extremely sparse but confirms the business exists, is first-come-first-served (no reservations), and is in Chinatown Vancouver; the BLND TGER subpage lists a dumpling menu with two items explicitly marked '(V)' for vegetarian. No evidence for bike parking, washrooms, water, or most other amenities appears anywhere in the OSM tags or fetched website content.","concerns":["Website content is extremely minimal (1033 bytes), limiting amenity verification. Most fields cannot be confirmed or denied.","The speakeasy entry mechanism (hidden door, secret code '7') means the venue entrance may not be obvious to cyclists unfamiliar with the concept."],"recommended_status_reason":"Real, open, publicly accessible bar and dumpling venue in Vancouver's Chinatown; website is live and menu is current. A useful stop for touring cyclists passing through the neighbourhood.","confirmed_open":true,"contact_confirmed":{"phone":null,"website":true,"address":null},"notes":"OSM alt_name includes 'Laowal' (likely a typo) and 'Blnd Tger Dumplings', reflecting the dual-identity front-of-house (BLND TGER) and hidden bar (Laowai) concept."},"provenance":{"enrichment_run":"density","enrichment_model":"sonnet_4.6","verdict_source":"enrichment","category_source":"osm","category_correction_reason":null,"review_priority":false,"sidecars_applied":["bike_parking","subcategory","wow","price_tier"],"subcategory_source":"osm_tag","subcategory_confidence":"high"},"required_criteria":{"Bike parking or bike visibility":{"value":true,"detail":null,"source":"osm","date":"2026-07-08"},"Washrooms":{"value":true,"source":"inferred:subcategory","date":"2026-07-18"},"Water bottle refill":{"value":true,"source":"inferred:subcategory","date":"2026-07-18"}},"optional_amenities":{"Vegetarian / vegan / GF":{"value":true,"detail":"BLND TGER menu lists Vegetable Shaomai (V) and Tmrw Foods & Cabbage Jiaozi (V) as vegetarian options; Tmrw Foods is a plant-based alternative meat brand, suggesting at least one vegan-friendly item","source":"sonnet_4.6","date":"2026-07-18"},"Public rack nearby":{"value":true,"detail":null,"source":"osm","date":"2026-07-08"}},"unmapped_criteria":{},"region":"Vancouver, Coast and Mountains","ownership":"Buy BC (independent)","indigenous_role":[],"notability":2,"wow_evidence":"1930s Shanghai-inspired speakeasy concealed behind the BLND TGER dumpling shop in Vancouver's Chinatown, entered via a secret code","price":{"band":2,"band_key":"casual","label":"Casual","confidence":"high","source":"amenity_floor","signal":"amenity=bar"},"tier":"welcoming"}