False storefronts and secret passwords

Inspired by the false storefronts and secret passwords from Shanghai and Hong Kong’s notorious nightclub scene, Laowai is concealed behind BLND TGER Dumplings, next door to a Chinese BBQ meat and fresh vegetable market, typical of the small merchants that line East Georgia Street. 

Upon entering, discreetly ask for the “Number 7” to be ushered past BLND TGER Dumpling shop’s faux freezer door into an art deco lounge that celebrates all the intrigue and glamour of 1920’s Asia, paired with a modern cocktail experience.

Laowai or ‘outsider’

During the 1920s and ‘30s, Shanghai was one of the most progressive and multicultural cities of the world. The city’s nightlife buzzed with a dynamic mix of the fashionable and the seedy, welcoming both locals and ‘laowai’ or ‘outsiders.’ 

This period between the two World Wars gave us a newly founded openness, freedom and decadence that fuelled the roaring 20’s. To curb the night clubs, Shanghai had curfews, but that did not stop the partying, as the music played all night long as you entered the clubs before curfew and stayed until morning.

Once inside, Laowai’s hidden lounge is furnished with padded emerald-green velvet walls; intimate semi-circle luxury leather banquettes; and polished, verdigris accents of malachite offering a sultry and sophisticated setting. 

BLND TGER Dumplings

Their cocktail programme blends contemporary tastes and classic recipes with accents and flavours locally sourced in Chinatown. Each of the many cocktails on the menu is introduced with the tale of a historical figure that was its inspiration – such as the popular city administer who was also a not-so-secret opium smuggler Jade Empire.

The kitchen offers large sharing mains plus several dumplings from store front BLND TGER Dumplings. Recommend the Hong Kong-style Pork Belly Bourdon Char Sui marries slow-roasted pork with an American whiskey marinade that has become popular in modern-day Shanghai.

Laowai hidden lounge is behind BLND TGER Dumplings, 251 East Georgia Street, Vancouver.

“Ask for the Number 7.”

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Today, the mark of a luxury automobile is a combination of the best of design, the latest in technology and a degree of rarity. We may gasp at the commanding entry price of at least $150K USD but it was really no different back in the 1930’s.

During that era, the royal families of Europe and aristocratic American dynasties demanded to be driven around in some of the most extraordinary fast and efficient streamlined automobiles ever built. After all, the elite did not associate itself with the Ford Model T or the Volkswagen Beetle.

Upon visiting the Shape of Speed exhibition, you will find a rare group of seventeen cars and two motorcycles each of which demonstrate how automobile designers took used concepts of aerodynamic efficiency to create exciting machines that look as though they are moving even while parked.

These designs, which emulate the classic teardrop shape thought to cheat the wind, are emblematic of a whole new generation of shapes for automobiles that went on to influence the design of appliances, transport trucks and railroad locomotives.

The automotive marque on display represent some of Europe’s finest manufacturers, past and present. Mercedes-Benz, Bugatti, Talbot-Lago, Delahaye, Cord and Chrysler are all featured as are two motorcycle manufacturers, Henderson and BMW.

Located in the far corner of the exhibition hall, my favorite vehicle on display is a 1938 Delahaye 135M Roadster, manufactured in Paris by renowned coachbuilders Joseph Figoni and Ovidio Falaschi.

The pair were famous for their swoopy, elegant custom coachwork which took streamlining to the next level and became the expression of 1930’s European luxury. They accented the streamline effect to create singular designs that resulted in their automobiles being called “rolling sculptures” or “Paris gowns on wheels.” Their voluptuous designs became the epitome of Art Deco elegance.

Painted a deep, rich black, the Delahaye 135M Roadster, with its long hood and hand crafted sensuous front fenders, custom tan leather interiors and black piano dashboard, certainly made a statement then and continues to do so now.

Just eleven of these stunning roadsters were ever manufactured of which only seven survive today. This particular vehicle spent most of its life in Algeria and was found in 1992. It was missing its deck hood and the shrewd buyer – unlike the original owners who would have paid handsomely for such a car – bought the damaged automobile for about £60.

The cars and motorcycles featured in Shape of Speed: Streamlined Automobiles and Motorcycles, 1930 – 1942 represent the best of streamlined design. While touring the countryside draped in couture in a chauffeured custom roadster was very much a part of the wealthy life in europe, the mere sight of one of these fabulous vehicles gave a sense of optimism and expectation.

The privileged few who attend this exhibition will get a glimpse of that bygone era of dynamism and grace and leave feeling energized by the timeless shapes of streamlined design.

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