CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — When health restrictions in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19 strain) meant Yan Liu couldn’t keep his Charlottetown restaurant open, he looked for a way to keep the food in his freezers from going to waste.
Since then, every Wednesday sees Liu and his friend, Yikun Zheng, doing meal prep for five hours in order to serve 70 meals at the Upper Room Hospitality Ministry’s soup kitchen.
Liu, the owner of TBK Silver Streams Restaurant in the Shops of St. Avards, had already been serving people who could use a hot meal since a fire in July 2019 destroyed the nearby Harley Street apartment building.
Once a month for 10 months, Liu invited the 76 people who lost their homes in the fire to enjoy a free lunch at Silver Streams.
"I wanted to do the same thing I did for the community then, now,” said Liu.
“We delivered food the first week the emergency was announced, and I promised the soup kitchen I will provide food once a week until the emergency situation on the Island ends.”
By his third delivery to the soup kitchen, there was no food left in the fridge and Liu’s restaurant had reopened for take-outs. Still, he decided to keep supplying the soup kitchen.
"At first, I was doing it because I had some food left in the cooler,” he said. “After the food was gone, I realized I have to continue this because the soup kitchen needs my help. A community needs many people willing to contribute. We build a great community together – do your part. Cooking food for the community is my part," said Liu.
To illustrate the importance of contribution to community, Liu drew on a metaphor.
"In this pandemic, we are in a race between the virus and humans. It's a competition between country and country, province and province, city and city, family and family, you and me. We all have our own responsibilities and goals. If you do your part – wash your hands, stay home, social distancing, helping those in need – you are a winner,” he said.
“I'm an owner of the restaurant and I do my part. I will continue winning for my family, my city, my country and I'll continue to do that until we, all humans, win.”
Liu has a history of doing his part for his community.
Seven years ago, when he was living in Beijing, China, Liu and his wife decided to support a privately owned school orphanage called Guang Ai. For the first two years, they donated jackets, helped to fix their heating system and donated food before a holiday.
In August of 2016, a teacher working at the school told Liu they were in desperate need of provisions and needed food weekly. Liu didn't own a restaurant back then.
"I thought, ‘I'm too small and I can’t do that’.”
Liu posted about the needs of the school on social media. With the help of friends, family and neighbours, they started to deliver food for 150 students in Anhui province every Monday and Thursday.
"Success means to us not the amount in our banking account or how big our house is. It means you live good and you have the ability to do something to help others. It doesn’t matter where we are – in our motherland or with our new life here in P.E.I., Canada. It’s a meaningful thing to our life."
- Yan Liu
Since moving to Canada, Liu hasn’t stopped helping the school.
"One hundred friends from all over China donate money once a year. I order food online twice a week, placing an order at the local food market. We are doing this together."
"Success means to us not the amount in our banking account or how big our house is. It means you live good and you have the ability to do something to help others. It doesn’t matter where we are – in our motherland or with our new life here in P.E.I., Canada. It’s a meaningful thing to our life."
At a glance
Opening a restaurant in Canada was Yan Liu's dream as he worked for 16 years as a banker in China.
When he moved to P.E.I., he bought the Chinese restaurant in the Shops of St. Avards in Charlottetown called Silver Streams Restaurant. To give the restaurant a personal touch, he added the initials TBK for The Banker's Kitchen.
"Many of my customers love my restaurant and love me and with many we became friends. P.E.I. is a very friendly place for newcomers, many people here became our family."
