The West End corner that lost its sit-down Mexican spot last winter is getting beef noodle soup instead.
Nuan Nuan Beef Noodle House has put its signage up in the West End unit that used to be Holy Guacamole Mexican Grill.
When we walked past, both front windows were papered over, and a large poster was taped into each one.
The message is short: “Opening Soon. Now Hiring.”
No opening date is on the sign, and we couldn’t find one anywhere else yet.
The name comes in two languages. Nuan Nuan is written across the top in dark red, with 暖暖 stamped in a seal beside it.
Nuan nuan roughly translates to “warm warm,” and the vertical Chinese tagline next to it leans all the way in: 一碗好麵, 暖心暖胃, or “a good bowl of noodles, warming the heart and the stomach.”
The English tagline is bolder.
Right under the name, the poster reads “Vancouver’s Favourite Noodles.”
That is a big claim for a shop that has not opened its doors on Denman, and we could not find an existing Nuan Nuan location anywhere in the city to back it up.
The smaller print lists three promises: fresh ingredients, authentic flavours and “a warmer community.”
“Good Food Brings People Together” is handwritten in the top corner, and “Good noodles, brighter days” runs along the bottom.
When Holy Guacamole closed last December, we reported that the business listing described 22 seats inside and 12 more on the patio.
Holy Guacamole itself had taken over the space from The Spot diner in 2019, and spent six years serving burritos, tortilla soup and breakfast machaca to people on their way down to English Bay.
From the outside, the old place hasn’t fully left.
The yellow paint and the cactus are still on the pillars, and the red awning still hangs over the sidewalk.
Nuan Nuan also won’t be the only noodle shop on the block. Dan Dan Noodle already serves Sichuan noodles a short walk up the street at 836 Denman.
There is no opening date yet, and Nuan Nuan has no website or social media accounts so far.
That means the menu, the prices and who is behind the shop are still unknown, and we’ll update this as those details surface.
Nuan Nuan Beef Noodle House joins other upcoming Vancouver food spots including Ramen Danbo in Yaletown and Jersey Mike’s in Kitsilano.
For more new and upcoming food spots in Metro Vancouver, take a peek at our tracker here, and subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.
Address: 805 Denman St, Vancouver, BC V6G 2L7
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