Check Out Chinatown

We’re taking advantage of these last sunny, summer days and poking around parts of our fair city that have hitherto gone unexplored.
One of those destinations is Ottawa’s own Chinatown (a.k.a. Somerset Street). It’s central, there’s a lot of cool stuff to see and do (and eat), and you can even make a half-day outing out of it, if you play your cards right.

Park on the Bronson end of Somerset and walk towards Preston Street. Although the world is your oyster, we really like the following stops along the route.

At Global Homeware (708C Somerset Street West), home to Hello Kitty and friends, there are tons of unique gifts and housewares (think chopsticks, Asian tableware, bamboo steamers and rice molds) to be discovered. Though small, it’s a shopping paradise. We bet you won’t be able to walk out of there without a Chococat notebook or Totoro pencil case.

Kowloon Market (712 Somerset Street West) is similar to T & T Supermarket but on a smaller scale. We love exploring Asian snack foods. Pick up some shrimp chips, Pocky (cookie-like sticks dipped in chocolate or strawberry coating), and coconut-flavoured soy milk.