Pidgin restaurant embroiled in controversy and protests

You might not think that a restaurant could become the center of a political and social controversy. But food is central to our lives, and this importance can be a double-edged sword. When Pidgin restaurant opened recently in Vancouver, BC's impoverished Downtown Eastside neighborhood, it found itself at the heart of a public struggle over what the neighborhood was, who belonged there, and what its future will be.

The Downtown Eastside (DTES) is cited by many as the poorest neighborhood in all of Canada. This, in one of the most expensive cities in the world. The impoverished people living in the DTES have lives which are constantly in flux, more so recently as social housing is being gradually converted to market lofts and upscale restaurants.

Pidgin is seen as the beachhead of the next wave of gentrification. There are several other upscale establishments on the same block, but Pidgin has come in for particular criticism partly because its large plate glass windows overlook Pigeon Park, a bare triangle of concrete notorious as the ground zero of Vancouver's drug trade and homeless community.

Protesters took photos of diners and shone flashlights into their eyes, arguing that it was a bit too far for upper-class diners to be watching Vancouver's worst park while they ate. Like a particularly egregious example of poverty tourism. The restaurant's owner has since had to frost the windows in order to protect his patrons' privacy and dining experience.

For its part, Pidgin argues that it has brought a lot of money to the neighborhood. It employs local residents, and uses the services of many local businesses. And if low-income Vancouverites once sought out that location due to its low rent, the same is true of Pidgin.

Who's going to blink first in this game of political chicken? The protestors or the restaurant? Only time will tell.

Image courtesy of Flickr/mezzoblue