Metro Vancouver has been repeatedly praised for its Asian food.

The latest accolades come from the New York Times.

Although the headline for the June 4 article cited Asian food, writer Taras Grescoe, who grew up in Vancouver before leaving 20 years ago, focused primarily on the world of Chinese food in Richmond, with some brief references to other East and Southeast Asian cuisines. (South Asian food is not mentioned.)

In particular, the first half of the article is devoted to exploring the Richmond Night Market.

A repeated point made in the article is how the Chinese cooking here benefits from the freshness and quality of B.C. ingredients, including produce and seafood.

Grescoe also cites some references to Japanese Canadian fishing history in Steveston, who have been supplanted by Vietnamese fishermen and Chinese customers.

Rather than exploring various Asian cuisines, Grescoe delved into the diversity of Chinese cuisine in Richmond (described as "a one-stop paradise for lovers of Asian food"), with references to Uyghur cuisine and regional styles from Guangdong to Hong Kong to Tianjin, through detailed visits to the restaurants Parklane, Kirin, Golden Paramount, HK BBQ Master, Xi'an Cuisine, O'Tray Noodles, and more.

While Grescoe may have concentrated on Chinese food, there are other numerous facets to consider about Metro Vancouver's Asian food scene.

For instance, due to familiarity with cuisines and brand names, Vancouverites are increasingly supporting the arrival, crossover, and diversification of numerous Asian eateries, including bubble-tea shops, Asian dessert cafés, hot-pot spots, ramen joints, and more.

Of course, there are also phenomena to examine such as the longterm, immense number of sushi shops around town; the upward mobility of Vietnamese restaurants going beyond pho and banh mi; the expanding popularity of dosas; and more.

Needless to say, there's plenty more room for international coverage of what Vancouver has to offer. In the meantime, such articles can serve as a reminder to appreciate what may sometimes be taken for granted in our own backyard—and before too many other people find out about it.