After nearly three decades at its Willingdon Avenue strip mall home, No.1 Beef Noodle Kitchen — a familiar stop for Burnaby residents and BCIT students — is set to open a second location in Richmond. The new unit, at 170-4611 No. 6 Road, was first noticed by local watchers and signals the Burnaby-born shop’s cautious move across the river.
From Willingdon to No. 6 Road
Operating in Burnaby since 1998, No.1 Beef Noodle has built a reputation on its namesake Taiwanese beef noodle soup and a broad menu that includes popcorn chicken, braised pork belly on rice, sizzling plates and bubble tea, plus desserts such as grass jelly and sweet tofu. The Burnaby location has been open late — a selling point for students and late-shift workers — and the Richmond listing suggests the new shop will serve a similar clientele in a less tourist-heavy part of the city.
“The shop keeps long hours for a noodle house, open until 11pm most nights and later on weekends.”
The Richmond address places the restaurant in an office-and-warehouse stretch of No. 6 Road rather than Richmond’s dense Golden Village restaurant district. That choice makes practical sense: workers in the area have fewer sit-down destinations, and neighbouring tenants have already demonstrated the ability to draw diners across the city.
Neighbourhood fit and business implications
The new unit sits beside Shoestring Cafe, a longtime dinner-only operation that draws customers from across the region. The presence of an established neighbour that regularly fills its small dining room suggests the block can sustain another destination eatery. For Burnaby customers, the expansion underlines the staying power of a local institution while extending its reach into neighbouring municipalities.
- Original location: Willingdon Avenue strip mall, Burnaby (since 1998)
- New location: 170-4611 No. 6 Road, Richmond (unit next to Shoestring Cafe)
- Menu highlights: Taiwanese beef noodle soup, popcorn chicken, braised pork belly, bubble tea, grass jelly, sweet tofu
- Hours at Burnaby location: generally open until 11 p.m., later on weekends
Neither the Richmond shop’s official opening date nor a confirmed menu has been announced. However, the Burnaby location’s broad noodle offer — including pork, lamb, chicken, seafood and vegetarian bowls — provides a clear template for what Richmond patrons can expect if the team chooses to mirror the original lineup.
| Detail | Burnaby (original) | Richmond (new) |
|---|---|---|
| Open since | 1998 | Not yet announced |
| Address | Willingdon Avenue strip mall (Burnaby) | 170-4611 No. 6 Road (unit beside Shoestring Cafe) |
| Typical hours | Until 11 p.m. most nights; later on weekends | Not yet announced |
What this means for Burnaby's dining scene
For Burnaby residents, the expansion is a reminder that local restaurants with steady followings can scale carefully while keeping neighbourhood ties. The Willingdon Avenue shop has served generations of diners, including students from BCIT, and its recipes and late hours are part of many residents’ routines. If the Richmond location opens with similar hours and menu depth, it will likely serve a different but complementary clientele — day-shift workers and warehouse staff who have fewer evening dining choices on No. 6 Road.
No.1 Beef Noodle’s move also joins a wave of new openings in Richmond, including other Asian-focused concepts, reflecting continued dynamism in Metro Vancouver’s food landscape. For now, Burnaby customers can continue to rely on the original location while watching for an official opening date and menu confirmation from the Richmond unit.
As the city’s culinary footprint spreads across municipal boundaries, this expansion highlights how neighbourhood institutions evolve to meet demand without abandoning their original communities.
