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VANCOUVER—For Susanna Ng to close down New Town Bakery & Restaurant for even a day, it had to be something big — as big as a movie starring comedian Ali Wong.

A scene from the hit Netflix movie Always Be My Maybe was filmed at the restaurant, but the collaboration “almost never happened,” said Ng.

The 64-year-old immigrated from Hong Kong in 1972. She’s owned the bakery in Chinatown with her husband since 1980; in that time, it’s become a staple among tourists and locals alike who pick up its steam buns and pastries at the counter or stay for dim sum and tea.

Many of the scenes in the romantic comedy — written by Wong, co-star Randall Park and Michael Golamco — were filmed around Vancouver, disguised as San Francisco where the characters grew up and dated as teenagers.

Not knowing who Wong was or what the film was about, Ng turned down the first offer of several thousand dollars to rent her space for a day. But when the scouting agents returned and offered to pay a day’s worth of sales, she agreed, thinking her staff could use the time off.

“I could have asked for more; some might pay you double. But I was not that greedy,” said Ng.

But neither the staff nor Ng had the day off.

Ten members of the restaurant staff appear in a scene where Sasha Tran, Wong’s character, and Marcus Kim, Park’s character, return to their pastime eatery, Best Luck Dim Sum.

Tana Yu played the server who brought the dumplings to the actors.

They filmed that scene at least 20 times, said Yu, one of New Town’s long-time staff members since the ’80s.

“So Ali’s been eating that shumai, or shrimp dumpling, over 20 times … (The crew) told us they wanted our food to be part of it,” said Yu, who was “surprised” the film even asked New Town staff to be in the film.

“I was really happy that they really wanted a few of us in the movie. I don’t know why; maybe they think it’s more natural.”

The staff members who make a cameo in the film were paid at least $1,000 for the day of shooting, Ng said excitedly, which included overtime and time spent at costume fittings.

It was bittersweet for urban planner Andy Yan to see one of his regular spots get featured in the popular film.

“Just don’t use my table,” he joked about the new customers it’ll attract.

Many themes in the movie “hit close to home” for him. The film, Yan said, captured family dynamics that have been missing in mainstream media.

“The father wasn’t this kind of stereotypical Asian father ... He was confident, he was caring, he had a certain level of compassion for Randall Park’s character, saying, ‘I’ll be all right, just go and follow your dream.’”

Following the 2018 release of Crazy Rich Asians, a love story about a son born into one of Singapore’s wealthiest families, Yan also appreciated how “normal” the characters were in Always Be My Maybe.

“The Asian male lead was normal … They were goofy, they were human, they swore ... They were human as opposed to theanthropic, non-people.”

Just as food connects the characters in the film, New Town Bakery & Restaurant has been at the centre of Ng’s family life. She’s now eager to retire with her husband and hopes her son might take over the business.

“It’s still lots of work (for) the second generation,” Ng said. “I don’t know if he can handle it.”

Hiring staff has been a chronic challenge in Vancouver, and New Town is no exception.

“It’s hard to recruit the kind of people we want. Even if I can hire somebody, they don’t stay long. Nobody wants to get into the low-skilled jobs,” Ng said.

If her children decide not to take over New Town, she still wants someone with passion to take up the work. The restaurant is more than just a business.

“It’s not really for the money, but to serve the community.”

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