I'll be visiting Vancouver for the first time in over 20 years, and I've read repeatedly that Vancouver has quite the chinese population (immigrant and canadian born chinese). Are there neighborhoods/ shops that are favorites of the local chinese? I'm not interested in buying chinese trinkets, just getting a taste of the local favorite spots.

If the chinatown in Vancouver is anything like the Chinatown in other cities, then it's more of a tourist attraction than functional cultural center for the local chinese community.

Is cantonese still widely spoken in Vancouver?