Wasana: A Model for Renewal
Kam and Sompong with Jacklyn, Jayna and Anikka after our last meal at Wasana celebrating Jacklyn's birthday.
When I moved to Brooks in 2010, one of the first restaurants new friends took me out to was Wasana. Across the tracks, in the little box of a building, next to whichever iteration of a corner store was there at the time, Wasana was quickly a favourite.
How I have enjoyed Wasana has changed a lot in the last decade and a half – having both expanded my family and developed a more adventurous palette. At first, I would just order my tried-and-true favourite – the vermicelli with charbroiled pork, a basic Vietnamese dish. However, over time, and by sharing dishes, I was coaxed into trying new things on the menu – dishes Kam knew were more flavourful and that his wife Sompong made very well. Pad Thai led to other noodle dishes, and eventually curries, and sharing meant trying the fried fish, Tom Yum Goong soup, and spicy Thai wings – I have even had off-menu dishes – all prepared as recommended. Each meal included great visits with Kam, and sometimes his wife Sompong, and son Mackenzie too.
With our family growing, Wasana was impressively still a place to go out and eat. Hauling out highchairs and booster seats was no problem for Kam, so bringing doodle books and baby toys, we have celebrated birthdays and gone out with grandparents many times as a family. Kam was always welcoming and loved to see our babies, now big kids, with us. If they were getting antsy waiting for food or after a meal, he’d pick them up and take them for a walk, sometimes even finding a treat for them in the back. He was often disappointed if we came without the whole crew or opted for take-out.
We are not the only ones to experience Wasana as such or to get to know Kam and Sompong better than any other restauranteurs in town. Their love for the people who walked through their doors and the joy they served with made Wasana special, different from eating elsewhere. Wasana has been a gift to those who consider themselves regulars.
I can’t help but reflect on the impact of Wasana as we kick-off the fourth year of Renewal this month. Kam knew the goodness that he had to offer. He shared it with joy and invited patrons to experience more. He did it unabashedly and differently than anyone else in town. His joy and care for others were gifts. Kam’s personal hospitality at Wasana serves as a beautiful model for Renewal.
Kam always wanted people to have the best possible experience. He made it easy to want to go to Wasana – not just for the food. Through his simple welcome and willingness to learn names, everyone could feel immediately at home. As part of God's family, we can best make the church home for all by taking time to get to know each other and welcoming those around us.
Furthermore, as a regular at St. Mary’s, faith can still be deepened – like how Kam always encouraged me to try a new dish. Not all became favourites, but they were interesting and some flavours were completely unique and did became regular dishes for our household. Likewise, there is much beyond weekly Mass that can deepen a life of faith – Adoration, daily Mass, joining ministries or small groups, staying for fellowship and coffee after 9:00am Mass, or perhaps just being early enough for the whole Rosary before Mass (especially this month of the Rosary). Not every opportunity will be a perfect fit, but it can be a real gift to experience the faith in a new or different way. Maybe it will take a few tries before it really fits one’s taste. Renewal is a change of heart that opens one to deepening faith – sometimes most easily through new experiences, just like Kam always encouraged.
Wasana has been a Brooks staple for a good meal, but more than just filling our stomachs, it has been a place of love and welcome. Likewise, the church is a place to be fed spiritually and grow in community, but also a place to experience the love that God has for us and become the family that we are called to be. I hope that I can hold on to Kam’s joy and imitate his invitation to help further Renewal at St. Mary’s – making it a place of encounter and witness, of deepening faith, and a place of beloved belonging for all. Wasana closed its doors permanently in September. May God bless Kam and Sompong in retirement.
Submitted by Natalie Sturch (St. Mary’s Family Faith Coordinator)
