When you walk into Duffin’s Donuts for a box of half-a-dozen treats or post-party fast food, you might wonder: why does this 24/7 joint sell everything?

There’s your usual assortment of sugar-glazed, creams and jellies, but then you notice the Mexican tortas and tamales. And Salvadoran pupusas. And southern fried chicken. And Vietnamese banh mi submarine sandwiches. And your typical diner burgers and breakfasts. They even sold American Chinese food for many years.

“I can’t really describe this place,” wrote one food blogger. A “drunken person’s paradise,” wrote another. Also, a “curiosity.” Scout Magazine called it “an anchor of East Van” as much as Clark Drive’s iconic cross.

Could the mosaic of a menu simply be that the owners for many years, Tony Chhuon and Paula Sim, had varied tastes?

The answer is one you might not expect from this 1980s-vibe mainstay at Knight and 41st. The story is part history, part fairytale. It spans an ocean and involves a murderous dictator and the rise of California’s doughnut king.

Read the full story in the Vancouver Courier here.