Neighbourhood: Mount Pleasant

Tele: (604) 879-8221

Chinese dishes: Thousand year old eggs, Pea shoots with garlic, Duck with plum sauce, Deep fried fishies, Pig intestines

Home Food Delivery Service: No

Food Take Away: Yes

Waiter Service: Yes

Wheelchair Accessible: Yes

Outdoor Seating: No

Good for: Lunch, Late Night

Parking: Private Lot

Attire: Casual

Good for Groups: Yes

Good for Kids: Yes

Review:

Question: A food junkie (me) who takes pictures of EVERYTHING does not even think about her camera when: a) She’s Cold from the outside weather b) She’s hungry c) She hasn’t had Chinese Congee and Noodles in SO So Long d) She’s been wanting to try Congee Noodle House since forever e) The first plate out looks sooo delish f) a,b,c,d, and e! Maybe it was all those reasons that made my experience at Congee Noodle House was so awesome………… but NO, really!!! Everything from the food to the service was above my expectations, and I do not have any expectations for Chinese diners at all! Tea glasses were always filled, and the waitors and waitresses were super nice… one gentleman thought we were finished with our meal and felt really bad when he offered to pack it up… he politely told us to take our time and apologized. Our food – BBQ Duck Congee…. the duck was so juicy and meaty…… really enhanced the flavours to the already tasteful congee..it was thick and well blended with peanuts and chinese onions for garnish.. and of course i had to get an order of : Vancouver’s 101 Best Eats: Chinese Doughnuts! (correction – they do not make them out of tofu)… they were deep fried, but not overly crispy, leaving a doughy texture for eating by itself or dipping it into the congee! I was craving brisket so I convinced my boyfriend to order the special beef brisket and vegetable chow mein.. I’m not a fan of the crispy noodles but after I mixed everything up, the noodles softened just the way I liked. You should’ve seen my eyes light up when I saw the dish – the pieces of brisket were HUGE… fatty at some parts. but was the portion ever big!!!!!!!!!! The bak choy was crisp and i wish there was more of it but I was happy with that was given.

Even though it’s a congee/noodle place, it could pretty much double as a Hong Kong cafe. Food is served quick and with good quality. I love the congee and the noodles they serve here: The congee is thick and creamy (who would like watery congee anyway?), and the noodles, whether fried or in soup has a nice bounce to it. So far, I have yet to experience the noodles being under/overcooked. Of course, this isn’t your Chinese seafood restaurant, so don’t expect any fancy entrees here. This is a great place for grabbing a bite with friends before heading off to someplace else. But like any Hong Kong eating place, service isn’t at its greatest, and one would experience it during rush hours when waiting for a table. My tip for everyone during those hours is be assertive. Remember, there are millions of Chinese people on this Earth, you want to be noticed by a Chinese server? You better put yourself out there and be noticed! Another great thing is that they’re open quite late, and have their late night specials. But a word of caution, the late night special dishes are cheap, but they’re also small in portion. So if you haven’t eaten dinner yet, or you’re looking to fill a big appetite, then you should just order from their regular menu.

Tele: (604) 685-0871

Neighbourhood: West End

Website: http://www.hons.ca

Chinese dishes:

Fresh Pork Potstickers

Roasted Duck & wonton noodle soup

Restaurant Reservations: Yes

Home Food Delivery Service: Yes

Food Take Away: Yes

Waiter Service: Yes

Wheelchair Accessible: Yes

Outdoor Seating: No

Good for: Lunch, Dinner

Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only

Accepts Credit Cards: Yes

Parking: Street

Attire: Casual

Good for Groups: Yes

Good for Kids: Yes

Review:

Found this place after realizing how expensive Kirin was! Cheap prices for large portions. Very casual, everyday type of place. Different kitchens (which are labeled with a sign) are located throughout the restaurant, focusing on different foods. They even have a vegetarian kitchen, to avoid cross-contamination with meat. The potstickers are a must – not doughy, very fresh and totally worth the sale price of $3.37! Open late, until midnight and they offer delivery!

I just went there for lunch today and I think the quality of the food has indeed gone down. To me, the true testament of a Cantonese noodle restaurant is the quality of its congee. We ordered a sliced chicken congee and a century egg congee with sliced pork, along with Chinese doughnuts (yu tiao / yao tiu).

Unless the restaurant specializes in Chiuchow / Swatow / Teochew cuisine (which Hon’s doesn’t), the congee should be thick and creamy. Both of our congees were watery. Besides, the flavour was overpowered by citrus peels which should only be used sparingly in beef or seafood dishes. Even my partner noticed it and he grew up on a farm in Michigan where pasta is considered ethnic food for most people in his community. We were not expecting fresh Chinese doughnuts because they are usually made fresh in the morning. However, our Chinese doughnuts were very doughy instead of airy. It was like chomping on a Tim Horton’s doughnut.

The service continues to be friendly although I’ve always had to flag down a wait staff to place our orders. Once you have their attention, they are always nice.

I will return to Hon’s just because it’s convenient and inexpensive but my visits will likely be less frequent. Congee Noodle House at 141 E Broadway will be my alternative since it is only a 10 minute drive for us and it has much better congee.

Address: 102-1166 Alberni St, Vancouver, BC V6E 3Z3

Tele: (604) 682-8833

Website: www.kirinrestaurant.com

Accepts Credit Cards: Yes

Attire: Dressy

Restaurant Reservations: Yes

Chinese Takeaway, Waiter Service, Wheelchair Accessible

Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only

Review:

The caliber of dim sum in Vancouver is relatively high (due to all the Canton peeps). So competition for dim sum locally is pretty fierce. Kirin is definitely known to be “up there” in the Chinese food area. It’s definitely no Hons! So if you eat here, you won’t expect to see rowdy dim sum ladies pushing their carts and dan tat in your face. Every server is in some tux uniform and are rather snooty, actually. Quality of food however, is superb. Not bad for the money, this is definitely good food. And the siu long bao is awesome! Must have.

Address: 3888 Main St, Vancouver, BC V5V 3N9

Tele: (604) 872-8822

Website: www.sunsuiwah.com

Accepts Credit Cards: Yes

Attire: Casual

Good for Groups: Yes

Restaurant Reservations: Yes

Home Food Delivery Service: No

Chinese Takeaway: Yes

Waiter Service: Yes

Review: