After dropping my car off for some work at a nearby garage, I popped over to Fan's to try out this new-to-me restaurant. Strolling in just as the small, midweek lunch crowd was starting to peter out, I was sat by the window in the expansive dining room. The finishes in the room felt a bit newer than many of their peers', with the exposed duct work and ceiling having a modern black finish, plus nice light fixtures, and a lovely mural of a lake on the far wall. Fan's menu has an interesting mix of legit Chinese dishes, dim sum, and the inescapable Chinese-Canadian food. It's likely quite necessary in an area where I'm guessing that a lot of the workers and residents don't have a palate for the more authentic Chinese dishes, and you can't fault Fan's for the hustle. I had been hoping that more of the dim sum dishes would be available during the week, but it seems like it's only on the weekend, so I resigned myself to an order of dumplings and one of the chef's specials, garlic beef and gailan, plus an order of steamed rice. The dumplings may not have been the prettiest, with uneven folds and somewhat inconsistent shapes, but these were chunky bois, and with nine to an order for $13, it's a helluva deal too! The filling was the standard pork and chive, and the meat was tender and juicy, without being rubbery and overcooked. Arriving while I was only a few dumplings deep, the garlic beef and gailan was a sight to behold! A velvety-smooth sauce coated strips of beef, onions and mushrooms, as well as the verdant gailan. The snap of the thick, but tender-crisp, stems made for a sharp contrast against the wonderfully tender beef. The garlic featured prominently in the flavour of this savoury dish, of course, but didn't overwhelm. My next time there had me coming back during the spring festival, celebrating a somewhat late New Year with my wife as we always do - by ordering way too much Chinese food for two people. First up were the egg rolls - done in the Halifax-style (aka the unflatteringly-named "meat paste" style), these hefty egg rolls had a nice hit of curry powder for flavour and the cute bottle of seemingly house-made plum sauce was a nice touch. Our main courses came in quick succession afterward. Beef and broccoli was spot-on with slices of beef that were once again perfectly tender, plus crispy florets of broccoli and a rich, salt and savoury sauce slathering it all. The Shanghai noodles with shredded pork may not be the most visually-appealing dish, but the flavour was fantastic, as a prominent layer of smoky wok hei enveloped the thick noodles and strips of pork and cabbage. You don't always see it on Chinese menus in Halifax, so we had to get the mapo tofu. We were very glad that we did, as it was one of the best that we've in the city! Although it didn't have a strong layer of funk or Sichuan-peppercorn-induced tingling, the great mix of flavours was still very satisfying - earthy wood ear mushrooms, pops of spice from chilis, the sweet and savoury pork sauce, and again a welcome hit of wok hei. Fan's cooks undoubtedly know what they're doing with a wok! A platter of assorted stir fried veggies added some more vegetable content to our meal and was well-executed. Fan's is firing on all engines with a welcoming space, friendly and attentive staff, and a mix of authentic and Chinese-Canadian dishes that given equal attention and care, elevating themselves in a crowded field. PS. Not only is their website impressively built compared to local peers that generally don't have one at all, they've got a very sizable menu of gluten-free dishes, which is *very* uncommon among Chinese food place, so let the celiacs in your life know! read more

See all

Always a fan favorite for dim sum! Busy on the Saturday and Sundays it is available. Came right at opening and line up already. In the past, if you come too late you'll be waiting. Wide variety of dim sum. All the usuals! It's nice because they are cooked to order as opposed to circulating on carts. Pricing is reasonable. Large seating area. Lots of parking in plaza! read more

Table of six and a very long wait for a single glass of water for the last person arriving. Plus had to ask for a pitcher of water for the table. The portions were big enough for some to take home left overs with plenty of veggies and meat slightly over cooked. read more

See all

What a great place! We just kind of fell in here by happenstance, and so lucky! A nice full menu of dimsum, smells delicious from the door, bustling full of Asian people, and every promise fulfilled. Light delicious well balanced shrimp and leek dumplings. Really well made turnip cakes, very earthy, creamy inside and with a delicate layer of crispness to finish. Sticky rice in lotus leaves has beef instead of the usual chicken, also excellent. And we had some pork congee, so comforting on a blustery Fall day, with a generous amount of preserved eggs. It couldn't have been a better meal. Very friendly service too, we didn't even have to ask for chopstick but seriously we were watched over and fed kindly like any of the other visiting grandmas. Can't wait to get back read more

Excellent dim sum. Highly recommend for lovely dim sum. Authentic food great service. Asian folks eat here. A good hint. Lotus leaf sticky rice. Shrimp and leek dumplings. Oh yeah! read more

We go there for Dim Sum... It is delicious, and all the Dim Sum is hand made by the owners and their family... They also serve some incredible single plate dishes that are HUGE portions... Their BBQ Duck is outstanding!!! There is LOTS of "no stress" parking... The servers are fast and efficient... The washrooms and the dining area is clean and tidy... We love going there!! read more

Great value for the price. Many of my favourite dishes that I love. Service is great and fast. Well recommend. read more

Our family used to come here. But they have just turned me off big time! I had a gift card that couldn't be used. They would always say the machine doesn't work. And so I let it slide. And because our family wanted to come back, I remembered the girt card. So I called beforehand, and as expected, they said that the machine still doesn't work. And that they don't know when it will be up. They couldn't give me an estimated date. So it felt like I could never use this. It's sad because this was gifted to my grandma, and I bought it from her since she wouldn't be able to just go there. What's worst is, the person on the other line just hang up on me while I was talking. And she CAN speak English. Absolutely rude! Now I don't trust them. And I felt like I just gave them a hefty tip that they don't deserve. I'm never going back! read more

We went for Dim Sum. Quite busy at noon on Sunday. Waited about 15 minutes before being seated. The Shu Mai, Har Gow, Shrimp Corn Cakes and Pan-fried Pork Dumplings were all excellent. Also had Sticky rice in Lotus Leaves which was good but not as good as the others mentioned. First time there and would definitely return. read more

After moving to Halifax from Vancouver 10 years ago, I must share that Fan's is easily the best Chinese Restaurant in the City that serves Dim Sum. The taste and quality of the food is excellent, so Fan's is getting more popular, sometimes selling out of popular items like fried squid tentacles, so get there early. The only knock, Fan's doesn't really do the little carts weaving through the restaurant thing, so after waiting in line for a table, you need to order and wait again for your food to arrive, this can be a quite a while when busy. We have tried Dim Sum everywhere in Halifax, Dartmouth etc, nothing comes close to Fan's. read more

We've been here for both Sunday dim sum and for a weeknight dinner and the food is fantastic. Dinner portions are huge and the dim sum is absolutely amazing. The staff are friendly and helpful, particularly with recommendations, and are super efficient. Absolutely worth the trip! read more

I have eaten at Fan's a few times, more in the past than the present. But each time it was great food. Large portions and lots of spicy choices on the menu. Fan's is busy at lunch time, they get a lot of traffic from the dealerships around. I like the sauces at Fran's , and especially like the way they do their sweet and sour chicken. read more

Fan's Restaurant - Chinese Near Me - Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

See all

I have been a somewhat regular patron of Fan's since it opened as " Frans". The service has always been hit or miss but NYE was so bad I am not sure I will go there again. The inability of the staff and management ( I had a long conversation with the manager " Emily ") to accept responsibility for ruining my party's NYE meal is unacceptable. ALL restaurants are busy on NYE and MOST restaurants are dealing with labour shortages but that does not justify service that saw the greeter tell me there wasn't any record of the reservation I had made a month in advance until I pointed out my name on the reservation list, the server telling us it would be 45min to receive our orders, our appetizers being served AFTER the main courses, 2 of the 4 people in my group received their main courses 15 min. before the other two and all food was cold when it was eventually served. When these failings were brought to the attention of various staff, all they said was they were very busy. A few days later I brought my concerns to the attention of the manager but she saw no need to do anything other than issue platitudes and say she was sorry. I am not sure I would have accepted some sort of coupon or other financial incentive but the fact that none was offered speaks clearly to the disregard Fans management has for its patrons. read more

If you're open to new things and enjoy really good Chinese food than you'll love Fan's. To begin, the restaurant itself, doesn't really look like a typical Chinese restaurant. The restaurant is actually quite big - almost warehouse like. But don't let that deter you, it still manages to give that cozy feeling inside. The food is delicious - I have yet to try anything from there that I didn't like. To my knowledge, they don't offer egg-rolls, but instead they offer spring rolls. The spring rolls are very light-tasting and are served with a freshly made plum sauce. The plum sauce is very tasty, but is quite different from any other plum sauces that you may have had as it contains ginger which adds a certain little tang to it. The plum sauce, like many of their sauces, is freshly made from scratch. You will never leave Fan's with an empty stomach. The food proportions are overly generous, and very reasonably priced with many combo specials under $10. read more

Fan's Restaurant - Photo from Fan's Offician Web Site - Chinese Near Me - Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

We go Fan's for Dimsum regularly. Love their food. Seafood congee, fried rice noodles, phoenix claw, etc Too many tasty dishes Dinner also is good! read more

See all

I am a vegetarian and I am pleased to have a good Asian food spot nearby my workplace. It has amazing food and they do take few customisation request on the meals. I ordered a combo meal which has rice and I wanted it to be substituted with noodles and they did it with extra cost of 2$.. I loved the dish and the service here. It's pretty good. If you like Asian food specially Chinese delicacies - this is the place to try. Also the staff is extremely polite and after serving me my dish the guy working there also checked if my dish is fine.. I really enjoyed my meal and the service. read more

Fan's Restaurant - Chinese Near Me - Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

Recently moved to HRM from Toronto and I have been on the hunt for authentic, amazing Chinese food. I kept looking for reviews online and in groups, and consistently kept hearing about Fan's. Today, I took the family for dim sum and it was amaaaaazing We will definitely be back! One of the dishes I miss from Toronto is Yueh Tung's spicy lobster and then we saw it on the menu today. That's what we're going to order next time!! read more

Fan's Restaurant - a variety of asian food - Chinese Near Me - Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

Fan's Chinese Restaurant is located not far from the Ship Victory, so my comment about a captive audience works for this restaurant too. Close by are car dealerships and government agencies, all looking for a quick lunch at a fair price. Fan's takes a concept and runs with it. Their tagline is Northern Chinese cooking but I have to confess that I don't know what this means with respect to mainstream Chinese food. Fan's offers a wide variety of dishes to tempt you, and I have to say that their vegetable dishes are delicious. I'm not a fan of the Hot and Sour soup, but I hear that's a matter of taste anyways. I've had a number of items from Fan's, but my favourite remains the chicken with mushrooms - lots of varieties of mushrooms mixed in with tender chicken breasts and other Chinese vegetables. The sweet and sour chicken is tasty chunks of chicken breast in their own batter served up with an amazing sauce. I know that other places often do sweet and sour dishes, but Fan's outclasses all of them. If you stop into Fan's, be sure to check out the live turtle pond! (Note: Fan's closes Monday to Friday from 2:00 - 5:00, and Saturdays and Sundays from 2:00 - 4:30.) read more

Fan's Restaurant - Chinese Near Me - Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

This was one of the very best Chinese Food restaurants in HRM before switching ownership/management. ( It was originally called Frans before it became Fans) Booked a family Christmas dinner here for 20 people 2 weeks ago in the private room and reconfirmed a few days after. I received a call 2 hours prior to the reservation to confirm again only to find they let someone else take some of our seats and share the room with a bunch of noisy kids running all over the place. It then took 1/2 an hour before they took our orders and we didn't receive our meals for another 90 minutes. The service here is incredibly poor and the manager apathetic. I felt terrible for recommending this place to my family only to have them embarrass me with the shittiest service I've ever received at any restaurant. The food was a 5 out of 10 at best and as you can probably surmise, I don't recommend this place and I will never return. The original owner started another establishment in Clayton Park named 9+9 and it is 100 times better than this ridiculous dump. read more

Fan's Restaurant - located in Shannon Plaza at 451 Windmill Road, Dartmouth There must have me about 25 to 30 of family that took my parents to Fan's restaurant for their Anniversary. I have never been to this location before but my sister recommend this as the best Chinese food in Dartmouth. So off we go. It was packed by the time that all the family arrived and the orders started being placed. On thing that I did like was that the menu was coded as to the amount of spice that each dish contained and if you have read my review before you know that I am a spicy lover. We order some basic dished for the kids, fried rice, chicken balls, egg rolls as well as spring rolls. The adults then dove into the good wild dishes like Hot Satay Sauce Fried Noodle coded with two hot peppers. For the seafood lovers they have great shrimp dishes as well as Szechuen Style Scallops. For those of you who do not eat meat there is a vegetable and Tofu menu that consists of Stir Fried Garlic Stalk or the Mushroom with deep fried tofu. On my journeys I have tried and tasted better but that might just be me. Because I have been told my many that are from Dartmouth that Fan's specializing in Northern Chinese Cuisine is the place to go. Prices are similar to other Chinese location a meal under $20.00 unless you are having the lunch time special. read more

Fan's Restaurant - Chinese Near Me - Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

Had take out. Singapore noodles and general gao chicken. The chicken was soggy and the sesame oil over powered the sauce on the chicken. The noodles were ok, but the bbq pork tasted old. I heard this place was amazing, but after tonight I disagree and won't be trying it again. read more

I've eaten here before n loved it. Service was excellent n the food love it. My boyfriend and I stopped in last night for dinner, he has never eaten here. He was blown away by the serving sizes and price. I had the sweet n sour chicken. Mixed veggie n spring roll. He had the ginger beef with the same sides. The waitress was super friendly, and very attentive. The food was fresh and hot, I had to wait for it to cool a little. Chicken was awesome n spring roll was crispy, rice well I love their rice. Boyfriend loved his meal. We came home with plenty of food. Two meals the buy 3 egg rolls get one free tax and tip cost $36. He is very impressed as am I. Btw the plum sauce rocks read more

Fan's Restaurant - Chinese Near Me - Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

See all

I'd been warned not to go to Fan's, but since it's so close to my work and I've tried everything else in the neighbourhood I thought I'd give it a try. Big mistake. My friend and I ordered two of the lunch specials. After a reasonable amount of time the server arrived with my friend's special, plopped it down on the table, and left without even mentioning mine. That was the last we saw of him. I had to ask two times what had happened to my food, before the manager finally came out with it about 20 minutes after the first meal had arrived. She very kindly comped my meal, which was the only reasonable thing to happen during our entire visit. I quickly realized that I had been the lucky one, as my meal, theoretically "black bean beef with egg noodles" could more realistically be called "chewy beef over super duper gross and crunchy oil-seeping deep fried noodles (WHY?!) slathered in disgusting oil with a couple of chunks of green pepper and maybe one or two black beans". As kind as it was of the manager to comp my meal, I will never be back. The person who warned me off Fan's was right, and I wish I'd listened to him. I hope you'll listen to me. This place is gross, the service is appalling, and the speed and ease with which the manager comped my meal after a single, rather calm complaint makes me think this sort of thing happens all the time. Also suspicious; at no point did anyone stop by our table to ask how the food was. Maybe they already know and they're just tired of hearing it. read more

My mom's favorite cuisine that my dad doesn't like is Chinese food. So anytime dad heads out of town for something, Fan's is the go-to spot for us. It is some of the best Chinese food I have had in Halifax (which is like saying to dominated in a little league game at the age of 26..) It's a huge restaurant, with plenty of seating for you and your friends. The portion sizes are huge. We usually go with the sweet and sour chicken and the steamed veggies.. which are great staples.. and then follow that up with a new option every time, the most recent was the ginger beef which was a little greasy (not a bad thing) but highly tasty. It won't set you back an incredible amount either. The knocks against it, would be the lack of heating some nights (more my family, than me) and the location. Just not the greatest feeling to it in the parking lot at night. Wouldn't feel safe for my mom if she was there alone. read more

We had tried Fan's a few times for takeout, and although we were never blown away, the food was usually decent, ready quickly, and they have a tasty General Tao's chicken. We recently tried them for delivery. It was a disaster. We were told our food would take 45 minutes to an hour. It actually took an hour and 45 minutes, with no explanation given. Better yet, when we opened our order we found out one of the dishes was missing. The food we did get had obviously been on the road too long and was cold. We called it in and were basically told it would take too long to deliver the missing dish, and all they were offering was a credit for the one dish on our next order. There won't be a next order. Making us wait that long for a wrong order was bad enough. Their unwillingness to apologize or make it right has cost them our business. read more

We first started going to Fans as it had been suggested to be one of the best places for Chinese food in HRM. The first couple of visits went pretty well. I did find that while everything arrived hot and fresh, it didn't seem to have much flavour, quite bland in fact. Most everything is made in house, including the plum sauce, which is very good. Their spring rolls are pretty simple with just cabbage and carrots but very tasty smothered in plum sauce. Our third visit was a birthday celebration with six of us. We ordered seven dishes and three arrived that, while initially they looked fine, upon closer inspection had little flecks of black and a very distinct smokey, burnt taste. We sent them back and got only a 20% discount of the meal. We though this might have been a one time incident but on two subsequent visits we had at least one dish that came to the table which tasted burnt. We have since found a new favourite place for Chinese food which is even closer to home. read more

I love this place. In my opinion they have the best ginger beef and chicken balls and really everything else that I like to order. I think they have two ways they can cook the ginger beef...? Anyway I like it a little on the more cooked. Danny is the person who waits on me and the service it fantastic. I'm going there tomorrow. :). I always get the same thing. Which is why I go back. read more

Over priced but delicious. Last time we went we found a few things changed but all in all same slow service.

We are hesitant to try a place with a 'legend'; kept hearing all about it so tried to have no expectations. Fan's was bright, wet-lit and clean looking. Lovely clean fish tank (I think that says something!) I am a wonton soup connoisseur and this one was generous, with a tasty broth and plenty of wontons, melt in your mouth pork slices, but no authentic Chinese green instead some broccoli pieces (bok choy is plentiful here - better than lettuce or broccoli - why?) The General Tao Chicken had the kick of spice we were looking for, and the stir fry mixed vegetables with tofu were also really fresh, with a nice garlic sauce. Really nice food, for HRM Chinese. Now, I have to point out that the servers were very friendly and welcoming, but we waited a looooong time to order. And then a looooong time for food, and still had to chase someone down for the rice. They were kinda busy between the 6 people in the restaurant, and eating their dinner. The inside of the place was almost as cold as the outside, and I had to wear my coat during dinner. The food is priced 15 - 20% more per dish than anywhere else, and not really worth it, in food, service or atmosphere. Sorry no win here. read more

So, when I moved to Dartmouth I knew there were a few things I'd be giving up: the short walk to work and dance bars, but I didn't realize I was kissing goodbye to my favourite guilty pleasure (Canadian Chinese food). (Now, let's just say it right now - Canadian Chinese food is nothing like authentic Chinese food. We all know that, right?) When I was feeling crummy from a cold a few months ago, I browsed the Fan's website to pick a few dishes that would make me feel better. I ordered my favourites and waited (quite impatiently). When my order arrived, some $50 dollars later, I was pumped to dig in. Unfortunately, I was entirely disappointed. Not only was the food lukewarm, but it had not taste! Now, I know what you're saying, "But Nicole, you said you had a cold!" Sure, my nose was stuffy but I certainly wasn't completely out of the game. It was just a really, really sad experience. I don't eat my guilty pleasure often, but when I do I want to revel in it. I want to have a full belly and than eat more an hour later. The only thing that was full after this meal was my green bin. read more

Fan's (formerly Fran's), is one of those Halifax legends that has carried through since the university days of my parents. Meaning, this place is ANCIENT. I kid, I kid. It's mostly just fun to think about my parents in their twenties hauling their hungover selves over to Windmill Road for a Chinese feast back before they were burdened with perfect children. Anyhow. Fan's is still known for being some of the best Chinese food in the city (which I'll admit, isn't saying much...) and easily tops the recommendations list when you're looking for something a little more creative than just Combo #2. I have a huge vegetarian heart-on (you heard me) for their salt-and-peppered tofu which, yes, sounds really simple but it's perfectly spiced and those little soy cubes are cooked to absolute perfection. It might be the only Chinese vegetarian dish in the city that I find is actually worth eating. read more

When I went vegetarian a few years back, I realized that I'd probably be giving up some things. After pepperoni pizza, my greatest concern may easily have been the loss of Chinese food. No more sweet and sour chicken? Goodbye to ginger beef? Adios to lemon chicken? Then I found Fan's. I don't think I'd ever been before but now whenever I get a craving for Chinese, this is my go-to place. I have tried a few different things but almost always come back to my favourite: sweet-and-sour tofu. Tofu's not my favourite food item. It's really hard to cook well and several restaurants in the city have disappointed me. Not Fan's! The tofu is moist and properly marinated. and the mix of sauce and veggies that come with it are delicious (hello sugar as part of the "sweet"). I'm not gonna lie: service here isn't always perfect. It's not terrible, it could just maybe step up its game a bit. That, to me, is totally overcome by the quality of the food. Food which is also served up really fast! read more

I've heard of this place for a few years, but never around at the right time. Typical chinese buffet layout & decor, but instead the menu is different enough from the other spots to make it interesting. The lunch combos are varied and cheap & fast to your table once ordering. Overall lunch & pop cost ~11$ and was in & out of the door under an hour. The serving size was adequate and service was pretty good. read more

Came here for a family dinner. Service was good. Food for the most part was mediocre; tasted okay, but nothing spectacular. The sweet and sour chicken with pineapple dish was tasty, but the BBQ duck was tough, dry and tasteless. Everything else we ordered was just okay. Apparently the dim sum is tastier according the more experienced patrons amongst our group. Guess I'll have to come back another time for the dim sum! read more

See all

YIKES, someone forgot the flavor. Food was quick, fresh, and plenty of it. If very spicy without flavor is your thing, you will love it. I do not consider heat a flavor, and will take my taste buds elsewhere. read more

We have been coming here on and off for years, and it has been consistently good food with good service. I don't understand the negative reviews. You always see Chinese diners, a good sign. Today we went for Dim Sum and we loved it, except for one dish that we probably won't order again. It's certainly the best Chinese food in Dartmouth. I love the dumplings, and ginger beef, Singapore noodles, moo shoo pork. I also find the take out and delivery great. You can actually order online. At the moment, they are offering a special new year banquet. read more

Fan's Restaurant - Best in Dartmouth - Chinese Near Me - Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

This place has the best Dimsum hands down by far! I love chinese food and i know there is a bunch around and weve tried a few for dimsum and Fans was hot fresh tasty and not only could we not finish the last fried fish ball mmmmm... our bill was under 50 bucks for a full dimsum for 2. I also like how most staff is Chinese that speaks for itself, its the real deal, and also multible asain familys and friends. Very good and gift cards are available for that foodie in your family! read more

This place used to be my favourite chinese food but my last few visits suggest they have taken a steep dive for the worst. We ordered catering from here on a Friday afternoon at work and received a very large rusty staple in one of our dishes. How this gets into someone's food is beyond me. The ginger beef was chewy and seemed to lack any ginger. Definitely off the mark. Last time I ate in the place wasn't as clean as I'd like, and the wait staff was no where to be seen while I was there and I was one of only 2 tables. You'd think they would have some time to dust or clean sticky tables. Overall it seems they are experience a lack of quality control in the kitchen and cleanliness out front. With staples falling into peoples food, you can only wonder what the state of the kitchen is like. read more

Loved every second! Went with two friends for some Peking duck during Chinese New Years. Three course meal between the three of us? We definitely did not leave hungry and the food was so delicious. The restaurant was fairly empty at the time so we had great service from the waitress. Had some laughs and took some pictures. 10/10 would duck again. read more

Fan's Restaurant - Lots of room! - Chinese Near Me - Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

See all

The sad thing is that their food is excellent. But here's the facts about their service. Order was placed at 6:15, and they quoted 45 minute delivery time. At 7:15, I called to ask where the food was, they said the driver had just left. We live about 10 minutes from the restaurant, so we figured it would arrive shortly. At 7:45 we called again to ask what is going on, and that we weren't impressed. The woman on the phone said she'd call the driver and find out. We never received a call back. At 8pm the driver showed up, expecting us to pay in full. We sent him away, called the restaurant AGAIN, and told them that we will now be actively dissuading people from eating there. read more