Friends recommended this Hong Kong-style café on Kingsway, saying it offers better value in terms…read moreof portion size and pricing compared with many other cha chaan teng-style restaurants in Vancouver. We decided to give it a try one weekday afternoon. The seating is quite tight. For a party of two, we were seated along the wall with a small table and chairs facing each other, while the other side has a few cubicles more suitable for groups of four. The menu is extensive--perhaps even overwhelming--with many choices, so I would suggest looking at their menu online beforehand. We ordered from the afternoon tea menu: baked pork chop on rice and beef on rice noodles. Hong Kong-style coffee or tea was included, and each dish was around $16. The portions were generous, and both dishes were tasty. From a food and value perspective, we were satisfied. Unfortunately, our final experience at the cashier left us disappointed. The bill came to $32 before tax ($33.81 after tax). I paid $35 cash and told the cashier to keep the change. Instead of simply accepting it, she told me that the restaurant expected a minimum 10% gratuity. I found this uncomfortable and unprofessional. I understand tipping is customary in Vancouver, and I normally tip according to the service provided, but customers should not feel pressured or told that a minimum tip is required unless it is clearly posted as a restaurant policy. The service itself was perfectly adequate, but nothing beyond the usual ordering and serving of food. There was no extra attention or special effort that would justify being approached about a minimum gratuity after payment. Also, since the restaurant accepts cash only, it would be helpful to have a clear "Cash Only" notice displayed at the entrance so customers are aware before dining. To be clear, this review is not about the food quality or pricing. The food was good, and the value was actually one of the restaurant's strengths. My disappointment comes entirely from the way the gratuity issue was handled at the cashier. A good dining experience should include not only good food, but also a professional and respectful final interaction with customers.

BT Cafe 大拇指餐廳 Review Location: 920 Kingsway, Vancouver, BC…read more位置： 溫哥華京士威道 920 號 (English version) BT Cafe is a delightful neighbourhood gem located on Kingsway. The standout for me was definitely their Sweet and Sour Pork--the sauce is impeccably balanced, perfectly capturing that nostalgic, classic flavor that's hard to find these days. The staff are incredibly helpful and friendly, creating a welcoming environment from the moment you walk in. While the ambiance is cozy and warm, I did notice that the high backs of the booths can be a bit wobbly/unstable, which is something to keep in mind if you're looking for extra back support. Overall, a great spot for a comforting meal! 繁體中文] 位於溫哥華京士威道 (Kingsway) 的大拇指餐廳 (BT Cafe) 是間非常討喜的鄰里餐館。他們家的咕嚕肉絕對是必點，那種咕嚕汁調配得非常地道，酸甜平衡得剛剛好，充滿了讓人懷念的經典風味。店員服務態度親切，讓人感到賓至如歸。餐廳整體的氛圍溫馨舒適，不過值得留意的是，部分卡座的椅背稍微有些晃動，若對座椅穩定度有要求的話可能要注意一下。總體而言，這是一個享受暖心餐點的好地方！

Finally got a chance to try this place after a few decades. Still remember when it was Dragon Inn…read more The place was packed late at night, which is always a good sign. Parking is available but limited in the lot in front. Better to look along Kingsway, or in the side streets behind the restaurant. I found it hilarious that the lot specifically prohibits parking for Tina Cake next door. Guess that must've been a problem over the years. The inside is plain and quite dated (old school). Looks like something out of the 1980s. Awesome. Staff are friendly and helpful. No complaints. Everything hit the spot in terms of authentic Cantonese. I had the stir fried beef with black pepper sauce, Hainan style chicken, and sweet and sour pork. Everything tasted great. Portion sizes are decent, and prices are quite reasonable. As the dishes are shared, it is best to come in groups (at least 3-4) so more dishes can be ordered. Looks like I've found my go-to for late night Cantonese food. Recommended.

Food and service are pretty good. We tried some authentic Hong Kong dishes and it's so delicious…read more The best part is they have the TV for World Cup so everyone can enjoy watching the game and enjoy dinner at the same time.

A group of us went for dinner. Had their beef with scrambled egg on rice, honey garlic spare ribs,…read morehappy day crispy chicken, and pan fried noodle with beef. Also had soup and a dessert soup. The portions are ridiculous and the tastes were on par with what I've had in HK. Definitely worth the price that we paid. Service was ... like what I expect from HK staff. Curt and to the point, but overall ok. The place was packed, so it goes to show how much the place is well liked. A definite go.

Ordered the combo of preserved vegetables and dried BBQ duck fried rice with a hot HK milk tea for…read more$21.95. Unfortunately, this was quite a disappointing dine-in experience. The fried rice was rather bland and had a slightly overcooked, burnt aftertaste. The preserved vegetables were especially underwhelming, as they lacked the strong, savoury flavour that preserved vegetables usually have. It almost tasted like they had been soaked in water for too long, causing most of the flavour to disappear. The diced BBQ duck was also quite dry and lacked seasoning or duck flavour. The HK milk tea unfortunately matched the theme of the meal -- it was very bland as well, with little tea aroma or creamy milk flavour. We actually had to add salt from the table to make the food more enjoyable. Overall, the meal did not meet expectations, especially considering the price. Hopefully the restaurant can improve the seasoning and consistency of its dishes in the future.

HK cafe and Cantonese restaurant on Kingsway and Nanaimo on the NW corner, next to the gas station…read more Parking is availalble in the sketchy underground lot, as well as above ground. Probably safest to park on the street. The inside is pretty bare bones. This place used to be a Pho Hoa (Vietnamese), and there's still the old logo stuck to one of the windows. Basically one doesn't come here for the decor. Staff are friendly and chatty. Food prices are a bit on the high side. They have HK lunch combos (stuff like curry beef brisket rice, or pork chop rice etc.). These combos are actually available for dinner too for a few dollars more. I would recommend going this route for the best value. The portions are decent sized. Special mention. This place also does fancier banquet style dishes such as live seafood, but it's not cheap. With that said, the food is pretty decent quality. My friends and I left happy. Wouldn't mind coming back at some point. Recommended.

Visited Starlight Kitchen, a HK style cafe, for a weekend lunch. Plenty of open booths/tables. It's…read morein the same plaza as Thanh Xuan Cafe. - Fried rice with diced chicken & salted fish ($18.98) - smell's distinct but adds extra flavour - Pan fried chicken steak with linguini in black pepper sauce ($17.98) - noodles were meh, tender chicken - Pan fried vermicelli with diced beef and mushroom in BBQ sauce ($20.98) - excellent beef. Vermicelli two ways (crispy on top, regular underneath) - Fried rice noodle with beef in soy sauce ($17.98) - decent wok hei, standard fare - Pea tips leaves with garlic ($27.98) - good - Sweet & sour boneless pork ($23.98) - standard - Curry lamb ($18.98) - good flavour to the curry. Lamb slices were solid Big portions but typical HK eats.

I've been wanting to try the original Cha Don for the longest time, but every visit seemed to come…read morewith a huge lineup. When I found out they had a location in Empire Centre, we headed there just after they opened at 9:00... and no line?!? We ordered their famous scrambled eggs with fish cutlet and toast, and it definitely lived up to the hype. The eggs were incredibly soft and creamy which was reminiscent of omurice. The fish cutlet was perfectly fried (crispy on the outside and flaky inside) which paired beautifully with the savoury onion sauce. We also had the pineapple bun with satay beef, which was another winner. The sweet, fluffy bun and rich, savoury satay filling were a perfect combination. Salty and sweet! Of course, no Hong Kong café experience is complete without Hong Kong milk tea, and Cha Don's version was excellent... smooth, rich, and exactly what you'd hope for. It's easy to see why there's always a lineup (which started right after we got our food). Great execution of Hong Kong café classics, friendly service, and food that's well worth making the trip for. I can definitely see myself coming back.

I'm convinced that this food stall carries the business for half of the mall. When we arrived on…read moreSaturday morning, all the tables were packed! We decided to order take out and enjoy it at home to avoid the crowds of people. Service was quick and the large menu with pictures displayed outside the stall was helpful. All the food in the picture came out to less than $40 which is a decent deal in this time and age. I liked the broth of my macaroni soup as it was well seasoned, but not heavy at all. My boyfriend ordered satay beef vermicelli and it was flavourful and satisfying. The scrambled egg toast is a must if you love soft runny eggs between bread. It's simple stuff that can be done at home if you're really craving it, but the convenience definitely hits...That, and a couple cups of yuenyeung to save the day.

Food hits the spot and service is pretty good…read more Got the Mac and ham with toast and egg. Delicious!

Legendary place here. Food court stall serving classic HK cafe style food in President Plaza. I…read morecame by for lunch. between my dining partner and I, we ordered: scallion oil pork chop with dry noodles - basically a portion of dry instant noodles with 2 generous pork chops on top with scallion oil. Solid, and a ton of meat. Meat slightly too dry but still good. Noodles were nice texture. Soup noodle with chicken and pork chop - it was a build-your-own meal and we choose pork chop and chicken. Comes with a bowl of soup instant noodles. The pork chop was same as the one above. The chicken was a whole chicken thigh. Chicken was good. flavourful and well cooked. Soup noodles were fine but got soggy as they always do over time. Side of scrambled eggs with toast - eggs were good. Nice soft cook on it. Came with the noodle bowl as a combo. 2 drinks. All that for $31 all-in and we couldnt finish it between 2 people. Food is a solid 4/5. Service is as you'd expect for a food court stall. People were friendly enough but theyre super busy so they move you along. This is in the President Plaza food court so its definitely dated but totally fine for a simple budget meal. Value of this place is easy 5/5. Would recommend if you're in the area and want some affordable HK cafe food.

One year young, this restaurant has potential. Located on Main Street, Chinatown, amidst…read moreVancouver's undesirable area is this Hong Kong Cafe. The inside is so beautiful, brightly lit with charming interiors. Concept is very simple - line up to order, pay and seat yourself. Menu has only a few items. Food is good. Second floor of building is a residence, formerly "Grandma's house".

I remember seeing some Instagram posts on Saan Saan Cafe a while back. I was at a nearby bakery…read morewhen I remembered Saan Saan was around the corner, so decided to stop there for lunch with my family. First off, it's not a great part of town. But once you enter, you are instantly think you're in a different place. The place is quite cute and gave me small hints of nostalgia, as there was some artwork that reminds me of my grandparents generation. They had a small display area selling various local HK-culture related books, jewelry and stationary. As my kids took a table, my wife and I approached the counter, and were welcomed with a big smile. His first question? "Do you prefer I speak in English or Cantonese?" In all my life, I've never been asked that question when visiting a cafe or restaurant. It's a testament to their dedication to customer service and making visitors feel right at home. In addition to what found on their menu, he added they just introduce rice bowls for lunch. So we decided to try the following: - Ginger Scallion Fried Chicken Wings: Very good. Chicken with ginger scallion, is pretty common. But fried chicken wings with freshly prepared ginger scallion is next level. I really enjoyed this. - Mochi Brownie: Good. Tasted like "Lao Mai Chi" (糯米滋) - with chocolate. - Maple HK Milk Tea Latte: Good. A successful take on milk tea in a latte form. - Rice Bowls: Very good. They had two bowls - chicken and vegetarian - both equally good. Carefully prepared. The use of crispy scallions makes it so much better. Service was incredible. From taking our order, carefully bringing out eating utensils and folding them into napkins, delivering our food, and checking up on us - this is full restaurant level service in a cafe setting. I really enjoyed our visit. I would rate this place a 4.5 if I could give half stars. The space is nice, the food is very good, but the its service and family atmosphere that really sets this place apart. I hope to visit again soon.