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.

Hong Kong style cafe inside a food court with a lot of tables but very limited availability as it…read moreis busy almost all hours of the day. We went around 1pm and surprisingly they ran out of a lot of options including the baked pork chop rice that I really wanted to try. Despite that, we still gave this place a try since there is barely a line, very unusual for this place. We ended up with the scallion chicken noodle (breakfast item), satay beef vermicelli (breakfast item), and black pepper baked filet over rice. These are stuff out of what I usually get, but I still enjoyed them. The scallion chicken dish was $15 which is a bit steep especially given the chicken is tiny but comes with hot drink. The chicken is a grilled chicken with skin which is flavorful, though the noodles were a bit underseasoned so it is ideal to add the sauce from the chicken into the noodles. The satay beef vermicelli is amazing. The beef is so tender and flavorful, and enhances the flavor of the vermicelli. The eggs and toast were delicious too - eggs were scrambled over easy, and the toast is very crunchy. Black pepper baked filet over rice was pretty hearty. I love the fragrance of the rice and the filet is very tender. The black pepper sauce does clash and dominate some of the flavors but it is still nonetheless well executed. For the drinks that come with the meals, we got milk tea and milk tea + coffee (yin yang) - these drink are high in caffeine even with the small size! Will update to 5 stars when I try the full suite of items they are known for, since the dishes we got were good but stuff that I could've gotten elsewhere.

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！

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.

I love coming here when I'm craving Hon Kong-style breakfast. This is the most popular stall as I…read morethink many people alongside me recognize that the food equality and price makes it easily the best deal at the mall. I've tried various breakfast items on their menu and keep going back to these combos: steak or fried fish with scrambled eggs and toast or hashbrowns. The steak is a large portion and tender - sometimes you get the luck of the draw with a nicer cut of steak without a lot of tendon or fatty bits, the fried fish is also large and very crispy outside yet soft inside. The scrambled egg is creamy. The toast is buttered and hash brown is crispy. Combos come with a drink and I usually get the milk tea that comes in a large cup which feels generous and not stingy, something that many other stalls don't do. Nothing about this stall, but it's hard to find a table on the weekend and the chairs are not very comfy. Parking can also be tough if you arrive after 11 am.

The food tasted like an auntie or Lola was back in the kitchen cooking just for you. It was…read morecomforting, hearty, and full of flavor. I can only imagine how amazing it would be during the winter months. The service was quick, efficient, and straight to the point--no frills, no nonsense. Surprised? That's how we Asians do it! I was only passing through and wanted to support a local spot, and this place did not disappoint. Highly recommend for anyone who appreciates authentic, home-style food.

Review Template ===…read more1. VERDICT/VALUE A small HK-style joint will serve you reasonable portions at a decent price - their combos are worth considering when look for good eats or takeout! === 2. FOOD Ham and Egg Bun Thick burger essentially provided with plenty of eggs scrambled with ham - worth the wait! Eggs with Two Meats I happened to choose two sunny side up eggs with two pieces of spam; it comes one piece of hash brown, fried beans, and a piece of toast with a little butter. Soup and Noodles The quantity noodles is pretty sizeable for $3.75 price; the soup reasonable too. The pork and preserved vegetable and fish ball soups worked well for breakfast. Drinks #1.25 for warm drinks and $1.75 for cold drinks - good deal and customizable! === 3. SERVICE It was good overall; it can seem slow because they place is always packed with guests waiting for tables, but the service is good in Cantonese or English. === 4. ENVIRONMENT It's not really large, but your groups of 2, 4, and maybe 6 can be seated. It's reasonably clean and can fit a stroller or wheelchair. Parking is limited to whatever you are lucky enough to find on the street!

Tasty HK style food. Service is friendly and attentive to customers needs…read more How they make the egg is amazing.

In Vancouver and craving Hong Kong cuisine. Found this place as we drove back. Debit or cash only…read more Friendly service offering refills for drinks and extra sauce for the entree. An entree comes with soup of the day and we got cream of mushroom soup. Drinks we got lemon iced tea and were made perfectly and refreshing. We got the sizzling plate chicken steak with black pepper sauce and pasta. Had two pieces of chicken with a crispy skin on top of grilled onions and vegetables. Black pepper sauce was more on the garlic sauce side but went well with chicken. The baked pork chop and prawns came half and half with red sauce and a white creamy cause for the prawns. The sauces were flavorful and had aromatics from actual slices of tomatoes and onions. Would prefer more of a broiled cheese on top.

Highly don't recommend coming here. Food taste is not great. We ordered a HK Portuguese chicken on…read morerice and the taste was off. There were hardly any chicken and mostly potatoes. There should be red or green peppers and onions and there were none. Guess they don't know how to make it. We had it to go and OMG, the service was awfully slow. On top after we paid they didn't give us the change. Food was very super disappointing.

This veteran Hong Kong café in Vancouver was one of my regular spots over ten years ago. Under new…read moremanagement and a new name, the menu remains largely similar and food is still alright. The chicken noodles have wonderfully tender, flavourful chicken paired with mediocre noodles. The satay beef rice noodles were plain; its preparation differs greatly from authentic Hong Kong style. The chicken steak sandwich and fried egg were decent. The overall quality has slightly dropped from before. My main gripe is the $2 surcharge for ice in drinks, which feels unfair. Worth a stop if you're nearby, but not worthy of a special trip.

Song Cafe has a team good chefs who are serving their food delicious!…read moreThe staffs are great and serving with helpful and friendly to guests. We are watching the TV game while enjoying our late lunch

We actually came here because we missed Curry House, only to find out that they had closed and Cha…read moreDon had taken over the stall. There was a long line here for breakfast menu. Since we wanted the brisket tendon curry, we ordered that and tried pineapple bun with slice of butter. The food overall was decent. The wait for the food to come out was relatively quick, considering the number of people ordering. The curry can be slightly spicy or light heat for people who can't eat spicy, so just a heads up. The pineapple bun was not bad, it had gotten cold since we were eating our entree first but I imagine it tasting better if it was warmer. I'd come back to try the egg toast? I saw a lot of people eating this and heard from a peer that it was good. P.S.- bring cash, they charged 3% fee for credit

A Solid Stop at Yaohan Centre - Worth a Return visit to Cha Don…read more Every now and then, I enjoy wandering through a mall food court, and Yaohan Centre in Richmond--located right next to Aberdeen Station on Three Road--fits the bill nicely. That said, parking can be tricky during lunch hours; if you're willing to circle for about ten minutes, though, you'll usually find a spot. Once inside, you're spoiled for choice. The food court is packed with stalls, each offering distinct flavours from different regions of China. Most signs are in Chinese characters, but a quick browse will still turn up at least one dish worth trying. Today, I went with the Satay Beef on Rice Noodles. Each order is made fresh, so I was told to expect a 15-minute wait. They gave me a buzzer, which worked anywhere in the court--super convenient. When my food arrived, it was piping hot, just the way I like it. Unfortunately, the satay sauce didn't quite deliver. It wasn't the traditional Singaporean-style satay I grew up with--it tasted more like the canned version you'd find on shelves at T&T or Price Mart. On the bright side, the dish did include bean sprouts with the yellow tips removed, which is a nice authentic touch. The meal came with a hot drink--either Hong Kong-style coffee or milk tea--but the coffee lacked the bold aroma I was hoping for. My ratings: Food: 4/5 Ambience: 3/5 (it is a busy mall, after all) All in all, I'd come back--but I'll probably try something different next time.

It appears that one cafe has brought more crowd to Empire Center! I recommend calling in advance to…read moreorder so that you won't have to wait a long time. I found the service less friendly than the main location. Nonetheless, i got my favorite dishes: friend pork chop on rice as well as the curry pork rice. I found that the sauce of the spaghetti was less than what i was used to. Also, the curry seemed to have less meat. I'll probably stick to going to the main location for my HK fix.

3.5 I can see why everyone likes One Cafe. Food is what I'd…read moreexpect from a decent CCT stop, and the portion size is great. The iced yeen yeung was really good. I ordered tomato broth macaroni with scrambled eggs. The broth was a tad too tomato-y and eggs a bit too runny for my preference. My mom's fish was huge and delicious, and the pepper steak sauce was on point. Will return to try baked items next time.