Our family regularly enjoy our outings at this restaurant. Great service and the food is very…read morefresh. I'd love to see the smorgasbord come back. It would be a five rating if this was there.

We have ordered here for years, its good food, fresh and good portions, a bit pricey but so is…read moreeverywhere else.

I've been having an odd craving for buffet Chinese food and kept wanting to try this new place out!…read moreDriftwood is a chain buffet restaurant on Vancouver Island with Nanaimo being it's 4th location. It opened earlier this year and I've heard many great things about it... So here we are! We got here shortly after they opened for lunch on a snowy Sunday. It was half full of people and after we sat down, more people streamed in. A nice spacious seating area. Onto the food! They had a good selection of food, but refilling the items was a bit delayed. Food was fresh and above average quality for buffets, I was surprised. The lunch buffet is $19.95 for ages 13+, and included dim sum. Dim sum was as expected, but not bad for being in a steamer for a long time. I really enjoyed the Singaporean rice noodles, chicken wings, and butter shrimp. Jello was a bit bland, but I like how the portions for dessert are bite-sized, easier to gauge how much I can eat after stuffing myself on the main food items! Overall the food tasted authentic, although a bit salty. Staff were friendly and helpful.

I am writing this review to share a very concerning experience that took place on June 17th between…read more12:00-2:00 PM at Driftwood Chinese Food in the Rutherford area of Nanaimo, BC. Two individuals I support attended the restaurant with staff, as they do regularly for a monthly outing. Unfortunately, from the moment they arrived, it was clear they were not being treated the same as other customers. Staff present reported that the servers seemed disengaged and reluctant to serve them. After the individuals went through the buffet line, staff at the restaurant immediately followed behind them and wiped down all the utensils, handles, and serving areas they had touched. While cleanliness is expected, this level of targeted cleaning did not occur for other patrons during the two hours they remained there, making it feel very intentional and directed specifically at these two individuals, both of whom use wheelchairs. Throughout the visit, they were not offered drink refills, despite witnessing other tables being checked on repeatedly. Their plates were never cleared, even as surrounding tables were consistently serviced. The difference in treatment was noticeable and deeply concerning. At the end of the visit, one individual had a single dessert tart remaining and politely asked if she could take it to go. The response from staff was unnecessarily harsh, stating that if they allowed that, "everyone would expect free food." This was especially upsetting given that the item could not be reused and would simply be discarded. Overall, the experience left both the individuals and staff feeling singled out and unwelcome. The treatment appeared discriminatory, particularly toward individuals using wheelchairs. One of the individuals has since expressed that she does not want to return, as she felt judged and treated differently because of her disability. I am sharing this review so others--especially those supporting individuals with diverse abilities--are aware of this experience. All customers deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Based on this experience, I cannot recommend this restaurant.

Fast and hot and delicious. Owners are very sweet and the ambience is top notch. Don't let the…read moreoutside fool you.

Great food and service! The interior has beautiful, well-kept traditional Chinese decor. Highly…read morerecommend.

Drove to Uptown Chinese restaurant for lunch from Gibsons Landing. The restaurant, which is a good…read moresize, was almost completely empty. There was one other table seated, but that was it. We were somewhat worried about this. Our server was friendly. We asked for lots of lemons/limes with our water and got one slice of lemon each. She didn't really understand the concept of limes, but did go back and get us more lemons. I ordered the Tofu in Salt & Pepper, which is an appetizer, and my friends ordered the spring rolls, which were very nice, Chinese broccoli, and stir fry broccoli in garlic sauce. None of the dishes came with rice, which surprised us. The S&P tofu was spicy, crispy, and delicious. It had small pieces of red and green peppers and onions. It was also fairly spicy, so let them know if you want it milder. They slice the tofu fairly thin, which makes it easier to get crispy I'm sure. My friend's Chinese broccoli was also very tasty. It's not really broccoli but a type of kale with stems that has great health benefits. The stir fry broccoli with garlic sauce didn't have a ton of flavor, but it was cooked well. I really didn't taste much garlic in it, but it was bright green and crunchy. They make their own sauces in house and the yellow mustard was not as spicy as the ones you get pre-packaged. The sweet sauce for the spring rolls was very nice; I added it to my tofu, which went together nicely. The red chili sauce was more sweet than spicy. This was a solid Chinese restaurant, but it did not stand out amongst its peers, hence the 3 star rating.

Excellent authentic Chinese cooking right here at our door step. The owners are very nice and the…read morefood is great. If you haven't yet given them a try, please do. You will be happy.

Great little mom and pop place. Set dinners and you choose it family style. Won ton soup, mushroom…read morefried rice and steamed fish. They also have a Chinese vinegar / sweet and sour pork that's called honey garlic spareribs. YUM! Get the Singapore vermicelli if you like it spicy.

So I did a take out order just cause it was the first one to pop up for take out in the area…read more Ordered my combo for one and hoped it wasn't a mistake as I was told there are no really good Chinese restaurants in the area. Location is located in a strip mall with plenty of parking. Sign is super bright so you definitely don't miss it. Walked in at five and it was empty. Got my order pretty pronto. The couple that run it are very friendly and I was even asked if I wanted a fork or chopsticks, to which I replied chopsticks!! I was looking forward to their version of chicken chow mein, S&S pork and beef chop suey. When I got home no chopsticks. The bright orange S&S sauce threw me off and the bits of what I believe to be chicken was tossed on top. The only saving grace was the beef and vegetables which were tasty. Either use real chicken or don't call it chicken chow mein. And I don't want heavily deep fried pieces of fat. I would have preferred actual pork. I wouldn't order from them agai

I had supper here with my baby. She made a mess so I offered to clean it up. The server told me…read morenot to worry about it so I didn't. When it came time to pay, the owner told me I was going to have to pay for my child because she made a mess. I said I would pay but she then responded with 'no, next time'. So I payed, left a 25% tip, and left. I was in shock! I called back later that evening to let her know that I did offer to clean up the mess. Her response: "Feed your baby next time instead of letting her make a mess". I said I would not be returning and she hung up on me. They've lost my business!

Not very impressive. Seemed clean enough but food was nothing special. The Pho noodles seemed over…read morecooked, broth was just ok. Pho in Chemainus at Pho 777 is so much better. So are the salad rolls. I can't say what the chinese dishes are like though because I didn't try them.

Sometimes the heart just wants what it wants. If you are of a certain age (like me) you may recall…read morethat most Chinese restaurants in North America served what was called 'American Chinese' (or as I call it, 'Gringo Chinese') cuisine. This was essentially Cantonese style cooking modified to suit American tastes and ingredient availability. These establishments also had a distinctive look to them, offering a sort of 'Disneyfied' view of Chinese decor and culture. As the world has become smaller and we have become more culinarily sophisticated, these restaurants have largely fallen out of favor, but there are still a few gems to be found. One such gem exists in a truly unlikely spot: a quite backwater Canadian village called Cowichan Bay on Vancouver Island. WHO SHOULD GO: Anyone who just wants some great OG American-Chinese chow. Culinary historians who would like to take a tasty trip down 'memory lane'. WHO SHOULD NOT GO: Snobby, pretentious, self-identifying 'foodies'. THE ROSES: Located on the Cowichan Bay waterfront, the Kim Wah is very spacious and clean. All the 'usual suspects' are represented on the menu: Sweet-and-sour pork, Chow Mein, etc. Dishes are available 'family style', and in set combination meals for one or more diners. Prices are reasonable, and portions are generous. Service is efficient. THE THORNS: There are some odd omissions in the details. I wanted some hot mustard to dip in, and they didn't have any. TOP TIP FOR KIM WAH: Go ahead and seriously 'Lean In' on the retro American-Chinese vibe. You've already got most of the accoutrements of a classic OG Am-Chinese joint, so go all the way. Get the paper place mats with the Chinese Zodiac on them! You know you want to! And feel free to go crazy with the red and gold 'Chinese New Year' decor. What little decor you have seems a bit spare. THE VERDICT: Whether you dine in or are getting takeout to carry to your boat at the nearby marina, the Kim Wah Restaurant is a delightful and tasty throwback to a simpler time. Recommend!

Terrible food and owner service. Waitress was congenital and polite but the kitchen staff who…read morebrought me the food were rude. Food and I'm sure was left over from previous days, was inedible. Unfortunately I used "take out" and had arrived at home before seeing and tasting the poor quality. I threw all of it out.