The Phoenix is a long-time restaurant on High St (halfway up the hill from the post office), and serves some really tasty Chinese food. Like many other Asian places in the area they also have some contemporary western food on the menu (though I don't think I've ever seen someone order any!). On most nights they also hold a smorgasbord where they serve most of the Chinese dishes on the menu at all you can eat (though make sure you don't leave your fork on your plate, as the waitresses will probably end up taking your fork away!). You go up, grab a bowl or a plate and start dishing up whatever it is you seek. Some of the items on the smorg include wonton soup, fried rice, chow mein, beef and broccoli, ginger chicken, almond chicken, deep-fried prawns, fried chicken (seems a bit out of place but is welcome), and there's some other Chinese food items. They also have a dessert bar for the smorg should you want some cake, jello or nanaimo bars.
Aside from this they do delivery and you can order individual items off of the menu instead of doing the smorg (which can be cheaper depending on what you want). They do combo dinners which are about $11 each and these are combinations like chow men, almond chicken and beef and broccoli, etc. The owners are Richard and Michelle, and they are very pleasant people (although the stresses of owning a restaurant for 20 years are definitely taking its toll on them). It's not uncommon for Richard to stop by your table and make some polite conversation, or for even Michelle herself to pop on by and strike up a conversation, and their Chinese accents are subtle so you shouldn't have any trouble understanding them.
Unfortunately their daughters (who used to help out in the restaurant) have gotten married and moved away, and despite how stretched thin they are, it doesn't seem as if they have any intentions of training a manager or head chef. I sympathize with them, and my friends and I sometimes pop in for a bite as much to see Richard and Michelle as to eat some delectable Chinese food! read more