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.

I haven't been to phoenix in a while but I went for the first time in a long while, 6 years or so,…read moreabout 2 months ago and it's now a weekly visit! This is what I like to call dirty Chinese food! And no I don't mean that in a negative way what so ever. I mean it in that it's extremely authentic with probably too much MSG but that's what I like. Haha it's absolutely delicious!! And hits the spot every time and very very affordable! My favourite order is: chicken chow main, pork fried rice, ginger chicken and sweet and sour chicken balls. You get all that for around $50+- which is a steal of a deal!

The staff working this restaurant are incredibly friendly and helpful, smooth order taking over the…read morephone. The establishment used to be a bowling alley, the building itself looks like it, perhaps even a 1970s area curling rink feel to it. Food was piping hot and the price point is cheaper than other options in the area. Picked up a take out order on the Friday, right before the end of the year. Food was average, as some dishes were a real hit and others were less than popular at the table. The Good: Sweet and Sour Pork + Vegetable Lo Mein -Sweet and Sour Pork was some of the best out there -Vegetable Lo Mein was practically perfect but missing the toasted Sesame Oil points that you would want in the dish The Mid: Szechuan Prawns + Hot and Sour Soup -Szechuan Prawns were heckin' spicy but that was the only real taste note -Hot and Sour Soup was tasty but had literally no Sour in it The Least Popular: Ginger Beef -Ginger Beef was overcooked and the coating was heavily corn-starchy Overall, this review is sitting at 3 stars, if I could award a half star I would be giving them 3.5 / 5 for sure. Like I would eat here again, but my expectations would remain about the same.

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

The historic wall was epic, plus there's a deal for $5 caramel pecan brownies. Woah! We didn't get…read morethem, but seemed pretty crazy cool. Also our waiter was very nice, she seems great

The Chinese combo special with Chow Mein, Sweet and Sour pork, and Almond Chicken has been…read moreconsistently good. The chow mein is homestyle and not greasy or swimming in sauce. It is a perfect side to have with the sweet and sour pork. The pieces of pork has always been very tender and moist with a crunchy coating. The sweet and sour sauce is a perfect balance without one ingredient over powering the other. The almond chicken batter is very crisp and crunchy and not dripping grease. The chicken meat is also moist and tender. The quality of this combo has been maintained for the past 10 years since I started making this my go to place for the Chinese combo special. Best to call first to make sure it is being served because the combo changes every so often.

=== 1. VERDICT/VALUE Pretty solid choice based on one…read moretakeout visit: decent food and good service! === 2. FOOD Stir-Fried Dried Green Beans ($19.95) The winner is this category would be Tropical Island Restaurant on Shelbourne; however, The Cozy Place offering would be close behind it. Decent with some crunch still; you can get it spicy or not. Ma Po Tofu ($19.95) You can order it meatless or minced pork; it's somewhat authentic. It does have some heat to it (for those sensitive to spice); however, it's pretty solid! === 3. SERVICE Service was good and professional on call-in, payment, wait, questions around the menu, and when the order was ready. English was fluently spoken by the lady working the front and the man cooking the dishes behind her. === 4. ENVIRONMENT It's a long, narrow restaurant - your group of 6, maybe 8 could fit at one table in the front. For everyone else, you're accommodated in tables of 2's or 4's along the wall. If bringing a wheelchair or baby stroller, I would stick to the table in the front. Parking is all metered on the street - note that the city has their parking enforcement office basically across the way working until 8pm, so put payment into the meters upfront even if you're coming by to do a quick pickup!

At the suggestion of the umbrella shop owner in the alley we tried Cozy Place . Food was good…read moreespecially the boiled fish in a spicy soup and the veggie eggplant. We had the Gung Po chicken which was a bit over done. Service was friendly and service was quick

Great food. Reasonable. Wish there was table service and not just take out. Reasonable parking for…read moretake out and very friendly staff.

I give a five star rating based on owner friendliness alone. I got take out as the restaurant is…read morenot open due to staff shortages. I have yet to taste the food but will as soon as I get home! More reviews to follow. The food smells divine. (Later) Well I had the food and was disappointed with one of the dishes (Seafood and Vegetables chow funn). I won't order it again! All noodles with a smattering of seafood and vegetables. All for the outrageous price of 17.95! The honey garlic pork was ok. Nothing to write home about. Not sure if I will give them another try or not! It's out of my way to travel by bus and so far, I'm not impressed.

Great food, fantastic service. We decided to splash out and order WAY too much food on a recent…read moretrip to Sidney. No regrets at all. My partner and I agreed that this is some of the best Chinese food we've had. Sauces are made in house, and they use high quality ingredients. The gentleman who served us was absolutely amazing and super informative and helpful. We both left very happy.

Came here because we were visiting the Garden and wanted Chinese food. The food was very good, and…read morethe waiter was helpful with seasonal dishes! Had the beef flat rice noodles, sesame chicken, hollow stem vegetables, ginger scallion beef.

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.

Not worth it at all, we got green beans and they were super watery and not cooked well and orange…read morechicken which was very over cooked and so vinegary it was almost inedible.

Greeted at door by friendly woman who seated us and looked after us…read more Decor was dated, but clean and serviceable. (We came for the food) The buffet area was well laid out, spacious and very clean. The lunch buffet had all our favourites and more. Everything was fresh and plentiful, with much more variety than we expected, and even dessert of fruits, ice-cream, Bars and cake. We all had a great meal and will go back.

The business is under new ownership. We have been going there for many years . It's definitely not…read morethe same without Raymond and Bonnie and their daughter and son . We gave it a try , it wasn't what it used to be . Probably won't be going back . The new owners have big shoes to fill . I wish them luck and hope that they can step up their game .

Waited 20 minutes and left as they seated people who came in after us. Daughter was really…read moredisappointed. She was really looking forward to the Wonton soup.