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| - Some dear friends of mine were visiting from Kentucky and had requested Hakka food, thinking (hoping) they were getting the Jamaican style Hakka food that we grew up with. Unlike that style, the Indian style Hakka food popular in the GTA, does not include pork. They were a little disappointed to hear that but all was well after they tasted the food!
I was completely unfamiliar with Hakka Ren but chose it based on proximity to the hotel my friends were staying at and ratings published on Yelp. Looking over the menu, the dishes didn't seem to be as authentic as the places I frequent in the east end of the city. How do I know this? The menu had American Chopsuey, no bok choy, and they didn't know what snow peas tips were. They definitely catered to a more Canadian crowd.
Trusting me to make most of the choices, we ordered Chicken Pakora, Chili Chicken, Sweet & Sour Chicken, Ginger Beef, Chicken Fried Rice, and Green Beans. The food arrived quickly and looked good, although different from what I get from my usual spots. These dishes had a lot of gravy. A lot.
Despite being a little different from what I'm used to, it tasted very good. Everything was seasoned and cooked very well, with just enough heat to make it interesting. The gravy on the rice was good. For an introduction to Indo-Chinese Hakka cuisine, my friends enjoyed the food very much. That's what really counted!
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