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| - Summary: little shop offers solid price for decent sized portions of so-so fusion? Hakka food at lunch... but eye-rolling staff give off an annoyed-vibe to new customers (although the regulars get greeted)
Top Must-Get: to be determined...*
Top Regret: Bombay Chicken
*I've yet to try their pakora, chili chicken or fried chicken wings, which is what other reviews have raved about
I walked into a pleasant space. I wouldn't call it comfortable, with seven tables crammed in the small shop, but the overall cleanliness and simple decor was... pleasant. I was not greeted by a pleasant person, though - I definitely have met more enthusiastic and happy people than the cashier. She was there on both occasions I came; and the service was curt and impatient both times.
For what it's worth, I got the sense she is just not particularly expressive as opposed to being a terrible person.
But the food? Yeah, it was bordering on terrible.
The Manchurian chicken for takeout was very sizable, but the quality was decent at best.
The big disappointment was the Bombay Chicken. I've come to really enjoy the one over at Hakka King a couple blocks away, so I decided to try it here.
But while it came out fast (less than 10 minutes), it tasted inconsistently seasoned within the same plate: pieces of chicken would taste either
1) bland but spicy,
2) flavourful but not spicy,
3) flavourful and spicy, or
3) bland and plain.
Also, you could taste that it was over breaded on some pieces... And indeed, sometimes it didn't taste like meat at all, but a chunk of fried batter.
Having said that, their portion sizes are respectable and their price is fairly cheap. If you're looking for quality Hakka food though, it certainly pays to go a couple blocks south.
They do have a sign that says they serve the town's best fried chicken, so I guess that's what I'll try if I ever venture back.
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