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| - Have seen and heard about this place many times in the past, and finally came in recently for family dinner. The restaurant is a building all alone in what feels like the middle of nowhere. It's got an interesting round building shape and the neon sign brightly reads "Magic Wok", though in Chinese it says "Magic Lamp" (confusing, I know). Seven people, 6:30pm, Saturday - I was expecting the place to be full to the brim with people given the positive reputation it has for seafood and Chinese food in general. I arrived at a rather empty shop, but I thought hey, it's really cold out today and it's still early. The décor is simple, pale walls, green trim, signage promoting seasonal specials, chef recommendations, and fresh seafood in the tanks. Things are not new, but not too shabby - some may find it subpar but it's reminiscent of a Chinese restaurant that's been around for a while with modest decorations and modest prices to match.
We ordered steamed fish, a lamb chop casserole, grandfather half chicken, and some greens. There was a bit of a wait as the fish takes some time, but food arrived just before we got too bored, and everything came around the same time. The fish was the highlight - steamed just right, traditional style with pork and Chinese mushroom slices on top to add flavour. Not too dry, but not raw on the inside. Price was is comparable to other restaurants, but the cooking was better and made the spending more worthwhile. The lamb chop casserole was a bit on the dry side, but the sauce was flavourful - bordering on too salty for some palates! The grandfather chicken refers to the cooking style - roasted and baked, with soy sauce and sesame seeds, and what tasted like a bit of Korean barbecue sauce.
Overall not a bad spot for some traditional-style Chinese food, casual family style that's not too fancy, where the food comes first and décor comes third. The location of the restaurant makes it less accessible, but luckily there does appear to be sufficient parking.
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