There are so many Hakka restaurants yet this is my go-to absolute favorite Hakka restaurant. A hidden gem that is easily missed on the corner of middlefield and mcnicoll.
Place is small and rarely ever full but the staff is courteous and boss lady is always so sweet. She goes around from table to table asking how the food was and knows the regulars by their names.
Let's get to the food. There is not a single dish that I've tried that has disappointed. The prices are relatively cheap for the portion and the ingredients! Each dish averages out to roughly $10-12. I recently went with a party of 3, ordered 4 dishes and a soup, total was $50 (including cash discount and tax).
Must haves:
Fried stuffed tofu in black bean sauce (traditional Hakka food) - there's also a steamed version but c'mon, who doesn't love fried food??
Chilli chicken - perfect flavor every time. You can also let them know if you want it less or more spicy
Shrimp/fish Pakora - Fried to perfection with the real deal , topped with some raw onions and a lime.
Garlic shrimp - more fried goodness with loads of garlic, onions and chilli peppers. Shrimps are larger than average too.
Hakka sweet noodles - these noodles are cooked with a sweet sauce which makes the noodles dark brown but taste super good. Another traditional Hakka dish. It is a bit more oily than any other noodles but that's due to the sweet sauce, if there isn't enough oil then the noodles still stick to the wok.
Sliced beef with preserved vegetables - beef is not over cooked and with copious amount of gravy. Flavor is natural and authentic - not msg loaded.
Green beans - a simple dish yet addictive! Deep fried green beans cooked with onions, black beans and chilli oil. A bit on the oily side but flavor is on point!
The rice and noodle options are all pretty decent for the ones I've tried. Portions are huge for price is always reasonable.
Overall their dishes are either fried, saucy or spicy. If you're not a fan of those then this might not be the place for you. White rice is usually served with the food.
A bonus is there's an additional 10% cash discount
Parking isn't a lot but you will rarely find it full. From the outside it doesn't look very appealing, even the inside is very simple. But hey, never judge a book by its cover! I've brought tons of friends there and they all would love to go back!