Maple Yip has been in existence for a long time.
It needs no introduction or even another Fan.
I've never been a regular there and it's due to fate...
I began with all time fav but now closed Magic Wok(Scarboro).
When that closed, we moved onto Fantasy Eatery(Scarboro).
Occasionally The Royal(Scarboro/Old location) from time to time...
Then I grew up, moved out-of-town and began to explore Foreign Cuisines.
By then the vast Cantonese eateries expanded North to a place called Markham.
Restauranteurs followed the move as the HK community grew north of Steeles.
The famous words "Wok-hay" is hard to achieve.
That's the sole reason the old Magic Wok was so popular.
I still have the image in my head...
Thick smoke escapes the cracks of the Kitchen door.
The undescribable aroma fills the whole restaurant.
Customers begin to salivate uncontrollably.
And that's all before the first dish of the night leave the Kitchen.
"WOk-HAY" is sensory overload and IF executed well, you don't even have to eat it.
Maple Yip and most Restaurants of this Generation has lost this intangible factor.
It doesn't mean that Maple Yip doesn't give some fantastical Dishes. 3.5'd
Choose the right dishes and enjoy your meal.
According to my personal tastes:
Comp Soup - Awesome.
Crisp Chicken Stuff w/Sticky Rice - Wow. If you Peking a Chicken, Crispy.
Preserved Veg and Pork Belly - On par with other restaurants.
Wintermelon Soup - I've never had a "thing" for this dish for some reason.
Garlic Pea Sprouts - As good as expected
Sizzling Eggplant w/Shrimps - Not bad
Deep Fried Pigeon - Not bad
Lobster in Spicy Meat Sauce - Meat texture wasn't to par.
Steam Oyster w/Black Bean - I swear I've had better here. Maybe it's the Oysters.
Sweet and Sour Pork - Some say you can determine a restaurant by it's SS Pork.