"2016-02-04T00:00:00"^^ . "3"^^ . . . "4"^^ . "Found in a sketchy plaza with no signs out front is this hidden gem. It's so tucked away, I doubt I would see or know about it just driving by. Even as I walked up to the main entrance, it seemed like a total hole-in-the-wall but I was surprised to find a packed restaurant in a moderate space with an old school setup. \n\nThey weren't serving the duck that night but we had called a day earlier to reserve two of their signature dishes which was the Winter Melon Soup and the Chicken Stuffed with Sticky Rice. Along with that, we ordered an Assorted Seafood Birdnest, Snow Pea Leaves with King Mushrooms and a Steamed Fish.\n\nIt was the perfect amount of food for 4 people and we thoroughly enjoyed everything. Their signature dishes definitely did not disappoint. The Winter Melon Soup ($30) will warm you right up on a cold day. Very savory with generous amounts of seafood, lotus, wintermelon, etc. given! The Chicken Stuffed with Sticky Rice is another item not to be missed. Although not cheap ($42), it was quite worth it. Chicken skin was crispy, meat wasn't dry and the sticky rice was moist but not super oily. This dish is exclusive to Maple Yip as I don't think I've come across any other Chinese restaurants offering this. \n\nThe seafood basket is a good choice because it gives the table a little more variety and the taro bird nest is delicious. They didn't go overboard with the sauce which allowed the nest to stay crispy 'til the very end. Points for unsogginess! As for the steamed fish ($35), everyone agreed that the flavors were all on point and perfectly cooked. Our server brought out the fish to show that it was freshly \"caught\" prior to bringing it into the kitchen. Again, not exactly cheap but the fish was a lot bigger and meatier than we had expected. Our vegetable dish (snow pea leaves with king mushrooms) was tasty but nothing out of the ordinary. \n\nI recommend coming here with someone who speaks Cantonese for easier communication and even better, someone who can read Chinese because most of their specials are written on the walls. \n\nService was great, everyone was pleasant and helpful. \n\nOur bill came out to $160 before tip but if you take into consideration the items that we ordered (which were pretty much some of the most expensive ones), it's reasonable. \n\nThis place isn't fancy or pretentious - just straight up delicious and authentic food."^^ . . "5"^^ . "3"^^ .