- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Coffee & Tea |
- All
Happy Valley Chinese Kitchen
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
7 reviews for Happy Valley Chinese Kitchen
7 reviews in English
-
Review from Kameron B.
Burnaby, BC
12/11/2009
This is a restaurant that is located in what would not be considered the nicest area of Burnaby. Not a dangerous area, just old and a bit run down (though it's changing slowly...) Once you're past that and you walk inside - everything is transformed. I read another review where the first thing that the guy talked about was the furniture, which doesn't bode well for a restaurant - but indeed this place has nice furniture for a Chinese joint in this area.
The lady that owns the place is so nice and welcoming that you think that you were invited into her home. It was a sad thing that we were the only people in the restaurant on a Wednesday night at 6.30pm, though we did get her all to ourselves! She was extremely attentive to our needs and would make sure that we had enough tea or water as we sat discussing our food choices.
There are many food items available across 4 different menus. This is par for the course with a lot of Chinese restaurants. We ended up ordering some old favourites. Spring Rolls, Chicken Fried Rice, Beef & Tomato Chow Mien, Lemon Chicken and Sweet & Sour Pork. All the food came out promptly and with the same level of service from the proprietor of the restaurant.
Now one of the reasons that I wanted to try the restaurant was because they advertise that things are always freshly made in only canola oil and that they never add MSG as well as having a list of sugar free sauces made with Sweet & Low. (Though I won't do artificial sweeteners, I suppose it's a nice option for diabetics or dieters.)
So how was the food? (Finally - I get to it...) It was great. Very classic taste for what was expected. This isn't high end dining, this is evocative of the memories of how these classic dishes are supposed to taste. My friends and I all agreed that this was the new anchor for our Chinese food cravings.
I realized too, upon reflection and upon reading the pamphlet that we were left with at the end that they do free delivery within 4km of the place - and there was constantly one kid coming in empty handed and leaving with the white bag full of styrofoam containers. I think they must do good business through delivery - but I recommend that you go sit down there and eat in their atmosphere. It's worth it. -
Review from Ben C.
8/17/2011
Walked in and almost tripped on a tumbleweed! - It was a ghost town! I wasn't sure if I should have just said "OPPS! This isn't my house!" then go back outside.
However, the tiny lady working there was so welcoming, I hadn't the heart to turnaround and leave.
You will not be impressed by the decor. Rather, the service and portions is what merits these 3 stars from me. You won't pay a lot either, there are multiple combos that will ensure you leave full, and with little change to your wallet.
The food was pretty good, very basic "white style" Chinese food. There is nothing you're going to see on MasterChef or even Yan can Cook but you will still be satisfied and glad you got to support this Mom and Pop Shop.
Btw, beers are $4. -
Review from Amy T.
8/18/2011 1 photo
My husband and I decided to eat here as we were biking by. We opened the door and was immediately greeted by a petite Asian lady. She was very sweet and even let us put our bikes inside the restaurant against the wall while we had our dinner. We must have looked exhausted from our bike ride because she offered us water right away.
We ordered a bunch of little appetizers and 1 main dish. The vegetarian spring rolls were crispy and satisfying. The deep fried chicken wings were well seasoned and not too oily. The green onion pancake was tasty, but needed a bit more onions. And my favorite was the mah po tofu dish. Spicy tofu with beef on top of steamed rice. The sauce was flavorful and I love that they didn't use MSG.
There wasn't anyone else in this restaurant and it looked like a cafeteria so there wasn't much atmosphere. However, I would come back just because the owner seemed genuine and kind. -
Review from Katrina R.
Burnaby, BC
3/13/2010
My first impression was not great, as it was completely empty (excepting one guy who left shortly after we arrived). However the furniture and atmosphere were nice, and the food looked like a good deal so my boyfriend and I decided to stay.
We ordered the combo for 2 (23.50 with a substitution). The food was good, but everything had a layer of grease that seemed unhealthy (not that that is uncommon for chinese food). The spring rolls weren't that great, and we were told that they may not have bok choi (but turns out they did); other than that, no complaints. The server was very friendly and helpful. There is a piano and they let my boyfriend play on it for a bit.
We left full and even had some takeout for tomorrow. We would definitely come back as it is walking distance from our house. As a fallback from Mr. Ho it is worth having again. -
Review from Crista C.
Burnaby, BC
3/6/2011
Happy Valley has a friendly staff and the food is always prepared fresh. The menu is diverse and any dish can be customized if necessary. The portions are good and usually the food is prepared properly (although once my sweet and sour pork was served completely overcooked). However, it is Chinese food, so as expected it can be a little greasy, but if one has a craving for Chinese, it is a good place to be. The bubble tea is absolutely amazing.
-
Review from Doug S.
New Westminster, BC
1/1/2010
Nice decor and furniture. Friendly staff. Good sized portions with no MSG. Can feed 3 for less than $25.
-
Review from Gigi S.
Burnaby, BC
4/10/2010
I can't comment on the physical restaurant, as we had it delivered, but it's good food at a good price. The bbq pork fried rice was good, not too greasy like some places, same with the spring rolls. The chicken with black bean and pumpkin was great, the pumpkin was a tasty, different addition. The satay sauce on the beef with pan fried rice noodles was good. The lady on the phone and the delivery guy spoke English, which was a bonus, and they threw in 6 fortune cookies for free. The delivery time was good for a Saturday night. Definitely a keeper on our order-in list.
