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The One Spot Soup House
Category: Restaurants Chinese Chinese [Edit]
5857 Victoria DrVancouver, BC V5P 3W5
Neighbourhood: Fraserview
(604) 568-7773
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 9 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
7 reviews for The One Spot Soup House
7 reviews in English
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Review from Michael C.
Vancouver, BC
So, after reading the name of this place on my Yelp app, we went looking for this little joint on Victoria. We walked up and down the street looking for this restaurant thinking it was easy to see, but it wasn't. I looked again for the address and realized it was across the street. "Oh there it is..... wait, did it close down? It's some kind of computer repair.... wait, it is it!"
I should have taken a pictures of it on my way in, but I still wasn't sure if it was the same spot. So the signage outside is actually a Chinese character (Soup = "tong") plus ".com" I don't know if they changed their name recently and most search for this restaurant comes up the same, but what makes sense would have to rename this place to "http://Soup.com." I'm getting the feeling it was never called that because the Google search for "Soup.com" would bring you to Knorr's website.
The menu may be a little difficult to decipher at first, however there are some broken English translations that will hope.... some what lol. So if you haven't figured it out by now, this place is a claypot rice joint! It will take about 20 mins, as stated on the menu, to whip up one of these delicious bowl of claypot rice and it is well worth the wait!
I order the Pork jowl with shrimp paste claypot rice which did take about 20 minutes, but they do give you a bowl of lotus root soup and pickled daikon & carrots as you waited. Good soup but I was actually confused whether to put the pickles in the soup or was it meant to be eaten as a side dish....... to the soup...... which has never happened to me. I was not adventurous and did not try it with the soup and had it separately. Also, I has some stomach issues and didn't want to chance it just in case I need to..... well, get acquainted with the toilet seat. Oh, I also got a thing with using washrooms in restaurants... I just don't use them especially Chinese places, bad experiences!
When our meals came it was of course in claypots sizzling and sitting inside wicker baskets so you don't end up burning yourself and the table. YES, THE BOWL IS HOT! Now here's the magic about these that people seem to not thing about, the best part is to crispy & crunch rice that browns on the bottom of the bowl. Be patience and don't go stirring the shit out of your rice thinking it's all sticking to the pot. I poured a little soy sauce and started to dig in, leaving the bottom undisturbed for the time being, and boy is this good! Tender pieces of pork that oozes of delicious shrimp paste flavour. I love shrimp paste!! Tender pieces of veggies and crunch rice mmmmmmm yummy! Oh yeah, now would be the time to stir the crap outta this sucka! Scrape, scrape, scrape, leaving no rice behind on that claypot!!
I really enjoyed my dish and after reading a few of the reviews, the chicken seems like the better bet for this joint. I'll be back for it!Listed in: April Challenge: The Underdog
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Review from Simon K.
4/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
The first warning for all of you eating souls: "If your starving! Don't come here!" Why you ask would I say such a thing given my 4-star, cause you will be waiting if your ordering any of their rice pots. Time will practically stand still for you while you stare at your paper cup that is filled with tea (or the tea would have been gone, and you would have thought of eating the cup as a filler before the pot was carried to you!).
Another food expedition with my partner, and my mom, brought us to this place, which we have crossed by many times, but have not had the chance to sit and try, and to see, what the fuss is all about. You won't even see an english name on the door, just look for the chinese character (if you know how to read, it's soup, but in Chinese) and a ".COM" (yes DOT COM), there is no tech in here as well, the highest tech thing is that big screen tv hanging in the back wall playing Chinese soaps (well the time we were there, that's what was playing).
We came just after 8 PM, didn't notice this place only opens till 9 PM, and don't expect to just pop in at 8:55, cause one of the workers is already flipping the sign saying CLOSED (tough luck sucker!). The place was pretty filled the time we got there, and we had to sit at their only big table (there is only one, and it's at the window, and you could seat about 6 - 8 of your peeps...) the waitress said that there might be a chance we would have to share the table, as we were only 3 people, but all the 4 seater tables were taken. The menu actually had a few pages, and wasn't as basic as the placed looked, and after we made our order (2 pots - 3 people, this evil dish will sneak up on your stomach!) my mom made a comment saying, "wow, not even a picture hanging on the wall, yeah, not even a cheap poster hanging on the wall. There is only one thing hung on the wall, the tv, and this is probably to distract your starving mind, while the food takes it's sweet ass time cooking in their very own individual pots! The other thing that would be considered hanging, is the sign on the door stating opened or closed, and with the times showing. The other thing that we noticed, was above the entrance doorway, tapped up cardboard, where an air conditioner would be placed, the cheapskates, and rightfully so, this is a bare basics restaurant, there is no flash, nothing on the walls, and no color either, just white!
When there is not much to do, and all you can think of is the food that your ordered, 20 minutes can feel like an eternity. When we were sitting, waiting patiently, I noticed one major thing, every table was waiting for food, and everyone was silent, like a tomb. The tv wasn't on that loud.. and we were sitting in the front of the restaurant, and the tv was in the back, and you could still hear it. It was like being in at the passport office, and waiting for your number to pop up on the digital screen. Everytime food came out of the back, and because most of everyone just ordered the rice pots you didn't know if it was yours or not cause the covers do not get removed till they arrive at the table. Your eyes would watch the food, while floating to the correct table, and you felt like some vulture on a perch, ready to peck at it's food! The worst trick (in my mind) is when the server brought our extra eating bowls, and your like.. the foods coming.. they gave us the utensils... wrong!
Pork and salty fish with ginger on top, as one pot, and chicken, Chinese sausage and mushroom, the other. Both were quite different, with the second pot being more moist than the first. The table has two bottles of sweet soy sauce (maybe cause they didn't want to refill the bottles, cause you'll be using it on your rice!) I can say the rice is good, all the individual grains in your mouth, with the flavor of whatever your mixture of veggies and meats are. You have to watch how much you eat, cause you may eat the whole pot, and that may not be due to hunger, but how mesmorizing this is, and how long you have waited for this thing to hit your table!
The place is fairly cheap, dishes from $6.50 and up, the menu is in broken English at best, but way more descriptive if you know how to read Chinese. They give you some soup to start, a styrofoam cup with some tea, and a small dish of pickled veggies to start (and what a long start it is!). I'd come back again, but I now know, don't come starving, your just tourturing yourself. Also don't come with impatient people, sent them to McDonald's down the street! They have other items, like noodles, which we saw some tables order, they were a fair size. I also noticed takeout orders, I hope those people aren't ordering the rice, cause it should be enjoyed in it's entirety, which means eating out of the POT!Listed in: Congee/Noodle/Rice Chinese…
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Review from Wendy Y.
4/5/2012
I find this review extremely hard to write because even though I enjoy claypot rice, due to my lack of cultural understanding of Hong Kong, I have little appreciation for the art of claypot rice. I hope my trip to Hong Kong this summer can help me change the way I see/understand this dish; hence, truly and gratefully indulge every grain of rice.
Meanwhile, I am going to work with what I know so here is my experience at The One Spot Soup House.
I came here with my partner and his mother after Trilussa on Main St. When I walked in I saw the restaurant 85% occupied. Every patron in there was Asian. Tables and chairs were as cheap as they can possibly be. Walls were bare. No pictures, photos, decor - nothing. I went to the washroom and it was small and very run down. The faucet was half hanging and with extra force I am sure I can yank it off the sink. I got back to the table and saw my water was served in Styrofoam cups. This place is even more grungy than a hole in the wall.
We read the menu quickly and settled on two rice pots: salty fish with pork pancake and Chinese mushroom with chicken and Asian sausage. On the menu it clearly prints please be patient as the claypot rice takes 20 minutes to make. Well, we ordered at 8:15pm and it wasn't until 8:45pm did we finally see our order. 5 minutes prior to our orders arriving, we were given complementary chopped Daikon as appetizer and watercress soup (which tasted very diluted).
The claypot rice were both good. On top of each rice pot there were 4-5 stems of yuu choi (Asian vegetable).The rice was flavorful and the crusted rice at the bottom of the pot was aromatic and this is considered an affordable delicacy for many Hong Kongers. My partner,being one, is mesmerized by that stuff. I am okay with it because I am too lazy to chew hardened crusty rice. The dried fish, pork pancakes, chicken were all good and flavorful.
The total bill came to around $15 and we got to pack our leftovers. If you are reading my review, I here now direct you to Johnson C's epic review of this place. You'll have a good laugh. Here it is http://www.yelp.ca/use...Listed in: Cantonese Food
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Review from Johnson C.
Vancouver, BC
2/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
"You can catch me at the One Spot, I fox, I plots
At the back y'all, all night, I (clay)pots"
Alright - Marc D. and Janice sold me as soon as they mentioned "claypot rice". I've had a hankering for 'bo jai faan' (BJF) for a while - so it was an instant bookmark.
So... claypot rice... it's relatively hard to find (even in Vancouver) and it's very time-consuming. But it's a thing of simple beauty - rice with toppings cooked in a claypot over charcoal - which gives the cloud of rice a unique flavour and the charred 'rice crust' (a.k.a. 'faan jeew') is one of most glorious things in existence. It's comfort food. 'Bo jai faan'... (grunt) If you don't know, now you know...
So - there are no English signs on the storefront. The HLP and I are both illiterate Chinese men - so look for the sign with Chinese character with a ".com" attached to it. It's a small operation and a bit of a hole-in-the-wall (most of the utensils are disposable) and I'm not sure why it's called 'One Spot'... maybe the owner is a basketball fan? The menu does have some (poorly) translated descriptions. I was pretty surprised to see all the hardcore Chinese soups on offer (i.e. turtle, rabbit, etc.). and there were about 15 claypot options for about $6 - $8.
I'm a baked pork chop on rice fiend and was really tempted by the Pork Chop & Ketchup option. I had a spectacularly profitable week and was actually tempted order both for myself. But I went with a more traditional choice - pork jowl & salted fish and I added Chinese sausage (extra $1 - ya, I'm a baller). As far as I'm concerned, if you don't order salted fish on your BJF, you're not eating it right. And the HLP got one of the chicken BJFs.
The menu says there's a 20 minute wait. So we're sipping tea, drinking our complimentary soup and shooting the shit in our cozy table-for-two in the back. I've been busy and this was a few days after Valentine's Day so my HLP (heterosexual life partner) wanted me promise him I would bring him here next February 14th. The BJFs are finally brought to us as I'm jokingly telling him as I pretend to reach for his hand, "Work's been crazy, you know? I'm working hard for you and me. I'm sorry we missed Valentine's. I promise to spend more time together..."
... and then Janice ninjas us - she was also in the house. I fight the urge to blurt out, "WE'RE NOT GAY!.... not that there's anything wrong with that!" It's always great to run into Janice - but not while I'm acting 'fake-gay' to the Jay to my Silent Bob. The Ghostface to my Raekwon. The Costanza to my Seinfeld. The Stockton to my Malone. The Banky to my Holden... wait... scratch the last one.
We ordered some soup dumplings as appetizers and they were kinda 'Meh'. Janice: You were right. The chicken is far better than the pork here - way tender. And no - I took a bit off my HLP's bowl -- he didn't spoonfeed me while holding my chin. And the extra dollar for adding the Chinese sausage (ahem... no homo) was totally worth it - they mounded it up and the stuff isn't exactly cheap either. I didn't find a lot of salted fish in my BJF, but it added a nice flavour to the rice. And yes, the rice crust was great - slight crunch and was browned the entire way. There's also a side cup of pickled daikon and carrots they give you with each BJF.
The only knock on this place is that I wished they would let you keep the claypot lid for a while. They come served in a wicker holder and they immediately take the lid away. Sorry - I'm one of 'those guys' that likes to add a bit of soya sauce and seasoning before relidding the pot and letting it steam a bit.
The best part about this place - they give you the tea in styrofoam cups (again, it's a hole-in-the-wall). I'm all for being green - but getting a last refill of tea and walking out the door with tea in your hand as you light up... that shit is BOSS.
Anyways - would definitely be back to try the duck offerings and the strangely alluring "Pork Chop & Ketchup" option. Since I was sitting in the back, I noticed some people called in with their orders to save on the 20 minute wait time. But if you're a romantic like me and taking your heterosexual life partner or dates for an intimate dinner of claypot rice and disposable cups - use the 20 minutes as 'baby time' - just make sure no one you know is watching.Listed in: East Van Eateries
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Review from Marc D.
Vancouver, BC
2/3/2012 4 photos
* Claypot rice specialist *
Ok, this restaurant did not have an English name anywhere on its signage or menus that I could find. Looking into business registration records they have translated it as "The One Spot Soup House." Although you won't find that name if you are looking for it!
The menu is also primarily in Chinese with a little bit of English on a few pages.
I ordered the "Tender chicken with red dates and dried wolfberries" version of the claypot rice. They had about 15 different options with a wide range of toppings including eel, dried duck, pork jowl, salted fish, chinese sausage, oysters, dried mushrooms, wood fungus, etc.
The friendly server brought a complimentary soup to help tide things over during the 20 minute preparation time (which they thoughtfully warn you about on the menu). The soup was clear with intense rich flavours. Delicious! Photo: http://www.yelp.ca/biz...
There was also a small side of lightly pickled daikon and carrots which were refreshing. Photo: http://www.yelp.ca/biz...
The claypot was brought on a wicker pot holder, and was uncovered at the table to keep the heat until the very last minute. What a beautiful bounty inside. The chicken was amazingly tender and well seasoned. The wolfberries and dates added a pleasant sweetness. There was also some Chinese sausage thinly sliced which rounded out the flavours beautifully. Some yu choy was perfectly steamed on top, and there were random slices of ginger throughout the rice. Since the claypot was nice and hot the rice developed into a crispy crust all around the edges. This was truly a wonderfully comforting dish overall. Photo: http://www.yelp.ca/biz... and of the crust: http://www.yelp.ca/biz...
I'll definitely be back to sample some of their other claypots!Listed in: Vancouver Chinese Food
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Review from Janice F.
2/13/2012
Thanks, Marc D for a great find! This place is solid! So many varieties and combinations of bo jai fan!
Not many seats for more than 2 people in this restaurant, look for the sign that has the Chinese symbol .com for the restaurant. It takes 20 minutes for the claypots, so peruse the menu and place your order and hopefully your table will be ready right when the food arrives!
$7.50 for the Tender Chicken with Chinese Sausage & Black Fungus (it's just a mushroom, relax). The chicken was really flavourful and tender. Would definitely order this again. I like laying on the sweet soy sauce over the rice, as there is a LOT of rice that comes in this bowl and it can get a little bland.
The pork spare ribs with black bean sauce was good too, but not as good as the chicken claypot.
The dried duck (salty duck) came with lots of Chinese sausage layered around the bowl.
The menu must have been revamped because there's English on all the items now along with a few pictures (with Chinese characters that you can match up to on the menu).
They've also got some scary hardcore Chinese soups on the menu - soft shell turtle soup, longan rabbit soup. I'll just be flipping over to the clay pot pages! -
Review from Tyrone Y.
Vancouver, BC
2/27/2012 1 photo
tong/tang dot com - is the OG name of this place.
translated, means soup dot com. soup is pronounced "tong" or "tang" in canto and mandarin respectively. it is a wordplay of a popular website - http://tom.com, which i think, is owned by the richest man you'll never meet. think he owns Husky gas too but anyway...
Better kick back and watch a couple (obviously downloaded) chinese dramas on the screen as clay pot kitchen takes a bit longer to push out the food than other places. nothing wrong with longer right? it means more love anyways...
Forever on the search for good pork belly, cooked any style.
This place does a helluva job that i'm reminded of the days my grandma used to rock the stewed pork. if i remember correctly, this place has 2 different stewed pork (red roasted pork) rice pots.
Papa always taught me never to drink the free MSG soup. watch God of Cookery (awesome movie) and you will understand. but all that aside, their comp soup isn't bad.
Now if you haven't had chinese pork belly before, then know this: the meat:fat ratio is usually 50/50, sometimes more fat. chinese ppl LOoOVE to devour all the fat. AND THE SKIN. i usually discard some of the fat and my heart thanks me for making
it through another day.
I've also had their beef noodles before and while it may not be my favorite, it's mos def a different style and the beef was quite tender.
Will definitely be back to try other clay pot flavours.Listed in: DAT HO in the wall, Tastes almost like home
