Ho Garden is another affordable Hong Kong style restaurant located near 16th Ave. and Woodbine Ave. in Markham. The restaurant has been open for years and The Hubby used to be a regular when he lived at home. This was my second visit and sadly it paled in comparison to my first.

Atmosphere: Situated in a strip mall, Ho Garden was filled to the brim with families at lunch time. Tables turned over at a quick pace and we didn’t have to wait for a table, but like at many Hong Kong style cafes, the two of us did end up sharing a table with another couple. The restaurant was clean and more modern than similar establishments in Markham.

Service: With this type of restaurant, I have no expectations for service and our server was standard. Our orders arrived promptly and we paid at the counter.

Food: The Hubby and I ordered our usual, his Hainanese Chicken and my soup noodle bowl. This time, I chose braised beef, that disappointingly was served with udon. On my first visit, flat rice noodles were used and tasted 10x better. There was plenty of beef and the udon was cooked well, but couldn’t compare to my original visit. The Hubby also thought the broth wasn’t as flavourful, salty but not quite savoury. Perhaps the chef was different, weekday lunch vs. weekend dinner, but the lack of consistency was disappointing.

We did enjoy his Hainanese Chicken. The chicken was on par with other Hong Kong style cafes but I still like the rice at Phoenix the best. We did order two cold milk teas and they were the highlight of our meal. The tall glasses of tea had a rich, dense flavour and the perfect ratio of condensed milk and ice.

Continuing my adventures with Hong Kong style cafes, The Fiance and I stopped by Hai Tang Cafe over the Easter weekend. Located near 16th Ave and the 404, we drive by Hai Tang Cafe on our way to his parents’ house, making it an easy stop. From the outside, the restaurant looked to take up a large corner of the strip mall. Walking in however, the space was actually narrow and quite tight. There were two dining areas and both were packed. At one point, a woman walked in and asked to seat 17 people, the waitress gave a pretty big sigh and an estimated wait time of at least an hour.

The restaurant decor was a little worn but the space was clean and tidy. We were seated at a table right by the front doors and a cold draft swept in each time it was opened. There were many better seats, but we were in a rush and didn’t want to wait. Service was quick and efficient. I liked that the servers stood around the centre of the dining area making them accessible and easy to flag down. While the restaurant was constantly packed, it didn’t feel as hectic and rushed as other Hong Kong style cafes, where I feel like I needed to eat and clear my seat quickly.

Hai Tang offered breakfast, lunch and dinner specials. The menu items were standard, (hainanese chicken, curries, club sandwich, etc.) but highly customizable. For their baked dishes, you can choose the type of carb and sauce to completed the dish. The Fiance ordered a baked pork chop with black pepper sauce on spaghetti and was only $5.50. There was lots of pasta, a rich sauce full of flavour and three hefty pork chops. I had the beef brisket in soup with thick rice noodles for $3.99. The noodles were soft, the soup tasty and the beef brisket tender. Usually, I add a few spoonfuls of chilli oil to my soup, which adds a lot of chili fragrance without much heat. At Hai Tang, the chili oil was hot. Two spoonfuls had me sweating. Delicious, but potent. Of the Hong Kong cafes I’ve been to so far, this bowl of noodles is close to the best for value and taste.

Our total bill came to $12 (before tip) for both dishes and two milk teas. A great deal for a great meal.

Blue Ocean is my go-to Hong Kong style cafe in Peachtree plaza. I try to schedule my orthodontist appointments (around the corner) close to lunch time so we have an excuse to stop by. On my last appointment, we decided to try something different and went next door to New City Restaurant. This cafe has been around a lot longer and had decent reviews online.

Atmosphere: Parking at Peachtree plaza is always a mess. Since we were anticipating a line, The Fiance dropped me off to get a number first. There was only a few people in front of me and our wait was short for 2 people, 10 minutes top. Tables were packed together and larger round tables were seated communally. There were lots of families with children and generally the restaurant was crowded.

Service: When our number was called, The Fiance and I were directed to a table that was uncleared. We weren’t sure if we were supposed to sit or wait. A server came by and asked if we were leaving or coming, so we sat down at the dirty table and she walked away. After a few minutes, another server came by to clear the table and take our order. I understand the restaurant was busy but sitting in front of some else’s half eaten meal was not appetizing. Other than this, service was fine, food came quickly and everyone was friendly albeit hurried.

Food: Both of us were craving noodles that day so went with the noodle special. The menus were small laminated cards, English and Chinese versions, stuck into a holder on each table. Both bowls of noodles came with a small hot Hong Kong style milk tea that could be upgraded to cold at an additional cost.

There were two sets of toppings to choose from, one more Asian style (the Fiance’s) and the other more Western (mine). You could then choose from a large variety of noodle types including ramen, rice noodle, and macaroni. Both of went with rice noodle but in hindsight, we should’ve switched it up.

With both bowls, the toppings and noodles were generous. It was a big meal for under $8. My toppings included pieces of fried bacon, slices of deli ham, a fried hotdog, luncheon meat and a fried egg. The fiance’s bowl had an assortment of fish balls, brisket, beef balls, shrimp dumpling, red sausage and fish tofu. We both enjoyed all of the toppings with a standout being the shrimp wonton. There was lots of variety and strong flavours. Our opinions differ on the noodles. I like my rice noodles cooked pretty well done and at New City, it fit my palate. The Fiance likes his more al dente and the noodles were very cooked. We both agreed that the broth was boring. There was little flavour or fat in the watery soup.

Overall, New City Restaurant was ok, I’d like to try some of their baked dishes but based on this meal alone, it wouldn’t be my first choice for lunch. Their milk tea was pretty tasty.

My first visit to a Hong Kong style cafe left me confused and kind of intimated. The menu was extensive, a fusion of cuisines and there was so much thousand island dressing. Now, they’re one of my favourite types of restaurants to grab lunch with a delicious Hong Kong style milk tea.

Atmosphere: Phoenix has been around for a long time and has multiple locations throughout Markham. The Fiance and I grabbed lunch at their Raymerville location in between running errands and working on wedding crafts. We arrived at close to 2pm and there was still a short queue for tables. It was busy, full of families and students.

Service: For a casual restaurant (almost fast, casual), the service was standard. There were lots of servers in the dining area and you could flag down anyone for a request. In these situations, I always have trouble being getting attention (too slow? too quiet?) but the Fiance had no problems. Food arrived within five minutes of our order being placed.

Food: With lunch and daily specials under $10 after tax and tip, the value’s there 100%. I ordered their Yunnan Noodles with fish balls while The Fiance stuck to their signature Hainanese Chicken. My bowl was only $6.95 and came with a Hong Kong style milk tea. With the Yunnan noodles, there’s plenty of topping options (like at a Pho restaurant) for the round vermicelli noodles and milky fish broth. The noodles were warm, comforting, savoury and lightly seasoned. There was ample toppings of bean sprouts, fish balls, tofu puffs and wintermelon.

My own order was plenty filling but I left room to taste the Hainanese Chicken, which was very rich in flavour and tender. I loved the salty, oily broth served alongside to season the meat and rice. Yes it’s salty, but delicious.

I would love a similar restaurant closer to the condo, good simple food, with lots of variety at a great price (my waistline would not love it though).

Blue Ocean Cafe is a Hong Kong style cafe located in the New Kennedy Square, next to Peachtree Plaza in Markham. The menu is a mix of Hong Kong, Malaysian, Chinese and Vietnamese dishes (when we visited, they also offered a Hokkaido ramen special).

Atmosphere: Our group of friends arrived at 6pm on a Friday night and there was a line. The restaurant is fairly small and we had just missed a turnover of tables. It was a good 20 to 30 minute wait before we were seated. Many of the diners were families and it was hectic. Servers practically ran between tables and the kitchen balancing plates of food.

Service: I understand it was a busy night and I do not have the highest standards for a fast, casual restaurant, but even then the service was disappointing. Our orders were taken promptly and the first plate was quick to arrive. The Fiance ordered an upgraded soup with his entree and everyone dug into their food. After awhile though, The Fiance’s main order never showed up. We worked hard to get someone’s attention to check on the order and then waited. 10 minutes later, no update and one of my friends was close to finishing his meal and still nothing. We asked them to check again and still nothing. Finally, the dish arrived piping hot, after a third inquiry. Whether the dish was originally left off the order, or sent to another table, or left in the kitchen and had to be remade, I wish we were updated with a status after the first time we asked.

Food: Blue Ocean Cafe offers great value in their set dinners, served between 5pm and 10pm. Prices range from $7.99 to $13.50 (for the lobster cream sauce pasta) and include a drink and bowl of soup. The majority of dishes in the regular menu also doesn’t exceed $10. For an additional $3.50, the soup can be upgraded to a lobster bisque with puff pastry. The Fiance ordered the Malaysian Lamb Curry set and opted for the upgrade because he has a soft spot for puff pastry. A friend ordered the Hainanese Chicken Set, another had the Hokkaido Ramen Special (not pictured) and I ordered a House Special Rice Noodle.

The puff pastry topping did a great job of keeping the heat inside and the Lobster Bisque arrived very hot. However, the top layer was a little over toasted and the inner layer was soggy from all the steam. While the soup was creamy and thick, the execution of the topping was a bit sloppy. When The Fiance’s curry finally arrived, I sampled a few bites and thought it was fine. The dish was on par with many other restaurants, pretty standard. My noodles were spectacular. The fried egg was perfect, the broth was milky, rich and the noodles were chewy. I was very impressed with their broth and the depth of flavour. Each of the breakfast meats included were also lightly fried, amplifying the taste. My other friend also quite enjoyed her ramen but thought the short ribs included had a lot of fatty pieces.

If not for the service misstep and long wait time, Blue Ocean Cafe would easily have received a 4.5 rating. As is, I’m willing to check out more Hong Kong style cafes before a return visit.