HO GARDEN

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.