Chinese BBQ Zone invites you to their restaurant. They are conveniently accessible by public transit but also by bicycle. Come visit them in a neighborhood acknowledged as stimulating.
My son and I normally drive to Toronto for authentic Chinese, but no longer! Chinese BBQ Zone is the real deal--and is our new favourite spot to eat. An extensive menu, and everything we've tried so far has been delicious! Mapo Tofu, Squid with Spicy Pepper Salt, steamed dumplings, Chong Quin Spicy Chicken and more. With only about 10 tables, the place is small, but the staff are friendly and the food is addictive. Highly recommend!
Have not visited this place for awhile and decided to drop by and order. Ordered a dish for takeout. Took my order wrapped well. When I arrived home and opened my order. I got mad because I did not get what I ordered and was given an alternate ingredient . The server did not advise that they did not have the particular ingredient available. I did not come back anymore because I am just going to waste my gas for their mistake. This place appears to be run by different people and not the same quality of service and food. I will not come back here again. My advise to foodies: Check your take out order before you leave the place.
I happened to be downtown Hamilton with a friend around lunch time on May 6th. We parked on Wilson Street and walked by this restaurant. Being quite famished, we didn’t feel like wandering around to see what other options were available, so decided to check it out.
As read in a previous review, this restaurant is small and no, it isn’t flashy, but it’s clean, the service was prompt and friendly and the food was delicious, so really, who cares?
We were greeted by a very friendly young man who seated us right away, provided us with menus, served us a pot of tea and was very prompt to attend to taking our orders. I was actually hesitant about my dining experience, as my Chinese food experiences had always been the take-out variety or buffet style (not overly authentic), so it took me a while to peruse the menu and finally decide on something.
We waited for *maybe* 10 minutes before our sweet and sour pork, Thai-style chicken and steamed rice were served. My Thai-style chicken didn’t look like the photo in the menu, but I certainly wasn’t deterred by this. I dug in to my chicken and was immediately pleased with my decision. Granted, it was a bit spicier than I anticipated, but it wasn’t melt-your-face-off spicy. I just had to alternate between chicken and steamed rice. I also picked at my friend’s sweet and sour pork dish, and it was amazing. The sauce was incredible. The portions were more than ample (we managed to eat maybe half of our dishes before we had to concede defeat). The price was great for the amount of food; $23.00 for the both of us including tax and tip. All in all, whenever I happen to be back in Hamilton, I will definitely be going back. I highly recommend this restaurant.
As a side note, there are people who work here who do not speak English as their primary language, so don’t misconstrue this as them being rude or not acknowledging you; that was definitely not how I felt at all. Of course, I had to presence of mind to understand this and worked as best as I could in conveying what I needed, and in return, we had a very pleasant dining experience.
My family and I recently found this place in 2011 and we instantly became regulars. The only reason we keep returning to this location is because of two dishes: the Beef Brisket Noodle Soup and the Sweet and Sour Chicken. Despite all of the restaurant’s shortcomings, these two dishes make me want to come back for more. To start, the soup is very well priced at only $4.99 and contains enough food to make you feel full by the time you leave. The generous portions of beef and lettuce combined with the amazing broth make this a nearly perfect dish. The sweet and sour chicken is also very delicious. Most places prepare the dish by heavily deep frying the meat in batter and using undesirable parts of the animal like fat. This causes the customer to be unsure of what type of animal they are eating. This is not the case at this restaurant. The chicken is lightly deep fried and you can see and taste the quality of meat. There is also a very good portion of green and red peppers that add the perfect balance of vegetables to meat.
Aside from the delicious food, however, it is best to understand that this restaurant is not for everyone. First, the service is very quick but lacks finesse. Things such as waiters and waitresses not smiling or acknowledging that you have spoken to them really makes it feel like you are talking to robots. Furthermore, they have not learnt me or my family’s names or tried to open a conversation despite the fact that we go so often. My worst experience had to be when the staff did not get my order correct, and I sent back the dish. After a few seconds, an older Asian lady came out of the kitchen yelling at me insisting that what they had made was what I had ordered. The worst part was that the older lady did not take our order. I did not physically write my order either so the older lady had to take the word of the waitress. Not a very good way to treat a regular.
The atmosphere inside is also very undesirable especially in the winter. Some tables are located right next to the door and so every time someone walks in or out, the people sitting there get a gush of chilling wind. The construction of the front glass window was also poorly created as there are large sections that are not sealed which create a vicious draft to tables sitting along the front end of the restaurant. Due to the small size of the restaurant, approximately one third of the tables are undesirable to sit at during winter. The staff members also prepare food in open sight of the customers which is not very pleasant. As a customer, I would like to keep the food preparation and the customers separate. This also takes a table away from customers, which forces them to sit in undesirable seats previously mentioned.
Despite these lacklustre qualities, if you can turn a blind eye to the poor service and cold wind, then this place is for you!
My sister and I have heard some good reviews of this place, and we now know why. We ordered wonton soup, congee with pork and preserved egg, and our favourite: stir fried rice noodle with beef.
As the other reviews have said before the decor isn't absolutely marvelous, but we were going there for the food, and we're not ones to really fuss over decor anyway. We were greeted and seated, and given menus and tea. The menu had quite the selection! We ordered our favourite dishes growing up. The server repeated our order and came back to confirm our order too, we didn't think too much of it.
The pan-fried rice noodle with beef was the first to hit our table. Yummy! However, the bean sprouts were just a little under done for my taste but overall it was one of the better versions of the dish that we've had. The congee and shrimp wonton with egg noodle hit our table shortly after. My oh my! The portions of all three dishes were simply large! Ah! So, this is why our server had to confirm our order, she even jokingly asked if we'd be able to finish it all. Determined, we set out on a mission do to so, but failed.
The soup was great, the broth had nice clean clear taste, the wontons were my favourite part of that dish. The congee was by far my absolute favourite out of our whole meal, it was a clear example of what a good congee is supposed to taste like, the pork and preserved egg didn't overcome the dish, it all just came together in your mouth! Beautiful! If Only One was on my way to work, I would definitely be up for congee for breakfast every morning!
We did not complete our mission, the dishes were simply delicious and filling for the two of us to finish! Dinner for two tonight though! And I will be ready for my second round. And for $12.00 a person including a good tip, it is worth another visit! Well done!
Well, where do I begin! If you're expecting fancy decor or a romantic atmosphere, you've come to the wrong place! However, it was somewhat an unique experience for me. There were some items on the menu that I wouldn't fancy, like pig's liver items. My friend and I decided to order the sweet and sour pork, mainly because of me. Along with that, we ordered a vegetable dish, which my friend said was Chinese broccoli. I did enjoy both of these dishes and would reccomend them. But...I did not like the Rice and Beef Congee. In fact, I wasn't even sure what I was ordering, to tell you the truth. But I felt adventerous and ordered it. To me, it tasted quite similar to wallpaper paste, not that I ate much of that! The beef was spongy, a texture that I don't like. To me, it was like eating bland watery rice that hadn't been properly cooked. Personally, I do not mind how humble a place is, as long as it's clean. I wasn't too pleased with the cleanliness of the washroom, which had a box of creatures, prawns I think near the door. Anyway, I would go back, but not rushing to do so. I must say the food was great, other than the Congee.
