Friends recommended this Hong Kong-style café on Kingsway, saying it offers better value in terms of portion size and pricing compared with many other cha chaan teng-style restaurants in Vancouver. We decided to give it a try one weekday afternoon. The seating is quite tight. For a party of two, we were seated along the wall with a small table and chairs facing each other, while the other side has a few cubicles more suitable for groups of four. The menu is extensive--perhaps even overwhelming--with many choices, so I would suggest looking at their menu online beforehand. We ordered from the afternoon tea menu: baked pork chop on rice and beef on rice noodles. Hong Kong-style coffee or tea was included, and each dish was around $16. The portions were generous, and both dishes were tasty. From a food and value perspective, we were satisfied. Unfortunately, our final experience at the cashier left us disappointed. The bill came to $32 before tax ($33.81 after tax). I paid $35 cash and told the cashier to keep the change. Instead of simply accepting it, she told me that the restaurant expected a minimum 10% gratuity. I found this uncomfortable and unprofessional. I understand tipping is customary in Vancouver, and I normally tip according to the service provided, but customers should not feel pressured or told that a minimum tip is required unless it is clearly posted as a restaurant policy. The service itself was perfectly adequate, but nothing beyond the usual ordering and serving of food. There was no extra attention or special effort that would justify being approached about a minimum gratuity after payment. Also, since the restaurant accepts cash only, it would be helpful to have a clear "Cash Only" notice displayed at the entrance so customers are aware before dining. To be clear, this review is not about the food quality or pricing. The food was good, and the value was actually one of the restaurant's strengths. My disappointment comes entirely from the way the gratuity issue was handled at the cashier. A good dining experience should include not only good food, but also a professional and respectful final interaction with customers. read more

See all

BT Cafe 大拇指餐廳 Review Location: 920 Kingsway, Vancouver, BC 位置： 溫哥華京士威道 920 號 (English version) BT Cafe is a delightful neighbourhood gem located on Kingsway. The standout for me was definitely their Sweet and Sour Pork--the sauce is impeccably balanced, perfectly capturing that nostalgic, classic flavor that's hard to find these days. The staff are incredibly helpful and friendly, creating a welcoming environment from the moment you walk in. While the ambiance is cozy and warm, I did notice that the high backs of the booths can be a bit wobbly/unstable, which is something to keep in mind if you're looking for extra back support. Overall, a great spot for a comforting meal! 繁體中文] 位於溫哥華京士威道 (Kingsway) 的大拇指餐廳 (BT Cafe) 是間非常討喜的鄰里餐館。他們家的咕嚕肉絕對是必點，那種咕嚕汁調配得非常地道，酸甜平衡得剛剛好，充滿了讓人懷念的經典風味。店員服務態度親切，讓人感到賓至如歸。餐廳整體的氛圍溫馨舒適，不過值得留意的是，部分卡座的椅背稍微有些晃動，若對座椅穩定度有要求的話可能要注意一下。總體而言，這是一個享受暖心餐點的好地方！ read more

See all

i have been dreaming of eating hong kong baked rice ever since i last had it (2 months ago) which also happens to be the first time i tried it. i think this restaurant did a traditional take on the dish and i loved every bite. the blend of different flavors and textures made me levitate out of my seat. i purposefully didn't try any of the other dishes until mine came out, because that's how excited i was for this. every dish was cooked with exceptional flavor. my family would not stop talking about how good the food was the entire meal. some of the dishes came with a complimentary drink and those were amazing as well. i tried the hong kong coffee as well as the hong kong milk tea and i liked them both. they were very light and fragrant. the price point was so worth the portion size. i definitely recommend coming here. they are cash only and the space is pretty small but they will pull up extra chairs and tables if you need. the food came out fairly quickly, especially considering how much we ordered. read more

BT Cafe 大拇指餐廳 - portuguese baked rice with pork chop - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

See all

This is a Hong Kong style cafe. (aka. Cha Chaan Teng) They have a good selection of dishes here. In typical Cha Chaan Teng style, some dishes come with free soup or drink. We ordered a variety of dishes to share for the whole family. I chose something called Japanese Style Seafood with Rice served on Hot Stone Bowl. I honestly can't figure out why they called it Japanese style as it really felt more like Korean style. First of all, the Hot Stone Bowl is reminiscent of Bibimbap which is a Korean dish. Second of all, I came across Kimchi in my dish...that is such a Korean style ingredient! Food was good. Loved this Hot Stone Bowl dish. No complaints about the food itself. Just feel they should rethink the name of the dish and call it Korean style rather than Japanese style! Prawn in Scrambled Egg topped with Fried Flat Rice Noodle is our daughter's favorite dish when we go to Chinese restaurants. It's like how in a lot of Western style restaurants, "Mac and Cheese" is often the "go to" dish for kids. It was just OK at this restaurant though. Needed more "wok hei" to it. read more

See all

Came here to get some Hong Kong Cafe style food. We ordered the chicken and salted fish fried rice, baked spaghetti with meat sauce and a combo that lets you pick your choice of meats and sauces. For the combo, we picked the chicken, beef short ribs, spaghetti with gravy, and it came with soup (dried greens cooked in pork bones). Each of the items we ordered also came with a drink, we got the Hong Kong milk tea iced and a lemon coke. We were very happy with the food and it was delicious. They are cash only here, there's street parking on the main road or in the neighborhoods. Servers were nice - speaks Mandarin, Cantonese and English. read more

See all

Service 5/5 Food is 3.5/5 I've been hearing about BT Cafe for a very long time, my usuals were Cafe Gloucester, Cattle Cafe was a favourite until that closed (I think it's called Peachy now), Lido is a miss for me, Happy Day is also on the list, amongst others. BT Cafe is very easy to miss when driving, surprised when I popped in to wait out traffic, it was nicely renovated and very clean. The staff were friendly and very efficient. Tried their Baked pork chop cutlet on fried rice with tomato sauce (a classic). It was good. Or others would say "ok" . The dish is very filling, I've never had a sauce so thick in consistency. I'd probably try other items if I were back. HK style milk tea was very good with a very clean after taste, and no residual bitter tannins considering the tea was flavourful. Cash only. read more

See all

I had their fish soup combo today for lunch. Luckily I didn't have to wait in line when I went. The portions are still large and the price is still cheap and cheerful. The servers are always nice and friendly. read more

Amazing hk cafe with one of the best iced lemon teas in the area. Portions are generous and tasty! Will be back when we visit the area in the future. read more

See all

Hong Kong Milk Tea - Creamy and strong, just the way I like it Tomato Pumpkin Fish Soup with Rice Noodles and Beef Brisket and Fried Sausage - Broth was flavourful with chunks of tomatoes - Rice noodles were cooked well - Beef brisket was a bit sweet but super tender and tasty Baked Rice with Ox Tongue - Baked well and in a timely manner - Some ox slices were overcooked, which made it a bit tough to eat - Didn't feel heavy afterwards Food (for the value): - Always consistent with the dishes I've had Service: - Quite standard; refilled our teas and removed our finished dishes; server did not rush us from eating - Was seated immediately at around 2pm on a Sunday afternoon - Tables were clean and wiped Ambiance: - They updated their lighting so the restaurant is brighter now! read more

See all

Great food! Great services! Excellent for seniors with special diet requests such as low sodium and/or less oil. They will cook to your specifications! read more

See all

we came right at opening time. We sat down and promptly ordered. They serve breakfast at 11:00 to 11:30 so they are hounded with those orders. We wanted the club house sandwich with fries which isn't part of their breakfast menu but they were very accommodating and let us order it. The sandwich was delicious as always and the fries were really crispy. The Hong Kong style milk tea was delicious and not overly sweet. One of the better HK style milk teas in Vancouver. Very smooth and strong with tea flavour We ordered set A+B which comes with an omelet of your choice and either toast or HK style French toast. Also a choice of soup noodles (we got the satay style macaroni). The chicken omelet was very soft and delicious. The french toast wasn't overly oily and had a good amount of Kaya jam inside. The satay beef soup noodles had more satay flavour than most other places but still could use a little more. The corner beef egg sandwich wasn't overly salty. I wish it had more beef. I would skip on this sandwich. Overall would come again for breakfast set and for the club house sandwich. Definitely get the HK milk tea. The price is very reasonable considering inflation costs right now. read more

See all

Hidden gem alert! One of the best Hong Kong style café and very reasonable prices. I've been a more than 5 times, and I'm pretty impressed each time with the portions and authentic flavours. Finally got around to writing a review. Service is kind of meh, and their English isn't great but that shouldn't stop you from coming! I usually get take out anyways. I think it is cash & debit ONLY. My order: Satay Flat Noodle with Pork Neck $12.95 - I swapped out the flat noodle with regular chow mein noodles for that extra crunh. Very nice satay flavour, and there are some large slices of fatty pork neck. Comes with some onions and green peppers too. Sauce to noodle ratio was also good. Baked Portuguese Rice (Chicken) $11.50 - I always order this. You can get pork instead if you'd like. This is a coconut curry rice dish that is baked (so it does take a bit longer to make) with shredded coconut on top for some added flavour/texture. It's a good creaminess and comes with a good portion of sliced chicken steak. Rice to sauce ratio is also perfect. HK Style Milk Tea & Yuen Yeung (HK Milk Tea & Coffee): FREE with the dishes. Super strong and authentic flavours. 2 dishes and 2 drinks came to $25.67 after tax. read more

BT Cafe 大拇指餐廳 - Satay Noodle with Pork Neck - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

See all

Cheap quality food. Your typical hk cafe at a great price. Portion sizes are huge and their combos are delicious. Got the steak and chicken w garlic sauce on spaghetti. Came w a side of daily soup (it was cream soup that day) and a drink. Two entree items came to $15-what a steal! The steak was bigger than my face. Everything was perfectly cooked and the chicken was crispy on the outside. Could only finish half of it. Can't wait to return. Hint- they have a great breakfast but they only serve it from 1100-1130! read more

BT Cafe 大拇指餐廳 - Two entrees - steak and chicken in garlic sauce - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Warning: The fried pork noodle is now $15+ And CASH-ONLY!! Debit not accepted. Or you'll have to do E-transfers. read more

BT Cafe 大拇指餐廳 - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

See all

Not sure if it's just me, but HK-style cafes' are becoming rare in Vancouver. This makes us cherish BT Cafe because its food is affordable and delicious. It's also a friendly reminder that it is important to support local businesses! Here's what we ordered [ 2 CHOICE ENTRÉE ] Just like most HK-style cafes, you can customize your meals with the option of 1, 2, or 3 protein choices. Following the choice of protein, you then choose your side of rice, fries, or spaghetti. Lastly, you will choose your sauce of black pepper, gravy, onion, or garlic. The meal also comes with a hot drink and you can change it to a coke drink for an additional $1. And yes, you also get the creamy corn soup as an appetizer! We've tried the majority of their protein, they're all just as good. However, our favourite is the deep-fried fish cutlet. [ CLUBHOUSE SANDWICH ] The sandwiches come in 4 halves, served with fries. This is the ultra comfort food, it's so simple yet it hits the spot every time. The layers consist of bacon, ham, lettuce, tomato, cheese, eggs, and their homemade tartar sauce. It's layered so nicely, you get a bit of everything, every bite. ---------- PRICE｜$ 。$15.50 Entrée (2 choices) 。$12.75 Clubhouse Sandwich read more

See all

Their grilled chicken on flat rice noodles with greens is delicious. They are so popular that I do take out as it's near impossible to get a table. Take out is always courteous and ready when they say for pick up. read more

BT Cafe had Herb grilled Salmon, Mixed Vegetables, Rice, Yew Choy, HotWater, Hot Milk Tea, Fish soup Rice thread noodle with Beef fingers, mushroom, Tofu Skin, Siu Choy, Overlord Flower Soup. read more

BT Cafe 大拇指餐廳 - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

BT Café is your typical Hong Kong Café. Here, you can find your HK food fix for a good price as well. They are not expensive (well, at least pre-covid). The ambiance is nothing special here. Pretty clear that they didn't really think about decor. It's one of those cheap eats, well, at least before the COVID Pandemic. It's your typical HK café. So if you're craving for Cantonese cuisine, then this is a decent spot for food. Of course, like many HK Cafes, they have their combos as well, or their mini-meals. My breakdown for their restaurant: Location 4/5 Food 3.75/5 Decor 1/5 Price 3/5 There are probably better HK café places in and throughout the city, but if you wanted something relatively cheap, this could be a place you could go to. read more

Hong Kong style cafes are really quite nostalgic for me. I'm sure any Chinese kid growing up in Vancouver in the 90s/00s remembers eating at a plethora of cha chaan teng and being overwhelmed by their extensive menus. Nowadays, there aren't many options for decent cafe style food if you're unwilling to trek to Richmond but luckily, BT Cafe is still around to fill that void, and it does so wonderfully. Where else can you get both Chinese and Western style breakfast before 11:30 am? I'm talking your choice of breakfast meat, two eggs, and toast (upgrade to French toast free of charge!), coupled with variants of noodles in soup (I like beef brisket with vermicelli). Feeling like something more comforting? Get your choice of congee, along with rice rolls or chow mein - it's all done well here, and always comes with a complimentary drink for $7.95 ($1 supplement for a cold drink). Once past 11:30 am, your options are endless. There's the fish noodle soup combos, similar to Deer Garden or Cattle Cafe. Pick a soup base, your noodles, and various toppings to your liking. BT also offers grilled set combos, with protein options like steak or fish cutlet. Their Western and Chinese set meals are pages long and I've never been disappointed. Personal favourites include the Seafood XO Sauce Udon in Stone Bowl, Baked Pork Chop Rice, Grilled Chicken and Greens on Flat Rice Noodles, and Curry Beef Brisket Rice. I even really like their take on HK drink classics - my Caucasian boyfriend swears by their yeen yeung (milk tea and coffee mixed). Sure, the place is a little dated and the service a little slow (there's only two ladies but they're super friendly!), but this kind of HK style comfort food and experience is a dying breed. I urge you to give them a try if you're ever looking for a decent, quick meal at great value. read more

See all

Returned with a few friends (same group of friends) and I ordered the almost the exact same thing with rice noodles in tomato pumpkin soup and toppings of fish fillet and chicken pieces. The portions are still very large but since I was really hungry, I ate A LOT and still had a nice bowlful for home. The noodles were not overcooked and they give lots of tender chicken and fish fillets. They also included a fresh bean curd in there (not the dried stick kind!) with a few vegetables as well. I give this place 3 stars because the soup is way too salty (or high in msg, i dont know). It does not taste clear and i found myself thirsty for much of the meal. The plus side is that the waitresses are VERY nice and do not rush you staying polite and friendly the entire meal (and we stayed almost hours). Overall, a much more "homey" environment with large portions but a little heavy handed on the msg. read more

Good luck with the service here if you are not their regular customers. When it is busy the staff will play games with the wait line, such as giving their regulars the tables first, or pretending not to clean the emptied tables yet so they can give them the more comfortable seats. It's not hard to notice if you pay attention while waiting. The dishes are typical hong kong cafe style and they have a big menu selection. The portion sizes are decent for the price, although I found the tastes were a bit on the salty side. They only accept cash payment. read more

QUALITY OF FOOD (5/5) Top quality authentic Hong Kong Style cuisine. The photos in this review are from multiple visits. I've visited 6 or 7 times in the past year and it was a blissful experience each time. I Highly recommend the baked rice dishes. Sauce and rice is a perfect blend. Served piping hot with good ratio of meat and veggies to accompany the dish. It takes a bit longer to get to your table but the taste is phenomenal. All 3 sauce flavours (tomato, cream and Portuguese) are great. Also, the pork chop is pre-seasoned with garlic and other herbs so it is packed with flavour even on its own. The scallop fried rice one of the best I've had for its price. Definitely rivals those from higher end restaurants in Richmond. The rice is distinctly separated but not "dry" so you can taste each grain of rice but at the same time having that moist texture. A true characteristic of great fried rice. It's also not too savoury and not too bland. Finally, the biggest highlight for me and an absolute MUST TRY if you visit this place is their slow STEAMED/STEWED EGG CUSTARD. It is made from a blend of egg & milk and is one of the classic Hong Kong/Cantonese style desserts. It looks similar to sweet tofu. Super soft, smooth, jiggly and melts in your mouth! QUALITY OF SERVICE (4/5) * Friendliness of Staff (4/5) * Attentiveness/Speed (4/5) I rarely give out 3s in my reviews because to be honest, 60% is pretty unbearable and experiencing bad service can hugely influence a person's decision to return. Although I do want to add that there may be a little bit of bias for this part of the review because I am Cantonese so speaking the same language makes a big difference in terms of service. Like most places, they get pretty busy during peak hours so neglecting customers, mixing orders, or showing a sigh or frown are not uncommon. CLEANLINESS OF RESTAURANT (4/5) Washrooms are clean, not new looking because the place itself is decades old, but certainly well maintained. The floor is relatively clean too. I even peaked into the kitchen to see if it could be a living nightmare but was surprised by how organized it was. The chefs know what they are doing. Waitresses sanitize tables and chairs after every visit so that is no surprise. I also saw them clean during downtime. A SOLID 4 which is quite high for an Asian restaurant. RESTAURANT APPEARANCE/AMBIENCE (3.5/5) Interior would be a 4/5 with compared with most local HK Cafés. Very standard "look" and feel with 30% wooden chairs and 70% of the more comfortable wall benches. I personally give it a 3.5 because I don't like places with dark/yellow lighting. Some people think it's romantic or classy and it might be you! Exterior isn't attractive at all, mainly because this place is really old and has been around for many years. It's also located in a less busy area on Kingsway. This is one of the reasons why BT Cafe is a hidden gem! VALUE OF MONEY (5/5) One of the cheapest (if not THE) HK Cafés I've been to in Metro Vancouver, and I've been to plenty. Portions are fantastic for most meals and can easily fill you up if you're a small eater. The classic lunch meal (1 dish with drink) is ONLY $14-15 AFTER tax and tips OVERALL EXPERIENCE (5/5) Would definitely keep coming back for the delicious food, even if it doesn't have the best service. Especially because I crave HK style food often and now it's hard to find a good one in the East Vancouver area. If any of you reading this review have never had Hong Kong style cuisine and are looking for a place to try, this is the place to go! read more

See all

My absolute favourite place to get beef noodle soup. Friendly staff, I love every single one of them! read more

BT Cafe is another HK cafe that I've walked by many times but never stepped foot in. There's parking in the back so you can come through looking like you're a regular. It's randomly located right out front of a bus stop so you'll always see people sitting/loitering around outside. We dropped by on a Tuesday afternoon (around 2:15pm) and it was decently busy for the time. There's a TV playing in the back. Inside has tons of tables and booths. The menu was overwhelmingly massive with noodle combos (make your own noodle bowl), choice of entree (choose any 1/2/3), western rice and spaghetti, Asian style noodles and rice, hot stone series, rice + fried noodles + pasta, Asian specialties, sandwiches and beverages. - Lemon ice tea and HK style milk tea ($0.50 each) - its an extra $0.50 for a cold drink when you order an entree. - Baked rice with fish fillet, spinach & cheese (A08) ($8.75) - I don't order many HK dishes but this one was pretty satisfying. Cooked well, creamy but not too cheesy. Fish was tender. - Satay fried flat rice noodle with pork toro slices (B08) ($9.25) - not overly sauced with a bit of vegetables thrown in for good measure. Again, satisfactory. Simple comfort HK food. Cash only! 3.5 stars. read more

See all

Stopped by for a late dinner last week (around 8pm). We had to wait a couple minutes for a table to be cleaned and set. This was a cozy little gem for sure! The menu offered so many dishes that a typical Hong Kong Style cafe would. The servers were very friendly We ordered the Spaghetti with chicken and ham in cream sauce and Red curry with fried pork. As for drinks, we ordered the Iced Lemon Tea, it was only $0.50 extra, where as other places are $1.00 extra. Drinks: The hot almond milk drink was spot on, smooth and full of flavor, but not too sweet. Food: The spaghetti was creamy and the meat-noodle-onion ratio was perfect. The red curry was a bit tangy for me but the pork chop was crispy and done well. Not to mention, the portion of the rice was massive, please refer to the picture. The only issue was that our drinks didn't arrive until we started our meal but other than that, I would love to come back for another meal Parking: Lots of free street parking out front #newfavHKstylecafe read more

See all

Quite a big portion. Has green and red peppers which are vegetables. Beef is quite tender. read more

BT Cafe 大拇指餐廳 - Satay beef rice noodle soup - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

We came in for a quick lunch on Sunday, pretty busy for 11:30a. But it cleared up by noon. Lots of street parking in the area. The place is small and fairly clean. Service is fast and friendly. The food is average and decent portion size. Good value. read more

See all

SUCH A HIDDEN GEM!! Tiny, neighbourhood-family-style HK tea cafe, Cha Chan Tang. Very affordable breakfast menu; 2 items combo are generally $8.5. Very accommodating with MSG free options and light salt! Friendly service, good portions, clean simple food. read more

BT Cafe 大拇指餐廳 - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

In a sea of Vietmanese places in the area, there's this lonely HK-style cafe. Parking is available directly on Kingsway. The interior looks mostly modern, but isn't the cleanest. The lamps were completely caked with dust. See photo. Knock 1 star off for this, as who knows how much of the dust falls into one's food. Staff were nice and efficient. The curry chicken on rice I had was actually quite decent. Served with 2 slices of tomato and sprinkled with flakes of something. Decent portion but not the largest. Worth the visit if one wants simple comfort food. The awning advertises fish soup noodles and hot stone rice. Guess I'll be back at some point. read more

See all

Been looking for a HK cafe and finally found this place. The restaurant itself is small so you may have to wait a little bit until you get seated. The menu is pretty extensive with lots of options to choose from. The food took longer than expected; no big deal. Food tastes like your typical HK style food as expected ..satisfying if you're craving that kind of food. Reasonable pricing for big dishes of food, big plus for me! The waitresses were nice and works pretty fast. If you're craving HK style food that is reasonably priced, I would give this restaurant a try. read more

BT Cafe 大拇指餐廳 - Baked seafood with rice - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Breakfast, lunch, or dinner, you will not be disappointed with this place. A great place for anyone wanting a HK cafe. Dishes are simple, tasty, full of flavours. Depending on what you order, it will definitely hit the spot. Friendly staff and quick service. Breakfast here is always busy so be here at opening or you will have to wait a while. read more

BT Cafe 大拇指餐廳 - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

See all

This place is good. From the outside, it doesn't look too pleasing but inside, it is actually nice and clean. There isn't a lot of parking in front as there is a bus stop there but there are spots on the side streets. When I went for lunch around 1pm, it was full, which surprised me as I didn't think it would be that busy. However it is a good sign when it is busy. It means that people like the place. The prices are decent and the portions are a little bigger than other HK restaurants. They did raise the price for the 'make you own noodle' soup dish but still a good price. The food is good and is about the same as other HK restaurants. It is cash only so make sure to bring some. The service is quick and the servers are pleasant. Haven't had any issues with them and they kept our tea full. read more

BT Cafe 大拇指餐廳 - XO seafood udon in hot stone pot - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I tried to find a HK style café nearby my friend's house n searched on yelps to try BT Café on Sat afternoon. There aren't not many parking space in front of the restaurant, so we had to seeking the spot on the side street. While we're looking for parking spot and passed by, we were doubt about it that small place for lunch. When we walked in, we surprised by how modern/clean the place looked which was definitely a big contrast to the outside. The decor is pretty simple and nice. The food portion is pretty generous. We had fixed mushroom with shredded pork efu noodle and HK style ham, egg and pork chop rice. It tasted good at least NOT much MSG. Btw, what is BT stand for? BT is not bubble tea here, it means Big Thumbs. Confusing? read more

BT Cafe 大拇指餐廳 - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

See all

The Hong Kong style cafe scene in Vancouver can be a bit limited. Many restaurants are overpriced, make a bad cup of milk tea, or just have poor food quality. If you live in Vancouver and don't want to drive out to Richmond, I would highly recommend checking out BT Cafe. Their portions, ingredients, and presentation are all excellent for the money. It is a bit of a hole in the wall and do note that it's cash only, but it is clean inside and the service is ok. I like that they have an extensive menu with western and eastern classics as well as the 1/2/3 choice options. Their milk tea has actual tea flavour which was a pleasant surprise. I've been dining at HK style cafes in Vancouver since the 90's and BT is definitely one of the best. read more

BT Cafe 大拇指餐廳 - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

When you only need to pay $14 for breakfast for two people, you expect to make compromises, right? We came here Saturday morning, around 10:30. It was already packed. The entire time, tables were never empty for more than a minute. And, there were often people waiting to be seated. Turnover rate was high, however, so I noticed people only had to wait about 5 minutes at most. The breakfast deals consisted of combos for under $7. You'd be allowed to pick 1 item from an "A" column to pair with another item from the "B" column. Or, you could get something from the "C" column to go with something from the "D" column. Sounds like high school algebra, right? But, you can't get an "A" with a "D" or order two "C's". There are hundreds of permutations, though, so if you have a partner like I did, you can sample from different sets. I ordered a chicken/mushroom omelette with a side of toast and a beef satay noodle . My wife ordered a fish congee with pan-fried rice noodles with bean sprouts. One of these two combos came included with a hot drink (i.e. coffee) but I forgot which one it was. As you can see in the photos, the food is served with no regard to presentation. Think high school cafeteria or army mess hall. The fish congee had quite a bit of large, unidentified fish fillet chunks. My guess is basa fish based on its taste. We had ordered the omelette with egg whites which was a $0.25 upgrade. It tasted a little bland. The beef noodle broth was completely watered down, offering no flavour at all. The pan-fried rice noodles were solid, however, even though there were only sprouts and onions mixed in. The toast only came with butter; no jams were offered, and we didn't bother asking. Waitresses were constantly busy taking orders, seating people and handling transactions. Our complimentary teas were never refilled even once. We were in and out in under 25 minutes. The biggest complaint we had was the incense that filled the room. This restaurant, being Chinese, had a small Buddhist shrine at the back with lit incense. My wife got a headache from the scent, and our clothes smelled of incense for a while after leaving. PROS: + low cost combos + fast turnover + lots of choices CONS: - incense smell - no presentation - choices limited to specific sets CONCLUSION: You get what you pay for. read more

See all

I came here for lunch with a friend after my physio session so I was really hungry. Good thing we arrived around 12:30 pm, because we got the last available table. The restaurant was small but there was a constant flow of people coming into the restaurant. Since I was very hungry, I went for the pan fried rib eye steak (which cost an extra $1), and baked salmon fillet with herbs combo with black peppercorn sauce on rice. It also came with soup and drink. I was surprised at the large portion. The rib eye steak was big as it took up probably one third of the plate but the salmon was on the smaller side. The amount of rice given was noticeably more than other places as well. I really enjoyed the salmon, it was crispy around the edges but still tender in the middle. The rib eye steak was decent, it didn't have a lot of connective tissue so chewing was not a problem. For an extra dollar for the steak, it wasn't too bad at all. However, I thought there was too little sauce, it became a little dry to eat near the end. For the price I paid, it was absolutely worth it. I felt the service was good, the staff were friendly. They didn't rush us to leave even though we were just chatting while finishing up our drinks. I thought this was rare for chinese restaurants as they like to give you the bill even though you haven't finished everything yet. BT Cafe is a good option if you are looking for some quick HK style food. read more

BT Cafe 大拇指餐廳 - Rib eye steak and baked salmon with peppercorn sauce on rice. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

4 Stars Free 2 hour street parking along Kingsway and parking all around the surrounding residential area. First impressions, it's a not a big restaurant, 5 booths on one side and tables on the other. We came by at 10:30am for the breakfast menu. Usually there is a wait, but we were lucky and got a seat right away. Ordered: A. Sausage, 2 eggs over easy, and french toast - it's a hot dog sausage but with a snappy casing, and the french toast is really good. B. Sauteed beef on vermecilli - not a big bowl, but very good flavour and big pieces of beef. Cold Milk Tea - good tea flavour and not too sweet. Service was really friendly and fast. The two ladies serving are always moving and friendly with everyone. The HK style breakfast menu ends at 11:30am Overall Experience: Service - 9/10 Cleanliness - 7/10 Food - 7.9/10 Value - 8/10 Parking - 9/10 read more

See all

LOVE THIS PLACE . Our I will go to place on Friday night. Cheap food and excellent quality food. Love Joanne, Mandy, and Vicky.

Exactly what you would expect from an establishment like this. Solid spot for hk style food, service was surprisingly good (but I speak Cantonese and I definitely take that into consideration). I ordered the baked porkchop over rice but replaced the porkchop with chicken. It was delicious! It's what you expect, ketchup/tomato-based sauce with a sprinkle of cheese and juicy chicken underneath. My meal came with a drink, I ordered an Ovaltine (similar to a hot chocolate but maybe with malt... I'm not sure). We also ordered a small dish of vegetables, choy sun was the special of the evening. It was good, not enough garlic for my taste. It was still suitable and it was nice to have some veggies on the side. My brother ordered the "choose two items" with salmon and pork. The pork was flavored really well and cooked just right. The salmon was good too but a little bit fishy.. not the freshest fish. I liked it and would come back again with friends. Maybe I'll try their noodles next. They have similar options to Deer Cafe. read more

See all

We were visiting Vancouver last week and our Airbnb was about 5 mins away from BT cafe so we thought we stop by for early dinner. It didn't disappoint at all! Ordered the Japanese seafood in hot stone, pork ribs with black bean and Thai chicken fried rice (not pictured). They were all delicious and reminded me of the time when I used to go to HK often. Service was great and our food/drink came out promptly not to mention great value for what you get. Overall I would go back the next time I'm in Vancouver. read more

BT Cafe 大拇指餐廳 - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia