Today I decided to try the Fat Mao after reading several favorable reviews. I ordered the Braised Duck Noodles and a can of Postmark beer. The noodles were $11.99 and beer at $5 coming to a total of $20, including taxes and all. Somewhat overpriced for the novelty involved. I walked away feeling not terribly satisfied. The duck leg was great and the tapioca noodles (gluten free) looked glutinous but lacked flavour. Broth was so-so. Would I come back? Not on a regular basis. read more

Surprisingly satisfied. This place was a lot better than I thought it would be. I had the braised duck soup. Good size portion of duck nice bean sprouts soup broth was very flavourful... Reminded me of a Taiwanese beef noodle soup. I like how you can choose which noodle you'd like. I chose the rice sheets which gave it a nice texture. Anyways the service wasn't that great the staff didn't seem that friendly. I also didn't like how they have three options for tipping and the lowest was 18%. I'm sorry but im a standard 15% girl unless your service was outstanding in this case it wasn't. It just makes me feel weird about tipping less than the three options. Anyways you guys should prob change that unless you want to make people feel pressured and uncomfortable. read more

It took me awhile to get to Fat Mao and I'm not sure why I delayed and now has quickly become a lunch go to. Over the past couple of months I've eaten there several times. The menu is intriguing, each meal has been lovely and the service has been excellent. The flavours range from delicate to rich and always layered. Each item is presented beautifully. A large bottle of water is provided immediately upon seating, minor detail that means so much. I enjoy the feeling there and appreciate the dedicated, hard working staff. As Vancouver's Chinatown goes through so much change Fat Mao keeps it real in a delicious way. read more

Fat Mao - A beautiful place to be in Vancouver. - Asian Fusion Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

We really wanted the cambodian restaurant across the street. It was a 2 hour wait! and we were full! Fall Mao was around the corner. I think Fat Mao does rely on people who won't wait for the cambodian restaurant. Anyways, they were out of the braised duck noodles and didn't have the dan dan mein. A bowl of noodles was $15. Super expensive yo, even for American standards. read more

We had the duck, ceviche and iced coffees. It made for a perfect little lunch! Next time I'm definitely trying the Koh soi since it looked so yummy at the tables next to us. read more

Was pretty excited to try out these unique noodle bowls. On arrival we got a table before the lunch rush started. As it wasn't busy we were hopeful to get in and out before it got busy. Unfortunately the service was quite slow. When we did eventually did get to order I asked about the spice level because hot dishes and I don't hang out. Got some bad info from the server and had to return my chicken curry bowl. Opted for the duck as the second option, which did end up being pretty tender with good flavour. Also shared a scallion potato pancake, also tasty. Glad I tried it, but due to service and limited non spice options I won't go back. read more

Seriously killer soups some of the best in the city. If you don't like this place you don't like food. Hot and sour soup and the green beans starter. Do it do it. read more

Excellent food! Best curry bowel with chicken leg. Cool casual noodle joint. Service good. Place a bit tight.

Had the duck lettuce wrap, the ma pao tofu and the hot and sour soup. All three were awesome! Great portion sizes as well. Will definitely be back and am completely surprised this place doesn't have better reviews (I'm not easy to please!). That being said, I tried my friends laksa, not as good. Would recommend the duck noodles or hot and sour if ordering a noodle dish. read more

I've been meaning to try Fat Mao Noodles. I went with a group of girlfriends. I ordered the curry noodles, my friends ordered the laksa noodles, duck noodles and coconut and mushroom noodles. I liked the flavour of my curry noodles but my noodles were so tangled they were impossible to eat without splattering everywhere. A tip is to wear a bib or dark colours or else the curry soup will stain your clothes. The laksa was okay. We were expecting it to be spicier like other laksa soups we've tried. My friend enjoyed her duck noodles and my other friend liked the flavour of the coconut mushroom noodles. They do provide you with an assortment of sauces to personalize your soup. We also ordered the scallion pancake and tuna tartare to share. These were also okay but could do without ordering again. read more

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My expectations were a bit high after reading some of the reviews. It's a solid 3 stars for me. There was nothing wrong with the food but there wasn't the "wow" factor that makes me want to go back, compared to Longtail Kitchen in New West. The rather small menu is a curated, opinionated asian fusion, which is a bit risky imo. Each component of my dish felt good on its own but together, it didn't seem to make sense to me. It felt more like a delicious yet ironic confusion rather than a sublime fusion of flavors. I had the duck noodles with egg. The duck leg was braised until tender with the meat falling off the bone. I believe this is a classic french confit style, but it's rare that I see it in chinese cuisine. It is probably more common in southeast asian cuisine. The noodles felt like they were made in the italian pasta style. The texture of the noodles reminded me of tagliatelle. I think I would have preferred thin wheat noodle, but the only other choice was vermicelli. How can they call this a noodle shop but only offer two choices of noodles? Most HK cafe diners would offer 5 different kinds of noodles. The soup tasted like the taiwanese oyster misua but it was a thin soup and not thickened with corn or sweet potato starch, so it had a taste that I was familiar with but not the texture that I usually associate with that taste. The egg was good, soft-boiled. They added fish sauce as a light marinade on the egg, which I thought was inspired. If they had marinated it in oolong or jasmine tea and soy sauce, then I think it would have been spectacular. read more

Great little hole in the wall Asian noodle stop. Great bowls of noodle soups! Local craft beers on bottle as well

Went there at lunch today with a colleague. During the 35-40 minutes we were there, only one other customer showed up. We shared a green onion pancake, she ordered the dan dan noodle, and I ordered the Taiwanese beef noodle. I would say everything was underwhelming. The green onion pancake barely had any green onions in it. The texture of the dough was missing, and there was barely any thickness to it. It was greasy, which I would have been ok with if everything else worked in its favor. My Taiwanese beef noodle was very bland. The two slices of beef was very tender. The broth was definitely not the real Taiwanese beef noodle soup that has been created by cooking beef bones and shank for hours. It was thin and bland--like soy sauce colored water. The noodles themselves were very good, but had very sad company in the bowl. My colleague said her dan dan noodle was bland as well. I didn't try it, but I can imagine based on the other two things I've tried. It felt like a perfectly good lunch hour wasted on driving over there and eating sub-standard food. I wish we went across the street to Phomn Penh instead. read more

Solid place. Good device. Awesome noodle soups. The best hot and sour soup I have had.

Come here if you want flavourful thai noodle soups packed with punch. Don't come expecting ramen (which I love in its own right) and you won't be disappointed! They have a selection of 5 soups and you pick the type of noodles you want. I had the Thai Fried Egg Salad, Wing Bean Salad, and Coconut and Mushroom soup with shanghai wide noodles. I would order them all again, they were all very flavourful and different from each other. The wing beans were crunchy with a little spice and paired nicely with the sweet lime notes in the dressing. The fried egg salad had the most delicious and unexpected savoury dressing paired with it, I think it was a mixture of oil and herbs, I couldn't get enough. It wasn't as packed with strong flavours as the other dishes which was a nice balance. My fiance devoured both of these, which is really saying something because he usually turns his nose up at salads. I will be definitely be coming back to get the coconut mushroom noodle soup again, which I think is a vegan option. It was wonderfully creamy and flavourful with a nice acidity from the lime, plus a few types of mushroom, enoki and I think shiitake. The noodles were cooked perfectly; my pet peeve is overcooked noodles or pasta and I was not disappointed. I can't think of anywhere else in the lower mainland similar to here. read more

Okay, I lied. I returned. I was wrong about them the first time- they were experiencing opening jitters and I was too harsh. Now, after a year or so, their menu has been updated. When I returned on a weekend lunch jaunt, they had plenty of seating, and every item on the menu was available. I tried the sweet and sour pork noodles and my mom had the laksa. The sweet and sour pork noodles was the winner. It had great depth of flavor and the sheet noodles were perfect. The laksa, however, could use more work. It had a slightly sweet flavor that became overwhelming the more you ate. It was also very heavily salted- neither my mom and I could't really taste the saltiness due to the sweetness, but we were parched after. The flavours were ALMOST there, but could use further refinement. We'll go back and try the other items again in the near future. But a positive improvement from my first visit. read more

Really Rude girl at the counter. Only accepted cash so had to go look for an atm. No sign at the door saying cash only during covid times.

Nice place. Glad I found it. Had the Chiang Mai curry noodles & the Thai fried egg salad. Both were very flavourful yet not too spicy. Once seated, our food came quickly. read more

I came here with a friend and it was both our first time here. We got sat pretty quickly as there was no lineup. There were a few noodle dishes to choose from and a good selection of sides as well. I ordered the beef laksa and my friend ordered the braised duck noodle soup. The beef laksa was well presented with meat, bean sprouts, peanuts, and a chili bean paste. It was spicy with some coconut milk taste. The server told us to add the yellow paste which had a sweet plum flavor. It was still good when i added it in the beef laksa. The braised duck noodle was good too. It was a savoury soup with lots of duck flavor. The duck meat was very tender and delicious. The noodles with wide and was a nice complement to the soup base. I would definitely come back. It may be a bit pricier than ordering these dishes in chinese restaurants but its well worth it. Well done Fat Mao! read more

Fat Mao - The duck was braised nicely. The meat was tender and flavorful. The noodles were wide and thick. These noodles are the northern china type. - Asian Fusion Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Stupid good Kao Soi. Easily the best we've had in US/Canada and a close match to our favorite at Or Tao Kao market in Bangkok. Very dialed in. Get here before the mobs discover it. read more

Came here when they first opened and wasn't terribly impressed, but over a few more visits they've upped their game and become the best noodle joint in Chinatown. The duck is beautifully rich and fatty, the hot and sour is perfectly tart, the noodles are all fresh and great texture... Worth the stop! read more

After not coming for a long time Fat Mao has maintained itself OR is better than a year ago! Wing bean salad was very flavourful and for the mushroom noodles I didnt even touch the extra condiments as it was deliciously sweet and tangy already. Invigorating feel-good food, to me. read more

This place was unbelievable! We are visiting Vancouver and I googled "fun lunch places in Vancouver" and itstodiefor.ca came up and this place caught our eye. We started with the Wing Bean Salad. When I tell you it's one of the best things we've ever eaten believe me I'm not lying. The flavors will knock you out of your seat, so so soooo good! Next, we got the Duck Noddles and Thai Beef Laksa. Both were super delicious. I didn't love the beef but the broth makes up for it. Definitely worth a stop by for lunch our sever was really nice and knowledgeable when it came to the menu. read more

Given some of the comments and rating, we were a little hesitant about dining here, but all four of us were really impressed! We had the wing beans, fried egg salad, rotti, ceviche, coconut and mushroom soup, and beef laksa. EVERYTHING was really really good. My family and I really appreciate good Thai food and eat it frequently. We were all very happy with the service and the quality of food! All the staff were very friendly, including the head chef who previously worked as the sous chef at Maenam. Highly recommended! read more

One of those difficult reviews, lunch in a new place recommended highly by friends and good reviews but the actual experience somewhat bland and not living up to the hype. Everyone tries the duck, right, and it's OK as I imagine are most of the other dishes yet not great value for money. Probably the biggest downer is the shabby interior having the all the ambience of a cluttered public waiting room. Service is attentive, the location is vivid but I came away not wanting more. Sorry.. I hope they can improve with honest feedback given the potential. read more

Went to this gem last week with a friend and really enjoyed my meal. We both ordered the Koh Soh Chiang Mai Curry Noodles, and the flavour of the curry was pretty perfect. The server was also really knowledgeable and friendly, and let us know that the owners grind down their own spices and make their sauces from scratch......YES. No MSG or additives.....a rarity in Asian restaurants. Totally recommend this place. read more

I grew up on Asian food. I am also a noodle fiend - at least 30% of my diet consists of various types of noodles. I got the Taiwanese beef noodle. If I ordered this in a Richmond food court for $6, I would be pretty choked at the tiny portion and dismal taste. Instead, I paid almost $13 for it... Details: Noodles - so soft and soggy that it ended up getting all stuck together, so it no longer resembled individual noodles but more like clumps of cooked dough. Soup - one-dimensional, like soy sauce and water. No hint of star anise or any other spices in there. Beef - tender enough, but it was bland, bland, and more bland. Like it was cooked in salty water. There was a weird beef taste to it. My friend got the same as me, and she claimed that it was the worst bowl of noodles she's had. It was a tiny portion, so she ate the whole thing still... but it did not go down without protest. My other friend got the Dan Dan noodle. She said it was only ok, but she wouldn't go back for it. $9 for something that's normally priced $5-6, and half the size. I tried the sauce - they put something Thai-ish in there that I didn't like. It was jarring. I think they should call it a Thai dish instead of Dan Dan noodle. I know it's fusion, but when it's fusion to the point where I can't recognize the taste, I'm not sure if it's fair to use the same name. Maybe we ordered the wrong things. But considering how small this menu is (~6-8 items), it's kind of ridiculous that the two we tried were bad. The only thing good I can say about the food was that the portion was so tiny, I had no problems with food coma at work after lunch. We work nearby, but we won't be coming back. Do yourself a favour if you want noodles - go next door to Ramen Butcher for authentic Japanese ramen for $10 (not the best but it's decent) or Phnom Penh across the street for Cambodian Pho at $7. You have been warned. I'm so sick of these overpriced "Asian fusion" restaurants popping up all over Chinatown... I am never going to understand the concept of having poorly done, small portions of Asian food for double the price in an area that sells the same stuff for less than half the price (but better and bigger portions) coughBaoBeicough. PS., Fat Mao in Chinese sounds more like a "fat cat" rather than a "rich cat"... or "mold growth (fat mo)"... I also find it interesting that the only 4-5 star reviews right now (save for one) are from people who have 1-5 reviews on their account... whereas people who have 5+ reviews are giving the place 1-3 stars. read more

Would have loved to try their delicious food! -- if they hadn't closed unexpectedly for two hours midday when I tried to go. I'm traveling from a different country and heard this was the place to go for a hearty bowl of noodles on a chilly day like today. I knew some other restaurants in the area have the habit of closing between 3-5pm to prepare for dinner and specifically checked that Fat Mao would be open during this time as that was when I planned to go. Yelp, Google Maps, their webpage, and their hours listed on their door all told me they stay open from 11am-9pm. However, upon arrival, there was a handwritten sign on the door saying they were "taking a break" and would be back in two hours. We still saw other customers - almost a full house of them - dining though so we entered anyway to see if we could still get seated for a quick meal and were denied. The kitchen was even still cooking! Very disappointed with how this restaurant operates and chooses to just randomly shut down without notice just because they feel like it and turn away customers. Won't even try and go back, even though I now know the appropriate times to go. read more

I drove up from Bellingham, WA to meet a friend at Fat Mao Noodles and had the braised duck with sheet noodles. It. Was. Delicious!! The broth was wonderfully rich and flavorful without being overly seasoned, salty or greasy and the veggies and herbs balanced perfectly with it. The huge duck leg was lovely- so tender. This was the first time I ate sheet noodles and I loved them. The balance of each of the ingredients together was just perfect. Fresh and quality ingredients. I really enjoyed this dish and can't wait for more. My 10 year old son had the same dish and loved it too. We had 4 adults and 2 children and the service was great and very family friendly. Everyone left with empty bowls and full stomachs, a true sign of excellent food! Pricing was very reasonable and parking was easy. Thank you!! read more

The soft-opening reviews of Fat Mao (see below) have been harshly melodramatic. Folks have complained that it's too expensive, too flatly spicy, and that the flavors aren't exciting. This place does still have kinks to work out: I ordered the Taiwanese beef noodles with a side spicy meat sauce, and some of the meat was a little chewy; it also cost a little more than usual. But the unusually fresh ingredients (almost) deserved the price point, the flavors were clean, and the broth, especially, showed subtlety and care. I drank the whole bowl. The benchmark of flavorful real Chinese food in Vancouver is still The Peaceful, at Broadway and Cambie, but this joint has a lot of potential. Call this an optimistic four stars. read more

Just a note to Edward, its not a Ramen shop...so if your are looking for "authentic" Ramen then this is definitely not the place for you. The Kao Soi was excellent, and not far off from what you get in Chiang Mai. They had a wing bean salad on the menu which is an excellent thai dish that is very hard to find here in Canada The Coconut/Mushroom soup dish was also fantastic. Best with Rice Sheets...lots of veggies and amazing flavours. read more

Came here after planning to go to Ramen butcher but saw the line up was just too much of a wait. My girlfriend has came here previously and said we should try it since I really enjoyed noodles. The interior seems a bit confused, since I wasn't sure what to expect entering the place, I honestly did not know what kind of food this place served besides "noodles". Anyways sat down had the Roti and mushroom coconut noodles. For the $ you get 5 thin pieces of Roti... Totally not worth it. Tasted fine though. The noodle soup was a mistake. Totally not worth $11+. Chose the vermicelli noodles to go in the soup, another mistake. Realized there was no protein and it was a veggie dish, another mistake. Was not feeling the raw + cooked veggie combination at all. Soup base was very creamy, maybe too creamy for the contents of the bowl, I didn't bother to drink the soup. Overall I mean the service was fine nothing special, ambiance felt OK as well. Cool Dragonball Z poster in the washroom.... One singular washroom in the whole restaurant i might add. But why is there a Dragonball Z poster in a Chinese ? Thai? Cambodian? Restaurant ? No freaken idea. Because I guess FUSION HA? Bottom line though, food was very dissatisfying, wouldn't recommend this place, and is not in the same league as ramen butcher. Edit: 4 hours later ended up on the can to unload. No other food then fatmao all day. Adjusted review from 2 to 1. read more

Great appetizers! Love their tripe salad, tofu and century egg with bonito flakes on top, and scallion pancake! My husband tried all 5 noodles. Beef noodles and curry noodles are his favourites! I also like their cold noodles. read more

Average service but the vegetarian dish was really good, it was exactly what I needed after a cold and rainy Vancouver day.

Fresh, high quality delicious ingredients. No fuss, but kind and efficient service. Great deal for very filling food

I'm not sure if I can agree with some of the earlier reviewers, as Fat Mao just opened this past Wednesday (last week). Be prepared for a wait and go early as their website reminds you they cook until the ingredients (i.e. noodles) are gone. We loved the Duck Noodle Soup and the Taiwan Beef Noodle soup was excellent as well. We can't wait to go back when the Mango Shaved Ice and perhaps alcohol menu(?) is available. Good luck to Fat Mao and with your good food, people will be continuing to lineup as they are. Arrive Early if you really want to get in and get some of the good things they have available. We did miss the Scallion Pancakes this time, but the Tripe Salad was super tasty. Good luck and enjoy! read more

Went here with the family, wife was happy to see they served Kao Soy. Would have to say if this is not a place for kids, which we knew, but YOLO were on vacation. I had the beef Lasik noodle, which was good as well. read more

I was walking around Chinatown to find some lunch and fortunately walked in here. I'm so impressed by Fat Mao! I had the braised duck noodles, fried egg salad and roti here. The texture of duck noodles were so bouncy. The egg yolk played into the vinaigrette calming down the strong tang to it and the roti was done perfectly! I must come back! read more

Honestly, I was supposed to go to Ramen Butcher next door. But then I noticed this new restaurant that seems to have an interesting brand and decor. I also came in because I craved for Dan Dan Noodles, but then I was very disappointed. The portion is small. There are more spring sprouts on top than the noodles at the bottom. The noodles are clumped together (some other reviewer also complained about this.) The broth is flavorful but overly thick, and it doesn't taste authentic at all. It's like the chef hasn't ever had a bowl of authentic dan dan noodles and is just guessing how it should be made. For those who crave for dan dan noodles, I suggest you better go to Lin's on Broadway and Granville or Ding Tai Fung in Richmond. They have the best and most authentic dan dan noodles in Vancouver. Sorry, but I won't visit again. I should've kept on walking and go to Ramen Butcher instead. read more

Disappointed. The noodle in the Taiwanese beef noodle soup was good, but there were not enough things in the soup for the price. The beef was not cooked for long enough to allow the flavour in. The soup was rather greasy. There are other places in Vancouver that serve better noodle soups, and I know my noodle soups since I grew up in Taiwan. My boyfriend's sesame noodle was good, but the portion was simply too small to warrant the price. We ended up walking across to street to Phnom Penh to get more food because we were still hungry (we lucked out and waited for only 10 minutes!). If you know other places to get a good bowl of noodle soup, don't bother with this place. If you don't, well, there is something called Google. read more