This is an island tradition. I certainly miss the prior owner quite a lot-- sadly, he passed away.) But I think the quality of the food is as good or better. Personally, I really like the Singapore noodles, the thin noodle chow mein , Szechuan green beans and Ginger beef. read more

Golden Island is hands down the best restaurant on Salt Spring Island. The Lam family has faithfully served this island for over 40 years without complaint despite much cause. The atmosphere is the perfect blend of culture and lighting. The food has always been on point and priced reasonably. Whether grabbing a combo plate for a quick and effortless take away or bringing the whole family for a warm and memorable night out, Golden Island is the only choice. Excellent service, wonderful staff. My favorite. 5 Enthusiastic stars. My only complaint is that Sam is no longer a server, he was hilarious. read more

The food and service have both gotten worse and worse recently at Golden Island. Such a shame, because it's one of the only restaurants on Salt Spring. The noodles are chopped into short pieces for some reason, and the food is uniformly bland and mushy. The server is argumentative and unpleasant. I hope the ownership changes so we can have a decent Chinese restaurant here! read more

This is the worst place to dine on saltspring island since the new owners, I have ran many Chinese cuisine based kitchens in Ottawa and Penticton, along with numerous styled restaurant/diners. This is out of complete honesty I do NOT recommended this restaurant... The food was stale and not fresh. The pork tasted like it was out of a frozen bag from Costco (don't get me wrong I like Costco. it just shouldn't be served to costumers). I really did enjoy the waiter though, he was kind and very social, yet served in a timely fashion. Thank you for your time I hope I helped some people with this. Sincerely They Hele read more

The best Sichuan-style restaurant in Ganges. Okay, the best Chinese food on Salt Spring Island. Still not enough? Honestly, with their new Sichuan-trained chef, it's the best Sichuan food I've had anywhere in BC outside of the Lower Mainland. It'd be hard to compare them to somewhere in Burnaby, Coquitlam, or Richmond that turns out intense, flavourful food non-stop, because they're occupying such a different niche, in such a different setting. Still, it's definitely good, and worthwhile food. Most of what they serve and most of what they sell in a given day is Chinese-Canadian food of the typical sort; well-prepared, and not always uninteresting, but not what I'm there to eat, and I suspect not what you're hoping for, either. Going off-menu is currently the best option, though I'm hoping that they'll produce a small specialty menu for Sichuan food that might be too spicy, strange, or intense for Salt Spring. They're clearly still finding their feet following the sale of the restaurant and the retirement of the much-beloved Sam from the front-of-house, but they're doing very well. The crispy Sichuan-style green beans and (boneless!) la zi ji, both off-menu, were fantastic. Some lovely, pungent notes from the hua jiao (Sichuan peppercorn) and the depth of toasty flavour you get from roasted dried red chilies. The hottest they can do is definitely enough to get the sweat and the tears flowing, but in the best way, and in the service of development of flavour, not to its detriment. This kind of food is about pleasure, it's about indulgence. It's the lovely texture of the meat, the crispness of the vegetables, the aromas and tastes and sensations that are intoxicating. As once of the front-of-house staff (Emma) described it, and I agree, Sichuan food's intensity becomes addictive, reaching heights that nothing else does. They can also make menu items more numbing and more hot, but I'm not sure if I would bother with that. There's a world of dishes they can make that share that sense of pleasure, fun, and excitement, that are about food as more than fuel, and more than comfort, although it's certainly comforting in its way. The kind of comfort that hurts a little, too. I'll take it. Throw yourself on their mercy. Beg for some of their off-menu Sichuan food, anything. You'll be impossibly grateful that you did. You'll be surprised to walk outside at the end of the meal, and find that you're still on Salt Spring Island, but perhaps a richer, more invigorating, and more exciting Salt Spring than you knew. Let yourself try it. Let yourself love it. read more

Decided to try this place again after my previous 2 star review a year ago. Ordered the szechuan beans again and requested NO PORK. Then it comes with pork! The manager told me as I was leaving "If you don't want pork, don't order the beans". Does this make any sense? Also, the place is way, way over-priced now. I will never go back. read more

This place is absolute trash. I've tried it twice now since it changed ownership and feel ripped off that I paid money for this food. The previous owners did a much better job. read more

Golden Island - a bowl of noodles and meat - Chinese Near Me - Salt Spring Island, British Columbia

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Went here on a visit to Salt Spring based on local recommendations. As good as recommended! Super friendly staff, food was perfect (we had the dinner for 3 combo). Especially the fried rice, sweet n sour lean pork, deep fried wonton. You could tell this was a local favourite with people coming by to dine in and pickup for takeout. read more

I read the reviews of Golden Island and based on that we decided to give it a try. I am sad to say what an unfortunate disappointment that was. Either the resident chef was off that night or the dishes patrons commented on were better than what they recommended. Just a note, fried rice should have favor and eggs in it! Considering that many homes there have eggs for sale that should not have been a problem. The sweet and sour pork had a watery liquid and was way over cooked. It appeared they just dumped a can of pineapple over the hard nuggets which was to represent the sweet. To be fair the beef string beans we're pretty good with the exception of way too much salt was added. On the plus side, the staff was nice and one gentleman in particular was comical so the entertainment gactor alone makes it a charming place. read more

With the new Chinese owners I was expecting good Chinese food, the food was TERRIBLE. The Chinese chowmein was steamed noodles with slices of processed chicken on top, no vegetables, no spices nothing. The corn soup was watered down and tastless and the pork...... well we were not sure what that tasted like. Over $60.00 for three people and the worst food ever, stay away and spend your money elsewhere. read more

The staff are super friendly the food is great. Loved the foo Yung and best sweet and sour prawns I ever had.

Had Ma Po's Tofu, Tofu and Broccoli and a large order of steamed rice. Serving size was good, and dishes were tasty. Ma Po's Tofu was listed as spicy; it was flavorful but not spicy. Wait staff was very friendly and helpful, steering us away from a dish that they thought we wouldn't enjoy. The restaurant opened at 5pm, and it was full by 5:30. Although they appeared short-staffed, we were well looked after. Total bill was $29 with tax before tip. We would eat there again. read more

Quality has deteriorated badly. It used to be okay, but, they have screwed up my take out orders twice. My grand daughter will not eat there anymore and that is bad. It will be a long time before we go back. I am a 15 year resident. read more

Great food, great service. Say hi to Sam when your here. Reminds me of the family Chinese diner back home.

This is my favorite Chinese restaurant in the world, the only Chinese restaurant I miss when I'm back home in California. I especially like their Ma Po tofu and noodle dishes. Sam the owner sets an outstanding example of welcoming and friendly service for his staff. I feel recharged when I leave, and not just because of the delicious food! read more

Best Chinese food I have ever had. Everything on the menu is delicious. I particularly love the Singapore noodles and ma po tofu.

Standard Chinese-Canadian fare but better than most of that variety. The owner and staff are always welcoming and friendly, even when it is late and they are close to closing time. We always order the beef and green beans on rice noodles. I would recommend this as a good family friendly place to eat. read more