Came here for a birthday and my party enjoyed all the food! My favorite was the chefs choice because it offered a variety of options for people to try. The seafood pancake was good too - full of ingredients and really crispy edges. My friend had a special dietary restriction and the bartender was so sweet to accommodate and make a custom cocktail. Would definitely return! read more

Kosoo Pocha At Sai Woo - Asian Fusion Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

We came in close to 10pm and the place was busy. There was a booth available but the hostess didn't want to seat us to there I guess cause we were just two people so were seated at the bar instead. So we just got makgeoli served in tin bowls which was cool. The place looks the same as when it was Sai woo but with more neon signs and the frog. Would have liked to try the food but the menu print Is so small..lol. Not their fault I'm blind. But next time Indefinitely will! The bartender and server were nice. read more

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I believe this was the only pocha in Vancouver and I'm glad I was able to experience a night here at Kosoo Pocha. I believe this pocha replaced a fancy looking bar. The ambiance of this place is bright and vibey. The service was amazing, the server recommended my party their popular items. For drinks, we got the somek set and the milkis set. The somek set came with beer and soju. The milkis set came with soju, beer and milkis. The drinks did it's job and my party had a blast. For the food, we got the ttetokki with came with dumplings and cheese dog. We also got the kimchi fried rice, and fried chicken. I loved how the tteokki rice cake was bigger than the usual size which makes this dish unique. The kimchi fried rice was cheesy and perfectly seasoned. The fried chicken was juicy and tender; also comes with a cheese sauce! Overall, yummy food, good vibes, would come here again at night :) read more

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Korean bar food that was not so great. Dokbokki could use some ramen with it or more dokbokki in it- spicy but too watery. Korean fried chicken had a nice crisp but weird texture. Maybe good for late night if you're just drinking, not a great place for dinner option read more

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Tried out kosoo pocha on a night out and tried out the chef's choice box that has a little bit of everything! The cold noodles were tasty, oden was flavourful, fried eel was unique, and egg rolls were fluffy! A good option if you want to try a bit of everything all in one visit. read more

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DO NOT BOOK FOR LARGE GATHERINGS. I had to put a $350 deposit down for a group of 20 which is understandable...BUT THEY HAVE NOT RETURNED MY MONEY. My reservation was on Jan.27 and was promised my deposit will be returned within 2-5 business days. Its reaching 2 months, and I only received $280/350. It took them ONE MONTH to give me back $280 and due to the delay I was promised another $50 and a $100 voucher. I keep calling the restaurant during opening hours yet my call goes straight to voicemail, and their voicemail box is full. They initially reached out to me via text about my reservation, and now they leave me on READ whenever I ask about the remainder. ABSOLUTELY DO NOT BOOK THEY WILL KEEP YOUR DEPOSIT MONEY. read more

We came here for a birthday dinner, and the restaurant was quite busy, but still enough space between tables to converse without yelling, which was nice. The seafood platter and the deep fried octopus was tasty. I would only suggest asking for a little bit more dipping sauce, as we had to ask for more for the pancake. read more

Kosoo Pocha At Sai Woo - Asian Fusion Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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I don't know if this will be allowed, but there is a TV commercial that uses a restaurant with this name. Wondering if this is the same one. I see there's one in Vancouver and another in Quebec. I'll have to go find out as a few of the things shown look delicious!! read more

Very lovely décor with the super friendly staff (Thank you Alicia for all the great recommendations and making the dining experience fun and lively!). It has a modern chic vibe with Asian inspired décor & fusion dishes. It's located on East Pender in downtown, close to East Hastings & Chinatown, so the area is a little sketchy, but the restaurant itself is very comfortable with a casual & relaxing atmosphere. Food/drink presentation was amazing overall. I was very impressed overall, and the flavour combinations were amazing. My order: Galbi Fettuccine: You HAVE to try the Galbi Fettuccine (with truffle cream sauce & oyster king mushrooms). The Korean-fusion styled Galbi meatballs were delicious and slightly sweet.I loved this so much, I would come back just to order this one dish. Comes with some Asian greens/vegi's as well. Very filling too. Sun Yet Sen Garden (Vegan): This was a super flavourful and filling vegan dish with grilled gai-lan, baked potato, pickled beets & roasted sunchokes. It was my first time trying sunchokes and it's so good. Lot's of textures in the dish too, so I enjoyed it a lot even though I'm a meat lover. Dim Sum (Pork): I'd pass on this, as it was quite mediocre. It's basically pork dumplings, nothing special. Beef Amuse Tartare: small and cute (bite-size). A little bland in terms of flavour/sauce, but the beef was very soft & tender. Presentation was beautiful and delicate on the tiny spoon, with lots of little details and arrangements. 10/10 for effort. Orenji Passion (Aperol, passionfruit): my favourite drink out of the 2 as I'm a fan of Aperol. This drink was sparkling as well, so it was very refreshing and easy to drink. Sai Woo Sour (Gin, Bitters & Strawberry): super strong drink, and definitely for gin lovers. Not a very strong strawberry flavour, so I'd say it tasted very strongly of gin with a subtly/muted fruit aftertaste. read more

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This is a great place for cocktails. They have really have nice decor and the way they exposed the wall and left it with a painting of the original owners is quite nice. (It seems a lot of restaurants have done this-expose the original brickwork.) The dining area is open and spacious. The service is friendly. I enjoyed their fries. I can see this place being very good for an intimate date. Personally I have yet to come here to have much of the food, but would recommend their cocktails. read more

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Always woo'd dining at Sai Woo In historic Chinatown lies a unique Vancouver inspired Asian fusion restaurant, Sai Woo Stemming from a reflection of Vancouver's multicultural society, chef Seung-min has currated a menu serving a variety of small and large sharing plates, with a focus on pairing local bounty and global techniques with familiar Korean, Japanese and Chinese flavors · Bang Bang Chicken Salad · Beef Tartare · Beef & Broccoli · Dan Dan Noodles · Chinese Herb Brined Duck Breasts · Dongpo Lettuce Wraps · Chinatown Monarch My favorite dishes were the dongpo lettuce wraps and Dan Dan noodles The pork belly was super tender, flavorful and I really enjoyed the cut of the pork as it had a nice balance of lean meat to fat Oftentimes I find 'dongpo yook' too rich due to the ratio, but Sai woo did a great job at balancing that aspect I also loved the addition of cinnamon to the dish and the sauce as it gave it a nice kick to this dish! The Dan Dan noodles seemed moreso like a bowl of ramen, but it was packed with flavor and I loved the texture of the noodles The spice and peanut flavor were subtle but just enough to shine through and not take away from other aspects of the dish itself. Their housemade cha siu was torched to perfect and their runny egg really enhanced the richness and flavors of the soup. read more

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My boyfriend had been wanting to bring my here for a while and I'm happy I got to finally try! This restaurant is located in east vancouver on the slightly dodgier side but the inside is so beautifully renovated you wouldn't think of it to be at such location. Sai Woo is an Asian fusion restaurant with a twist in all our favourite Asian dishes. Some dishes were great, some were not that special and some, I just preferred the traditional dish over their fusion version. Their galbi truffle pasta was delicious but maybe slightly too sweet. I was not a fan of their Chinatown paella though. Appetizers were nothing too special but the Tartare's were yummy! They are also order by the spoon so you can have many options to which tartare you want to try :) Our waitress was super cute and made conversation with us and made our visit a pleasant time. read more

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Sai Woo is an icon in the restaurant industry. It's been around for ages & to come here, is a step back in time to how Chinese restaurants were decades ago. Now that's not saying & what you might be thinking - a shambolic state of disrepair! On the contrary - Sai Woo has kept pace with the times indeed! I don't come to this area to eat often, however, I pass through here frequently for work or to walk about in the Spring & Summer with, out of town guests. When we got here the street level floor section was totally empty & I thought - this dead on a Saturday!?! Huh!?? Turns out the entire floor was booked for a private party but downstairs was open for reservations & drop-ins. Geez that stairwell leading downstairs was kinda intimidating like out of some scary movie! See pic.! The table seating is very close to each other but once you've swallowed a good cocktail it's all good from there! Good music playing in the background, dimmed candle light lighting, a true step back in time to how it was back in the day! We had - Thai Prawns, Chinese Paella, Maple Soy Glazed Brussel Sprouts & the Szechuan Vegetarian Potstickers. I tell you based on these dishes alone - I'm giving high marks to SW!!! This joint gets quite lively & Saturday night is busy here! Our waitress was excellent & helped us greatly as this was our first time here. Let me just say - come here to eat, enjoy the music & liveliness, fantastic drinks & most of all - great tasting dishes! 干杯! read more

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Quite possibly the best tofu I've ever had. I know, it's high praise. And it doesn't even have tofu in its name! I'm specifically referring to the Deep Fried Pickled Cauliflower dish that happens to come with tofu, but the tofu was the absolute standout of the show. It was melt in your mouth and so delicious! The galbi meatball fettuccini was fantastic as well. Both dishes are must gets. Sai Woo provided for a wonderful date night setting for one of my besties and I while I was back in town. We made a reservation for 6pm on a weekday night, but were one of the only diners during that time. The restaurant is beautifully designed and felt like such a treat. Cocktails were fantastic too. I had the Green Hornet, which called to me because it has matcha and is green. Our waiter seemed like quite the mixologist though, as he offered to make me something custom if I just told him my likes and preferences. They have virgin cocktails too. read more

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Cute and cozy fusion restaurant with a great bar menu! The vibe is perfect for a date night or small gatherings with friends. Service was quick and attentive as well. As for the dishes, they can definitely be a hit or miss, just like many other fusion restaurants. Things I ordered include: - So cuke cocktail - a bit too sweet but the sparkling wine and cucumber flavors made it more refreshing. Presentation was so cute as well. - Saiwoo chicken - better than your avg fast food fried chicken chain! Soo crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside! The sweet and spicy sauce and basil mayo fused well together as well. - Galbi meatball pasta - my fav dish of the night! The meatballs were tender and slightly sweet and soy-saucy, just like the galbi marinade. The pasta sauce was so rich with truffle and mushroom umami, and the noodle itself was also cooked perfectly al dente. - Gai lan - very average side dish. The black bean sauce was too thick and didn't mix well with the blanched gai lan. Would not recommend. - Dim sum - we got the kimchi pork dumplings and they tasted like ones from the supermarket freezers. Also would not recommend. read more

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Price/quality (3/4): Came here for Dine Out. The food was good, for the most part. While the scallop cerviche was very good, the clams that I had for my main course were not quite as impressive. They were tasty, but 1-2 of them contained a little bit of sand. It's a common problem with clams, but still. Service (1/1): Service was friendly and reasonably efficient, considering how busy the restaurant was. Would I come here again: Probably, depending on the menu. read more

Kosoo Pocha At Sai Woo - Scallop ceviche - Asian Fusion Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Sai Woo is a trendy Asian-fusion restaurant in the heart of historical Chinatown. It is one of the pioneer restaurants that brought modernized cuisines to Chinatown. It started the trend of renovating old Chinese shops into hip venues, transforming and revitalizing the neighborhood. For the few times that we had been there for special celebrations, Sai Woo never disappointed us. We started with a drink from their inventive cocktail menu. For appetizers, I shared the Vietnamese Pork Spring Rolls (made with pickled vegetables, umami glaze, nuoc cham) and Pork Kimchi Dumplings stuffed with marinated pork and house-made kimchi. For entrees, we ordered the Korean Garlic Chicken which was crunchy chicken covered in sweet and spicy sauce. It came with pickled vegetables and scallions which cut through the gooey goodness of the sauce. We also added an order of Fried Cauliflower and Tofu, made with Korean fermented chili. Nothing beats deep fried vegetables and tofu! read more

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I ordered from Sai Woo through Uber eats and I was not dissapointed! They had a buy one get one free deal on certain menu items so I decided to get the Kosoo korean fried chicken with their soy garlic sauce. After arriving, the chicken was still hot, crispy and juicy! The chicken pieces were evenly coated in batter and the sauce was really good as well. I do find it a bit expensive for how small 1 portion is but since they had the buy 1 get 1 free deal it was worth it. read more

Kosoo Pocha At Sai Woo - kosoo korean fried chicken - soy garlic - Asian Fusion Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I've been trying to be more conservative with my ratings to ensure that there's objectiveness in my ratings. this is one that is been long overdue given that is one of my favourite restaurants in town. The reason being is that is one of my favourites diamond in the rough the fusion of culture and history reflects my life in existence like no other. Being born a growing up since I was four years old truly does care reflection of myself. Cuisine is in taste for without being overly salted with a classic admiration for the Cantonese cuisine in such an accessible way for fusion respectfully. This is simply supplying without waiting in peanut flavours or sauces which I believe are overwrought and in restaurants. I'm only going to post a couple of photos here as I think it's been done enough to get a sense of cuisine. What makes this contemporary Gastown locale so special Is the supply balance casual environment truly engaging service I'm such authentic classic service. Location and exterior it is very modest energy vowels East Vancouver which results in low cost. I am comfortable here and happy I always go home with leftovers! Please keep in mind that there is plenty of rice dishes and fusion of influences. Please enjoy relaxed jazz influence music and the large table seatings that way naturally well prepared for Covid. Please enjoy! read more

Kosoo Pocha At Sai Woo - Asian Fusion Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Came to Sai Woo for DOVF 2020, they've survived the Vancouver food scene long enough and I figure I ought to finally give them a try. We were seated quickly but it took around 20 minutes for our server to greet us. Frankly I was ready to walk out after 15 minutes of not being served but my girlfriend was insistent of giving them a chance. Our server was not particularly enthusiastic or friendly and gave some pointless excuse as to why it took so long for them to help us. For the starters we ordered the scallop ceviche and the soy braised veal cheeks. There's nothing really fusion about the ceviche nor is there any real flavour to it. The veal cheeks were a better choice and a good quality meat, I found the sauce to be quite thick resembling a hoisin sauce in both consistency and taste. It felt a little bit lowbrow but I think it's a decent dish overall. Timing with the kitchen was excellent but their DOVF dishes are generally easy to execute. We got the Tagliatelle and Striploin Steak which came out around 10 minutes after the server brought back our starter plates. The tagliatelle is nicely prepared but quite a small portion, good flavours and the parmesan was not overwhelming. The steak was a bit inconsistently seasoned and perhaps a bit dry for my liking but it's okay as well. Nothing exceptional about it and if you're bringing people in for the first time via DOVF, perhaps not something I'd come back for. Again the desserts came out about 10-15 minutes after our server cleared the main plates but both the cream puff and Mango Semifreddo were disappointing. The cream puff pastry itself tasted store bought and comparable with a frozen one you'd get at any supermarket. Perhaps they are skimpy with the butter when they make these pastries but the dessert looked deflated and sad. What's worse is the fusion element of salted egg yolk which is only visible in colour but like the ceviche, flavourless. Then there was the semifreddo, which would be more accurately described as a completelyfreddo. It was rock hard and with only a teaspoon to eat with, it was virtually impossible. I attempted to slice it with the spoon but it just ended up shooting out like a projectile onto the table. I tried again and it shot into my lap. I tried to flag our server down to grab a knife to eat this with but he had his back turned to us making it difficult. I got a female staff member's attention and pointed at our server to send him our way but it still took more than 2 minutes to get a server's attention which is pretty unacceptable. It wasn't like he was helping another table either. After finishing the mediocre desserts, it was again an uphill battle to get our server's attention to pay the bill. It took another 15 minutes or so to get the bill and pay as we really just wanted to leave. The food is average at best but the service is one of the worst I've seen in Vancouver. I'm curious about what the turnover is like as the front of house really do not seem to care. They kept huddling around the bar area to chat and just weren't attentive overall. read more

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Conveniently located across Fortune Sound and so we gave it a try before watching SG Lewis' concert. 5 stars for ambiance and service, 4 stars for value for happy hour appies and 3.5 stars for taste. $12 for 5 oz of chardonnay is pricey in my opinion. I should've gotten the house white for $6 for 5 oz. When you're not sober they all taste the same, right?! We ordered Peking duck fried rice, vegetable spring rolls, veggie dumplings and pork dumplings. The appies were half price during happy hour (5pm to 7pm). Prices range from $4.50 to $5.50 if I remember correctly. The Peking duck fried rice was good. I think this is my favourite. Not too oily like most fried rice and the shredded pueces of duck were generous this dish could be a meal on its own. The best appie was the vegetable spring rolls. I like the sweet mixture of hoisin sauce they use to top this dish. The veggie dumplings were more flavourful than the pork dumplings. Pork dumplings were my least favorite. Oh I need to mention that the washrooms are 1 floor down so make sure you go before you're too drunk to walk down the stairs! Washrooms are gender neutral. Overall this place is worth trying if you're in the area. read more

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#dineoutvancouver stop 2 - very intrigued by the Chinese fusion menu so we decided this spot for our #girlsnightout - 7.5/10 We started the night with some amazing #mocktails #cleanjanuary #frieddumplings as #amousebouche were meh. #scallopceviche sweet and supple but portion was small. #endivesalad fresh and crisp. Star of the night is definitely the #vealcheeks - perfectly sousvide medium rare and seasoned like Chinese BBQ. Entree - #tagliatelle tasted like #chinesecreamedcabbage but on the sweeter side. #clams are savory and umami with crispy bao croutons. #striploin steak was the worst dish of the night as it's dry and tough. Dessert - #saltedeggyolk #creampuff is crunchy with the sweet&salty contrasts. #mangosemifreddo is refreshing and light. Verdicts - the meal is on the sweet side while the portion is small. The lack of service reminds me of #hktearestaurant read more

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Worst experience by far. I made a reservation here last week with a friend group of mine - about 6 ppl. We were seated so late even though I made the reservation ahead of time. Not only that but the food took forever to come out and everything tasted overly salty. Manager didn't even seem apologetic and insisted everything was fine. read more

The food is good and definitely a great place for date night and drinks as it has a great ambiance. It is like an Asian version of Earls or Cactus Club. It is located in the heart of Chinatown so they have their own flare of "Chinese/Asian" food. Their food is a great intro to Chinese cuisine or if you have any relatives/friends from the Okanagan or Manitoba that have never had any Chinese flavours this would be a great way to ease them in (if you know what I mean . If you have less adventurous friends in trying Chinese food this would be the great spot for them. The food is a the pricier side and reservations are recommended. Drinks: The bartender was trying to push another drink on me that I didn't want and even when I said I wanted the other drink he still made the drink he was trying to get me to buy... My two other friends got their drinks and both were too sweet, more of syrup than the liquor I, personally, wouldn't go again because of my experience with the bartender and the food wasn't that memorable for me to go especially when there are so many other amazing food places in Chinatown. read more

We went back to Sai Woo again but it was disappointing this time! Service was pretty good they had that right. But the food - we tried the Korean fried chicken, the Szechuan Black Pepper beef and the steam Ling cod. The black pepper beef had a similar crust to the Korean fried chicken so it was more of the same thing. So it was boring in terms of texture and confusing - I had to double check we didn't order the same dish. The Ling cod was good. Nice lighter flavour fish wasn't overdone. I was surprised - maybe an off day for them. read more

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1) It's Asian Fusion 2) It's in Chinatown. All the fantastic Chinese restaurants are where the emigres live, which are outlying neighborhoods. Chinatown has been left to the White Anglo Yuppies. However, White Anglo Yuppies are willing to pay big bucks for food. This means there is some decent food to be had in Chinatown - Even if that food is not up to the high standards demanded by a trust-fund-child of a Shanghai resident. 3) Ribs here are spicy without being interesting. (And this said from a man who loved having his head blown off by bird pepper sausage wraps in Thailand). 4) Fried rice with sausage is more interesting. But you can still find the same dish done at least as well in 500 other places in town. 5) What is REALLY interesting is the bar (heh heh). They have a small list of completely engaging house mixed drinks. Half are variations on the sweet and sour drinks people have come to associate with Anglo-Chinese restaurants. Don't sneer here. Trader Vic's had one helluva bar. They immortalized Mai Tais in the North American Consciousness forever. The other half are drinks of the house's own creation. The restaurant website touts their mixmaster Liam Dolphin and claims he makes some of the best drinks in the city. Believe the website. I had a rum, sugar and bitters concoction with Lapsang Souchong Tea Smoke. You heard that right. The drink comes to you smoking like a special effect vat filled with dry ice. The smoke is not an empty visual. Your drink tastes just as smoky as the visual looks. You are drinking smoked rum. It is wonderful. It is potent. Don't plan on taking your MCATS the day after you have been downing one or more of these babies. * * * You know, if you put enough smoked tea rum into me, I might be willing to eat Asian fusion all night. read more

Worst service, terrible food, and a wobbly table on top of that. We were not checked in for 15 mins. And then I had to flag a different waiter to get our requested sauces. We were also not checked in during our meal. We again had to flag to get our check which the server saw and didn't even come to get our check. That's just the service, there were several empty tables so they weren't that busy. We also end up going up to the bartender to pay our bill since our server were not to be found as we as the table beside us. The Hanoi chicken wings were good, but didn't hate sauce. Our food were flavorless - I ordered the duck soy noodle, my partner ordered the Dan Dan noodle. Our broths were cold. I would rather go to an authentic Asian restaurant than a PanAsian restaurant that cares more about the decor than the food. read more

We had the Nuuds, XO bao, fried rice, and the special. The Nuuds were delicious! We took the bartender's recommendation and tried it with the sesame sauce. The XO bao was great, but we like duck. I would say, we would have appreciated a warning that the crab in the special, which was a shrimp wonton soup, was fried. We didn't enjoy it one bit. It's texture ruined the soup for us. Otherwise, the bartender was friendly and I'm still thinking of the Nuuds dish! Prices were decent given how much we ordered. read more

Kosoo Pocha At Sai Woo - Fried Rice (crab and lobster) - Asian Fusion Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Came here with some friends for Dine Out Vancouver. It was nicely decorated, with some light fixtures that looked like large buttons. I had ordered the grilled squash sala with szechaun vinaigretter, arugula and shaved vegetables as the appy. Then for the entree, it was the striploin steak w/ nori gnocchi, parsnip puree and szechaun black pepper jam The dessert was lychee semifreddo The striploin was nice and tender. The gnocchi was really good, one of the better gnocchi I've had. The portions were bigger than what we had expected for a Dine Out as usually they are smaller portions than regular menu. The server was super friendly, and funny. Was so great to be able to joke around with her and have a good time. There was an issue with one of my friend's dish, which she resolved quickly and was very smooth in her approach. My friend got a gift card for the trouble. All in all, I would come back again to try the other dishes. read more

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While Vancouver has been expensive on a USD budget, Sai Woo did not fail to deliver a great dining experience at a reasonable price for the food. We were greeted and seated promptly, having made a reservation. However, I must say the hostess seemed to be carrying some attitude that evening or maybe she was just having a bad day all around. Anyway, she did not look happen, neither when we entered nor when we were leaving. I can only speculate, but maybe this was just not the job she had hoped for when she found it. I wish her better days. Our waitress was very polite and prompt with the dishes. We had the pork spring rolls to start-great. Very shortly thereafter the maple soy glazed Brussels sprouts showed up. Absolutely delicious. It had been suggested that we order 5 or 6 dishes, which would have been way to much unless we hadn't eaten for a week. I would say unless you have a very hearty appetite, stick with no more than one dish per person, and you still may be more than well satisfied, especially if you have appetizers to start. We had the signature Lo Mein noodles, which was the one dish that had seasoning that just did not hit the spot for any of us. The garlic chicken was a fried, nicely crusted chicken with sweet sauce and tons of garlic-it was great but this was the dish that was a really generous portion, looked like 4 whole chicken breasts, and we came no where near to finishing it. The pork ribs were fall off the bone tender, with chile oil on the plate with a great kick. Our server was very nice at the end of the meal, offering us to go boxes and when we told her we were from out of town, gave us some suggestions on things to do in Vancouver. All in all a great dining experience and great food. read more

This was the only restaurant I picked for Dine Out 2020 because word-of-mouth is that Sai Woo won't disappoint but my experience with them was the exact opposite - 100% disappointing. We were seated at the tables across from the bar but it took 15 minutes for someone to acknowledge our presence. While we were waiting there was staff at the bar area cleaning glassware, but no one came to say 'hi' or offer water until we ordered. I ordered the scallop ceviche for my appetizer. It was beautifully presented but the dish was a miss. If I didn't know it was scallop, I would assume it's some sort of white fish - the scallop was flavorless and lacked freshness to it. The pickled vegetable also overpowered everything else in the dish. The entrée was a tagliatelle made with kobocha squash cream, smoked garlic, and parmesan cheese. It was rich and creamy and had a good balance of sweet and savory. For dessert, I ordered the cream puff with salted egg yolk crème and it was underwhelming. From its presentation to the taste, it just didn't cut it. When I got to the bottom of the cream puff, it was almost soggy as if the crème has been sitting in the puff for some time. This was a poor execution of a hyped up ingredient, especially when there is other competition for better cream puff within the city. We also ordered the mango semifredo, it was presented like a stick of butter. The semifredo was extremely difficult to scoop with a spoon since it was frozen to its core. My partner and I both tried scooping through but it resulted in it flying somewhere on the table - we had to ask our server for a knife and fork. We also asked our server if it was supposed to be frozen solid was told that 'it's supposed to be like ice-cream', but I beg to differ. If it was like ice-cream it would at least be soft enough to scoop out without ending somewhere on our clothes. Regardless, this was a miss. When it came to the bill, we encountered the same issue we had in the beginning... Trying to find someone to tend to our table, it took another 10 minutes. Frankly, if the service wasn't so poor I would've gave it another star but their staff has no alertness and seem to prioritize cleaning glassware over customer service. read more

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Asian-style tapas restaurant. Tried their pork/kimchi dumplings and prawn gyozas (okay flavors, but on the pricey side). Highlights were definitely the sai woo fried rice (very fragrant and tasty) and brussel sprouts. Also had the shaking beef, beef tartare, popcorn chicken, duck confit lo mein, cauliflower and string beans (all were solid, but not necessarily special). Flavors tended to be on the sweeter soy side. Would recommend especially for groups. read more

Well, this night sure could've gone one way or the other. It started off a bit rough; we had an 8:00 reservation and at 8:30, we were still waiting for our table, which kind of defeats the purpose of having a reservation in the first place. But they handled it well: the manager was most apologetic and waived the cost of our desserts. Turns out a table with a reservation for 16 had shown up with 25 people instead and thrown the whole night off, which is not cool. Let's have some courtesy out there for your restaurants, folks... We'd had plenty of time to look at the menu, and ordered right away. After the long wait for our seats, we were braced for a long and hungry wait for the food. But I was astounded at how quickly the food arrived - we're talkin' food court fast here. BOOM. It was pretty clear the kitchen wasn't the bottleneck tonight. The vegetables arrived first - green beans in a spicy sauce, fried cauliflower and tofu, all excellent. Some really nice popcorn chicken, a subtle and richly flavourful Peking duck fried rice. But the standouts were the sticky pork ribs and the beef short ribs - oh, the meat practically fainting off the bone, so tender, such a delicious sauce. For dessert we all had the Vietnamese coffee mousse, which was thicker and chewier than you usually think of a mousse, and sort of an intriguing blend of textures and flavours that was a bit hard to describe and required careful attention to not miss out on the nuances. All told, it was a terrific meal, and the staff and manager skillfully salvaged what could have been a difficult situation. read more

Kosoo Pocha At Sai Woo - Moody decorations on the way down to the washrooms - Asian Fusion Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Stumbled upon this place this past Saturday night and decided to check it out after quickly looking at their menu outside for a few moments. We had just come from the afternoon Canucks game so it was prime dinner time. Lots of places around Chinatown were busy; the line for Phnom Phen, which we initially went to, was extremely long so we did some more exploring. Sai Woo's neon sign caught our attention as we walked down East Pender and we decided to give it a try. The hostess asked us if we were okay sitting at the bar, which we ended up doing. We had wandered in around 7:30pm and it looked like there were lots of tables being held for reservations. Luckily for us we got a seat at the bar right away, which was great as we chatted with the bartender a bit and it made the evening more relaxed. It's such a cool atmosphere inside. There are trees and there was a projection of a ninja movie playing against the wall. Details like the design of the serving spoon looked like it could belong in an Asian grandma's kitchen (probably mine!) - these details caught my eye in a good way. We ordered cocktails to start: for him, the Anna May (Finlandia vodka, fresh lime, muddled mint leaves, blueberries) for $14; for me, the Carioca (Cachaca 51, guava juice, orange juice, lime juice, sloe gin) for $12. Both drinks were so well made, tasted delicious, and were easy to drink. Would give them 10/10. FOnly wish each was a few dollars cheaper! For dinner, he ordered the Szechuan Crispy Black Pepper Beef (striploin, bok choy, cauliflower) and I had the Chinese Paella. The flavours on the former were amazing! My boyfriend made me try a bite of his dish pretty much immediately after his first taste because he said it was that good. As for the Chinese Paella, I'm satisfied with the portion size, as it filled me up just the right amount. The seafood was good, the shrimp were large and they and the squid were tender. However, I wish there were some stronger flavours beyond the coconut broth. I also wasn't sold on the taste of the sausage used. Overall was a lovely date night at Sai Woo and I'm definitely glad we tried it! Love to try different dishes next time! read more

Kosoo Pocha At Sai Woo - Crispy Beef (left) and Chinese Paella (right) - Asian Fusion Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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This place is situated right in the heart of Chinatown and has been tastefully renovated. I like the high ceilings, spacious dining area and unique Chinese drawings on the brick walls. The bar was spacious and well stocked but we weren't drinking tonight. First up were the man tau appetizers, which were not bad. The duck lo mein aka fried noodles tasted funny. The rice seafood paella was the only item that was ok. Portions were small, limited food selections, most importantly there's no wow factor and food was just passable at best. read more

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As Chinese I am pretty impressed with the food and settings here I take one star off as it doesn't serve any soup based food read more

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I ordered the eggplant rice and chowmein. Portions are quite big. The chowmein was very saucy and a bit too spicy for me, I didn't like it. It comes with a poached egg which was very very runny. I like my egg cooked a little more. The fried rice surprised me. It looked bland but had a lot of flavour and lots of vegetables. The eggplant was a bit dry and not braised like I was expecting. Definitely recommend trying the fried rice. read more

First time trying this place and was very impressed! The restaurant has a cool loungey vibe great for dinner drinks/share plates. Pricing seemed very reasonable so decided to try a few several dishes. The service was very good and the waiter gave his top picks (all were delicious). They make their hot sauce in house, which is very flavourful and packs a nice heat (better than sriracha). We also ordered drinks - Sai woo sour and the one with tequila (forgot the name). The sour was just ok but the one with tequila was delicious! (Highly recommend). Favorite dishes were the potstickers, the duck lo mein (although it's a bit on the greasier side) and mushrooms were delicious! The Chinese paella was just ok, the texture wasn't what I expected and didn't have enough flavour. The black sesame panne cotta was really good! Not a big fan of black sesame but this one was a great way to end the meal as it wasn't too sweet and of course presentation was beautiful. Already thinking of when to go back for round 2. read more

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You can easily miss it if you walk by but boy am I glad I knew about it from word of mouth This place is amazing: ambiance, food quality, menu creativity, super yummy cocktails read more

Fun atmosphere, and good cocktails, but terrible food and sub-par service. The fried rice was bland and over priced. The tofu appetizer was burnt and although the sauce was good it was nothing special. I would not recommend eating here. read more