I dont know, I've been craving some good Chinese bbq lately. And This place has it!!! I ordered 2 bbq pork and roast pork on rice combos and they did not disappoint. The meat was a little on the light side portion wise but it was more than made up for in quality of the meats. The bbq pork and roast pork shined (literally), it was so flavourful and the meat was lean and not fatty. It had that authentic Chinese bbq aroma and crunchiness in taste. One order was only $11 plus tax for a small (btw small is more than enough for an adult meal) 2 orders came to a whopping $24.86 incl. tax. That is quite the deal with these economic times. I can't wait to go back !!! This is an easy recommendation for all you Yelpers. Come one come all, this Chinese bbq is legit. read more

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Sam Woo BBQ is one of the best and oldest Chinese restaurants in town. They take pride in serving their longtime customers and new customers with friendly service. My family has been coming here for over 30+ years. We are repeat customers of this outstanding establishment. They have high quality seafood, incredible tasting barbecue dishes and delicious food. We often order their specialty barbecue platters with chicken, pork and duck. Their veggie fried noodle dishes are spectacular here too. read more

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Everything was tasty, I would like to come back try their fried tofu dish it looked very delicious! read more

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It's been awhile since I have come to this restaurant, but felt for two dishes that I know they have and do well. To start, we received the complimentary pork and peanut soup. That was not bad. Flavour was fine. We decided to go with my 2 favourite dishes. Black cod with black bean. This dish was not up to the previous standard. The fish was not as fresh as it could be and it had a bit too much black beans. At $30 it should be excellent. Next was beef tenderloin with sweet and sour sauce. This name has changed- I think it was previously with HK sauce. This did also was not as good. The sauce flavour was off balance. With one bite it was tangy and the next was sweet. The beef was not seasoned. This was not enjoyable for me. The cooking quality has gone down. The restaurant could also use some upkeep. read more

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So I know Sam Woo has been around for ages, but I've only gotten to really try their food over the last month. Their prices are so reasonable, and super tasty. I had tried their dumpling noodle (Sui Gao), and the broth isn't your typical wonton noodle broth. You can evidently tell that they use their roast bbq pork bones in the noodle broth, which makes it so much more savoury and flavourful. I recently got their "choice of 2 bbq meats" rice, and it was under $15, with massive portions. Meat was tender and juicy. Order ahead if you're picking up as the parking lot is super busy, but also don't expect quality service over the phone as they're busy lol. read more

Sam Woo BBQ - Roasted bbq pork + soy sauce chicken rice. - Barbeque Near Me - Scarborough, Ontario

I was out with my aunt and uncle, assisting them with an errand and grabbing some lunch. We went to Sam Woo BBQ, a place I haven't been to in a very long time. Of course, we had a BBQ platter, consisting of BBQ Duck, Roast Pork, and Soya Chicken. We also had Cantonese Chow Mein, and Sticky Rice. It was all pretty good! Their food has always been decent, well above average, but their service has been hit or miss. You never know how it's going to be. This time it was pretty good. We finished the BBQ meats and I took home the balance of chow mein and rice to enjoy later. read more

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Got a craving to eat more Roasted Pork Belly after eating the entire Piglet at Christmas Eve. So I decided 9to give Sam Woo BBQ a try again. Haven't been there for many years. It was one of our favorite restaurants before but then we had a few bad experiences and stopped going there. Anyway, since it way on my way home, so I decided to give it a try. Ordered 1 lb takeout of the Roasted Pork Belly. The sign says 12 dollars a lb., but when I pay, the guy that cut the stuff up says it's $14 per lb. because it has a bone inside. $12 per lb., if no bone inside the meat. Sounds illogical to me, but for $2 a lb extra, I'm not going to waste my time to argue. So the Pork Belly costs me $15.68 instead of the $12 in my original budget. My wife loves to eat BBQ Duck. At $40 a duck, what the heck, Happy wife, Happy Life. So total bill comes to $55.68 plus tax. Total damage, $62.92 for a BBQ Duck燒鴨 and a pound+ of Roadted Pig Belly 燒肉。 Took it home and can't wait till supper time and eat a few pieces to try. Both the Duck and Pork are pretty good but a bit too Salty. Definitely have to eat it with a bowl of rice and some stir fried vegetables. Would I go again? Probably, unless I find another better place. read more

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Fukein fried rice was excellent! Char sui (bbq pork) was inedible. Burnt, measly pieces of meat. So disappointing and an embarrassment to any reputable true and authentic Cantonese Chinese restaurant Never, never order their bbq pork. Go to Queen Seafood on Don Mills for amazingly succulent honey glazed char sui. Their bbq pork is truly a work of art unlike Sam woo. Grouper with sweet and sour sauce was very very poor. Fish was dry and tasted old and not fresh. Left most on the plate. Did not take home. Seafood and tofu soup was very good. Well balanced and not a drop left. Quality has decreased over the last few years. Was one of the best Chinese restaurants in Toronto but the only thing they are still renowned for is their Fujian (fok kin, fukein) fried rice. Truly worth the drive for this one dish alone. Amazing wok hei otherwise other than the soup - an extreme disappointment. Stay away from their bbq/roasted meats at all costs! read more

I love their sweet and sour pork!!! Th sweet n sour flavour i just perfect n th amount of veggie is just right. The best part is they have enough pineapples!!! Bbq pork and duck!! AMAZING!!! Crispy skin the fat n meat proportions yummy!! Veggie n are over cooked and it has a good portion read more

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You can get authentic Cantonese food, also expect the 'authentic' level of service quality - not me being stereotyping but HK diners service style is known as being 'direct'. Wasn't quite a pleasant experience but their BBQ pork was really good. Only in the end they refused to offer an extra chili oil sauce while paying for the bill. Homey ambiance. You could see many families coming here so that speaks to the food. Just don't hold high expectation for their service and you'd probably enjoy much more. Food (quality, presentation) - 4/5 Drinks (quality, variety) - 3/5 Ambience (interior, cleanness) - 3/5 Service - 1/5 Value - 3/5 read more

Sam Woo BBQ - BBQ Pork with rice - Barbeque Near Me - Scarborough, Ontario

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A good place for Cantonese food and yellow chicken. I like the take out options! Get the tomato and beef it tastes like ketchup and beef. You know this place is good when the service is slow and the table cloth is disposable and plastic. The meal for 4 can feed an army. read more

Underrated local spot serving up authentic Cantonese dishes and BBQ. Been coming here since I was a child and the vibes have stayed the same throughout, even many of the staff have been there for more than two decades! The food is decent, but their BBQ dishes are where it's at. This is probably the best char siu in the GTA, and they make it so delicious. Would highly recommend this spot - a real local gem! read more

I grew up in LA and Sam Woo was an institution: if you wanted the absolute best HK style BBQ you go to Sam Woo. I can't remember how many hundreds of times I had Sam Woo both dining in and take out. That said, this Sam Woo is not the same Sam Woo. Service was poor (not the waitress' fault, they had TWO people in the dining room when it's completely full). The duck was meh, like worse than Chinese supermarket duck. The chicken was OK, and the soup was tasteless. Highlight of my dinner is hearing "we're too busy to make X today" 3 times. Yeah I'd avoid this place. read more

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This Chinese restaurant has a prominent BBQ meat counter, but their other dishes were actually better. They get 4.5 stars. Got the 3 meat selection. Sadly lean roast duck (pipa duck) couldn't be 1 of the 3. Roasted duck was pretty good with nice fat & a good roast flavour. Roasted pig was ok - a bit dry with little fat; the skin was a bit brittle, not like the more delicate crispness you get elsewhere. Char siu (which we were served with wrongly at first) was decent. Soy chicken was pretty tasty but a bit tough. Fish maw & Shredded duck soup was good though there was little fish maw. There was quite a bit of duck. The regular portion was big, filling about 6 small soup bowls For seasonal vegetables we chose pea shoots with garlic. It was a big portion & good: Well cooked with a good texture & taste Rice noodles with beef & soya sauce had a good smoky wok flavour (one of the best I've found here) & a good amount of beef. It was very good value. There was complementary rock melon. read more

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Great spot for chinese food at a decent price. They've got quite an extensive menu. My favourite thing to get here is the BBQ pork noodles (and always be sure to ask for extra sauce). The fried vermicelli noodles are great and surprisingly, the curry dishes are amazing. We actually save the extra curry sauce and make curry fish balls at home sometimes. The servers here have been here for a long while. It's kind of cute how they all wear bow ties and they're pretty funny. They're quick to make recommendations for the night and are hardly wrong. Great place for a quick dinner! read more

Sam Woo BBQ - Braised lamb stew - Barbeque Near Me - Scarborough, Ontario

Snow peas $7 Tofu & mustard green ( oily). Complimentary tea ( earthy). Efficient staff. read more

Sam Woo BBQ - SamWoo BBQ 2-Seater - Barbeque Near Me - Scarborough, Ontario

One of my favorite restaurants in Markham when I want to get some bbq pork (which is one of the things they're most famous for). You would think that coming at night on a Sunday wouldn't be as busy, but actually they're always pretty packed. When we came, all the tables were full of diners. You can also choose to just buy the meat at the cashier to take it home, and don't have to dine in. The workers here all spoke Cantonese which made it a lot easier for us to communicate. The menu offers a good selection of their specialty meats, as well as rice, veggie and noodle options as well. I would write the item number plus the name on the sheet as not every server remembers the whole menu. Food came fairly quickly, esecially the bbq pork since it was already made. The bbq pork was very soft, tasty, and one of my favorite things is that they have a slight crisp on the edges to them. I honestly don't think i can find better bbq pork here than them. Service wise was pretty good as the servers were attentive to us, but as a Chinese run restaurant, don't expect the service to be top notch. However, for Chinese standards, they were pretty nice which made the experience better. read more

Sam Woo BBQ - Their famous bbq pork - Barbeque Near Me - Scarborough, Ontario

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Service - sucks, we order sweet and sour soup which tasted like ketchup. We did not ask for refund but the manager still acted rude and yelled at us. Food - not authentic and oily Ambiance - crowed, floor is oily read more

An iconic place that's been around for many years, with one of the best BBQ meats in the GTA. This is one of the rare asian restaurants where you'll still see the servers who have been around for years, wearing bow ties with quick and friendly service, and giving you that authentic HK feel (back in the day). Their 乳鴿 Baby Pigeon is probably one of the best I've had, juicy, big, and tender. You'll find at a lot of locations nowadays, they tend to come out tiny and dry. Their Peking Duck is on point as well, see photos for reference! Oh and by the way, you can expect complimentary 例湯 Soup of the day for starters & 水果 Fruits for dessert. They'll have all the traditional dishes, and a great deal for steamed fish only priced at $13. If you're searching up this place for a dinner spot, and haven't been here before... What are you waiting for?! read more

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We dined out here a few times after grocery shopping nearby. Most of their dishes were mediocre except for their roast pork. They are the best in the whole GTA area! I'm generally not a big fan of Cantonese style BBQ meat because my stomach cannot handle greasy food, but the roast pork is a must try! The skin tastes so crispy and the meat is not greasy. The BBQ meat is sold at a much cheaper price if you only order takeout. Come here for the roast pork! read more

Love their quality HK style BBQ! They have quick and fast service and when times aren't busy you can choose your piece. For the most part, if you tell them what you want they'll choose a great piece as they are a so good! My favourite is the roast duck and the half Lean/half fatty bbq pork ( Char Siu) . Their marinated livers and hearts are delicious as well, if you're palette is up for it! read more

Sam Woo BBQ - Roast duck - Barbeque Near Me - Scarborough, Ontario

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Take out service was horrible Had to walk out without ordering Waited 15 minutes in line and the women kept telling me to wait and cashing out all the bbq orders first What happened to this place? read more

BBQ Chinese meat! To start, they have a complimentary soup. It's chicken broth with bits of carrots, melon and chicken with dried lemon. They're best known for their BBQ meat. 3 kinds of BBQ meat is $17, 2 kinds is $13 (duck, chicken, pork, spareribs, wings, cuttlefish). There are other Chinese dishes (rice, fried noodles, congee, meat and vegetables dishes), but it's typical. Nothing special. Maybe even a bit pricier. To finish, there's a complimentary dessert. Red bean soup. Tea is too bitter. All 8 dishes totalled $110 + tip. Decor is average. Washrooms aren't the cleanest. Most waiters can't speak English well. They sometimes run out of certain dishes (e.g spareribs). read more

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Sam Woo BBQ is a good place if you want a late night snack as it is open till 12 am on weekdays and 1 am on weekends. Of course there are a lot other places that opens later, but if you are into some traditional Cantonese food: wonton noodles, BBQ and congee, Sam Woo definitely would satisfy that urge! We shared a Congee, BBQ Duck Noodle and Veggie in Oyster Sauce as a midnight snack. Nothing to write home about but everything tasted decent. Right next to Foody Mart so parking here can be quite tricky during prime shopping hours... Which I definitely would avoid! read more

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Whenever we visit the supermarket, our go to spot for Chinese food and never disappoints. The flavour is always there and comes out fast. Service is mediocre could be a litte more friendly, other than that definitely recommend! read more

Delicious wonton, noodle soups, roast pork and pig... congee was amazing! They open at 11 and get sacked fast read more

Sam Woo BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Scarborough, Ontario

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Came here for lunch with my folks. Sam Woo BBQ is one of the more well known Chinese restaurants in Scarborough. They are known for their BBQ take outs and huge line ups on the weekend. We were seated quickly as we came for a late lunch. The restaurant isn't what you call a super decorated place, as they are more well known for their food than their decor. Restaurant is alright in terms of being clean, can't expect much for a place that has been in the neighbourhood for 30+ years. Onto the food, my folks and I ordered a home style stir fry vermicelli and a Singaporean style stir fry rice noodle. These came out not long after and it came out piping hot. I find out one way to prove the skill of the chef is when their stir fry came out not too oily. These guys know their business. Both dish are flavourful but not overpowering. The home style vermicelli was just right in terms of flavour. The Singaporean rice noodle was very strong in flavour and very tasty. Will come back again to try other dishes. Good job on maintaining standards. read more

Sam Woo BBQ - Home style stir fry vermicelli - Barbeque Near Me - Scarborough, Ontario

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My family and I came here for dinner to try this place out after some of our friends had recommended it. We had steamed fish, garlic veggies, sweet and sour pork, and a mixed plate of bbq pork and roasted duck. Everything was extremely fresh and cooked very well. This restaurant also serves soup and dessert which can be hard to find nowadays! Service is amazing and all the staff in the restaurant are super happy and helpful. Will definitely come back! read more

Sam Woo BBQ - Sweet and sour pork, garlic veggies, bbq pork and roast duck combo - Barbeque Near Me - Scarborough, Ontario

Of all the Chinese food places in north Scarbrough , Sam Woo has been our family favourite for years Great portion size , always hot and fresh , super nice staff We like to support long standing business and this one is Worth a try , recommend lemon chicken , 3 meat noodles anything BBQ is great shrimp stuffed tofu read more

We've been coming here since I was a kid - so it's been more than 20 years. Glad it's still around but rising food and labor prices probably have taken its toll. Portions shrink more and more over time. This stopped being our first choice many years ago but we still come here occasionally when we don't want to think because the food is consistently good. Can't say it's worth the value. See our 15 dollar dish below labaled as beef but is mostly onion. It was black pepper sauce and honey.. wasn't outstanding tasting. Sweet and sour pork here is generally good but very dry today. In general most of these dishes are 15-16 dollars but the portion is really not worth it when you think about the ingredients. Two star experience today but usually it is three... Fried rice and noodle dishes are generally good here. We ordered six dishes thinking it would be enough as it usually is but we had to add one more and it still wasn't really enough for a table of 8. Staff are efficient and professional but during peak times it may take several tries to get what you need. read more

Sam Woo BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Scarborough, Ontario

The crispy pork is not that good. The crispy skin part is so hard to bite into that it could potentially chip a tooth. Tried to get not fat piece but was given a piece with thick layer of fat under the crispy skin. Not really worth the trip. If you do come here, be prepared to wait in line... this place has long line ups. read more

Hang down on its BBQ! We came here based on the great reviews. My wife insisted buying take out (roasted pork and roasted duck, coz they didn't have any roasted goose) at the last minute due to our plan change. Top that, we didn't eat them til at least after 48 hours coz of plan change! Finally we warmed them up in a toaster oven after over 48 hours, and it was amazingly delicious! Words can't explain how great they were! We will definitely try other stuff and dine in next time we visit the area! read more

Terrible service!! Rude rude rude staff. Just because they are in a convenient location does not give them the right to be rude to their customers. Unacceptable behavior! Thumbs down all the way. I used to be a regular, but after being rudely talked to, AND accused of being impolite, never going back. read more

Never again. Ordered bbq dinner box take out as I was starving and needed a quickie dinner. Returned home and discovered bbq roast pork burnt to a blacken crisp !!!!!! Totally inedible!!! And the most fattiest duck with ZERO effing meat!!! Hubba Bubba chewing gum fat anyone ?? It's obvious this Chinese scammer restaurant was pawning off left over meat nobody would buy except for a unsuspecting sucker. Check out the photo section. This was not a simple mistake . But a deliberate attempt to pond off shit bbq meat left over to a customer. So Sam Woo makes a lousy 12 bucks short term at the expense potential future long term loyal customer and continuous revenue ? Typical old school Chinese thinking. My family lives 5 min away and we eat out 4x per week. The short stubby lead bbq meat chopper (cheap permed hair middle age guy ) was a complete arrogant ahole. Gave me look of disdain and curt NO when asking if he could add chinese veggies and I would pay extra. Waited 15 minutes for a dinner box!!! It was ready in 5 min but the simpleton chinese aunties with Dementia were so disorganized handling 1-2 orders !!!! The way the aunties were panicking you would think they were managing an order for 100 effing people !! This ain't rocket science folks. You lost a customer for life with a bad reputation in a very competitive cut throat industry. I wish someone sets up a really great quality Cantonese style bbq meat shop next door and run this unethical and scam restaurant out of business. I've been to the restaurant at the dinner table 2x because of convenience (5 min away from home) with low expectations . The food is best characterized as over priced for the quality . The raving reviews (5 stars ? Are you effing kidding me ?) are either from folks who never ate quality Cantonese Chinese food or are paid shills. Or late night folks who don't have much choice in the area. Or desperate "out of town folks". For those wondering why I didn't go back and return for refund ? They deserve to be outed for their slimy and horrible business practices and customer service. Enjoy the lousy 12 bucks scammers. Karma. What goes around comes around. I hope city food inspectors shut this place down. read more

Sam Woo BBQ - Never again.completely burnt roasted pork and fatty duck left overs from noon during dinner time take out. - Barbeque Near Me - Scarborough, Ontario

The theory is that a Big Mac should taste the same in any McDonalds. Well I can't say that is true but if you want to set your watch to the consistency of a restaurant - Sam Woo BBQ would be the one. I have been a customer of this place since I started dating my future wife back in 1990. At least three people in the restaurant and take out today have been here all that time. In 23 years not *ONE* dish's flavor has changed by even the slightest bit. From noodles to rice to half roasted duck to canned pop to watermelon in the summer and oranges all other times ... consistency rules! Over the years we have tried other Chinese restaurants similar to Sam Woo - they are either meh or if they are half decent, you go there one day and either the place is under new management or the doors are locked for not paying rent the past six months. The Five Star Caveat - I have been to far more expensive restaurants -- shark fin soup, fine linen, two sets of colored chopsticks. But for pure value, freshness, taste and consistency - nothing comes close to Sam Woo. And yes sometimes you do want something different and we do go elsewhere. But when you get the craving - and want those signature dishes you've had for over two decades - this is the place. Originally we always ate in, then had kids and shifted mostly to takeout - int he past few years as a family we have ate in again. The restaurant isn't big - but there are various table sizes - so never let the line up at 7-8pm fool you - party of 4 or less get the small tables - many are waiting for the larger tables. The tables have plastic table clothes for quick removal and for pop they bring a can and a glass which I prefer but they also bring tea. At the end of the meal you are treated with free orange or watermelon/cantaloupe slices depending on the season * The Regulars we recommend: #27 Hot and sour soup (spicy) "bowl" we haven't found any other version out there that tastes as nice as here. #145 Shredded chicken fried rice - though in the past few years we have shifted to just plain rice. A fav of mine - just the right amount of salt and it NEVER has that "fried rice" burnt flavor. #76 Beef w/Green Pepper and Black Bean Sauce #61 Steamed (ranch) chicken with Vegetables - typically with bok choy and comes with a lovely ginger/green onion in oil sauce #62 Deep Fried Chicken (though we tend to get the former) #113 Cantonese Style Fried Noodles. (Alternative #121 BBQ Fried Noodle for take out). #58 Deep fried squid with chili and spicy salt - my all time favorite - once I had this years ago I was hooked for life and anytime I see a "deep fried squid" in any Chinese restaurant I have to see if it compares to Sam Woo's -- none do. Without a doubt one of the best fried squid dishes I have ever tasted. Check out my tip on re-heating. For special occasions get #32 Sauteed Lobster with Ginger & Green Onion (seasonal price). They bring the lobster to show you then cook it up (~1.5LB) - they automatically chop it into smaller pieces and it tastes amazing. * The Meats Most places don't have this take out component ... on the restaurant menu: #3 Roasted Duck "half" though I see now a 3rd "regular" pricing. (I always ask for "the neck" .. one time they included the beak as a joke I guess - I laughed). #12 BBQ Pork (in the restaurant it comes with peanuts) - they chop it up into thin slices - normally we ask for no sauce (okay without it) #11 Roasted Pig (I tend to get "regular" v. lean) - comes with hoisin sauce (this is the pig that is hanging and they just shave off a couple of LBs for takeout) #14 BBQ Wings (couple of times) * Take out noodles & rice alternatives From 11-5pm they offer smaller noodle and rice combos - great for lunches. In the past couple of years we started buying these dishes due to the lower price and I we can get two different kinds of noodles. See my tip on noodle sizes. Regular noodles include: Singapore; spareribs (a new favorite) and a satay chicken (not in full menu?). * Wings anyone? Not sure when (see pictures) they offer wings various counts. Weird flavor choices but tried the Sam Woo; Satay and Sweet and Sour - I liked the Satay the least but all in all - great wings and flavor throughout. They include the tips too (not part of the count). Great value - and we were surprised. A dry/non-saucy wing. I am sure if Yelp was available in the 90s I would have had more than 100 check ins by now. Currently non-existent due to myself only recently starting the check in process - we'll get there eventually. Finally ... so it is 8pm on Christmas Eve and you were planning to eat at Red Lobster and they won't let you in because they want to close early for the staff - now what? Well you know 100% Sam Woo BBQ is open and ... away we go!!!!!! Regular since 1990. read more

Sam Woo BBQ - Wing prices as at Aug 19, 2013 - Barbeque Near Me - Scarborough, Ontario

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The food is not as good as before, but their service was terrible! Call half hour before to pick up, never get ready on arrival! The man who are in the bbq stand is very rude and inpatient. His manner was terrible. As a costumer over 10 years, l won't go there ever! read more

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It's a BBQ restaurant. They do have good BBQ pork but the roasted pork could be better. Their roasted duck is actually good (had it before). Other stir fried dishes are just all right. BBQ pork is juicy and flavourful. It's a bit salty but they are good overall. It will be great if they serve it hot. Roasted pig is not as good as BBQ pork. First, its skin is not crispy. Second, it's cold even we ate it right after serving. Third, some pieces are quite fat. The fat between skin and lean meat is a good added up to the flavour overall, but it should be too much especially when it's cold, Fourth, the dipping sauce is too dense and salty. Well, the roasted pork is not terrible. It's just me having high expectation for Sam Woo. We also had stir fried tofu with broccoli and mushroom. It's alright. Nothing surprised me. Please get me wrong. I do like Sam Woo and I came here a lot too. Like I said, I'm expecting more on them. The complementary desserts are very nice. I love their dessert. This time, they gave papaya sweet soup. They good for health for this season and tastes good too. I'm giving 3 star for the food. 0.5 start for the dessert and another 0.5 for that they now finally accept credit card. read more

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Happy new year's eve! Had a quick dinner there and had their snake soup (bloody expensive now $30), prawn on fried noodle and fried/sauteed cod. Snake soup was a bit on the salty side, but the chips that come with it buffer the taste. Although I didn't get the "heat" I was expecting from drinking the soup though. Prawn on fried noodle is good, but a bit too much ginger for my tastes. Fried/sauteed cod was so-so, I think I should have gotten something else. It wasn't boneless either. Food and service is still good, just the price is a bit expensive, but at least they support VISA. read more

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Friendly staff and good food. Meals come with a complimentary soup and dessert. Plenty of parking in plaza and good for late night eats. OPEN FROM 11AM TO MIDNIGHT EVERYDAY read more

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Sam Woo BBQ is a traditional Chinese restaurant that has been around for over 25 years. It was once tooted as one of the better Chinese BBQ restaurants with multiple locations across the GTA. These days, there are only two locations left - one in Mississauga and the other in Scarborough. I went to the one in Scarborough on a Saturday evening and was seated fairly quickly. I wasn't quite sure what to expect in terms of the food quality since I haven't been to a Sam Woo in over two decades. I figured how bad can it be if the restaurant is still surviving. Well...let's just say that it is literally just "surviving" . The food was unimpressive to say the least. I ordered the shrimp and chicken stir fry with vegetables (the shrimp tasted like what I think an ocean would taste like - "oceany"), diced beef sautéed with onions (way too salty), salted free range chicken (with a side of dry and skinny), snow pea tips with garlic (meh), and Yeung Chow Fried Rice (this was the most disappointing of all the dishes. Burnt, bland, and boring. This is such a classic dish, I don't even know how they messed this one up). Overall, the service was okay, the restaurant needed a major overhaul, portions were small, food didn't taste great, price point was way above what the food quality was worth, and the menus looked like they were chewed up by a very hungry animal. It's quite sad to see the decline of a restaurant that once was so popular. With so many new Chinese restaurants these days, especially uptown, the competition is fierce. There's no room for tattered menus and overly priced bland food. Unless you feel like going back to 1996 for a nostalgic moment (although the taste might make you think twice), I suggest you look elsewhere. read more

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