Ordered the chicken fried rice for takeout and found it incredibly bland. It included plenty of chicken, peas, and egg, but completely lacked any seasoning or soy sauce flavor. If I had known it was going to be this mild, I would have asked for extra sauces. The ingredients are there, but the flavor quotient is completely missing. read more

South Silk Road Chinese Restaurant - Outside - Chinese Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

Yesterday I was quite happy so I decided to order dishes from this restaurant using uber eat. Then I was disappointed. The portions were small and did not taste very well. I have never been to this restaurant. So the good news is I don't need to go to this restaurant any more. Compared to other restaurants like Chili house, T pot, this restaurant is just "let's forget about it". read more

A Hidden Treasure! Tucked away with low-key signage, and only a tiny bit in English. I would have missed it entirely, and than would have been a great shame indeed. A friend invited me to this restaurant. He explained that they have serious, authentic Szechwan fare, but would choose things that even a lao wai like myself could enjoy. Not gonna lie, there was some _heat_, but the flavours were more than worth it. I was probably the only pale guy in the place, which is often a good sign for a Chinese restaurant. The place was very busy, but the staff was incredibly thoughtful. The service was excellent and the food arrived rapidly. I shouldn't say "food". It was a Feast. Everything was cooked to perfection and simply delicious. My only warning (apart from listen to them when they say, "spicy") is that it is authentic. Some dishes will have the bones in. Some might have elements that you're not supposed to eat. Just like many European dishes don't intend for you to eat the whole cloves or peppercorns. If you don't have a native guide, just let the staff know. Judging from my own experiences, they'll treat you right. read more

One of the best Sichuan restaurants outside of China that I've experienced. Ambience: the restaurant has modern look with lots of modern Chinese art and fluorescent lights with Chinese characters Food: the was had great presentation where chef was from Sichuan so extremely authentic Sichuan food. We looked the sour cabbage fish soup, and the hunan pork both were spicy and so flavorful. They also had yunan bridge noodles and lamb intestine soup which would both quite authentic Service : the owner came out to greet us and was so friendly, she said she personally cooked the lamb soup for us and gave some history background on the dish. The food also came out super fast read more

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Always best with unique cuisine...this food comes from the west in China at the confluence of several cultures and as the name tells us the Silk Road connecting east and west. Very special read more

When we first saw the menu, I was surprised 90% of the items on the menu had chilli pepper beside it. What attracted me to come here was the high stars rating. I was shocked because I couldn't eat spice. So I asked the owner of the restaurant what she recommends and I also told her my situation that I can't tolerate any spice even not regular corn pepper. She said all things on menu can be made with out hot spice. This was perfect for me. So we ordered: 1)Dong Po pork 2)their signature fried rice with prosciutto and other things. 3)fried shrimp I was amazed at their fried rice. It was very delicious. Loved it. The Dong Po Pork was a bit disappointing. Technically, you have to preorder it but luckily we didn't have to. It didn't melt in my mouth like it suppose to and the flavor is a bit off from what I am used to. Also Dong Po Pork is not an easy dish to make. Fried shrimp was very tasty. Overall other then the Dong Po Pork, the food was good. I did have an issue with the AC. The restaurant was super hot and I kind of lost my appetite half way. I was sweating. I could see the server sweating as well. The restaurant had a portable AC but I think its broken. Also the washroom is so ghetto and old. The place is very small and customer just keep on coming in. Parking is a hit and miss too. Not too many parking spots. read more

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Can we talk about how rude the service is here? The waitress literally told us that she did not have time for us, and to call her back once we were ready. Well we are ordering, she had no patience, telling us to get whatever we wanted to, she had no opinion. I understand that you are busy on a Saturday night, but you absolutely cannot treat your customers this way! They also got one of our orders wrong, and started fighting with us at the table, making a scene. They said that it was our fault for ordering the wrong thing, even though the whole table of eight unanimously agreed that we did not order the wrong item. Please be more thoughtful to your customers if you want them to return! read more

Got delivery and I really liked this place! Haven't come across much good Chinese food in Calgary, but to find Yunnan cuisine here was a very pleasant surprise! We got take out and the mushroom veggie dishes were spot on! The wood ear mushroom and bamboo salad was spicy and refreshing. The asparagus and bamboo mushroom was flavorful without being too garlicky or salty. The prosciutto and mushroom fried rice was good, but it didn't blow my mind like it seemed to have done with other reviewers. The lamb was not quite spicy enough for me, but thankfully wasn't overly was greasy either and there was lots of other veggies and onions. Lastly, the steamed chicken soup was perfect for me as I was sick! Tender chicken and the bamboo mushrooms did a great job in carrying the delicious rich broth flavour. My only complaint is there were too many little broken bone bits and not quite enough of the fat was skimmed off. Overall awesome and not too oily! Will definitely be trying it again! read more

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Had dinner with a group of people on a Saturday evening.we underestimated the amount of time we had before a show so we felt pretty rushed. For some reason the restaurant was very cold - didn't have the heat turned on a Saturday night . when you enter the door on the right-hand side there's a room, and it was very cold.however, due to the rush we ended up eating there anyways.the food was really decent We ordered a bunch of dishes - the pineapple rice was a highlight for sure. the interesting drinks were also pretty neat. Interesting dishes - pigs feet, frog legs, were actually quite delicious.the spicy foods were quite spicy.I personally do not favour super spicy things so I felt it was still OK to eat.for those of you who really like really spicy food you could probably go a little bit more spicy.because even for me I felt it was a mild to moderate spicy level. I went with a couple people that really love spicy things. The people working there seemed really nice - the service was all right, they were probably just very busy: It took for what seemed at least 45 minutes to almost an hour for food.so I definitely don't recommend this place if you are in a rush.we happened to be in a rush Saturday night and that was probably not a good thing. The parking was an issue.there is no parking right up front, but long this entire route you should know that you can't really park in this area easily. They do however have a parking lot, and I put a photo for details. read more

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Hubby and I were here for the first time on a date while our son was attending Otafest. It smelled really good in here! Many aromatics were being used in the kitchen and a myriad of exotic smells that I couldn't distinctly identify. There was a lineup at 7:30 pm on a Saturday but we only needed a table for two, so we were seated fairly quickly. Parking on the street is a nightmare, though. Our server was pleasant, efficient and very helpful (the menu is extensive, so we didn't quite know what to order). Alas, the teapots aren't very efficient, they're the porcelain kind that spills tea all over the table every single time you pour. BBQ pork hock: very well prepared. Gelatinous, tender, and delicious. It's a nice change from the Filipino dish, "crispy pata". Yunnan spicy lamb: stir fried with green peppers, onion and chili peppers. A spicy dish but not overly spicy since we requested all our dishes to be "mild". The lamb was wonderfully seasoned and very tender. Mmmm... Pineapple coconut rice in hollowed out pineapple: the pineapple chunks are sweet and fresh. I found the rice to be a bit mushy (there was a lot of moisture even for glutinous rice), but it tasted great! Spicy seafood: a huge dish of shrimp (split lengthwise and shell still on), scallops, star anise, lots of garlic, bay leaves, and aniseeds. I didn't know what to make of this dish - although the seafood was flavourful, I thought that the shrimp was a tad overcooked and the scallops could have been larger (they were the size of the tip of my thumb). My hubby kept picking out the many pieces of garlic cloves to eat with his rice! Here's my first impression of Yunnan cuisine: after the spices hit your tastebuds during the first few bites, you start to get used to the heat. It's not like Szechuan cuisine where you experience a numbing feeling in your mouth, it's more like a comforting warmth. Definitely the ideal place to come to on a cold, rainy day. We would have liked to have tried more dishes (I kept stealing sidelong glances at neighbouring tables). We will be back! read more

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Different from other Chinese restaurant in town, the South Silk Road brings to customs a different southern China combination, YunNan and Sichuan styles. The cooking is interesting and creative. Prices are reasonable and servers are very friendly. The steamed chicken soup and rose syrup pudding are worth trying, you wouldn't be disappointed. Highly recommended. read more

The restaurant is huge and seating our group of 8 was not a problem. However, our large party was slow and indecisive when it came to ordering food and our server told us that "she did not have time" to answer our questions. At that point, the restaurant was practically empty. I don't know what else she had to do? Despite the poor service, the food was very authentic Yunnan food. The best food tends to be spicy, so be warned. The best dishes we had were the eggplant, the wonton soup, and the thick rice noodles - although I don't have the exact names, the waitresses should know what those are. read more

Update: I ordered from them via DoorDash and was super impressed. Food was delicious. Even hubby who is hard to please said that their coconut/pineapple rice was absolutely delicious. They also followed everything we told them. (Usually hit or miss with Doordash!) It might be the best in town! read more

This place is 100% legit. It has been awhile since I have felt the sudden urge to write a Yelp review right after trying out a restaurant, but this place is it. The food here is comparable to what you'll get in Vancouver and miles above many of the restaurants here in Calgary. For those who understand Cantonese, you can really taste the "wok hay" in the dishes, which is the sign of great cooking. "Wok hay" is akin to umami in Japanese cuisine. We ordered the BBQ Pork hock (highly recommended), fish filet (amazing), ma po tofu and various noodle dishes to share. The coconut milk drink is to die for. It was warm and delicious. Didn't get a chance to try the infamous lamb, but there is always a second time. Let's go. read more

I think I bordered the wrong items. Well, to be accurate, my friend ordered the wrong dishes. We started off with the ear mushrooms which were good. Nice flavour and texture, light sour sauce with chunks of garlic. The mao tofu was good too. Silky pieces of tofu, gentle heat to the sauce. The beef and fried root vegetable was not the best. Too oily and the beef slices were rock hard. The fried rice with prosciutto was okay, but no wok hey flavour and the rice wasn't the best quality. Finally, we ordered some potato dish that was just average. In their defense, I saw another table order pig feet, sweet and sour pork, fish hot pot and some other dish in tinfoil and that looked and smelled delicious. Service was great. The dishes were not spicy. I need to come back to try some other dishes. When I do, I'll change my rating. Not cheap either. read more

This has got to be the worst Chinese food in the city. Maybe we didn't order right. Maybe only the "actual" Chinese dishes are good, because one thing is for sure: If you are looking for Ginger Beef, STEER CLEAR. It seems, at some point, they must have changed their name, because this location and phone number is under the name of another restaurant on Yelp (Red House - http://www.yelp.ca/biz/red-house-family-restaurant-calgary) so I am posting this review twice. The staff seemed friendly, but it was the basically inedible quality of the food that lands this restaurant on the bottom of the list. I have never had Ginger Beef taste so bad. Not even from a mall. The meat was unbelievably tough (it actually seemed like WAY over-cooked pork), the "fried" outside was mushy and disgusting, and the flavour was completely flat. All around, just BAD. It would take a lot to get me to come back here. Once was more than enough. read more

After 3 weeks in Europe I was dying for some Asian fare. Heading down the 14 St NW hill (down from North Hill Mall) I saw the sign for South Silk Road and decided that this was as good a time as any to try it. Friends of mine had recommended it and I had heard other good comments about it. I slow down and turn right at 7 Av NW but alas all the street parking (about 4 spots) are all taken and all along the other streets are marked by permit parking only. I turn back on to 14 thinking that it's a pass but just at the end of the block there is a sign saying customer parking for Plaza 14 and in the evening there is lots of parking in there. It's a bit of a squeeze if you have a truck as the spots are pretty small. as someone who lived in Singapore and Hong Kong I am delighted by the appearance of more and more restaurants serving Chinese foods from the other ethnic Chinese groups other than Szechuan and Canton. South Silk Road offers Yunnan cuisine so if you think that Ginger Beef is what Chinese food is about then I don't recommend you go to South Silk. Yunnan is a term that covers the dishes of the over 2 dozen ethnic minorities in China. The cuisine is flavourful and may even, depending on the region, have cheese and yogurt. A distinctive characteristic of many of the dishes is a warm, steady spicy heat, it is gradual and not overly spicy hot and yet it maintains a steady beat through dishes that feature this heat. It is like a warm bass note that just keeps everything together. I found that once I had tried the spice I found dishes that were not spicy almost bland in comparison. They use quite a bit of dried chili but not in the same abundance as authentic Szechuan dishes. Mushrooms are also a very popular item in recipes but very unique types (I don't know the name of some of them). We had a type of mushroom that looks almost bits of cloth that had accidentally fallen into the dish and yet were delicate and yet with a slight crunch. I've been there twice and both times service was excellent and helpful. Portions are generous. It's a popular haunt and the restaurant is divided into 2 sides, one side is generally full as it has the 2-4 seater tables while the 2nd area has a couple of large tables for big groups and 1 or 2 smaller tables. I get the impression that the chef tends to try and cook healthy as I ordered dau mew (one of my favourite vegetables) and unlike most places that use a lot of oil and just dump the snow pea leaves in, here they do a quick hot water dunk and then stir fry the veggies. I have had the Griddle Cooked Ribs with Pepper and definitely recommend these if you like ribs. It's definitely a place I'm going back to try the other dishes. read more

I had lunch here today- I got the rice cake which came with assorted veggies, a sort of air-dried pork that tasted a bit like prosciutto, and scrambled egg and a tonne of chilies. It was delicious and an ample portion. The menu isn't for sissies: this is nothing remotely like the "Chinese and Western" place it replaces; it's a loud, spicy cuisine that partakes of some of the tastes of Thailand (there's lemongrass all over the menu) and lots of bone-in meats like hacked chicken, pig's feet and ears and other delicacies. I can't wait to try more. Service was friendly, efficient, intelligent and helpful. There is a small "western" menu but if you want to real stuff, the entire traditional menu is provided in both Mandarin and English. I hope a place like these, which had been a neighbourhood Italian place for many years, can find a welcome in this location far from Chinatown or Calgary's north end Chinese ethnoburbs. Give it a try. read more

My co-workers and I went here for lunch last week. We had no idea of reputation before going, so we were very pleasantly surprised with how great it was! As they say "good things come to those who wait." We were warned when we arrived that the food takes a little longer because they cook everything fresh, unlike other Chinese food restaurants where the food is pre-prepared, and then just served. Having said that however, we did not find the wait to be all that long. We were provided with three different menus - the one with dishes that one would order at any North American Chinese restaurant, the traditional fare menu (in English and Mandarin), and the lunch menu. The food was, as they said, very fresh. I found it quite spicy, but not in a bad way. My lunch was delicious. I had ginger beef with steamed rice and fresh vegetables. The portions were just right. It was so nice to be able to have Chinese food without all that dough and deep fried, sugary food. The service was friendly and professional. I would definitely go here again. read more

This is the only Chinese restaurant I would recommend to other Chinese people in Calgary. In other words - its authenticity is indubitable . We invited our friends on multiple occasions, to great effect. Just recently they renovated their upholstery to soft black booths which increases the sense of privacy. This is definitely one of the more quiet Chinese places. We come whenever we want to excite our tastebuds. Our favourites are the sweet pineapple sticky rice with honey and coconut milk, as well as their mushroom and other spicy meat dishes (such as the house special grilled fish). There are a lot of Chinese dishes you will not find anywhere in Calgary, moreover this side of Canada. I won't say that everything on the menu is equally delectable, but the waitresses know the menu front to back and they will be able to identify their best dishes (their recommendations are never off the mark). Yunnan has some of the spiciest food, so maybe be careful and trust those red pepper signs. This is always a baby/kid friendly place and it's usually not hard to get a spot for lunch, maybe harder for dinner. Can be more expensive than a HK cafe because they use some expensive ingredients and have dishes that have to be pre-ordered as they are prepared from scratch by order. The place is owned by an old couple that just really loves to cook, so it's just really cute and I would love to try more things on their huge menu. read more

I'm giving out 5 stars (again). This is one of the few authentic places I've found in Calgary. You go inside around noon, it's packed with Chinese faces; not a Caucasian inside (or non-Asian). This is southwestern style Yunnan, and that means hot chili oil, and heat! You see groups eating from a single pot (not sure if that's a 'hot pot'), or having soups etc. My go-to dish is the wantons in chili oil sauce with baby bokchoy, scallions and peanuts. I also recommend the chopped potato splices, or dan dan noodles. There's much more on the menu that's a mystery to me, so be adventurous! It's rare to find an authentic place in this town, so get something authentic. You can get chicken-fried rice next time you visit 'Tiki Ming'. read more

Great Chinese food from Yunnan province - its a small establishment and great for all ages. The menu leans to the spicy side and is very flavorful. As another reviewer stated be careful with the number of chillis The service is not the greatest if you dont know what to order. Great if you know what you want. It's not everyone's cup of tea but definitely worth experiencing atleast once. As for me I love spicy food and the eclectic menu will keep me coming back read more

My opinion - hands down the best Chinese restaurants in Calgary - even better than many of the counterparts in Vancouver (my good friend from Vancouver endorses that statement too). Be warned about two things though: 1) you HAVE TO order the right dish because a wrong one will lead you to believe that this is just another Chinese restaurant; 2) you have to love hot/spicy cuisine to appreciate their dish because this is where they truly shine. The BBQ pork knuckle (spicy level - suicidal) is a must have. I give it four stars instead of five because 1) the restaurant is definitely under-staffed during their peak hours; 2) the environment is mediocre at best. read more

The best rice noodle restaurant I have ever been, the dish was quite spicy and we ordered the chili fish ( forgot the name), and that smells so good!!! read more

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Incredibly helpful and attentive service. We had a seafood allergy in our group and they were very careful and ensured that she didn't have anything with seafood at all. The food is delicious, freshly made and authentic. I would absolutely recommend coming here. Will come back. read more

food quality is good. cooking is interesting and tasteful! very nice experience. highly recommenfed.

Excellent food and great service. A warning, It's a little bit on the spicy side! On another note, at the entrance you'll notice a moustache vending machine... Moustache dinner party anyone? read more

South Silk Road Chinese Restaurant - Chinese Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

It is pretty authentic southern Chinese food , but the waiting was too long , definitely need call ahead . Posted 7 pictures, see by your own eye works better than thousands words typed. read more

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Very rare can I find a Yunnan restaurant in north American and this place is very authentic! We order a vege, grilled pork feet and grilled lemongrass fish. It reminded me the food I had in Kunming! Worth a second try! read more

All the reviews I read about this place were good. There were all Chinese speaking customers at the restaurant. My expectations surged. I only ordered two dishes. Tea leaves fried pork and tea tree mushrooms with preserved meat. I can't say I enjoyed the food. They over fried the pork. If you like beef jerky for dinner, you might love it. The tree mushrooms were so tough. My jaws are sore still. But I know I had a lot of fibers for the day. Should have ordered mapu tofu. read more

I discovered this place while lost in Calgary with my parents, without an international data roaming plan (and hence, Yelp). One of the finest Chinese experiences I've ever had. The food appears to be Yunnan/Sichuan/Guandong fusion. The ingredients were very fresh -- surprising for a place with such a diverse menu. (Sweet graphic design on the menu, by the way.) The Yunnan mixian was an excellent way of starting the meal. The lamb was tender. And fried taro rolls closed out dinner as an excellent desert. Out of 6 dishes ordered, I loved every single one. It is (anecdotally) rare to observe this level of intra-meal consistency in any Chinese restaurant. The waiters were swamped, so service was not necessarily the most responsive, but they were cordial and helpful when they did make their way to my table. They could use an extra hand or two for peak hours. Anyways, I wish this place were in California. read more

I tried out South Silk Road with a friend a few months ago as we were in search of a good Chinese restaurant. We had a great experience! We got the last available table (note to self: make reservations next time), and it looked like the people at the tables around us were enjoying their food a lot. The menu was huge and fun to browse. We settled on an eggplant dish and a tofu one, both of which we shared. OMG they were both SO good. Actually I have been dreaming about that soft and flavorful eggplant ever since... I keep coming back for more. Highly recommended! read more

Ate dinner at South Silk Road today. It's Yunnan cuisine = SPICY! We ordered Chicken Soup in Clay Pot with Gastrodia Tuber - small chopped up chicken with the bone-in in a clear broth with goji berries and red dates. Very refreshing soup. You know what they say, chicken soup is always good for you! The next 3 dishes we ordered were: - Grilled Fish with Lemongrass and Chilies - The whole fish grilled on foil paper. The fish is split open and laid flat on the foil paper and then smeared with a wonderful rub of lemongrass and chili paste. There's also red cut Thai chillies & chopped up cilantro for garnish as well! Very fresh Tilapia fish - no fishy smell. The rub is a lovely accompaniment to the bland fish adding volumes of flavour to the fish dish. - Beef Stew (spicy) - beef is tender and soft but the sauce is dangerously hot and spicy. After the first spoonful of the sauce, you can feel it rippling on your tongue! - Asparagus vege dish with bamboo pith - not the correct name on the menu but that is what comes in the dish. No hot stuff so a nice compliment to the hot and spicy dishes we ordered. Eat above dishes with steam rice. You can get a whole pot of rice like in Chinese restaurants with refills and she still charges $1.50/person. Service: a little slow. Parking: a little difficult to park; parking at back of building or on the street. Environment: for all that spicy food, I hope they will have air-con or some fans in the future at least. Sweat fest! Interesting dishes for the not-faint-of-heart - pig's feet, braised pork hock, pig's ears. Apparently, the braised pork hock takes 6 hours to cook so pre-order ahead if you want to eat it! The lady at the restaurant told us that all these dishes originated in the Yunnan province of China and that the sauces are the actual sauces from back home. Will definitely be back for more spicy dishes! read more

My mom is from Yunnan province. She said this restaurant has the most authentic Yunnan cuisine!

This restaurant is very special. The owner is a lovely woman who takes amazing care of her customers and exposes them to cuisine that cannot otherwise be accessed in Calgary. This is not your standard Americanized Chinese cuisine, so if you want chicken balls and chow mein, look elsewhere. This is a particular provincial cuisine that is delicious! Many dishes are quite spicy so if you are not used to this, it would be wise to talk with the owner and ask for less spice. read more

We were craving some Chinese food for our final meal before flying back home after a week of traveling in Alberta/BC for skiing and sightseeing. Looked up this place on Yelp and it did not disappoint. We ordered the Yunnan noodles, the special baked fish with lemongrass sauce and the mixed oriental greens. The dishes were flavorful and the servers at the restaurant were very friendly. Would come back the next time we're in Calgary looking for some legit Chinese food. read more

Absolutely the best Chinese cuisine by far !! I live in the Deep South but I will travel there for the amazing food and delightful staff ( Winnie, Nancy & Christina) ( Drive there twice last week) all dishes are unique Go and enjoy read more

For cuisine from a specific region in China, this is as good as you are going to get in Calgary. Yunnan fare, and done perfectly, as far as my taste buds are concerned. I go back to any of the lamb dishes and mushroom dishes, any meats made with preserved vegetables/chili, and the dishes made in a pineapple (one chicken, one rice, as far as I could find). Best ma po tofu in town, and an outstanding range and variety of dishes. Most definitely a deep and valuable vein to mine. Notes: all from scratch, the in-house sausage is amazing, and you have to phone ahead for many dishes, as they take so long to make. Don't worry the menu indicates which ones you have to phone ahead for. Also, it's almost always packed to the rim, so phone ahead to see if you can reserve. I live very close so we have only eaten in once, the rest as take-out. Oh yeah, closed Tuesdays. Enjoy exploring the menu. The size of the menu is up there with Dinesty out on Robson in Vancouver. So many options, yum! read more

As a Chinese, I will say this place is a legit Chinese restaurant, a good place in Calgary for Yunnan style dishes. The flavours are decent and the prices are fair. If you are first time to Calgary, this is a must try restaurant. read more

My bestie and I went together and it took us forever to order. The menu reads like one of those coffee table books, in the best way. It's got a lot of pages and each dish has a picture which was really awesome. There were so many beautiful dishes to chose from so it took us a while to make up our mind. We ordered lotus root with preserved vegetables, beef fried rice, dumplings and tea fried pork(my personal favorite). Yes it was a mountain of food for two small women but it was all delicious! The lotus root was spicy but in a very flavorful way. Definitely going back there! Yum yum :) read more