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    Van Tea Cafe

    3.8 (44 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 9:30 pm

    Van Tea Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    VAN TEA CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed

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    Josephine M.

    We came here for a family dinner. They have a set Seafood Feast menu where you can choose a certain number of dishes at a fixed price, and it comes with rice and soup of the day along with either a lobster with supreme soy sauce or a spicy crab. The lobster was just OK. We've had better lobster before. A lot of the other dishes were also...just OK. I think the best dish was the Stir Fried Spicy Eggplant & Green Beans. I didn't eat a lot of the dishes since I don't eat meat, but meat eating husband said the food was generally quite "meh".

    Soup,noodle
    Angela W.

    We came on a Saturday at 5:30 and of course not many patrons yet. Friends recommend Hainan chicken so we ordered. Fried halibut with onions and stir fried beef rice noodle. Beef rice noodle-- generous portion for $23 with good wok hei Halibut--thick hard(not crispy light) batter stir fried with grn onion and yellow onion. Chopped into very small pieces with a lot of bones. $29 Chicken Hainan style-- meat is def. free range with some chew, smooth texture. Sadly w/o any flavours from pandan, lemon leaf or lemongrass. Tasted like plain boiled chicken so must use garlic spicy dip or ginger onion dip that came with it! Complimentary rice and soup(flavourless) accompanies every entree. Service with a smile during ordering and while serving. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Restaurant gets filled shortly after 6ish.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] They also started to take credit cards! Would not come for dinner entrees again, lunch maybe for noodles, baked dishes only.

    Stephanie H.

    This place is cash only! The food comes out quick and the portions were larger than expected. I liked the red bean drink and the rice dish was unique and flavorful. The service was kind and I liked the variety of the dishes. Unfortunately they ran out of the hainan chicken by dinner time, so if you want to try that, make sure to go early!

    Menu
    Vinh M.

    [[HIGHLIGHT]]This has the look and feel of a Hong Kong cafe AND a regular Chinese restaurant, from the inside of the building to the dishes it offers.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]It's really loud inside, and that explained why parking was hard to find in the already-small parking lot that it shares with some other businesses.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I got here with family around 6pm to large crowds but snagged a spot for 4 easily. Since it was busy, it was rough flagging down servers from getting our orders to asking for more tea and water, but this didn't affect my experience here. We got the crab and fish maw soup, spicy pork with green beans, Hainan chicken, Singaporean style fried vermicelli and steamed black cod fish with tofu and black bean sauce. All of this ended up being too much for me and my family but we still thoroughly enjoyed everything. Hainan chicken was seasoned so well, though both the Singaporean vermicelli and the green beans were a little too spicy for me to enjoy even though they were both also packed with flavors that I expect from most Chinese restaurants. The cod fish was very appetizing; meat was easy to get out and the sauce was so savory that I forgot I was eating fish! It did take longer than expected to come out, though. I'll still recommend this place since it has quality food and it even serves as an ideal place whether you go to eat on your own or with a big group.

    Wok fried lobster with vermicelli noodle pot
    JT C.

    Van Tea Cafe.. Richmond style take 2... I have been to the Vancouver location multiple times because really like their live seafood deals and their baked salted egg yolk spareribs plus a few specialty dishes not many places have. As for this newer Richmond location, came here once when it first opened and all I can say is; barely any service and food was horrible, nothing like the Vancouver location. (Richmond can't drive and now can't cook too?!?) The restaurant is located on plaza on Garden City Road and Capstan. It has a shared parking lot that is free for customers of the plaza. Anyways , here I am back again to give it another try (pleaseee be that uncle from HK in the kitchen who can cook a hundred different tasty dishes). Here were the food I ordered; 1. Wok fried lobster with vermicelli noodle pot. The lobster is almost 2Lbs, decent size with tender meat. Honestly pretty tasty with good wok hay. Pretty good deal for $79 . 2. 2 item (chicken steak & sausage) combo with spaghetti and borscht soup. Pretty straightforward combo dish at most HK cafe. The spaghetti was nicely cooked. 3. 3 item (salmon, sausage, pork chop) with rice and Chinese soup. The salmon was a bit overcooked, however the pork chop was tender and nicely cooked. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Overall, this time around the environment was more pleasant; the servers were friendlier and more attentive, the food was better especially the lobster dish, and atmosphere was more welcoming and comfortable.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I think the only thing i personally would like is the grill combos to come in a hot sizzling skillet, the classic Hong Kong style I am more accustomed to. Other than that, a much better experience this time around. Maybe Richmond can cook better than they drive after all (just kidding guys lol but seriously stop taking 30mins to park)

    Menu
    Mark W.

    [[HIGHLIGHT]]With most other HK cafes slupping in quality, or closing, Van Tea manages to maintain their standards, making them one of the best remaining HK cafes in town.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] 4.5 stats (8.9/10) Last visit Aug 2024

    Sweet and sour pork
    Kim L.

    My least favorite HK style restaurant thus far. All the flavors were below mid. My party ordered multiple dishes and we were not impressed with anything. HK milk tea - it tasted like 100% sweetness, we were never offered an option to adjust but it was overly sweet for my taste. Luncheon meat breakfast sandwich - so overpriced for something so simple Crispy chow mein noodles with pepper beef- sauce was way too salty Shrimp wonton noodle soup- this was a also a miss, the flavor was not I expected from traditional wonton mein soup Sweet sour pork- this was not bad, it reminded me of Panda Express orange chicken since the pork was not very crispy soaking in sauce. Pork congee with preserved egg - very bland, it didn't taste seasoned at all. Baked spaghetti with chicken steak - this was also mid Fried squid - this was okay, not bad

    Breakfast menu before 11am
    Lindsey D.

    The rare occasion I had time and in Richmond for HK style breakfast. I had 2 minutes to order before 11am. Randomly choose Spicy Diced Pork with Rice Noodles, Soy Sauce Chow Mein and HK Milk Tea. Spicy Diced Pork was so dry, it was two steps away from being pork floss. The rice noodles were very nice, I'm certain the broth is just not my cup of tea. Chow Mein was not al dente and over cooked from the steam, the green onions and onions were perfection. Overall, looking around, there is a more senior crowd which is understandable as all the dishes weren't as salted/seasoned. Seniors don't like salt, sweet and oil. Order accordingly. Milk tea was good.

    Beef brisket curry set with rice was such a big portion. Very tasty. It had a lot of beef brisket, okra and potatoes.
    Natalie C.

    All the food was SOOOOO good. Such a big portion. Rib eye steak and pork chops pasta was huge and delicious. Russian borscht soup was so good. Curry beef brisket is another delight. Service was friendly and fast and polite. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant is very clean, very vibrant[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] and the drinks were very tasty too. Nothing was greasy, too salty, too sweet. Everything was perfect.

    Assortment of dishes: Malaysian flat bread (Roti), fish (right), yin yang baked rice, Portuguese chicken rice.
    Evan C.

    Tried this HK cafe place after my family picked me up from airport. I'm giving them 4 stars based on the fabulous black bean tofu steamed fish. Wow. This was so well done and delicate. It reminds me a bit of my grandmas old steamed fish. Cantonese steamed fish is my favorite - very healthy and just delicious and this dish was soooo good. The other stuff was not bad. They have lots of Malaysian dishes for a HK cafe but the Roti while crispy the sauce was just Ok. The yin yang (chicken on one side and shrimp with cream sauce on other) was great and everyone ate it up. - e fu noodles - fairly decent. Service was not rushed and not that rude. Haha. Overall would come back to try it out.

    Albert C.

    I ordered Spaghetti Bolognese and it is fantastic! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Service and ambiance is good.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I will be back when I get in town for sure.

    Beef rice noodles
    Eric B.

    First time trying this spot out and I find it very enjoyable! Probably not the best spot in BC because they have a very high standard for Chinese food but still very satisfying. The wait staff were very friendly and patient and [[HIGHLIGHT]]the place was clean.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] One thing to note is that they accept cash only

    black pepper sauce diced beef with mushroom, onion and bell peppers
    Tony J.

    Small to mid size HK style tea cafe in the restaurant plaza on the southeast corner of Capstan and Garden City. Pretty busy on a Friday night, although we didn't have to wait too long for a table for 3. Interior on the more modern side for HK cafes in the area. Feels bigger inside because ceiling are high, but the place is very noisy when busy. Pretty standard HK cafe Cantonese fare on the menu. They offer the lobster or crab combo option where you get one of lobster or crab, and a couple of other dishes and they'll throw in soup and rice. We go the lobster plus 3 dishes. All the food came out pretty quickly. The lobster is stir fried in their onion and soy sauce style, was pretty meaty and tasty. We also got their half Hainan chicken, and the chicken was soft and smooth like you'd expect for Chinese style chicken. The black pepper sauce diced beef had good flavor, but portion is on the smaller side. On the other hand, the Malaysian style pork ribs are meaty and have good portion. It's a sweet-sour sauce preparation with a hint of spice. Lastly, the included lotus root soup was alright. Total was $120 before tip. We had some leftovers. There are cheaper HK cafes offering similar food in the area, but this place was still pretty decent.

    Front of restaurant~

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    10 months ago

    Good portion of food for reasonable price, service is good overall and the waitress is very friendly and helpful!

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    Friendly service and dishes are consistently good... always busy when we go there. A hearty meal at reasonable price .

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    Hei Hei Rice Roll

    Hei Hei Rice Roll

    4.5
    (214 reviews)
    2.1 km
    $$

    Wow, this place is a GEM, I am so in love with the Rolls, I visited 2 days in a row, had to get…read moresome more rolls in before we leave BC, which was so sad! Hei Hei Rice Roll is legit good, totally recommend, even my daughter too, I thought of her ( since she LOVES rice roll and couldn't make it on this trip with me) while enjoying these roll but when I shared with her the photos and mention that we will go back here with her- she already visited. She said it was so good! Hei Hei Rice Roll is located at the Richmond Public Market, oh wow - this place is really popular, on the 2nd visit I was the first in line then the line wasn't so long but while waiting for our order, the line got super long. I was lucky I didn't wait long in line. Best to arrive early. I am not sure what the secret to the rice roll but Wow, it's so thin, silky, smooth texture with the toppings, so great together. The last 2 times we had rice roll with my daughter at Portland and Seattle- followed per Instagram reels- those did not even compare to these rolls. My first visit I got the combo which is the best deals, starts at $15.50 but depends on what you select for the selection for rice rolls and congee. I got the pork & preserved egg congee, shrimp, mushroom, pork rice roll. The 2nd visit I got the combo again, with liver & preserved egg congee, scallop and shrimp rice rolls, but I got my order wrong for the roll- they missed the shrimp. fyi-I found out that bean sprout, corn, toppings are free! Both combo came out to $17. super cheap! Cash only, they take USD but its the same dollar $ value. I wish they take credit cards, hehe. & the Verdict: Yummy, the congee hits the spot for comfort food, loved how it is cooked and they add peanuts too. Love the packet of sauce for the rice rolls, the umami-ness, so good. Best to eat it hot and fresh! Don't forget to ask for chili sauce, to add that extra spicy kick! For now, I am not sure I'll ever find a spot that is closest to Hei Hei for my congee and rice roll fix until I get to visit Richmond, BC again.

    02.12.26 @11:40a Got…read morethe mushroom & pork cheong funn. For drink I got the Grinder Black sesame. The cheong funn is silky & thin. The black sesame is smooth.

    Photos
    Store front
    Store front
    Soy Milk (豆漿)
    Soy Milk (豆漿)
    Hei Hei Rice Roll

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    HK B.B.Q. Master

    HK B.B.Q. Master

    4.1
    (740 reviews)
    1.3 km
    $$

    No frills and worth the hype!…read more Our family of six arrived at 12 pm on a Tuesday. We waited approximately 25 minutes which is not bad at all considering how popular this small restaurant is. My mom is vegetarian and my girls had a wonton noodle soup lunch at another spot down the street. So we ordered a few things mainly for my dad, husband and myself: 1) Platter with barbecue pork and chicken (雙拼叉燒香油雞) 2) Half-order of roast duck (半隻脆皮燒鴨) 3) late of roast pork (燒肉) 4) Bowl of rice (一碗米飯) We cleared everything. The meats were juicy, tender, and flavorful. My girls are usually indifferent to Cantonese barbecued meats but they tried it and enjoyed everything as well. This is definitely a place to repeat if and when we revisit Vancouver.

    This was my family and wife's first stop in Vancouver and frankly, nothing has topped it yet…read more You're getting some of the best HK BBQ possible. They ran out of duck but do not fret because the soya chicken is where it's at. The soya chicken is incredibly tender, even the breast meat is tender. Secondly, it's perfectly marinated and if you dab a little of their homemade soy sauce, it's even better. Eat this with rice and you'll never want another meal in your life. This was easily our favorite dish for the place. Bbq pork and crispy pork are both spot on as well. They give generous and juicy cuts and the crispy pork is, well, crispy. The skin is a nice crunch and the meat is juicy, what more could you ask for? I still salivate and dream of the meat here and I wish we had something like this back in LA cause I don't know who else would make soy chicken as good as here. Cash only so come prepared! If you're a US tourist, they take USD as well but canadian is still the better deal.

    Photos
    Duck
    Duck
    BBQ Duck + Soya Chicken + BBQ Pork
    BBQ Duck + Soya Chicken + BBQ Pork
    Roasted pork

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    Roasted pork
    Yue Restaurant

    Yue Restaurant

    4.0
    (176 reviews)
    1.1 km
    $$

    The six of us dined in on a Tuesday. We made reservations for 6:30 pm but we arrived early at 6 pm…read moreand we were seated without issues. Our party consisted of four adults and two young children. We shared the following: Black truffle sauteed scallops and shrimp 黑松露珍菌帶子蝦球 Steamed abalone with garlic and vermicelli 蒜蓉粉絲蒸鮮鮑魚* Yue's stir-fry with shredded pork 鮑粵軒小炒王* Sauteed celery and lotus roots 雙芹炒蓮藕片 Casserole with clams and vegetable 大蜆肉絲浸菜心 The restaurant is clean and spacious. Service was friendly and efficient. Ingredients were abundant and food portions were generous. We especially enjoyed the items marked with an asterisk. At the conclusion of our meal, we received complimentary green bean sweet soup and almond cookies. The almond cookies were freshy baked. They were crunchy on the exterior and gooey in the middle.

    (3.5/5) Really yummy dimsum here! Some standouts were the bbq pork pastry and stir fried beef and…read morerice roll dish with an excellent savoury flavours and spice. Portion sizes and price point felt standard for Richmond. I thought it was cute that they also put the teapots on a candle stand to keep it warm. For 5 people, the total cost with tip was around $40 per person. Unfortunately, the only thing that fell short was the long wait we had to endure despite having made a reservation. We booked a reservation for 12:45pm, but because of the overwhelming weekend rush, we were not sat until 1:30pm. I understand that the restaurant was quite busy, but it certainly made the experience a little less enjoyable. There were also lots of people waiting in the area and the hostess found it hard to identify which groups were waiting and which had already checked in. I'm not sure if I'd return as there are so many other great dimsum places in Richmond that may not cost as much of a wait.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    葡撻: (Egg) Portuguese Tarts
    葡撻: (Egg) Portuguese Tarts
    Inside

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    Inside

    Van Tea Cafe - coffee - Updated July 2026

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