Big Chef Restaurant

Reviews

• Krystal C.

  star star star star_border star_border 7 June 2026

  Pan fried salted egg yolk dungeness crab- this is market rate ($18.99 a lb. when I was here) and totaled to $60 for me.  It is coated with the oily bright orange yolk from salted duck egg.  It was ok to me but I think it just wasn't quite  my style and not because it wasn't good.  I can tell the quality is good and it being a favorite for others.  I just am not a yolk fan so the texture is a little gritty and too oily for me.  The dish also comes with rice cake also coated with the yolk paste.  The crab quality was superb.  Very very fresh and it can be clearly tasted in the meat.  They even take the crab out to show you first that it is in fact alive and fresh before they prepare it.
  
  sweet corn soup- typical corn soup with real, not imitation, crab meat. But don't expect to find huge chunks of it as it is extremely finely minced.  I love to have soup as part of my meal so this was a perfect choice.
  
  pan fried house chow mein- I couldn't decide what protein so went with the house special that came with a little bit of everything.  They used pork and some seafood.  It is HK style crispy pan fried slathered with sauce on the top so you can just mix it.
  
  The staff is EXTREMELY friendly and helpful, they come to check on you and constantly fill your tea and water.  They speak English, Mandarin, and Cantonese so very easy to communicate.

• Yaniv T.

  star star_border star_border star_border star_border 3 June 2026

  Was turned away from here without grounds or merit on a quiet Saturday evening.
  There was ample room in the restaurant, I was dressed appropriately, and arrived with ample funds and a healthy appetite.
  Would have considered choosing this place among the multitude of choices in the area, but would never consider it now.
  Cannot say anything about the food or prices, only their attitude towards prospective customers.

• Mary L.

  star star_border star_border star_border star_border 27 May 2026

  DON'T GO TO THIS RESTAURANT! We were there at 6pm Friday night when there was only 1 table for hot pot. Waited 30mins and only Claypot rice came! Kept us waiting for another 20mins with same response "chef is cooking your dishes now". Dishes never came...
  
  Too bad I can't give zero star!

• Andy C.

  star star_border star_border star_border star_border 26 May 2026

  Terrible service. Showed up at 10pm on Friday for late night Da Lang and everything was super slow.  They serve Da Land but when I ordered plain congee, it took 15 minutes to get a small bowl. I ordered a second bowl of congee with some more food and after 20 minutes, it never came. In frustration, I asked for the bill and the waiter was saying they were cooking the congee. The nail in the coffin was that they didn't even place my other order for food! There were 3 waiters and 6 tables yet they couldn't get this right? Didn't tip them and will never be back.

• Nancy W.

  star star star star star_border 21 May 2026

  Big Chef Restaurant located in Richmond, BC on "Eatery Street" near the end of Alexandra Road is a recently opened Chinese restaurant offering speciality dishes, seafood, and hot pot. Although there are plenty of restaurants in this busy-parking-limited plaza; such as Deer Garden Signatures, Michigan Noodle Restaurant, Cattle Café, Big Chef offers quality ingredients.
  
   
  The restaurant is bring, clean and roomy. Aside from the main dining area there are also 2 private rooms available; booth seats line the right side and large round tables fill the remaining spaces. Service is friendly and the staff is eager to make recommendations.
  
  Golden Live Crab (seasonal price + $8)
  
  Persevered salty duck egg yolks stir fried crab with sticky cake (). Golden egg yolk robes the crab and serenates with the sticky rice in medley of fragrant, crispy coating. The freshness of the crab is not overpowered by this otherwise heavy dish. It is not as oily as one would presume. The little dried shrimp seasoned with the egg yolk adds great bite. For the health cautious - this dish is rather high in cholesterol due to the amount of yolk required to compose this dish. Nothing a few laps in the pool won't negate! Definitely a must try! Another recommendation was the "spicy salt / pepper" rendition. This was actually one of the last dish to arrive. Guess it takes more time to prep.
  
  Hotos Rhizome and Mushroom with Beef Tenderloin $16.80
  Lotus roots, pineapple, green/red peppers stir fried beef tenderloin cubes. Beef is tender and cooked perfectly. Lotus roots is crispy, pineapple is sweet yet slightly tart and adds texture to this dish. Stir fried together in a black pepper like sauce in perfection.
  
  Salty Baked Chicken 14.80
  
  One of their specialty dishes. Initially we wanted to order the Hot Pot Soya Sauce Chicken but we didn't know that this needs to be ordered in advance. The waiter recommended this in replacement. Deliciously silky tender and juicy steamed to cook served with sand ginger  oil sauce.
  
  Pan Fried Pork Jowl with Red Bean Sauce $16.50
  
  Red fermented bean curd flavour is salty with mild sweetness dressing the pork jowl slices in a smooth velvety cream like blanket. Stir fried together with lotus root slices gives a fresh lightness to this dish. Lotus roots are crunchy and pork jowl are tender.
  
  Fried Scallop with Walnut Prawns 16.80
  
  One of the last dish to arrive of the night was a nice surprise when we discovered the scallops were perfectly deep fried - not over cooked but thoroughly juicy and tender. The prawns were big and elastic in every bite sautéed over a creamy salad dressing sauce. The only catch was, what happened to the walnuts?
  
  Dessert was complimentary red bean soup; common to most Chinese restaurants. This however was the disappointment of the night. This dessert soup was watery (it was like they were running low on supply and mixed hot water in) and overpowered by the dried mandarin orange peels. At least we now had an excuse to go grab cheesecake at Cafe de Waraku   (click here).
  
  At the end of the night, we were well fed and satisfied. Perhaps the food could have came a little quicker but $126 before tips for a party of 6 is pretty darn reasonable and perhaps cheaper than some boutique places that also offers similar selection. I'm already thinking of my next visit!