They used those spoiled vegetable for making dishes!Chicken with ginger and onion is tasteless!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 2
Jenny Ma
Nice to be there in a weekday night, in the back, where the big tables are. We had two tables. Spacious room, clean. Great service, and great quality. Would definitely go back!
Richard Chu
Great Chinese dinner set for a friend gathering.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Paul Jong
Very bad sea food
Doris
I've been dining at Chef 88 somewhat regularly now for the last several years whenever I'm in the Markham/Scarborough area and I must say that their food is phenomenal! The boss and my family go a long way back when he used to own a restaurant at Kennedy and Finch that we used to frequent. He recognizes me (as 阿妹 since that's what my parents and brother call me lol) and my parents whenever we come to Chef 88 these days =D.The restaurant is usually packed on the weekend nights but fortunately, they added a section at the back of their restaurant in the recent years that nearly doubled the amount of seating they have in total. There's even a room at the back section that has karaoke that I've never used as of yet but you can definitely hear people singing karaoke though. They're so popular that sometimes you may not be able to find a parking spot at the front, in which case you can park in the back area where the offices(?) are at (at nighttime when the offices are closed lol).That said, let's move on to their delicious, scrumptious food! First off, they usually cook their vegetables to the point where they are nice and crispy (爽), whether you order a stir fried vegetable dish (e.g. stir fried snow pea leaves with garlic, stir fried Chinese broccoli with garlic, stir fried Yu Choi with garlic (they used to have this in a combo), etc.) or a dish that includes vegetables (e.g. steamed chicken with vegetables (菜膽上湯雞), fried rice noodles with beef and oyster sauce (時菜牛河), etc.). If you love vegetables but don't like green tasting or mushy vegetables, look no further. For the vegetables that are stir fried with garlic, rest assured that you will get that mouthwatering garlic flavour as the garlic is fried till golden brown. Speaking of the steamed chicken with vegetables (菜膽上湯雞), theirs is one of the best that I've ever had (one of their only rivals being Sam Woo BBQ) because their chicken is cooked to the point where it's tender and juicy and as a bonus, they also remove the bones from the breast pieces. It will be extra flavourful too if you get some ginger scallion oil to go with it. Another dish that is a must try is the braised pomfret in Chiu Chow style (潮式半煎煮倉⿂) as the fish is crispy yet juicy and flavourful at the same time (because it's been pan fried or fried and then braised). The flavour of this dish is quite unique and in the sauce you will also find shiitake mushrooms, pork slices, etc. If you prefer a less saucy one, you can also try the deep fried pomfret with soy sauce (豉油皇煎封倉⿂) as that one is crispy and delicious too. Another bonus is that they continue to serve dessert (糖水) here after your meal and the ones they serve include the purple rice dessert (紫米露), red bean dessert (紅豆沙), mung bean dessert (綠豆沙), etc.Although the number of delicious dishes they churn out are endless (and I would exceed the word limit here if I were to talk about them all lol XD), I would have to talk about some of the other aspects too. They used to have a watercress dish that was delicious but now, they don't seem to serve it anymore. It's quite unfortunate because they used to be one of the only restaurants that have a watercress dish and I've always liked to order it whenever I dined here. They also used to give peanuts to accompany the soup that comes with your meal but they have since stopped serving the peanuts. My dad was a big fan of the peanuts lol.TL;DR - I highly recommend Chef 88 as the list of delicious mouthwatering dishes they churn out are endless! If you're in the Kennedy and Steeles area and are wondering what to have for lunch or dinner, look no further!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
L T
Came her on a weekday and had their lunch special for $12.88 which included a complementary soup. Price was very competitive, food was good and portions were very reasonable. Overall a pretty good experience but just wished that they had the Chinese milk tea like other similar restaurants.
T My Elizabeth H.
Came here during the holidays due to an Instagram ad. Upon arrival, the server and manager said it's not available and there were exceptions to be made in fine print. The posters throughout the restaurant and Instagram did not have any fine print- only the one pamphlet that the host had. We had to pay additional $30 for our combo due to it being landing on a holiday, $15 if we wanted the lettuce wrap for Peking duck (manager said it was standard for all restaurants serving Peking duck) and additional $20 due to the fish that is being served is a "bigger" fish that was only provided during the holiday only. We traveled so far and were a bigger group of +8 and decided to stay. Peking duck was good, the lobster was stir fry in bok choy sauce (not the greatest),sea cucumber stir fry was a bit saltier than normal, soup was delicious and we ordered additional beef fried rice and Cantonese noodles. The service was excellent, they were very attentive and constantly changed our plate. We were offered a dim-sum coupon for our convenience as well.
Ryan C.
A cozy family Chinese restaurant with lots of menu items and special items too. People have recommended their Sweet and Sour Pork and I do agree it is one of the best - also first time seeing blueberry used. They have many seafood options and one of my favourite is their curry crab. However, if you are a spicy curry fan, you might be disappointed. The curry is flavourful but has very little spiciness to it. Another fav you don't find everywhere is the Taro Duck - you need to pre-order this item a day ahead. Service is quick and friendly. Waitresses were very attentive and switched out plates out twice. Highly recommend for Cantonese food!
Great Tribulation (The Regular Canadian)
The boss kept pushing me to order his crab without telling me the price. He showed me two crabs that looked cold and cooked a day ago. I was put off by that.The servers were talking louder than patrons. All patrons looked stressed and uncomfortable.
Worth trying once, but probably not more. Crispy chicken doesn't smell good, really crispy though. Stir fried seafood/vegetables was good.The tea which is served with the food is relaxing and tastes good.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
T S
This dining experience was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I couldn't help but draw comparisons to the highway 7 location, which I hold in high regard. The food here, well, it was decent, but it didn't quite hit the mark set by its esteemed counterpart. It lacked that extra flavor punch and presentation flair that I've come to associate with exceptional dining.Our meal took an unexpected turn when they made an error with one of our orders. Now, mistakes happen, but how a restaurant handles them can really make or break the experience. I have to give credit where it's due, their response was swift and commendable. They didn't shy away from acknowledging the mistake, and within no time, they had it sorted out. It's reassuring to know that they take customer satisfaction seriously.In the grand scheme of things, this dining experience may not have been the most remarkable, but it did satisfy our hunger. The highway 7 location might still hold the crown in terms of food quality. However, the willingness to own up to errors and make things right is a mark of good customer service that deserves recognition.It wasn't an unforgettable culinary meal, but it was a decent meal with a shining moment of customer care. With a little more culinary finesse, this place could be a real gem.
CY L
Chef 88 is still as good as before, and they also have karaoke in the private room, which is very nice for group and family gatherings, we came to celebrate birthdays, everyone had a great time singing eating and chatting.Vegetarian options: A variety of vegan optionsParking: Free parking in the plaza
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Steamed Chicken
Sophia Jiang
Food was not as good as you would expect, they had clams that day so we got them steamed with rice noodles and garlic. It was a bit undercooked and a little raw on the inside. $38 for 3 clams.Not a big fan of their shrimp, they bread it and coat it with maggi sauce. But the shrimps are unpeeled and when you peel it all the breading and sauce is gone. $30 for 10 shrimps also a bit of a rip off and I am 90% sure they are the headless shrimps from Costco.Waiter will call you 靚仔靚女 and who doesn't want that? ?Kid-friendliness: They serve food and kids eat food...
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 5
Ying L.
Chef 88 is still as good as before, and they also have karaoke in the private room, which is very nice for group and family gatherings, we came to celebrate birthdays, everyone had a great time singing eating and chatting.
Reasonable price and the food is good
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
They used those spoiled vegetable for making dishes!Chicken with ginger and onion is tasteless!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 2
Nice to be there in a weekday night, in the back, where the big tables are. We had two tables. Spacious room, clean. Great service, and great quality. Would definitely go back!
Great Chinese dinner set for a friend gathering.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very bad sea food
I've been dining at Chef 88 somewhat regularly now for the last several years whenever I'm in the Markham/Scarborough area and I must say that their food is phenomenal! The boss and my family go a long way back when he used to own a restaurant at Kennedy and Finch that we used to frequent. He recognizes me (as 阿妹 since that's what my parents and brother call me lol) and my parents whenever we come to Chef 88 these days =D.The restaurant is usually packed on the weekend nights but fortunately, they added a section at the back of their restaurant in the recent years that nearly doubled the amount of seating they have in total. There's even a room at the back section that has karaoke that I've never used as of yet but you can definitely hear people singing karaoke though. They're so popular that sometimes you may not be able to find a parking spot at the front, in which case you can park in the back area where the offices(?) are at (at nighttime when the offices are closed lol).That said, let's move on to their delicious, scrumptious food! First off, they usually cook their vegetables to the point where they are nice and crispy (爽), whether you order a stir fried vegetable dish (e.g. stir fried snow pea leaves with garlic, stir fried Chinese broccoli with garlic, stir fried Yu Choi with garlic (they used to have this in a combo), etc.) or a dish that includes vegetables (e.g. steamed chicken with vegetables (菜膽上湯雞), fried rice noodles with beef and oyster sauce (時菜牛河), etc.). If you love vegetables but don't like green tasting or mushy vegetables, look no further. For the vegetables that are stir fried with garlic, rest assured that you will get that mouthwatering garlic flavour as the garlic is fried till golden brown. Speaking of the steamed chicken with vegetables (菜膽上湯雞), theirs is one of the best that I've ever had (one of their only rivals being Sam Woo BBQ) because their chicken is cooked to the point where it's tender and juicy and as a bonus, they also remove the bones from the breast pieces. It will be extra flavourful too if you get some ginger scallion oil to go with it. Another dish that is a must try is the braised pomfret in Chiu Chow style (潮式半煎煮倉⿂) as the fish is crispy yet juicy and flavourful at the same time (because it's been pan fried or fried and then braised). The flavour of this dish is quite unique and in the sauce you will also find shiitake mushrooms, pork slices, etc. If you prefer a less saucy one, you can also try the deep fried pomfret with soy sauce (豉油皇煎封倉⿂) as that one is crispy and delicious too. Another bonus is that they continue to serve dessert (糖水) here after your meal and the ones they serve include the purple rice dessert (紫米露), red bean dessert (紅豆沙), mung bean dessert (綠豆沙), etc.Although the number of delicious dishes they churn out are endless (and I would exceed the word limit here if I were to talk about them all lol XD), I would have to talk about some of the other aspects too. They used to have a watercress dish that was delicious but now, they don't seem to serve it anymore. It's quite unfortunate because they used to be one of the only restaurants that have a watercress dish and I've always liked to order it whenever I dined here. They also used to give peanuts to accompany the soup that comes with your meal but they have since stopped serving the peanuts. My dad was a big fan of the peanuts lol.TL;DR - I highly recommend Chef 88 as the list of delicious mouthwatering dishes they churn out are endless! If you're in the Kennedy and Steeles area and are wondering what to have for lunch or dinner, look no further!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Came her on a weekday and had their lunch special for $12.88 which included a complementary soup. Price was very competitive, food was good and portions were very reasonable. Overall a pretty good experience but just wished that they had the Chinese milk tea like other similar restaurants.
Came here during the holidays due to an Instagram ad. Upon arrival, the server and manager said it's not available and there were exceptions to be made in fine print. The posters throughout the restaurant and Instagram did not have any fine print- only the one pamphlet that the host had. We had to pay additional $30 for our combo due to it being landing on a holiday, $15 if we wanted the lettuce wrap for Peking duck (manager said it was standard for all restaurants serving Peking duck) and additional $20 due to the fish that is being served is a "bigger" fish that was only provided during the holiday only. We traveled so far and were a bigger group of +8 and decided to stay. Peking duck was good, the lobster was stir fry in bok choy sauce (not the greatest),sea cucumber stir fry was a bit saltier than normal, soup was delicious and we ordered additional beef fried rice and Cantonese noodles. The service was excellent, they were very attentive and constantly changed our plate. We were offered a dim-sum coupon for our convenience as well.
A cozy family Chinese restaurant with lots of menu items and special items too. People have recommended their Sweet and Sour Pork and I do agree it is one of the best - also first time seeing blueberry used. They have many seafood options and one of my favourite is their curry crab. However, if you are a spicy curry fan, you might be disappointed. The curry is flavourful but has very little spiciness to it. Another fav you don't find everywhere is the Taro Duck - you need to pre-order this item a day ahead. Service is quick and friendly. Waitresses were very attentive and switched out plates out twice. Highly recommend for Cantonese food!
The boss kept pushing me to order his crab without telling me the price. He showed me two crabs that looked cold and cooked a day ago. I was put off by that.The servers were talking louder than patrons. All patrons looked stressed and uncomfortable.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
Worth trying once, but probably not more. Crispy chicken doesn't smell good, really crispy though. Stir fried seafood/vegetables was good.The tea which is served with the food is relaxing and tastes good.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
This dining experience was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I couldn't help but draw comparisons to the highway 7 location, which I hold in high regard. The food here, well, it was decent, but it didn't quite hit the mark set by its esteemed counterpart. It lacked that extra flavor punch and presentation flair that I've come to associate with exceptional dining.Our meal took an unexpected turn when they made an error with one of our orders. Now, mistakes happen, but how a restaurant handles them can really make or break the experience. I have to give credit where it's due, their response was swift and commendable. They didn't shy away from acknowledging the mistake, and within no time, they had it sorted out. It's reassuring to know that they take customer satisfaction seriously.In the grand scheme of things, this dining experience may not have been the most remarkable, but it did satisfy our hunger. The highway 7 location might still hold the crown in terms of food quality. However, the willingness to own up to errors and make things right is a mark of good customer service that deserves recognition.It wasn't an unforgettable culinary meal, but it was a decent meal with a shining moment of customer care. With a little more culinary finesse, this place could be a real gem.
Chef 88 is still as good as before, and they also have karaoke in the private room, which is very nice for group and family gatherings, we came to celebrate birthdays, everyone had a great time singing eating and chatting.Vegetarian options: A variety of vegan optionsParking: Free parking in the plaza
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Steamed Chicken
Food was not as good as you would expect, they had clams that day so we got them steamed with rice noodles and garlic. It was a bit undercooked and a little raw on the inside. $38 for 3 clams.Not a big fan of their shrimp, they bread it and coat it with maggi sauce. But the shrimps are unpeeled and when you peel it all the breading and sauce is gone. $30 for 10 shrimps also a bit of a rip off and I am 90% sure they are the headless shrimps from Costco.Waiter will call you 靚仔靚女 and who doesn't want that? ?Kid-friendliness: They serve food and kids eat food...
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 5
Chef 88 is still as good as before, and they also have karaoke in the private room, which is very nice for group and family gatherings, we came to celebrate birthdays, everyone had a great time singing eating and chatting.