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Went here for lunch and was seated with a bunch of other people who were of small parties. Order 3 dimsum dishes and was pleasantly surprised that the size of each plate was quite large. Taste was pretty good and the servers were not too bad. They occasionally bumped into people who's chair were near their path. That got annoying at times as they were bumping into people and forcing their way to move on. Fortunately for me I was not near their warpath. My disappointment comes from the lady who I believe is the manager or at least one of them if not the owner. I heard her being pushy with some customers and she could learn some manners. When I went up to pay for my lunch she was busy counting the tips. We made a brief eye contact but she did not give me an indication that she will be helping me soon. So I stood there waiting for her to finish her counting. Then she went off to give another person their bill without acknowledging me at all. After several minutes of waiting she finally printed off my bill and I paid leaving very little tip as the meal was spoiled but her rudeness. Otherwise I had a pleasant meal.
I've been to this restaurant a few times with family and friends and found the food quite decent but the service always mediocre. Today, my husband and I went there for lunch and the place was relatively empty at around 1:30PM. After we finished we asked for our bill and finally after we got it, we placed the exact change in the tray with the bill. We were discussing how much tip we should leave when a male waiter came along and looked at the tray and said, "No tip? No tip?" Then picked the tray up, looked at the tray then stirred the money around, as if to count it, dropped the tray on the table and walked away. At this point, I said to my husband, "I don't think he deserves any tip with that kind of attitude". Another lady server came along and scoped up the tray and took off. The male waiter noticed this and went to speak to her. Then he came back and said, "No tip? Don't come back anymore" and proceeded to strip off the table cloth right in front of us almost throwing a bag that was on the table to the floor. Obviously, a hint for us to leave.
Who needs that kind of attitude and service when there are so many other great places we can go to that appreciates our business. These people seem to think that they're service is fantastic but little do they know that word gets around and before you know it, their sales start declining and before you know it, it's goodbye Charlie. Better wake up, Po King Seafood owners. Competition is the name of the game and at this rate you won't be in business long. We certainly won't be going back to were we're not wanted and treated so disrespectfully. Mr. Waiter, don't worry you won't be seeing us again! Goodbye Mack and may you continue to search for that illusive "tip" because at the rate you're going it's going to be slim pickin's!
Like many have said the portions are large. Costs per standard dim sum item are about $4 or so. Food was mostly good but some items lacked a little taste and flavour. Service was ok. The best part was when I went to pay the bill. The infamous surley manager/owner was there. She was a hoot. When she finely saw me she looked right through me chewing her lunch with her mouth so wide open I thought it was some kind of pantomime. She never spoke even though I tried to engage her in conversation. Her countance was of anger and dismissiveness as if by being there I had offended her. I, however, was not at all offended. It was like being singled out for abuse at a Don Rickles concert. Next time I'll try to sit close to the cashier so I have a better view of the floorshow.
The price is one of the cheaper chinese restaurant in Burnaby, and the plate is good. But the service of the restaurant is not very outstanding. When we asked for more tea, the server totally ignored us. In the [siu mae], the amount of meat in the food is just overboard. Too much of the fat meat are served in the food. Food is kind of oily, but i would say going there once or twice wouldnt be a good idea.
A typical loud dim sum restaurant. But this one stands out above the rest. The service is non-existent, the room is large but cramped with many many tables and the wait? Get there early. And yes, they make you hover at your appointed table until the previous patron gets up to leave, it's pretty hilarious. At least its saving grace is large dim sum! So it was the perfect place to bring my Caucasian friends for their very first dim sum experience. We were seated within 10 minutes on a Sunday morning around 1130am. That was a nice change. Never really happens. Food was abundant and the fun part was being able to choose what we wanted to eat from the dim sum carts. There's not a lot of places in Vancouver that have this; most have upgraded to the dim sum order form nowadays. It wasn't very expensive, food was decent but if anything go for a unique dim sum experience. If you're looking for a fancy sit down dim sum place, this isn't it. =)
I was definately appalled. I don't think I have EVER seen anything as horrible as this. I really don't know how to put my experience into words.
My friend had gone into the restaurant to wait in line, while the rest of us park the car. The waitress will not give him a table until his whole entire party was there. That part I understand. However, when we showed up, she asked if we wanted to share a table. When we said no, she was definately disgusted and told us that it will be a very long wait. She also reiterated that same line to the next couple of people.
She finally called out our number 5 minutes later (so much for the long wait). She pointed us to a direction, we went and saw no table. She then walked over to a table, pointed at it (with people still sitting there), tapped on their bill, while telling us that they will be leaving soon.
When I sat down, I was right by the isle. The push carts caught my chair, everytime they went by and when they couldn't really fit to get by, they pushed and pushed until they can.
While the next table had 8 people. After a little while, the lady put two more settings and put new people at the table. The people told them that they were there first and didn't want to share. She told them that she has to do business and this is the way it has to be.
NEVER, EVER GOING BACK!!!!! FOR SURE, FORE SURE!!!!
As a kid, I remember going for dim sum with my family every Saturday. The dim sum was nothing fancy or extraordinary that one might see at higher end restaurant. They are just plain simple dim sum, that I consider comfort food (chinese style). Finally, I found a place that fits the bill.
Po King offers simple, old style dimsum. All the dishes tastes great. And at 2.95 per dish, even better.
Our usual dining gang plus special guests A&E were craving dim sum, and PK filled the bill. They do it old school there, and there were lots of carts with tasty treats on board. I saw the screaming hostess doing her thing, but that is SOP for a real Chinese dim sum place. The restaurant was cramped and dirty (especially the w/c), but well-lit, and service was very good. There were lots of choices and we had all the usual suspects: siu mai, har gow, chasiubow, fung zhou, tripes, shrimps wrapped in noodle, beef balls, etc. We also had sweet tofu dessert, and baked tapioca pudding. All were good, and the price was right. They also did not charge us for tea, which was nice. If you can stand the claustrophobic seating and the noise, you can get decent dim sum here.
Had a dim sum lunch and was pleased with the outing. 5 dishes at $2.95 each. The dim sum are very large compared to other places. A couple of dishes I have not seen before so add an adventure aspect to the meal. Very large and busy place. Loud din to the room as in all Chinese dim sum establishments. Definitely will be back to try the dinner menu.
This restaurant has been a regular for my family and in-laws for the great value and good dim sum they serve. The food is generally very good, and a table of four with ten dishes cost us only $30 dollars.
What really kills this restaurant for us is the horrible service that you will receive. From the table clearers up to the management, there is a horrible attitude that prevails across the staff. From the manager who seats you and drags you by the hand to your table (and yells a hell of a lot at EVERYONE), to the staff who gave my mother a bad attitude as half the dishes we had set were filthy, don’t go to this restaurant if you’re expecting to be treated half-decent.
In a nut-shell, don’t go if you want to be treated with respect. Just go for the good quality, inexpensive dim sum and let your tip (or lack thereof) speak for the horrible service you receive.
I doubt we'll go back again, nothing like being treated like crap to take my business elsewhere.
Went for dim sum on Friday with a few colleagues. We got there around 12:30pm and the place was packed with mostly Asians (good sign). Fortunately, we were strategically seated near the kitchen, so we had first dibs as the carts rolled by. We ended up order 12 dishes, which added up to $44 including tax (but not tip). Great value. The dumplings (we ordered four types) were HUGE and packed with shrimp. Service was typical -- hasty & loud, but hey, it's a Chinese restaurant, so what do you expect? I'll definitely be adding this place to the lunch circuit.
After reading the food-bloggers; I am in agreement that this place could definitely benefit from some staff training, manners and courtesy. The staff - whether it be management or cart-ladies all have an "indifferent attitude" And yet this place was packed and lined-up. Why? Good authentic dim sum and decent prices.
We came for Father's Day and thankfully sent a designate to secure table @ 10:45 for our 11:00 am brunch. We had a part of 11 - so grabbing a large table at that time was fine. The service rotation of the carts here is very good and the selection was excellent.
The problems started when my wife wanted some water. She waited patiently and then decided she would go to bar and grab glasses herself (since self-service seemed the norm for many "regulars") One of the managers was extremely RUDE 2 her and she was less-than-impressed (this kinda dampened the brunch but we tried to push-thru.
Summary: very good, authentic dim sum. Decent prices and central location. However VERY poor customer service and they're NOT changing anytime soon (know this in-advance)
Solid, generous portions of dim sum. Service could use more friendliness and attentiveness. Like other reviewers have said, it is run by the previous owners of the now closed "Big Lai" restaurant near Metrotown. Can get busy during the weekend lunch hour rush, but if you're willing to "share a table" then you should be in and out in no time! Also the restaurant looks fairly new and clean, so that's always a bonus for Chinese establishments.
Even though there's a lot of activities going on with push carts all over the place, everything is run very smoothly. It's noisy, for sure, but that's what you would expect in a dimsum place. It's fun picking out your favorite dimsum, and they sure have a great selection. Service is polite and friendly and food is nice and hot. All in all, it's a very well-managed restaurant. I would recommend this place to those who enjoy this type of dining experience.
I tried to pay my bill, but was told that I couldn't use my credit card unless it's over $30. as per visa/mastercard agreement with the merchants, merchants CAN'T impose a minimum/maximum amount to consumers. i told the manager and the girl at the cash register. she told me it's company policy and was basically told that if i didn't like it then it's too bad. they told me they impose the $30 minimum because credit card companies charge them for the service. i told them that the whole idea of having credit card service is for the benefits of both the merchants and the consumers. and these charges to the merchants are merely the cost of doing business!
Po King is close to my work place, so we decided to try it out for lunch.
The restaurant is fairly large and always crowded during lunch. The decoration is not bad, but be prepared for the noise level. Service is basically non-existent as previous reviewers have said. Don't expect the server to even slow down or look at you when you make a request to them. That's how it is at most dim sum restaurants, so I don't mind too much as long as I get the things I ask for.
The food is slightly above average for dim sum. Their har gow is very good and the portions tend to be a bit on the large side. Stay away from the deep fried squid (it's soggy and stringy). Because it's the cart system, you may sometimes find you're unable to get popular items like har gow if you happen to have bad seating. Price is decent. We go really only because it's in the neighborhood, but it's passable as far as dim sum places go.
My friends and I were itching to try out this new dim sum restaurant. Located next to Denny's, just off Imperial.
Nice restaurant! The lady in charge and some of the staff looked so familiar. Then I remember, this restaurant used to be the former Big Lai Restaurant on Kingsway and Willingdon.
It was nice to see familiar faces again, and I am sure their chef used to work at Big Lai, even their dim sum dishes speaks out Big Lai.
Their food was fabulous. No complaints here. Whats really nice about Po King is that they kept their traditional push carts. I like the ambiance, lots of room to move around and for the push carts too. You don't feel like a sardine.
Will definitely come back!
I understand how the service can put many customers in shock, especially the ones who are not accustomed to the typical "asian way" of service. However, their food is certainly spectacular - we are regulars who visit almost every week! Their dim sum portions are huge, food is always fresh with lots of varieties to choose from. If you want great value, nice dim sum and don't care too much about service, you should visit this restaurant, you may be pleasantly surprised.
I live a block away from this restaurant. That's the only reason why I go here for Dim Sum, otherwise I would much rather drive. The service is passable at best... actually to correctly explain it, getting tea at the start and the bill at the end is about the most amount of service I've experienced in my numerous visits. Mostly it's self serve for me, as I've gotten extra utensils, napkins and even went to look for hot sauce from their serving stations.
The female hostess (I'm guessing is the owner) can't seem to shut up... she's constantly yelling at staff to do this, do that, move this.. clean this... it's a surprise she has her voice at the end of the day. Of course that can explain the lack of service from their staff, as it's probably not fun and really stressful to work for her. She makes you stand next to a table who's finished eating but hasn't even paid for the bill, telling you this is your table... how awkward is that!!?! I've seen tables that felt pressure to leave because of this.
I understand she's trying to run a business and be profitable, but when I go in as a table of 2 and end up waiting and waiting until pretty much everyone else who's waiting for a table, who's arrived after me has been sat down, only because she refuses to give me a larger table ticks me off... chances are my table orders more than a table of 3 or 4 as we always try to have left overs.
Her son and daughter also seem to work her on the weekends... though you'd have no idea they were workers. Some "guy" with slouchy jeans, T-shirt and a bad asian hair cut goes around collecting money on tables, kinda makes you wonder if he's legitimate.. that is until you see him behind the counter and realize he's actually someone who works there.
And finally... a minimum $25.00 just to use a credit card... mind you there's no mention of this beyond the small sign taped onto the cash register.
Why do I return you ask? Well perhaps I'm a glutton for punishment or perhaps in some bizzare way I find her entertaining who knows.. but If there were another dim sum restaurant in the area, I'd drop this in a second!
I'm not sure that there is any dim sum on the PLANET that warrants the kind of heartburn that the service in this establishment will give you. I do recall the very aggressive dim sum captain from BIG LAI but that is nothing compared to the all-round surliness of the almost entire staff at their new location. Asking for hot sauce or more hot water is rewarded with a snappish growl and you'll find yourself soon exhausted and frustrated with the constant whipping around of the head you must do in order to get a miniscule modicum of service. Even with the utmost in cuisine, I'd have a tough time with this place (and I've given it a few tries thinking it might be "just-opened blues") but their not-fabulous-not-terrible food and their horrendous service have permanently driven me away from this restaurant. If you do decide to go there, you will need to take a deep breath and be prepared to bellow back. It's the only thing the restaurant staff here responds to.
| 1. | Delaneys Pub and Store (30 m) | |
| 2. | Great Bear Pub (42 m) |  |
| 3. | On On Wonton House (67 m) |  |
| 4. | Potter's Garden Korean BBQ (74 m) |  |
| 5. | Denny's (75 m) | |
| 6. | Little Caesars Pizza (109 m) | |
| 7. | Han Woo Ri (130 m) | |
| 8. | 508 Bistro (176 m) | |
| 9. | White Spot (195 m) | |
| 10. | Ham Ji Bak (206 m) |
