Outside Sun Chiu Kee
Sun’s delicious barbecue makes for a dining adventure
I like to eat Chinese food when there is a large group or family dinner. (Nothing keeps uncle Ken quiet like a mouthful of ginger beef.) The other night however I decided to go it alone checking out Sun’s on Centre Street formerly Sun Chiu Kee. The shortened name and minor renovations made me curious to see if the restaurant’s quality and value remain as high as they had been. The food at Sun’s represents a full spectrum of Chinese cuisine. The menu is large with dishes from a variety of regions.
Sun’s is located in the same building as the Lambda Oriental Foods Market. Away from the hustle of Chinatown there is plenty of parking available. I went for dinner on a weeknight. Though the restaurant was busy I was quickly greeted and directed to a table. This is part of the charm of Sun’s: the service is prompt when you ask for it but don’t expect attentiveness — once the menus are put down and the tea is brought to the table it’s up to you to get the server back when you are ready to order.
Unlike other Asian restaurants Sun’s doesn’t provide a separate western-style menu. Right next to your lemon chicken dish is stuffed pork intestine. It definitely makes for an interesting read and encourages you to step outside your comfort zone.
To start I tried the deep-fried pork and shrimp rolls ($12.95) that were actually one large roll cut into medallions. They were crispy with plenty of pork shrimp and mushrooms and served with a spicy plum and garlic sauce. I arrived just in time to sample Sun’s barbecue dishes which are available daily until 6 p.m. You can choose from duck pork or spare ribs with any combination of two for $13.95. I ordered the duck and pork which were crispy and flavourful. The pork was basted in a five-spice sauce and the duck in a sticky hoisin sauce. They were both tender and not overpowered by the rich sauces.
I chose another four dishes (who doesn’t love Chinese leftovers?). The first to arrive was Szechwan eggplant and ground pork on hotplate ($12.95). Somewhere along the way the pork got forgotten but it really didn’t matter as the dish didn’t need it. The shredded eggplant was sautéed until tender and smoky without the woodiness that can sometimes develop when it’s cooked too long. The Szechwan pepper spice was mellow to start but comes into a nice medium heat after a few bites. The onions and scallions added enough crispy texture that I didn’t miss the meat at all.
The Chinese dough fried beef ($12.95) was a great choice — think tender sliced beef with savoury donut-like fritters. The garlic sauce was mild and not too thick lightly coating the meat snow peas and water chestnuts. The deep-fried dough is crispy and resists getting soggy from the sauce. The third dish was tossed clams in XO sauce ($13.95) — a heaping bowl of clams in the shell smothered in a rich brown sauce with black beans and chilies. You’ll quickly give up on digging the clam meat out with chopsticks and scoop the flesh out with your teeth — they’re that tasty.
Sun’s is a fun adventure where you can pick one or two authentic dishes to complement western-influenced classics. The staff is friendly and very helpful when you want to pick something a little different and the restaurant is bustling bright and fun with a variety of people dining in and ordering takeout. For value and quality it’s at the top of my list.
Sun Chui Kee Restaurant is located at 6 1423 Centre St. N.W.; phone 403-230-8890.
