Kim Wah Restaurant in Cowichan Bay
1759 Cowichan Bay Rd #4, Cowichan Bay, BC V0R 1N0, Canada
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Chinese Restaurant offering Eat In, Pick Up or Delivery.
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Went to the new Cowichan Bay location a couple of weeks ago. Our server was friendly, clear, concise and attentive. It was kinda chilly in the restaurant. Not sure if the heat was not working properly. We ordered a handful of dishes to try. The Chicken Chow Mein was pretty standard. We also ordered the Cantonese Style (Crispy) Chow Mein - delicious! The Chicken Chop Suey and Dry Garlic Pork were also hot and fresh. However, the almond chicken was too oily and had a weird breading. Not the traditional breading you get for Western Chinese Breaded Almond Chicken. It was also REALLY salty. Overall, I would definitely go back again and maybe skip the almond chicken
Newly located in Cowichan Bay. I ordered a combo dinner plate with a pot of Chinese tea. Food arrived quickly and very hot. My dinner was what I like to call "cheap & cheerful Canadian Chinese". The food tasted good and the portion was large; I walked in hungry and left feeling quite full. Service was quick and attentive. The only negative: I thought it was a bit pricey for what it was. My large heaping plate, along with tea, tax and modest tip, cost me $28. I guess most sit-down restaurants are charging similar prices for a complete meal. Would I go back again? Sure - I wouldn't make a special trip, but if I happened to be in the neighborhood with friends I would try it again.
Many friends told me how good,this place was so three of had Lunch here today. Combo 4 was ordered by everyone and it was delicious Almond chicken was crispy and tasty, sweet and sour pork was delicious but the star of the combo was the chicken chow mein. Loaded with vegetables and chicken, light on the noodles. Loads of flavor. Lots of food and we each took home leftovers. Service was great as well.
Definitely recommend dining in for excellent, fresh, quality local Chinese food. The sweet and sour pork was crispy and fresh. Everything was amazing and portions enough to share. The green tea was authentic and the service impeccable. Thankful to have good quality Chinese food in our local area.
Picked up HS chow mein, deep fried squid, beef and broccoli (sauce on the side) and chicken balls (again sause on the side). Gave us more than enough for my husband and myself for more than 2 meals and was delicious. Glad they reopened in Cowichan Bay as we enjoyed the take out when they were in Duncan. My husband will testify that I am fussy.....will definitely order again!
Adequate food does not make up for poor management decisions and does not align with price. Go to Guangzhou Garden in Duncan instead, even with the drive time there and back you'll get your food quicker. Phoned in a take out order and was told it would be about 45 minutes. Got there 50 minutes later and the line for the till was out the door. Turns out that management will not let the servers take payment for their tables, and only management can staff the till and handle take out orders. This resulted in one person handing all payments for take out and seated tables, with each taking about 5 minutes to process, all while the three servers stand there doing nothing. Servers will usher finished dine in patrons in front of those waiting to pick up. It took about 40 minutes of waiting in line to even talk to the person about my take out order, which to their credit was done and ready... But now cold as it had been sitting for 45 minutes most likely. Food overall was okay, about the same as at a mall, but avoid the Chop Suey unless you like fish, had way too much fish sauce and smelled like Goldstream in the fall. Management should rethink their decision to only have one person staff the till and take out and let servers take payments for their tables to help speed up the process. Maybe have one person to package take out as well.
Very dissapointed. In my opinion, way over priced. $ 17 plus for a tiny cup of wonton soup. I put a tomatoes in the picture to give it some scale. My bill with a tip for pick up was $ 71. I thought we'll it must taste good. In my opinion, it's very, very bad. If you want to throw your money away, here's the place to eat!
Kim Wah Restaurant - Disappointing Experience 😕 We were excited to try Kim Wah Restaurant, which just opened on Tuesday, and decided to visit on Thursday. We sat near the windows facing the marina, which offered a nice view 🌅, but we were immediately put off by the cobwebs along the curtains 🕸️. It made us wonder why the restaurant didn't take the time to clean up before opening. On a positive note, the washroom was clean 🚻. The prices, however, were quite steep for the quality and quantity of food we received 💸. We ordered a wonton soup to share as an appetizer, thinking it would be a large bowl given the $17.95 price tag 🥣. To our surprise, it was a small side soup bowl. Looking at their website, I noticed a picture of the soup, and I honestly thought it was a side dish that usually comes with combos – but no, that's the full-sized $17.95 soup 😬. We also ordered a can of ginger ale ($4.95) 🥤, two egg rolls ($5.95 each) that were clearly homemade but unfortunately arrived mushy 🍤, and a chicken fried rice ($17.95) 🍚. The fried rice was tasty but had very few pieces of chicken sprinkled on top 🍗. The chicken chop suey was decent with a nice mix of vegetables 🥦🥕, but again, very little chicken for $20.95. The chicken foo young was dry with almost no chicken and lacked any gravy 🍳. For a bill totaling $97.62 😲, we left feeling underwhelmed. When we expressed our concerns about the small soup portion and lack of chicken in the dishes, our feedback was met with indifference 😕. The owner simply took our payment without addressing our concerns. I don't want to hurt any small business, but to stay in business and earn return customers, addressing feedback and offering a warm, welcoming atmosphere goes a long way 😊. I'm not saying not to visit Kim Wah, but be aware that it's quite pricey for what you get.
Nice Chinese restaurant the food is great and the service was quick and attentive. It was our first time since this restaurant changed over and we were pleasantly surprised how good it was. We will be back Parking: Can be busy in the summer and hard to find a spot but is never terrible
Waited 45 min for food that was not good. Would not return.
Tried to place order for delivery $70.00 dollar sale, wanted to pay by Mastercard lady said no only want Cash? I said no have Cash here responce was oh well. Bad Business never attempt order from this Restaurant again !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great place
was really excited to go to kim wah since they reopened but it has seriously gone down hill Way over priced. Food was sub par, portion was tinny . 20$ for a single bowl of Soup I would not recommend anybody bother going here.
Delicious food, excellent service and an amazing new location. Everyone must come and try it out. We will definately be eating here or taking home all the time
My daughter combo Chow Mein noodle wasnt cooked was under cooked . And I think their pork noodle plain. Wings in chemainus pork noodle is way better least it has broccoli and green onions with it Kim was just too plain it just has the noodle and pork thats it Food : 1/5
Some of the best chinese food around, They just recently relocated because of a homeless problem around the establishment. Great service snd atmosphere at the new place. Please go and support them as they deserve it and you won t be disappointed.
Great food. Great deals. Discount for cash. The homeless outside are unsightly and make some people worry but they are not inside touching the food so get that thought out of your head. Food is good. Decent portion. The family packs are a good deal to get an assortment. My kids have tried all the places in this town when we drive through and this is the only one they ask for again.
Dietary restrictions: The food was awesome, very tasty! I will definitely go back
Kim Wah is a Duncan institution. However they have suffered first via the pandemic and then secondly by the homeless that for some reason like to set up shop in front of their business. However if you are looking for a hot quick Chinese combo or classic dish like beef chow fun, then this might be the best place in Duncan. I like to go to show my support as I feel they have managed to stay open through the above mentioned issues. Through no fault of their own they have been faced with terrible issues. So whether you like take out or dine in, try Kim Wah. Show them some support.
My family went to @Kim Wah restaurant for dinner tonight and the food and service was excellent! We dined in and really encourage people to support in restaurant dining again.
Good quality smorg
If you re from around here, actually Forgét that, if you re from anywhere near Kim Wah Restaurant for lunch, give this place support. I was the only person in the restaurant, the entire smorgasbord to myself, and as the photos show, IT WAS DELICIOUS. Best DF chicken wings I ve had in ages! Give this place a shout!
Stopped for some dinner with my parents, we got chicken chowmein, beef chopsuey, spring rolls and sweet and sour pork the food was yummy fresh and came out quickly! Definitely recommend
Absolutely horrible... worst Chinese food Ive had in my life. Never again
The worse buffet I ve eaten, from many places in Quebec, Alberta and BC ! extremely greacy, no spice, limited choice. but the staff was great. Never again.
Good place to order take-out. Too many homeless people around this area Food
Sad to see them go. They need a new location.. or even a food truck. Top 20 items.. I hope Duncan can help find them a new location
Good food. Prices are going up and portions are getting smaller. Like everywhere now a days.
Worst Chinese food ever had. It was all batter. The spring roll was unidentifiable. Threw everything in the garbage without eating more than 2 bites of each thing.
Food tasted old and stale, small portions, very expensive.
Really enjoy their food, appears to be overrun with homeless hanging around out front. Takeout only
Great food at a good price
Over priced. And now my stomach hurts.
Good westernized Chinese food. Reasonable prices.
I find the food WAY more Authentic than other similar establishments in our local area,absolutely.I find it very yummy! Well worth the fare!:) When I was a kid in the 70s wed go out for Chinese food Downtown Vancouver once a month (China Town) as I lived near there.This food is the closest authentic and REAL Chinese food Ive ever tasted,been my Fav. choice since a little girl. This is the best in town! I tell no lie. 5 stars! Repeat customer,I go with the delivery,its the BEST! Not their fault its getting a bit hectic around where they are located. Our world is changing for sure. Absolutely Awesome Chinese food,the best in our town.
What did I just eat
Delivery or take out only, sketchy place dont feel safe alot of users hang around there
Food was awful. This place used to be good but now the food is gross. I had half a plate and couldn t stomach anymore. All the food was over cooked, noodles and veggies were mush. We basically threw away 75$ worth of food. So disappointed. Mall Chinese food is better
Charged me the extra 10% when it should have been taken off. When I called back to ask refused to refund the money. Complete crooks. Dont waste your money.
Not the best sidewalk view in front of their restaurant, but good food!
Decent food
Absolutely horrid!! Every single thing was disgusting. I m tired of getting spaghetti noodles with a slice of sandwich meat on top for a chow mien. The chicken balls were all batter, but once taken out, it had a gross rubber taste to it. The fried rice was not fried, it was just rice mixed with a peas, also really gross. The sauce for the chicken balls was tasting pretty weird as well. A few bites of each and it all went in the garbage. I obviously will never go back!! I give this place -5 stars for wasting my money and time. I m at work again now and I m starving!! Thanks a lot!!
Ordered the won ton soup and it is just what Ive been craving! Parking: Parking is easy but it is a sketchier area.
So we ordered after 6pm; three dishes for delivery. Almond chicken came with no sauce. Chicken fried rice, came dry and with old chicken on top (you know that yuck taste of old meat) and we asked if they made dumplings (as they were not on the menu) and with their assurance they did make them ended up getting fried wonton instead...which is NOT deep fried pork dumplings; and no dipping sauce either. (ridiculously lazy) All for $53 plus dollars and just gross quality (our dogs walked away from it)...yikes! Do not order from here. Maybe we are spoiled but is the only high quality chinese food only found in big cities? Come on Duncan Chinese food restaurants, you can do better.
Havent had Chinese since before the pandemic started. Used to visit Kim Wahs occasionally for the buffet. Sometimes wasnt as good as other times but I think everyone has their days. Ordered takeout today and I was very impressed. Hit the spot. They even went easy on the salt. Its unfortunate that they are located smack-dab in the middle of the homeless area but theyve done what they can by erecting fences, etc. Not right to punish a business because of their location. Update: Ive ordered their takeout 3 times since my review and its consistently good.
I had delivery service, so not sure what the inside is like. But the delivery and food was fantastic! Quick delivery, hot food when it arrived and polite delivery person. No problem ordering again.
Been waiting over 40 mins on the same road that the restaurant is on for delivery wow
Great food and service
I cannot comment on the food as they do not understand my English over the phone. Tried twice with no luck
I ve been going to Kim Wahs for years since I was a kid I love the food the buffet is amazing my favorite item is the won ton soup 100%. Yes there are quite a bit of homeless but they keep to them selfs, if you haven t gone there yet you have to. 5 stars
Outstanding Food. Best in Duncan by far. Highly recommend this place if you like good Chinese Food
The food and the take out service was very good. It was our 1st time trying them. We will definitely go back again and order from them.
Good prices and great food
The food was good, but we were very disappointed. We ordered take out and went to the park. The waitress did not send chop sticks or or other cutlery. So we packed the food back up and headed home 30 minutes away. Very disappointing for us. What good is the food without a way to eat it. The food was barely warm when we finally ate it. For me the service is just as important as the food, especially in this case.
Really good food
Ordered dinner for 2 with a side of prawns. It was more like dinner for one. We got 2 little containers of one of chow me In and one small container of sweet and sour which we used to get a tin full. The only usual container was the chop suey which was enough for 2 . And there were 6 prawns the batter was bland. I will not be ordering from there again.
Dissapointed with the skimpy portions. Containers not filled. No sauce for the egg foo young. We spent 90.00 for 4 of us, with no leftovers, which is expensive for what we got
great server Tasty dinner A little bit pricier than I thought it should be But but understand how things have have covidly changed
Good buffet
Kim wahs was very wonderful as it always was, ive been going my entire life growing up. The only thing youll notice quite a lot is homeless people roaming around the area walking an talking usually their polite an will ignore you an carry on with their bussiness. Despite all of that the food an service is very great an is good for a family lunch for example. I recommend the all you can eat buffett considering they charge per plate so load up an enjoy.
Big portions and delicious! friendly staff
What youd expect from Canadian Chinese food. Good prices, older decor, but really pleasant and skilled staff.
It was really enjoyable
I grabbed takeout. Chow mein, sweet n sour pork and almond chicken. Chow mein - disgusting Sweet and sour pork - disgusting Almond chicken - ok This was a disgusting meal
Looking forward to going out to dinner on our date night, we ordered take out from here, oh, it smelled so good in the car, we drove into our back yard and had dinner out. It was delicious, the bok choy, my favorite, was perfect, a bit crisp but hot. mmmmmmm, we do not get out often but we promise the next time we get the chinese food urge, we will be going to Kim Wah. thank you for being open to feed us in this time of uncertainty. Excellent food, check it out.
Dirty restaurant and food not very tasty
This place has been around forever and I ve always enjoyed both smorg and takeout. Some days tend to be better than others for quality but overall it s a great place for when you re craving Chinese food. They ve improved their location situation by erecting fences to keep the homeless somewhat at bay.
I never write reviews, but tonight I felt I had to say, probably the best Chinese food I have had we ordered delivery which showed up super fast, the food was hot and delicious!! Thank you for the awesome dinner!! Highly recco.mend!
Awesome food
cant even get through to order... tried many times and I am going to give up now... fix your phone
Dont waste your time ...or try to complain about the dry rice because you will get hung up on ..terrible food
Order chicken chow mein with extra chicken got 2 pieces of chicken in the chow mein
Above average Chinese restaurant. We had the buffet which was all fairly fresh, a few items missing off the traditional list however what was there was good. The bathroom is in serious need of updating and renovations. Staff were friendly and the price was fair.
Food was okay but the restaurant needs an update.
Well, lets start with the buffet it was bad or should I say worst buffet I had. Too oily and greasy. Rice were super dry not even warm enough to eat. Food smelled weird. I heard bad about the place but still thought how worse it could be. I got my buffet started eating and in 5 mins I paid and left the place and went to the McDonalds near by to have food. They really need to change the way they are working. I couldn t leave a comment without clicking on a star otherwise I would have not even given 1 star. Only thing nice was the lady at the counter.
Small selection on buffet, but items are pretty good. Staff is friendly and service is top notch.
Wide menu choices. Consistent quality.
So awesome
Amazing Chinese food , best in Duncan.
well rice not cooked rite chicken had lil bit blood n my hamburger was hard from 0 too 10 i d give it a 4
Canadian style Chinese restaurant.
IT was the best cause my daughter,(zenobia-starr Nolie) and grandson,(Brock) and son in law, (dion Harris ) and brother ,(wally),it sure in hell wasnt the food,dam sweet sour pork had a hair in it and it was in there for awhile and it was a blonde hair and the Kim wags, they all have black and short only one who has blonde hair is the husky lady waitress and like my daughter said it was in there for long time so take it from THAT point of words but I loved the visit and Roses my daughter got me and got later on when went to store got a nice blouse from brother wally
Love their stir frys.
Woodland chinese much better
The last time I was here the buffet warmers werent working. You can taste the non fresh grease on all the items. This restaurant use to be a staple with consistently good food, sadly that is no longer the case. Dont know why anyone would go here instead of Woodlands new location beside the bowling alley.
Buffet style with menu for those that want it The choices do not seem to vary month to month. Typical western Chinese dishes all are okay none are outstanding but I really do like their won ton soup, no noodles no veggies but good. Price is very reasonable, staff look after you.
Excellent buffet
Smorg.
I loved this place for my chinese food fix but theyve stopped accepting debit payment for delivery :( they only accept cash or credit card now unfortunate because this was one of my top places to order from and i normally never have cash on me
Good food
Good service.
Greasy food prices ok though
Great food lots of choices,and the rice is right!
TOOK A FRIEND IN FOR SUPPER LOOKING FOR EITHER SHRIMP OR SOME SQUID IN THE BUFFET NONE ASKED WHY NOT TOLD THEY LIKE TO MIX IT UP. SO I PAID EXTRA FOR EXACTLY THE SAME ITEMS THAT WHERE THERE AT LUNCH TIME . NOT COOL KIM WAH NEVER RECOMMEND OR BRING FRIENDS AGAIN
Aweful smorg. All the food had a funky taste and not appetizing. I was famished when we came in and lost my appetite after a few bites. Won t be back. Waste of money
Pretty good Buffet and very friendly service!
Fair
Luv the food here, of course I would recommend this place by far for sure!!
Good as usual
Food was ok. I had a hard time finding a clean plate
I ordered food for a dinner for 4. I asked for 2 dish changes. There was a mistake from her end. I don t order Chinese food without my kids being able to have rice well because that s the base of what they eat. I call back in and so the waitress tells me that I was the one that made the mistake..... not only does calling your customer a liar. The next time you want to claim that the customer made the mistake when he didn t I d tell you to choose your words wisely and not try to defend a mistake that was made. I ll drop off your chicken wings on the door.
Great place 2 eat for tha whole family friendly staff
Good buffet to take a pile of hungry kids. Old school decor and menu.
Good consistent but needs imagination.
Food is gross
Food isnt the greatest
The worse food I have ever eaten from there I believe I got the left overs from the buffet
Hadnt been in after a bad experience a couple years ago. Tried again last week, had the buffet. If you like lukewarm, deep fried, battered food then this place is for you. There were two dishes with vegetables, both were overcooked and cold. The wonton soup tasted like wontons in warm water. The only reason its getting two stars is because the server was very pleasant and welcoming.
The service is good and the food is not bad. If I cant have my cousins chinese food. Kim wah is my go to place.
Terrible food, terrible sevice both times Ive eaten here. We will never go back.
God
Arrived at 1:45 pm for the lunch buffet. It ends at 230pm. Over half the items were empty and was told mngmt wont refill so close to ending. She also stated that they normally do not refill after 2 pm. As common practice. The waitress had to specially ask for 2 items I was interested in to be made and the other items were just left empty. 3 different tables (7 patrons) had just arrived at the same time as us. We were also told they would not offer a discount ever on their half empty buffet. Food mediocre at best. Wont be returning.
Great good and service, always a great place for good food
Did take out and cant say anything negative.
Good food bad service
Havent been here in years, will never come back. Food was bland, no flavours except salt. Extremely disappointed in the buffet selection. Loaded with MSG and grease. Nasty.
Great beef chow fun.
It was ok
Sorry but the smorg did not satisfy.
Pork noodle all time best
Waitress was awesome very friendly and helpful
Good smorgasbord
I have eaten at the buffet for years. All the favorites and very frequently all new. Very good value.
Popular smorg especially lunch
Great food
Authentic Chinese. Delicious.
Really bad. Won t eat here again.
The best place to go.
Very good workers here very friendly
The food was delicious the waitress was helpful I will go back again
Sweet n sour seagull was divine. Feline Foo Young was a tad undercooked, I could tell it was calico and not siamese.
Excellent food, nice atmosphere and great people! Highly recommended for those seeking westernized Chinese food. Not true traditional Chinese cuisine but what the majority of people expect and its of excellent quality! Very tasty, I didnt see the bill but it would have to be extremely high to discourage me from order takeout! A+
Went here for my Birthday dinner, its different than it was a year ago. Really good food, friendly staff, nice seating, I recommend the smorgasbord
Good food friendly staff
Food was cold old not the best
No
The food is always fresh hot and delicious. I only ever do pick up orders but still great food and service.
The foods good.. the only actual problem I have with this is the night waitress has the worst attitude
Had delivery a couple times and didnt mind the food for what it is. However, tried to go in for dinner once and the service was horrendous. The waiter complained when we arrived (something about them being busy) and was generally rude, so we left. Wouldnt recommend.
Buffet style, fairly consistent.
Awesome Food and Great Prices ! High Recommended !
Good food and nice place.
The Food was wonderful. The company I chose to eat with was horrendous. Id definitely eat at Kim Wahs Restaurant again. Just not again with the person I went with.
Great Food
THE FOOD WAS AWESOME
Pretty decent selection hot and fresh
good food reasonably priced.
smorgasbord
It was excellent! Came from out of town, and their food was very delicious. Would recommend and definitely would come again~
Buffets.... are supposed to have food are they not...?? Or just empty pans to let u know what was there??? Silly me
Decent Chinese food at an average price
The food is good enough but not great. The smorgasbord is a bit lacking in options. Price isnt too bad though and the service tends to be very personable. That being said it is my most frequently visited Chinese place. 3.5
Not the prettiest place but the BEST won ton soup ever!
Buffet is really good and well priced. Service is good.
Always get the Smorg here and I find it the best place to get it in town!... also order from here for family dinners!!
Best buffet in town. Staff is super friendly and children friendly. Want great food and friendly atmosphere and a super reasonable price? Go here and youll not only be happy....youll be back and often. My pals and I eat here weekly. Super great take out as well.
Staff friendly and competent. Ordered off menu
Greaat food n great customer service
Not the greatest selection on the smorg but was tasty
Ok food better off menu
Not much on buffet trays empty and most looked and tasted like it had been sitting there for too long
We ordered the meal for four- Hardly enough for 2 or 3 people. Over priced, cold and the almond chicken tasted soap.
As long as you hit the smorgasbord at noon and around six thirty its fresh and plentiful . I read a few bad reviews and frankly didnt want to go because of them but we went and its decent ! for 13 bucks for lunch is a decent price to considering at at a nearby sub shop a foot long chicken ranch is 11 bucks . Dont be shy give it a try !
Best Chinese food in the valley.
Service was alright Ginger beef was amazing Sesame balls were delish
This is the most god awful food I have ever eaten. And the host/receptionist is extremely rude - avoid this place like the plague. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY
First time ordering from here and it will be the last, One dish was chop suey, to my understanding it should have bean sprouts, bamboo shoots some onion and assorted veggies. Not a bamboo shoot or bean sprout in sight it was all celery and onion. The chicken felt raw when i bit into it. Gross. The soup was bland and gravy thick, so it got left. Never again!
Great spring rolls.
