Sparkle Northern Chinese Cuisine in Hamilton
165 King St E, Hamilton, ON L8N 1B2, Canada
About
A long menu of Northern Chinese fare is presented with beer & wine in simple, modern surroundings.
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I don't know why the low rating, I'm from Northern China and hubby is Italian and we both love this place. Food is well made, staff is friendly, and menu is big with pictures and restaurant is clean. Had Sweet & Sour Pork and Soy Eggplants today, both were awesome. Going to try something new every time until we make our way through the menu 😋 Price was good too, under $20/pp after tax and tip and we left very full.
This restaurant used to be very authentic, but now the food is completely different and of poor quality. The eggplant dish (鱼香茄子) has basically no eggplant, just a bunch of starch, and does not taste at all like how it should. They substitute cold noodles (凉皮) in the "salad" with regular vermicelli as well. These are just some examples. Understandably these times have been hard on restaurants, but I would not order here again. Very disappointed. Hope they can go back to making authentic Chinese food again.
This was one of the weirdest experiences I've had. Buckle up buttercup. I live right around the corner from this place, and couldn't handle having a potential hidden gem of a restaurant at my doorstep if I didn't try this place. So I went in on a weeknight, and it was completely empty and the decor was super dated. When I asked for the menu & couldn't decide, one of the three waitresses who were standing idle came over to try to assist me. All I asked for was a chicken dish with some veggies and maybe some rice. I also definitely understand this is NORTHERN Chinese cuisine, which is nowhere near traditional Chinese food, which is why I asked for assistance. The menu is so big and so confusing. After about 10 minutes of her not knowing how to navigate the menu, someone who I can only imagine to be the manager, chef, or owner came over and recommended the chili chicken stir fry with veggies and a side of white rice. I said sure, and proceeded to pay approximately $15-$18 for that. I was then expected to sit and wait while, over and over, all I could hear was the microwave door opening, closing, beeping, and slamming. For probably close to 10 minutes. I was so uncomfortable. There were no other sounds of cooking other than a microwave, and trust me, you could hear a pin drop in that place it was so empty. I decided to confront one of the waitresses on what was happening back there, I mean we could ALL hear it, and she couldn't really answer me. I asked if they were cooking my food at all, or if it was all frozen. She said they were defrosting so they could cook it fresh. I felt like I was on an episode of kitchen nightmares. When I finally got my food home and dug in, it was really disappointing. The sauce on the chicken and stir fry was so incredibly salty I couldn't really eat it, and the rice was plain (which was as advertised). The portion size was a little small for nearly $20.00. Please understand I hate leaving bad reviews. I think they could really do well if they reduced their menu, got some fresh ingredients & maybe updated the space. I'd love to have a local place I can go to when I don't want to cook once a week.
The food from here is actually quite delicious and reasonably prices, but they definitely have problems with getting the orders completely accurate. We've ordered take out from here a bunch of times, and it's either taken a good deal of time to arrive or had a wrong item in it. When we got the food, however, it was generally quite delicious. I find that their portion sizes seem to have gotten better recently, not to mention the meat ratio in dishes has gotten better. Quite good value overall, but note that this is quite authentic (and oily) Northern Chinese food.
Well...first off..not typical western chinese food. Menu has pictures for most of the food. Prices are a bit high , portions are small for some items. I paid $32 for 3 items.. Very Tasty!!!!, Call ahead. It's a long wait.
I love it, I’m here right now and the waiters were so polite and everything was so well made! Totally recommended
I am completely blown away by how different my experience was than some of the people who previously posted reviews here. Actually in my mind this was not only an authentic Northern Chinese restaurant but the food was exceptional, and the service was very prompt. I would caveat the latter point by saying we went on a Thursday at 10pm so maybe the fact that the restaurant was not busy helped in terms of service. I am not willing to rubuke that this is authentic Northern Chinese and that the food was quite honestly amazing. Regardless of some of the more negative reviews here, I highly recommend you look past them and that you try this place, I think you are going to love it. We did, and we will be returning because honestly, the menu is like 30 pages long with so many good options you can't sample everything at once. Food pairs great with a cold Tsingtao.
Its the best Chinese food in Hamilton. It's needs a few finishing touches, and the dine-in experience isn't remarkable, but the prompt delivery of northern Chinese fare will more than make up for it. I love the smoked pork pancake rolls, the glass noodles with sauerkraut, and the pork with spicy peppers. Don't expect chicken balls and tacky red and white cardboard boxes.
Great food and portions . Would definitely order from here again
The rubbish shop put up an empty number on Google, making my trip in vain.
junk shop
This is my first time coming here. The taste is different from those restaurants in Toronto. It suits my taste very well. Thank you Brother
good
Very very very unpalatable.
I go back to this old restaurant every year for gatherings with friends. Memories from when I first came to Canada~ There is no need for a menu when ordering food. Recommended cold dishes: tiger dish and intractable diseases; vegetarian dishes: stir-fried cabbage noodles and meat dishes: chicken pot and grilled skewers. good
The Chinese food here is very authentic from northern and central China just wished they would allow dine in like they used to before the pandemic.
The food is small, greasy and salty, and the beef patty looks like it was heated in a microwave. I won t come here again.
Completely different (and tasty) take on Chinese food ! Ordered a variety of dishes and all were really delicious. As another reviewer stated, its definitely not your regular Chinese food. Recommended !
I ordered more than $30 worth of food from here through Ubereats. I was craving for some Chinese food and without checking reviews I gave this one a try. I regret that. My braised pork with potatoes was mostly soup, fat and mushed potatoes. Meat? I actually measured it, not even filled 1/4measuring cup.
Great food and location
If you want good Northern Chinese food, this is the place to go. The prices are good and the dishes are full of flavour. My favourite dishes here are the Braised Pork Belly, Brain Intestine in Brown Sauce and the Zha Jiang Mian.
Food ranges from good to bad, but this place appears to run by a 16 year old girl who does not speak English or think much. A $60 take out order was prepared with abut 3 items missing. This took half an hour to get. I guess she didnt tell the kitchen to do my take out right away, instead of doing the 15 people who came in well after me. As I left I asked if another bad was for me.She said no. Guess what? Two main dishes were missing. So I phoned. This is where not knowing (or pretending not to know) how to Speak English really comes in handy.
Come late busy lunch. Service on point.
We were really impressed. The menu was in English and Chinese and had plenty of colour photos to follow. The resto was recommended to us. We knew this was Northern Chinese so we didnt expect bobo balls, but this was clearly authentic. The prices were entirely reasonable and everything was delicious. We will definitely be back.
I placed a order through Ritual and went to pick up my order. The staff seems confused and insisted that I pay for my order at the restaurant even though the payment was made through the Ritual app. It s how the app works. She the claimed she had no idea what Ritual and that the restaurant had no relationship with the app even though they are clearly listed and she managed to have an order with the exact items that I had request in my Ritual order. I explained the conflicting details and showed the restaurant clearly listed on the app and showed them the receipt the app produced showing full payment of the order. She insisted that I pay again or leave without the food. So I left wasting 45 mins for my meal to be prepared but never served to me.
This place is very authentic, including the atmosphere. My husband and I lived in northern China for a year in 2014 and since then weve periodically crave some northern Chinese food. Sparkle delievered that. However, they are not like the regular restuarants as there is no music or pleasant servant being attentative. If you want an authentic Chinese small town restuarant experience, this would be the place to go.
Expensive, good food especially the spicy shredded pork.
It s unpalatable, I feel that some dishes are not cooked very well, and many vegetables and meat are even moldy
The service attitude of the waiter is not good. He can t be called and is very careless. Can you please not hire untrained college students to serve you better?
I ordered there pork dumplings and ended up puking for 3 hours DO NOT buy these
I had to go to the ER after I ate here.True story. Plus delivery took 2 hours.
authentic chinese food! tastes like home!
Excellence food provided in the restaurant. There are a shortage of staff and careless mistakes occur very often. The price is acceptable and is capable for a better price
The cabbage was covered with moldy spots...Both the boss and the waiter said that all cabbage looks like this, so it doesnt matter if you eat it. I dont know if black mold is harmful to people, but at least restaurants should serve mold-free food. Worried about the hygienic conditions of Gourmet Meike...
Very friendly, authentic menu..
The BBQ and cold noodles are very good
AUTHENTIC WARNING. Ive been all around China and I loved the northern Chinese food. This is NOT western Chinese food, this food is what you would actually have if you went to China. Western Chinese food doesnt even exist in China.. This food is amazing but if you arent ready for a piece of China youll be quite shocked.
This is my favourite Chinese restaurant in Hamilton. The fish and peppercorn stew is unforgettable. I also love the cabbage and noodle dish. Highly recommended if you enjoy exploring the flavours of the world.
Authentic north eastern Chinese food.
Just had my first meal from here, fried fish fillet with onion and green pepper. It was delicious, the chilli was a pleasant surprise. Im definitely coming back to try some other dishes.
Delicious, authentic Chinese food at a reasonable price. Quick delivery. Best Chinese food in Hamilton.
Not a bad place to eat, it serves more authentic northern chinese food which isnt to everyones taste, although dont expect service to be amazing
My wife and I went a few times, but stopped when we found a cockroach on the table, presumably was riding the bottom of one of the dishes we were served. Service has gone downhill since we started going, often of late, the wait staff prefer to chat at one of the back tables then check on the diners paying their salaries. Begrudgingly, I will say they serve a few good dishes, but the place desperately needs some sanitizing and renovating.... Might try em aga andin the fall, if theyre still open!
Best Chinese food in Hamilton so far Service needs improving
I lived in Asia for 6 years and in my opinion this is the best most authentic Chinese food in Hamilton. My fav is the lamb skewers! You will not find any b/s food here!
Rubbish fooled
The beef braised noodles are also delicious.
Fried noodles are cold.
I saw a cockroach crawling up restaurant wall and egg shell in fried rice... it ruins my dinner...
tasty.
Forbidden city is where I thought I was ordering from. Sparkles food was nothing in comparison.
Would u like to have your meals in a public toilet To be honest, if u wanna eat dog food , be my guest.They also have the worst service in the universe, like they hire those high school students who are neglected and spoiled .If u really wanna ruin you and your friends good mood of the day , just walk in! These are from the bottom of my heart!
90 minute wait for a soup
Poor service. No tea for a Chinese restaurant!
Great authentic food
The food is very authentic and the service attitude is also great The best Chinese food I have eaten in Hamilton
Food was great. They kinda changed my stereotype of Northern Chinese food.
The food is great, however, the service is the worst Ive ever experienced in my life. Weve been here 3 times and have only been able to dine once because, and I quote, The chef is not in yet which made no sense because the open sign was lit and it was about 12 - 1pm in the afternoon. Also the place is not very sanitary. My glass was extremely dirty and the tables were not cleaned at all. If not for the good food I would not be coming here ever again.
Good REAL Chinese food. Environment is not really good, and they need extra charge if u pay Visa
Took 1.5 hrs to deliver food while told me today is not busy and you will get your food soon.
I love it its like one of my favorite restaurants in Hamilton but I dont go there as often as Id like to if I could I go there once a week if I could if youre looking for authentic northern Chinese cuisine then thats the place to go
Dont come here. Food was either undercooked or filled with MSG. Their (eggplant stew) was deep-fried?! If you cant master classic chinese dishes, its simply not authentic chinese food.
It used to be good, but now the food is not cooked well, and the glutinous rice balls are not cooked yet! ! !
Best and most authentic Chinese in the City...you just need to learn how to navigate the menu. I recommend the Northern Style Pork, the spicy glass noodles, and the eggplant with minced pork/ beef. Plus, the beer is cheap, so its a great place to go on a Sunday evening, when the Beer Store is closed, and you just want to sit alone, eat and drink, and not be bothered by the outside world. I always recommend this place.
Its great seeing authentic Chinese food for a change. Pros: Delicious and exotic dishes Cons: Depending on the persons pallet, some of the dishes arent for the squeamish. Overall a very good place to checkout.
Great place to eat but is hard to make yourself understood when ordering, because there is hardly English speaking staff that make it hard to order sometimes. And if you phone the people in the other end answer in their mother tongue language so is hard to be also understood. Very frustrating for customers.
