Ying Chow

Overview

This is not a lazy susan and white table cloth affair. Rather, a trip to Ying Chow on Gouger Street is an opportunity to curb the insatiable cravings that have been slowly intensifying since your last visit.

The shallot pancakes ($5.50) and Chinese greens ($11.80) are the two plates we can all agree on — and always need more of than we initially think.

From there it's a free-for-all. The goal: persuading the rest of the table to share your personal favourites. Salt and pepper everything ($13.80–19.80), BBC ($13.80), and the tea-smoked duck ($18.80) usually find their way onto the table.

The dining experience is short, sharp and shiny. And, even without a reservation you'll find yourself parked in one of its red plastic chairs in no time.

The lighting is harsh, the service is snappy, but the experience as a whole will leave you satisfied every time. And the food is always good.

Ying Chow offers a $3 unlimited corkage fee, perfect for starting off the night there, and remains open until 1am for a feed at a later hour.