Review Hope Key Restaurant - Victoria

Feels like coming home to your favourite aunt and uncles! Great bubble tea & Always friendly and fun atmosphere! Funky art and environment, the chairs walls and even the stairs have neat art. A staple in Victoria that we are lucky to have - you must visit. Thank you for your great service!

Decently authentic Cantonese food, ridiculously outstanding service! I didn’t have high expectations of this restaurant given its location, but what a nice surprise! Google review did not disappoint, the service was second to none, we honestly felt like having dined at a friend’s house. Everyone was so friendly, served us spring rolls on the house, gave my parents bubble tea samplers, took time to chat with us, and made sure to make the food extra soft for my senior parents. The decor is quite charming, there is a world map where customers pin where they are from on the map, it’s almost full. :)

Probably the best bubble tea I have ever had. The customer service here beyond exceptional. 10/10

Some of the best customer service I’ve ever experienced. Food was excellent as well. Not greasy, fresh and good quality ingredients. Loved the slices of garlic. The honey garlic chicken tasted of real honey. I’ve never published a google review, but I had to write this one because this business deserves to be recognized for their efforts. Wishing them continued success!

I've been thinking about it for a few days and I have to share. The Chinese food at Hope Key on Douglas was amazing. The owners Brenda and James are an adorable brother/sister duo I believe. The service was amazing, the food was unforgetable. So delicious, not greasy or oily, and piping hot. I have not stopped thinking about it for days now. The spring rolls were perfectly stuffed, the filling didn't fall out in the first bite. The broccoli in the beef and broccoli had an amazing crunch while still being soft. The chow mein and sweet and sour pork were so good. The prices were extremely reasonable with the quality of the food. My party scarfed the food so fast we didn't remember to get pictures. It was so good. I look forward to going back. Highly recommend 5 stars!

Excellent customer service with great food! The food served here does not make you feel like you've over-eaten like most restaurants you go to. The restaurant environment is very neat with lots to look at, you can really tell that the owners put a lot of their personalities into creating a lively, funky, and welcoming space. Will definitely come here again! ☺️

Came in unsure what to expect. The atmosphere is the definition of kitschy, the service was wonderfully enthusiastic & decently quick, but the stand out was the food! While I admit our dish choices were rather "white people Chinese food" in selection... The food was honestly a big stand out from many I've had before. Incredibly flavorful, tender meats, lite rice & noodles and comfortably filling. I highly recommend the honey garlic chicken & pork fried rice. If you're searching for some good eats, this will do the trick and more! I give it 5 stars because I want these lovely people to continue to succeed so more people can come in & enjoy the "Hope Key Restaurant". Xièxiè

I walked by this restaurant many times and was very curious to check it out, and finally went here a couple of weeks ago. I was really only interested in the decor and cozy atmosphere; and was surprised by the unique vegan options, huge portions and wunderbar service. I had the Spicy Tofu Veggie Vermicelli hot pot and it was really really good. They had an option of 1-10 for spiciness and the spices they used were made from scratch in house. The portion was huge and I got 2 meals out of it. I want to try some of their other vegan options next time! My friends had combo dishes with meat and they were really happy with their meals saying that it was some of the best Chinese food they'd ever had. I didn't tell the servers it was my birthday dinner, but they made me feel like it was and went out of their way to accommodate my dietary restrictions and brought me free egg rolls (that didn't actually have any egg in them). The family who run this place are so great :)

We (German family of four) went there and it was really awesome! We had bubble tea, which was excellent as well as the appetizers and the main courses. The service was increadible! The owners were extremely friendly, warm and welcoming!! We highly recommand to visit this restaurant!

Could be one of the most unusual places have been to in a long time but super friendly, warm family services. We went for bubble tea which they did a fine job of but most people seemed to be there for the Chinese. Place is super kitschy. It’s like eating in the weird rec room of some Chinese relatives you never knew you had. Maybe the place has had 5 different owners of the last 20 years and each one just kept adding to the decor of the previous owner. It’s fun. Lots of people in there noshing on the food and enjoying themselves. Food looked like good reliable white guy Chinese but can’t vouch for it. Little bubble tea ‘lounge’ up the centre stairs.

The food is good but the amazing staff and quirkiness are what attracts and keeps its repeat customers.  Not the most exciting food, but the ingredients are always farm fresh and I never feel gross afterwards like at many other chinese places.   There can be some rather odd items in the buffet, from chili to taco's to sushi, but that's all part of the charm.  If you want exotic traditional chinese there are more suitable places, but the food here is quite good despite being rather eclectic.

Buffet Needs Improvement. I was so hopeful but at $12.99 per person, I was expecting more. The dishes were not hot, fresh or tasty. There were odd choices as well - tacos? I recommend they reduce the number of selections and improve the quality of the remaining dishes. Too bad, because the atmosphere is good and the staff are warm and friendly. I didn't order any dishes from their menu so perhaps that would be a better choice.

So Confused!!!!. That was by far the least authentic Asian food I have ever eaten. As we sat pondering why we chose to stay, the host opened up a deep freezer at the end of the bubble tea counter only to reveal the answer to our question of WTF??? No name brand and President's Choice frozen Asian food. FROZEN! Even the plum sauce and soya sauce were PC and No Name... Who serves Club Pack food in an Asian restaurant? The other hot dishes were very odd and quite bland. Tacos at an Asian eatery... Yip, this one has em. I felt horrible for suggesting this place to my friends. There is only one answer for such a high review... Some people were drunk on Bubble Tea and wrote positive things for days.... Save your 12.99 and grab Asian food at a food court or wrestle a seagull on the street for what ever he's attempting to swallow, both would be better options.

The reviews for this place are a bit mysterious. The people running it are lovely - yes, absolutely. Simply the worst Asian food I've ever eaten though - ever. Between the buffet and a preset combo we had enough range to get a read. It was all inedible and we were really hungry. I cannot understand the rating. I would have loved for this place to be good and I'm sorry it wasn't.

Great food, witty and charming hosts. Would come back.

Great food and a very reasonable cost. Hosts were so nice and friendly. Highly recommend eating here.

The friendliest place in Victoria. I have been telling all my friends since the first time I went to Hope Key and met the friendliest hostess, Brenda. Since then, many of my friends and colleagues had thank me for the good tips. This is a family run restaurant, you can have bubble tea, Chinese buffet, or order food from the menu. The place is clean, ingredients are fresh, guarantee not MSG. I saw a lot of foreign students there, because the prices are very reasonable. Over heard Brenda telling one of the young people that she doesn't need any tips from him because his parents are paying for his study here in Canada. I had formed a "Foodie" group in my office, believe me, we had tried just about every restaurant in Victoria. However, I have to go to Hope Key at least twice a month to get my fix. Bon Appetite!

Clashlax. The place is closed for renovations. That may have been something they might have thought to put on their website.

Not bad. But a little underwhelming for a restaurant with a 94% urbanspoon rating. Very friendly staff though, some of the food was decent. Wasnt a fan of the corn in the wonton soup. Really liked all the options in the dessert buffet. Might consider going back

Wonderful atmosphere with the friendliest and most helpful staff ever! We had the buffet lunch and definitely ate our fill! Despite it being a buffet the food was delicious and fresh, and included a wide array of meats (from octopus and fish to duck and pork) and plenty of vegetarian options. Will definitely be eating here often!

Friendliest staff I know. I first went to Hope key about a two years ago, I stopped in with a friend when we decided we wanted to try it out after hearing from co-workers that it was good. Without a doubt it is still one of my favorite places to go to grab something to eat.<br/><br/>The service is by far most one of the best I have ever had. The staff here remembered my name and what i do for a living after I visited for the first time and hadn't been back to it in months. They are always smiling, happy, respectful and willing to hold a good conversation with those customers who would like one.<br/><br/>The food is what I would expect of most westernized Asian cuisine with the exception that I find it has more flavor and from what i can tell they are constantly trying to improve how it looks and feels texture wise. They know the customers their aiming for and the food they want and are working towards reaching those goals quite efficiently.<br/><br/>I highly recommend this spot if your just grabbing something downtown as your hungry and a bubble tea if your thirsty.

I've had better, however the staff and duck are unbeatable!, the staff was insisting that I eat more, such charm!

Incredibly friendly staff and delicious food! What more do you need?. I've walked by this place hundreds of times, and have never given it a second glance until today. I was bouncing around urbanspoon looking for a place to go for lunch, and noticed that this place had a ridiculously high rating with almost 200 votes. Obviously rating isn't everything, but I wanted Chinese and I figured it was worth a shot. Thanks internet! I ordered takeout over the phone, and was greeted by the friendliest woman I have ever spoken with. Ever. No exaggeration. I wish I liked anything as much as that woman likes taking take-out orders.<br/>When I went to pick up my food, which was ready super quickly, I was again greeted by who I assume was the same incredibly-stoked woman. I realize it's her job to be friendly, but nevertheless I didn't stop smiling the entire time I was there. She seemed genuinely excited for me to try what I ordered (the Tuesday Lunch special), and gave me an apple for no discernible reason to round out my lunch.<br/>The food itself was hot, fresh, and delicious, and was all the best parts of north-american chinese food without the usual greasy/salty taste I'd usually associate with it. The price is a little more than I'd usually pay for chinese food and/or lunch, however you got a ton of food so it was pretty much two meals. Not something I'd get every day because of the price, but definitely worth it when I feel like splurging.<br/>All in all, I highly recommend this place, both for the food and the simple joy of another human being being outrageously excited to talk to you.

Delicious, friendly, and with just enough quirk to keep things interesting!. I can't say enough good things about this place! I live in Calgary where Chinese restaurants are a dime a dozen, however I have yet to find many places that offer up anything more than some microwaved pre-frozen buffet leftovers! When I was looking here on Urbanspoon before I left for Victoria for some good Chinese restaurants, I was surprised to see the high rating and number of incredibly positive reviews for Hope Key. So I was determined to give it a try, hoping that it would finally be the kind of quality place I've been looking for. Well, luckily this place was only a short walk from the hotel, so in less time than it takes to tell we entered the restaurant and were already impressed. We were greeted by probably the friendliest people ever (and this is not an understatement - these folks take friendly to a whole new level!) and were led through a wonderfully funky restaurant to our table. Instead of your traditional Chinese restaurant with fish tanks, paper lanterns, Chinese music, and ugly wallpaper, this place was modern, vibrant, and just quirky enough to keep things interesting! A really nifty place, that's for sure! We decided to try out the buffet after hearing good things about it, and boy were we glad we did! The food was probably the best Chinese fare I've ever had. Wonderfully flavourful without relying on salt, fat, or sauce for taste, and each item was fresh and unique. The buffet was a bit smaller than some I've been too, but it still had a good assortment of offerings that everybody can pick and choose from, and also had a much more unique and original selection that didn't include your typical mounds of sweet and sour pork, ginger beef, and lemon chicken. All in all, this was probably one of the best Chinese food experiences I've had, and I will make sure to return here again whenever we are next in the Victoria area. I highly recommend this place to any Chinese food lover, and can guarantee you won't leave disappointed!

Insanely friendly, really good food. Went here with the kids and my 91 year old mother. We all thought the buffet looked pretty good. Lots of choices, with duck, wonton soup, and enough non-meat items to satisfy the vegetarian. Buffet food was good, but it was lukewarm, which detracted a bit.<br/><br/>Mom decided on a mixed item plate from the menu, and she was well satisfied with her choice - we all agreed that we would order of the menu next time. Kids really liked their real fruit bubble tea; because they picked multiple fruit there was some left over and the owner brought us each a little taste of the leftovers in a little paper cup - yummy!<br/><br/>The staff are super-friendly. They greet you like a long-lost relative and make sure the water and tea are topped up. It's just a pleasure to go there - can't wait to go back.

Fantastic!. If you're feeling depressed, head to Hope Key. The place is quirky and cheerful, as are the staff. The food is also very good. Of the four of us, 2 of us usually order the War Won Ton soup. Large soup full of vegetables, won ton and a lovely light broth. The other 2 order chinese. Not the most sophisticated chinese food, more like anglo-chinese, but yummy nonetheless. The Bubble Tea process is also loads of fun for the kids.

Impressed. I am amazed at how friendly the service was. I had bowl of wonton soup with vegetables and a soda. I went in at 1:30 and had my my food by 1:36. The soup was great and I left very happy. I will be back, I just have to remember to go there... kinda like Jackalope, I forget it exists.

I'd like to echo what most others have said about this place. The owners were wonderfully friendly and enthusiastic and we had a great time as well as great food. It was our first Bubble tea ever and we really enjoyed it. We left with full stomachs and big smiles.

Won Ton Perfect. I read the review of Hope Key in EAT magazine. And I've been back twice. The won ton soup is the perfect meal. The first time, I ordered the meat version. The second time, I asked for half meat and half vegetarian. Hope very happily accommodated me and it was a great combination - lots of meat and lots of vegetables. We love Hope and her staff and everyone else seems to as well. We'll be back.

A special place. This place looks basic when you walk in, but there is nothing basic about it: The staff are super friendly, and enthusiastic about the food they serve. The food is excellent, with the Wor Wonton soup being my personal favourite. The duck is to die for, and is obviously seasoned and prepared by someone who cares about food. All in all I think caring is the central theme of this place: they care about the food they serve, and they care about their customers. I can't recommend it highly enough!

Amazing Service - Bubble Tea ...Meh. We were looking around for bubble tea last night in Victoria and everywhere seemed to be closed. My son said there was a place on Douglas St., near the 7/11 that served some. Well, he was talking about Hope Key. I have never been into Hope Key; and honestly, from the neighborhood and the outer appearance I never planned on it either. However, I must admit I was pleasantly surprised with the interior and the SUPER FRIENDLY staff. I would say that I have never experienced such nice and courteous staff at almost any other restaurant (Victoria or elsewhere). As for the Bubble Tea, it was horrible. All of our teas were very watered down and bad enough that no one finished them. The pearls were mushy and quite gross tasting. <br/><br/>HOWEVER, regardless of the bad bubble tea, I will most definitely give them another chance (for food) based solely on the amazingly friendly service.<br/><br/>A++++ on service<br/>D- on Bubble Tea

The owners are smashing in this play. They always say hi and remember me when I go in and I often bring out-of-town friends here to try the bubble tea and marvel at the soft toy collection. The food is always excellent too. I have nearly got enough stamps on my loyalty card now for a free meal! Seriously though one of the best places to eat in Victoria.

Best crab ever! Must preorder it but it is SOOO worth it. I've never had better. Love this restaurant. R

Great food & delightful hosts. Excellent food & service. One of the best Chinese food we have ever eaten. Won ton soup is loaded; no one could ever say where's the meat ! highly recommend

Friendliest ever!. Have to echo the sentiments of everyone else on here. I've been in here a bunch of times over the years and have always had great bubble tea, tasty food and the best service ever. Even if you haven't been in months I swear they will remember your name and always make you smile. Just goes to show how important personality is in a restaurant; no matter how good your food is, being genuinely friendly goes a long way towards making a place memorable. Keep it up Hope Key!!

The bubble tea is awesome, and U've never had more friendly euthastic service. Youcan't help but be in an amazing mood when your there. Great for the whole family!

Took the family to Hope Key for lunch. I don't think we have ever had better service. Good food, great people - we will be back again.

Best Restaurant in Victoria. The staff at Hope Key are incredibly friendly and make an effort to know who you are. <br/><br/>The bubbletea is delicious. The "real fruit" flavours are the best and it is made very quickly. There is a large assortment of jellies if you prefer that instead of tapioca, but you can scoop however much you want into your cup and it all costs the same.<br/><br/>The food is awesome, too! The won ton soup is loaded with veggies, the tempura is light and just what you would expect. A combo for about $10 gets you chow mein and two sides like tempura and sweet and sour pork or almond chicken. The portion sizes are HUGE so you definitely get your money's worth.<br/><br/>They also have a system where for every bubbletea or meal you order, you get a stamp and after 10 stamps you get a free bubbletea or meal.

Best in Show!. This is the number one stop in the city if you love Bubble Tea! The coconut fruit jellies are to die for! And the tapioca isn't bad if you like that either!<br/><br/>The staff is very friendly, and I've gone there so much that they know me by name!<br/><br/>If your an artist you can make a little sketch while there and they will put it up on the wall next to their fruit jellies for everyone to see :D<br/><br/>All in all, its an amazing place!

Hope Key is open for business after putting a new "close to original" store front on. The previous store front was a muddle of a 1957 renovation. This store front copies a 1930's photo. The restaurant is bigger,brighter and better.<br/><br/><br/>-----07 Mar, 2011-----<br/><br/>I meant to say you CAN'T find better service anywhere<br/><br/><br/>-----07 Mar, 2011-----<br/><br/>Super food, I bet you can find friendlier people serving you anywhere. Try "Scotty's special" named after a customer. Got Teddy Bears all around the restaurant. Brenda, the owner goes crazy over little kids, she loves them all. She'll wanna keep your kids. Best of all great fusion Asian food and better service than many fancy places. You won't be disappointed.

OMG ITS HOPE KEY TIME Y"ALL. This place is the best. amazing fresh take on Chinese food. never to greasy and their food is just different enough to set it aside from all other places in Victoria. Their sweet and sour pork is never the same and i like that. It has the best service in town, they make you feel like you are their most important customer, The owner and her brother know how to foster a loyal and enthused following.

Healthy Chinese Food. Hope Key is one of the best chinese resteraunts in town for many reasons. When you eat their food you taste the quality ingredients, it isn't too saucy and feels healthy when you're done. Their deep friend foods are amazing as well, always crisp and cooked perfectly, they use very hot oil. All that and the #1 reason I come back is the service, always fun and friendly. Tell your friends so this amazing little place gets the business they deserve.

Friendliest restaurant in town.. Once you enter the door, you are always greeted with a great big hello and how are you, today ? Hope Key is a laid-back restaurant where one can feel right at home with its overwhelming friendliness. The food is delicious - Shanghai style beef noodle is my favourite and their vegetarian Tempura appetizers are not to be miss. Their bubble teas does comes with real fruits. Never the less a great place to dine.

Best service in town. Have been going to Hope Key regularly since it opened a few years ago. Solid prices. Great bubble tea. And the most personal service in town. Great for big groups too!

Great Bubble Tea. Bubble tea is fantastic here. The best in town. Food also awesome, staff is friendly and fast.

So friendly, great prices and food just boss overall

Great little Chinese place. Excellent prices and portions. Friendliest restaurant in town.