Went here with my girlfriend and dad a few days ago. Ordered spicy cabbage, sichuan ginger beef and 4 or 5 other things that the waitress recommended, so a pretty large order. Everything came at a reasonable time and it was all incredibly delicious! Nothing was greasy, and there were lots of fresh vegetables and delicious meat. I've been to probably 20+ different chinese places in Vic and this one is by far the best. It may take a little bit longer as it's ran by just the husband and wife, but it is totally worth it.
I think this is probably the most authentic, fresh tasting Chinese place I've been to as well, you just have to reassure them that you can handle spicy and make sure to say Xie xie ni!
I've easily brought more than 20 people here on different occasions. The food is consistently amazing. The portions are generous. The interior is no-frills but when you taste the food you'll come back all the time. I've been coming here for years and I like supporting the family that runs this place. Some dishes to try: eggplant with mushrooms, green beans, sizzling lamb, fish hotpot, black chicken, pepper chicken, Sichuan potatoes, sour cabbage. This is a great place to bring friends who like spicy food because they aren't messing around with those chilies. One of my favourites in Victoria :)
Authentic sechuan that's never dissapointing. Don't order western chinese food! Try the spicy chicken!unbelievable....try the green beans and the eggplant dishes.
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Authentic Sichuanese food in Victoria
Don't be fooled by the name and lacklustre interior - this place is amazing. The chef is from Sichuan and cooks many authentic dishes, including frog, offal and lots of ma la Sichuan-peppercorn-filled delights.
I've only been three times, and twice I was alone, so I haven't tried a lot. That said, the Laziji - Sichuan Chicken on their English menu - is good. It's lightly dredged pieces of thighs and breast deep fried, then dry fried with sichuan peppercorns, garlic, onions, and all the dried chillies in the world. You eat it by picking out the pieces of chicken - don't worry about finishing a plate of dried chilis!
The Sichuan Green Beans are pretty standard and pretty good as well. The Sichuan Dumplings come sitting in that spectacular red oil that is more flavourful than spicy. First you get a sweet, smoky taste, then the ma la and heat from the chilis creeps up on you. They are fantastic.
And finally, the dish that is the best Chinese I've eaten since China: Shuizhu. It's "Water boiled beef" as translated from no. 23 on the Chinese only menu, and called "Fish Hot Pot" on the English menu. (I got the beef version.) Meat is blanched in boiling water, then placed into bowl filled with sui choy, garlic and chili oil. The flavour is very complex and very addictive, and can come spiced medium to extra hot. I got extra and my eyes were watering, but it didn't hurt they way some other spicy foods do - it's a slow growing heat as compared to an in-your-face assault. And it is fantastic.
The wife who runs the front of house is very friendly. She is from Xian, so she doesn't love things that are extremely spicy, but she will recommend an entire meal of Sichuanese food if you ask. As she will tell you, not all Sichuanese food is spicy; some have a little but are more about complex flavours than heat.
Now to try the rest of the menu!
Great Sichuanese food. My wife and I went here in the hopes of finding some true sichuanese food and we were not disappointed. We had the sichuan chicken and green bean dishes. We had to ask for recommendations on authentic style dishes because the English menu doesn't have them. If you ask, they will help you choose something authentic. Also, don't be shy to wave down the staff when you want something, they don't seem to mind!
Mmmmmmm! Spicy Szechuan done right!. As other reviewers have mentioned, this is not Hong Kong food. I've yet to come across Dim Sum or other sweet Cantonese style dishes here. But if you're looking for authentic Szechuan food in Victoria, you have found your one and only stop. Tremendously good and spicy.
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Stop Reading this and Go. Just do it. Do you want great flavorful inexpensive Chinese food? Just go. Don't read the whiny reviews about "bad service" from idiots who want to be treated like aristocrats at every eating establishment they choose to dignify with their royal presence, just show up during their opening hours with an appetite, an open mind, and the desire to eat the tastiest Chinese food you will find in Victoria.
Here's what you do: Show up, sit down, be patient (the entire place is run by a husband and wife so don't freak out if you have to wait a few minutes for your order to be taken). Once she comes to your table, tell her you want her best Sichuan (Soo-Chwan) food, and let her guide you to the right choices and amount of food for your group. You could be super adventurous and get some crazy things (frogs, pig's blood stew, etc..), or a little safer (Chicken, beef, pork, fish), but trust her judgement.
We had the friend green beans, eggplant, fish hot pot and shredded beef. All were fantastic, although the beef wasn't as intensely flavored as the other three dishes so suffered a bit from comparison, although on it's own I'm sure it would be great. We went for "regular" spice, which we found to be good but we could have handled a little more. If you're not used to spice this would be fine, next time I might ask for "spicy". The total for 4 people with enough food to feed us again for dinner was about $55.
This is a true hidden gem in Victoria.
Spicy delicious food!. Went there last weekend with 3 friends and ordered a lot of food off the English and Chinese menu. All 4 of us love spicy food but we didn't see this coming. The fish pot was delicious and so spicy. It was so much that all 4 of us could not finish it. The shrimp fried rice was ok.
I've past this restaurant for years and never bothered to go in until a friend highly recommended it. What it lacks in decor, it makes up in taste.
Great Food. This family run restaurant is very authentic and can be adventurous. The decor is not good, it doesn't look like much from the outside and it could use an esthetic makeover inside. That said, the food is exceptional and with the exception of the 'regular' items on the menu it is true to the Szechuan cuisine. Some items take long to make and therefore cannot be offered all the time. This happened to me once but it didn't matter. It gave me the opportunity to try other equally great things on the menu.
Real deal. Authentic Sichuan food!!! I tried fish hot pot... so spicy it cured my cold in one day!!! Cant' wait to try other dish.. thank you for great food!
So good omg HK doesn't even compare.
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Best kept chinese secret in town.. While this restaurant appears to yell, 'I'm not that great' from the outside (no offence intended), this chinese mom'n pop-run establishment represents everything that is great in the realm of Chinese, and particularly Sichuan, cuisine. On the advice of fellow urbanspooners, I took the plunge and made a take-out order for the highly recommended Lemon Chicken and the slightly spicier but amazing Eggplant & Mushroom with Hot Ginger Sauce. I was absolutely blown away by the flavour and freshness of both dishes, and enjoyed the sweet, tangy lemon sauce that accompanied the crispy chicken. Less western was the richly flavourful eggplant & mushroom, with its saucy goodness, and is just the tip of the Sichuan iceberg! The woman who i paid at the till is both cook and owner, and said that they have a special Sichuan menu, but that it has not been translated. I can only hope that in the future this will not be the case. I would definitely recommend take-out as it is quite stark inside, but who cares when the food's as good as it is!
Thanks for the great food Hong Kong West!
I have been going to HKW for three years and have never been disappointed. The place looks suspect from both outside and in, but their food is authentic Sichuan and not trashy Western Chinese. Hunan Chicken, Crispy Ginger Fried Chicken, Beef chowmein with black bean sauce, lemon chicken with real lemon sauce (gorgeous), Special Chowmein, eggplant with mushroom in a hot ginger sauce (to die for) and the list goes on. They are very nice and authentic people that create amazing food and I hope you will like it. Eleven of us went tonight an it was awesome!
Excellent meal. We had chicken, snap peas & garlic sauces, as well as spicy green beans. Both dishes were delicious. Unpretentious setting. Will certainly return.
My new spot for Chinese food!. Excellent food, nice and spicy and generous portions. Owner is genuine and friendly. Ambiance is just about right for an authentic experience. If you love sechuan food, check this place out. Plenty of parking off the street behind the restaurant.
Great authentic Sichuan food.. Great food. Authentic Sichuan food. Despite the name this is not a normal Hong Kong or Cantonese restaurant, they have great Mainland China dishes. I finally found my favourite dish here done right. I've tried the dish in over 20 places across Canada, but this is the only place that cooks it just like in China. So much more flavour! Ask for the Chinese menu, and if you can't read Chinese, just ask for a special recommendation, the staff is friendly and loves what they do.
It might be a little hard to find, but worth circling around to make sure you don't miss it.
P.S. If you love and want spicy food, they won't hold back. ;)
Best Lemon Chicken in Town. If you are looking for puff balls of chicken with sunny yellow sauce then look somewhere else. Hong Kong West's lemon chicken is like a crispy chicken cutlet with a sweet lemon sauce with real lemons and topped with sesame seeds. It is hard to describe but it is SO good!
The waiter looks to be the son of the owners and he is pretty nice. The tone of the restaurant is casual. The decor could use some work but really, who cares? The food is amazing and that is all that matters.
Other notable mentions: BBQ pork (comes with veggies) and mushroom fried rice.
Nice Family feel. As a Chinese, I know Chinese cuisine is very diverse, and every region has its specialty. This place is well known for its Sichuan cuisine, and the main characteristics of dishese are spicy and pungent. Although so many people (including chinese) complained about the food is not authentic enough or the service is terrible. Come On! What do you expect if the dad and mom cook, and the only server is a grade nine teenager (the chef's child). There are not enough authentic chinese food in Victoria, so it would not be good for the chinese population and locals if this place is closed. I really like the food of this place, and I will keep supporting it no matter how others complain about the quality of this restaurant. For locals who want to try chinese food other than BBQ pork or sweet and sour pork, this is the place to go for Sichaun style chinese food.
If anyone wants to try food in H.K.W for the first time, feel free to message me for recommendations.
I'm a big fan of this place It doesn't look like much but the service is friendly and I've never been let down by the dishes. I regularly recommend this place to friends
Authentic Schezuan food that feels like touching a 9-volt battery terminals with the tongue. A friend, whose food taste I trust, recommended me Honk Kong West as authentic Schezuan food, and added: you need to go with a person that speaks Chinese. Apparen
Amazing food and great service. Don't expect any atmosphere or any North American kind of service if you come here. Will come again when we are in town.
In my opinion, they have the best pan fried prawns in town because I love the addition of celery. I also enjoy the black chicken. Very friendly staff, consistent quality.
I went here a lot before the pandemic. I hope they open for sit-down dining soon. The fish hotpot, black chicken, Sichuan frog legs, yu xiang eggplant, Sichuan green beans, sour cabbage and cumin lamb are some of my favourite dishes! Despite the name saying Hong Kong West, this restaurant specializes in Sichuan food. One of my favourites to enjoy with a big group, sharing the dishes with lots of rice and tea.
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Hong Kong West is a truly delightful Szechuan surprise in a town that generally serves up uninspired Chinese food. I ordered the "Black chicken," which is clearly a favourite among customers. It did not disappoint, nor was it too spicy for my "Western" palette. I also ordered the spicy green beans, as well as the sour and spicy cabbage. The green beans were excellent: salty and spicy in the right measure. The cabbage was, to my taste, too sweet. Lastly, I ordered the mapo tofu, which again was excellent and not overly spicy (I asked for medium heat). This was all a feast, and I returned home with lots of leftovers. Service was terrific; the very helpful server mentioned, however, that when the restaurant is crowded they tend to be slow (hence some mixed reviews online about service). I was delighted by the experience and certainly expect to return. Finding great Chinese food in Victoria isn't an easy task, but here it is at Hong Kong West, an unassuming hole in the wall with an avid clientele of mostly Chinese customers -- improbably, in Oak Bay!
1. A gem in the town
2. Food quality is good, tasty and adequate quantity.
3. I had steam pork buns: it's awesome.
4. I would recommend all to try this restaurant
Edit: Been coming throughout pandemic years and just stopped by again today for takeout. One of the busier day's I've been with a 50 minute wait when I ordered takeout on the phone when it's usually 30-40 minutes. That being said, it is new year's! Worth the wait every damn single time. They've updated their menu with the first two pages being "western" chinese food, the next two pages being completely in mandarin. We always order 左鸡 (general tsao's chicken), 豇豆肉末 (pickled green beans with ground pork), 蚂蚁上树 (essentially rice noodles spices & ground pork) +/- a veggie dish. Freaking delicious.
First tried this place at the beginning of the pandemic, has since been part of our usual rotation. The chef is lovely and will always tell you if she doesn't recommend an item due to ingredient freshness/availability etc.
The food was great at Hongkong West. We had the black chicken (garlic peppercorn chicken in the menu) and garlic green beans. We could have eaten them again and again! So good! The atmosphere is a bit run down, but don't let that scare you off ... the service was excellent as well!
Such a great authentic spot! So spicy and great flavour. Easy-going and great place for birthday dinners!
Okay so they clearly don't need my review, but it is so good I have to write one.
Ice cold beer in ice cold glasses..."it's a good first sign"
The hottest wok in town (and likely no other restaurant would ever get one approved through the city).
Blackened Chicken is the most famous dish (sticky sweet and sour...not black from fire).
But I love...
Steamed cold chicken - hoisin, sesame paste and chili sauce.
Spicy Green Beans
Shredded pork in spicy ginger sauce.
NONE of these dishes are on the regular menu (read: for white folks...yawn!).
Please don't order from the regular white guy menu (read: I'm an old white guy).
The food is so addictive and no other restaurant in town serves such tasty Sichuan dishes...oh and you get tell them how spicy...I can eat Thais red chilis, but can only do "medium" here.
So tasty.
Just a great place for really tasty food.
Please support this place… worth the wait and prices are still well worth it.
Best Chinese/Sichuan restaurant we have ever tried in the city! The owner/Chef was originally from Sichuan. Reasonable price with a good amount of food. Will definitely go back there again.
The Special Wor Won Ton soup, pork dumplings, and green onion pancakes were all we had but they were the best I have ever had! The flavors were fantastic. I would highly recommend eating here!
Another fantastic dinner. Aromatic and delicious dishes. Especially love the fish hot pot, sweet and sour shredded potatoes, cumin lamb, and the egg fried rice is heaven. Go with friends, you’ll want to share.
Hands down my favourite chinese food place in Victoria. We went one time when it was slow and asked the lady to make some recommendations. It was the best decision ever. She was so sweet and kind. The food was unbelievable. Especially the black chicken (I think thats the name). We also had a great beef and garlic shoots dish, good beans. Oh boy, getting hungry just thinking about it. A little bit on the pricey side for only a few. Go with a bigger group to get more variety at a better price. A real hidden gem.
BEHOLD!!!
Some of the best food in Victoria overall. The staff are so lovely and kind.
I have been frequenting for years and have exclusively had wonderful interactions and wonderful food from this wonderful establishment. I cannot say enough good things.
Please try the mapo tofu (extra extra extra spicy), the #3 Ko Shui Ji, the sezchaun green beans!!! The mapo and green beans are both vegetarian/vegan and so so delicious.
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