G I N.
Yelp
2019-09-01. Keung's Delight. Markham, ON.
Located on the cusp of Toronto's border Keung's Delight is technically in Markham, Ontario. The restaurant resides in a plaza situated at the Northwest corner of steeles Avenue and Warden Avenue. Sharing retail space with dozens of other Chinese shops and restaurants, including a T&T Supermarket, Keung's Delight blends in like a face in the crowd.
Your visit here begins by waiting, and not at the Greeter's podium inside the restaurant for a table either. No, you wait begins in the parking lot, as you seek a spot wide enough to wedge your vehicle in. Despite the few hundred spots available, finding one can be cumbersome. Knowing the drill, I dropped off my party at the front doors so that they can queue up for a table while I did the same for a parking spot. Fortunately, the Chinese are all about turnover as much as they are about sales, and gambling is in our blood. Pick a person leaving, and follow them to their vehicle, then take their spot as they leave. Sometimes you hit the jackpot and get a nice close spot, other times--well just be glad you got a spot! There are no losers here, except those that constantly drive around waiting for a spot to open up and no one following. Despite the congestion in the parking lot, I was able to find a spot relatively quickly, but then again, it's a holiday today and traffic is lighter than normal.
Keung's Delight storefront posts "Keung Kee Congee", the same name as its other location at Hwy 7 and McCowan. They're known for their congee, and the reason for our patronage today. When I arrived, my party was just about to be seated (they were leading us to a table that was being cleared and wiped down -- also typical of Asian restaurants). After taking our seats, a setter came with place settings and set the table for us. (also typical so don't freak out). This is not fine dining with white linens and silverware, so get used to it.
Like Congee Wong or Congee Queen, their menu is extensive. Serving a massive array of dishes from appetizers, to dim sum, to light meals, to full sized dinner entrées (I've got menu pics, so see for yourself!)
We went with a bowl of Century Egg and lean salted pork congee, a dough fritter, Portugese baked rice, dry fried wide rice noodles (hor fun) with beef, something something mustard greens, deep fried tofu, and for dessert sweetened tofu pudding (douhua).
Congee. While it's easy to say you can't mess up congee, you actually can. But they didn't here, Keung's is known for their congee, and caters more to the Hong Kong crowd with less salt. I thought this dish could have used more egg and pork. 2 stars.
Portugese Baked Rice with Chicken. The first time I had this dish, I loved it. It was saucy, flavourful, loaded with chicken, potatoes, onions, bell peppers, and draped with a blanket of cheese that was baked to a crisp. The result was a crispy top, a gooey melted second layer of cheese blended with all the goodies and and rice. The bar is high for me with for this dish, and Keung would need a step ladder to reach it. 2,5 stars.
Dry fry rice noodles with beef. This is a simple dish, wide rice noodle, wok fried with bean sprouts, soy sauce, green onions or leeks, and strips of tenderized beef. Here they subbed cabbage for the bean sprouts, and killed the dish. 1,5 stars.
Deep fried tofu with pork. The block of tofu was ginormous, and dwarfed the pork on top. The sauce was lacking, but the deep fry was excellent. Unfortunately it was not enough to carry the dish IMO as tofu is very bland. 1,5 stars.
Mustard Greens. This dish came with a meat and veggie medley. Flavors were nice and the diced mixture provided some texture to the dish. There was also a sauce that complemented well. A decent dish. 3 stars.
Tofu pudding. This came in a separate pot. It was made fresh, and the liquid sugar came on the side. The staff also knew to wait until after our meal to bring it out. The pudding was super smooth and the container was insulated and kept it warm. The order was enough for 6 servings. No disappointment here! 5 stars.
Keung's came off with a rocky start, but finished strong. Overall, I was more disappointed than satiated, but this is but a small sample of their menu. This experience for me was one that sub par, 2,5 stars rounded up to 3.
If You would like to experience more, come dine-with-me.yelp.com I'd love to have your company... Bon Appétit!l
