Ali Shan Restaurant

During the school year, Mochi and I had taken a course together which ended quite late in the evening (at around 7:15pm). We usually have dinner together after, and one night we weren’t sure we should go for dinner. Then Mochi remembered this restaurant that was located beside Crystal Mall and suggested that we go there. I didn’t have any objections of course, since they served Taiwanese food and I always enjoy trying out new restaurants.

I have often passed by Ali Shan Restaurant when I go to Crystal Mall (which is not often since I find the mall to be too messy and disorganized) but have never ventured inside before since I have never heard anyone mention the place.

It was busy when we arrived, even though it was already past 8pm. We were promptly seated. The interior of the restaurant had nice decor and lighting, with some flat-screen TV’s. Mochi advised me not to order bubble tea, because they don’t make good drinks here.

I looked through the menu and decided immediately that I wanted to get the curry pork omelette. Mochi settled for the braised beef noodle. We also got Taiwanese chicken nuggets and something called “deep fried yam balls”.

For drinks, we could either choose red tea, or their soup of the day (radish soup). We both settled for red tea.

Red Tea – Complimentary
5/5

This red tea tasted just like the kind that I would get back in Taiwan. It had just the right level of sweetness, and a hint of wheat taste.

The first dish to arrive was Mochi’s braised beef noodles.

Braised Beef Noodle – $6.90
4/5

This beef noodle is like the kind that you would find in Taiwan. They gave a generous portion of beef and vegetables, and the noodles were not over-cooked. The soup base tasted flavourful, albeit a little too salty.

Next up were the Taiwanese chicken nuggets:

Chicken Nuggets – $4.20
3/5

These chicken nuggets tasted alright, but I think that they didn’t add enough basil. “The One” still has the best Taiwanese chicken nuggets in Burnaby.

Curry Pork Omelette – $8.20
4/5

The pork cutlet was nice and crispy, without being too dry, and the omelette was filled with curry rice. The curry was different than the usual curry that I’m used to (I’m used to the Japanese kind; this curry was a bit saltier), but it still tasted good. I enjoyed the potato salad as it helped to balance out the meal.

Deep fried yam balls – $3.50
5/5

This was my favourite dish of the night. It was sweet because of the yam, and had a chewy texture. It was kind of like a mix between bubble waffles and mochi. It reminded me of pon de ring donuts from Mister Donuts (see link here: Mister Donut). For some reason, they don’t offer this kind of donut here in Canada.. Which is a shame, because they are my favourite. >_<

All in all, I found the food at Ali Shan Restaurant to be cheap and yummy. Mochi and I were both stuffed by the end of the meal and still had leftovers to take home. Their service didn’t leave much of an impression on me so it must have been okay. :P

The Good
– Cheap price
– Authentic Taiwanese food
– Comfortable restaurant

The Bad
–  Some food were a bit on the salty side