Faley Restaurant

A small restaurant located in a small strip plaza, that if you weren't specifically looking for it, you would never know they existed.  The reason why we chose this place for lunch was because it was near my friend's home, and because I'm always on the hunt for good Hakka food.  When I go to Hakka places, I always order chilli chicken.  I made the mistake or ordering chilli chicken wet (with gravy) once before at another restaurant, dislike.  So I made sure to order it dry this time.  So good!  Had good garlic, onion, and of course green chilli flavour.  Perfect when eaten with plain white rice.

Chilli Chicken

Friend ordered Manchurian chicken.  She didn't like it so much.  She ordered it wet (with gravy).  We were trying to figure out what the difference between chilli chicken and Manchurian chicken was, because both dishes tasted so similar.  In the end we couldn't' figure it out.

Manchurian Chicken

Since we went for lunch on a weekday, these were lunch specials.  I can't remember for sure, but I think it was around $7 each.  For the amount of food, thats a great price.  Too bad I live so far away.

Faley Restaurant
62 Overlea Blvd.,
Toronto, ON
M4H 1C4

Phone:  (416) 423-3222, (416) 423-4420

Hours:  Monday - Thursday 1130a - 1100p
             Friday 1130a - 1130p
             Saturday 1200p - 1130p
             Sunday 100p - 1100p

Hakka 77

I was bored one night and discovered this somewhat newly opened Hakka restaurant close to home.  I love the chili chicken at Lin Garden in Scarborough, but I haven’t gone in a very very long time.  Mostly because both the hubby and I can’t stomach spicy foods much anymore.  But occasionally, I’ll still get a craving for chili chicken, with no where to go….

I still don’t really know what Hakka food is.  I always thought that it was a fusion of Indian and Chinese cooking.  But my cousin says, my maternal grandmother is Hakka, made much different food than what is offered at Hakka restaurants here.  Sadly, my grandmother doesn’t cook much anymore, so I won’t be able to make the comparison.

One day when I was working from home, I decided to check out Hakka 77 for lunch.  I called them over the phone, put in my order for the chili chicken lunch special, and picked up 10 minutes later.  The lunch special included a vegetarian spring roll, a hot and sour soup or can of pop, and your main dish on white rice.  Portion wise, for the price that you pay is quite decent.  I can’t remember the exact amount, but for some reason $7 is standing out in my head.  But taste of the chili chicken is lacking.  There was enough gravy for the rice, but it just tasted soy sauce salty with a bit of spice. 

Chili Chicken Lunch Special

I guess if I was desperate for some Hakka food, then maybe, but I think I would make the trip to Lin Garden if I had a real hankering for chili chicken.

Hakka 77

165 East Beaver Creek, Unit 28

Richmond Hill, Ontario

L4B 3P4

Phone:  (905) 707-7707

Hours:  Monday - Friday 11:00a - 10:00p

             Saturday - Sunday 11:30a - 10:00p

Frederick Restaurant

I love me some Hakka food.  The only place that has me wanting more is Lin Garden in Scarborough.  But it's been quite a few years since I have gone back, just because I've moved far enough away where it's no longer convenient.  As I was walking my dog during the summer, another dog wanted to come and play with my dog.  The owner came up and we started talking.  I'm not sure how we got to the topic of Hakka food, but he claims that Frederick has the best Hakka food.  Again, I should have been wary about that.  I've heard too many "best of's", and it never goes well.  But we decided to give it a try anyways.

Frederick was very busy that night, all the tables were filled, and the lineup for takeout was to the door.  Food must be good right?  For the three of us, we ended up over ordering.  We ordered the beef pakoras, vegetable manchurian fried noodles, chilli chicken and mushroom with broccoli.  The beef pakoras flavour-wise was pretty good.  There was an appropriate level of spiciness. I was expecting chopped/ground beef in a flour mixture deep fried.  But it was a slice of beef in a flour mixture deep fried.  The flour mixture texture was unexpected as well.  It was kind of gummy, maybe it's heavy cornstarch based?

Beef Pakoras

Vegetable manchurian fried noodles didn't have any wok hay.  It just tasted like oily spicy noodles with red food colouring.  They honestly weren't that spicy either.  Very disappointing.

Vegetable Manchurian Fried Noodle

Chili chicken is a must order when you have hakka food.  I had high hopes for this dish.  How can you call yourself a Hakka restaurant when your chilli chicken sucks.  And to my disappointment, the chilli chicken sucked.  The flavour of the chicken was like soy sauce chicken.  There was no heat.

Chilli Chicken

Mushrooms over broccoli, just another veggie dish that has been overly salted or soy sauced, and overly thickened with cornstarch.  The sauce was of a glue like consistency.

Mushrooms with Broccoli

Not worth the drive, or my time to go.  Will most likely never go again.  Just go to Lin Garden.

Frederick Restaurant
160 New Delhi Dr.,
Markham, ON

Phone:  905-472-1682

http://www.federickrestaurant.com

Chilli Chicken House

The first time I tried chilli chicken, I fell in love.  I loved the spiciness and the burning sensation in the mouth.  Not too much to kill all your tastebuds, but just enough to make you wake up.  This was at Lin Garden in Scarborough many years ago.  

Now that I live and work nowhere close to Lin Garden, I haven't had any chilli chicken in a long time.  That and the hubby is a wimp when it comes to spicy foods.  Lucky for me, my coworker is from Honduras and can take some serious spice.  We can across this restaurant on our search for our weekly Friday lunch outings.  She craved General Tao Chicken and I craved Chilli Chicken.  The lunch special includes rice and the option of a pop or a vegetable spring roll.  Because we wanted veggies, we decided to order vegetable pakoras as well.

I was told the General Tao Chicken was very good. I've never been a fan so I can't really comment on it.  The Chilli Chicken, not the same as what I remember if I compare with Lin Garden.  The sauce seemed more soy sauce based.  Not enough spice.  Just overall, not as good.  The vegetable pakoras were very good.  Lots of spice and heat and you can see the veggies.  Portions were big, so if you like quantity over quality, then head on over to Chilli Chicken House.

General Tao Chicken

Chili Chicken

Vegetable Pakoras

Vegetable Pakora Inside

Chilli Chicken House

4040 Creditview Road, Unit # 25
Mississauga, ON L5C 4E3
Phone: (905) 232 - 1199

http://www.chillichickenhouse.com/store_hours_location.php

Hours:

Monday to Thursday: 11:30am - 10:30pm

Friday:  11:30am - 11:00pm

Saturday: 12:00pm - 11:00pm

Sunday: 12:00pm - 10:30pm