The portions at Uncle Ming’s Kitchen are large and economical and well received by a variety of customers
Stephanie Yuen
Sun
(Uncle) Ming Lau and Sharon Lau inside Uncle Mings Kitchen. With less than 20 seats, it resembles a deli more than an eatery. Photograph by : Mark van Manen, Vancouver Sun
I have a confession to make, and should probably throw in an apology, too.
Let me explain.
As a Hong Kong born-and- raised Canadian Chinese, “chop suey” was never in my diet growing up; the same can be said about fortune cookies, which originated in San Franciso.
Upon first experiencing a dish in a “chop suey” restaurant of sliced, deep-fried chicken swimming in a yellowy custard-like sauce, called “lemon chicken,” I twitched, and the awful greasy taste lingered in my mouth just a bit too long. Consequently I find myself staying away from any eatery that looks like it might serve, or bears the sign, “chopsuey.”
That was why I did not consider going into Uncle Ming’s Kitchen on Main Street, a “chop suey” look-alike, until my husband, who works in that neighbourhood, set me straight.
Uncle Ming’s Kitchen is at the south end of Main on the ground floor of a commercial building. With less than 20 seats, it resembles a deli more than an eatery. The tidy but small dining room is often full, though, especially during lunch hours.
“Most of both our eat-ins and take-outs are regular customers,” says Sharon Lau, as she puts down the phone and starts to write down an order of fried rice and pan-fried vermicelli.
“A lot of lunch clients also like to call ahead to place orders.”
Wah and her husband, Ming Lau, have owned and operated this “hole-in-the-wall” eatery for four years. Ming worked in high-end Chinese restaurants, such as Kirin, before opening Uncle Ming’s, and his “woking” skill is well-honed and undeniably authentic. And because his portions are large and economical, his cooking is well-received by a variety of customers.
At my first lunch at Uncle Ming’s, my husband and I shared a beef chow mein off the special lunch menu and a bowl of vermicelli in soup with shredded pork and preserved vegetables.
The perfectly sauced chow mein was loaded with tender, moist beef that delivered a cultivated, not artificial taste — a good indication of Ming’s wokking prowess. Obviously, Uncle Ming’s Kitchen is not just another “chop suey” house.
We have since gone back regularly and have had the pleasure of trying different dishes offered on the menu, all at very affordable prices.
My favourites are Szechuan beef chow mein, with the perfect “kick”; the chicken with blackbean sauce on rice, one of the top sellers; and the Shanghai fried thick noodle, which is comparable to that offered in many Northern Chinese restaurants. My husband loves the vegetable dishes and the sweet and sour pork.
Crispness is the key to good vegetables and Ming does a good job making sure they are not overcooked or overseasoned.
The sweet and sour pork is a real technique tester because when done right, the chunks of pork should be crispy on the outside and tender inside but never soggy; and the sauce is more than sweet and sour but complex, with a hint of teriyaki taste, and should all be gone when the whole dish is consumed. And that is exactly what you get at Uncle Ming’s Kitchen.
AT A GLANCE
Uncle Ming’s Kitchen
8181 Main St.
604-327-7658
604-327-7698
Hours: Monday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Price: $
