Posted on 06/08/2011

Address: 5682 Fraser Street, Vancouver

Invited by Alvin Lim of the RVCC, I made my way to Fraser & 41st for an early lunch. Niftily catching an empty parking spot in the cramped and tiny lot I made my way into this rather unassuming (from the exterior anyway and even the interior is plain-looking) restaurant. As I surveyed the red signed establishment, it came to me once again how there are so many hundreds of small Chinese-food (mostly Cantonese) restaurants in Vancouver that were it not for those trusty souls who could be bothered to notify me of their presence I would never know the culinary treasures within! Such a guy is Alvin, and many thanks go out to him for introducing me to this one.

This eating house has a neat, clean and pleasant environment about it. One of the many round tables, spaced far enough apart from each other, would make a decent lunch or dinner outing for entertaining family, friends or business associates.

Menu: (page 1-2), (page 3-4), (page 5-6), (page 7-8), (page 10).

House Special Shredded Chicken (Half)(Cold Dish) $15.50

My first delighted surprise here at Koon Bo was this chicken salad dish. Wow! The flavors all balanced perfectly, the sesame oil sauce not too much or too overpowering, just enough pickle, just enough pieces of quivering jellyfish and the crispy & wafer-thin pieces of deep fried (or baked?) wheat noodle strips scattered all around make for pretty much 10/10 from what I would expect from a place such as this. The cold chicken dish provides a perfect amount of appetizer for the heavier duck and squab that Alvin ordered.

Roasted Squab $16.80

The last time I had roast pigeon was at the Lung Wah Hotel in Hong Kong. I remember their pigeon as being too plain-tasting, which means a combination of 2 things: The chef used too little spices to flavor the roasted fowl and I was too inexperienced an international Chinese-food diner to appreciate the straight taste of cooked pigeon meat. The squab (which of course means 'young pigeon') at Koon Bo is heavily spiced and packed full of a secret ingredient 5-spice based recipe. The wings and tips of the birds (2 per serving) are nice and crispy while the remaining flesh is perfectly roasted to a melt-in-your-mouth golden experience of excellence in Chinese cookery.

B.B.Q. Duck (Half) $11.00

As if the pigeon wasn't good enough, out came the bbq duck with crispy skin, tender and succulent meat and outrageously glutinous pieces of fat dripping duck oil. As I munched my way through this most delicious lunch, I was doing more eating than talking if you know what I mean. I was actually trying to remember the taste of Yung Kee's roast goose I had over a year and a half ago in HK -- and compare it to this duck. But the duck can stand on its own merits and is definitely a 'must order' dish at this hidden treasure restaurant.

Chinese Mushroom with Tender Vegetables $12.25

I am no expert on Chinese mushrooms and veggy dishes, but this one seemed like it had been prepared with some skill.

Koon Bo has received many awards and had them all proudly displayed on the front door as well as above the bar area. Awards include two silver and a bronze for "Best Casual Chinese" from Vancouver magazine's 19th, 20th and 21st annual restaurant awards, HSBC's Diner's Choice Award "Best Casual Restaurant" for 2010 and last but not least Edgewater Casino's 2009-10 Critic's Choice Signature Dish Award Gold for Squab.

Thanks again for lunch Alvin and Long Live Koon Bo Seafood Restaurant!