This year the Chinese New Year begins on Jan. 31.
This is the year of the horse, an animal noted in the ancient zodiac for its leadership, independence, strength, and elegance.
The horse is also known as one of the most impulsive and spontaneous animals, subject to impromptu flights of fancy and rash decisions.
Inspired by this impetuous equine character, I decided that I would go out on a limb and try a restaurant I knew nothing about save its location. With nary a Yelp rating nor a word-on-the-street reputation to guide me, I recently stopped by Woon Lee Inn, a Cantonese, Szechuan, and Peking-style restaurant located in Delbrook Mall, the small, unassuming retail complex situated a few blocks north of Queens Road.
Impulsive as my choice seemed to me at the time, subsequent research revealed that Woon Lee Inn was, in fact, a pretty safe bet. It has been in business for 17 years and is an established neighbourhood favourite, not to mention a consistent winner of the North Shore News’ own Reader’s Choice Award for Best Chinese Food.
Oh well, I still have a full year to get a better handle on this whole zodiac business. For now, I am just happy to have discovered a few choice dishes from this out-of-the way, locals-know restaurant, including a truly spectacular prawn dish, which I will describe in due course.
Nestled in a strip mall between other businesses, Woon Lee Inn is not a flamboyant or imposing establishment. Its interior is bright, clean, and functional, featuring easily-reset glass topped tables and a bar area that cross-functions as a payment centre.
During my visit, the phone in the restaurant rang steadily, Woon Lee’s take-away business likely eclipsing the volume done on-premise with only 50 or so seats in the whole room. A deliveryman popped in and out with armfuls of orders throughout the dinner service.
Despite the modesty of its design, there is still a certain charm to the place, most likely the result of the warm and hospitable service. Other diners, some of them clearly Woon Lee regulars, were treated with familial warmth as they engaged in conversation with the service staff about in-law visits over the holidays, health challenges, and, during one particularly lively exchange, the state of Toronto’s mayorship.
The Woon Lee Inn website, consisting entirely of JPEG scans of their take-out menu and a Google map of their location, perfectly reflects their confident, no-nonsense approach to dining and service; this restaurant is not about highfalutin concept or design, but rather honest, well-prepared food that speaks for itself.
I visited Woon Lee with my wife DJ who, like me, is a longtime North Shore resident who had not yet tried this Delbrook institution. Our meal began with vegetable egg foo young, two large disks of nicely browned omelet fried with broccoli, green onion, yellow onion, and loads of bean sprouts. The dish had a light, springy texture and a surprisingly rich and toasty flavour, making for a highly satisfying appetizer.
Next up was a duo of mains: ginger-fried shredded chicken and beef with green beans in spicy Szechuan black bean sauce. I think the menu has the wording of the chicken dish in the wrong order. It would be more accurate to describe it as fried chicken with shredded ginger, the spicy and aromatic notes of the latter elevating an otherwise familiar breaded chicken preparation to a new level of complexity.
While piping hot, the chicken dish was a winner, especially with a side of jasmine rice to mop up the golden, garlic and ginger-infused sauce. As the dish cooled, however, that sauce became notably stickier and revealed a touch too much sweetness for my liking.
The beef, meanwhile, is a dish you will not find on the menu, but was suggested to me when I asked if there was a house specialty I ought to try. It was a satisfying and rich preparation, positively overflowing with flash-fried, still-crispy green beans in a chili, fermented soy bean and garlic-laden black sauce ladled atop tender and lean medallions of thinly sliced beef. Ask for it if it has still not made its way onto the menu when you visit.
Now, about those prawns. Described simply as “salt and pepper prawns” on the menu, this dish categorically stole the show. Dozens of plump and succulent, very lightly battered prawns were fried with garlic, slivers of tender and potent ginger, and julienned green peppers and onion. The result was a light and delicious, mouth-watering seafood dish that will undoubtedly prompt me to visit Woon Lee Inn again, very likely before the Year of the Sheep is upon us in 2015.
Woon Lee Inn is located at 3751 Delbrook Ave., North Vancouver. 604-986-3388. woonleeinn.com
Chris Dagenais served as a manager for several restaurants downtown and on the North Shore. He earned his sommelier diploma in 2001. Contact: hungryontheshore@gmail.com.
