New Ruby

Okay, here is the situation. I've been to the New Ruby before and I really didn't like it. However, there have been some people who have been giving me a hard time about that. After a few years of convincing, I finally decided to revisit the place. I bet some of you have had the same experience. Why was I so hesitant to go back? Well, the New Ruby is an old school Canadian Chinese restaurant. Yes, complete with tacky interior and fortune cookies at the end of the meal. I think on my initial visit, I was expecting too much. The people I went with were raving about the place. When it did not meet my expectations, I was disappointed. However, I think this time, I will accept the New Ruby for what it is - unauthentic Chinese food. At least they do not hide this fact, it's right on their signage outside.

One thing I remembered from my first visit, the lady who runs the restaurant is very, very nice. Her joyful spirit and demeanor should be enough to make me forget what I'm eating. I have to admit one thing - the prices are very good here. Yes, you can get a combo of 2 items for $5.50! If you look at the picture of the Sweet & Sour Pork with Fried Rice, you can obviously see the amount of food you get! Now, portion size aside, the more important thing is the taste. If you can imagine Manchu Wok, then you are on the right track. Sure, the rice was a bit soft. Yes, the sauce for the pork had a tinge of nuclear neon red. But guess what? I didn't mind eating it. The rice was well-seasoned and it had more than enough "wok hay", which means stir-fried with enough wok heat. Moreover, there were big pieces of juicy pork nestled in the radioactive sauce.

The Pork Chop Vermicelli (yes, I tried to eat 2 dishes) was alright. The soup was actually quite tasty (in a meaty way) without being salty. The pork chops were plentiful; however, some pieces were tender and some were not. Maybe the baking soda wasn't mixed evenly? Whatever the shortcomings were the food was more than edible. Sure, it wasn't authentic; but the restaurant never claims to be and it clearly states it's a Canadian Chinese restaurant. With that being said, for the price and portion size, if you like that type of food (and sometimes I do), it is a good value.

The Good:
- Large portions
- Reasonable Prices
- Very friendly staff

The Bad:
- Not authentic (but again, it's not suppose to be)
- 70's decor

New Ruby Restaurant
8223 120th Street
Delta, B.C.
604-591-7717

Business Hours:
11:30am - 11:00pm (Mon, Wed & Thu)
11:30am - 12:00am (Fri & Sat)
4:00pm - 11:00pm (Sun)