Penny Restaurant

Another Wednesday, another session of late night hockey. That also means an early morning snack. Yes, I'll gladly give up sleep for some eats. Since we already went to On Lok last time, Polka King and I decided to give Penny Restaurant a go. In fact, it's only a store down from On Lok. Funny thing is that I've driven by Penny so many times and have never eaten there. Much like On Lok, it's been here for what it seems like forever. Furthermore, it has the same type of ambiance and decor as well. If you like how Chinese restaurants looked like in the 70's and 80's, then this is the right ambiance for you.

Similar to last time, I ordered a Wonton & Sui Gow Noodles and congee. Not really in the offal mood, I went for the ever popular Preserved Duck Egg and Salted Pork Congee. Right off the bat, I have to say the wonton noodles here are not very good. First, the wontons and sui gow were practically all pork. I do understand that some people prefer no shrimp in their dumplings; but I am not one of them. In addition, I found that they were quite bland as well. The noodles were alright; but not al dente. At least the wonton broth was not bad. The congee was lacking in both ingredients and thickness. After a few spoonfuls, the congee became a bit watery. I also need to add salt since it was really quite bland.

Polka King didn't do well with the sui gows last time at On Lok. I seemed to have come through unscathed. Therefore, he opted for one of his favourite dish, Beef with Fried Rice Noodles (Gon Chow Ngow Hor). It was a decent portion for the price; yet it was quite oily and the noodles were overdone. When you overcook flat rice noodles it becomes quite mushy. On the other hand, the dish itself was decently seasoned. It appears the food (at least the things we tried) at Penny does not measure up to On Lok or any other decent wonton noodle restaurant. It wasn't horrible; but there are indeed better options nearby. This is also taking consideration of it's late closing time as well.

The Good:
- Open late
- It's cheap
- Portions ain't bad

The Bad:
- Food is not as good as the immediate competition
- Congee and wontons need more flavour
- It's a dive