Top King's

Places like Panda Express and Manchu Wok are often ridiculed for their unauthentic take on Chinese food. Yah, that is a fair assessment. After all, the last time I visited a Panda Express, the staff were all non-Asian and in fact, I was the only Asian eating there. Usually, that is a sign to leave... But honestly, the food is alright if you have the right attitude. For some, it might be accepting mediocre North American Chinese food. Now fortunately, since we live in the GVRD, there are better options for Chinese take out. Kent's Kitchen is a prime example where the food is getting a whole lot closer to real Chinese food. There is T&T as well; but personally, it would not be my first choice.

Now if you live in Surrey, specifically Whalley, you have Top King's. Directly across from the Surrey Central Skytrain station, the place not only serves up take-out Chinese food, there is Pizza as well. If that hasn't scared you off, please continue reading... I suppose they are trying to be all things to everyone, much like a politician. And similarly, everything is a bit greasy. At the very least, they don't try to rob you of your hard earned money since 3 items with rice will only set you back $6.00 (including tax, well not the HST...).

For me, I was not in the mood for pizza and neither were Hot Mama and Ma. Thus, we all got combos with a choice of 3 items with rice. Honestly, some items look better than others. I can see that someone who is less familiar with the food could make some questionable choices. I thought that the standard North American Chinese food to be quite solid, such as the Sweet n Sour Pork, Sesame Chicken and BBQ Pork. For myself, I went for some Fried Squid, BBQ Pork and Fish & Tofu. The nice man behind the counter was adding some random items to each plate as a "bonus". We really appreciated that; but the one thing I didn't want, Beef & Tomatoes, he gave me a honking scoop. Oh well...

In general, the food is acceptable for the price and given its location. Definitely something to consider if you wanted a quick take out of Chinese food for lunch or dinner. Nothing that will necessarily impress (and some dishes might even disappoint); but with reasonable expectations, it does the job.

The Good:
- Cheap
- Lots of variety, including pizza...
- Friendly staff

The Bad:
- Greasy
- Some items may not cut it