#9 Restaurant

A recent visit to #9 Restaurant with Mijune prompted me to make several return visits.  No, and it wasn't because I was with Mijune the subsequent visits.  Rather, it was with JuJu and honestly, he ain't no Mijune.  Sorry JuJu.  Instead, the food was much better than I had expected.  I've been to #9 many times in the past and came away without much of an impression nor memorable eats.  So with my very next visit, I practically ordered the same stuff as my recent visit with Mijune.

For a 24-hour joint, the Wonton Noodles were remarkably solid.  Albeit a bit salty, the soup had plenty of punch and a diversity of flavours.  The large uniformly shaped wontons were full of crunchy shrimp with only a bit of filler (aka binding agent).  It was well-seasoned with hints of white pepper and sesame oil.  As much as the noodles were chewy, there was barely any of it.  We had the Potstickers and they were fried up nicely.  They were crisp on the bottom while the rest of the dumpling skin was tender and thin.  The filling was a good mix of moist pork and cabbage.  They were on the greasier side though.

Lastly, we had the Garlic Pepper Fried Chicken Wings.  I've had this dish before and it was just as good as last time.  The large centre cut wings were crunchy while super juicy inside.  There was a good amount of fresh garlic and green pepper that went well with just the right amount of salt. On a separate visit, we decided on some different items starting with the Brisket with Thick Noodles in a clear broth.  Okay, we are well-versed in how fatty brisket can be, but this was a little over the top.  There was less than 50% of edible meat and tendon as opposed to pure fat.  It was super moist though due to the fat.  As for the noodles, they were too soft while the broth was indeed clear and mild.

We were really impressed with the BBQ Duck and Pork on Rice. It was a really large portion with plenty of meat.  The BBQ pork was moist and had a nice sweetness from the bark.  However, it could've been more charred and smoky.  As for the duck, it was fantastic.  The meat was moist and well-seasoned while the skin was completely rendered.  Hence, it had an attractive dark hue and tasted like it appeared.  Lastly, we had the 4 Seasons Beans which was also a large portion.  We felt the beans had been oil-blanched a touch too long where they lacked crunch.  There was no absence of flavour though, in fact it was probably too salty.  Yet it did have a good mix of spice, saltiness and sweetness.  Well, from my 3 visits, #9 has changed my mind where I can rely on it for consistent late night eats.

The Good:
- Decent portions and eats
- Quick service
- Open 24 hours

The Bad:
- Greasy
- A little pricey
- Could be cleaner