山里屯东北农家菜 Happy Valley Village Restaurant (Get 12% off for order from our website)

Step into this enchanting restaurant, where every element transports you to a bygone era—a picturesque rural village in China, frozen in time from the late 60s to the 70s. The decor, the delicate cutlery, and the meticulously recreated setup all contribute to an immersive dining experience like no other.Prepare yourself for an extraordinary culinary journey as you indulge in the flavors of northern China. This is no ordinary fare; this is the hidden gem of northeastern Chinese cuisine. Unlike its more renowned counterparts like Cantonese or Sichuan, this culinary tradition has remained relatively undiscovered, waiting for discerning palates to unlock its secrets.Immerse yourself in the remarkable service provided by the staff. They not only serve you but take on the role of culinary artisans, masterfully preparing dishes that will leave you spellbound. While some may liken it to a hotpot, let me assure you, it transcends categorization. In northern China, the art lies in stewing the ingredients in a grand wok, each morsel infused with flavors that tell tales of tradition and heritage.As you savor the dishes, you may notice a subtlety, a departure from the bold and fiery tastes you may be accustomed to. Fear not, for this is the essence of this unique cuisine—a refined simplicity that allows the natural flavors to shine through. While it may be unfamiliar to your taste buds at first, the journey into uncharted gastronomy is a thrill worth embracing.In its entirety, this dining experience is an adventure like no other—a window into a forgotten era, a gateway to a lesser-known culinary treasure. Let the nostalgia, the authenticity, and the artistry sweep you away. If fortune finds you nearby, I implore you to embark on this remarkable gastronomic voyage and discover the charm of this hidden gem for yourself.

Great for cold weather to warm you up with a hearty hot pot dinner. First time for us, atmosphere was top notch. Food was very rich and filling. We had to order a lot of side dishes to go along with the hot pot for 2, with four ppl eating. We took two bowls of left overs home. I recommend just getting one plain bun to try. The cold mung bean pasta was delicious with a vinegarette sauce, it opens up your palette ready for the rest of the food. Hearty, filling, super rich, one time experience for us was enough, please try it for yourself. Staff very efficient with a free flow of tea, water and limited parking. Super packed during dinner time, recommend to go early or make reservations.

Parking: parking is available at the entrance of the restaurant and on the street.Restaurant Interior: I did not take pictures of the decoration of the restaurant, but I can assure you that they have the most authentic experience of the northern China area.Service: The workers always have a great smile to serve the customers and are nice to talk to.Food: I ordered plenty of food to try. The must-try dish is the pot, originally from the northern China area. I ordered the chicken for the pot and some bread to put on the side of the pot. The chicken and the vegetables in the pot are tender and absorb the taste of the soup. The salad is great as an appetizer to enrich the flavour of the overall dishes. The bread in the last picture is also interesting to try, a dessert that tastes sweet. The rest of the food is excellent; nothing more to add.

I have never travelled to Northeast region of China, so I would have assumed the local cuisine is your typical Chinese stirfry and soups. On the contrary, Northeastern China is often known for their hearty iron hotpot stews, and this place in Richmond will give you the authentic experience of this type of good eats!The iron hotpot is unique and delicious flavours of herbal and savoury broths with your choice of pork, chicken, fish, beef, or lamb meats in a steaming iron hotpot with various mushrooms, tofu, vegetables and chewy noodles — quite filling and satisfying!The meat portions are generous and large, and you can add so many more toppings and ingredients so you can enjoy them with the wonderful flavours of the broth. The restaurant also provide you doughs made from wheat lour or corn flour, and while your pot is waiting to boil, the staff stick and spread them the edge of the iron pot to make you grilled and steamed flat bread — how interesting!The decor of the place is also very authentically Chinese (the flowerprint cushions, wooden cabinets and stools, humorous heroic style cups) and you will be transported to the setting of Chinese Northeastern countryside instantly.For fun and delicious food in a very interesting environment, I would recommend this place.IG: @kumofoodlist

Food was all tasty as expected. I'm visiting from Ottawa and we don't have Northern (or Northeastern) Chinese cuisine like this back home so it was nice to have something authentic. My friend from Harbin says it is legit. Had to ask the staff three times to get more tea, but it was peak supper hour on a holiday (Good Friday), so they were busy. At least three parties waiting for a table. Parking lot was full. Price was reasonable. We paid $100 for 4 dishes, the deep fried yogurt bread twists (酸奶麻花) , and 3 bowls of rice.The 金牌锅包肉 (jin pai guo bao rou, fried pork slices) was so tasty! Nicely coated, fried, and perfectly sweet. That one was my favourite.

A nice place for friends of family gatherings. The female boss is from Shenyang, northeast of China. The huge iron wok is impressive. Waiter will put all the food materials you ordered into the wok and stew them together. The restaurant offers different wok combo options in typical northeastern style. They also have special northeastern dishes, like stir fried sour pickle with glass noodles. Generally it’s pretty busy with quite friendly services.

Would definitely recommend the experience! If you’re from northern China it will bring you back memories (or your parents) but also worth a try if you’ve never had this type of food before.Huge portions for 2! The fish is fresh and loved the corn bread as well. Would recommend large groups to come.Don’t forget to ask waiter to add more water as the broth will become very salty.

Amazing place with unique decor. Love the old school furniture and traditional northeastern dinning style.We ordered half chicken with mushroom hotpot, corn buns, cumin lamb, glass noodle salad, sanxian dumplings, spinach salad, beef brisket. Everything was delicious. We want to go back definitely.Portions are pretty big, we ordered a bit too much. $30/person should be enough.Services were excellent. Staff explained how to cook and eat the hotpot. When the timer is off for cooking the staff attended us right away.Have not rated 5 stars for a while. They deserve it.