All Happy Family Restaurant
Chinese
10011 106 Avenue
(780) 421-8297

With a smiley face on the door and the name “All Happy Family Restaurant,” this place can exude a mood of optimism. Certainly the staff at this Chinese restaurant were intent on making us happy when we visited last week. Upon our arrival we were seated immediately; menus and tea came shortly thereafter. Twice we had to ask for a little more time to examine the lengthy menu choices. Many combinations of meats, sauces, vegetables, and methods of cooking were available, most in the $10-$13 range.

When I had questions, our server was willing to point out the differences between chili chicken, spicy chicken, and thousand spicy chicken. I settled on the spicy chicken since it was boneless, and complimented it with my favourite shrimp wonton soup. My dining partner asked about the spiciness of the satay beef soup since he preferred things a little milder. After a short explanation about the satay sauce, he went with it anyway, along with some spring rolls.

As we waited, we noted the decor which was almost diner-like with a hard bench seating covered with faded cloth. There wasn’t much time to look around because the food started coming right away.

The wonton soup was lovely with a hot, clean, tasty broth that I somehow can never seem to duplicate at home. I could taste the shrimp in the wontons and enjoyed the green yu choy. Neither the satay beef soup nor the spicy chicken were particularly spicy, but enjoyable nonetheless. In retrospect, I probably should have availed myself of the hot sauces on the table. While the chicken was boneless, some skin and grizzle would sneak up on me. The large bowl of satay beef soup had plenty of ingredients mixed together to give it a complex flavour. The spring rolls were typical with more deep fried outsides than subtle insides. The portions were large enough to fill us up, with a few portions to take home, not bad for less than $30.

I couldn’t figure out whether “All Happy” was one restaurant or two. There are two addresses side by side (10011-106 Ave. and 10013-106 Ave.) and two sets of opening hours (daily 4:00 p.m.-4:00 a.m. and daily 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., respectively), but they are connected inside. Somehow, I figured I could get food almost anytime and would be greeted with friendly staff that would be quick to put a happy smile on my face!

John lives in Boyle Street.