Double Greeting Won Ton House
Chinese
10212 96 Street
(780) 424-2486

A number of my friends think Double Greeting Won Ton House is the best Chinese “greasy spoon” restaurant in the city. And greasy it is – from its no frills exterior to somewhat grungy looking interior, the place spells “cheap.”

So, it is no surprise that the menu is filled with lots of different rice and noodle options for under $10. I decided to begin with a green onion cake, because, well, I love green onion cakes. It was soft, flavourful, and satisfying.

I opted for one of the menu’s front page specials: tofu and mushrooms on steamed rice. This came with a glass of soy milk. I found this an interesting beverage choice, but fine since I like soy milk. Tea was also provided with my meal. I probably should not have also ordered a cold Hong Kong style coffee (like Vietnamese coffee, but it comes already stirred), but I had not yet had any coffee that day so I felt justified in my abundance of drinks.

When my meal came, I stared in disbelief. The huge plate of rice, mushrooms, tofu, and vegetables could easily have filled two people. It tasted great and I loved the sauce, which penetrated into the rice.

All of these foods and drinks came to a bill of around $15. Wow. That is indeed a good deal.

Now, while I mentioned at the beginning that some of my friends rave about this place (and I can see why), others have warned me about it. In particular, they said that the restaurant would not meet my need for a high level of cleanliness. Personally, I didn’t see anything that grossed me out in particular (admittedly, I did not visit the washrooms).

However, I reflected upon these warnings later in the afternoon when, without going into graphic detail, I was not very happy. In fairness, it could have been something else I had eaten that day. It could have been the strong coffee. It could have been that I ate a little too much. Or, I could have just been having a bad day.

Still, if I return to Double Greeting Won Ton House, I will do so cautiously, and possibly with others – this food is meant for sharing.