Deer Garden

Deer Garden is one of my go-​to noodle places. The amount of customization is amazing and the combo is only $ 10. Lots of different soup bases, lots of noodles, lots of toppings, and you even get a drink with the combo. I usually upgrade and get their milk tea with tapioca which is not bad at all. The side dishes are also fun add ons for a few dollars. If I’m super hungry, the fried chicken wings are great, but usually the large bowl of noodles is enough for me. If you don’t want noodles, they also have great options for rice bowls that are tasty as well.
The place is pretty busy during the usual peak hours. Try to come earlier or later and you’ll most likely get a seat. It has typical Asian décor but it is nice and comfortable with modern accents. Service is good. I usually see the same waitress whenever I come and my requests are received in a timely manner and I’ve never had a bad experience. It’s not the best service, but you won’t have a bad time.
For good quality, a large variety of options, and a quick and hearty bite to eat, Deer Garden is an excellent option.

Currently my favourite noodle spot. This place specializes in rice noodles in a fish stock base and their make-​your-​own combo (~$ 10) is the best value option as it comes with a drink. Their soup is the star — you can taste the amount of bones put into it and the flavour has depth while staying light and not salty.
Go-​to order:
— Base: Original Fish Soup or Ginkgo + Pepper Fish Soup (really warming in the wintertime)
— Noodles: Rice noodles (thick)
— Toppings (2 free): beef slices, beef tendon
— Drink: HK style milk tea: arguably the best in Richmond Hill and comes in an insulated cup!
I wouldn’t order veggies as the soups already come with some beancurd sheets, mushrooms, leafy greens, and stock ingredients. Vegetarians will have trouble here — meat is in all the soup bases and/​or most of the toppings. For my friend, french toast was the only option. Service is really fast, though it’s sometimes hard to flag down the staff. But even with the long queues, they’re cool with lingering and don’t rush people through their meal. For lunch, it’s best to come in small groups before 12:30 or after 1:30 to avoid the crowds.

Went with my momma today for lunch. It’s a great place for soup noodles & it even comes with a drink. My momma and I got HK Style Milk Tea but there are tons of options to choose from. The portion size for the noodles is pretty huge. You can practically share one between two people. Quality of the food is really good. And he price is decent. $ 9.75 (plus tax) for a big bowl of soup noodles and a drink. Would totally come back. ^_^

You can customize your own noodles. You can pick your own soup base, toppings, noodles, and a drink. The combo is $ 9.75. There are also side dishes you can order for an additional cost. As well as special drinks which you pay extra.
I enjoyed the laksa soup base with thick rice noodles, fish tofu, and sliced beef brisket. The soup has a slightly lighter coconut taste than your regular laksa, however, it was still good. I don’t usually drink soup, but when I do, you know it’s good. That was the case here!
The gingko and pepper soup base was very light. It wasn’t very salty which was good and had a strong pepper taste. The beef tendons were also well cooked.
The hk style milk tea that comes with the combo came in a heat-​saving cup which was pretty cool. The milk tea was creamy and rich in flavour.
I heard that the deep fried fish fillet was very good, so I tried it out. It was fried nicely. The meat inside was tender and the crust was crispy. It also comes with a mayo sauce that you can dip your fillets in.
Another great thing is the drawer of utensils that are to the side of the tables. We wanted an extra fork and knife and the waitress came and opened the drawer. This is great for customers who want a few extra utensils, very easy access!
This is a great place if you want to customize your noodles, the portions are large too! I recommend getting the laksa soup base!

Nice little place for soup noodles. Packed during dinner time.
I recommend the tom yum soup base and laksa with beef tendon, tripe, fish fillet, etc. Tomato & pumpkin soup tasted like rotten tomato purée base. The fish soup base smelled & tasted like the cat food I helped my aunt to make 20 – 30 years ago.(we cooked the dried little silver fishes in boiling water, then chopped the fish to purée and mixed it and soup with the flaked steamed bun, cats loved it!)
Beef tongue is delicious,
Cold Yuan yang (mixed coffee & milk tea) is nice too.
Chicken wings are nice.
French toast was served cold, otherwise should have been delicious too.

Deer Garden is one of the originals that created, pick your own soup, noodles and toppings. love customizing my own without having to consult others… Lol…
The classic soup base is probably the fish soup base which is milky and light, not overloaded with salt (+1star) onto choosing toppings, for $ 9.75, it includes 2 toppings which is ok, you can always add more choices by adding $ 1.75. Keep in mind tho, there are quite a bit of side toppings already included without extra $$, (+0.5 star)
You can get a drink from the menu for an extra $ 2 or if you want bubble tea… it’s more… additonal to the side of your noodles, you can choose from the list of 6 – 7 items for $ 2.25…like 3 pieces of spicy chicken wings or cutlet pork chops, which is a nice addition to your big bowl of noodles…(+0.5 star)
They are always sooo busy, and line forms during busy dinner hours…
All in all, a place I’m coming back over and over again without hesitation!

Great place to customize your meals!
You can ask for mild on the spicy soup base.
I’ve tried their malay laksa (mild) and their peanut sauce (mild) both was very delicious.
A rule of thumb with thick broth is to get with thick noodles so the soup can adhere to the noodles!
They also serve other food such as rice, wings, and appetizers
Reasonable portion size for the price and it also comes with a drink

Delicious fish soup noodles with combination of your choice. Big bowls, inexpensive, great choice for a simple meal!
Fried wings taste so good! Is a must try! Also cheap to add to the noodles.
Come with a drink as well. Very good deal with money well spent!

Great place for customizing your noodles. They have many soup options to choose from and are all pretty good. I really like how this place gives you a lot of ingredients and are not stingy with it like some other places. They have many drink options as well which is nice. The side dishes didn’t blow me away but we come for the noodles not the side dishes.
I would recommend the peanut sauce broth and the original broth.

I’ve been hearing so many good things about this place for a while now and it was only until recently that I understand why this noodle joint is a hit! Big servings of soup noodles for cheap prices!
I managed to visit here on two separate occasions within the same week. On my first visit I had the Chiu-​Chow style fish soup base and on my second visit, a Malaysian style laksa soup base. To order your noodles, you pick out a soup base, choose your toppings, your drink, and your optional side dish. Pretty easy, huh? You could make endless combinations and not end up having the same exact order twice (unless you want to, then that’s cool too). Out of the two soup bases I’ve tried so far, I personally like the Malay laksa soup base. It was a bit spicy with a nice coconut milk flavour in it, I’d highly recommend it!
I took a star off because of the slow service they have sometimes. It can take a while for you to get your order (plus your drinks and side dishes) completely. I can understand the restaurant can get hectic during peak lunch and dinner times sometimes, but it can take forever to get your order ready. On both of my visits, my noodle bowl would arrive first, then my side dishes, and lastly my drinks. I thought the drinks would take up a lot less time to make than the noodles altogether? Anyway (this is just my personal opinion), I would just like to have everything ready at the same time that’s all, if not sooner.
Overall great food for a great price that keeps you filled perfectly!

Finally got to try this place out! The make-​it-​your-​own noodles menu is very similar to Lucky Noodles and the format is identical (i.e. pick your soup, noodles and 2 toppings). They also had other menus for drinks, combo meals and appetizers.
We went to have dinner here at around 6:30pm and the place wasn’t overly crowded thankfully and we didn’t have any trouble finding parking as there were still a ton of spaces available. Phew! This is in Times Square afterall… asian central and annoyingly dumb drivers as we all know.
I got the Thai Tom Yum Goong Soup with the Korean glass noodles, beef brisket and choy sum as toppings. I also tried out their chocolate milk tea. Both were pretty good, no complaints. I found the Tom Yum soup here was a tad spicier which was awesome and their milk tea was actually pretty decent and comparable with all those bbt places.
The presentation and layout of the restaurant is quite neat. Modern-​looking, comfortable, enough space to get around and clean. Service was good, can’t say 100% for sure it was spot on since it wasn’t busy. Gotta probably come here at a busy time to test that out. Waiters/​waitresses were nice and helpful.
Food came out at a reasonable timing and tasted good.
Overall pretty cool place to go to or try if you are smart about choosing the appropriate times to hit up this busy area and feeling for some noodles in your tummy.

Deer Garden is always busy during peak dinner time and it was no exception when we arrived for dinner on a Saturday evening. There was a large crowd of people around the door but since the restaurant is fairly large, we were seated within 10 minutes.
The menu is pretty comprehensive, with a good selection of soup bases and some rice dishes as well. Every entrée comes with a hot drink — cold drinks and fancier drinks are extra charge.
This time we ordered:
— Malay laksa soup: With thick rice noodles, fish balls and fish tofu. The soup base is really flavourful — spicy, creamy and packed with coconut flavour.
— Peanut sauce and chili soup: With egg noodle, sliced beef brisket and fish puffs. This one is definitely my favourite soup base. I love the mixture of peanut and chili — they complement each other perfectly in this soup and doesn’t overpower each other.
— Pan seared ox tongue (side order): It melts in your mouth! But it’s too salty.
In a previous visit, I ordered one of the fish soup base, and it had absolutely zero flavour. No amount of chili oil or soy sauce could have saved it (both of which you have to ask for).
I never have high expectations for service in Chinese restaurants, but the service here was below average — the waitresses just aren’t friendly. They also gave us our drinks way too late — we already finished eating by the time they set down ONE of our two drinks (and we both ordered hot milk teas) — we actually had to chase them down for the second one.
Overall, you come here for the food and not the experience, but I can only recommend the malay laksa and peanut sauce & chili soups.

This is like one of my favorite restaurants around this region. I love the fact that it’s really inexpensive, has large portions, and a great atmosphere.
Environment:
The restaurant is located at the exterior corner of the Times Square plaza, but to find parking it is better to go inside the plaza. There’s lots of space.
The restaurant itself is modern, nicely removed. It is a casual dine out. The seats are like those of HK style restaurant, so it’s better to come in a small group of 4 or less. Larger groups would need to merge tables in a long row.
Food:
I usually order their house special, which is you build your own order from selecting the soup base, the toppings, the noodle type, and the drink. It’s only $ 9.99, comes in a gigantic bowl, and comes with a hot complimentary drink on the side. Bubbles teas are around $ 2 – 3 extra but they do come in large size and in take out container cups.
I really recommend their peanut soup base, the favor is amazing and you can really taste the peanuts. If you don’t like parsley and green onions you can elect to have those removed. All of the soup bases also comes with tofu skin and bok choi, and those can also be removed by checking a box.
I like that the menu is nicely translated so I can bring my English speaking friends with me to this restaurant.
Service:
I mean you shouldn’t really expect superb service at a casual Chinese restaurant. I always find them to be under staffed. The waiters are also busy, so make sure you wave you hand high so they can notice you.

Honestly, I dread coming to the plaza and eating here as there never seems to be parking and no one ever understands that one back road is one way only, but I gotta admit that coming to Deer Garden isn’t always bad. I’m always happier after I have a big bowl of noodles.
Of all the noodle bars in the area, Deer Garden is one of the better ones for me. Good variety in all aspects of the bowl: soup base, noodles, and ingredient options. There are a numerous amount of different combinations you can create. Side dishes are quite good as well, but are not included in the bowl price. You do have to pay a little extra, but the pork cutlet and chicken wings area all good.
With a beverage that comes with, you have an option of cold or hot. My brother brought up an amazing point where the noodles are quite hot, and as you eat the bowl, you get warmer and warmer. It is probably a good idea to get a cold drink with your bowl, as it will help cool you down as you eat! Definitely something to keep in mind! #lifehacks
The only downside to this restaurant is that there is ALWAYS an enormous wait. Lines for days, and then some! If you have a larger party (more than 4 or 5 even), I would most definitely recommend reserving a table. Service isn’t too bad here, but the servers aren’t usually in the most cheerful mood as they always seem to be in a rush and quite stressed. I can imagine how they feel with such a busy restaurant though, so I can’t exactly blame them for it.
Overall a decent priced noodle bar that you can visit, granted you get a parking spot and then a table. Definitely worth a try as it is one of the better quality restaurants in the area for noodles!

Went there with a couple of friends and their daughter. It was a great noodle place. The concept is that you can created your own noodle dish. You choose the soup base, the noodle, and the toppings. They put it together and bring it to you. It is a really cheap noodle dish (I think, I didn’t pay so I don’t know).
My recommendation is the instant noodle, the malay soup base, and the toppings are your choice. I was not a fan of the vermicelli, but my wife got the instant noodle and it was very good.
The ingredients seem fresh (well, obviously the instant noodle can’t be fresh), and it tasted really good. The only thing I didn’t like was the service. It was the first time I was there and the lady didn’t explain how to order. I asked, but she ignored me so I needed to get my friend to help me with it. I guess I was just a little bit slow. I always thought it was like every other location. The dishes are pre –made.
Overall, I like the location and will most likely go back when I get the chance.

Deer Garden (Dear Garden),
You definitely have grown the best customizable noodle restaurant on Highway 7!
Yours Truly,
A Customer
For $ 9.50, you get to choose your soup base, noodles, topping and drink. Deer garden is all about that customization of your noodles. I can never finish these noodles because it’s so MASSIVE. I HIGHLY advise you to share this with your friend if you can’t eat that much, because I literally almost take the whole thing home. There are many types of noodles you can choose from, usually it’s the ones that you choose from a local Chinese restaurant.
You can choose two toppings from the selection, a few include beef balls, beef, vegetables options such as greens. There are also side orders such as fried chicken wings, etc, for a smaller amount extra. Drinks are included, although if you want something a little special, you need to add extra money (about 50 cents to a dollar, or however much the drink is priced).
For the soup base, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the laksa. It’s so good! I used to get the regular soup base, but man, after my friend got the Laksa soup base, I get it EVERYTIME.

Their huge bowl of Laksa noodles has been the recent remedy to my noodle obsession. Creamy coconut Malay flavours with a great spicy kick — keeps me coming back for more! I’ve tried the other soup base options such as Sichuan spicy soup (too salty) and tomato pumpkin fish soup (healthy but bland) and the laksa is definitely the winner.
The main differentiating factor at deer garden is being able to customize everything from a wide selection of soup base, toppings and noodle type. So if you choose to, you can customize the @@ out of your noodles to find your perfect match :)
Recommend
— Fish tofu: square shaped with a silky yet firm texture, this is highly addictive
— Pumpkin slices: love pumpkin! I think having pumpkin in the soup makes the consistency even more dewy and rich
— Veggies: tons of hearty veggie options — I like the seaweed, cabbage and mushrooms
— Korean glass noodles: Made out of sweet potato starch, this clear noodle has a sort of tapioca chewy texture that is delicious and apparently healthy
— Ox tongue: there are extra side order items for $ 2.25 and the pan seared ox tongue was surprisingly good
$ 9.50 for a giant bowl of noodles + a drink is pretty cheap although if you want more than 2 toppings it’s additional charge of $ 1.50 each (not too bad of a splurge for extra deliciousness).

Got there at 11am, being the 2^nd customer and by the time we left at 12.3pm, the place was almost full.
Is it the «best» noodle I had? Tastiest? Best value?
Probably not.
What makes this place so successful though is probably the Combo option where for one price $ 9.xx, you can «customize» your noodle soup with choice of:
— broth (fish soup is most popular),
— noodle, &
–2 types toppings — being meat based or veggies/​vegetarian.
–includes a free (hot) drink.
**Cold drinks and anything outside of the basic general combo menu are for additional $$.
Also, it came with lots of nappa (Chinese cabbage) veggies. together with the popular fish soup and veggies, no msg… it comes across as being «healthy». For all that, it makes it worth it to revisit.

For an absolutely huge bowl of noodles with fish soup, this is the place. I’ve heard good things all around, so decided to check out this corner restaurant at Times Square.
It’s $ 9.75 per noodles + base soup + 2 toppings + drink. The problem is that there’s extra fees EVERYWHERE… if you want a special soup based with fish soup, that’s another $ 1.50, (so If you want Tom Yum, Laksa, etc but with fish soup). If you want more toppings, that’s another $ 1 – 2 per topping. If you want a cold drink, or some other drink that’s not listed as «included», that’s another $ 0.50 — $ 2. So basically, be prepared for your meal to go out of control from $ 9.75 to $ 16 very easily! There’s also side dishes you can order for $ 2.50, but a maximum of 2 per person.
That being said, the portions are huge, and that fish soup is so very good. It makes me feel comforted, and I know it’d be a perfect meal for cold Canadian nights. I opted for the parsley and thousand year egg, and they were generous with the eggs! Toppings was tendon and sliced beef — again, generous! I tried the side dishes beef tongue and fried chicken wings. The wings were incredibly salty — couldn’t finish. Beef tongue was good!
Their cutlery is stored at the side of each table in a sliding drawer — convenient for us (especially for people who constantly need more napkins)
Overall, I’m happy with my bowl of noodles. I would consider this quite an affordable option, knowing the portion is so huge, since the side dishes and all the other «extras» are not necessary to make a satisfying meal. Oh, except the fish soup. That’s a must!

No they don’t serve deer meat here folks, it’s a customized bowl of steaming hot noodles in your face though! Yes the Asian comfort food for the cold cold country known as Canada, is perfect for those winter evenings or crispy fall nights. The GF and I however decided to come here on a hot summer day for dinner. She had heard a lot of great things about this place from various Unilocalers, so we decided to try it out.
First off, the menu is rather complicated. Simply put, there is a $ 1.50 extra charge for fish soup, but half the soups are fish, while the other half are spicy. They should just tack that $ 1.50 on the meal price of $ 9.75 and be done with it. Secondly, the drinks are included ONLY if you order the correct hot drink from the spreadsheet they have listed (you have to ask for it). If you don’t pay attention to this Deer Garden Final Exam, you could end up creating a combo that gets a bit on the pricey side (remember it’s Cash Only, so pad that wallet for your date fellas).
I ordered thick rice noodles, with fish/​shredded pork soup and brisket/​pork blood as my bowl. It came out quick and the amount of food was quite generous. The flavours were great, but to be frank it seemed like a bowl I could create at any Hot Pot place throughout the city. It’s an interesting concept, but I’d rather ad a bit more for an AYCE hot pot experience instead. I’ll come back though… probably not until winter is coming though.