Wah Yuen Noodle House

It’s sad to see that your favorite restaurant starting cut corners, knowing it will just go downhill from here.
The place had been my most fav congee location in Richmond for last ten years. Every time I drove up from Seattle to Richmond, I always visited it for a bowl of heartwarming Hong Kong style congee. It’s hard to make daily food great, but they sure did it.
Unfortunately, not anymore.
At my most recent visit to the place, the experience was very disappointing. The delicacy pieces in the congee was significantly smaller than before, the flavor was very plain, and some condiments on top the congee were gone. The quality difference with the ones I had before were so big, I had to check with my wife to see if her bowl of congee was better. She felt the same way too.
I’m not sure what had happened. Last time I visited the store was 2014 April and the congee was still great, but now it’s below average. Did they change owner or started cutting costs? I would never know because most likely I won’t visit them again.
It’s simply sad to see a favorite restaurant used to providing great food starting to fall apart.

I have always just known this place for congee, and have never tempted their noodle offerings. It is in their name… ‘noodle house’, I was needing a bite, I was in the one food court where you’re going to get ok food… and I had no clue what the hell to order. After much pacing I stood in front of here and looked at the menu… and decided on a bowl of wonton noodle with beef balls and wonton. I put my order in… $ 6.50 and waited at a table in the food court while this was being cooked up.
I decided to look at the whole process before sitting down… and when the order was placed. the noodles went into the big brothed wok. It was like watching something out of an HK noodle shop… and this is in the food court. taking care to drop and raise the noodles and cooking them the way they have been doing it here for what looks like an eternity. I eventually sat down, and in no time the guy who took my order called me order to get my food.
Standard Chinese food court issue, white plastic throwaway bowl (thank goodness no styrofoam!), disposable wooden chopsticks (that you don’t have to snap in half… the better ones), plastic soup spoon. and I was off… but wait. I need my chili oil… rest assured this place has you covered. as right no the side of where you order your food… there are sauces and little sauce container’s to take what you want and go find your seat.
While examining my bowl. the hot steam was definitely rising. and the bowl was packed on top. broth and 4 floating beef balls also 4 good size wontons, couldn’t even see the noodles that were supposedly in there. I dug through the balls and wontons. and broth. and found the freshly cooked wonton noodles. They were very thin, none of the noodle strands were sticking together to eachother, there was enough chew to it… I was impressed. The beef balls had a great chew. almost like Vietnamese beef balls… and the wontons. they were quite nice… pure shrimp. no hints of any pork holding it together… not your big one piece shrimps, but a few small ones making up the wonton… I caught one with a bit of shell on it. but other than that. they tasted pretty good.
I was actually full after the bowl. some of you may not. but what you are getting is restaurant quality noodles from a small food court stall, not bad I say… a 3.5. sometimes better, with a pretty good menu of noodles and congee. and also the Chinese donut. if you need that on the side. If your looking for this kind of food… this is definitely the stall to visit if you don’t need a restaurant to sit in. It’s been a few years since I have been back… and it’s still here… so the next time you are in Yaohan Centre… and have a craving for this kind of thing… you know where.

Solid 3.5 stars, given its fair value, open 8:30am every morning and consistent. Don’t think their prices have changed much in past 2 years or so, a rarity amongst food courts.
And especially at the busy Yaohan centre too. One of the few that are open this early.
nothing’s over $ 6.50, usually get the bbq pork and wonton noodle soup. It’s enough to satisfy a craving though won’t fill you up for dinner, more a breakfast/​lunch hit.
good service too, they sometimes will bring it over to your table if it’s not busy.

The Zha Liang here is awesome! And it’s only $ 3.50! Chinese donut wrapped in rice rolls! My kind of comfort food. The portion size is pretty substantial, and super satisfying. Service is prompt and pleasant. I heard they’re also known for their wonton soups! Definitely trying that next time!

I have been a regular here for almost two decades. Mind you, I have always ordered the same — a Large Beef Brisket Rice Noodle Soup.
My opinion is biased towards this one item, but it is always consistent and I never get sick of eating it.
I probably need more excitement in my life… haha!
Anyways, 4-​Stars it is!

Someone dear to me exclaimed that the congee here was fantastic… downer. I had a preserved egg congee this afternoon only to be slightly disappointed. Congee is not the strength of this noodle house, if ever. It was watery with not enough seasoning or hint of pork/​chicken flavor.

I came here because it’s cheap in price ($ 4.50) for a bowl of noodle, well as I found out also cheap in quality. Soup base was bad in taste, with fine droplets of oil floating, plus noodle overcooked. 1 star for price, 1 for other OK stuff I had in the past.

I hate to give 1 star to any place. But I’ve had better flavor making ramen at home and adding my own ingredients. While cheap, the food lacks any sort of flavor. Maybe that is the way it is supposed to be, I hope not.

For all of the food stalls in Yaohan’s epic food court, none are more consistent or frankly more delicious, than the noodle soups from Wah Yuen. I can visit this place for breakfast, lunch, and dinner it’s so good. And as it turns out, I’m not the only one as plenty of people over the years have formed a small cult status for this place, resulting in longer lines and plenty of demand.
While in the morning they serve a mean bowl of congee and plenty of Chinese donuts (You Tiao), the star attraction has been their noodle soups and delicious meats. The broth in each of the soups is so moist without feeling too greasy and make for the perfect meal when the hunger pangs are at their greatest.
The staff here has always been pleasant. They’ve been good about recommending the freshest food and have developed a solid daily following, mainly of senior citizens and mall rats. If I lived here in Richmond, I think I’d be there too.

This place serves quick and tasty wuntun noodles. My parents love this place and whenever we go to Yao Han we have a bowl of noodles here. They have a huge variety from such a tiny kitchen, but then that’s how it is with Chinese food and ingenuity! Congee is not bad, but it’s the wuntun noodles we go for .
For those of you wary of carbs and pastas. These noodles have a low glycemic index and are better to eat than regular pasta.
I love Chinese fast food, but it’s not always the best for healthy concious diabetics.

We stopped at Wah Yuen in the food court of Yaohan Centre for lunch between errands. It serves congees, noodle in soup and snacks like Chinese doughnuts, rice rolls, etc.
We ordered a minced beef congee, a sampan congee and rice rolls stuffed with Chinese doughnuts. While the rice rolls was fresh, tasty with the condiments, and made to order, the congees were poor:
1. Most would expect the minced beef to be mixed with fried rice vermicelli. In Allen’s minced beef congee, all we found were lumps of fried rice vermicelli. There was no beef to be found.
2. The 2 most prominent ingredients in sampan congee are usually pork rind and cuttle fish tentacles. There were just a few strands of tentacles and there was no pork rind at all.
3. Both congees were watery.
Although the prices are cheap (between $ 3.25 to $ 4.00 for a bowl of congee), I could have spent my money elsewhere on something and spent my half an hour on eating something more delicious.