I had made a reservation for three people for 1 pm, but somehow when we were there, they didn't have a smaller table available and gave us a big round table which I think was suited for 6-8 people. We ordered their famous Oyster Pancake, Roasted Chicken, Beancurd with Shimeji mushroom and Chicken, Sweet and Sour Pork, Prawn Ball and Teochew Kway Teow. Except for the Beancurd dish, which was nothing to shout about, the others were pretty good. The sweet and sour pork, to me, is one of the best I've had – crispy on the outside.
Service staff were okay, but as we were non-Chinese, the waiter kept talking to us in Chinese until another staff member who spoke English came to our help. Special mention to the staff member, Peggy, who was not only pleasant and helpful but gave us impeccable service. One thing to note is that the restaurant charges a $2 per person cover charge for tea, water, and a packet of wet wipes. I think they should do away with this, be flexible, and only charge a nominal fee for water if the customer doesn't want the wet wipes and tea, like many other restaurants.
Mei Seah
5
The food is excellent. Service is way above excellent. Seafood Crispy Noodles have a lot of sauce, and the shrimps are huge and fresh. Chicken Feet are so succulent and tasty. Sweet and Sour Pork is 10/10, and the Teochew Pork Cold Dish is yummy.
Da Jiak
4
Food is alright. It's average, traditional Teochew-style dining. There is room for food improvement to attract a younger crowd.
Service staff members are friendly. They allow you to make food requests and promptly change your plates.
The ambiance is classic. It has very traditional, old-school Teochew restaurant vibes.
Will be back to try more stuff 🌟
Sean
4
Dim Sum brunch.
Food is a hit or miss. Ngo Hiang is really good and a generous serving. The rest of the dim sum is alright. Carrot cake is fragrant. Seafood crispy noodles comes with a lot of fish and de-shelled prawns! Instead of dim sum, I think it might be better to go for their Teochew food.
Service is excellent and attentive.
The environment is clean, but the air conditioning is very strong.
Alisha Lee
1
The supervisor needs to be trained. He asked us what water we wanted when we were just seated, only for us to find out that it was $2 each. Just be careful; they don't tell you. But the food is damn good. It's just that the supervisor made the whole thing damn sian. I would have appreciated it if he had let us know beforehand.
Christine Ang
4
The food isn't salty, which is good. It's healthy cooking. It's not crowded, so the staff keeps coming to our table. The food is good, but the business isn't attracting a large crowd. Maybe they could do more promotion.
Rachael Ng
5
The total price for this meal is about $122.
Pork gu lu yong. Damn nice. It was crispy on the outside and flavourful.
The veggies needed to cook more because they tasted bitter. But the sauce was on point.
Danial
5
Here's the edited review:
This is a new outlet of Chin Lee Teochew Restaurant (Bedok North), located in Canberra.
The restaurant is posh and cosy, and the staff here is pleasant and friendly.
Serving sizes seem to be more generous than at their main Bedok North restaurant.
Dim sum, set lunches, and set menus are all available at a reasonable price for the quality.
Parking is available.
Highly recommended!
Natalie Alice
5
Here's an edited version with minimal changes to improve grammar and readability:
Very good food!
Especially the black granite yam cake and beancurd skin roll were excellent.
It was so good that we ordered a second plate.
Regina Yeo
5
A newly discovered little gem in the far-flung borders of Canberra Plaza! Chin Lee Tea and Dine Restaurant serves up the most delectable traditional Teochew favourites in a gracious setting, highlighted by the impeccable service of its genuinely friendly and caring waiting staff. The decor is a classy grey hue, matched down to its silver-grey, brocade-like tablecloth, with tables well-spaced and accented by minimalist Chinese paintbrush artworks. Truly a lovely, calm respite far from the madding crowd, with an ambience exuding cool calmness. The food was perfection itself, and every dish delighted! Indeed, advisories should be drawn up regarding the addictiveness of their Coffee Spare Ribs, fresh, succulent, crispy mayo prawns, and ngoh hiam sio bee!
However, good as the food was, what stood out a mile for me was the gracious hospitality. It has been a long time since I have encountered "magic cups" – but they were here – glasses and cups that were refilled quietly, magically, even before you noticed that they were emptying. My first visit was just to while away a simple, small dim sum lunch while waiting for some photographs, but you would think that I was visiting royalty, given the gracious and attentive service that greeted me in a restaurant that was busy with the lunchtime crowd. I returned that same evening with my mum – and we both had a feast! And we left with this little tune ringing in our hearts:
"Lovely, never, never change,
Keep that breathless charm,
Won't you please arrange it?
'Cause I love you,
Just the way you look tonight!"
(Lyrics from "The Way You Look Tonight" by Dorothy Fields/Jerome Kern)