Yu Xiang Yuan - Vancouver

As someone from northern China, I have a deep appreciation for noodles, buns, and all kinds of flour-based Chinese treats. I’m quite particular about how dough... read more As someone from northern China, I have a deep appreciation for noodles, buns, and all kinds of flour-based Chinese treats. I’m quite particular about how dough is made, especially in terms of texture, flavor, and aroma. Yu Xiang Yuan, a noodle spot at Victoria Drive and East 50th Avenue, has become one of my regular stops because of its wide selection of handmade noodles. Chinese cuisine has a rich history rooted in the Four Major Cuisines: Shandong, Sichuan, Cantonese, and Huaiyang. Some later expanded this to the Eight Regional Cuisines by adding Fujian, Zhejiang, Hunan, and Anhui. However, many purists consider these additional four as subcategories of the original four based on geography. But enough history — let’s talk food. My favorite dish here is the Fried Shaved Noodles with Pork, Wood Ear Mushrooms, and Egg. Despite a somewhat misleading translation, these are truly shaved (刀削面) noodles rather than cut noodles, and you can taste the difference in their firm yet springy al dente texture. While not the absolute best I’ve had locally, they’re definitely among my top picks. The simple combination of pork, egg, and wood ear mushrooms in a light soy sauce makes for a comforting, flavorful dish. Traditionally, the ingredients would be sliced into thin matchstick strips to showcase the "mushu" style, but that precision is tough to find nearby. We also tried the Dan Dan Dragging Noodles, which creatively combine Sichuan’s spicy dan dan sauce with Shandong’s zha jiang sauce. We chose dragging noodles for this dish, and after mixing, every chewy strand was generously coated in the rich, savory sauce. The addition of broccoli and bean sprouts added a fresh crunch. While not completely traditional, it was still delicious. When Buddha Boy dines here or at places like Dinesty, he always orders Fried Pork Strips with Beijing Sweet Bean Sauce. Dinesty calls it Shredded Pork with Hoisin Sauce, but Yu Xiang Yuan sticks to classic sweet bean paste rather than hoisin. To clarify, sweet bean paste is fermented from flour, soybeans, and salt, while hoisin sauce is sweet bean paste enhanced with chili, garlic, vinegar, and other seasonings. Hoisin is mainly used in Cantonese cooking and, despite its name meaning "seafood sauce," contains no seafood and is typically used as a dip for street food, Peking duck, or roasted pork. Instead of the usual crepes, Buddha Boy went with Green Onion Pancakes to go with the shredded pork. Although they had a decent amount of scallions, the pancakes were somewhat bland and lacked crispiness. To satisfy a craving for something doughy, I ordered a half portion of Pan Fried Pork Dumplings. Each dumpling was stuffed with a savory pork and napa cabbage filling seasoned with soy sauce, sugar, and pepper. The wrappers had a subtle sweetness from the flour dough, and Buddha Boy especially enjoyed the crispy crust — a texture he’s been trying to perfect at home without luck. For something different, I tried the Pork Ribs in Brown Soy Sauce from the New Cuisine menu. Unlike the typical heavily salted and sugared Shanghai-style braise, this version had a gentle sweetness with a mellow soy sauce braise featuring rock sugar, ginger, garlic, chili, and fermented bean curd. The ribs were tender but didn’t quite reach the fall-off-the-bone tenderness some might expect. For takeout orders over $35 before tax, the menu offers a complimentary fried rice, although it’s not clear if you can choose which one. Still, it’s a nice touch. Prices throughout the menu are reasonable. The dining area is a decent size, though the kitchen is relatively small, which explains the longer wait times since most dishes, especially noodles, are freshly made to order. Service is attentive — the kitchen is run by the parents with help from assistants, while the son manages the front of house alongside a server. Overall, Yu Xiang Yuan delivers satisfying, authentic flavors that keep me coming back.

Yu Xiang Yuan offers an outstanding dining experience with top-notch food, excellent service, and a wonderful ambiance. The menu features a great variety of del... read more Yu Xiang Yuan offers an outstanding dining experience with top-notch food, excellent service, and a wonderful ambiance. The menu features a great variety of delicious dishes, all reasonably priced between $10 and $20 per person. Highly recommended!

The food at Yu Xiang Yuan was rather bland and lacked any distinctive character. The service felt inattentive and somewhat unfriendly. After placing our order,... read more The food at Yu Xiang Yuan was rather bland and lacked any distinctive character. The service felt inattentive and somewhat unfriendly. After placing our order, we immediately requested to remove two items, as it seemed like too much food. However, at the end of the meal, those items were packed to-go and charged to us without any prior discussion, despite the waitress confirming they had been cancelled. Food rating: 3 Service rating: 1 Atmosphere rating: 2 Overall experience: Disappointing Lunch for two cost approximately $40–50 per person.