Golden Great Wall Szechuan Restaurant

Added Oct 10, 2009 by FLOWER9 of VANCOUVER (5 Reviews)

Good experience every time!
I love there Peking duck 3 course meal for $33.99. Which includes the the skin of the duck served with crepe, second course is the lettuce wrap, full of flavor of the duck meat. Third course is the duck bone soup with lots of cabbage and soft tofu! The waitress recommended there famous Shanghai Steam dumplings and they are the very best I've ever had.

Added May 3, 2009 by jennko of Vancouver (88 Reviews)

Awesome Chinese donuts and pork dumplings
Today was the first time for me to come here as this place was highly recommended by my gf. It's only in the weekends that they serve the shanghai style pork dumplings "xiao long bao" and also the savory chinese donuts. So, today we came for only those food and I must say those were amazing. I always eat "xiao long bao" and this place serves them pretty good and not too fatty. Usually the juice inside the dumplings are fat but in here it's more broth than fat so it's healthier and less filling. The chinese donuts were also very big and crispy definitely one of the best that I had in town. Other than those we also ordered the prawn dumplings and I find the skin to be very good as in thin and chewy but the prawn in the filling were too minced instead of big pieces of shrimps or prawns. I will definitely recommend anyone who loves eating "xiao long bao" and chinese donuts to come here. N, u might see me there cuz I'm definitely coming again and I might try other foods too.

Added Apr 8, 2009 by epicurian of Kerrisdale (43 Reviews)

Super tasty shanghai dumplings!
Craving these amazing dumplings (xiao long bao) as I write this review. Truly to die for. I am concerned that on the last 2 visits, not all the dumplings, were made by the same expert hand. 6 of the 10 dumplings were perfect. The remaining 4 had inconsistant thickness to the skin and one of them even broke. All I come here for are the xiao long bao & the hot & sour soup. Great lunch for 2 or perfect afternoon snack for 4. Service is speedy & polite. Value, gave it 5 stars, need i say more? As to the ambience, it's a cheery room with lovely windows onto vancouver skyline. I must say that the table layouts can be improved upon. Feel like im sitting in the walkway or with neighbouring diners but it is a small concession for the lovely dumplings. Definete must

Added Dec 29, 2008 by CaptainNemo of Vancouver (46 Reviews)

Pretty average.
Food here was pretty good. I highly recommend the deep freid bananas. Although this time I was there, they waited too long before they put it in the water, so it was all stuck together. Otherwise, the spicy indicated that I ordered was tastfully spicy.

The service there was quite impressive for a chinese restaurant. Their english waiters there were very fluent and veeeery polite. Impressive.

Prices there was not cheap, but it wasn't expensive either. Quite average for a chinese restaurant.

Added Oct 21, 2008 by drew86 of Vancouver (11 Reviews)

Must try Shanghai dumpling!!
Food: 1. Shanghai dumpling (aka. Xiao Long Bao) is probably the best I've ever tried in Vancouver. almost as good as the world-famous Nan Chang Restaurant in Shanghai. order at least 2 dumplings/ person since it'll be gone before you know it. 2. Beijing Roast Duck is very delicious as well. Skin is crispy, wrap is nice and thin, with generous portions. For those who are more adventurous, try the spicy stir-fried mutton with leeks.

Service: We were serviced by the boss himself and he is probably the most accommodating person I've ever met. He would go the extra mile to make sure we haven't ordered too much and whether it might be too spicy for our palette. The waiters are very responsive to service requests too. No complaints at all.

Value: There are so much to choose from the menu that there are bound to be dishes that suits your taste. I would say prices are quite reasonable since it's located in a business district of Vancouver.

Ambiance: Very clean and organized. Typical Chinese restaurant setting with a moderate modern finish. However, the service makes up for everything.

Added Sep 6, 2008 by anthonykaiser of Bellingham, WA (1 Reviews)

A very pleasant experience
A party of six of us, including a cousin who flew in from the Eastern US, wanted to sample Vancouver Chinese cuisine.
The selection of the Great Wall was hailed by all in the group as an excellent choice. There were many positive comments, and above all the service. I have to say that for the first time in my life when I asked the location of the rest room, the manager personally lead me to the room and opened the door for me with a great smile. The friendliness of the wait staff was extraordinary; our waitress was very pleasant and solicitous without being at all obsequious or condescending. She was obviously a BC native and spoke English superbly. We went to the restaurant on a Saturday evening at 6:30 pm. It was about 60% full, so although we had made reservations, it would not have been necessary that night. When we left at 8:20 pm the crowd had been reduced to about 40% capacity. For the quality of the dining experience, this was pleasant and unusual.

We ordered 6 items, which I will grade separately. First we had the Peking Duck (a whole one) in two courses. My cousin was unused to the practice of serving the dish in two courses, with the skin first and the meat second, and noted this was not done in the Eastern US although he'd seen it once before in Toronto and said it had been the best Peking Duck he'd ever experienced. The skin was very flavorful, crisp, and defatted. Wrapped in the accompanying thin pancake, with a fried noodle, onion, and hoisin sauce, it was excellent: Grade A.

The meat was served on a heaping platter, mixed in with a variety of vegetables. This was to be wrapped in a leaf of iceberg lettuce, sauced, and consumed. Very good. Grade B+.

The honey garlic ribs were a bit too sweet for my taste, and seemed a bit soggy. Of all of our dishes, this was the only one left unfinished at the end of the meal. No one was particularly enthusiastic about this and I would not recommend it. Grade C-.

Shrimp in black bean sauce. The waitress told me this was the most popular shrimp dish in the restauant. The shrimp were small and a bit limp. The green peppers, onions and carrots in the dish were good as was the sauce, but the shrimp themselves were disappointing. We barely finished this dish. Grade C.

The Shanghai dumplings came in a dish of 10 pieces. My sister, who had lived in Japan for 31 years, was very familiar with the very similar Japanese version of this dish and told us she loved them. Since they contain soup in the center, we asked the waitress how to best eat them. She thought for a second, then hastened back to the kitchen to fetch small bowls and soup spoons for each of us. I would recommend you ask for these. There is a vinagry sauce accompanying the dumplings, which I dished over them. I thought it was very good, but a couple of others said they skipped the sauce on their 2nd dumpling as they found the taste a bit overwhelming. I thought they were yummy. Grade A.

The last thing brought out were radish cakes. Daikon, I think, for there was no discernible resemblance to the piquancy associated with the kind common in North America. These had a delicate but complex flavor. The pastry in which they were encased was divinely flakey. There are 3 to a plate, but we only got one plate, since they are cut into two parts. I regret that. We should have gotten more. Grade: A+.

The bill for we six (including a glass of wine and 7 beers: excluding tip, slightly over $100. My cousin had thought it would be nearer double that, so I'd have to say this was en excellent value for an enjoyable evening.

I will return to this restaurant, but caution that the dishes are uneven. The trick is to work out which dishes are really good and exclude those that are not. The radish cakes alone, however, are worth a visit, and I suspect there are few places that do Peking Duck skins better.

Added Nov 26, 2007 by aw81 of Vancouver (11 Reviews)

Wonderful birthday dinner!
3 course peking duck, honey garlic spareribs, szechuan beef...I can't remember everything, but I picked out the menu with the waiter helping me and making thoughtful suggestions. It would be a difficult table to feed, full of picky eaters, I explained, but he was patient and flipped through the menu with me.
In the end, a fantastic meal. I couldn't get enough of the honey garlic spareribs. Everything was balanced; nothing overpowered another flavour. Instead, you get a wonderful, mellow, nearly 'melting' pleasant feel in your mouth if you let it just sit a bit. That didn't quite happen with my boyfriend, as he nearly inhaled the beef (and he wouldn't do that unless he REALLY liked something).
The peking duck can be a tad dry, as mentioned before;they remove a lot of the meat and fat off the skin. But just pile it on the pancakes, and help yourself to the green onion and hoisin sauce, sit back, and enjoy!
All throughout the meal, servers would look over frequently, refill your teapot, clear the plates, ask if anything else was needed, but without feeling like they were in your face all the time. I think the major domo seemed pleased that we all had a very satisfied look on our faces at the end of the meal, which I thought was not enough thanks for such a savoury dining experience.
Ambiance - from the outside, the place looks really small, being part of the Holiday Inn with its own lil awning. But once inside, it opens up to a tall dining room with crystal chandeliers. It might just be my preference, but I like simple styles with accents that complement and balance. The room felt very open and not so crowded, noisy, and stuffy like a typical Chinese restaurant.
I'd love to try their lunch menu. My family was thoroughly impressed with my choice. It was a great birthday dinner for me.

Added Aug 20, 2007 by infinitime of Vancouver (18 Reviews)

Feels like the restaurants I've visited in Beijing
For some inexplicable reason, this place feels like many of the restaurants i frequently in Beijing, right down to the tourism video on the big screen. The food is northern Chinese style, and of a very good quality. The service is prompt and efficient. The prices are very reasonable, and the staff is often very helpful in suggesting "speciality" dishes. Overall, a very positive experience.

Added Feb 16, 2007 by bearpaw of West End, Vancouver (23 Reviews)

Superb Lunch Value
I work in Kitsilano and eat at this restaurant all the time for lunch. I cannot comment on the dinner menu, other than to say it seems rather pricey.

As for the lunch specials, they are $5.95 and a bargain! If you dine-in, you get unlimited rice and the dishes are quite large so you can eat like a champion. Take-out dishes are large as well.

The staff are very organized and swift, even during the crazy time of noon-1pm (don't go at that time!) when the VGH and Broadway workers are coming in for lunch. The dining room is crammed full of tables so it's rather a crowded dining experience, get a seat by the window if you can. The owner is very focused on running a tight ship, he is often barking orders at his staff in Chinese. It might seem a little harsh at times, but it does the trick: the staff are always running around. And they're always willing to get more tea or water.

I must admit that twice over the years I have found some metal shards in my meal, I assume it was from a cleaning mistake. Other than that, it's a great restaurant - just avoid the noon-1pm rush!

Added Nov 5, 2006 by jeff_and_kerstin of Vancouver (1 Reviews)

Excellent! Definately recommended!
Went out for an nice dinner and evening with my sweetie and had a wonderful time. We were very kindly and enthousiastically greeted when we arrived and that set the tone for excellent service we would receive all evening. The waitress was very charming and had a smile on her face the whole time we were there. The manager even took the time to come by and speak with us briefly. It was wonderful.

We were a bit skeptical because it looked as though seafood was their specialty and we're not seafood lovers at all. Lucky for us, they have a giant menu selection so no matter what your food preferences are, you'll find something you like. The food itself was very good. We both really enjoyed my meal. We wouldn't pretend it was the best we ever tasted but it's definately worth the money we spent.

It's a nice looking restaurant too, the decor is very classy and except for the cheap tablecloths, it feels like a somewhat elegant place to eat.

We definately recommend this place.