Tropika offers a variety of Singaporean, Malaysian and Indonesian food.
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Reviews
Added Sep 1, 2009 by jcont of Kitsilano, Vancouver (10 Reviews) Could Be Much Better
With a city full of options for Asian cuisine, the things Tropika has on its side are (1) has been around for a long time, (2) multiple locations, and (3) nice looking menus. Aside from the afore mentioned points, the food here is average, at best. The pad thai is mediocre, and there are many better places in the city -- ones that cost considerably less and provide larger dishes. The green chicken curry is bland and the meat is rough. Overall the food is OK, but prices are steep for what you get. If you have an Entertainment Book, this is a good choice, otherwise, try some smaller restaurants which offer better and cheaper choices. |
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| Added May 24, 2009 by igobble of Kitsilano, Vancouver (10 Reviews) Tropika is as arrogant as they come
We used to like coming to this restaurant but in the last couple of years each visit has been worst than the one before. The staff try to rush you to order, eat and get out as fast as humanly possible. They will give you dirty looks and comment on tips less than 20%. Yeah right, as if I'm going to tip you well after the poor service. The management and staff of this restaurant have gone downhill and you can see it with the looks of disdain they give you when you ask questions about the dishes - they really are not interested in helping you try new foods. The food quality is extremely inconsistent and the portion sizes grow smaller with each visit. I will definitely never eat at Tropika again and will tell everyone I know. They are no longer the only player in the area of Malaysian Chinese cuisine. There's a reason why they've been cited by the City of Vancouver for hygiene violations repeatedly. |
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| Added May 19, 2009 by ilovesushi66 of vancouver/bby (8 Reviews) Never Again!!!!
Reservations mean nothing -they want to rush you out the door! When we phoned in we told them we had 6 young children in our party so what did they do? they split our group into two tables and sat us by the kitchen door and with an aisle in between. The manager told us to get the kids out of the way! Beware -there is an unwritten policy that there is a minimum charge of $25/adult and 12.50/child if you come with a large group. On the phone they said that a child is up to 14. When we got there they decided to change the age of a paying child to 7. 15% tip was added to the bill despite the poor service. Worst Pad Thai ever - super spicy & not authentic. They took it back and made another and it was just as bad. Food was laced with MSG and according to the manager in Malaysia they use a lot of MSG... Food was poor, service was poor and we won't be back. No need for an MSG "buzz", don't want to feel rushed. |
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| Added May 9, 2009 by foodlover8888 of Vancouver (1 Reviews) Overall BAD. Tropika Has Gone Downhill :(
We used to LOVE this place for it's consistency in tasty dishes but tonight it was all bad in terms of food and customer service. From the moment we sat down for a nice early Mother's day dinner we were rushed to order and get out even though there were only 3 tables with customers at that time. We ordered 5 dishes and the usual appies of roti bread and skewers. The appies were good but the dishes were all off. In the dishes that had green beans, the green beans tasted rotten and freezer burned :(. As I mentioned before, the restaurant was quite empty for most of our time there but still the waiters felt the need to give us the "HK style service of rush you out so that we can get the next table in" ROTFL if this is a scene from a HK comedy but not if you are the customers trying to enjoy a nice family dinner. We mentioned politely to our waiter that one of our mango desserts was too sour to eat and he refused to do anything about it and walked off. Had to flag down another waiter who also echoed that some people in Thailand like it sour so too bad so sad. Imagine what they would have done had we given them feedback that the food was not good...wait, wait, oh yeah they would have done NOTHING and that is why we will not go back to this Cambie location. These people at Cambie Tropika don't value customers or making good food anymore. Avoid disappointment, avoid Tropika on Cambie. |
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| Added May 9, 2009 by yumyumlu of Vancouver (22 Reviews) Not sure if I would return...
I ate here during lunch and I'm not sure if I would return. The portions were good, but it was nothing special. The chicken curry was tasty but the fried rice dish we ordered was flavorless. I believe the owners of this restaurant were chinese, so I'm not sure the thai or malaysian flavours really come out in the dishes very well. The lunch prices were good and the service was average. |
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| Added Apr 27, 2009 by rp07 of Burnaby (29 Reviews) Bland to say the least!
My family and friends used to dine at Tropika on Cambie on several occassions in the past. On Sunday evening we decided on something different, other than Chinese food. In my opening statement, let me just say that Tropika isn't worth the price for the meal we ate.
The service has "tanked" and although we had reservations and it was fairly quiet for the first half hour, we felt rushed to end our evening so that management could begin a bidding war on our table!
The fragrance of the rice is no more; the vegetable dish tasted bland; the fish was mainly bones and curry strewn all over it; I'd have to say that I'm better off going to the local Chinese restaurant in my neighbourhood and order a bowl of wor wonton soup and call it an evening.
This is definitely the last time we encounter what they deem as a taste of the difference. The prices are too high for the amount of food you receive. I understand that restaurants are vying for business, perhaps Tropika needs to scale down on the items on their menu and concentrate on the few that show some promise.
Thanks, but no thanks! |
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| Added Apr 14, 2009 by kane of downtown, vancouver (1 Reviews) Go for the food, not for the condescension
With reservations, we were made to rush. We arrived with a slightly smaller party than reserved, and the manager actually made a sarcastic comment about it. We were told to order because he wanted the table for a larger party coming.
I am a frequenter of Asian cuisine, and I've got to say, I've never been so disturbed by the management that I've felt the need to write a review. I suggest if you have a desire for Malaysian, to try another restaurant other than this one. |
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| Added Apr 6, 2009 by kkwang of vancouver (4 Reviews) average malaysian food, Thai food is ok
i have been to several of the Tropika chains and i only go because there arent too many malaysian restaurants around and i want that fix.overall, the food is nice.. of course it tastes nothing like how it would if you were in singapore or malaysian but they do a great job of matching the style and flavours to its country of origin.
service is better than you would expect in most oriental restaurants, the servers are better mannered and friendlier to their customers.
the prices are around $15-20 which is not expensive (and it should never be with any restaurant that serves this genre of food) but there are reasonable place for thai food. |
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| Added Mar 16, 2009 by jennko of Vancouver (88 Reviews) Great food if you crave for malaysian cuisine
I came here w my gf for lunch last week, we had roti canai, lamb satay, and the coconut seafood fried rice. The roti canai was good but I think the sauce is too watery and too little for the portion of the roti. The lamb satay was good. The fried rice was generally good but I just think that it's a little bland in taste. Since this place is nearby my house so I will come again when I crave for Asian food but then or else it's not my first choice for food. |
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| Added Feb 13, 2009 by artofeating of n.vancouver (6 Reviews) Not convinced
I perceive myself as a fair person when I compare other cultural cuisine to their own. However, my visit with Tropika was sorely disappointing. I was eager to taste the different flavors they were specializing in Malaysian, Thai, Indonesian and Singaporean cuisine as they have noted, yet the dishes I've tried just came out as "chinese influenced". I was politely informed by an aquaintance that this restaurant was opened by Hong Kong owners, so maybe there would be tentative chinese flavoring in the cooking. Ahhh, my taste buds haven't proven me wrong. Also being senstive to msg........
My group of friend ordered 5 dishes to share, the pineapple fried rice, the indonesian pork ribs, singapore noodle, the rendang lembu and hainese chicken.
Nothing to note, as I said, just chinese food using other cultural identity. I don't judge people for liking it, they just probably haven't the chance to taste the real mckoy yet.
Also, the portions of the dishes didn't justify the price.
I will stick to my favorites Sawadee for Thai, Seri Malaysia for Malay and Sate Satu for Indonesian as I know for sure they don't compromise their cooking.
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| Added Feb 6, 2009 by FineDiningMom of Kerrisdale (15 Reviews) Never again!
We never learn... because the food is so good, we have always returned despite the bad service, but never again.
This was the 3rd time that they completely forgot to process our pick-up order. And the manager was so rude, arrogant, and unapologetic.
There are plenty of other restaurants out there who deserve our business. |
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| Added Jan 30, 2009 by mipa of Vancouver (1 Reviews) What a disappointment....
Tonight My boyfriend and I were deciding which restaurant to spend a Friday night at, having the "Dine Out Vancouver" experience.
Unfortunately, we had chosen Tropika on Cambie.
The cost per person to dine out was $28 dollars....I must stress this is definately NOT WORTH IT! They start you out with appetizers which end up being more expensive then ordering them separately. The portions are smaller, and the Roti is not even comparable to the roti Banana Leaf serves. The dipping sauce was very bland, and very stingy.
The entrees were the typical Pad Thai, which was gloppy, sloppy, and salty, in addition to the vegetable dish which was deep fried grease filled eggplant. The only flavour which was absolutely unquestionable in the eggplant was the over- usage of Shrimp paste and dried shrimp, leaving my mouth dehydrated and unsatisfied. We thought we had something to look forward to in the Lobster dish but, like all previous courses, ended up being a disaster. They served the lobster head, no tail, lumpy sauce and ended up being a very messy meal. We had to leave half on the plate due to the awkwardness of the Lobster topped on thin vermicelli noodles, bits of noodles falling here and there. Again, a sloppy and unnecessary course. Suggestion is that they should have replaced the lobster dish with a curry dish, and charging only $18.00.
When the time came for dessert, we had no choice (literally) then to go for the "mixed fruit with ice cream". This dish was not even on the regular menu. I had asked the waited if we could replace both of our desserts with 1 pisang goreng (deep fried banana with ice cream) and he said " no, there is an additional charge". I replied that we will stick with the set menu. Looking very unhapppy, the pisang goreng came to our table...along with ONE of the set menu desserts.
I was happy as I thought they had made an exception..I was wrong. When my bill came an extra $7.00!!! was added for the dessert. I told the waiter we had a miscommunication and he rolled his eyes at me and grudgingly snarled, rolled his eyes and walked back to the till. I have never felt SO UNCOMFORTABLE in a restaurant!
No tip was left. My recommendation; do not visit this place. An utter waste and rip off.
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| Added Jan 12, 2009 by seitanguy123 of Vancouver (4 Reviews) You won't eat for days (due to being sick)
I ate here with 5 people and three of us were sick the next day. The only linking factor was one of the combination platters (B, I think). The rest of the food was not as good as banana leaf, also I have never been sick from food at banana leaf.
We called the next night to complain and were simply told to call back another day.
We were joking about whether they re-use the pineapple bowls over dinner, and it turns out they do actually re-use the coconut bowls (according to a food inspection report in July 2008).
In short, I will not be returning or recommending this place to anyone. |
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| Added Dec 24, 2008 by doc604 of Downtown Vancouver (3 Reviews) Pineapple Fried Rice
I love Tropika. I've been to Tropika at every location. Cambie is probably my favourite one though. My favourite dishes are the pineapple fried rice, roti, and the spicy clams! Skewers and curry chicken are good too. Service can be better if everyone was fluent in English. I'll definite be back for more! They have fried ice cream for dessert too...yummy! |
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| Added Dec 16, 2008 by Dragonsign of Vancouver (20 Reviews) Haven't been here for awhile...but
Haven't been to this Tropika for awhile because I usually go to the Robson Street one. Came here tonight with 5 friends for a xmas dinner. We arrived at 8pm and the place was about 3/4 full. Was seated right away and checked out the menu. Decided to have everyone make a choice so we can share. Ordered pineapple fried rice, pad thai, beef curry, green beans, homestyle chicken, sambal prawns and honey garlic ribs. Everything was tasty and food came promptly after ordering. Fried rice was good though on the small side, chicken was good, beef curry and sambal prawns were tasty. My favorite dish was the green beans or sambal bunchies as they are called. The decor was nice but the room was a bit loud in my opinion. The service was very good as our water glasses were always filled.
I would recommend this restaurant and will be returning in the near future. |
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| Added Nov 29, 2008 by shopaholicinvan of Vancouver (1 Reviews) Lost reservation, poor service, rude waiter
A friend of mine who was visiting Vancouver arranged for a group of 7 friends for a get together at her favorite restaurant, Tropika. Since the Cambie location is very central for all attendees, we decided to go there.
I made the reservation for 7 people several nights before and a couple days before, bumped the reservation up to 8 people. Both times, due to language barriers of the manager on duty, I had difficulty understanding him and having to repeatedly repeat my name and phone number. That part was frustrating but given that we live in a multicultural environment, I thought nothing of it.
On the day of the dinner, one friend showed up early and was told that our reservation was postponed to a later time. Further, we had great difficulty requesting a table for 8 for a half-full restaurant where there were a couple of tables which sat empty. Moreover, because two people ran late, they wouldn't seat the rest of us. Sadly, this is not all that went awry.
Our dining experience consisted of being crammed at a table meant for 6, but they sat the 8 of us there. Since the table was so small, we practically had the plates on our laps. The main server was rude and impatient with us and our order for Mei Goreng was swapped for a different dish. The coconut rice that we had tasted funny and given the restaurant's indignant attitude towards us, we didn't want them to spit into our food. The main entrees themselves did not stand up to the level that I have come to expect from Tropika, as I frequent their downtown location quite often.
The service was shoddy at best, and when it came time to pay, one person in our group had an entertainment coupon. We were told by our waiter that we couldn't use the entertainment coupon because the bill was split. In the way he had communicated this, the waiter lectured us and proceeded to tell us that they never honour entertainment coupons when the bill was split. He made his point twice to us as if we were 5 year olds and stormed off after each time. To add insult to the injury, because we were a table of 8, we got charged 15% gratuity for mediocre service.
I am extremely disappointed with my experience at Tropika as this was not the first time that I was treated with a lack of respect by the Tropika on Cambie. The manager was not only unhelpful and given that he had messed up on our reservation, he ignored us when we requested a table. The only saving grace to our night was each other's company.
As one of Tropika's loyal customers, I would not go back to the Cambie location again. Next time, I will take my business elsewhere. Has anyone else experienced poor service at Tropika?
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| Added Nov 16, 2008 by curmudgeon of Downtown Vancouver (79 Reviews) tropika
It's been a while since I went to any of the Tropika restaurants, but we had a sudden craving for satay, and drove by the location on Cambie.
Had to wait about 15 minutes for a table (on a friday night).
We ordered the satay combination (that included the sweet & sour pork and the curried vegetables), an appy of the Roti Kanai, and the "homestyle chicken". Tropika's satay is still one of the best I've had (although the peanut sauce that comes with it is just okay). The roti was soft and sweet and delicious. The sweet & sour was decent, but not particularly noteworthy.
The highlight was the homestyle chicken, a sweet marinaded chicken that's cut in pieces and deep fried. Absolutely fabulous.
Service was snappy and efficient. |
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| Added Nov 7, 2008 by itadakimasu of Bby & VanCity (40 Reviews) Soooo Tasty
Been going here 2-3 x's/year for many years and never been disappointed with the food. Always delicious and consistent. One of my favourite places. Today we ordered takeout for an office lunch and each dish was outstanding: Nasi Goreng, Sambal Bunchies, Kai Lan w/salted fish, salt & garlic shrimp, Hainanese Chicken & rice. All these guys need to do now is add "service with a smile" and maybe open a location near my home. |
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| Added Oct 21, 2008 by applepie of Burnaby (85 Reviews) I enjoy this place
From reading the reviews here, I think probably Tropika is not as consistent as a restaurant should be, but I enjoy my experience here. The food is very delicious and reasonably priced. Service is not outstanding, but friendly and efficient enough. As for decor, the restaurant is a bit old and tired looking. There is some room for improvement, but overall, it's a good place to have a pleasant casual meal.
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| Added Sep 17, 2008 by ganache of burnaby (21 Reviews) Good food but horrendous service
I usually go to the Tropika restaurant in Richmond and the service there is so so but I go to restaurants for the food not the service. Compared to their location in Richmond, the service at the Cambie restaurant is the pits. The head waiter? He seemed to be in charge had a sour face and rude manner to him. Asking him to refill our glasses of water was like pulling his teeth. Food is solid but if you are in the area go to Banana Leaf where you can enjoy great food and great service. The Richmond location however is ok. I thought it was just me but after speaking to some of my friends, they all had bad experience in terms of the service at the Cambie location as well. |
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| Added May 11, 2008 by amlea of East Vancouver (1 Reviews) Never Again!!!
My husband and I got take out from Tropika, we wanted to try something new as we always order from Sala Thai (and never have been disappointed with the Thai food from Sala Thai). The food from Tropika was less than poor, the vegetables were all canned, with the "Chicken and Cashew" you had to dig for the chicken and cashews, and overall food in had no flavor. 3 dishes cost us $40, next time I will go to the local food court and get take out from there, I will probably have better luck. Oh and what's up with the Pad Thai at this place...it was noodles with some hot sauce, a boiled egg and sliced tomatoes???? |
| Added May 1, 2008 by richie_rich of vancouver (19 Reviews) Good pick!!
Hello there,
Me and my buddy decided to tryout something different rather than Chinese or Japanese or Indian fare...picked out Tropika...funny thing...zipped by the restaurant for years but no desire to expand my tastebuds...until now. We decided on 6pm on a weekday....parking is a bit difficult with the expansion of the new skytrain line..end up parking a block and half behind the restaurant and my buddy was lucking to find a spot right next to the restaurant. We were in the door and seated immediately..the restaurant was only half full....which is good...no line ups!! Since we decided to pigout..we ordered the Thai prawn cakes appies...with four core dishes...Thai style green curry chicken, hot and sour eggplant with minced pork, Pad Thai, and finally the Pineapple fried rice with ham and chicken. All were good especially the green curry chicken...super tender chicken and a well balanced sauce of coconut milk and curry spices!! My only shock was having pineapple in fried rice but it tasted good as well. As usual, we skipped dessert. The bill came up to about $75 bucks with one drink, tax and tip. The leftovers were split in half...good for a second meal later on. All in all...a very good meal and highly recommended.
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| Added Apr 9, 2008 by chasiubow of North Van (673 Reviews) a good meal
Mrs. C and I were looking for a meal and she suggested Tropika. We’ve been to other locations but never to the one on Cambie. The restaurant is nicely decorated and clean (including the w/c) and the staff was friendly and reasonably quick.
We wanted to eat everything on the menu, but settled on satay, roti, prawns with chili and tomato, and beef curry, with steamed rice on the side. I also tried a pino frio, which is sort of like a pina colada.
All the food was fantastic, especially the prawn dish. It was a little hot, but in a good way. We devoured our meal and left with contented smiles and singing tongues.
A good meal. Recommended.
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| Added Mar 19, 2008 by VeganRoxy of Burnaby (7 Reviews) Enjoyed a nice lunch here.
We visited here for the first time today for a late lunch.
The restaurant was clean and tidy with nice decor. The servers were friendly and the food was served in a timely manner.
As a vegan, I was pleased to find that (after double checking) the vegetarian combo was something I could enjoy. No eggs, no dairy, no shrimp paste or any other animal product.
The Acar Awar was nice, as were the veggie spring rolls. The coconut rice was awesome! Unfortunately the Sayur Kari wasn't that great. The Sayur Lemak from The Banana Leaf beats the Tropika Sayur Kari by far!
I also had the Pulut Hitam for dessert and it was divine. I'm actually craving another one right now lol.
Anyway, we'd go back there again. The prices were reasonable, the service friendly and the food, for the most part, was pretty good. |
| Added Feb 15, 2008 by 99north of Squamish (15 Reviews) Good for the Price
We ate at Tropika on Cambie last Saturday afternoon, IT wasn't a planned event or anything, we just happened upon the place hungry. Now having just gotten back from a month in Thailand we were already well versed in the Thai food part of the menu.
We have 3 items from the lunch menu and all were very good. Lots to eat and even a doggie bag for later on. A total of 20 Dollars for lunch with dessert and tea. Pretty good
The service was awesome,,I was so surprised,,this is usually my pet peeve,,I cannot stand bad service,,there is no need of it and a good manager would fire anyone who gave bad service to paying customers.
This place however did exceptionally well,,,always smiles and cleared our dirty plates fast.......asked us how was the food etc etc,,just like you would expect.
Anyway I read the reviews here and can't comment on anything bad here,,other then the restaurant being on Cambie street which is a driving and parking hell right now.
We will would return but probably try the Robson Street location for ease of parking and less congested traffic.
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Asian Food Lovers |
| Added Oct 7, 2007 by hbelle of vancouver (18 Reviews) Always great food!
Been here several times. Food is always so good, no matter which dish you order. My favourites are the Roti canai, Char kuay teow, Sambal bunchies, nasi goreng, tahu goreng, and the pineapple fried rice. Love the fresh young cooconut drink but pretty pricey ($5+). Service is decent -- our server didn't really talk much and wasn't too friendly. Ambiance is good. I'd definitely return for the food! |
| Added Aug 20, 2007 by infinitime of Vancouver (18 Reviews) One of our favorites!
We've been to Tropika on over a dozen occasions. The food has consistently been of a high quality, and the staff have always been courteous and efficient. Our favorite remains the Pomfret in dried shrimp past, which I've yet to find a better example in Vancouver. The only quibble I have about this place is that they don't really adhere to their reservations. Often, a 7:00pm reservation would translate into a 7:30 seating, even when we arrived at 6:55pm. That being the exception, it is a good restaurant. Prices are a bit on the high side, but in my view well worth it! |
| Added Aug 19, 2007 by gentleman1 of kitsilano, vancouver (1 Reviews) Terrible service, rude & 15% service charge added on the bill!!!
I strongly advise you guys not to go this horrible restaurant. I have had unpleasant experience today because of poor service (servers are very rude) and unexpected 15% service charges added on my bill. How dare this restaurant add this unacceptable charge (I am just wondering if BC government is aware of this charge). Furthermore, they expected to get another tips from us. I have never seen this kind of poor service and extra charge on the bill in any other restaurants. Also, foods are expensive too. My simple question is why we should pay this unacceptable charge? Holly shit!! If you want to have a Malaysian, Indonesian or Singapore Cuisine, I think Banana Leaf on West Broadway is one of good place as the restaurant offers reasonable price, good service and friendly. I will never back this horrible restaurant again. |
| Added Jul 25, 2007 by jezzme of Burnaby (65 Reviews) Even with a 2 for 1 Coupon, I'm not going back.
Why do I always get persuaded to go to Tropika? I hate their pretentiousness and their food is overall westernized and not authentic.
My mom wanted to go out for dinner one night, so we went to Tropika on Cambie. I had just gone to Salathai (up the street) the previous night, but was still craving some Thai food...plus, as I remember, their roti canai and chicken satays were always really good. So I obliged.
How the place still stays afloat despite snobby waiters and okay food is surprising. I guess it's still one of those "trendy" places to eat, despite outdated decorum.
We had the roti canai, chicken and beef satays, eggplant with pork hot pot, rice, and pad thai. Now, maybe this is because I had pad thai the night before and it was so mind-numbingly good, that Tropika did not live up to my expectations. Or, it could be that Tropika sacrifices cost for flavour, but the noodle dish that was placed before me was gummy, acidic, sour and lacked flavour from spices. At ~$12, I felt ripped off. The eggplant dish was also something that I'd never tried from Tropika. It was floating in about one and a half inches of oil. Pork? There was about 2 tablespoons of ground pork sitting in the oil. Granted, the eggplant was not bitter and tasted good. But the dish itself was really oily and greasy. Hence, we ordered rice to soak up some grease.
We used the coupon and for *once*, I was glad to let my mother pay and tip her "standard 15%" - on the discounted price!! lol
There are other places to spend your money for authentic, flavourful Asian fare. |
| Added Mar 18, 2007 by jpcostales of Metrotown, Burnaby (65 Reviews) Good Food, Solid Service
Checked out this place with a close friend on a rainy Thursday evening. Was a little tricky to get to since Cambie is pretty much closed due to the RAV line construction.
Food - Really, really good. Mind you, my friend used to come here all the time, so she knows what's good on the menu. Had some huge Thai-style drink that was served in a wood bowl with a couple of straws to share. The pineapple rice was actually served in a pineapple! How cool is that? Satay was really good, but pretty small portion. Veggies and curry chicken were also good.
Service - Solid. Some recent views have been pretty harsh on rating the service, but I was fairly pleased with it.
Ambiance - Pretty nice for an asian restaurant. Usually they're hole-in-the-wall places. This place seemed nice and new and it even had clean bathrooms! |
| Added Feb 26, 2007 by fashionista of Kitsilano, Vancouver (2 Reviews) bad, dangerous service
My boyfriend and I ate at Tropika, expecting and unbelievable dining experience, as a result of the many recommendation to eat at this restaurant. However, not only was the food served slowly, in small portions, and was extremely over priced, the server was slow, and in my opinion dangerous. I am a strict vegetarian, as well as a jewish person. I specifically asked the server if our meals could be altered and served with no meat, which he told me was perfectly fine, and done all the time. However, all but one meal came with the meat in it, as well as two dishes (pad thai being one of them, and EASY meal to serve without any meat at all) overflowing with prawns, something that i cannot eat as a jewish person. I was extremely upset, told the server of the mistake, and he blamed it on the kitchen. Additionally, we ordered a large "sharing" drink, which the server told us had alcohol, but once we tasted it, we knew he was wrong, he didn't apologize, nor take the beverage off of our bill. Overall a terrible experience. |
| Added Feb 15, 2007 by foodiephil of Richmond (49 Reviews) Not recommended
The food is not bad, I admit. The prices are about twice what they should be.
Don't be fooled, tho'... Tropika is Malaysian / Thai confusion cuisine owned and run by Hong Kong owners and staff who are providing a HK idea of what they think S.E. Asian cuisine should be like. There's nothing wrong with that in theory, but if you're a purist, beware. The dishes are executed well enough in any case.
Unfortunately, along with the HK concept of food comes the HK concept of service - that, as a customer, you are an unavoidable nuisance, and so they serve you in the hopes that, by doing so, you'll leave sooner.
If Tropika were the last restaurant in town serving this type of cuisine, I would go... but again, this is a typical example of "why do I need to spend my money here when there are so many other choices?"
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| Added Feb 8, 2007 by cyberspace of vancouver (23 Reviews) Poor service and rude
Went for lunch as was told by friends that it was a good place. The service was poor and the food was not good. It did not taste like Asian food. Things just slaped together. I can do this at home and have a better quality. They also refused to take the entertaintment coupons which I cannot beleive. Will not go there again. Thought that they would want people to enjoy their meal so that they may come back. The restaurtant was not busy either. Should have seen this when i got in. |
| Added Feb 1, 2007 by BBQHOTWINGS of Vancouver (5 Reviews) Good Food!
i've always thought Thai food was spicy and didn't like it until i went to here and tried the Pad Thai, the crab, the pineapple fried rice. The food wasn't spicy at all and most of all it was good! i love the desert too! a reasonable price, hard to find parking space, always full for dinner. Make sure to make reservation before hand.! |
| Added Jan 14, 2007 by misosweet of Vancouver (11 Reviews) A good review
I know Tropika is notorious for their horrible service but I must say, that every single time I have dined at their restaurant I have never received poor service. I felt obliged to give Tropika a good review because I am a regular customer and have received consistently good service. Tonight was another example of this.
It was my sister's birthday and there were 5 of us. We made reservations earlier on in the day for 6:30, and were seated immediately. We ordered a TON of food (lots of Hainanese rice, satay skewers, pad thai, roti, beans, jumbo shrimp with vermicelli noodles, hot and sour soup, fried rice, clams!) and it all arrived very promptly. In fact, all of our food had arrived within the half hour.
Service was the same as all my past experiences - good. We never had to ask for water; servers would come by and fill up our glasses numerous times. If I had to make one suggestion about their service it would be to allow more time to look at the menus. Sometimes I feel they rush us just a little bit when it comes to ordering food.
We ordered some dessert and our food was packed. No fusses with the bill (The Entertainment Book coupon is a godsend) and we were on our way. I've heard so many complaints about Tropika's service but I guess I am one of the fortunate ones in that I've never had to experience bad service from them. I hope my review lets other diners know that Tropika isn't entirely all that bad!
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| Added Dec 10, 2006 by DaGasMan of Vancouver (18 Reviews) its ooook...
I called at 6:15pm and made reservations for 6:30pm for 2. When we got there at 6:25pm, the host asked us to wait. After 10min, we were handed menus, thinking that we were going to be seated, but were then asked to wait in the waiting area. Another 10min pass before we were seated. I don't usually mind waiting, but if you agree to give a reservation, I think that they should have the table ready when we arrive. 5min after we ordered, our rice arrived....before the dishes arrived. But after the server realized that our dishes weren't ready, he took the rice back...and then brought them out again after our dishes arrived. The food was good, portions kind of small for the money I thought. Had the lamb curry and vegetable hot pot. The lamb curry was delicious. When entertainment book coupon was used, it was a great deal. The manager gave us a free takeout bowl of rice as well, which was very nice. |
| Added Dec 7, 2006 by serendipityfood of Downtown (19 Reviews) Ok food but not the real thing
Feeling hungry and adventurous, I ventured into Tropika on Cambie with my wife after reading the reviews and seeing their ads.
Decor is nice but needs to be updated. We were hungry and ordered quite a bit of food. We ordered the satay, char hor fun, roti, laksa and assam prawns, chicken rice.
The roti was ok and char ho fun was decent. But the laksa was bad - it tasted like curry noodles but it was still edible. The assam prawns was the worse, the sauce is nothing like what I have had in Asia - what happened? The satay was ok but lacks the real flavour. The chicken rice was pretty good but full of bones - I think the Hong Kong Chinese like it this way. I will have preferred it boneless. They could also have been more generous with the chili sauce and ginger sauce though. Overall, the food is tasty but not the real thing. Who are they trying to kid? In a city where authentic food is everywhere, they have better improve and not just rest on their laurels before someone else comes along to offer really authentic Malaysian food.
But what really upset us was the service. The server didn't really seem to care. We had to ask repeatedly for water, he didn't come to check us once during the meal and didn't clear our plates. The rest of the servers didn't seem any better. I don't think we will be back.
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| Added Oct 31, 2006 by uncle_junior of Cambie, Vancouver (10 Reviews) Very good Asian food
Tropika in Cambie was one of the first restaurants that we tried since we arrived in Vancouver two years ago, and we've been going back there so often I've lost count.
Most of the time we over-order because we like so many of what's in the menu. Appetizers alone sometimes fill us up already. Radish cake, prawn patties, chicken wings with cheese sause, satays... When available the sambal lobster is very good but so are the crabs, and so are the curries. Even their veggies - sambal bunchies or kangkong and the eggplant dish are great. Their version of tom yung goong is also great but on the hot side.
It remains at the top of our list. |
| Added Oct 15, 2006 by Apple of Vancouver (6 Reviews) Very tasty malaysian/thai food
I've been here numerous times for lunch and had great experiences each time. The service is good. The waiters are usually quite friendly and are pretty quick to recognize when I need a refill of water. The food has been consistent every time I have been here and the waiting times were reasonable. I really enjoyed the roti canai, pad thai, curry beef, and prawn cakes. I think quality of the food is better than other thai restaurants. I've also been to the Robson location, but this one is much better. |
| Added Aug 9, 2006 by madclown of Vancouver (1 Reviews) Bad Time
I ate here with a group of friends and was so turned off by the service from the start. We had reservations for 8 people for 5 pm and the majority of us were seated by 5:30. We were chatting to catch up because we had not seen each other for a long time. The server came by and rudely asked if we were going to order anything because he needed the table back by 7 pm and it was "already 5:30." We would have left to eat elsewhere if it weren't for the fact that we were a big group and it was dinnertime on a Saturday.
None of us had ever eaten at Tropika before so we were unfamiliar with the menu (names of dishes). When one of my friends as the server if they served anything like Pad Thai, the server barked back, "Yeah, it's on the menu!" We put our orders in and although the food arrived in a reasonable time, it wasn't anything spectacular. Meanwhile, during dinner, the server would come out of nowhere to reach in front of us to pour waters, blocking our view from the person we were having a conversation with, and splashing water on the table.
We were well done dinner before 7pm and by the time the bill came, we were so displeased with the service that 6/8 of us decided not to leave a tip. The server was circling the table like a vulture to make sure that we settled. When he saw that he was only left a couple of dollars, he freaked out and asked a couple of my friends what "our problem" was. We explained that we found his service to be extremely rude at the get-go and gave examples, and his only response was "Whatever." This was starting to make a scene in the restaurant, so the manager rushed over to find out what was happening. We understand that on busy nights, many restaurants need their tables back in a reasonable amount of time, but we explained to the manager that the way the server conveyed this, was inappropriate. The manager apologized and we left. All I can say is after such a horrible first time experience, we will never eat there again! |
| Added Aug 4, 2006 by azn_msfyt of Delta (174 Reviews) Im so thirsty!
Food: Everything was just ok. Nothing really stood out. Satays were too small to be work 1.20 ea. Radish cake was nice. Deep-fried tofu fell apart when dipping. Roti was oily and dipping sauce a little on the bland side. Overall, there was nothing much too it.
Service: Felt like we were rushed out. No water anywhere!! Had to ask repeatedly for water refills.
Ambiance: Quite nice and if we hadn't been rushed out, it would have been a nice place to sit and eat dessert and just hang out. |
| Added Jul 1, 2006 by moussy of Vancouver (60 Reviews) This location brings the other two downnn...
I tried out the Cambie location for the first time with a friend for lunch. I thought the outside of the restaurant did not live up to the other locations, but the inside sort of made up for the lack of ambience.
Not a lot of people were there when we entered, but started to fill up slowly. I had the kari lembu with coconut rice and my friend ordered special lunch combo a. we started off with roti, and roti was good as always and piping hot. when the food came, it wasn't very creative looking as usual. normally i would get the coconut rice wrapped in leaves or presented upside down perfectly, but this was just scooped and put in a rice bowl....a bit disappointing.
my curry was good, but it wasn't very hot. my friend's wasn't a curry...it was just chicken with hot sauce and sauteed veggies and deep fried egg. the sauteed veggies looked hot, but they were cold! it didn't taste that great.....and the chicken i thought was too little for the combo. i wasn't all that impressed.
but what was most disappointing was that i had a special lunch 2 for 1 special, and i asked the server if we could use it, but he bluntly said no today is special occasion, and just left. he could have been kinder in telling me! he did fill our water up frequently but that was just rude.
i don't plan to come back here, unless i really want malaysian and im near cambie. might as well go to banana leaf on willow and broadway. |
| Added Mar 23, 2006 by munchkin of Vancouver (7 Reviews) One of my favourites!
Tropika is one of my favourite restaurants to eat at for lunch or dinner or for takeout. I can't guarantee the authenticity of the food, but I have to say it is deliciooous! My favourite would probably be the roti, but i love a lot of dishes on the menu - their satay, shrimp cakes, curry beef, green thai curry, eggplant, fried rice and noodles.. i love it all! My first trip to Tropika was about 8-9 years ago, and I have loved it ever since. I have been to all the locations, but this is by far my favourite. The service is usually really good and the food always comes out really fast. Every person that I have brought to Tropika have loved the food as much as I do. It is not necessarily the cheapest place to eat but it just depends on what you choose to order. |
| Added Mar 23, 2006 by epicurious of Burnaby, BC (523 Reviews) Best roti ever!
Going to Tropika is always a treat.
Food: Great food with authentic flavours. My favorites are the roti w/ peanut sauce, the Bah Kut Teh soup, and the spicy eggplant. The nasi goreng is delicious too.
Service: I wouldn't say the service is out of the world, but it's good considering how busy the restaurant usually is, especially on the weekends!
Ambiance: Very comfortable and I love their dishware!
Don't forget your entertainment coupons! |
| Added Mar 6, 2006 by hohohong of Van (14 Reviews) Bad service but Reall authentic asia food
I have been to this location 4 times and 3 out of the 4 times there, the service was really bad. The waiter (I believe the name is Walter) never paid attention to my ordering 2 times when I was there. He brought out the wrong items 2 times when I was there.
When i requested for their tasty Sambal Chili, the waiter actually brought out a small portion topped with regular chili. He mixed the sambal chili with other cheaper substitution trying to fool me.
Other than that, the food is really good authentic Malaysia food.
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| Added Sep 17, 2005 by sgtoca of Kitsilano, Vancouver (85 Reviews) As good as its gets
The food here is as authentic as you can possibly go with South East asian cuisine. Of all the locations, this one has the best staff. The ones on Robson are in an odd way, arrogant coz in the end, u r merely wait staff. The food is good and consistent. The portion are sufficient and for an asian restaurant, the ambience is really nice. One down side is the cutlery they give u is kinda on the heavy side. This place definitely gets thumbs up for me and I have returned many times. Their Singapore Laksa is awesome! |
| Added Aug 26, 2005 by foodfanatic of South Vancouver (295 Reviews) My favourite Tropika location!
The tastiest! Best service. Quick to serve; quick to cook to perfection; Friendly, attentive. Most consistent. Love their chicken wings! The Leung Ye Tofu (lightly battered; absolutely a must with the sauce!); Roti Canai--yummy curry sauce! Perfectly made satay whether it be chicken/beef/pork/lamb! The best spicy sambal crab--finger-licking good! Normally, I wouldn't eat crab, but this is the exception. Their baby ribs are so tasty and tender (I forget the name). Spinach is always good. Their dessert is delicious! The only mediocre item on the menu I can think of would probably be their soups! Yes, plural. Plenty of cocktail concoctions to go with your dinner. Always a good value. One of my favourite restaurants! But always remember to call in to make reservations! They're almost always busy. Be sure to arrive a little earlier than your chosen time otherwise, you might be in for a wait. Been frequenting here at least once a month if not more over the last bunch of years. There was a time when the taste of the food turned sub-par, I assume it was because they relocated their regular chef to one of their other locations to promote the other place first. But that only lasted for a couple of months or so, then they were once again unquestionably superb! When their newest location at Aberdeen Mall opened in Richmond, it was absolutely horrible! Disgusting. Ill-prepared food! Slow & confused service! Inexperienced. The tofu was bland-to-doughy-raw for the batter, and had a mushy-nearly-trampled-upon look to the tofu. The crab was awful and haphazardly thrown on the plate. The chicken wings were bad to nearly being undercooked, and the roti was awful doughy tasting. Haven't dared to go back since then. Just awful. But CAMBIE is the BEST! The Robson one is okay in every respect, more roomy, fewer tables. But for taste and atmosphere, liveliness, go to Cambie! Not sure if the Lansdowne Rd location one is still around... |
| Added Aug 10, 2005 by jezzme of Burnaby (65 Reviews) Tropika used to be good.
I started going to Tropika when it was way out on 4th. *That* was when it was good and authentic and provided value. I followed them over to Cambie and have gone countless times at that location. I've stopped going in the past two years because their food quality and flavour has decreased significantly, and also because their service level is becoming mediocre. And at that price, I would rather indulge in other eats. Note: The reviewer has submitted a more recent review for this restaurant. This review does not affect the overall rating and is displayed for information purposes only. |
| Added Jul 26, 2005 by chukese of Vancouver (2 Reviews) Overrated Tropika
The food is alright, and the service is decent, but the price one pays for the taste is not worth it. Rather...save the cash, and splurge it on one's second favorite type of cuisine. |
| Added Jul 13, 2005 by passiontaster of Vancouver (4 Reviews) When you don't feel like Indian
After frequenting Tropika regularly for over a year I have to say that their quality and consistency is second to none. The speed with which the food arrives at the table is incredible while ensuring that each and every meal is as stupendous as the last. The servers are very friendly, attentive and inviting however, when you have completed your meal it is made obvious that they require you to leave for the next diners and they will usher you out. Overall, a more than positive dining experience with flavours that combine to create unique tasting sensation. |
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