Restaurant review: Uncle Yip’s

Jessica Lu

YIP YIP HOORAY. My brother greatly enjoys his food. The duck and the rice sit in the front, while the Lo Mein, beef, and the tofu are in the background. Diners have the choice of eating with chopsticks or with other utensils.

“We’re going out for dinner tonight,” said my mom.

My brother and I were naturally very excited; my mom prefers cooking at home instead of going out, and we are lucky, do not get me wrong, but going out every once in a while provides a new form of excitement.

However, our excitement diminished a little after finding out that we were going to yet another Chinese restaurant. Chinese restaurants are great and all, but after practically eating Chinese food at home every day, some variety would be more welcome.

This particular day, our family dined at Uncle Yip’s located in Evendale’s Plaza. Uncle Yip’s is known for their dim sum, but we unfortunately visited after the allotted hours. Dim sum is served on weekends from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Nevertheless, Uncle Yip’s menu offers many different foods. In my opinion, the large menu can be daunting, especially if it is your first time or you are indecisive like me. Luckily, my mom ordered dishes that our family was sure to enjoy like a pro.

She ordered Beef Lo Mein, my brother’s favorite dish and a staple order to every one of our Chinese restaurant exploits, Cantonese Roast Duck, and Tofu Casserole. My dad also ordered Beef Stew Casserole in a Hot Pot for us. My parents like to order in Chinese, but the staff does speak English as well.

The food arrived fairly quickly, accompanied by the complementary rice. We ate happily, half conversing with each other, half watching the news on the TVs there. My favorite dish was the Beef Lo Mein; it was extremely flavorful albeit on the saltier side. I thought the tofu and the duck were tasty as well. On the other hand, I struggled a little with the Beef Stew Casserole.

Although the flavor was not lacking, the texture of the meat itself was chewy. While the delivery of the plate was impressive, the loud sizzling sound of the meat in the pan, my parents were convinced that the meat was not that fresh. After all, the food came out pretty soon, and you would think the meat would take longer to cook.

All in all, dining at Uncle Yip’s was a pleasing experience. Although the restaurant itself could improve on its visual aesthetic, the service was swift, the waiters were all nice, and the food was tasty. I look forward to coming back for some dim sum.