We’re going to do a review on Good Taste Casserole Rice restaurant in Unionville, Markham today!
There are three locations, which all offer slightly different menus, but overall the same signature dishes are available.
The Markham location is located in New Kennedy Square. It’s exactly where we got one of the best egg tarts in town.
The Scarborough restaurant is located at Warden and Steeles where the Bamburgh Circle is. It’s where you stop by to get your groceries at Foody Mart.
Lastly, they have a more recent location in North York, which opened up close to Yonge and Sheppard. This location seems to offer Abalone and Rice, which I didn’t see available in the other locations’ menus.
For those of you who don’t know, Chinese casserole rice, also known as clay pot rice (煲仔飯) is a dish commonly found in Chinese Cantonese-style restaurants. It is called 煲仔飯 (bou zai faan) in Cantonese, which is widely popular in Guangdong China.
The rice is cooked in a clay pot with various ingredients such as different meats, vegetables, and sauces. This dish is usually served family-style and is meant to be shared amongst everyone at the table.
Good Taste Casserole Rice is a restaurant that specializes in this dish in many varieties to choose from, and it’s indeed one of the best in the city!
Good Taste Casserole Rice Restaurant (知味煲仔饭) Review
Rui and I took the day off today and decided to go out for dinner and dessert today. The first place we wanted to stop by was Good Taste Casserole Rice. After that, we stopped by Sugar Marmalade Desserts (糖记甜品) to try some appetizers along with their delicious durian pancake with ice cream.
Because we knew were going for appetizers and desserts after dinner, we decided to order one side and a dish to share from this restaurant. In fact, we saw many couples share one clay pot of rice probably because that’s too much rice to eat for one person. If you’re here with a family of four, you can order two casserole rice bowls with two to three sides to satisfy your Chinese cravings.
We were debating between The Four Treasures Rice and the BBQ Eel & Pork Rib on Rice but we finally made the decision to go with the BBQ Eel & Pork Rib on Rice because the Four Treasures Rice contains too many preserved types of meat, which we don’t like despite it being one of their signature dishes. Along with this dish, we order the Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll as a quick snack.
Here’s our review and honest thoughts about Good Taste Casserole Rice restaurant.
Good Taste Casserole Rice Menu
In case you were wondering, we took a picture of their menu at the Markham location. We love how their menu is small and straightforward. We also love how there are so many different versions of the casserole rice to choose from, so matter what your dietary requirements are, they have options for you – even for vegetarians!
Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll (虾肠粉)
For starters, we ordered the Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll, which came out better than expected! We fell in love with this dish because of how fresh it tasted. If you’re looking for authentic and the real deal, then you might end up loving the rice noodle roll from here too! Rui and I were saying how it tastes better than the shrimp rice noodle rolls we’ve had from the best dim sum restaurants in Toronto, Scarborough, Markham, and Richmond Hill.
It is very comparable to Yin Ji Chang Fen (銀記腸粉), which is a restaurant that specializes in rice noodle rolls.
It was so good that we were tempted to order their signature Peanut, Yam Bean, Carrot, Mushroom, Pickled Mustard, Preserved Meat & Dried Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll, but we decided not to because I am not a fan of pickled food, preserved meat or dried shrimp. However, for those of you who love rice noodle rolls, I’m sure this will be one of your favourite dishes at Good Taste Casserole Rice!
BBQ Eel & Pork Rib on Rice
The clay pot of rice came out sizzling hot, which is always a good sign. We could smell the eel and pork rib as soon as the dish was served.
The first thing we noticed were the pieces of eel in the centre with pork rib scattered everywhere!
The taste of this dish was amazing and we loved how it sort of tasted homemade, so it didn’t feel heavy or greasy in anyway.
The pork ribs were not lean, which was a huge turn off for me. The meat pieces were anywhere from medium to fatty, but not excessively fatty like what most dim sum restaurants serve you. I was complaining to Rui and he said that’s just the way it is because if they used lean meat, it would not be a “traditional” or “classic” 煲仔飯. He just shook his head and laughed at me.
Other than that, it was a good-tasting pot of casserole rice. I have to admit the flavour reminds me of traditional Cantonese food that my parents cook at home.
Here’s a closer look at what you’ll get inside this dish.
Another drawback is the size isn’t big enough for two people, but it would be too much rice for one person, so you’re kind of left in the middle of nowhere. That’s why we had to order a shrimp rice noodle roll to share.
Sides
Every cassrole rice comes with a cup of corn soup and a tiny dish of yu choy sum (油菜心). The flavour in the veggie was just right, which wasn’t too salty or bland. I enjoyed the choy sum with the casserole rice (煲仔飯).
It also came with a cup of corn soup with a piece of pork. The soup was a great way to start the meal and it was refreshing. I really enjoyed the natural flavour of the pork broth and corn without added salt. One downside is there was oil coming from the meat, but it wasn’t anything excessive.
I saw everyone added a lot of salt to their soups because they probably like to elevate the taste with sodium, but Rui and I thought it was good just the way it’s served. We didn’t think there was a need to add any salt.
Food: 4.2/5
For the taste and budget-friendly price, you can’t really complain. It’s a very authentic and traditional Chinese casserole rice dish that’s been around for decades. It will definitely take you back to your childhood or bring back memories of your parents cooking this for you when you were younger.
The only thing I didn’t like was the ratio of rice to fatty pork rib meat, but I guess that’s just how it is and there’s nothing they can do about it.
Other than that, the casserole rice was beautifully made and very tasty. Rui and I would come back to try their other dishes!
Service: 2/5
The first impression I had of the service was not a good one. When I walked in, the server asked in a rude tone, “how many people?” as if she was giving me attitude or yelling at me. That’s what to expect in a traditional and cheap eats Chinese or Cantonese restaurant. The servers speak very slang and come off as rude, which is known to be part of the culture.
Aside from customer service, which Americans or westerners are more accustomed to, the service at Good Taste Casserole Rice was pretty good. They are efficient workers and give you the no-BS treatment, which most Cantonese people prefer. However, if you are looking for sweet talk and attentive service, this is not the place. Their “rude” and “raw” demeanor may just leave a bad taste in your mouth if you’re a sensitive type of person.
Ambiance: 2/5
The restaurant is old and run-down, but that’s to be expected with most Chinese places like this. It’s nothing fancy, but it gets the job done. The tables are not close together, so you can still eat comfortably if it gets busy. Luckily, Rui and I came here at 5:30 PM, so we had an early dinner, which allowed us to indulge in small appetizers and desserts afterward at Sugar Marmalade without eating too late.
Price: $
This is probably one of the cheapest dine-ins you can find in the GTA. A casserole rice dish here only costs between $11.99 to $12.99 + tax, which is a great deal because it’s sharable as long as you order a side or two!
Our total bill came out to be $24 including tax and 15% tips (one casserole dish with soup and a side veggie and shrimp noodle roll), which is pretty cheap!
Good Taste Casserole Rice Rating: 4/5
Overall, Good Taste Casserole Rice is a great place to stop by if you’re looking for some cheap Chinese eats in town.
It is indeed “good taste casserole rice” which is suggested by the name of the restaurant – hah!
The service is a bit raw and the ambiance is nothing to write home about, but the food makes up for it. Be sure to come here with a friend or two so you can share a dish and sample some of their other foods!
- Pros: Good authentic Cantonese dish, specialized in making tasty 煲仔飯, offers other delicious side dishes like rice noodle rolls, and cheap prices.
- Cons: Service is a little raw, which may be interpreted as “rude” by most Westerners, the restaurant isn’t very modernized, and the food takes about 15 to 20 minutes to be ready due to its slower prep and cook time.
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