This is another one for the “don’t judge a book by its cover” reviews. Chongqing is located at the corner of Nelson and Kingsway, and I’ve always thought that the place  looked like a dive. But my coworkers wanted to go there so off we went. Turns out that the service is speedy and cordial, the interior has recently been renovated, the prices are decent and the food is good. It’s better than good.

We came here for the $8.45 lunch specials. There are over 20 combos to chose from, so there’s a lot of variety.

The portions are very decent, enough to feed you for two lunches really. The combos also come with hot and sour or corn chowder soup, and for only $1 more you can add a spring roll or make your soup a Wonton soup.

The food comes out super fast, so I recommend this restaurant for the office lunch crew. And the food is really good. I loved my ginger beef and rice. The meat was tender and delicious and perfectly cooked. The grated ginger had a strong presence and the sauce was thick and sweet, with a strong brown sugar flavour. Oh, and garlic, lots and lots of garlic. So good.

Another dish I recommend is the spicy green beans. The beans were crunchy  and the spice wasn’t too overwhelming, so you can still really taste the freshness of the vegetable. Topped with garlic and chives, this dish is a winner and a great add on for sharing.

Check out this little gem of a restaurant next time you’re in the Burnaby/Metrotown area. You won’t regret it.

Follow them on Twitter @chongqing_bway