Cha Kee Restaurant Markham Review – Honest Look at a Modern HK Café with Hits and Misses – Average EV Score: 6.6/10
Reviewed by Tastes of Ottawa
Each dish is rated using our EV Score (Enjoyment-to-Value Score), based on enjoyment, price paid, and benchmark pricing.
Table of Contents
Cha Kee Restaurant Markham Restaurant Overview
50 Bur Oak Ave Unit 10C, Markham, ON L6C 0A2
Cha Kee Restaurant offers a modern take on Hong Kong–style café fare. It’s tucked into a plaza with plenty of free parking, making it convenient compared to busier downtown-style locations where parking is often a challenge. There were many open spots when we arrived, which made the visit stress-free from the start.
The interior is stylish and modern, giving the space a more polished feel than many casual HK cafés. Service was friendly and attentive, and I appreciated how quickly food came out once we ordered. Even though the restaurant was busy, the pace of service never felt rushed or chaotic.
The menu is broad, with a mix of HK-style classics like instant noodle dishes, curry brisket, and French toast, alongside soups and rice options. Some dishes were excellent and worth returning for, while others suffered from inconsistency.
Would return?: Yes, but only for a few specific dishes.
Pork Chop Stir Fry Instant Noodles
😋 Enjoyment: 8.5/10
💰 Price Paid: $8
🎯 Benchmark Price: $8
📊 EV Score: 8.5/10
🔁 Order Again?: Yes.
This was easily one of the highlights. The pork chop was tender, juicy, and well-seasoned, delivering that classic HK café flavour. Each bite had a nice charred edge that gave it depth. The stir-fried instant noodles were cooked perfectly — still springy with just the right bite, avoiding the sogginess that often happens with instant noodles when overcooked.
The sauce tied everything together with a savoury, slightly sweet balance. It’s the kind of dish that feels both simple and satisfying, showing how comfort food can shine when done right.
Preserved Vegetables & Shredded Pork Vermicelli Soup
😋 Enjoyment: 8.5/10
💰 Price Paid: $8
🎯 Benchmark Price: $8
📊 EV Score: 8.5/10
🔁 Order Again?: Yes.
This dish was straightforward but dependable. The broth had a clean, lightly salty flavour with the preserved vegetables adding a gentle tang. The shredded pork was tender, though not overly abundant. The vermicelli noodles were light and smooth, making the soup feel comforting without being heavy.
Nothing about this bowl was particularly memorable, but sometimes reliability is exactly what you want in a dish. It hit expectations without exceeding them — a solid, no-frills choice.
Diced HK-style French Toast
😋 Enjoyment: 8.5/10
💰 Price Paid: $18
🎯 Benchmark Price: $18
📊 EV Score: 8.5/10
🔁 Order Again?: Yes.
This was one of the more creative and fun items on the menu. Instead of serving French toast as the usual large slices, Cha Kee presented it as nine individual cubes. Each cube was deep-fried to give a golden, eggy coating. The smaller portions meant more surface area for the crispy batter, which worked well.
The interior of each cube was soft, fluffy, and slightly sweet, while the exterior was nicely crisped, though it could have used a touch more crunch for maximum contrast. The peanut butter filling inside was mild, adding creaminess without overpowering. Overall, this was a playful twist on a dim sum classic that worked really well.
Curry Beef Brisket with Rice
😋 Enjoyment: 9/10
💰 Price Paid: $8
🎯 Benchmark Price: $15
📊 EV Score: 9/10
🔁 Order Again?: Yes.
The curry sauce itself was fantastic — aromatic, creamy, and full of flavour. Paired with the fluffy white rice, it made for a deeply comforting dish. Unfortunately, the beef brisket was inconsistent. Some pieces were tender and melted in the mouth, while others were dry and tough, taking away from the experience.
The portion of meat was also a bit on the lighter side, which felt unbalanced given the generous amount of rice. It’s a dish that had the potential to be excellent, but the brisket inconsistency held it back.
Curry Beef Brisket with Instant Noodles
😋 Enjoyment: 8.5/10
💰 Price Paid: $21
🎯 Benchmark Price: $21
📊 EV Score: 8.5/10
🔁 Order Again?: Yes.
This version had the same curry sauce as the rice dish, which was once again delicious. The problem here was twofold: the beef brisket had the same inconsistency issues as before, and the instant noodles felt lower in quality than in the pork chop dish. They were softer and lacked the same springiness, making the texture less appealing.
While the flavour of the curry helped carry the dish, the weaker noodles and brisket quality kept it from being truly satisfying.
Final Thoughts
Cha Kee Restaurant in Markham is a great example of how HK-style cafés are evolving, with a modern setting, broad menu, and playful takes on classics. The plaza location with plenty of free parking makes it convenient, the friendly staff make the visit enjoyable, and the quick service ensures you won’t be waiting long for your food.
Not everything was perfect — the curry brisket was inconsistent, and the instant noodles in that dish underwhelmed. But the pork chop noodles, vermicelli soup, and French toast were all excellent, proving that Cha Kee can deliver standout dishes.
Overall, Cha Kee is worth a visit if you’re in the area. I’d happily return for the pork chop noodles and French toast, while being cautious with the brisket dishes.