Chinese

Wok & Chop is a relatively new addition to Kanata Centrum, and one of the main reasons I wanted to try it was simple: Hakka cuisine is not something you commonly see in Ottawa. That alone made it interesting.

Located in Centrum, there’s lots of free parking available in the large shared parking lot, which immediately makes the visit convenient. No circling neighbourhood streets or worrying about meters — you park and walk in. The restaurant itself has a casual dining atmosphere, clean and straightforward without trying to be overly trendy.

When we visited, the restaurant was pretty busy, which is always encouraging for a newer spot. Despite that, the service was quick, and dishes came out at a steady pace. Staff were efficient, and overall the operation felt smooth even during peak hours.

If you’re unfamiliar with Hakka cuisine, it’s essentially a blend of Indian and Chinese influences, often featuring bold spices, sauces, and stir-fried dishes. Since there aren’t many dedicated Hakka restaurants around Ottawa, Wok & Chop stands out simply by offering something different.

That said, the experience ended up being a mix of strong highlights and a few things that could be improved.

Located on Merivale Road, Bite and Bite Shanghai Fried Buns is a small, casual spot tucked inside a plaza, which means plenty of parking and easy access. The dining room is small, with only a handful of tables, making it more of a quick-stop eatery than a full sit-down experience.

Located on Merivale Road, Sea King Seafood Restaurant is one of the few dim sum restaurants in the Ottawa area that still uses push carts. This makes for a nostalgic and efficient experience — as soon as you’re seated, food is already circulating around the room, so you don’t have to wait long before eating.

Located on Merivale Road in a small plaza, Meet Noodle is one of those places you might easily drive past without noticing. That’s exactly how we stumbled across it — with little expectation going in. To our surprise, it turned out to be a fantastic little spot serving high-quality noodle soups with the kind of care and attention that make you want to come back.

Located on Elgin Street in Ottawa, Datsun is one of the city’s well-known restaurants that attracts crowds for its trendy décor and creative spin on Asian-inspired dishes. The space has lots of seating, and the decor is modern and stylish, making it feel like one of the more polished dining rooms in the area.

Sammi and Soupe Dumpling is located in Ottawa’s ByWard Market, a busy area with plenty of dining options but very limited parking. On a weekend evening, it can be a challenge to find a spot close by. When we visited, we ended up parking several blocks over and walking to the restaurant. By the time we arrived, it was already quite busy inside, and it stayed that way throughout our meal.

Dumpling Bliss is located in Centretown, but the restaurant is a little hidden away. It’s not in a main area where you’d naturally expect to find a restaurant, so it almost feels like a spot you’d only know about if someone told you. That said, once you do find it, the space is quite nice. The interior is clean, modern, and comfortable, with a good number of tables that can accommodate both smaller and slightly larger groups.

Cafe Orient is my favourite Chinese restaurant in Ottawa and probably the closest thing the city has to a true Hong Kong–style café. From HK milk tea to golden, buttery HK-style French toast, they hit the nostalgic notes perfectly. Their menu is broad, covering everything from casual comfort plates to dim sum classics, so no matter what you’re craving, you’ll likely find it here.