Websites claiming Cafe H.K. service is terrible haven’t met these servers.

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Tea Pot China Bistro and H.K. Cafe

You can’t miss Tea Pot China Bistro and Cafe H.K. at Harvest Hills Crossing in the city’s far north. Its red “T.POT” sign, like the Great Wall, is so large as to be visible from outer space. Two restaurants in one, it sits opposite the T&T Supermarket in this outlet enclave. Entering the restaurant, the left-hand area serves Chinese fare and also offers dim sum. On the right is a somewhat smaller, slightly more casual Hong Kong-style café, the very literally named Cafe H.K.

I’ll admit I was secretly hoping the rumours about Cafe H.K. were true. Customers’ remarks on local restaurant websites rave about the food but claim the service is rotten. This read to me like a great challenge for a food reviewer. Alas, the restaurant’s staff has either been misrepresented or has taken these critiques to heart. My supper guest and I received a friendly greeting on our way in (and an equally friendly goodbye on our way out) and were immediately seated. Complementary glasses of hot tea arrived before we’d removed our coats and were refilled throughout our meal.

Hong Kong cafés are known for serving a variety of mixed Asian (mostly Chinese) influenced dishes and hybrid Western-Asian fare. Created by the owners of Chinatown’s Calgary Court, a personal favourite with a giant menu, Cafe H.K. has an even bigger menu. So much so, that representing its scope in one meal is impossible. Thus, we opted for a selection of classics.

First up, dumplings in soup ($5.95). Long won ton dumplings with thin, semi-transparent wrappings floated in golden broth with chopped green onion bits. Red vinegar can be added to this dish, but the broth was tangy, warm and delicious on its own. The dumplings are made with chopped mushroom (black fungus) that gives them a mottled appearance and adds a subtle crunch. It was a simple dish done well. This theme continued with the Szechuan-style stir-fry ($13.95), containing succulent shrimp, chopped red pepper and a dash of bean sprouts and chopped onion. This dish smelled and tasted smoky. Its medium-sized round noodles had crispy-dark grill marks.

The mushrooms with oyster sauce and two kinds of vegetables ($13.95) won in the wholesome, good-looks category. Big, steaky Shitake mushroom slabs in golden-brown sauce covered a circular arrangement of chopped, steamed cauliflower and broccoli. The meaty mushrooms were a real treat. They possessed a Midas touch that gave the surrounding steamed veggies a golden-delicious kick.

Baked seafood with herbs on rice ($12.95) is served in that ubiquitous oval restaurant lasagna dish. A thin layer of browned white cheese topped rice mixed with a generous assortment of seafood — a small, flaky fish filet, two succulent clams, scored squid tubes, scallops and shrimp. Broccoli was the garnish. The seafood was tender, and the cheese (I have no idea what kind) was rich and creamy. Again, simple done right.

My guest and I both ordered red bean and coconut-milk milkshakes ($3.95) from the restaurant’s dessert-drink list, drinking them with our meal rather than after. We polished them off as we finished the rice. A quintessential ingredient in Chinese treats, red bean is not too sweet, just tasty.

Contrary to its reputation, I found Cafe H.K.’s service to be friendly and efficient. Though we only sampled a select few dishes off its enormous and varied menu, every dish that we ordered proved to be a winner. Next time you’re flying over Harvest Hills in your space shuttle, keep an eye out for the big sign and touch down for a great Hong Kong café meal.