3A Noodle 三品麵食 (Markham) — Restaurant in Markham

This review covered two separate dining experiences covering two consecutive days!

Ever since its opening a few short years ago, ‘Very Good Congee and Noodles King’s Square, Markham ‘ has been my go-to place for a bowl of delicious, hearty and well executed authentic Hong Kong Style Won-Ton noodles as well as their peerless Pig’s Liver rice congee.

Unfortunately, they are currently temporarily closed due to renovation. The result of relocating to a bigger space, one level up within the mall.

Today, for my occasional Cantonese noodle fix, I resorted to recommendations from a few trusted friends and relatives for an acceptable alternative. Receiving some fairly positive feedback is the relatively new, Markham branch of ‘3A Noodles’, whose North York flagship around Don Mills has been gaining a steady following.

I have already experienced first hand some of its products at home since 3A was also known for offering some quality frozen dumplings and dim sum products. The all shrimp, giant Won-Ton being a stand out and regular purchase item.

For my dine-in lunch, I opted for a bowl of regular Hong Kong style soup noodles with multiple toppings. This strategy would allow me to sample a number of their house speciality products. My protein heavy options included Chui-Hau braised beef brisket and tendons and their touted ‘ crispy and crunchy ‘ pigs liver.

The whole eating experience was a reflection of Good and really Bad! The good being the ultra thin silver thread al-dente alkaline water egg noodle, dressed with a touch of lard and a sprinkle of diced yellowing chives served in a fairly flavourful pork bone and roasted flounder based soup. Both components were enjoyable and commendable…..though the flounder taste component of the broth was less pronounced than some of their peers like Mr Congee, Won-ton Hut and Very Good. The tender and tasty brisket and tendons were well received.

Sadly, the whole experience was spoiled by their charging $1.75 extra for a pinch of shrimp eggs ( Very Good offered this condiment for free, as part of their normal soup noodle formula ) and their 'deceptively good looking' but way-way-way overcooked, bland, tough and hard pig’s liver. An absolute disaster that, after one unappealing bite, I left the four remaining pieces untouched!

Was this a one time slip by the chefs? Doubt I’ll try driving half an hour in the future to give them another chance to find out?

ONE DAY LATER - A totally new experience?!

Fate has it that I have to run some errands in this part of town again! As such, I decided to ' Never say Never ' and gave 3A another try. This time, I opted for their ' Penny Hot Sauce ( Chili + Tomato ) Lo-Mien ', a product that had received raved reviews from some fellow posters. The subsequent experience and enjoyment level compared to yesterday's was ' Night vs Day '! The taste profile of the sauce was spot on and the elevated approach of adding diced Shitake mushrooms and Sichuan turnips was a masterful welcoming touch! The broth today has also more depth and more complexity. The side plate of crispy and crunchy fried fish skin was addictively good and value for money! Hopefully, yesterday's way-over-cooked pig's liver was a...

Atmosphere: This restaurant is the second location of the 3A Noodle brand, with the original in North York near Don Mills. The new spot is tucked away in the small and somewhat obscure Kenlee Plaza, across from the McDonald’s at Milliken Mills Community Centre. Parking can be a bit challenging, but once you find a spot, you’ll discover a cozy, bustling little eatery. The restaurant is designed for efficiency given its limited space, but the atmosphere can feel a bit hectic during peak hours. While the space is well-utilized, it’s best suited for small groups. Larger parties may find it difficult to sit together without splitting up. 3.5/5

Service: Despite the busyness, the service at 3A Noodle is commendable. The staff are attentive and ensure that your order is taken and served promptly. One standout feature is the quick turnaround time between placing your order and receiving your food, which is both efficient and impressive. 4/5

Food: 3A Noodle is renowned for its wonton noodles, and the quality lives up to its reputation. The thin noodles I ordered were particularly noteworthy, maintaining their firmness in the soup even after sitting for a while—unlike in many other noodle shops where they quickly become soft and soggy. This speaks volumes about the care and quality put into their dishes. The wontons were also impressive, large and firm, deserving of high praise. 4/5

Overall: This new 3A Noodle location offers a compact yet bustling dining experience with efficient service and high-quality wonton noodles. It’s a solid choice for a quick, satisfying meal, though best enjoyed with a...

Newly opened wonton noodle shop. We came around 7:30 which was their last call and they had sold out of dumplings and rice noodles by that point sadly.

We tried the fried dace fish balls, wonton/cuttlefish ball noodle, pork hock/wonton noodle, and a wonton/minced pork in tomato sauce lo mein. Overall pretty good but areas for improvement. The wontons are big and packed with snappy shrimp, but lacking in dried flounder (大地魚) flavour. Broth was very hot but a bit bland - could use more sweet shrimp shell flavour and touch more salt. I'd skip the cuttlefish balls. Theres really no cuttlefish pieces or much flavour. The minced pork sauce was a bit too strong in sweet ketchup flavour. I prefer a more traditional flavour using chinese bean paste and shallots.

Nice addition to the wonton noodle scene and I'd give it another try but for now, it doesn't beat out my favourite spots.

Service is quick and efficient. Space is clean. You can buy their frozen products at the front...