Kilin Restaurant — Restaurant in McBride

Best. Chinese Food. Ever. We pulled into McBride after a long day of driving and were grateful to find a restaurant that was still open. The owner was inside watching a baseball game and casually handed us some menus. They had a lot of specials and combos and it was tough to decide, but we settled on Chicken Chow Mein, sweet n sour chicken balls, sweet n sour pork, almond chicken, and spring rolls. The food arrived quickly and we were amazed by the pile of food in front of us. Everything was on point. Crispy spring rolls and almond chicken, flavorful noodles, zesty sweet n sour. I haven’t had authentic Chinese cuisine since I was a kid and it tasted just as good as my childhood memories. The owner chatted with us about how he wound up owning a restaurant in McBride, his life growing up in China, the struggles of raising his kids in a small town, and it made us feel like we’ve known him for years. If you’re in McBride, definitely make a point to stop in and support this awesome small...

It's typical western style chinese. Though it is simple, it is excellent quality. You can tell Raymond, the owner, cares about what he puts out. I grew up in McBride, and have since lived in Vancouver and Halifax and this is better than many western style Chinese restaurants even in those big cities. Raymond always uses good cuts of meat, good quality seafood, he NEVER cheaps out or cuts corners. His sauces are seasoned just right. Everything is cooked just right. The fried rice is never overcooked, he manages to make it stay perfectly fluffy. the vegetables are perfect, with a bit of crunch still left to them. Even on buffet nights, He's constantly changing out stuff, he never lets it sit for a long time like other restaurants...

This is a hard restaurant to rate on a star system. If you are a local, 4 stars easy. If you are coming from a big town and expecting something in the line of a regionally specific Chinese restaurant? 1 star.

The cook here is cooking the kind of food that the regulars expect, I would guess. If you grew up in a small town in BC or Alberta before 1980, you can already taste every menu item. If you expect that, you will be satisfied. For everyone else, it's a roadside diner. Don't complain.

I'd love to see some dishes on the menu that are prepared for a different audience, though. Better ingredients, more prep work, challenging flavours...something to draw people down...