Dayali Beijing Roast Duck — Restaurant in Richmond Hill

Hello everyone! I'm reviewing this place for the general public and for the owners to see because I personally had my worst restaurant experience in Canada even without dining in. One of my friends suggested this place as we've been planning to go for a Peking Duck Roast for a very long time. We did see the reviews which seemed to be mediocre but there were a few that highlighted the Peking Duck which is why we wanted to try it out. I arrived with one of my friend at the restaurant and were waiting for another friend of ours. We decided to get a table, to which one server said there was no table. I understand the pandemic situation, but I could see three tables occupied and there were still a lot that were empty. I asked her how long would it take and she said more than an hour, so we decided to take off. Just as we left, we saw one table of diners leave the place. That took us by surprise, but we ignored it. A few minutes passed and we were standing a block away, while my other friend called us. He said he was sitting at the restaurant. We were surprised because the waitress told us there were no free tables.We decided to go back in. With all due respect, not to state the obvious but my friend who got seated was Asian. When we went back in, the waitress was literally ignoring us. We asked her politely as to why she declined giving us a table but offered one to our Asian friend. It was clearly a race bias. She ignored that and said now we have a table. This was utterly rude and unprofessional so we decided to leave. On our way out, we saw a group of Caucasians entering the restaurant. We wished them goodluck getting a table. Guess what happened next? They were declined a table too and disappointed they left along side us. This biased treatment on the basis of choosing diners in your restaurant is utterly ridiculous. Also, to mention the other diners in the restaurant were Asians only. I don't discriminate based on race or color. I believe if a person can pay to dine at your restaurant and is respectful to the staff, they should be treated equally. I would really rethink my decision to visit this restaurant a second time. It would be great if the owners could educate the staff on this matter and work on making their conduct more professional.

I rate it 0/5 because this was my first ever experience being...

I think the reviews speak for themselves - not a great dining experience. I have no idea why Dayali is so busy and popular despite all its issues. My family and I have eaten here since it opened way back, and it used to be one of our favorite Chinese restaurants. But each time, it gets worse and worse, to the point where we will NOT be returning.

First off, the environment is so hectic and not upscale at all. The tables are so close to each other, you're basically back to back with another patron. There are tables randomly placed in the middle of the room with little sense at all. The front is so loud, since they're constantly getting phone calls and writing up bills right beside the tables. There's also always a wait for some reason, we arrived at 5:30 which is quite early for dinner and had to wait 20 minutes. Throughout our whole dinner, there was never a time where there wasn't a crowd of people at the front waiting for their number to be called.

The food is the main reason we won't be returning. The flavor is underwhelming. We ordered the squirrel fish, braised eggplant, suan cai yu (hot and sour fish soup), and a stir fry beef dish. These are all things that we have tried and enjoyed before, we're not very experimental when it comes to new dishes. It's like they forgot how to make these dishes. The squirrel fish was so sour, this is something that a Beijing-style restaurant should NOT be getting wrong especially for $40. The suan cai yu was another disappointment, as we have ordered this probably 10 times in the past. It tastes like it was made earlier in the day and heated halfway. I like my soup to be piping hot. It was also super sour. The other two dishes were good but it's not hard to get stir fry beef and eggplant right.

Please improve. I used to really like this place. But for $100/3 people for such a mediocre experience, I can't see...

I earned my school fees in the mid 70s, working 70+ hours per week, 6 days per week, during a couple whole summers. I was working under minimum wage, because I do not have a work visa. I worked passionately, treating every customer with my most attentive service. The boss gave me a raise every month. Because of the experience, I tip well, I know what kind of tough job the waiting staff goes through. Today, I am a very successful business person. I know what it takes to earn the business. DaYaLi was a disappointment. The price is reasonable, food quality is average. 8 of us ordered 8 plates, including appetizers, we do not want to over stuff the table, plan to order more, after. First dish came, we do not have any bowl, tea cup, dishes.......... The server gave us 1 pot of tea, it ran out quickly. First refill, we saw the pot sitting at the water station, for 20+ minutes, we have to ask our tea pot back. We have to beg attention to get the next refill. We all concluded let's leave without ordering more dishes. I bring the P.O. to the cashier, they only take debit or cash!! I punch in the nbr., no tip!! The cashier explained to me tips were not included in the bill. I told her point blank we're totally not satisfied with the service. Other tables were getting up and down, helping themselves with the take out cartons, or the missing cutlery. I'm not looking for a DIY buffet restaurant. The restaurant has its issues and I do not want to speculate what went wrong. This is not the first time I eat at the restaurant (But 1st time for 4 persons, what a first impression!!). But this is the first time I do not leave a tip...