Yin Ji Chang Fen — Restaurant in Richmond

Well, thanks for the canned response, but let's get one thing straight: I'm not buying what you're selling. Your reply reeks of insincerity and does nothing to address my grievances.

You can try to spin it however you want, but it's crystal clear to me that you couldn't care less about what your customers think. Instead of actually listening and taking responsibility, you're busy playing the blame game and patting yourselves on the back.

I'm not interested in your empty promises or your phony attempts at damage control. It's insulting to be treated like a fool. If you think you can fool me with your polished PR spiel, think again.

Here's a tip: drop the act and start treating your customers with some respect. Until then, don't expect me to waste another second of my time on your sorry excuse for customer service.

My recent outing to Yin Ji Chang Fen was a complete letdown, leaving me with a sour taste in my mouth, both metaphorically and literally. Excited for a gastronomic journey exploring their rice noodle roll specialties, I was met with disappointment at every turn, resulting in an experience that left me thoroughly dissatisfied and with no desire to return.

Let's start with the sticker shock – the prices. It's mind-boggling how a modest-looking place like Yin Ji Chang Fen could justify charging such exorbitant prices. What appeared to be simple fare ended up costing me an arm and a leg, feeling more like daylight robbery than a culinary indulgence. The menu boasted an array of rice noodle rolls, each one flaunting a price tag that would make even the fanciest restaurants blush. While I was willing to overlook the steep prices if the quality matched, sadly, it fell far short.

The quality of the food was utterly disappointing. The rice noodle rolls lacked any semblance of flavor or finesse. It was painfully obvious that shortcuts were taken during preparation, resulting in a lackluster dining experience. The ingredients tasted subpar, and the execution was far from satisfactory. With the premium prices they were charging, one would expect nothing short of perfection, but what I received barely passed as edible.

To add insult to injury, the attitude of the staff was nothing short of appalling. Not only were they unreasonable, but their behavior bordered on the absurd. When I attempted to snap a photo of my underwhelming meal to share with friends as a cautionary tale, I was abruptly stopped by a member of the staff. Their rationale for banning photography was nonsensical, leaving me feeling frustrated and incredulous. It's beyond comprehension how a restaurant could prioritize restricting customers from capturing their experience over delivering a satisfactory meal.

In conclusion, my visit to Yin Ji Chang Fen was a mistake I won't be repeating. The combination of sky-high prices, lackluster food quality, and unreasonable staff made for an unpleasant dining experience. Save yourself the disappointment – steer clear of this establishment. There are plenty of other dining options in the area offering better value for your money and a more enjoyable...

One of the many restaurants specializing in rice rolls lately... This location of Yin Ji Chang Fen is in Richmond (no surprise). I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical because I've been burned before by influencers gushing about other rice roll places only to discover that it was just meh.

The beef brisket rice roll was pretty good with lots of beef. Not as tender as Master Rice Roll but good nonetheless. The beef and shrimp rice roll had a similar silky texture which was much better than I was expecting. Shredded pork and century egg congee was good but not very thick (suppose it depends on your personal preferences).

Interior was rather warm inside and the staff was moving people around to different tables to get more people seated (diner dash style). This place is cash or debit only.

Overall, pretty solid rice roll fare and I'd come back to try other dishes.

Update: Returned recently and got the beef brisket rice roll. It seemed better this time around with tender beef brisket (quite oily tho). Also had the dough stick rice roll (Chinese donut) which was pretty good. And the deep fried steamed bun with condensed milk.

UPDATE - March 2025: Been about a year since our last visit. First time ordering the pork and shrimp with black truffle paste rice roll ($14.50). This was good with a delicate truffle essence that was not overpowering. Braised beef brisket rice roll ($15.75) with tender brisket. Also got the shredded pork and preserved egg congee ($12.95) which had good flavour and texture to the porridge. The accompanying dough stick ($4.99) was light but crisp. HK frozen milk tea ($6.99) and Cold lemon tea ($4.99)

UPDATE - August 2025: Revisted Yin Ji Chang Fen for their Pork and Shrimp with Black Truffle Paste Rice Rolls ($14.50) - super velvety and Beef Brisket Lo Mein ($16.75). But we also wound up trying one of the newer items on their menu - Strange Flavour Dumplings. These dumplings came with a creamy peanut sauce and crunchy chili making it both spicy and savory... indeed, it...

I really like this place. It’s one of the few vestiges of traditional Cantonese food since the mainland Chinese food explosion from the past few decades that saw many traditional Cantonese places closing shop with few people willing to take over. The result was Szechuan hot pot places popping up everywhere and soups that come from a bag from some factory who knows where and where you can add ingredients you like. That said Yin Ji Chang Fen is not one of those places. It is a traditional Chang Fen (rice noodle) diner that serves up these delicious creations with flair. Almost like you were in Hong Kong. I’d have to say that every dish there I have had since they’ve opened are excellent. However the only dishes I’d avoid are the ones with the wonton noodles which have a terrible smell of Amonia. This is typically caused when the water the noodles are cooked in is not changed enough. If the water they use to boil the noodles is refreshed more often they won’t have the amonia smell. On my last visit the people I brought couldn’t eat their food because of the smell and it ruined their appetites. The noodles are still safe to eat but just unpleasant . If the chef can fix this then I’m sure more customers can enjoy it here. Otherwise just avoid those dishes and just order items with rice noodles. But for a real Cantonese beef brisket and wonton noodle experience you do want to try it. But I suggest only if they can fix the water issue. As for me I’ve had the pigs feet three times there now and still enjoy it. But this last time the noodles were pretty aromatic with the smell of amonia sadly. But still I recommend...