Yao Yen Kitchen & Cafe — Restaurant in Vancouver

We like to frequent hole in the wall restaurants but also really to support small local businesses that are maybe not so glam or instagrammable. Drove past this place and thought to drop in because it was Valentines Day and no one was in here. Only the wife was working today - taking orders and cooking and we didn’t have any plans so it was ok for us to wait. Speaking of Taiwanese cooking, expect a different twist on the food than you’re used to and think of it like your mom/aunt/grandmas homecooked take on the classics. The classics are on the menu - beef noodle soup, meat sauce on rice, dan dan noodles, zhajiang noodles, popcorn chicken. Popcorn chicken was a bit on the lighter side with tempura batter. Veggies were very well seasoned and addictive. Beef noodle soup is different from the ones around - the broth is very light, different cuts of beef and aromatic. Spicy zhajiang noodles were more healthy than elsewhere. Service is friendly and humble and all food is prepared fresh. You could hear her slicing and dicing in the kitchen and food came to the table slowly. Please do come support this small business, but please leave your impatience and ego...

Glad to have suppored this authentic Taiwanese restaurant run completely by one lady.

I ordered the taiwanese lu pork with rice and it was delicious! The flavour of the sauce was great, vegetables were super fresh and cooked perfectly, and great portion size at a very affordable price. It definetely tastes like a home cooked meal and I appreciate that the food does not taste packed with salt and msg. Another family dining in said they have eaten in a couple times and recommend the pork belly with preserved vegetables and stir fried rice cakes with pork and vegetables. I look forward to trying those dishes as well as the taiwanese fried salty chicken and beef noodle.

As others have said, because one lady is doing it all, the food does come out slower than your typical chain restaurant. She begins prepping each meal after you order, you can hear her chopping all the vegetables in the back. I felt bad when she was running out with my meal.

I hope others show some support for this restaurant and the owner and give it a try. Bring a friend to catch up with and enjoy some yummy...

I would give this restaurant a 5 but because there is only the owner working here; service was quite slow, regardless of the fact that there was only one other table dining at the time.

The lunch specials (which are very cheap), she said are only Monday to Friday, which was too bad as I went on the weekend. This seems to cater to the school/work crowd, but I can't imagine how that would be if she is the only one running the show and there'd be a lunch rush of people all looking for a cheap, tasty meal.

Food was good and authentic, reminding me of homestyle cooking. Just wish the service was faster or they had another staff or two to keep pace...