Cai's Kitchen Authentic Chinese Food — Restaurant in Yellowknife

All of the good reviews about the food are probably from local residents because there are very limited choices of Chinese restaurants in Yellowknife. Being a Chinese living in Vancouver, I am spoiled by the Chinese restaurants here. Being polite, I can only rate Cai's food "2". The friendliness of the staff is "5". However, it really bothered me that they charged us $3.50 for each cup of tea without telling us in advance. I have lived in North America for 30 years and were never charged for regular hot tea in Chinese restaurants unless going to dim sum. The dim sum restaurants usually charge $1 to $1.50 per person and it is only for dim sum services. Otherwise, the tea has always been free in Chinese restaurants. It is OK if they want to charge for tea but at least the waitress should have told us in advance.

Edit after owner response Although I appreciate that living costs are higher in Yellowknife, my point is that the waitress should have informed us that tea would be $3.50 per person instead of offering "tea or water", which we would typically assume that both are complimentary options. Most Asian restaurants in Vancouver offer complimentary tea (except for dim sum restaurants) and if they don't, they will disclose that there is a cost for tea and not offer it freely with water. Furthermore, even when we've had to pay for tea bags at restaurants, usually they will offer it in a tea pot that can be shared vs a tea bag per person.

I was considering changing my review to 3 stars because I understand the hardships of running a restaurant in a smaller northern community. However, I feel personally insulted and attacked by your response and will not be changing my rating. My rating of two stars was based on the food - it was too oily, too salty, and really not that authentic. The comment about the tea was a side comment. I am, in fact, very well-travelled, and have experienced fine cuisine from different cultures. I have also enjoyed Chinese food in all sorts of foreign towns and countries. This was the one experience where I felt the overall ratings did not match the actual food quality, so I wanted to provide my feedback. I'm sorry if you feel offended by my honest review and sincerely hope you can see ways to improve and take your own advice and not make assumptions. I wish you success and hope you will be less hostile and personally attacking in your future responses to honest...

A decent breakfast menu, good at taste. Location is nice in Downtown, Yellowknife within the hotel Nova Inn's third floor, the staff is friendly and approachable.

Updated after Lunch* We also dined in for lunch today. The lunch was absolutely delicious and not that expensive as the breakfast. The setup and ambiance is really good and feels like home. The portion for each meal is huge and can be enjoyed by two or more people. We had ordered the barbecue duck, it's a must have, I highly recommend that to all duck lovers. It was well cooked. The chicken egg fried rice, kimchi fried rice and spicy chicken fries are definitely worth trying.. we loved it. Only one drawback is that the food was served one at a time .. we were expecting all at once but that was not so. Still I had an amazing experience for lunch. Will definitely and highly recommend this restaurant for lunch/dinner/breakfast.

Updated after Dinner Takeaway* After having lunch as the taste was absolutely delicious we opted to have a take away for dinner as well. We ordered the egg chicken fried rice with extra chicken and wanted two take away boxes. The lady was extremely helpful and understanding so she divided the food in two boxes with the required cutleries. I really appreciate her warmth and friendly gesture.. I wish I could give some more...

I recently had the pleasure of dining at a hidden gem in Yellowknife, located on the third floor of the Nova Inn. This restaurant offers a refreshing take on Chinese cuisine, with a setting and vibe that stand out from the usual. The atmosphere is clean and quiet, making it an ideal spot for a peaceful meal.

The menu is impressively extensive, featuring everything from dumplings and noodles to rice, poultry, and fish dishes. I was impressed by the variety and quality of the offerings. The service was efficient and friendly, adding to the overall positive experience.

For those with a sweet tooth, they also offer a selection of bubble tea and cakes, which was a pleasant surprise. Given that there aren’t many Chinese dining options in Yellowknife, this spot definitely earns a thumbs up for both its food...