DinnerCorner 23
[rating:3]
Corner 23 on Cambie Street is part of a growing string of Taiwanese restaurants that are popping up around town. The sweet and savoury dishes bring a certain comfort one would normally expect from home cooking.Â
Corner 23 is typical of other Taiwanese bubble tea cafes: modern decor, cramped space, and cash only. But the menu is extensive. Ranging from mini hot pots, rice, fried chicken, stewed and marinated meats to the classic Taiwanese dishes. And of course, bubble tea.
(Top to bottom: 1. The menu… well, the cover to be precise. 2. Marinated seaweed.)
Tre and I ordered a few classic Taiwanese dishes: Taiwanese fried noodles and noodle soup with fried chicken thigh on the side, plus marinated seaweed. We were surprised when our marinated seaweed arrived: the seaweed was thick, hot and saucy — not the chilled, thin strip, garlicky kind we were used to. The hot seaweed was stewed in a sweet sauce (likely Hoisin) with stingy pieces of garlic. It was tasty but the sauce was too sweet for our liking. The chopped cilantro added a nice pop of color on the otherwise dark looking dish.
Next to arrive were my fried noodles: long, uncut, vermicelli noodles with slivers of cabbage, carrots and pork. It was nothing too complex, but alright. Tre’s fried chicken and noodle soup took an unusually long time, but well worth the wait. The huge chicken thigh was really juicy. The batter was light, sweet and crumbly which made it enjoyable to eat. The light, subtle Bonito broth was a perfect balance against the salty sweetness of the fried chicken. Unfortunately, they overcooked the ramen noodles.
(Top to bottom: 1. Noodles in bonito broth and a side of fried chicken. 2. Taiwanese fried vermicelli.)
Our bill including taxes and tip came to just under $22. I found the service to be better compared to other Taiwanese spots. All of the waitresses greeted us with smiles and thanked us on the way out. The only complaint is the strange odour that lingered when we were at Corner 23. I’m not sure what it was, but hopefully we won’t meet again.
Perfect for: Cambie Street fried chicken fix.
The Details
4008 Cambie Street, Vancouver
604.879.8815
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