Sun Sui Wah Seafood Restaurant - Chinese, Vancouver

Best: Deep Fried Oysters

3888 Main Street, Vancouver, BC V5V 3N9
(604) 872-8822
102, 4940 No. 3 Road, Richmond, B.C. V6X 3A5
(604) 273-8208
Parking: in parking lot
Hours: Lunch 10am-3pm, Dinner 5pm-10:30pm
http://www.sunsuiwah.ca/

Last Visited: July 1, 2009

Food: 4 to 5 stars
Atmosphere: 4 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$$

Sun Sui Wah came highly recommended. Friends have talked about it, and the foodie boards give it high praise. We parked in their private lot and took the elevator into the restaurant.

From the outside, you can't tell what you're about to get into - the elevator is fairly nondescript, but walk into the dining area and see a ceiling that has been transformed into something elegant and soft with artistic lines. The cushioned chairs, white tablecloths, and modern light fixtures elevate the decor. The room had been divided so that there was a private dining area to the left of the main dining area that remains hidden behind a wall.

Today, they were offering a winter melon soup special. Since only the two of us were dining, it wasn't possible to be able to enjoy the soup without taking home leftovers, and since the hotel room didn't have a refrigerator, we had to pass this time. It was unfortunate because the soup would be cooked in the whole melon itself and steamed with lots of yummy seafood. I smile just thinking about it. If only we had four more people with us to enjoy this delicious soup.

- Deep Fried Oysters - My mother has been on a quest for deep fried oysters for years now. There has never been a place that matched the quality of deep fried oysters found in Hong Kong...until now. This plate of plump oysters is lightly battered and deep fried. They are served with several large wedges of fresh lemon and garnished with a beautiful rose carved out of carrots. While it's a large appetizer for two, it was scrumptious and memorable. The oysters were juicy and served right out of the deep fryer - super hot. If you weren't careful, you would have burned your tonge. They were so good that they receive a best rating. Love at first bite.

- Sauteed Geoduck and Prawns with Fresh Vegetables - While we were hoping to order a geoduck served two ways (soup and sauteed), the wait staff told us that it would just be too much food, not to mention that it would have been quite expensive for two people since the geoduck would be ordered by the pound and the smallest one they had was about four pounds. Instead, he recommended we try this sauteed dish. It was a great way to enjoy the slightly crisp mouth feel of the thinly sliced fresh geoduck with large prawns. Yellow chives, carrots, straw mushrooms, and broccoli provide beautiful color and add to the saute. It was a flavorful dish and the quality of seafood was very good.

- Braised Tofu with Vegetables - A clay pot is filled with flavorful braised tofu and large black shiitake mushrooms, sitting on a bed of fresh yau choy. Sauteed with pieces of ginger, each piece of tofu is soft on the inside and has soaked up the braising liquid. The tofu is very fresh and quite good.

- Red Bean Dessert - To finish off the meal, Sun Sui Wah provides a complimentary dessert. The color is a bit lighter than usual because of either cream or milk. It's a nice way to leave stuffed.

While I can't recall the cost of the individual dishes, the overall meal was $57 before tip. Although the price is a little high for dinner for two at an Asian restaurant, once you take into consideration the quality of the seafood and the dishes themselves, I think it was well worth it.

Service was okay. The oysters took a little while to come out and sometimes it felt challenging to get the server's attention, but I appreciated the recommendations and their trying to help us decide what to order when they learned we wouldn't have a place to house leftovers.

Sun Sui Wah is definitely worth a stop, especially if you're a seafood lover. Go early to find parking and avoid the dinner crowd. Try their deep fried oysters and be satisfied.