Chef Tian's

Dinner at this buzzing Hunan spot is never a quick affair. The line starts forming early, and yes… waited a full hour, almost giving up like last time. But persistence paid off, finally snagged a table. Fair warning: most dishes here bring the heat. Hunan cuisine is known as one of the spiciest regional styles in Chinese cooking, and they definitely don’t hold back. Everything was bold, fragrant, and packed with flavour — though admittedly a tad too fiery for my spice tolerance. The absolute standout? Lu Yu’s Signature Chinese Donut. These massive, freshly fried dough sticks came out golden and gorgeous — crispy on the outside, fluffy and airy inside. The best way to enjoy them? Tear, dip, and soak them in warm soy milk. Pure comfort. • Soy Milk • Lu Yu’s Signature Chinese Donut • Chayote Salad (light vinegar dressing) • Sautéed Angus Beef with Fresh Chili • Sesame Oil Free-Range Chicken • Hunan-Style Stinky Tofu

We had a great 50 years old birthday party last night. Service was super awesome! They are so friendly and welcoming. They gave us a big bowel of noddle means for longer life. Thank you!!! Seafood geoduck is really fresh, good price and tasty.

My bother picked this restaurant for a recent family dinner with our father. Not sure why my brother picked this place as our father does not like spicy foods so we stayed away from many signature Hunan dished on the menu that I would have liked to try. I made a point of coming back with my husband and we did last Friday. We came in for an early dinner at 1630 because the restaurant filled up quickly after 1830 on our previous and the parking lot as a zoo to get out after 1730. We ordered 3 lovely dishes for the 2 of us: - Hunan style stir-fry with sliced pork and baby abalone - Stir-fried romaine - Chinese doughnut We opted for mild spicy for both the stir-fry dishes and the spice level was just right for us. The pork dish came out piping hot on a burner. The abalone pieces were tender and so were the sliced pork pieces. The fullness of the flavours of the dish could easily be rivalled by the romaine dish which was likely the best romaine we had. It was mildly spicy, garlicky and seasoned just right We cut up the ginormous Chinese doughnut into pieces to mop up the flavourful grease in both dishes. And yes, the doughnut was warm, crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside It was just wonderful to bite into. Overall, it was a warm and lovely heavy meal on a cold winter night.

Absolutely loved this place! Authentic Hunan cuisine with bold flavors and real Chinese character. Every dish was fresh, spicy, and super tasty. The staff were warm and welcoming, and the restaurant has a clean, modern, and beautiful atmosphere. Highly recommended if you want a true taste of China!

My first time coming into the restaurant. I waited for one hour for the table. I was able to watch the actions in and outside the kitchen. They kept everything very clean. The host Ray was excellent in managing tables and tried to sit us in as soon as he was able to (even though it was a 6 people table for two of us. ) very comfortable 🙏. While we were waiting, my husband was invited to draw from their lottery pool. He first got a “ crab” for free; however, those were only available during Chinese New year. In the 2nd trial, we got the 2nd price of the spicy fried pepper 🌶️ with pork. The experience here was amazing. Come with your family and make sure you make a reservation prior.

Service is good. Price is high for the portion. I like that they make the baozi infront of you. I don’t like the vinegar potato it is too crunchy and raw and oily. I was disappointed with the fried rice as there is barely any shrimp. The eggplant and century egg was too salty. The music is too loud especially in the washroom.

Orders the fried chicken skin dish for take out. Literally $0.50 worth of chicken skin this time and 1 rice cracker. This costs $23. You tell me if it's worth it ? Said it was pre portioned before cooking and portion is same for everyone. Didn't say sorry. Ok then I post here for all to see :) won't be back

Chef Tian’s in Richmond is a fantastic spot for authentic Chinese cuisine. The huge Chinese donut is a standout—light, puffy, and perfectly crispy, making it a must-try. The sweet and sour pork is delicious, with crispy bites coated in a well-balanced sauce that’s not too sweet or too tangy. The lettuce stem salad is refreshingly crunchy, adding a nice contrast to the richer dishes. The chicken in chili oil is flavorful with just the right amount of spice, making it a great choice for those who enjoy a bit of heat. Beyond the great food, the restaurant offers a welcoming atmosphere. The space is clean, the service is attentive, and the staff are friendly, making the dining experience even more enjoyable. Whether you’re craving classic flavors or looking to try something new, Chef Tian’s is definitely worth a visit!

Located in Richmond central at garden city such an amazing dining experience of authentic Chinese food. I loved the atmosphere lots of people dining with family and friends, they have many people sharing dishes and it's great for lunch or dinner. Their menu has variety with lots of big dishes that you could share and choose spicy level as they make schezwan dishes with chili peppers, oil and numbing corns in a variety of meat or seafood dishes. They also have lots of side dishes that would pair well with rice, I'd recommend ordering a few dishes to try with plain white rice or fried rice for dinner! I was pleasantly surprised with their appetizer cold dish of spicy chicken, it was not too spicy because you eat it cold. That was my first time having that and I would say that was the best and my most favourite dish by far! We also got sweet and sour pork which were crispy with slices of oranges that we ate on the side, black pepper filet mignon meat and veggies this dish is so good, the meat is super tender. Then we had fried rice and a Taiwanese beef brisket noodle soup which is quite spicy but you can choose your spicy level. We definitely had a feast and take out at the end

I've seen a lot of social media posts for Chef Tian's recently, especially their giant chinese donut (you tiao), so I thought I would stop by for lunch. When we arrived, the place was only half full. We were immediately seated and told to use the QR code found at the table to place our order. We waited a lot longer than expected for our food to start arriving - maybe over 15 minutes. our last dish (you tiao) was over 25 min. What I tried: - Stir Fried Green Beans - Good. Good wok-hei, good flavour. - Braised Beef Noodle - OK. Good portion size. Flavour and quality were average. - Chinese donut (you tiao) - OK. Certainly big and great for pictures, and decent quality. Not worth a 25 min wait. Service is pretty minimal since you order by QR Code, and food gets delivered as it becomes ready. But as noted, given that it wasn't that busy, I was surprised the food came out as slow as it did. Overall. It was OK. I got my picture, but didn't find the food or the experience memorable enough to want to return any time soon.

Was drawn to try this place after seeing lots of posts showing their huge Chinese donut. The restaurant has a modern Chinese feel. Space is huge and good for groups. I would say, all of the dishes we had tonight didn't disappoint. It's Hunan cuisine and most of the dishes are quite salty and spicy. Our server though, knowing we are from another region, told the kitchen to lessen salt and spice. Unfamiliar with this region's cuisine, the dishes we ordered were surprisingly quite good. *Sauteed Pig's Kidney, Liver & Stomach 火爆三样 *Chinese Baby Cabbage with Garlice & Vermicelli 蒜蓉粉丝娃娃菜 *Ground Pot Chicken 地鍋雞 *Lu Yu's Signature Chinese Donut 魯豫大油條 Just saw their Health Violations score and now am wary to come back.

The ginormous fried donut lives up to the hype! Fried to order and nice and fluffy inside but crispy outside. The green beans were also delicious and the fish was tender and cooked well.

Would you still eat at a restaurant that had a 'health' advisory you just noticed the day before? The dilemma I faced upon noticing the spot my coworker had picked based on his previous outings had me wondering - would it be worth it to gamble with my stomach? I'd never actually taken notice of the Yelp advisory 'Health Score' for restaurants. Caught me by surprise in fact. Chef Tian's has an 88 out of 100 health score rating with 5 violations as I type this review. I will definitely pay more attention to health alerts, going forward when researching restaurants, now that I've spotted it for the first time. My friend who used to be a chef, knows a thing or two about good food & when he recommended Chef Tian's, I said why not, without hesitation. Walked into a modern decor Asian themed restaurant - beautiful, spacious & comfortable. Our waiter was well informed, helpful & attentive. My friend recommended that the 3 of us share - Kung Pao Chicken, Black Pepper Filet Mignon (beef) & Chinese Baby Cabbage with Garlic & Vermicelli. He ordered a massive donut (Lu Yu's Signature Chinese Donut) for all 3 of us to share. The beef was excellent! The chicken was good & the cabbage acted like a palate cleanser for the end of it all. Gosh the humongous donut was surprisingly quite good. We dipped it into the plates to pick up the sauce left behind by our orders. Located at the strip mall at Garden City & Alderbridge Way, parking is available but it can be tricky to find a spot. I can tell you with surety that my stomach was fine afterwards ... phew! And yes, I'm still friends with the dude who brought us here. Would I go back? Absolutely! Oh & don't forget to have the vanilla soft serve cone with chilli at the end of the meal. It will tickle the throat but you'll be alright.

Love the unique dishes here! Everything is delish. We ordered the steamed buns with pork. Then we tried the stomach, liver and kidney dish. It tastes better than it sounds. Then shredded pork with sweet bean sauce. This comes with wraps like the peking duck wraps! Absolutely one of my fave dishes besides the hot soy milk and chinese donut. I enjoyed the food both times I came. They give you big pot of tea and a water jug. The only complaint is the servers speak only Mandarin even though you tell them you don't understand.

Chef Tian's moved from its previous location here and I had the chance to visit shortly after the move. The restaurant has good modern decor with some old style tea pot. I didn't get their famous Signature Chinese Donut because I was there alone and wanted to try a few more dishes instead. The two dishes I had were similar in taste but otherwise the same except the meat used. The 3rd dish was good as well. Overall I think their taste was good though priced on the higher side compared to some other Chinese restaurants in the area. I recall Vancouver restaurants generally have a lower price point compared to Seattle but maybe inflation finally kicked in.

We came in for dinner and tried their specialty - Hunan styled stinky tofu and it was phenomenal. I'm usually not a big fan of stinky tofu but these ones were flavourful and with a great crust outside, while being nice and soft inside. The sauce was a little spicy but it was quite addicting! Amazing service and fast to serve food on a quite-busy weeknight :) At the end of the meal we also got a free soft serve to enjoy! You can optionally add their homemade red pepper (not spicy though!) toppings for a nice crunch.

Chef Tian specializes in Chinese Hunan cuisine. The inside of the restaurant is spacious and modern. If you go here, you will have to check out their giant fried Chinese donut. It's massive and fried fresh. The price is $6.99 which is reasonable. We also tried: Beef in Sour Soup Pot $29.99- This soup was delicious. It really hit the spot for chilly weather. It was sour & mildly spicy. Would recommend getting it! Black Pepper Filet Mignon $22.99- Seasoned really well and goes great with rice. Free Ice Cream- You can choose from vanilla or add chilli flakes on it if you want something unique. It was actually pretty good! It added a salty crispy texture to the ice cream Overall I had a great experience. I wouldn't mind coming back to try more food.

The staff know little to no English , so communication is a huge issue. The restaurant sign is in Asian characters. The menu's the same I've never felt so uncomfortable in a restaurant. Unless you speak Cantonese or mandarin or whatever languages do not come here.

Would give a zero if I could. The Kung Pao Chicken is the saltiest meal I have ever had. It tasted like putting a salt block in my mouth....really not edible. The Chinese donut was fine, but not great.

The taste of dishes is very good, but the price is kind of high and size is kind of small. Overall, I recommend this restaurant. Just give it a try~