Wendy C.
Yelp
I'd never been to Ray's Place before - mainly due to the fact I've found my go-to place for Beef Fried Rice. So went to my go-to place for Beef Fried Rice last Thursday, and i was shocked by how bad it was on this most recent occasion. We asked the server was there a new chef, but she said no. It was bland, the rice was overcooked and mushy, just no flavour at all. Anyway, she did not charge us for it, and also gave us a couple of red bean pastries on the house, so no shade thrown at them. Let's just say Chef was having a bad day, and leave it at that.
But i was still Jonesing for the Beef Fried Rice, and when Ray's Place popped up in a search for chinese food, i was confused because i thought it was Vietnamese. I should have known, that most Asian places in town are somewhat flexible in their dishes, and have a selection from most Asian countries. There was a great review for Beef Fried Rice, so i informed husband that i wanted to go to Ray's Place.
Goodness, it's a busy restaurant, constant order pickups to go, and the dining hall was busy too.
I did like the space, there's a big crystal chandelier in the shape of a boat as you walk in, and then smaller chandeliers over each table. Table tops are marble. Really nice space. Not too much clutter (ie "art") and fast service. I ordered the Beef Fried Rice, which also had the option for a couple dollars extra, of coming with curry sauce. I chose not to have the curry sauce. Blake got chicken curry.
They had very nice stainless steel tumblers for the water. I was handed a really large plate of Beef Fried Rice, and Blake got a really big bowl of Chicken Curry, and a bowl of rice. My Beef Fried Rice had an enormous amount of other vegetables than is normally included in this dish - cabbage, carrots, broccoli, sweetcorn, and of course the beef. Now i will say this, and it's the reason this review is 4 star, and not 5 star. The beef was a little chewy, whereas my previous go-to Beef Fried Rice always has very tender Beef. The Chinese have a "secret" way of tenderizing even the cheapest cuts, and i can tell. I can also tell that this method has not been used on the Beef in my Beef Fried Rice here at Ray's Place. It's still delicious and savoury though, very good, perfectly cooked veggies, and the rice is excellent. It has a different overall flavour than my favourite fried rice at the other place, so I'm a little sad about that. Par for the course, I cannot eat it all, and get a to-go box, so i can scarf it down later. Blake's curry was also delicious, very distinctly Chinese in flavour, with a mild kick. It had some lovely big potatoes in it, and they were perfectly cooked despite their size. Not everywhere mange's to get them fully cooked through AND still have flavour. This was a lovely Chicken Curry.
I was very happy with the food, the service, and the dining room, and will definitely return.