Apr. 16, 2008 - Issue #652: Taste of Chaos

Happy Garden

Happy Garden proves a tasty timewarp

Growing up, one of my fondest culinary adventures began with our whole family piling into the car: doors slammed and faces glowed while our jittery, unseatbelted bodies tried in vain to maintain some sort of contact with the seats. As my Dad backed out of the driveway, we kids tried our very best to control our typical rambunctious behavior. Errant elbows and teasing remarks were painstakingly restrained until the car had stopped at our destination and the threat of turning back no longer loomed over our heads. Spilling out of the car, we all jostled to be the first one through the plain little door into what, in our small world, was paradise.
 

That was the scenario when our family, the one that rarely went out for dinner, descended upon our favourite (and possibly only) restaurant for a memorable feast. It was in a part of town that we didn’t usually frequent and it served up some of the most delicious food that I had ever tasted. The best part—it was food that we could never imagine gracing our table at home: crispy egg rolls and deep-fried shrimp, gooey pork ribs, special fried rice full of everything imaginable and, the much anticipated finale that always instigated a mad scramble, the mystifying fortune cookie. Ah, Chinese food. (Editor’s Note: Or westernized Chinese food, anyway: check out our story on Jennifer 8 Lee’s Fortune Cookie Chronicles on page 13 for more info.)
 

Happy Garden Mandarin Cuisine is not the restaurant from my childhood memories, but the night I ventured through its doors, I was transported back in time.  The actual layout and location (quietly nestled in the midst of Parkallen) are different, but one look at the tacky, rundown interior brought a wistful smile to my face. Functional square tables dominated the room, but the big round tables that are so well-suited for feeding large groups of hungry people also claimed spots on the faded brown carpet. Elaborate Chinese lanterns hung from the ceiling, and vivid wall hangings adorned the worn grey wallpaper in an attempt to brighten up the interior. There were even the same yellow water glasses, plastic chopsticks and little bottles of soy sauce sitting neatly on the purple plastic tablecloths. The 21st-century strand of white icicle lights strung between pillars in the centre of the room was the one fruitless attempt at modernizing the décor. 

 

Only three tables were occupied when we plunked ourselves at a table near the edge of the room, but they were large, happy, boisterous tables filled with almost every generation. Happy Garden was like a communal meeting place for friends, families, even business associates: people who knew that Chinese food is best when shared amongst large groups, best when you could sample little bits of several different dishes. Unfortunately, I could only round up one other hungry Chinese food fan on last-minute notice, so my sampling ability was going to be somewhat limited that night.
 

After spotting Tsingtao ($3.35 each) on the small but adequate drink menu, we didn’t need to look any further. It’s a light, refreshing beer that pairs well with spicy ethnic food. Sometimes a little too well, but I had my dated yellow water glass handy just in case. With it we ordered the green onion cake ($2) and some spring rolls ($2.50) to take the edge off our hunger as we waded through the rest of the rather hefty menu. Happy Garden’s menu serves dishes from the regions of northern China: Peking (think sweet & sour pork), Szechuan (Szechuan beef), Shanghai and Young Chow (pork dumplings, green onion cake) are all represented.
 

While trying to narrow our must-haves down to a manageable amount, a few of the dishes for one of the larger groups began to float past our table. Although the glimpses I managed were brief, it was the tantalizing, lingering smell that began to drive my stomach crazy. Thankfully, just as we made up our minds on Pea and Egg Drop Soup ($), Curry Chicken ($8), Broccoli Beef ($8) and a bowl of Steamed Rice ($1.25), our appetizers arrived.

 

Although the presentation was not elaborate—the green onion cake simply came on a small, round, white plate with a side plate of chili paste and vinegar—both dishes looked delicious and smelled amazing. The two spring rolls were the longest spring rolls I have ever seen. Each was cut in half so that our order of two actually looked like four. Although they came unadorned, I requested a side of plum sauce, a throw back to my childhood. A nibble without plum sauce proved to be tasty: crispy without being greasy, they were stuffed full of the requisite pork, cabbage, bean sprouts and carrots. The plum sauce added a much-appreciated zing. As good as they were, I thought the green onion cake was even better: crispy on the outside, soft yet chewy on the inside. The gentle bite from the green onions wasn’t overwhelming and again, there was a refreshing absence of grease. 
 

Partway through the appetizers, the rest of our dishes began to arrive and our table seemed to disappear. Our manageable must-haves had gotten out of control. Surveying my options while chewing on the last bite of green onion cake, I decided the only way I was going to be able to walk out the door instead of roll was to carefully sample. A spoonful of Pea and Egg Drop Soup found its way to my mouth, even with one of those spoons I find impossible to manage without the inevitable spills and dribbles. It was a large bowl, consisting mostly of broth. A few peas, mushrooms, tomatoes, green onions and strands of eggs floated delicately. Light and kind of bland, a dash of soy sauce spruced it up.
 

Both the Broccoli Beef and Curry Chicken came on large, heaped, oval plates. The Broccoli Beef consisted of tender slices of beef, crisp broccoli and a few wedges of carrots and onions, all mingled together with a generous amount of ginger garlic sauce. Good and fresh, it was hard to merely sample, but I’m glad I showed a bit of restraint. The sauce coating the Curry Chicken was lively and invigorating and every bite tasted better than the last. I thought it could have been a tad hotter, but I’m a heat freak.

Happy Garden is all about the food and the company. Go with a very empty stomach and be prepared to take a step back in time. Tant and his wife Luc were cooking at the restaurant before they bought it 20 years ago and are still cooking today. I daresay they won’t let you down. V 

More info about Happy Garden →

New comments for this entry have been turned off and any existing ones are hidden. We apologize for any inconvenience.