By Mia Stainsby

Lately, I’ve had a low batting average, hitting more restaurants that I don’t write up than ones that I do. I write to recommend, not to slag and a lot of restaurateurs should be very, very glad. On the other hand,  I don’t have to deal with threats to break my knees and calls from apoplectic owners.

But I will mention Chinois – a modern Chinese restaurant in Yaletown – only because the restaurant I checked out after it was in such high contrast.

Big Chef, a Cantonese style restaurant in Richmond is the antonym of the glitz of Chinois. Décor consisted of kitschy golfing figurines holding wine bottles. It’s name wasn’t en francais. Servers weren’t in micro-skirts and the wine list (what there was of one) didn’t edge up to 200 per cent mark-ups. Here’s what Big Chef did have: twice the quality of food for half the price, with leftovers.

Big Chef took home a couple of Critics’ Choice wins in the last Chinese Restaurant Awards – judges called out the pan-fried Dungeness crab with salted egg yolk and the hot pot soya sauce chicken. I didn’t try the crab dish but did try the hot pot soya sauce chicken ($15.80 for a half chicken and must be pre-ordered). It differed from other hot pot dishes I saw people enjoying in that the chicken was cool but the broth was hot. The chicken was moist and tender with very subtle flavours.

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