Hot Delivery Chinese Food - Vancouver

It’s always hot and delivered so... Hot Delivery is our go-to for celebration dinners at home (or any event, eg “Tuesday” . After moving back to Vancouver from Ottawa it’s been a treat to chow down on delicious Cantonese cuisine that was a rare find back in Ontario . Always fast and always tasty with courteous and friendly service to boot!

It had been a good decade since I ordered from Hot Delivery; however, I decided to be a completist and finish off my nostalgic trio – New Sun, Sun Garden and Hot Delivery. You see, back in the day (let’s say 2011 and earlier), I was quite fond of ordering cheap, Westernized Chinese food while in town on business. After my old “go to,” Confucius Says, closed, I was in need of another option – that’s where the 3 restaurants mentioned above come in. To my memory, all three were pretty decent, though some were clearly better than others. Ten years ago, Hot Delivery was the clear winner in that I ordered from them much more than the other two. Would this hold up in 2021? Fast-forward to the current day. We’re in the midst of a pandemic and all restaurant dining, less takeout and patios, has been suspended until “at least” April 19. Thus, what better time to re-visit Hot Delivery? After consulting their website and online menu, the grandparents and I decided upon the following items: Crispy Spring Roll, Beef Chow Mein, Salt Spicy Prawns (shell off), Dry Garlic Wings, Wonton Soup, and Pineapple Sweet Sour Pork (boneless). Ordering was a breeze. The chap on the phone came across as very friendly and personable, which is certainly appreciated during these difficult times. I was told our items should arrive in about 45-minutes time . . . and wouldn’t you know it! Our food did arrive in the allotted time, as promised! Crispy Spring Rolls: These were indeed crispy and, thankfully, not greasy in the slightest; however, they were totally lacking in flavour. Like, they had absolutely none! Comparing them to Sun Garden and New Sun, I’d say Hot Delivery’s version of the spring roll is my least favourite of the 3 exactly because it is sans flavour. For my money, New Sun has the best spring roll. Beef Chow Mein: Of the items we ordered, this one was my favourite. Hot Delivery’s version of Beef Chow Mein is almost reminiscent of “special chow mein” I’ve had elsewhere, at least insofar as it contains more than just beef and a few shredded carrots. It also has green peas, onions and zucchini. To top it off, the slices of beef were incredibly tender and flavourful. Comparing it to Sun Garden’s beef chow mein, the Hot Delivery version is the clear winner. Salt Spicy Prawns (shell off): This item had potential, but it reminded me of why I shied away from this place after 2011. The prawns were nicely cooked; however, the batter that surrounded them would often just fall off . . . and the ones at the bottom of the container were saturated with grease. I also felt that the “salt spice” was kind of lazy in that it just looked like some crushed chili peppers sprinkled on top. For my money, the version of this dish you get at Sun Garden is best overall because it lacks any batter, and allows the prawns to speak for themselves rather than drown them in spices. New Sun comes in at #2 because, although saturated with garlic, I prefer that over being saturated in grease. Dry Garlic Wings: This was another reminder of why I stopped ordering from here 10 years ago. While the batter was nice and crisp, any decent flavour these wings might’ve had got wiped out by the abundance of BURNT spices thrown on top of them. In addition, like the salt spicy prawns, the wings on the bottom of the takeout container were just saturated in grease. Yum! Comparing these to New Sun and Sun Garden, I’d say Sun Garden takes the win while New Sun comes in at #2 (I can better handle wings saturated in garlic versus burnt spices). Wonton Soup: This basic soup was okay, though not overly noteworthy. The broth had a decent flavour, the veggies were firm enough, and the wontons tasted fresh. I do, however, have to tip my hat towards Sun Garden because their wonton soup is both more flavourful and has a greater abundance of wontons in it. Boneless Sweet Sour Pork: I liked this dish, mostly because the boneless pork wasn’t swimming in sauce and said sauce wasn’t overly sweet. In terms of quality, I’d say it was equal to that found at Sun Garden. Final verdict? If I were ranking these 3 Westernized Chinese mainstays, I would go thusly: 1) Sun Garden 2) New Sun 3) Hot Delivery Sun Garden seems to be the most consistent of the group with respect to food quality. The other two have their own high points (you can read my separate reviews for those), but falter at times. For me, New Sun beats out Hot Delivery simply because I prefer an abundance of garlic over an abundance of grease and oil. FOOD: 2.5/5 SERVICE: 3/5 VALUE: 3/5 RECOMMENDATION: Well, I’ve said elsewhere that Westernized Chinese food of this type is a dime a dozen in Vancouver, but finding GOOD Westernized Chinese food can be something of a challenge. Given the trio I’ve sampled over the last year, I’ll just say your mileage may vary depending upon personal preference. Would I order from here again? Maybe, but Hot Delivery won’t be high on the priority list. PS: If you found this review helpful in any way please consider hitting the helpful button!

We've ordered from Hot Delivery numerous times and we enjoy this tasty Cantonese fast food. Delivery was quick, the food was hot, and it was exactly what we wanted. We will order again soon.

We were in town for a family emergency during the covid shut down Ordered some takeout ,these guys were it great spirits They had a great system set up so you just stood by the door and they slid the food out to you ,tapped your card and were gone ,Perfect This was our first time ordering, the food was hot and very good Good food ,great service

This is very close to a proverbial hole in the wall. When you go in, there is a little order window. Behind the window is a huge kitchen. To the right, there is a drinks fridge. They specialize on takeout and delivery (over a certain cost). With takeout, you get 10% off if the order is over $30. Granted, there is one big table and 2 little tables but I find it might be their family eating there. They cook quickly and are very courteous. For example, they asked if I wanted rice and I hadn't planned on it so he offered me a small bowl of rice for free. The food is extremely hot. Be aware that they only open after 4:00pm, which is funny because they offer all-day dim sum. I guess they cater to people planning dinner at home. I'm giving this place a 4/5 because I'm comparing it to takeout restaurants, not dine-in restaurants. There are no washrooms or free WiFi. Chuan