Wah Lai Yuen

Was walking around the area and this was the first stop we saw and decided to give it a try. The wait took a while since it was lunch time. The waiting area was very small and tight. People coming in and out, while getting hit by the door at times. While waiting, the person behind the to go counter was also managing the seating of customers. Lots of yelling going around. As expected for a Chinese restaurant though.

We got one order of the BBQ Duck Lo Mein and the BBQ Pork & BBQ Duck Lo Mein. Pretty decent portion and it came with a little side bowl of soup which was more on the salty side though.

Before leaving, we ordered a few of the pastries from the to go counter because we noticed a lot of people coming in and out just for the pastries. Overall, a decent stop when visiting the area.

I'm new to the Vancouver Island so my taste msy be different from locals ... but i found this place to be ok only. I wanted to order fish maw soup ... but it's not on the menu so i seconded for hot & sour soup instead. I also wanted deep fried, hot and spicy squid ... but when i ordered the person taking my order did not understand what i wanted and said this was not on the menu ... but when i got there i saw salt & spicy squid on the menu ... so i was a bit taken back. I ordered the salty prawns and the batter was heavy. I prefer lightly floured not batter. I need to find an authentic Chinese restaurant.

I'm amazed no one has Yelped this. My husband and I walked up and down C-town, even asked 3 merchants for recommendatins (in chinese) and were directed to the higher priced places.

Finally we passed by this place and saw the duck and roast pig hanging in the window. It reminded me of a real, authentic chinese bbq place. We looked at the menu and walked in. The portions are smallish, but the prices are cheap, and the food have good flavor.

We ordered the Soy chicken, the Roast Duck, and the BBQ Roast Pork ($11.95), along with a side of chinese broccoli in oyster sauce and bowls of rice. It was just enough for the 2 of us, but didn't stuff us to the gill. Price w tip: $25. What a bargain compared to the neighbors for $25 for ONE DISH.

This place had soup noodles, pan noodles, meat over rice dishes, and other comfort Hong Kong style dishes. The front of the store have chinese barbecue to take away, and also baked items like buns and sticky rice.

I gave it a generous 4 star because it was affordable and authentic Cantonese food. Compared to the neighbors charging 3x's the price for "white" Chinese food, it deserves a 4 star

Didn't look like much from front but it's quite authentic chinese food. Service is fast, portion is big and taste is pretty good. Buns were good as well. Overall pleasant experience.

Stopped in for a quick lunch while visiting Victoria. The beef chow fun was tasty, but their dumpling noodle soup left a lot to be desired. Broth was so bland and noodles were not tasty at all. However their BBQ roast pork baos were good. My son and daughter in law thought they were delicious

Substandard Chinese cuisine. We ordered a side of duck $10.95 and a side of Crispy Roast Pork $10.95 and the special fries rice $13.

Duck was really skinny, not worth $11 for a tiny bit of bones. Crispy Roast Pork turned out to be just Charsei pork. They must have gotten it mixed up, regardless, it was not worth $11. Both these dishes didn't come.with rice. The special fries rice was so small in quantity and lack the flavors that it was not special. I make better fried rice and I am not qualified to be a chef, although I am Chinese and know a thing or two about food Chinese food.

Well, service was good. The young man took my order was polite and nice.

It is hard to eat good Chinese cuisine in a tourist area outside knowing your favorite local spot in any area. I try to give the benefit of the doubt, but three times reviews really is a tell tale sign.

Wah Lai Yuen... a traditional place tucked away in the small Chinatown of Victoria... service was good too.

The great things about this place is the pineapple bun and red bean buns were just as good as the Chinese baked goods I had in Hong Kong.

The roast pork is perfectly crispy and cooked.
BBQ glazed char sui was a bit salty and sweet, but also moist, not too much fat and great when I took it home to fry with rice. Honestly I can't wait to try their wontons and other dishes. Very clean place and by far the best Chinese restaurant I ate at downtown other than Cozy Place on Douglas St.
Ive eaten Chinese food in China, HongKong, Malaysia, San Francisco and Vancouver/Richmond/Burnaby, B.C... this is really decent for Victoria!

Delicious BBQ duck, beef soy chow fun
Green beens
Doesn't look like much from the outside but well worth it.

I haven't visited all the BBQ places in Chinatown yet, but Wai Lai Yuen you have more than earned my vote for best Cantonese-style (from Hong Kong) BBQ house in Victoria.

+ BBQ pork (stick with the non-crispy skinless one) and duck over rice or egg noodles in won ton soup are excellent
+ The egg custard tarts here are absolutely DELICIOUS. Not only was I so surprised at how good they were out here, I bought a dozen to bring back to my coworkers
+ Price: a full lunch including drink and dessert will only set you back about $12-15

This is a fantastic place to get fresh Cantonese-style BBQ and noodle soup dishes. They also have plenty of other entree items for dinner.

Food was delicious and fresh. It was the cleanest establishment in Chinatown. Friendly staff.