John3:16 Malaysian Delights - Richmond

I am originally from Malaysia, migrated and resident in Vancouver since 2005.Of all the Malaysian restaurants I have been in and around Vancouver, from City Centre to Richmond (Tropika, Banana Leaf), John 3:16 is by far the most authentic and most delicious. The Satay (Malaysian kebabs : beef or chicken) must not be missed, they are so tender, and delicious.Most popular Malaysian dishes are fried Kuay Teow (fried flat rice noodles), with seafood, eggs and bean sprouts, Beef Rendang (a dried curry), chili crabs.But there are so many other delicious items on the menu.John3:16 is in North Vancouver. They used to have one in Richmond, not sure if that is under-renovation.

Their Fried Ipoh Hor Fun is one of the best I have tasted. This dish is originally a Malaysian hawker dish, made using flat rice noodles and fried over a charcoal fire with seafood and vegetables and a thick sauce.

Before, i had high hopes, but when i reach there, the hope kinda shattered on me. We had the Char Kuey Tiao , which is average to me, kinda over cooked and burnt. The Laksa was no where close, and the mee siam, i had a hard time deciding i that was sweet noodles or sour noodles.. not even close. Where is my gravy for the mee siam? And we had Rojak, which was overflow with the sauce (not prawn paste, or very minimal) and the price for the dish is not cheap and very small size. Also to note, the place is very small. about three 4 tops, three 2 tops and a small bar size seating for solos.

After reading some of the previous reviews, I had to admit that I was hesitant about trying out this restaurant but my parents insisted on bringing us there. Even looking in from the front, the restaurant's exterior was nothing to boast about. The inside of the restaurant was definitely small, about 6 tables and a side table/counter with high chair seating. We started by ordering Char Koey Teow which was very tasty and probably one of the best I've ever had in town. Then followed with chicken and beef satays, Penang Prawn Noodle, Roti Canai, Curry Lamb, Penang Asam Laksa, and Rojak. All the food was very good and extremely fresh. We also ordered a dish with a type of string beans that didn't look like it was advertised on the menu but we had asked for some veggies. I'm not the biggest fan of greens, but I had no problem devouring that dish. Since we had an 18 month old with us, we went early to the restaurant, about 6pm for dinner which helped to avoid the crowds. Shortly after, the entire restaurant was filled and the tables continued to turnover through the evening. They had a high chair for our child which was definitely helpful. Food came out pretty quickly, service was fantastic and staff were very nice and friendly. I also noticed that they had a number of take out orders so that may be another way for me to enjoy the food next time if we don't have time to sit down in the restaurant. My father is from Malaysia and he is quite adamant that the food here is as authentic as it gets for Malaysian cuisine in Vancouver.Overall, great food... you are not going to this restaurant for the ambience because let's face it, it could be considered a hole in the wall type place but I would not hesitate to go back because the food is absolutely amazing and very tasty! I'm actually getting hungry as I write this review...

This is best Malaysian food we've found in the Lower MainlandI lived in Singapore for three years and my husband is a born and raised Singaporean.