Top 5 Delicious Eats in Whalley

Whalley is located in Surrey City Centre and home to SFU’s Surrey Campus. I spent a chunk of my early 20’s completing my undergrad degree and it was also around the same time I started Foodology 6 years ago. The neighbourhood has definitely changed a lot with the new public library and new City Hall building. Surrey is BC’s fastest growing city and by 2041, it is expected that the population may eclipse Vancouver. There are more and more developments going up as well as head offices moving into the area, the neighbourhood is definitely changing.

With more people in the area, that means delicious eateries can be found. In collaboration with VENUE, a new condo development in Surrey, I present to you, my list of my Top 5 Delicious Eats in the Whalley neighbourhood.

Pho Tam

Pho Tam is steps away from Surrey Central Skytrain, I would come here during breaks between classes to indulge in their large bowls of Pho packed full of ingredients.  This hidden gem has been a neighbourhood favourite since it opened.

A few of our favourite phos are Pho Tai Bo Vien and the spicy – Bun Bo Hue. They are very generous with their meat, so you will be pigging through the bowl and still have some meat left for the very last bite.

If you aren’t into the soupy noodles, they have a variety of rice dishes too like beef short ribs and lemon grass chicken on rice.

Don’t forget, they are cash only, so make sure you have a few bills on hand. The place is packed during peak times, but turnover is quick, so you won’t be waiting too long.

Address: 10-10302 City Parkway, Surrey, BC
Phone: (604) 589.4223
Reservations: No

Sushi & Roll

Sushi & Roll is a popular spot for families and large groups to enjoy Japanese cuisine. Most evenings, you will find lots of people waiting for a table or ordering take out.

Although it is not 100% authentic Japanese, you will find the usual items like bento boxes, noodles, nigiris, sashimi, donburis, and their large selection of rolls. It reminds me of Sushi Garden, which is popular in Burnaby. Similar items on the menu too.

There are unconventional rolls like the crazy rabbit roll which is wrapped in cucumber instead of seaweed. On the other spectrum, you will find solid nigiri like tobiko with quail egg or the unagi nigri.

Address: 103- 10241 King George Blvd Surrey, BC
Phone: (604)498.4569
Reservations: Yes
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sushirollsurrey

Taqueria Jalisco

Taqueria Jalisco has been around since 2006 serving authentic Mexican food in the neighbourhood. It’s an eatery/grocery store combined, so you can grab a few tacos and burritos while buying some imported Mexican sauces to bring home like mole. It is close to Gateway skytrain station, about a 5 minute walk.

It’s small inside, so there are only 4 tables, but once you are seated, they give you complimentary chips and salsa. You gotta order a Mexican Coca-Cola to start off the meal. The main difference is that they use cane sugar rather than high fructose corn syrup, which some people prefer.

Quesadilla, Nachos, Chimichanga, Flautas, Tamales, Tacos, Tortas, and Burritos can all be found on their menu. They have a wide range of options.

Address: 13648 105A Avenue, Surrey, BC
Phone: (604) 588.6100
Reservations: Yes
Website: http://www.taqueriajalisco.ca/

Manis Pan Asian Eatery

Manis Pan Asian Eatery is located under the Quattro building since October 2014. They are a family-owned restaurant specializing in South East Asian Cuisines. The owners are very humble and can easily guide you through the menu.

At this cute restaurant, you can enjoy classic dishes like Satay, Mee Goreng (Malaysian stir-fried egg noodles), and Singapore Laksa. The food is well executed and definitely delicious. You can also adjust the spice level on each dish from mild to super spicy.

The menu is quite large and they even have a lot of non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks. Plus, a dessert menu. We went with the classic deep fried banana with coconut gelato. Really delicious and a great way to end the meal.

I highly recommend this place if you just need a mid day coffee or a full on meal.

Address:116-10768 Whalley Boulevard, Surrey, BC
Phone: (604) 497.1778
Reservations: Yes
Website: http://www.manisrestaurant.com/

Mal Li Jang Sung

Mal Li Jang Sung is a Korean Chinese restaurant and it’s always funny to describe this cuisine. There really isn’t anything Chinese about the dishes nor would you ever find it at a Chinese restaurant either. It’s basically food that Koreans think is Chinese.

The most well known dishes of Korean Chinese cuisine include jajang myeon (noodles with thick black bean sauce), jjamppong (Spicy seafood noodle soup), ttangsuyuk (Korean version of sweet and sour pork), kkangpunggi (Fried chicken glazed in sweet and spicy sauce), and jajangbab (Fried rice with thick black bean sauce).

The staff are really nice and can help you navigate thought the menu. Their combo items are pretty good value for larger groups. The 4 of us ended up spending around $35 for 4 people and we had leftovers.

Address: 13648 105A Avenue, Surrey, BC
Phone: (604) 588.6100
Reservations: Yes

Check back next week as I reveal my top 5 late night restaurants to eat in Whalley. If you have favourite restaurants that didn’t make the list, let us know in the comments below.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by VENUE. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of VENUE.