POST ON TROPIKA AT CAMBIE [HERE]
POST ON TROPIKA AT ROBSON [HERE]
REVISIT POST ON TROPIKA AT ROBSON [HERE]
The original Tropika restaurant in Richmond was previously located at Aberdeen Center and closed in the beginning of the year to relocate to Lansdowne (unfortunately with the same owners). Tropika in Richmond has never been a first choice and is not even on my list of restaurants to visit. Every prior visit to Tropika at Aberdeen was never positive (below average food and unfriendly staff, including the managers), however, due to my impatience and that Little Sheep Mongolian had a thirty minute wait, I decided to try the new location.
One of the good things about trying a new restaurant is that the staff is usually friendly, so no problems there. Walking in, the restaurant had a strong aroma of shrimp paste, odd. Ususally every Tropika restaurant including the previous Aberdeen location smells like nothing, but the restaurant had a really heavy smell of shrimp paste. The interior of the restaurant looks more casual as well as laid back compared to the Robson location and Tropika correctly maximizes their seating arrangements and has plenty of booth seating.
PORK, LAMB AND CHICKEN SATAYS WITH PEANUT SAUCE, MALACCAN CURRY CRAB, HAINANESE CHICKEN, LOBSTER TUNG YAM KUNG, ROTI CANAI, PINEAPPLE FRIED RICE WITH HAM AND CHICKEN, AND SAYUR KARI.
The tung yam kung has a light spiciness and a lobster as well as lemon grass taste. Although unfortunately, the soup tastes overly spicy and saltier than usual which masks that nice tanginess. Furthermore, the colour of the soup looks more brown than red, and darker than usual. Also, the spicier than usual taste makes the soup somewhat off-putting and does not have that proper tung yam kung taste. A more balanced hot and sour taste would have tasted better. As for the lobster, the pieces taste a bit more stiff and rubbery compared to Robson's location.
2LB MALACCAN CURRY CRAB, WITH IMPORTED MALACCAN CURRY FOR A DIFFERENT KIND OF STIR FRY CRAB ($41.95).
The crab tastes very fresh and has that natural crab taste despite the loaded amount of curry. In addition, the crab tastes pretty meaty which is surprising for a 2lb. As for the curry, the malaccan curry is something I cannot describe... it just tastes amazingly flavourful and is the only curry I recommend at Tropika (the other ones are not so great). The only issue, the malaccan curry does not taste as flavourful and the consistency is not as thick as Robson's location. Furthermore the curry has a taste of mixed in tomalley which I was not really expecting. Asides from the crab, there are also some deep fried tofu puffs.
PINEAPPLE FRIED RICE WITH HAM AND CHICKEN ($14.95). The pineapple fried rice is topped with deep fried garlic, tastes fluffy and the ingredients are properly fused together. The rice has a somewhat nice pineapple taste but Robson's location has a stronger flavourful pineapple taste, as well as a more pieces of ham and chicken as well. The amount of ham and chicken in the rice is a bit stingy.
POSITIVES
- Service is attentive and friendly (newly opened)
- Satays are pretty good (usually satays tasted more dry than tender at the Aberdeen location and I hope these stay consistent)
- Newly renovated and correctly maximized seating arrangements
NEGATIVES
- Tropika downtown has better tasting dishes
- Richmond location has never been the best
- Roti :(
LITTLE THINGS
- Same owners from Tropika at Aberdeen
- You need to know what to order at any Tropika location (I stick to satays, roti, pineapple fried rice, malaccan curry crab [no other curries] and lobster tung yam kung)
- Tropika at Cambie post [here]
- Tropika on Robson post [here]
- Tropika on Robson revisit post [here]
Food: 2.5/5
Service: 3/5
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