Much ado about Mr. Maocai

The Szechaun restaurant is a winner. But it's their tea that has our food editor floored.

  • Name + address: Mr. Maocai, 149 Bank St.

  • Type of food: Szechuan

  • Prices: $9-$49

  • Diet: Meat, seafood and limited gluten-free/vegan/vegetarian options

  • Wheelchair accessibility: Yes

  • LCBO Licensed: Soon

  • Website: No

Here’s something unique for Ottawa: Mr. Maocai is a restaurant chain from China and Ottawa is home to its first international location.

Mr. Maocai interior

Mr. Maocai interior. Ralf Joneikies/Ottawa Lookout

It was already cold enough, and I was returning from a photo shoot, when the Mr. Maocai sign revealed itself on Bank St. I took it as a signal that I both needed lunch and to warm up so I pulled over and walked back.

They opened in October and the timing couldn’t have been better. The wind was whipping down the Bank St. corridor and I hurried to avoid my ears dropping off.

Mr. Maocai interior

Mr. Maocai interior. Ralf Joneikies/Ottawa Lookout

Once seated, I was given a large laminated menu on which to make my selections with a marker.

Then the complimentary tea. And what tea it was. Not only was it served in an attractive ceramic tea pot, it was an intensely fragrant Osmanthus tea of exceptional quality. The last time I had tea this memorable was at a very fine pho shop in Vancouver’s Kitsilano neighbourhood and I paid a hefty price for a small bag of Jasmine tea that the owner had brought back from Vietnam.

This Osmanthus tea was at that level and it could be a reason you go here in the first place.

While this is a hot pot restaurant, you can order your selection of ingredients as a stir-fried version and the meat, vegetable and seafood options are plentiful.

Mr. Maocai Maocai noodles

Mr. Maocai Maocai noodles. Ralf Joneikies/Ottawa Lookout

They don’t have an appetizer menu but there is one dish on the menu simply referred to as Maocai Noodles ($8.99). 

This was an individual noodle soup that provided leftovers for the next day. It was loaded with tender sliced beef, fish tofu (fish cake), black fungus and greens liberally sprinkled with scallions and sesame seeds.

The base chicken broth had been cooked from scratch and was robust with spices, particularly sichuan peppercorns. It was complex, delicious and will easily end up on this year's best cheap eats list. It’s so heartening to see that some restaurateurs are interested in providing real food to their patrons.

Mr. Maocai special set meal for one

Mr. Maocai special set meal for one. Ralf Joneikies/Ottawa Lookout

I was informed that the Special Set Meal for One ($25) was a popular item for the solo diner. Rather than trace through the many ingredients building my own stir-fry, I kept it simple.

It arrived with a bowl of properly cooked rice, each grain keeping its integrity and not clumping together.

Before starting, I made my way to the condiment bar where you can choose from a dozen items to add to your meal.

My bowl was a riot of ingredients that may or may not be familiar to many readers but I was very content to dig in. The aromas were compelling and soon I was making my way through sliced beef, quail eggs, more fish tofu, potatoes, cauliflower, tofu skins, enoki mushrooms, luncheon meat, black fungus, konjac noodles and Tribute vegetables

All was delicious but too much for one person to eat. The Tribute vegetable was a new experience for me and I’m glad to report it’s worth repeating. 

This is a sliced form of stem lettuce which is dried and then rehydrated by cooking, I was told, in a seasoned broth. It’s also known as “Mountain Jellyfish” due to its crunchy texture and somewhat translucent appearance. 

The value at Mr. Maocai is off the charts. Even the individual set menu items are enough for two to share. The kitchen here doesn’t cater to timid palates so if you are a fan of this traditional cuisine, you’re at the right place. 

Then, of course, there’s the tea. That alone is enough to send me back through their doors.