Happy Tree House: Chinese BBQ in Burnaby

Happy Tree House is a Chinese barbeque restaurant located on Kingsway in Vancouver. I have been here several times, usually with a group of friends as their pitchers of beer are cheap so it’s a nice place to drink and eat with a big group.

This review is based on an in-dining experience.

Interior

The restaurant is really big but it is almost always crowded. I recommend making a reso if you can, but the restaurant itself is very casual. They have picnic-style tables and their Christmas decorations are up year-round so don’t be too surprised by that.

Parking can be tricky as the outdoor parking lot is almost always full or reserved for other businesses in the complex. They have an indoor parking lot to the left, which is almost always full as well. You can also drive around to find free residential street parking.

Food

I’m not going to include pics/review on the drinks menu because it’s mostly just beer. We usually order the pitcher of kokanee (no other choices) for $13.

The menu is a slip of paper where you just tick off what you want.

Skewers ($2-10)

So the main things to order from Happy Tree House are their bbq skewers. They have many different types of meat and veggie skewers but they are all kind of doused/sprinkled with the same seasoning. Most of the meat skewers have a minimum order so if you order it, you automatically get like 5 skewers. Keep this in mind because we always over-order because of this!

These are the skewers we usually order:

• Lamb (if you like lamb, otherwise I’d skip it)
• Angus beef kebab
• Chicken wings
• BBC chicken skin – crispy!
• chicken – comes with some peppers in between so I prefer this over the chicken wings
• prawn (2 pcs only)
• steamed buns – these are a must order! I know it sounds dumb because it’s bread but it tastes good lol!
• Mushroom and fish tofu (for the vegetarians)
• sweet corn as a finishing touch

Some skewers I don’t really enjoy include lamb (I just don’t like lamb), any of the chicken hearts or gizzards.

Cucumber ($8)

This is a simple but underrated dish. You can easily make it at home, but I like to order it as it’s a nice refreshing cold dish that balances all the bbq skewers. It is marinated in a spicy garlic sauce.

Mung bean pasta ($9)

This sounds like a weird dish but it’s not like pasta at all. These are flat wide noodles that are kind of transparent – slippery and chewy! They also use a spicy sauce and it’s a cold appetizer/dish. I highly recommend this to pair with the skewers.

Codfish ($45)

This dish comes in a big tray that slowly cooks your fish. The entire cod is in there and you can choose your level of spiciness. We chose mild, so our soup base is not that red, but usually it is filled with peppers and has a vibrant red colour.

You can also add additional toppings to your fish like quail eggs, veggies, noodles, etc. This is a large dish to share so I would only order this if you have 6 people or more (assuming you will also be ordering skewers). You can also choose different types of fish as well, but the cod is the cheapest.

The cod is soft and nicely cooked. There are bones so you’ll have to be a bit careful eating it. I liked the broth as it felt quite homey and hearty.

Final thoughts

Loewe’s rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Happy Tree House has an extensive bbq menu and a bustling atmosphere. You’ll notice for the skewers, they all begin to taste similar because they use the same seasoning, but it’s fun to eat the skewers and share with friends.

They also have a hot pot skewer series where they give you a little hot pot filled with spicy sauce and you dip your fishball skewers in there. We usually don’t order it because it’s too spicy for us.

Things do add up in terms of price though. We usually end up spending $200 for a table of 4 with drinks, which is quite expensive for a seemingly cheap menu initially. Be careful when you’re ordering too many skewers! Each table usually has 2-2.5 hours, which is plenty of time.

We will probably return with friends, but I know several people who don’t feel too well after eating here. It might be due to the over-eating or the spicy chili oil, which some people can’t handle very well. I personally have never felt sick after eating here.

Staff are nice and they try their best to service you (it is very busy most of the time). Almost all the servers are Chinese but they speak English fine, so don’t let that intimidate you.

Sincerely, Loewe