John 3:16 Malaysian Delights

I’m so sad that this place closed down :((((((best roti I’ve ever had with perfectly spiced curry.

This location has closed. The entire square will be redeveloped into a high rise condo. They have relocated to North Vancouver. Link below:

Authenticity (Malaysian-​ness): 60%-80%
Portion-​size and/​or value: medium
Service: Unexpectedly excellent for a causal-​dining place or hawker/​food court type of eatery.
Overall: Excellent for causal dining and some cultural experience for the uninitiated new-​bee or for fellow Kampong folks who like to have some nostalgic moment.
Credential of rater: I spent my initial 30 years of life in Malaysia/​Singapore; that is, one that can order Malaysian dishes without a menu!
Suggestion: Add Rojak to the menu — this, to me is the quintessential Malaysian food.

Came here so excited for the food since I’m Malaysian and read raving reviews about this place, but this place is CLOSED!!! Apparently, they are opening a location in N Van. Hopefully we’ll find more details to come.

A solid 3.5 stars for now.
A small inconspicuous space next to dairy queen. I’d say the place sits about maximum 15 people. Most do come for take out but upon entering this place I’ve seen two tables reserved and it looks like it was a table for 4 and a table for 8. This was at 6pm. So a majority of the seats are already taken but if you’re a loner or a couple, I’m sure you can sit on the side tables or if you’re lucky there’s still a table or two left. Might not be the most comfortable but this isn’t fine dining.
There were so many dishes I wanted to try but a limited tummy space so this time around I got try the roti canai and the penang asam laksa.
The roti was super flaky. Tasted so good when dipped into the curry. But a roti canai is only as good as the curry it comes with. I do think it was a bit too watery so an easy 4 out of 5.
Steering away from the traditional Singaporean laksa that I’m used to, I ventured out for the spicy & sour fish based soup. This version of the laksa didn’t have meat per se but the broth was made from fish and I could see the bits of fish meat in the thick broth. It was indeed spicy & sour and had lots of herbs and spices which I had trouble fishing out. Maybe I’m not used too this kind of taste, I didn’t like it to much. 3 out 5 for me.
This places accepts cash, debit and credit only if it’s $ 30 or above.

I loved the food. I had very low expectations when I saw the atmosphere but I have to admit they have a great variety and delicious food. The girl that served us was sweet and the food arrived very fast.

Very authentic Malaysian food!
The place is small but service is too-​notched and staff is very friendly. The roti is just like the ones you get in Malaysia! Loved all the noodle dishes too!

I’ve been hearing lots about this spot and it’s close by home tucked away in a tiny strip mall at Buswell. The restaurant is very small so seating is not the comfiest. However food was delicious! We had the roti with curry which was extremely flaky! They need to give more curry to dip though! We also had the char kuey teow which was my favourite. So flavorful and full of the Chinese «wok hay»! We also shared the Hainanese Chicken rice which was a good portion for $ 9. The rice is not as flavorful as the ones in Singapore but very good for what we have in Vancouver. Price points are reasonable and I will be coming back! Not much service though as its really one girl running the front of the store.

Small cozy Malaysian restaurant. There’s only 5 or 6 tables that sit 2 – 4 people. Service was a little slow, seemed like there was only one girl serving all the tables. Portions are slightly on the small side and each dish is around $ 9-​$ 12. But the food overall was great, each dish was quite flavorful.
GREAT
* Roti w/​curry sauce — The fluffy, slightly chewy roti dipped in curry sauce is quite delicious.
GOOD
* Curry Laksa — Seafood and noodles in a spicy curry sauce. Sauce isn’t that spicy and soup seems a little on the thinner side. Overall still a good curry flavor and assortment of items in the soup.
* Beef Rendang — Spicy beef chunks with rice. Packs a good punch of flavor and spice.
* Halibut w/​rice — Decent fried fish and veggies over rice.
* Cendol — Shaved ice with coconut milk, rice jelly noodles, and palm sugar. Creamy, sweet, chewy, and icey all in one mouthful.

Another great neighborhood gem. My wife discovered this little home operated Malaysian restaurant by accident, but apparently it is already pretty well-​known by my friends.
Only been here twice, but both time surprised me with their unique take on the exotic taste of Malaysian cuisine.
We ordered the standard Malaysian fish curry, Hainan Chicken Rice, Laksa, skewer, and fried noodle.
Laksa was pretty standard, nothing too special.
However, you must try their curry and Hainan chicken. One of the most interesting Hainan Chicken I have tried in Vancouver. The chicken was tender and full of flavor. In combination with the ginger rice was some so amazing, even my super picky little boy enjoyed a lot.
Curry wasn’t your typical Malaysian Curry, it had a well-​balanced taste of aroma, spiciness, and sweetness.
Enough said, don’t want to spoil too much, but definitely going to put John in my regular visit.
P.S: They only have one server, but she is really nice and quick on her feet, so be a little patient and the food will reward you with a smile!

I grew up in Malaysia/​Singapore so my tastes regarding food from this region are a bit more picky than some.
This place has the best hainanese chicken so far in GVR, and it’s less pricy than other places too (I’m looking at you, Mamalee). My other favourite is the mee rebus. The laksa, prawn mee and nasi lemak are also good.
The prices are probably the most reasonable I have seen so far for a Malaysian/​Singaporean restaurant. Hope that doesn’t change as that’s part of the reason why they get a high rating from me.
It’s a really small restaurant, so not suited for larger parties. They really encourage takeout, and even give a discount for you to do so.

I searched for a new place to try In Richmond and came upon this Little unique hole in the wall. The food was alright but nothing to rave about. The service was a bit slow but the place was packed. Food was pretty authentic but the Hainese Chicken was a bit bland. The roti was nice and fluffy but it was a tad too sweet. I could come back but it wasn’t that memorable. My boyfriend loves the Nasi goreng though.

A little hole-​in-​the-​wall restaurant that serves authentic Malaysian cuisine.
The restaurant is really tiny & gets busy at dinner time, so it’s best to make reservations beforehand if you want a spot for larger groups.
I’ve been here several times before & have tried a variety of drinks & dishes from their menu.
For food, I recommend the Nasi Lemak (chicken, coconut rice, egg, ikan bilis dried mini fish), fried kway teow noodles, chicken satay (skewers — love the peanut dipping sauce!) & the chicken curry puffs. The Curry Laksa was a little watered down, not as spicy as authentic Malaysian curry laksas, but still good.
As for drinks, the Barley drink was a little watery. would be nice if it were thicker. The coffee was standard fare, nothing special. The soy bean milk (with grass jelly) was delicious!
Overall, a great place to get some authentic Malaysian cuisine in Richmond. Will return soon to try other dishes!

I love laksa. When I discovered that there was a place that served authentic laksa, I couldn’t wait to try it.
It’s located within a small strip mall, with around 20 seats. The décor is really outdated, it may have been the same décor since 15 years ago. The wallpaper is a bit faded. The menu is simple, with lots of rice and noodle choices. I got the curry laksa with egg noodles.
Food arrived quite quickly. The portion was quite small for $ 8.95. I had wanted more noodles and toppings on it. I asked for some sambal, which is an additional $ 1.00. The laksa was good, but not the best. It had a bit of spiciness to it. I also had some roti, and I really enjoyed it. It was light and fluffy.
Service is friendly and quick. Perhaps I shall come back and try some stir-​fry dishes next time.

Food better and cheaper than Tropika, banana leaf and tamarind Hill
Tho Roti was ok. Kinda dry flaky. Tropika et al beats John in this respect
Food better than (my fav) Prata Man, but since it costs so much more I much prefer go Prata
Wife says Assam laksa best she’s had outside Malaysia

This place only gets a 4 star because there’s no washroom in the restaurant, you have to share with dairy queen next door.
Considering it looks like a family owned place i didn’t expect 5 star service. It wasn’t horrible as someone reviewed in the past. I’ve had worse experiences elsewhere i. e white spot, cactus club to name a couple.
Food is EXCELLENT! Definitely will frequent this place for my Malaysian fix.

Being a Malaysian food fan, this is a true gem in metro Vancouver for us.
I randomly discovered this place on Unilocal and because of the positive reviews, we had to go try it.
It’s a small restaurant that gets filled up easily, but they do take-​out too.
Not much of ambiance, not really a place to impress your date with, but more like just good comfort food at hole in the wall kinda restaurant.
Nonetheless, we came here for the food and that’s what we got. All the curries and rendang were good, satays are juicy and well flavoured. This is a mom and pops kind of family restaurant, the daughter-​in-​law works at the store front, really pleasant lady by the way, and father-​in-​law is the main chef. Friendly service.
2 thumbs up! We will keep in coming back.

Good, but not great. The effort was certainly there though, in terms of service (but not décor).
We had the fried rice, noodle/​goreng and ginger halibut.
The fried rice was good… nice texture to the rice and strong enough flavour.
The noodle/​goreng dish is pretty forgettable, but wonderful to those who love lots of garlic.
The halibut was kind of awful. It had a nice taste and flavour to it but clearly, it wasn’t cooked properly. I’ve never had fish that was so hard, it was really quite odd. It was like it was halfway in becoming fish jerky. If they had provided more of a unique sauce, I might be able to look past this, but since it was just another garlic sauce you can find anywhere in Richmond AND it was cooked improperly, I would not recommend this dish to anyone.
I might return to try the curry and laksa noodle soup. But gosh, it’s so uncomfortable sitting in this small shop, so I probably won’t.
Also — those bible posters and references in the store just add to the overall discomfort (yeah yeah, I am aware of the restaurant name).

Truely a hole-​in-​the-​wall style Malaysian cuisine. The interior of the place is very simple and cozy, while the food is orgasmic!
We tried the chicken and beef skewers, Hai Nan chicken, the stir fry noodles, and the egg plants. None of them disappointed us. Hai Nan chicken has the crispy garlic on top, which makes it very tasteful. Egg plants are not too salty and not too oily they were just at the right flavour!
More important, this place is very nice to our wallets. Food are totally worth the price I’m paying.
I’M COMING BACK!

I happen to stumble across this place last week just as I was thinking (honestly!), «There’s no good Malaysian eats in Richmond.» Lo and behold, I turn the corner and I see a big Grand Opening sign and the word John 3:16 Malaysian Delights. I guess God must have been listening to my stomach ;-)
I did a quick check on trusty Unilocal but the place was not listed yet. I decided to try it out and boy, I was glad! It’s a small humble-​looking restaurant that houses maybe six or seven tables. The menu covers the main Malaysian food you’d expect. The quality of the food though, I’d say ranks near the top with the other small handful of authentic Malaysian restaurants in the Lower Mainland. And for good reason: I had the opportunity to talk to the owner, Daniel, who explained to me that he used to own the well-​known Malaysian fast food joint in the Richmond Public Market. That place had garnered high marks and was even seen on some TV programs. He later sold the business (which, unfortunately, the new owners couldn’t carry on the flag as well). This is a family run business where their other restaurant is in the Okanagan area.
The owner/​chef makes all of the sauces and condiments he uses in his dishes in-​house so he can better control the taste of his recipes. The dishes I had were full of flavour and complex enough to make my tongue do a happy dance. I tried the satay beef. Wow. Super tender and tasty!
Kudos to Daniel for bringing back to Richmond great Malaysian food.