Review :: Deer Garden Signatures

Fish and vegetables noodle soup in a Laksa broth.

Deer Garden Signatures
633 Silver Star Blvd Unit 125
Scarborough, ON M1V 5N1
416-609-2888
http://deergarden.ca/signature.html

Deer Garden doesn't serve deer if you're wondering. It's actually a fish noodle soup restaurant which also serves some rice dishes and side snacks.  Deer Garden is a franchise from British Columbia and is doing quite well here in Toronto.  They have 2 locations:  Leslie and Hwy 7 and Silver Star Blvd and Steeles (near Pacific Mall).

1st Impression: big bowl of noodles
2nd Impression: a hearty bowl of noodles, easily becoming a regular dining out spot

The main soup bases are fish stock and you add your choice of noodle and 2 meat/veggie items.  You also choose your broth which not all are fish based.  My first experience was a rushed one and all I remember was there was a lot of noodles! I didn't finish the bowl.  But the fish base wasn't too bad.  Important to note, they mention which of their soup bases contain no MSG which is good if you're concerned about such things.

I was looking to have some laksa soup, so this time around I ordered the laksa broth with rice noodles.

Closer look at the rice noodles.

Spicy and filling.  The fish slices that I ordered as one of my toppings didn't break down into little crumbs which was good and they provide a decent portion.  Can't really say much about the noodles as I got rice noodles which are pretty standard.  If you get egg noodles, they are actually fat egg noodles, not the kind you get with wonton noodle.  The soup base also comes with napa and mushrooms so we didn't have to order extra of those unless you want double of these.  The broth could be creamier and probably would be better with a fish base but I wasn't sure if I wanted to add the extra $1.50. 

With your soup noodle item, it comes with a drink.  Unfortunately for those that don't want a drink, there is no option to only have the noodle soup (unless you want to pay the same price and decline the drink, but I don't expect many to do this).  We didn't mind as we'll usually order a milk tea with our meal at most places.  We opted for a cold drink and it tasted decent.

Deer Garden also allows you to select some sides for an additional cost, almost like making a combo at Wendy's, lol!  I say Wendy's because it's not just 1 type of side; you can get a fried pork cutlet or chicken cutlet like us for an extra $2.  Other sides include fish, sausage, chicken wings, and ox tongue.  I think the fish cutlet is actually better than the pork as I tried a small piece my first time dining at Deer Garden.

Fried pork cutlet, a little dry but the side mayo helped.

Chicken cutlet, quite tender

The decor is also inviting and bright, with many booths.  We like sitting in booths because they are usually more spacious but the only problem is when you have a large group.  Large groups will have to wait for the section against the wall to free up as there are normally tables for 2 but can be shifted to make larger tables.

My second visit to Deer Garden definitely left a better impression. Although it's not fancy food or that difficult of a dish, I think the simplicity of the meal and the overall experience make it a good regular dining out option, especially for lunch.  I'm also unlikely going to make fish broth at home so the fish broth is a draw. There's enough variety, portions are good, seating is spacious for a small family or group, and service is decent.

Nice ceiling decor