Uncle's Snack Shop arrived with a splash not too long ago and we drooled when looking at the menu and Instagram pics. They are Richmond Public Market adjacent on Westminster Highway and since we found ourselves at the market, we decided to finally check them out.
USS had not started indoor dining at this point but there were at least 7 tables outside of which we grabbed one in the shade on their patio. Some of the tables were a little close to the parking lot and street traffic for our tastes. I guess if they are quite busy, a roadside table would do in a pinch.
Uncle's is not a health food cafe but we still found our way first to the most unhealthy item on the menu, the Chicken Skin Chicharron. Of course, we're not here for our health but it could be argued that the sheer joy that this snack brought contributed to our well-being. Crispy and fatty with a bit of a sticky sweet sauce, these were quite delightful. Don't eat a whole order yourself.
We seem to be eating a lot of chicken wings these days and these are rated right up there in our books. Most places seem to accomplish a level of crispy but tender and these were no exception but they came with an interesting citrusy (lime leaf) and salty flavour that made for a nice variation.
For us, one of the true stars of this show was the Salted Egg Pork Ribs. I'm not quite sure how they made a sauce of it but these tender ribs tasted of salted egg yolk. For me, it is a wonderful, tasty but way underutilized ingredient. I order anything I see that includes it but wasn't expecting it on a rib. Don't miss this!
We tried a couple of their sandwiches but they all sounded good. The Uncle's Classic starts with tender deep-fried chicken and is finished off with all the things you expect from a katsu joint. There is that finely shredded cabbage as well as pickled onion and aioli. The bun was simple but soft enough to be able to squeeze the whole thing together and get a good bite (assuming that you have no manners and lots of napkins). This was a very good chicken sandwich.
Another surprise on the menu was the Cheesy Eggplant Sandwich (sorry, I just can't say sandy or worse, sando. Does the word sandwich take too much time?). The eggplant itself was deep fried and made a crispy, meaty patty that was supported again by the cabbage etc., but also mozzarella cheese and miso glaze. Very nice and maybe just a little less guilt-inducing as it qualifies as vegetarian.
Probably open for dine-in by now, there are two rooms at Uncles and room for quite a few tables. The staff here were quite friendly and the prices were low ($9 for most sandwiches and $6 to $9 for the smaller bites). This is a great place for a creative and tasty quick lunch or snack. We're big fans.
Food 3 1/2 out of 5
Service 4 out of 5
Comfort 3 1/2 out of 5
Value 4 out of 5
USS had not started indoor dining at this point but there were at least 7 tables outside of which we grabbed one in the shade on their patio. Some of the tables were a little close to the parking lot and street traffic for our tastes. I guess if they are quite busy, a roadside table would do in a pinch.
Uncle's is not a health food cafe but we still found our way first to the most unhealthy item on the menu, the Chicken Skin Chicharron. Of course, we're not here for our health but it could be argued that the sheer joy that this snack brought contributed to our well-being. Crispy and fatty with a bit of a sticky sweet sauce, these were quite delightful. Don't eat a whole order yourself.
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