Our $14.99 takeout lid had to be wrapped in two elastic bands to stay shut, and that pretty much tells you everything you need to know about this new food court stall.
Happy Bowl Kitchen is the latest addition to Empire Centre’s buzzing food court in Richmond, slotting in beside One Cafe with a format the room did not have before.
The stall quietly opened on May 1, 2026, and it runs the classic Asian food court 2-item or 3-item with rice or noodle combo.
If you have ever walked through a busy Metro Vancouver Asian food court, you know this format.
You pick two or three items from a glass display of made-in-house mains, you pick rice or noodles, and the whole thing lands on your tray for under $20.
The price point is right where it needs to be and is competitive with other stalls in the city.
We got the 2-item combo with noodle for $14.99, and the portion was so packed that the container needed two elastic bands wrapped around the lid to keep it shut on the walk back to the car.
For our two items, we went sweet and sour pork and braised soy sauce chicken.
Growing up in the city, we’ve had our fair share of these 2-item-1 rice spots for lunch or dinner AND sweet and sour pork.
What seems to be a standard at these stalls: the owner threw in a few pieces of veggies on top as a freebie.
Overall, the taste of Happy Bowl Kitchen we’d put above the OG spots in Yaohan food court and Richmond Public Market.
Splitting the $14.99 combo across lunch and a next day reheat is not just possible, it is the move.
The other stalls inside Empire Centre’s food court already cover a wide range of affordable Asian options, and Happy Bowl Kitchen adds the missing combo plate piece to that lineup.
The food court is also still growing.
One Bolo by One Cafe is coming soon to this same room, and two more food stalls are reportedly in the works.
Happy Bowl Kitchen joins a growing list of recently opened Richmond food spots, including Wo Fung Noodle Express, Uncle, and Daydreamers by Cafe33.
For more new and upcoming food spots in Metro Vancouver, take a peek at our tracker here, and subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.
Address: Empire Centre food court, 5300 No. 3 Rd, Richmond BC