Location: 3235 Hwy 7 #27, Markham, ON L3R 3P9 (Woodbine & Highway 7, First Markham Place)
Hidden in First Markham Place, where Hoja Mi-Sua opened at the beginning of 2025, the rumour was out. A new Taiwanese place in Markham? During the post-New Year slowdown when everyone’s craving something new and exciting? The rumour was out, and by the queues, well-deserved. But for one who’s learned that timing is everything when testing out new eateries, I waited. And hesitated. And wait some more before finally giving this place a fair try.
The Summer Weekend Reality Check (Visit #1)
My first attempt at Hoja Mi-Sua was on a summer Saturday, running the course, and let’s just say it wasn’t as I had imagined. Upon entering, I was immediately greeted by two immediate observations: this is not a large establishment, and it looked like every person from Markham had the same lunch idea.
The room was filled with people dining in and waiting for tables. Despite the air conditioning, all that human heat was getting the better of it. It was really hot, crowded, and honestly it looked so overwhelming as the restaurant was really not as spacious. For this particular situation, I looked at the wait time, how much people that were waiting, and made the decision to skip this one out. It was definitely not worth it at that time. Sometimes, the best restaurant review starts with knowing when to beat a retreat and come back another day.
The Fall Weekday Afternoon Win (Visit #2)
Fast forward a few more months, and I finally found my opening during a weekday afternoon. The difference was honestly shocking – some people were still coming and going, but nothing like the weekend madness that sent me running the first time. We actually had breathing room to enjoy our meal without that awkward rush to finish and clear out for the next customers waiting by the door. By the time we were almost done, I did a quick count: about eight tables dining in including ours, with a couple of people doing takeout. This felt like the actual Hoja Mi-Sua experience rather than survival mode.
First Impressions: Small Space, Big Ambitions
As I mentioned, this place is quite compact, which actually works in their favor from a pricing perspective. With limited square footage and a limited menu options, they can keep prices reasonable even in today’s inflation-heavy Ontario economy. It’s a smart business model: do a few things well rather than offering an overwhelming menu that requires massive inventory and kitchen space.
What I noticed right off the bat were the beautifully decorated lanterns hung all over the room, which emit this warm, welcoming feeling that immediately transports you to there. Even the utensil station has such detail, which actually made me think I was in some real Vietnamese restaurant somewhere out there in the GTA. They’ve nailed that self-serve setup with two different colored chopsticks and spoons – it’s those small touches that show they’re thinking about the complete dining experience.
The Food: Fast Turnaround Meets Mixed Results
Our order was ambitious but reasonably priced:
- Braised Tofu: $3.99
- Boiled Vegetables: $6.99
- Fried Sweet Potato Fries with Plum Powder: $9.99
- Braised Pork Rice with Crispy Popcorn Chicken: $9.99
- Braised Pork Rice with Taiwanese Sausage: $9.99
Most of the dishes arrived surprisingly fast, slightly longer with a couple of items. I guess most everything is pre-cooked and prepped to assemble, aside from anything fried that would be fried up to order for that crispy sensation. It’s intelligent and keeps the turnaround speedy, which is how they can manage those Saturday rushes.
The Sweet Potato Fries Situation
Here’s where things got complicated. The fried sweet potato fries were okay but didn’t quite land for me. Something was off with the seasoning – too much salt, too much plum powder, or maybe both competing for dominance. It tasted distinctly different from what you’d get at typical Taiwanese, Korean, or Western restaurants.
The bigger issue is the lack of customization. They pre-season everything, leaving no room for personal preference. If they’d serve the plum powder or salt on the side, customers could adjust to taste rather than being stuck with their predetermined ratio. Also worth noting: these fries are like the McDonald’s-thin, clearly machine-made or pre-made rather than hand-cut. If you’re expecting thick-cut, different sizes of that rustic sweet potato fries, adjust your expectations accordingly.
The Rice Bowls: Flexibility Done Right
Both the rice bowls had various sizes and add-on options. Not everybody has the same-sized appetites, and having smaller portions means you can have a bit of everything without committing to a full-sized portion of each. It’s smart menu design that accommodates solo diners and groups wanting a taste of variety.
The fried chicken was legitimately tender, they clearly know their way around poultry. The pork was acceptable, nothing spectacular but certainly passable based on our taste preferences. Solid comfort food that delivers on the basics.
The QR Code Reality: When Tech-First Becomes Customer-Last
My biggest complaint with Hoja Mi-Sua-and this is honestly a trend that needs to end in some Markham restaurants is that upon sitting down, they immediately told us they offer a QR code menu system and really just seemed to expect us to pull out our phones, scan, browse, and order the whole meal using it.
Let’s be clear: I’m not anti-technology. QR codes can absolutely streamline operations when implemented thoughtfully. But here’s the problem – they’re making assumptions about their customer base that don’t hold up in reality.
Not everyone is tech-savvy. Not everyone has unlimited data plans. Not everyone in your group is going to have a smartphone handy. And really, not everyone needs to crouch over a phone screen when trying to enjoy a meal with family and friends, if you’ve got a large group trying to order all at once, anyway.
What would make this work better? Give customers options. Giving out physical menus as a backup while offering the QR code as an alternative for those who might want prefer it. Ask the table how they’d like to order rather than defaulting to digital-only. Or have at least one laminated menu per table for groups with mixed tech comfort levels or people who simply prefer browsing on paper while someone else handles the actual ordering.
I get that physical menus require printing costs, maintenance, and space. But forcing every customer through a digital-only funnel creates unnecessary friction, especially for multi-generational dining groups where not everyone moves at the same tech pace. It’s one of those efficiency decisions that works great for operations but occasionally forgets about actual customer experience.
The Bottom Line: Solid Food Held Back By Small Operational Choices
The cheerful atmosphere is worth it, the food is served soon, and the accommodation of adjustable portion sizes shows they’re thinking about customer convenience. If you get it at the right moment on a weekday off-peak time, it’s really enjoyable.
The digital-only ordering system and pre-seasoned sweet potato fries are honestly just annoying. They’re not bad enough to write off the entire restaurant, but they’re the type of easily solvable issues that make you think “come on, you’re this close to getting it right.”
My Recommendation?
Visit on weekday afternoons to avoid the weekend crowd. Avoid sweet potato fries if you don’t like unusual or not your typical seasoning. Get rice bowls with crispy chicken, and keep your phone with data handy since you’ll need it.
Would I return? Yes, but probably for takeout during peak times to avoid both the crowds and the QR code ordering pressure. Sometimes the best way to enjoy a restaurant is working with its limitations rather than fighting against them.
Have you tried Hoja Mi-Sua? Did the QR code ordering system work for you, or did you run into the same tech frustrations? Drop your experiences below, I’m curious if I’m alone in wanting physical menu options or if others feel the same way.
Follow me for more honest Toronto and Markham food reviews:
Jen's One Fine Day 
Leave a comment