Abigail S.
Yelp
As soon as I left Little Bird after my first visit, I was already planning my next one. I've learned that people in this town can get really defensive about what constitutes "authentic" dim sum--"Craft beer with dim sum? Can't be real dim sum!", "Beyond Meat in some of the veggie dishes? Can't be real dim sum!" Etc, etc. Whatever this place is serving, and however you want to call it, I'll have seconds.
I lean toward pescatarian/vegetarian fare, and it's rare to find a place that has so many substantive veggie dim sum offerings. The Vegetarian Shanghai buns were a more-ish mix of two kinds of mushrooms in a savory pillowy bun. I was initially skeptical about the Vegetarian Siu Mai with Beyond Meat, but the little parcels were very flavorful and not too stodgy. Even the veggie spring rolls came out fresh and slightly misshapen in an endearing way--definitely not the generic frozen pre fab kind.
I came in on a Tuesday night at around 6 and the place was already buzzing, though we didn't have to wait. The space itself is somewhat narrow, and tables are right next to each other, so prepare to be cozy. Staff were pleasant and the dishes came out one by one without too much gap in between.
My one piece of advice, if you don't eat pork, is to confirm that the dishes in the "Sea" category don't have pork in them. The menu is confusing in this way, for instance the Ha Gow is simply described as "shrimp dumpling" but it in fact has pork in it. Perhaps they'll create a more detailed menu at some point that clarifies these things.
Menu confusion aside, this place is a total win in my book--delicious food that is inclusive of vegetarian palates, hospitable staff, and very reasonable prices. My friend and I split 4 plates and ended up paying $12 each (pre-tip)--practically unheard of in any Vancouver context, especially in this neighborhood!