Susan C.
Yelp
4.5 Ask any Vancouver native for which places to eat dim sum and this restaurant is bound to come up on the list. Tried and true, this place is every bit as good as it was many years ago when I first ate here. Don't let the simple strip mall facade fool you, their cuisine is top notch and suitably you also pay a few extra dollars for it. However considering it's not possible to find dim sum made this well anywhere along the East Coast, (or west coast so I've heard), nor service at a dimsum restaurant as professional as they were here, so I gotta rate them higher for both those reasons.
Last weekend when I came on a Friday around 1pm, the restaurant was about 50-60% full. They played the World Cup on a couple large TV screens (one filling an entire wall), and all parties were sitting one party to each table (ie. no sharing tables w/strangers).
I tried: steamed prawn dumplings, steamed pork siu mai, steamed spareribs in black bean sauce, pan-fried daikon cake, each $9.25*. Additionally steamed beef tendon w/tripe w/chu hot sauce, steamed prawn rice rolls, each $10.25. Then steamed chicken rice w/Chinese sausage $12.95, and steamed Chinese broccoli w/oyster sauce $15.95. Lastly a steamed caramel sponge cake $8.25. First they use good size prawns and not just dinky little shrimp in their dumplings, siumai and rice rolls. The dumpling skins were thin and the noodles were smooth, each item that had filling was generously filled. All was well seasoned, and the portion sizes were at least 25-30% larger than the same items I've had at other dim spot places. What makes it better is each dish is made to order (so though I miss the pushcart experience), this ensures each plate arrives freshly prepared.
This probably sounds funny but that Chinese broccoli was cooked to perfection, perfectly crisp and cooked thru and not tough as veggies tend to get when they're not fresh, or harvested too late and the leaves have gotten too fibrous. Probably the best preparation of this dish I've had in all my years of eating dimsum.
And want to add that while the caramel sponge cake was tasty, the original translation of the dish means Malay cake, which is more of a denser, spongier, steamed cake rather than fluffy like the one they served.
Not only do they serve dimsum, but their traditional multi-course banquet dinners are well-known and appreciated as some of the best classic Chinese dishes this side of the Western hemisphere. They host many a wedding or celebration reception here and the space can be partitioned to book.
Want to mention the service I experienced here was terrific, we were seated right away, asked which tea we preferred upon arriving to the table (chrysanthemum naturally) and they came to take our order about 5-7 minutes after we sat down. Food started arriving within 10 minutes of ordering. It was easy to flag down a waiter for extra sauce and for our check, they were all very professional and courteous.
*all prices listed as CAD.