Grand Crystal Seafood Restaurant: Dim Sum and Lobster Sticky Rice

One of the things that we’ve missed a lot during the pandemic is going out to enjoy dim sum.. I don’t mean the crowded restaurants or the loud din from the hustle and bustle of the kitchen mixed with the incessant tableside conversations that sounds more like screaming matches instead of civilized discussions. No, it’s mainly about the food.

Z&W Shanghai Kitchen: Mui Choy Kau Yuk and Xiao Long Bao

In mid-March, right before the whole coronapocalypse closed up all of the restaurants in town (other than take-out), we dropped by Z&W Shanghai Kitchen on West Broadway, near Arbutus. For the longest time, this location used to be the home of an all-you-can-eat Japanese place. Upon walking inside, we immediately noticed the improvements to the decor… including the elegantly adorned wall.

Dragon Group Seafood Restaurant: Tasty Dim Sum in Richmond

Dragon Group Seafood Restaurant is located on the busy corner of Alderbridge and Garden City Road in Richmond – and I’ve got to say, they have a really confounding parking lot – I kept driving around trying how to find how to get into the parking lot before figuring out I had to enter from the backside (that’s why she said).

Sea Fortune Restaurant: Dim Sum in Richmond

Sea Fortune Restaurant is one of the countless Chinese restaurants located in Richmond. And like most Chinese restaurants, you can rely on these places being open during usual western holidays such as New Year’s Day… which is exactly when we chose to visit this place.

Ken’s Kitchen: Fairly Average Eats

Ken’s Kitchen on Kingsway has been around for quite a while and is typical of most average Chinese restaurants. We were in the area on a January morning and decided to stop by for some comfort food (ie. carbs).

Shun Feng Seafood: Slow but Tasty

There’s about a jillion-and-one places to get dim sum in-and-around Vancouver and we’ve barely scratched the surface. But that’s not for lack of trying! We decided to drop by Parker Place Mall in early November and try out Shun Feng Seafood. First off, is it just me or is Parker Place dead? A lot of the mall tenants seemed to be closed up when we visited but the parking lot was still super busy.

Dong Tai Xiang Shanghai Dim Sum: Pan Fried Pork Buns

Recently, I noticed a place called Dong Tai Xiang Shanghai Dim Sum open up on Cambie Street in Vancouver. Normally, I’m more of a Cantonese-style dim sum goer but there are certain specific Shanghai dim sum dishes that, when done properly, are amazing. One of the more well-known Shanghai dim sum dishes is the pan-fried pork dumplings (alongside the similar steamed pork dumplings) which is famous for the hot and soupy filling that’s found inside the dumplings.

Excellent Dim Sum King: More Like Average Dim Sum

You know, when you put “Excellent” in your name, you better darn well be prepared to back that up. A while ago, a new restaurant called “Excellent Dim Sum King” opened up in the former Golden Eats location on Kingsway in Vancouver. We had high hopes given the name…

Shun Fa Noodle House: Super Slow and Forgettable Service

Shun Fa Noodle House is a fairly forgettable place located on Victoria Drive (close to Mui Garden). I had to actually dig deep into my notes to help me remember anything about this place (yes, I keep notes about the places that I visit).

Hon’s Wun-Tun House (New West): Old School Asian Comfort Food

Things don’t get any more old school than Hon’s. There’s a good reason why they’ve been in business over 30 years… if you’re looking for Chinese comfort food, they have things nailed down pat.

Mama’s Dumpling: Hidden Shanghainese Cuisine

If you were to ask what one food item seems to cross cultural boundaries, it’s probably the humble dumpling. Whether you call it a dumpling, gyoza, perogy, ravioli, or samosa… every culture has some form of dumpling. And, if you ask someone, they’ll usually say that no one makes dumplings like Mama (I don’t know from experience because my mother never made dumplings – but that’s another story).

Gokudo Shabu Shabu Hot Pot (Burnaby): Tasty Individual Hot Pots in Burnaby

Novembers in Vancouver means cold and stormy weather. And nothing feels better during this time of year than having a big, boiling, hot pot in front of you that’s filled to the brim with meats and veggies. Cue our visit to Gokudo Shabu Shabu at their new location near Metrotown.