Disappointing Dim Sum at China City Restaurant

Part of the job of a food blogger is to sift through the mediocre restaurants to find the hidden gems. Unfortunately there are occasions when a mediocre spot is truly mediocre and deserving of any and all criticisms they may receive. Such is the case with China City Restaurant, an disappointingly below average dim sum spot in Winnipeg.

China City is located towards the St. James area of Portage Avenue. The owners, realizing the amount of car and foot traffic in the area, smartly created a large and attractive sign beckoning would be diners forward. Alarm bells should already be ringing when I see the wealth of "options" including lunch buffets, dim sum and VLTs ... clearly a sign of an establishment lacking confidence in any specific area. The interiors are dated but clean and comfortable while the service staff attentive, albeit I was the lone diner this particular weekend day (second alarm bell).

Coming here for Dim Sum during the afternoon affords me the opportunity to participate in "happy hour" where all items are discounted down to $3/item. To its credit, China City does a nice job with its menu showcasing each item in a colourful array that acts to not only introduce novel diners to dim sum items but also whet ones appetite (ala Pavlov) for the upcoming meal. If dim sum is not in the cards today there is a modest ala carte dining menu that one can order featuring the usual suspects one can will find in a Westernized Chinese establishment.

These Pan Fried Shrimp Cake were an utter disaster with nary a shrimp flavour to be found. Rather you are stuck with a doughy greasy cake that is completely devoid of anything edible.

These Steamed Shrimp Dumplings were nicely presented and of a average quality. The large dumplings were steamed well and housed a nice smattering of chopped shrimp meat. The exterior skin, however, was too dense and doughy and altogether weighed the entire dish down.

Shark Fin Dumplings are aptly named for the fancy array adorning the top of the dumpling. Unfortunately what should have been tender egg wrapper with smooth rich meat turned out to be tough and chewy interiors housed in a thick and tough egg wrapper. Disappointing indeed.

There is nothing special about these Deluxe Pork Dumplings which are reminiscent of the frozen variety found at many local supermarkets. Tough, fatty and greasy meat makes this dish entirely devoid of flavour or finesse.

Sticky Rice is always a favourite of mine when ordering from Dim Sum restaurants and these were, thankfully, better than the other offerings. Two large portions of sticky rice adorn the interiors of this dish.

When unwrapped one finds tender juicy sticky rice housing a small handful of ground pork. Seasoned well; the dish is accentuated nicely by the aroma of all the ingredients wafting forward as you open each sticky rice package.

Wanting something more substantial I ordered the Curry Fried Vermicelli. Reminiscent of the version one can find at food courts, the Vermicelli at least had a nice fried aroma and was chalk full of tender vegetables. Using the curry sauce adds even more aroma to the dish, but I found it definitively one sided and lacking any further development of flavour or depth.

There are much better dim sum spots in Winnipeg than China City. While I commend the owners for portraying their restaurant nicely and creating a functional and attractive menu; the food is ultimately lacking, at worst inedible, at best average. You can find better at a food court.

Victoria Seafood, Cheap and Average Dim Sum

And here I thought I had completed the sweep of Winnipeg's dim sum core ... comes Victoria Seafood to the fore. Dim sum is the exemplification for me of family, food and culture; all wrapped up in delectable little bites of steamed goodness. I discovered Victoria Seafood upon patrolling the new Zomato Winnipeg site realizing that I had indeed missed it on my initial go around the dim sum spots in town. Needing to quickly correct that I made the long trek down to Victoria Seafood Restaurant on a shockingly cold summer day for a quick bite of dim sum.

Victoria Seafood lies on the corner of St. Mary's road and Dunkirk Street. A busy intersection close to St. Vital mall, its owners did a great job with the large block lettering inviting hungry traveler's forward. The interiors are simplistic but functional with comfortable wooden tables, extremely efficient wait staff. My initial excitement came to a fever pitch upon seeing the entire restaurant filled to the brim, a rarity for a weekday lunch.

Dim sum here works on the pen and paper ordering system. An initially seemingly skeletal number of wait staff work efficiently and effectively bussing the busy restaurant. My target was dim sum, although Victoria Seafood does offer a sit down ala carte dining option. Part of the draw I realized was the "happy hour" special running through the day with the majority of dim sum items coming down to ~$3/item. Thankfully along with the seemingly positive price point, the variety of items available do not disappoint. A large laundry list of the classic dim sum items adorn the menu and while nothing seems extraordinary, there is enough here to keep the novice and the adventurous dim sum diner happy.

The classic Shrimp Dumplings (Har Gow) here were simply average with a nice soft exterior and tender shrimp filling. My biggest complaint is in the portion size with each dumpling significantly smaller than the majority of Winnipeg dim sum spots.

A somewhat rarer item, Scallop with Shrimp Dumplings, takes the delicate filling of shrimp dumplings, marries it with bits of scallop and is steamed to perfection. I liked the dichotomy of the slightly chewy egg wrapper with the tender filling and the slight crunch of the egg roe on top.

A usual for me, the Sticky Rice Wrapped in Lotus Leaf is a block of sticky rice housing a collection of meats and mushrooms and steamed with a lotus leaf wrapper.

I was slightly disappointed at the version here as the rice was tough and not as moist as expected. While the filling generous, the taste did not permeate the entirety of the sticky rice and left the dish with two distinct dichotomous flavours as opposed to an unified one that the dish is supposed to convey.

Victoria Pork Dumpling is in actuality the "shark's fin" dumpling with a pork, mushroom and vegetable filling wrapped in an egg wrapper. Although nice in concept and presentation, the filling was altogether bland, greasy and tough. Missing was a sense of crispness or tenderness which would have helped these dumplings climb out of mediocrity.

You can probably judge from the picture of these Deluxe Seafood Dumplings (Sui Mai) that they were average. While Victoria Seafood offers large portions for these sui mai, I cannot help but wonder if they are of the frozen variety with tough filling that was unfortunately represented a congealed glob of fat.

These Chinese White Turnip Cake were a nice surprise from the overly greasy dumpling options. Lightly pan fried, the cakes had a delicate tenderness to the interior while maintaining a crisp exterior. Diving headfirst into a wash of the accompanied Hoison Sauce adds in well needed saltiness and a sense of umami. Well done!

These steamed Beef Balls were also surprisingly nice. The balls were infused with a hint of cilantro which added a nice aromatic indulgence that cuts through the fattiness of the underlying meat. Missing was the crunch of taro root that is usually accompanying said dish, but nevertheless the overall flavour was positive and spot on.

Victoria Seafood offers solid dim sum at a extremely affordable and reasonable rate. While there were clearly some misses on the dishes, there is enough here to satisfy most dim sum diners - a perfect spot for those wanting to delve into it for the first time as one can order a large variety without breaking the wallet. Definitely a consideration for those in the area.

Sam Po - Bien Dim Sum

There are urges and cravings that happen to me that I cannot control. Like clockwork it seems, I routinely get an urge for the delicious dumplings and fried dim sum items that cannot be quenched by any other meal. The combination of flavours and dining style of Chinese dim sum restaurants make them unique and unreplicable. And so I went on Urbanspoon and found a spot I had initially looked over, Sam Po Dim Sum.

Located in Chinatown, Sam Po is located right across the street from Noodle Express. In fact, I am told they have the same owners! Well despite that, Sam Po is truly the better looking of the pair. With shiny gold lettering beckoning you in, diners are taken aback by the large clean and modern dining room. Brightly lit and appropriately decorated, the restaurant instantly makes you feel comfortable and gives a sense of class that its sister restaurant did not give.

The food is typical dim sum fare. With all the regulars and dishes one would expect taken care of, Sam Po offers a nice variety for veterans and newcomers alike. I would have appreciated a pictoral representation of each dish but nevertheless the descriptions sufficed. For those not in the mood for dim sum (gasp!), there is an ala carte menu featuring (I went for lunch) a bevy of fried noodle and rice options, a popular choice for the majority of clientele this particular day.

These Shrimp Dumplings were a nice size and filled with a large amount of spongy and tasty chopped shrimp. The wrapper was nice and thin enough to encase the contents without being doughy and tough. Make sure to dip these in the accompanied hot sauce to add an additional element of flavour to contrast the smooth shrimp.

Scallop and Shrimp Dumplings with Coriander were unique and new to me. The filling is a nice combination of flavour chopped shrimp and scallop and is all wrapped in a thin wrapper and steamed to perfection. The addition of coriander (actually, cilantro) adds a herbal rustic flavour and aroma to the dumpling.

Large pieces of Sticky Rice greeted my burgeoning stomach next. The tender glutinous rice is filled with pork, peanut and mushrooms and the entirity is steamed inside a banana leaf. Imparting a subtle savoury flavour into the rice was the key to this tasty dish.

Deep Fried Pork Chinese Pierogies had a number of different pictures in my mind when I first read it on the menu. What came out was more in keeping with a deep fried pork dumpling. The exterior had a nice crispy shell while the interior was oozing with a nice mixture of pork, chive and mushroom. Aromatic chive is the key here by adding a nutty and sharp flavour to the dish.

Pork Dumplings (Shao Mai) were simply average here. While I appreciated the tender meat, there was little further flavour profile here to develop. In truth it was an explosion of fatty meat in a thin wonton wrapper; the dish needed something to contrast it, like shrimp, mushroom or daikon.

Nice and springy, these Beef Balls were above average. Tender, beefy and flavourful, it went well with the side of vinegar and soy sauce. Aromatic herbs give some textural and aromatic balance to the dish.

Overall Sam Po was above average dim sum. Sporting a handsome restaurant and offering tasty food, it should be a staple on the Winnipeger's list of dim sum restaurants. Definitely not the best in town but decent enough and will suffice if in a pinch or in the area.

North Garden - Dim Sum A Cut Above

Despite my travels and adventures into all types of cuisine, there are some days when I simply crave the food I grew up with. And even though my family, being from mainland China, did not have Dim Sum on a routine basis, there are enough flavours and cooking styles here to represent the food I was accustomed to. Thus when a fellow resident on a night of call listed off a dim sum restaurant that I was not aware of, it immediately piqued my interest, rumbled my stomach, and catapulted itself to the top of my restaurant wishlist. And so I was off to North Garden Restaurant the next morning.

Located in Fort Garry, North Garden is a warm and welcoming Chinese restaurant in a small strip mall just off of Pembina Highway on University Crescent. My first marker of the quality of a dim sum restaurant is the clientele ... and so you can imagine the huge smile I had when I heard Mandarin and Cantonese echoing through the walls of the place, excellent! The modern wooden tables and plush decor show a sense of elegance and style that was further exemplified by the eager and attentive waitstaff.

North Garden features two menus on this particular Sunday morning: a dim sum menu offering the classic steamed dumplings, rice rolls, rice and congee dishes; and a lunch menu for larger offerings and family style meals. Being there specifically for dim sum, I focused on that particular menu. North Garden utilizes the paper ordering system as opposed to the traditional method of having push carts hauled around with the various items. I prefer this method as it allows me to get the food as fresh as possible and exactly what I order, rather than having to wait around for the same dishes to roll around on the same carts. Prices seem a bit higher than most, but not extraordinarily so.

The small Pork & Preserved Duck Egg Congee was a healthy bowl of congee filled with pieces of fatty pork and preserved duck egg. The version here was nice with a smooth and silky congee with large bountiful pieces of preserved duck egg. I was less enthused by the dripping pieces of pork fat, seemingly the throwaway portions, that added very little to the dish. Make sure to top off the congee with a dash of Chinese white pepper!

These Steamed Shrimp Dumplings with Bamboo Shoots were a nice offering with plump large pieces of cut up shrimp. The addition of bamboo gave the dish a textural crunch, a nice contrast to the smooth shrimp. The thin dumpling skin was thick enough to hold all the ingredients in without sticking or tearing but thin enough to avoid overpowering the dish. Tasty!

These Shui Mai Dumplings are some of the best I have ever had. North Garden deliberately puts these at the top of their menu and for good reason too, as the four pieces of incredibly juicy dumplings are filled to the brim with pork, Chinese mushroom and topped with fresh shrimp and fish roe. There is an element of sweetness from the tender and plump pork mixture that is unheralded and elevates the entire dish. Texturally you have the crunch of the fish roe contrasting the fatty, juicy and smooth pork.

Pan Fried Radish with Chinese Sausage Cake was unfortunately average. The radish cake was a nice tender softness but underfried such that the exterior only had the slightest of crispiness. Robbed of this textural contrast, the dish tries to do its best to enhance its flavours by adding in Chinese sausage, but overall it cannot recover from its stumble. The accompanied hoison dipping sauce adds sweet and salty flavour to the dish.

Steamed Rice Roll with Chinese Bread Stick is a classic dish that marries crispy fried Chinese dough with the silky texture of the rice roll. I loved the dichotomy of the textures here and found the addition of the dipping sauces, Peanut and Hoison, nice accompanying flavours to the fried dough.

These Steam Beef Balls were only average. Large balls of ground beef are mixed together with cilantro and green onions and steamed to tenderness. While I enjoyed the tenderness of the beef, there were large (and I mean large) globs of pure fat that were simply unpalatable. Furthermore, there was a lack of contrasting texture in the beef ball such that it was simply a monotonous mixture of fat.
 

Finishing off with a bang, the Steam Squids in Curry Sauce were excellent. A personal favourite, North Garden does the dish justice by pairing tender but still chewy squid with a delectable sweet, salty and slight spicy curry sauce. Each bite is a wonderful mixture of the underlying squid with the multitones of the Chinese curry paste and a slight bit of freshness from the green onions. Tasty!

North Garden ranks highly on my list of Winnipeg's dim sum options. Despite the somewhat inconsistent quality, North Garden offers enough dim sum to satisfy even the pickiest of customers. Standouts include the steamed curry squids and the shui mai, some of the best dishes I have ever had anywhere. Definitely a recommendation for anyone looking for dim sum, especially if you are in the south side of the city.

Tasty Noodle - Yummy Dim Sum (Edmonton 30 in 30)

For many, dim sum was the quintessential Chinese brunch food, a time when families would come together to have a meal together consisting of steamed dumplings, fried items and noodle/rice based dishes. The truth is dim sum is based on a Cantonese style of living and its popularity is reflective of the large immigration of people from the Canton province surrounding the years when Hong Kong was to be returned from Great Britain to China. Hailing from Beijing, I did not grow up with dim sum and only grew to experience and appreciate it during my adolescence and young adulthood. There are a litany of dim sum restaurants in Edmonton and one seemingly stood out amongst the rest; one that seems to attract and keep the Chinese population coming; one that aims to serve authentic high quality dim sum: Tasty Noodle.

Tasty Noodle is located in the south of Edmonton on Calgary Trail by 30th Avenue. The restaurant stands attractively in the corner of a stripmall with large striking bold lettering that gestures would be diners forward. The interiors are similarly handsome with large wooden tables that glimmer with a sheen of modern elegance. The wait staff, attentive and plentiful, are quick to usher you to one's seat. I was impressed by the number of ethnic Chinese diners at the restaurant, especially for such an early time, and can see that its popularity in the community.

I love this idea. Typically dim sum restaurants operate in two main styles: the traditional push carts where waitresses zig zag their way between tables selling their delicious steamers of goodness OR the modern method of having a list of offered items and having customers order ala carte. Both have its benefits but the main detriment of the ala carte method is the lack of the visual stimulus of each item. Thus Iwas hooked when Tasty Noodle plopped down this large, colorful and vibrant menu showcasing each item clearly. It simply allows you to visually confirm what dish you want while also allows you to peruse through the others and ultimately ends up, like it did for me, customers ordering extra items to try.

My standard at any dim sum restaurant, the Minced Pork & Shrimp Dumpling (Shao Mai) was plump and flavourful. I appreciated the large serving size and the meaty bites of pork and shrimp in each dumpling. I wished for some textural contrast, like taro, to cut through the greasy and fatty protein but overall feel this is one of the better shao mai I have tasted.

This order was solely due to the colourful menu. Having not seen this before in a restaurant, I had to order the Shrimp with Noodle Wrap. The interior is shrimp paste that is covered on the exterior by chow mien noodles and steamed. I really liked the combination of springy shrimp paste and the soft noodle that has soaked up all the flavours from the shrimp.

Steamed Shrimp & Cilantro Dumpling was a bit of a disappointment. My expectation was that of a contrasting flavour profile, but unfortunately the shrimp overpowered the dish and the cilantro did nothing but add some color to the dish. While the shrimp was nice and springy it was simply no different than the typical shrimp dumplings one can find.

And right on cue the Imperial Shrimp Dumplings came next. Large voluptuous balls of tender skin with a juicy combination of chopped shrimp and shrimp paste, these were some of the better shrimp dumplings I have had. Again Tasty Noodle does an excellent job with the preparation of these dumplings as the skin was soft and tender but strong enough to keep all the contents inside.

I have found a certain sweet tooth towards Pan Fried Turnip Cake with Chinese Pork Sausage. Tasty Noodle does a fine job by delivering cakes with a nice crisp exterior and a soft delicate smooth interior. Only thing missing was the, seemingly standard, Hoison sauce.

Some of my Caucasians friends always seem to order Sticky Rice with Lotus Leaf and I seemingly picked up the habit of doing so. The large portion of glutinous rice is filled with flavourful chicken, roast pork and mushrooms in a soy based gravy. As with all Chinese dishes, the contrast of flavours here was paramount with soft sticky rice inter playing with the strong flavours in the filling.

Last dish of the day was Preserved Egg and Pork Congee. Perfect for any cold day, the bowl of congee had large piece of pork and preserved egg. Nothing extra-ordinary, this dish was exactly as one would expect it.

Overall I can understand why Tasty Noodle is a popular spot for authentic dim sum. Their flavours, techniques and menu choices are right on par with some of the best dim sum restaurants I have tried and while not cheap, the pricing is reflective of their quality. Whenever anyone is in the mood for great dim sum in Edmonton, Tasty Noodle has to be in the conversation.