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Dinesty Chinese Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Chinese Chinese [Edit]
8111 Ackroyd RdRichmond, BC V6X 3J9
Neighbourhood: Golden Village
(604) 303-7772
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 3 pm
Mon-Sun 5 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
56 reviews for Dinesty Chinese Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"Was it the best xiao long bao I've had." In 13 reviews -
"...to the almighty Taiwanese restaurant Din Tai Fung." In 5 reviews -
"Pan fried pork dumplings." In 2 reviews
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56 reviews in English
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Review from Zachary S.
5/12/2012
After a 2 hour drive to the Vancouver area, my friends and I were ready to eat a bucketful of Chinese food. We entered Dinesty and were intrigued by the fact that we were the only non-asians in such a large restaurant, though we did garner quite a few stares. I countered this by staring straight back and watching their heads snap in the other direction and their eyes avert to somewhere else in the room.
We ordered 6 dishes:
- Xiao Long Bao (duh)
- Gyoza
- Ancient Boil Beef
- Fried Rice with Salted Pork and vegetables
- Green beans with minced Pork
- Noodles with Beef
The XLB was really good, as expected. It was not the best I have ever had. I think it could have been a little bit more soupy, but it was still a must-order. The Gyoza were amazingly fresh and satisfying. The order came with 6 of them (sans soysauce) but I think we all wished we had ordered some more. These were probably the best potstickers I have ever had. The Fried Rice and Green Beans were both freakishly addictive. The only 2 dishes that were just okay were the ancient boil beef and the noodles. I have never ordered the beef before so I may have been expecting something different but it wasn't super flavorful and there wasn't a lot of beef. My friends hated the noodles but I thought they were okay, not good nor bad.
Dinesty is definitely a top notch chinese restaurant. They must have had a portal going straight to Asia in the back of the restaurant because the food was too fresh to have been shipped anywhere. If I was ever in Richmond again and craving chinese food, Dinesty would be my first stop. -
Review from Florence C.
Vancouver, BC
4/28/2012
I LOVE their xiao long bao. Coming from Singapore standard, it's a few notches below the fine xiao long bao, but it's the best you can get in Vancouver.
My other favorite item here is their sweet taro bun. It's soft, warm, with ginko nuts.
To be honest, the other items are very mediocre, I've had bad and too greasy and salty dishes too but I keep the score because it's the only place I go for xiao long bao.. I don't look at the menu anymore.
Oh, don't pay too much attention to the open kitchen. They don't have the best hygiene standard. If you watch it too much, it'll spoil your appetite lol. -
Review from Paul B.
4/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
Came here for xiao long bao, of course. Expecting something amazing like Joe's Shanghai in New York or even...Shanghai-Shanghai-Shanghai caliber.
Was a little let down... they tasted good. But nothing too spectacular. They could have afforded to be cheaper, hotter, juicier. They beat Din Tai Fung though.
Luckily we ordered a bunch of other random fast foods and found those more delectable. Got something reminiscent of agedashi tofu, duck, and lotus something. All were great.
If you're wanting fast food Chinese style. Come here. Added bonus is the ability to leech the Starbucks WiFi next door. Heh heh heh -
Review from Andrew W.
5/13/2012
This place was great! Aside from being the only white person in the place the atmosphere was trendy, casual, and comfortable. The food was excellent and the service was good as well. One dish I did not care for was a beef noodles item. Though the ancient boil beef, fried rice, and xiao long bao were all great choices. The price was very good as we only paid $60 for three people and we ordered a lot of food. One of my favorite items was the green beans. I would highly recommend this place for excellent chinese in Vancouver.
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Review from Alice A.
3/19/2012
Oh yeah XLB. Fairly worth the drive and money when you feel like splurging.
Pork XLB - bursting with goodness juicy, meat tender and flavorful
Beef noodles with satay sauce - a tad bit salty and noodles were a bit mushy but overall tasty
Vermicelli with pork and vegs - perfectly chewy and satisfying
Each plate of noodles is good for two meals. So order to share or doggy-bag.
Recommended for an upscale experience. -
Review from Melissa C.
Richmond, BC
I came here with the notion that they had one of tthe best xiao long bao in Richmond, so of course my stomach communicated *gurgle gurgle* we need to go!
My boyfriend and I ordered three dishes:
1) Radish cakes with XO sauce (~$5): It was too creamy and the acutal radish cake was bland. The only great flavour came from the XO sauced bean sprouts and leeks, which were delcious. But the main reason for ordering the dish, the radish cake was a disappointment.
2) House Noodle Soup (~$6.50): The noodles were cooked well and chewy. There were endless amounts of pork and vegetables. The broth was the star of the bowl, it was hot and rich in tons of meaty flavour. I could bathe in that soup...
Finally! 3) Xiao Long Bao (~$4.50) I was so excited when they arrived on our table. I was giddy in my seat, which I hopefully held from sight from our server. Even though they were steaming hot, I can to get one of them in my mouth. Using my spoon to catch all the juices I knew would stream out, I took a bite. The skin was chewy and on the thin side (i like a more thicker skin), the beef inside was soft but didn't have as much flavour as I wished. The best part, the broth, was rich but in a sort of heavy, salty way - like you know how broth tastes after its been sitting for a while? Maybe I had a bad batch but I cannot say these are the best XLB. That label is still reserved for: http://www.yelp.ca/biz...
Overall, still a good experience and I will return to venture into the rest of their dishes, which looked great (love picture menus as much as I love picture books!).
Note: Love that they take credit cards too! -
Review from Rick C.
We returned to Dinesty for a good Chinese food lunch. Of course, we sampled their award-winning xiaolongbao soup dumplings.
We ordered a bunch including eggplant, beef rolls, beef and gai lan, jellyfish, rice cakes, and more.
The Chinese donut wrapped in egg and batter was interesting and tasty fried goodness. The thick noodles are always delicious especially with some of the eggplant dish's sauce. Yum. The scallop and egg fried rice was particularly delectable as well as the copious amounts of beef and pork dishes.
Dinesty remains one of my favourite Chinese restaurants in Richmond for its quality food and relatively solid dining experience. -
Review from Quan H.
3/6/2012
I only have a handful of friends who would recommend going for anything Chinese for a meal, so I was lucky to have them treat me to this place for my birthday. First impressions: Great service; nice and clean place; appropriate for casual & business casual both; and I love that stand they use for the teapot, so the teapot doesn't take up any table space.
Think of Guu (tapas; for sharing), but Shanghai food. The portion sizes are appropriate enough so you can try lots of dishes within one visit. However, the two friends I was with are notoriously known for ordering too much food, regardless of price....
soup:
hot & sour soup - I judge Shanghai food places by their 1) xiao long bao, and 2) hot & sour soup. I really don't like it when places mess up the spicy:sour ratio for this soup! Overly sour hot&sour soup does not taste good. Thankfully, this place does it really nicely, and we were able to enjoy the whole large bowl. I recommend Nintu, though, for their soup ;)
Snacks:
xiao long bao - bite-sized goodness. I appreciate the fact that we each get our own dipping sauce. I still think, though, that The Place is still my favorite place to go for these dumplings.
steamed kimchi & pork dumplings - my two friends didn't like these as much, saying that the kimchi "ruined the taste"... For what I expected, it was pretty good.
marinated beef w/ soy sauce wrapped in pancake - standard. You could get these at almost any bubble tea place that serves food.
Side dishes:
stewed duck leg in brown sauce - literally one duck leg. A bit too salty; normally I wouldn't eat this without rice/noodles though
cold tofu noodles - lol can't say much about this one... the sauce tasted good.
cold jelly fish - these didn't come in the long thin strands that I'm used to, but rather in square sheets. Cucumbers bedded the dish, and the whole dish tasted salty, with a hint of a wine. I think it would be better if it had some heat from chili peppers or something.
deep fried tofu pudding in garlic sauce - yum~ I liked this one a lot. When first served, the skin is crispy, so don't leave it swimming in the sauce for too long, unless you like it soggy.
Chinese spinach with bean curd - one friend randomly decides to be "healthy" and ordered this... it tasted really bland.
entrees:
cashew nut chicken - dish with chicken, cashews, and celery. Nothing much to say about this one either.
rice/noodles:
fried rice w/ scallop & egg white - portioned so that each person were able to have two bowls (at least). It was not clumpy (who likes clumpy fried rice?), and not too moist (aka swimming in oil), so I believe this dish is a winner!
My crazy friends decided that all THAT wasn't enough, so we even ordered a dessert bun - steamed sesame buns (3 small ones). It came out last, and piping hot. Delicious, and almost as good as my mom's homemade sesame paste.
Even though we ordered so much food, the servers timed it so that our table wasn't overwhelmed at any time (think AYCE sushi horrors), and saved the dessert for last. And if you look at the pictures on the menus, the dishes actually look like them. Mind is blown. Good place (: Will definitely come back to try the other dishes. -
Review from Carol L.
1/5/2012 7 photos
I enjoyed this spot, and I had a hard time picking 3 or 4 stars. The atmosphere is nice, clean, and pleasant! The xiao long bao here were soooo delicious, and it is only because of them that I give Dinesty a higher rating. However, the rest of the appetizers and small plates we got were just okay, hence the difficulty. We had some noodles, the pig ears, the cold fried fish, tofu wrapped mushrooms, and black sesame bao. They were all mediocre, except for the sesame bao, which came out fresh and piping hot.
I still recommend this place if you are a XLB fan! Piping hot, juicy, and tender, moist meat. I would come back here just to fill up on several orders of these. ;) And the black sesame bao for dessert.
And just to make your mouth water: http://s3-media2.ak.ye...Listed in: Vancouver Eats
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Review from Elizabeth T.
2/20/2012
Very good and authentic Taiwanese cuisine --- at least for the breakfast-y items I got! I came here after seeing some recommendations on a Taiwanese forum.
Even though it's not on the menu, you can ask for plain hot soy milk that comes in a bowl. No sugar added (but you can have it on the side if you like it sweet), nothing. It was very fresh and good, the best I've had in a while! And the dumplings (Xiao Lung Bao) everyone raved about was true to its reputation. My bf thinks the dumplings themselves are the same top quality as Din Tai Fung's, but it's the sauce that makes it better -- their sauce seems to have a slightly higher vinegar to soy sauce ratio.
I'm eager to come back to try their lunch/dinner entrees. It was definitely worth driving all the way up from Seattle for! -
Review from Sam H.
11/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
XIAO LONG BAO. XIAO LONG BAO.
I really like saying that. In all seriousness though, they do have very good xiao long bao. It is served just the way it should be. Piping hot, juicy, and tender, moist meat. Everything I have tried on the menu has been good. The garlic eggplant, the tofu and spinach, the kao fu (marinated tofu), radish cakes, peanut noodles... everything is really good. I don't think you can go wrong.
CASH ONLY.
They only take reservations for big parties, so expect to wait at least 20-30 minutes. Be careful in the parking lot! -
Review from Larry C.
1/28/2012
Having had the chance to sample some of the best XLB from Din Tai Fung and most of Dim sum alley in the San Gabriel Valley to Yank Sing and Shanghai Dumpling King in San Francisco to the cramped steamy shops on Mott St. in New York City, I can tell you that Dinesty's little pillows of rich, brothy (I know it's not a word!!!) goodness compare quite favorably with the best Xiao Long Bao on the continent.
Our group really enjoyed the ability to observe the almost artisanal preparation of the dumplings behind the glass partition.
Generally speaking, Har Gow is the staple by which most dim sum eateries are defined. Bad Har Gow usually means bad restaurant. Relax. The crystal shrimp dumplings here were quite nice as well, with a pleasant thickness to the skin and a solid preservation of the sweetness of the crustaceans.
I can safely say, despite the brusque service (which costs them a star), that Dinesty is your best bet for top-shelf dim sum in Vancouver. -
Review from Edward L.
One of the few places that had an opening for New Years Eve. They actually had more room, but not at the large tables.
Something funny worth mentioning - they have Visa and MC stickers on the door.. and a Cash Only sign on the next piece of glass. My friends and I joked that maybe their "Yelp Loves us" sticker was fake too.
Everyone already knows how good this place is, so I'll just talk about new things I tried here.
Meat Jello - kinda interesting. It reminded me a bit of Spam (in terms of consistency), but it tastes nothing like it.
Pineapple shrimp - giant prawns. Anything with mayonnaise is always super tasty.
3 spice chicken - giant pieces of ginger that need to be picked out. Sizzling hot.
Shanghai rice cake - quite unique. Most places serve the rice cakes in slices, but this place does them in "rolls".
Chicken roll with asparagus - this was crazy good. Not sure how they make this (debone + replace bone with asparagus?) Looked so nice and packed.Listed in: 2011 Ed's Picks
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/28/2011
One of the better Shanghai-style restaurants in Richmond, and decently priced.
Parking is good,… Read more »
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Review from Houng T.
Sunset, Vancouver, BC
3/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
Growing up in Vancouver I've had my share of Chinese food. Dinesty is a great alternative to the usual Cantonese style. The place is clean and contemporary and the service is good by Chinese standards. I would recommend making reservations if you are planning to go because it can be very busy on any night. The xiao long bao is a must, my favorite is the shredded pork wrapped (get extra wraps), and the tea smoked duck.
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Review from Betty T.
11/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
This restaurant is a great place for lunch because it has all kinds of shanghainese dumplings. The xiao long bao are very delicate... thin skin that doesn't break apart so the juice stays inside! I love the crab roe XLB... very generous with the crab.. unlike many other Shanghai restaurants.
As for other non-dumpling dishes, they were mediocre. Nothing gross, but nothing spectacular either.
Reasonably priced. Around $70 for 4 people...! Satisfying! -
Review from Henry B.
Vancouver, BC
I love dining at Dinesty, pun intended. I'm already contemplating what I'll be ordering on my next visit which indicates that this restaurant is a keeper. It's a busy place, so make reservations.
The owners are Taiwanese and the food is mix of Shanghainese and Taiwanese. We had a party of four and we went a little overboard and ended up ordering 10 dishes.
The highlights were their dumplings especially the xiaolongbao, shaomai, and pan fried pork dumplings. The xlb's are based on the Taiwanese Din Tai Fung which are smaller then the Shanghainese type. My favorite dish was the stinky tofu which was not stinky at all. Well, basically it's fermented tofu but the Dinesty's version doesn't have the strong odour. The shredded pork with hoisin sauce eaten with pancakes was a different take on the traditional Peking duck course.
One can be a little overwhelmed by so many choices from the menu. At least they have pictures of most of the dishes. My mouth is watering just reviewing their menu.
Highlight of the night, ten dishes cost less then $70. Great value! You better believe that I'll be dining at Dinesty again. The Chinese name of the restaurant actually means "to get together" which has no connection to the word "Dinesty". The owners must had a brainstorming night to get that eureka moment for choosing their restaurant name. -
Review from Nick C.
7/14/2011
Was it the best xiao long bao I've had? No. But was it still damn good? Yes!
We ordered 3 dishes: xiao long bao, beef and green onions (I don't remember the name but it had a lot of green onions) and dried scallop, egg white fried rice.
The XLB's had a good broth, not too salty or too thick. However, what I didn't like about their XLB's was that the wrap was too thin. Because it was so thin, it didn't give the right chew that would have so nicely complemented the tender and moist meatball inside.
The beef and lots of green onion dish was probably the worst of the three. It's a soy sauce based dish that is highlighted by the contrasting texture of the meat and the smooth and slippery green onion. They had everything right except for the fact it had too much soy sauce and thus too salty. Also the presentation was lacking because of this as well. The green onions had become too dark. A little less soy sauce would have gone a long way for this dish.
The fried rice was good. It was definitely the least flavorful of all the dishes, which is what this type of fried rice aims for. The gailan stems and egg white definitely made this dish feel like a lighter entree. The problem I had with this dish was that they were a little stingy with the dried scallop. I couldn't taste much of the dried scallop and a little more would have given a better flavor to the dish. This is a simple dish but easy to mess up. I thought they did a swell job.
Overall, Dinesty is a good restaurant. It's clean, decorated, tasty, cheap, and has a nice staff. It may seem like every dish in this review had something wrong with it but they are all pretty much just small fixes. -
Review from Stephen Y.
Richmond, BC
6/21/2011 5 Check-ins Here
This popular Taiwanese/Shanghainese restaurant located in central Richmond is always packed, so make a reso if you want to be seated.
My recommendations here are the Xiao Long Bao (Pork dumplings with broth), drunken chicken (cold and delicious appetizer, steamed fish dumplings (the fish is quite delectable), the BBQ duck with steamed buns, and the hot and sour soup. Order some spicy beans or garlic pea shoots to get your fill of vegetables.
Finish it off with the fried red bean cake and you'll be full and content! -
Review from Rachael T.
Toronto, ON
Updated - 6/20/2011
The second time I came here was not quite like the first - for one - the XLB were A LOT smaller than I remembered, so it wasn't really soupy at all.
I don't know which of the people at my table took my crab XLB so I never got to try it, although some said it was really good, and others thought there wasn't much of a difference between the pork.
We got lots of little dishes to share, including several orders of the steamed and fried plain bun with condensed milk. To me - those are staples and if they couldn't make those right - they shouldn't be opening a restaurant.
I was surprised that the second time around, the exterior of the beef roll was rather tough and thick, and not consistent with the delicious first one I had at my last visit. I really wanted to try the duck... and they were out of it (with man-tou).... MAJOR boo-urns to that!
What seemed to be the oh-so-popular vegetable dish with the paper thin like material was a little bland, the texture a little odd, and definitely not what I had expected. The bean curd dish was also overly thick, too much sauce, although a very good portion. The fried rice was really minimal in its toppings, and I felt a little ripped off, while the noodles were okay.
I remember having the wine-chicken.. it was not bad, not great either.
For the amount of dishes we ordered - it only came to $13 / head, for approx 8 people, which I think is absolutely a great deal. Their menu is great, with photos of everything, so you're to blame if you don't like it.
Maybe it was just an off day of ordering, although the restaurant was super busy and it was pretty difficult to get someone's attention for anything.
Don't get me wrong - this place I still think is a great place... just an off day, I hope.
P.S. Make reservations... or you'll be waitinggggg.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/19/2011
Party at the dining table!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
3 girls + Skytrain to Richmond + Reservations + Lots of… Read more »
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Review from Lisa T.
11/23/2011 2 photos
my first time here. it was wonder wrapped in bowls of goodness.
i shared the steamed pork soup dumplings, the beef noodle in soup (which came with panfried pork dumplings = $7.50!!), the sticky rice, the spicy pork ears, and the shanghai seafood fried noodles.
they had an open concept kitchen, where you could see the kitchen staff work. during the wed lunchtime rush, there were ten people in the kitchen, which is separated into the steamed area and the fried area. there were also about six waitresses floating around the restaurant, which meant it was quite easy to flag a person down. the food came pretty quickly as well. the place was really clean, a plus for chinese restaurants.
will definitely come back for more! -
Review from Suie C.
8/9/2011 10 photos
Pretty darn good.
There was a line outside even before they opened at 11am on a Sunday, but we were able to get a table for 7 without much of wait.
We ordered xiao long bao, beef rolls, stinky tofu, tendon, drunk chicken, leek pancakes, and stir fried radish cake.
Xlb were good, the wrapping was thin and there was soup in each one. The stinky tofu wasn't so stinky and the sauce was the only flavoring.
Drunk chick was well made and very tender.
Leek pancakes were decent.
Radish cake was tasty.
Beef rolls were probably my favorite.
Beef tendon/tripe were stewed well and soft.
The bill was totally reasonable, about $85 and everyone was stuffed. -
Review from Theresa C.
12/29/2011
Food that almost makes me want to give up US citizenship and become Canadian! Similar concept to Ding Tai Fung...but so many times better (at least compared to the one in Bellevue, WA). First good sign, people of Asian descent making the xiao long bao, visible through the open kitchen! Second, the establishment actually has nice modern decor and not random Chinese furniture/decorations. Third, I'm illiterate when it comes to Chinese....the picture menu is really pretty =)......it makes you literally want to order all the dishes!
The food was perfect for the rainy day weather that greeted us in BC. Xiao long bao wrappers were not too thick, but not so thin it breaks....the juices must stay in the dumplings for the full experience. We discussed amongst ourselves what the best technique for consuming the hot and juicy dumplings....some favor placing the whole dumpling in the mouth but that can leave major tongue/mouth burning damage that can ruin the rest of the meal. I prefer biting a small portion of the top of the wrapper, followed by sucking the juices out and then consuming the dumpling....but to each their own. We tried both the pork and crab xiao long bao and both were tasty, but the soup inside the crab xiao long bao had the perfect balance of saltiness with a hint of sweetness. Next up, the beef wrap/roll....the flour pancake cooked to a nice crisp with tender marinated beef, definitely another winner. Beef noodle soup with melt in your mouth tendon pieces and al dente noodles, just the way I like it. Only dish that left me a little disappointed was the dan dan noodles (spicy sesame noodles), just a little too watery for the sauce and the noodles were thin, I tend to like both the sauce and noodles a little thicker. We also tried the pan fried pork xiao long bao, but my recommendation would be to stick to the steamed version.
Overall, amazing food (from a deprived US citizen) and great service (rare for most Chinese establishments). After this meal, the only thing better...would be to cap the meal off with shaved ice at Frappe Bliss over in the Aberdeen Center food court! -
Review from Stevie C.
12/12/2011
The Vancouver version of Ding Tai Fong in Taiwan. Taiwan/Shanghai style food. This is probably my favorite Chinese restaurant in Vancouver. The menu is very broad and everything looks great. Service is great. You can see the chefs cooking a storm through a huge window. Taiwanese waitresses say hello and tell you what the dish is. You can order a typical taiwanese breakfast with the fried chinese doughnut in a sandwich. Green onion pancake , shanghai style noodles are really good, xiao long bao, rice ovalettes with vegetables.
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Review from N-P H.
6/19/2011
The food was great. We had XLB's, chow mein, and the salt & pepper fish. Matter of fact, the food was awesome..comparable to Dinh Tai Fung.
Why only 3 stars you ask? We were there towards closing, so we watched them close down the restaurant, while the cooks in the back prepared food for the staff. Clearly the chef was experimenting with a new dish, as I saw, not once, not twice, but three times, he used the same cooking utensil to taste his dish as he did to gather more seasonings. This means that the seasonings that he had on the counter (which I doubt they throw out) has been contaminated with his saliva.
Not sure I'd go back now. My experience was ruined.
Regarding the service, it was fair to poor. I cough that up to coming in late at night tho. -
Review from Yumi K.
Richmond, BC
5/13/2011 6 photos
My friend recommended me the place, she just NEEDED to go here...
I really dont know what she was talking about..
its not CRAZY good like what she describes... meh...
thats all. -
Review from Giselle K.
11/29/2011
This place is a must go! I loved their dishes specially their Xiao Long Pao... The skin was super thin, very yummy.... But their pork filling was just normal, nothing out of the ordinary. I like this place is modern, clean, and very kind service. Will be back!
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Review from Jordan K.
Vancouver, BC
5/16/2011
This is prob one of the best Southern Chinese food I have ever had in big Vancouver area so far!!
Typical Chinese atmosphere and decoration. I especially like the wall with various style of Chinese tea pots.
The best part is the foods! if you are a fan of non-spicy and light taste eater, then this is the perfect choice! (I personally like more spicy and heavy taste food, which is also part of why I only give 4)
So ya! Get to give a try! it is also a great suit for many people (a group of friend or something^^), the more people the better the price too! (we had 8 people last time, and we only pay for 14 bucks each)
Just a little negative comment, the food could be a little bit more salty, and rich in flavor~ (but this is southern Chinese food, what do I expect.. XD)
oh oh!! BTW, please do reserve, it is really famous among the Chinese people!! ^^ -
Review from Marc D.
Vancouver, BC
10/8/2009
* Aiyah! Put some clothing on! *
Amusing observation - some random customer was trying to take off his fleece jacket over his head and took off all of his layers - fleece, sweater, shirt, and undershirt. (I'm not sure why you would need 4 layers today - it isn't that cold?!?!?!) In any case, he didn't realize that his entire back was exposed and there were a lot of "Aiyahs!" and tongue clicking from around the restaurant until he realized it.
Got to sample 3 dishes:
- Xiao Long Bao - These were really nicely done. They had a very thin skin, good pork flavour, and a nice juicy soup. I would put them among the better ones in the Vancouver area.
- Beef tendon. This was a generous portion of the softer type of tendon in a very flavourful sauce composed of chili oil, green onions, and seasoning. Very nice job on this dish.
- Green onion pancake. This was a bit thicker and much less flaky than I like. It was so thick that the dough was undercooked in the centre. Overall this was my least favourite of the three dishes.Listed in: Vancouver Chinese Food, Vancouver Dumplings
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Review from Vernus C.
Vancouver, BC
2/15/2012
So me and my friend arrived at 2:30pm the door was open and so we walked in. Standing by the reception counter a waitress came and said with a condescending tone"oh! We are closed, can you not see the sign that we posted on the door?! It says closed, its displayed very clearly look right there!" The first thought that came ro my mind was WHAT A B****!!! As good as the food is, if thats the service that I get, as a paying customer then NO THANKS!
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Review from Kayla S.
Vancouver, BC
4/11/2011
1 Star deduction on service.
1 Star on extreme saltiness (inconsistency).
My main complaint is the amount of MSG they have. No one can surpass Dinesty's MSG usage. Everyone loves "flavourful" food. But Dinesty is beyond flavourful... you become really dehyrdated and stop eating. I think this is why there are always "leftover" food.
If you eat here, you have to try Shanghai-style dumplings, beef wrap pancake, and duck with buns, bread with condensed milk (not the steam one), sticky rice noodle with veggie and pork. This is what they are famous for. -
Review from Vincci L.
Richmond is full of these Shanghai-nese restaurants, and I must say, this is one of the better ones. This place is always busy, so expect a line up.
Modern decor, with black and white accents, and a semi-open kitchen. You can watch the people making the XLB's and cooking your food.
Menu is typical of the Shanghai dishes-many appetizer sized dishes, of meat and veggies. This place has more choices than usual. I especially like the garlic minced pork.
Tried the 'Boiling Fish' dish. Large pieces of fish, cooked in a broth of garlic and chili peppers. Also has 'siu choy' (Chinese cabbage) cooked together. Flavourful, and the right amount of spiciness.
Also got a beef noodle, and on Wednesdays, you order a beef noodles, you can get the pan fried dumplings for free. Apparently they have specials from Monday-Friday. Must come to check it out on other days.
The "Shanghai fried noodles" were not too oily, and a good portion for the price it charged. Not too salty, just the right amount of meat.
A last minute decision allowed us to try the "Stinky Tofu.." For those who hasn't tried this, it's doesn't really taste like it smells. For a fact, the stinkier it is, the better it tastes! Stinky tofu here is one of the best. A large dish of about 15 pieces, perfectly crisped on the outside, and soft on the inside. The sauce is well balanced, with a balance of garlic and vinegar. Try it!
Service is good for a Chinese restaurant. Tea is consistently filled. The waitresses are not the best in English, so speak slowly. -
Review from Tialen K.
3/3/2011
Great all around food. 4 stars because they are lazy though. We got there at 9:50 and were turned away because they were closed.. (weren't supposed to close until 10.. and isn't that supposed to be when they stop seating people?? hell it was Friday Night!)
Anyway, went back Saturday for lunch, had various Dim Sum dishes including the XLB's (Xiao Long Bao) and everything we had was very very good. Will be back for sure.. the XLB's are better accross the street at Top Shanghai, but the rest of the food we had at Dinesty was much better than what we had at Top. -
Review from Steve K.
Richmond, BC
6/10/2010
I agree with all the reviews here - the best Taiwanese restaurant in Richmond - bar non!
The best part of dining here is to check out the cooks frantically chopping, cooking, and cleaning as they rush out the orders.
Behind the glass barriers you can see a lot of good stuff going on.
From steaming the home made buns to woking up jumbo shrimp fried rice and preparing all the great food there. It's casual and modern affordable fast food dining at its best. Good service as all the waitresses are very attentive. The portions are great as for the price of the food - no one can argue about that. Seafood, pork, chicken, and beef done the Taiwanese way - consistent and spiced up right.
Don't forget the melon tapioca coconut concoction for dessert -- mmmm! -
Review from Larry L.
Updated - 4/2/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Haven't been here in awhile and "Hey! Lets try something other than those darned Hot Pot Places for once eh????"
Sure, lets go and meet up at Dinesty.
When I arrive, and friends are all seated, we start to order the food.
It seems that my comment about how cute the server was, was heard loud and clear...ummmmmmm ooooppppsss.. "Did I say that?"
Could I be more Erkle?
Next thing I knew, we had another server. Oh well, the food was good and the place busy with background chatter. Conversation was at an elevated decibel tonight!
So. OK Here it goes!
Food! This is what we had:
-Dried shrimp fried rice - good
-Shanghai dumplings - gooder
-Steamed fish dumplings - simple, and even more gooder.
-Fish and black fungus in wine sauce - Very good! just need more black fungus. Hey, it's cheap, add more please???
-Szechuan beans - yup nicely tastily gooood. (but still looking for something not too oily).
-Drunken Chicken - My fave dish here cause it's boneless and I haven't gotten drunk on it yet. Yes! No hangover! neat, and yes. good good good!
I was with the pleasant company of my brother Jay L, Joanne L and her +1 and Driver X with a goatee.
I'm waiting for my table mates to write about thier dining experience here. I wonder if they had the same inspiration to write and if the sensations to their taste buds met approval to their pallet?
Stay tuned?
Another Bat channel,
Another Bat time. da da da da da da da da BAT Man!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/17/2010
I come here often enough to know what I like here and as a result keep coming back for more.
… Read more »
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Review from Vanessa A.
12/21/2009
Xiao Long Bao here is excellent. Almost as good as the famous Din Tai Fung in Arcadia, California (yes I travel far and wide for good food).
I first came here shortly after the place opened and came here again last month. Food is still awesome and now everyone knows about it, so the parking lot gets full really fast and so does the restaurant. So if you come on the weekend, be prepared for a short wait, or call ahead to reserve a table.
Oh and order lots and lots of dumplings. They are really excellent. -
Review from Joanne L.
Richmond, BC
4/7/2010
This place is usually pretty packed, and that night was no different. I've been here a few times and the food was always consistent. We order the usual steamed pork dumplings, rice dish, drunken chicken, etc... Although it's not the best Shanghai type food, it's still decent for a Taiwanese (really?) restaurant.
The company was great though, Larry L and his gang made the night so fun!
For authentic Shanghai food, there are better ones out there :) -
Review from Billy C.
Richmond, BC
10/3/2010 5 Check-ins Here
Simply the best XLB in Richmond. Soft, thin skin, nice and juicy, and the pork is perfect texture. The size of each one is also perfect size too.... Sits perfectly in ur spoon and bite-sized.
The service is very attentive and the rest of the menu is delicious too. Don't forget to try the veggies with condensed milk (yes it sounds weird but you will like it!) or the onion pancakes which are a perfect crispy texture.
I've tried all the competition in Richmond and this one is consistently the best in terms of taste, quality and price. -
Review from Colene C.
6/7/2010
I don't normally eat in Richmond but ventured to Dinesty for a friend's birthday dinner. It's really close to the Lansdowne Canada Line stop which was handy since I was on foot that evening.
The decor was sleek and modern with an open view to the kitchen so you can see them making the food. I hadn't ever been here before so I took a peek at other tables to see what people had. I saw tons of bamboo baskets and xiao long bao. That looked like a good bet and yummmm, it was!
There were a ton of items under the "snacks" section that I wanted (dumplings, chive pancake, etc), but felt like I should have a proper entree. I ordered the panfried housemade noodles with seafood and meat which was a good pick. The noodles were thick and toothsome and there was a good mix of prawns, squid and pork.
I would give this restaurant a higher rating if the service was a bit better. They seemed really popular so perhaps they are just victim to their success but it took forever to flag them down to order and then it was difficult to pay to leave. -
Review from Nina H.
1/18/2010
ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!! OM NOM NOM!!!
Definitely comparable to the almighty Taiwanese restaurant Din Tai Fung. I came with three other friends after reading rave reviews about this place and man, I was so satisfied.
Since I was the only Taiwanese/Chinese, I ordered everything for our group. We got the xiao long bao, Chinese broccoli beef, beef noodle soup, beef onion pancake, spicy dumplings (hong you tsao shou), shrimp fried rice and I believe that was it. Everything was very very good and satisfying.
The restaurant itself was very pretty and the wait for lunch was so short! It felt like most of the servers were Taiwanese judging from their accent. Woohoo, it felt like home. I wish Seattle had such amazing Asian food, but it does make the two hour drive really worth every bite in Richmond. I want to come back as soon as possible.Listed in: Vancouver BC Eats
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Review from Gersham M.
Vancouver, BC
1/4/2010 1 Check-in Here
Very good Shanghai restaurant in Richmond. The decor has a modern flavour and like Vanessa's review below does indeed remind me of Din Tai Fung (Beijing) which I've been to many times.
The Xiao Long Bao has an excellent skin on it, just the right strength and thickness to prevent it from bursting accidentally but not too doughy. The filling is a high quality meat but lacks that extra bit of flavour that the experts at Din Tai Fung are able to add.
As a side note here, I really loved the presentation of the menu. In true Chinese style it had lots of pictures and an orderly grid layout of the dishes and prices.
The rest of the food followed a similar theme to the Xiao Long Bao. Carefully prepared with quality ingredients but lacking that little extra bit that would have propelled this to a 5 star.
I love their tagline on their menu and signage: "We handcraft food for your tastebuds". Awesome. My tastebuds do appreciate it!
I'll definitely be retuning here.
