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Jade Fountain Restaurant
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch, Brunch
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
7 reviews for Jade Fountain Restaurant
7 reviews in English
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Review from Ben C.
Victoria, BC
4/14/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Jade Fountain is hands down the best dim sum in the Victoria area. I've lived in Victoria for 6 years so I didn't get a chance to experience some of the restaurants that existed prior, but currently this if my favorite.
I've never seen any issues with the service or "discrimination" that others have complained about, and if you show up on a Sunday around noon the place will always be packed and have a line waiting out the door, so it doesn't seem to be bothering anybody else either.
Although getting a seat can sometimes take 15-20 minutes (but then again any good restaurant will have similar times), once you're seated the carts are moving around continuously, and you're able to order additional dishes from the kitchen if you'd like, which are always quick to come out and very well prepared. There's a large variety of dim sum dishes available each day, and on weekends they pull out all the stops with specials.
For anybody who thinks they don't care about the service, note that the manager is there in the mornings for dim sum, and at night, 7 days a week. On the weekends the owner himself carries around trays of food to tables, it's very obvious that everybody working there cares a lot about the service and I've never been disappointed while dining there.
One last tip...this place is popular, do NOT think that you can call for a reservation and have a table simply waiting for you to show up. If you do want a reservation try showing up earlier than you asked for, and you'll be the next to get a table. But they won't hold tables if people are waiting to be seated, nor should anybody expect them to. -
Review from christine c.
Victoria, BC
2/7/2011
So the dim sum is fantastic and they offer dishes, like prawn spring rolls, that I can't get at my regular haunt (Golden City).
In regards to racial discrimination, I also once felt that this was a problem. However, after becoming somewhat of a regular, I've learned that either this issue has dispersed or it didn't exist to begin with. In the beginning I definitely got that vibe, but after becoming familiar faces at Jade, I think they just pay special care to regulars. And now that we're regulars we also feel welcome. I think the issue is more to do with newbies not whities. That's my rant about that.
Back to the point of the whole reviewing business, the food is glorious and the service is fun and sometimes funny. There is almost always a bit of a wait and they are basically below ground in a windowless dungeon. I definitely had to fight the claustrophobia on my first visit. I don't think there's even cell reception. Creepy. -
Review from Bertram C.
Victoria, BC
7/6/2011
Having lived in Hong Kong and having a bit of an idea as to what a good Dim Sum can be I to have say we were really surprised.
This Dum Sum was as good or better than what we had in Hong Kong.
We went with a group of former Hong Kongers and we all agreed:
The best Dim Sum in Victoria.
We have been over 40 times yes forty and have never been disappointed. -
Review from Laura A.
Winnipeg, MB
8/2/2010
Yum Yum Yum, my hankering for Dim Sum was definitely satisfied by our visit to Jade Fountain.
So why a three star review?
SERVICE...they have a tremendous opportunity here, although, based on the volume of business, I don't imagine there's much need to do anything but maintain the status quo. This is one of those situations where one may be inclined to overlook certain service issues because the food is that good.
As this was our first visit, we really weren't prepared to be discriminated against for not being Asian... the Host attempted to seat Asian patrons ahead of us twice, but other people stepped in on our behalf to stop him from doing so...and, we had to get our own water and track down carts that would have otherwise not come our way.
Our efforts were rewarding by hot and wonderful food, but the overall experience was a little frustrating. Now that we know better, we will be able to affect our experience here the next time we go, as the food will indeed bring us back.
So, Jade Fountain, you can do better, but we don't expect you will :) We do however Thank you for the great food, it was by far some of the best Dim Sum we've had.
PJ xo -
Review from J L.
Victoria, BC
3/17/2011
Being a dim sum aficionado, i was very concerned when i moved back to Victoria and found out Kwong Tung had changed hands. I naturally gave it a try and it was nothing like I remembered. Then last year my GF and I bought a house not too far from the Jade Fountain. Now, I've been to the Fountain on Blanshard and Hillside a few times over the years and was never blown out of the water or anything and I knew it was the same owners. Shiza Minelli! Jade Fountain is HANDS DOWN the best dim sum I've ever had! I'm not some qwilo who sums up dim with sticky rice, har gao and shu mai. I'm half Chinese which means I got the best of both worlds growing up and this little hidden gem in the basement of a strip bar can define your Victoria dim sum experience. Service is fast as you would hope with dim sum as it's all a la carte. As far as the race card goes, non existent. It's a busy place and they love their regulars... (who in hospitality doesn't? They're the bread and butter of your business!) I saw Asians, half Asians (me), gwilos ( including my gf) and even a Black guy (there's like 9 in Victoria). All getting great service and thoroughly enjoying themselves and their food. If there's discrimination there I haven't seen it, and being in the hospitality business I can tell you the gwilo servers downtown who feel entitled to 30% because you chose their boss' restaurant are far more discriminative towards Asians than Asians are to you.
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Review from Erik H.
Victoria, BC
9/16/2010
Excellent dim sum, affordable and hot. As per normal dim sum is very busy and you need to be part of the action. If you don't look like you are interested in food they won't bother you. But if you are active in stoping the carts there is no service problem. Got our water and tea refilled a bunch of times. Salt and pepper squid were great! If you missed a dish you can ask a server to find it nicely. We had about 3 people looking for egg custards that I missed. Service is there but you won't be waited on hand and foot. Would return!
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Review from Sho G.
6/5/2009
We went into this place and it had a decent amount of people inside eating delicious looking food. We were seated and given menus but then were forgotten. We walked out after about 10-15 minutes. There were only a few (2-3) people tending to the entire place so it looked very understaffed. We saw people wait quite a while to get their food and drinks so we just left to avoid the hassle. The wait staff was avoiding all eye contact because they were so busy running back and forth. Maybe we just came at a bad time? I don't like eating at places with bad service no matter how good the food is though.
