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Long's Noodle House
Category: Restaurants Chinese Chinese [Edit]
4853 Main StVancouver, BC V5V 3R9
Neighbourhood: Riley Park
(604) 879-7879
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
39 reviews for Long's Noodle House
Review Highlights
-
"Steamed mini pork buns (Xiu Long Bao." In 3 reviews -
"...the hot and sour soup, pea shoots, and the drunken chicken." In 7 reviews -
"And garlic pea shoots." In 1 review
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39 reviews in English
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Review from Marcie C.
2/20/2012
Holy Juicy Dumplings! I have never been so happy to taste something so yummy! I have been a fan of juicy dumplings (XLB) since I first tried them at Shanghai River. There's have gone downhill, so after much tasting around the country, my new favorite has been Din Tai Fung in Bellevue. Move over Din Tai Fung, I have a NEW favorite! The dumplings are plump and completely filled with the delicious soup. The 4 of us ordered 3 orders of them and were contemplating a 4th. We also had the pork fried rice, which was tasty, the green beans which were very yummy, the wine chicken (tasted like French Toast to me), and the beef rolls (which I didn't eat because they were filled with cilantro).
This restaurant is such a great value for the amount and quality of the food. We will be back very soon! -
Review from Johnson C.
Vancouver, BC
Since Wang's in Crystal Mall shut down and I rarely go out to Richmond, it's been a long time since my last xiao long bao (XLB) fix. So I organize my group dinner here and made reservations for 7PM and we got immediately seated - would recommend reservations here as the place is small and really busy.
Alright, not the most glamorous restaurant and it's a wee-bit run-down - but clean - and this is usually a good sign to me that they don't fuck around.
So, after some discussion, I was left to 'table captain' for the 5 of us and I ordered:
- tan tan noodles with meat sauce
- drunken chicken
- beef rolls
- green onion pancakes
- some other noodle soup that I forgot
- 3 x orders of XLB (6 / order)
The funny thing is that as I was rifling off the orders to boss lady (who is friendly as hell), stopped me and was a bit surprised I wasn't ordering XLB (I was, but I was listing it last). I said I wanted 3 orders and she made this knowing smirk, chuckled and then lightly wagged her finger at me. A reaction that pretty much said, "I know you're a fat glutton but you know what's good." Bonus points for that read and a bit of a soft chide.
Okay - most of the items are pretty solid. But you have to check out the beef rolls - excellent blend of flaky pastry, hoisin sauce, cilantro and beef. I should have ordered more as this went the fastest on the table. The tan tan noodles and drunken chicken are solid as well.
So - the star attraction - the XLB. First off, this dish will test your friendship and is an awesome social experiment. Put 18 XLBs in front of 5 people and you will quickly figure out who is polite and who is Machiavellian glutton. I'll give you one guess on which camp I am in.
In addition, chopstick skills. The XLB here is a bit on the smallish side but correct skin thickness but so you will have be deft with chopsticks. Even at a table of Chinese kids, a few XLBs were popped prematurely**. Do that in front of me and you not only drop 'cred' in my books, but I'll yell out "BUSTED CONDOM!".
Anyways - Long's has an excellent XLB - wrapped in-house, right skin thickness and a good balance of soup and meat. The only criticism is the soup was a tad saltier than I'm used to.
Cash only and we paid about $13 each and were sufficiently sated - but we were tempted to order more delicious XLB and beef rolls. So all in all - solid Shanghainese restaurant and a solid selection of all the staples Shanghai dishes.
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** For the benefit of all - here's how you eat XLB properly:
1) Lightly pick up the XLB by the crown with your chopsticks
2) Let the XLB sit in the vinegar bath for at least 30 seconds - allow it to steam and allow it to cool
3) Place the sauna-ed XLB onto a spoon
4) Now try to eat the entire thing off the spoon - ideally whole. If it leaks, the spoon will catch the soup.
That's how you eat XLB. Do not puncture the skin to let it vent/suck down like a crazy hooligan. Respect the XLB. Love the XLB. I've now taught you how to eat XLB -- one of the sacred 5 things that I thought I would only teach to my future (god)son along with (1) how to eat banh xeo properly, (2) how to shuffle playing cards properly (3) how to tell if you *really* like a girl and (4) how to quickly and accurately gauge if you can win a fight. That's the entire sum of knowledge I've collected in my life. -
Review from Norris A.
Vancouver, BC
5/12/2012
If there was any place that fit the definition of being a hole in the wall...this is definitely it. Truly a small restaurant that looks like family runned, hardcore community customers and last but not least..limited amount of seating in cramped quarters..to top it all off...one has to walk by the kitchen area to gain access into the washrooms...hardcore!
This shanghainese restaurant was a stop I hit up after some tennis with my coworkers. Service was great and food was amazing. Price point wise it was a tad on the pricier side compared to other places but the quality of food was worth it.
We ordered the usual drunken chicken appy, a noodle soup bowl, dumplings, the traditional shanghainese meatballs, cold soy milk...mainly a variety of dishes amongst the three of us. I was not disappointed at any of them and further more actually ended up not finishing all of the food even though it all seemed so tasty. Needless to say the portions were quite fair.
Only thing that keeps me from more frequent visits would be the wait and limited seating. -
Review from Christopher N. W.
Vancouver, BC
3/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
We waited about 10 minutes which was completely acceptable and were then seated at a large round table with a group of 4 who were just finishing up. I love communal tables but I had the sense we may not be making any new friends soon due to language barriers. This is perfect though. If I have learned anything, and I really haven't.. It's that the best places to eat when travelling are where the locals eat. Other writers, cooks and foodies echo it and I am far from the first but I won't be the last. Now, in this case travel involved the #3 bus for 15 minutes up Main but for all intents and purposes we were in Shanghai and as such the local Chinese were eating were the eating was good.
Tyrell and ML ordered given their experience.... First up: Tan Tan noodles...
If tan tan means "fucking delicious" than my Cantonese is natural. All kidding aside, Tan Tan, or Dan Dan noodles are a rad savory sesame chili extravaganza. Literally, the name translates as Peddler's noodles. And now you know. Long's noodles were tender and perfect and the sauce was rich and flavourful. A little cornstarch heavy but I'm pretty forgiving with Chinese dishes for that. So far. So freaking good....
Our next dishes arrive: Beef Roll and Green Onion Pancake...
The two arrived on the table at the same time. Crispy outer coating is nice compared to many of the doughy soft pancakes I have experienced. The inside is chewy and layered like soft pastry but the flavour... It' almost non-existent except for a bit of fatty lard flavour and a hint of the green onion I see. I dip mine in my left over Tan Tan noodle sauce. Better. But now it's just a Textural Flavour Delivery System, akin to a tortilla chip. Oh well.
The beef roll features a soft spongy crepe-like dough wraps up a mix of sliced beef, sweet hoisin sauce, chili and cilantro. Like everything good in the world of food, it's simple. The flavours don't compete and they don't overwhelm. The perfumey cilantro mixes with the fermented sweetness of the hoisin and the richness of the beef. The crepe thing is more a texture and succeeds much better than it's pancake predecessor in the deliverance of awesome. I tak another sip o Jasomine green tea (another point in favour of Longs. I love the Hell outta Jasmine Green... We inhale the beef rolls and eventuall Tyrell eats the final pancake wedge as he is our anchor. "NEXT!!!," I scream, startling the elderly and making a child cry... and next it was.
Pan fried pork dumplings.
These little guys were darn tasty, but they didn't shine like the sun. They had a taste similar to that of frozen dumplings and it's not that I think they are pre-making and freezing them. Maybe all dumplings taste like that all the time... but I don't think so. A nice chewy texture to the outer dought gave way to a mediocre wad of pork and cabbage and not enough seasoning. I could taste the cabbage which as bland as it is is never good if it's a predominant flavour. Also, they were so late bringing out spiced vinegar to the table we ate most of them without the divine 'lil condiment. I waited for my final bites and was rewarded as the vinegar made them so much better. The warmth and sourness of the black rice vinegar complimented the slightly sweet and fatty pork. Yum!
soup dumplings, aka: Holy-hell-this-is-one-of-the-best-things-I-have-pu t-in-my-mouth-this-year. An aspic of ground pork is placed into the dumpling dough before being steamed. (Aspic is any food - usually meat - set into gelatin.) Once steamed, the gelatin melts and the liquid "soup" is contained within the dumpling. You gently pick up the piping hot treats with chop sticks and place them onto a spoon, take a small bite and slurp out the hot salty broth which is rich and delicious. It has an amazing mouth-feel without being thick and then the ball of pork and green onion inside just works!
Drunken Chicken. I didn't like this. It's served in a delightful little pot which was the nicest plating of the whole meal. It's also served cold. I was warned of this previous to the dish arriving and it was by no means a deal breaker. I pulled a piece of the skin on chicken out of the pot and placed it in my mouth. A slight wine booziness and definite caramel flavours were the first thing I noticed. then the bones and cartilage as I bit down. Now, I don't mind bone-in meat and I love marrow. But it was an immediate turn off as i pulled the bits of bone from my mouth. I tried again but this time ate around the bone and the knobby bits. It was OK but the flavour wasn't doing it for me and the skin was slick and greasy. I let Tyrell and ML finish the rest. However, as we'd ordered even more beef roll as it arrived I dipped it in the Wine Broth and that was a totally different experience. The sweet wine and the sweet hoison played off each other and made nice on my palate.We paid our bill and stumbled back out onto Main street as the sun broke through the clouds and lit up the Sunday afternoon sidewalks. Recommended! -
Review from Peter W.
Vancouver, BC
5/19/2012
walked by last week, so gave it a try today. Disappointed by the greasy food, price, and services.
Greasy - yes I know XLB would be greasy but after reading good reviews got to try. Verdict juicy as mentioned; dough is even, thick and soft; pork filler portion was small. Taste good = 4 stars; mom was thirty afterward, I wonder the taste came from MSG ?
beef soup noodle, beef was soft with patches of chewy section - soup base got a sweet beefy taste to it (from concentrate or real broth?), but also with layer of oil floating.
beef roll = wrap was slightly oily but better than other places, lots of cilanto, enough hoisin sauce, but lacking slices of beef - yes section was 100% absent of beef.
the owner gave me the bill for 21.50 total, so placed $25 on the tray ..... she walked pass several times and was expecting me to walk ... finally came over and gave me the change. As usual, the service was not bad ... so my typical 15%; we were just next to the cash register, as we were leaving, not a "come back again" or "thank you" from her. Moment earlier she was chatting with her regulars.
for me this a good place to try, but not a going back. -
Review from Annie M.
Vancouver, BC
It's a small restaurant on Main St. between 32nd and 33rd with a great reputation for their Shanghai cuisine. This is really honest Shanghai home-style cooking at its best!
Of coz, don't expect excellent service at Long's, but, she is great and friendly.
The drunken chicken was a tasty starter and the XLBs were so juicy!!
Pan fried pork dumplings were fresh and fabulous.
Shanghai wonton in soup delicious too.
Green onion pancake was a bit dry.
Pan fried Shanghai style thick noodles was great.
Green beans was a bit greasy but taste good.
Dessert - pan fried red bean paste -
Review from Joyce VanFoodies L.
Vancouver, BC
2/9/2012
I've been to Long's many many times and not once was I disappointed. Favourite dishes include Beef Rolls, Wine Chicken, Xiao Long Bao, Crispy Rice with Salted Egg Sauce, Chicken Hot Pot with Wontons, Fried Red Bean Paste Pancake and Sticky Rice Ball in Rice Wine Soup.
The owner is there all the time and she basically runs the front of the house. She makes such an awesome host because she has very good memory. She takes order by heart, without a pen and notepad. And she remembers faces quite well so after a few visits she might already recognize you.
Because they make a lot of things from scratch, the dishes don't always look the same but then you'd get that cozy, homey feeling that reminds you of a home-cooked meal. It may seem under-staffed at times but you won't be disappointed. You will experience good service with some really delicious food. You would definitely want to go back again, soon.
Cash only. Not recommended for lengthy dinner. You'll feel bad hanging around when all other tables got turned-around like twice already.
Pictures and more details here: http://vanfoodies.com/... -
Review from Ellen L.
1/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
This is a complete dive, in a run-down looking part of Main. The whole restaurant can reasonably seat maybe 20 people. And it feels like they crammed in 30. I came in at 7:30pm and shared a table with two other parties, after some waiting of course. It's like teppanyaki, except we didn't talk to each other and there was no chef providing entertainment. So if you're hanxious (hungry+anxious), maybe not the best place for a quick bite.
Thanks to quick tips on the Yelp app, we immediately zeroed in on the popular items:
Wine Chicken (a.k.a. drunken chicken) - :( was disappointing. First bite was ok, but that was more like the novelty of this dish. It quickly wore off and I just tasted lukewarm chicken rubbed in a chemical concoction. Also too salty. I was so psyched about this "signature dish"!!! Grrrrrrrrr
Steamed Mini Pork Buns (a.k.a. XLB) - delicious! Reminds me of the ones I had at Shanghai River; it was ultra juicy throughout. Skin a tad too thick. The meat filling was really white though and not dense, which made me suspicious of a possible lower % of meat vs. the fillers. Anyways, they were still delicious and good value.
Fried Baby Dou Miu with Garlic Sauce (I think this is the Pea Shoots people are referring to) - there is a small size available for half the price (not listed on menu); perfect for sharing between 2 people. This was very refreshing and well-cooked. Like.
Beef Rolls - unusual because of the heavy cilantro flavour instead of green onion, which I still enjoyed. Otherwise alright. Just not as great as Peaceful's.
Spiced Beef Noodles Soup - excellent broth. But noodles are mushy (overcooked?). Overall satisfying.
The whole meal came to $35 after tax. With the exception of the drunken chicken, seasoning was not overdone. None of the dishes were overly oily. I left feeling pleasantly full. This place has potential and is clearly very popular, I definitely need to try more of their offerings.
CASH ONLY. -
Review from David R.
North Vancouver, BC
3/20/2012
Dumpy, dingy, noisy, messy with pushy, loud service - just like every great Asian diner restaurant I have ever visited. People talk about dumpy little out of the way places all the time, but most really aren't. They are either more upscale then you are lead to believe, or the lowbrow look is contrived. This is the real thing - it reminds me of so many places I ate at in Asia, but not just in look and feel - in food and price. We have been several times, most recently taking a couple who like to explore. We ate, ate and ate, filling ourselves with dumplings and everything else on the menu, and barely broke the $40 mark for the four of us. The owner/waitress is hilarious, loud, aggressive and indifferent, yet it all works and flows. We will definitely be back.
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Review from George H.
10/14/2011
Everyone needs to try this place at least once and I'm sure you'll get addicted.
Best thing on the menu is their Drunken Chicken. I've tried this dish at a variety of places but I've given up trying to find one better since I already know the best in the city. One time I ate only this dish... 3 orders with a bit of rice for carbs. lol
If the Drunken Chicken is #1 then their pork dumplings are #1A. They make some of the most difficult dumplings and in my mind they beat out Sun Sui Wah any day, especially because of the price point. They literally explode in your mouth so make sure you let it sit for a while before popping it into your mouth.
Finally, if you still have room after these dishes, I'd suggest getting a soup with fresh home made noodles and a spicy broth.
You may have to wait a bit but it's worth every second. Go hungry! -
Review from Adam K.
Vancouver, BC
11/23/2011
I'm giving this place 4 stars.
Came here after a long hike. I think it opens at 5:30 but they let us sit down at 5:00 and me and my friend sat there watching the lady make XLB!!
We ordered XLB, the chinese wine chicken ghing and a yeung chao fried rice
XLB - I will say this is the 2nd best in Vancouver. The best place is the place in Crystal Mall (but im open to suggestions). The skin is very thin, it comes burning hot, and they put a LOT of soup inside. It has a nice fatty / porky taste which I like.
Chicken with Wine - I liked the chicken but based on all the hype on yelp, i thought it would be better. It was a 4/5 but i was expecting 5/5 but all the hype let me down a little. Min 1 star as I've had much more tender chicken with this dish before.
Yeung Chao Fried Rice - this was so so. What you would expect. Nothing to complain but didn't really knock it out of the park. I guess this is more of a non-shanghai type dish but nevertheless, i would probably not order this again.
Overall, I really like this place and will definitely come back! -
Review from Billy L.
Port Coquitlam, BC
Updated - 11/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Recent visits to this place have notched it down to a meh. Rice cakes were pretty bland, XLB was not soupy enough, and the sticky rice rolls were really sweet(sugary sweet?).
Not sure what's going on but we were definitely disappointed with our visit.Listed in: The best and worst Shanghai…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/13/2010
Hands down best shanghainese food in Vancouver. This includes xiu long baos, dam dam noodles, and… Read more »
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Review from Stephanie W.
Vancouver, BC
10/5/2011 2 Check-ins Here
A couple friends and I came without reservations and had to wait outside for 45 minutes. I have never felt so appreciated for waiting before! The server (owner?) checked on us repeatedly and kept updating us on the status of upcoming tables and who amongst the people standing outside already had reservations etc. I was already impressed with the courtesy here. After we were seated, we were impressed with how comfortable and confident the server was in making recommendations! The drunk chicken, xiao long baos, and pea tips are must haves! I love xiao long baos and these were some of the juiciest I've had! We also enjoyed the fried rice cakes (not the soy one) and the Dan Dan noodles with meat sauce.
Next time, I'm definitely getting my own order of the xiao long baos! (Almost went back three days later, too...) -
Review from Matthew P.
Vancouver, BC
3/7/2012 2 Check-ins Here
XLB, Green onion cake and pea shoots! Nuff said!
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Review from Timothy D.
7/19/2011
This dinky little sleeper hole produces some amazing dishes served by a friendly, but no nonsense, spitfire of a lady!!!
As most have mentioned, order the XLB. These steamy morsels are served ready to spurt its hot load of liquid goodness into the mouths of the unsuspecting patron. So take your time and swavel the dumpling.
The wine chicken was almost at every table... so take heed of what you see on other tables and run with it. The broth was deep and the chicken was soft and supple.
The crispy rice with salty egg yolk sauce dish textually and flavor profile was very interesting, yet addicting. I myself added a little hot chili, as I like my food a bit spicy; but without the hot chili... still very unique, rich and worthy to try.
The other dishes our party order were just as decent and tasty, but not as amazing.Listed in: Vancouver BC... so many…
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Review from Bandeets L.
Vancouver, BC
2/9/2012
Sandy is the hardest working girl out there! Besides the delicious drunken chicken, xiao long baos, beef rolls and chicken noodles in creamy broth, we love coming here just to watch sandy hustle. It is amazing how this woman multi tasks. My husband gets so impressed, he tells me he wants a second wife and hopes Sandy can fill those shoes!
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Review from Realtor Darius D.
Vancouver, BC
1/11/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Bring cash! They don't accept anything else. I ordered the shanghai noodles, which hit my table as fast as I ordered it! Initially the service was slow, but once the server knew I had cash....that all changed! Good food but the atmosphere is more of a "hole in the wall". Great for a quick lunch and not too heavy...
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Review from Russty N.
Vancouver, BC
1/2/2012
Went for lunch and had to wait 30 mins. But the steamed mini pork buns (Xiu Long Bao) are worth the wait. These dumplings are the juiciest! Be careful, or you could be wearing the juice like I did. As we were on a Xiu long bao mission, and had several orders to share, they brought out one steamer at a time, thus ensuring we would have hot steaming baos each round. The beef rolls are also very good, with lots of cilantro. We will definitely be back but will make reservations next time! Place is a small hole-in-the-wall, but turnover is pretty good.
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Review from Ly H.
4/25/2011
The English translation on the menu was a bit confusing for me.
We wanted xiao long bao, which all the Yelpers were raving about. Unfortunately, I did not realize that "steamed mini pork buns" were XLB. Usually xiao long bao gets translated as soup dumplings or Shanghai dumplings. Major fail on our part, really we should have taken the time to read through the Yelp reviews.
Instead we had the mini wonton soup and Shanghai pan fried thick noodles, which were both yummy.
Go with Masaki's review http://www.yelp.ca/biz.... Everyone around us basically ordered exactly what Masaki suggested and looked to be greatly enjoying themselves.
The place is very cramped, so come prepared to wait and share tables with random people. -
Review from Mark H.
Shanghainese winner.
My 1st attempt to come here failed as there was a line at the door. Not to repeat, this time we arrived right at 5:30pm.
The lady (probable owner) was super friendly and welcoming. It was like walking into her house.
We ordered the drunken chicken, seaweed in garlic sauce, XLB x 2! Everything was on par with the real Shanghainese deal. XLB was near perfect. Freshly wrapped, correct thickness and ideal soup:meat ratio.
I mentioned that I found her place from Yelp and she was touched that her rating is 4.5.
Tip: Be polite. Say Bu ke qi (Buh kuh chi) when she thanks you.
Solid find. Will be back.
Oh ya, it's CASH only.Listed in: Chinese Chowdown
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Review from Gina I.
I'm still new to the world of .. chinese cuisine.. I've spent many years not eating it because of one bad experience many years ago. However, the past year I've been trying different things and after so many mediocre experiences, Long's was not mediocre.
Tonight, hungry and ready to ravage something good after being sick and not eating for 4 days.. I was ready.
I knew what xiao long bao was, but I've never tried them before. So we did. And garlic pea shoots. And shanghai wonton soup, and drunken chicken and green onion pancake. I wanted it all!
As I bit into my first XLB, silly white girl that I am, used a chopstick and bit it in half.. It squirted all over my shirt and the table. The owner, chuckling a little bit, came over and said to me "Most people eat them with this spoon..", as to not say "HAHAHAHA YOU SILLY WOMAN!" It was endearing.
They were melt in your mouth good. And garlic pea shoots? I could have devoured just that and died happy.
In the end, I came out of there so full as if not having eaten for days. My eyes were definitely bigger than my stomach, but I think I found a place that I can say I truly like.
It was clean inside, the tables weren't gummed up with the past and the owner/waitress lady is just the best.. always smiling and answering our questions. I don't give 5 stars often, but. -
Review from Darcy D.
2/7/2011
I don't know anything about Chinese food or culture. I know when ingredients have been properly handled and cooked and I know the texture of properly constructed food. The dishes that I had at Long's Noodle House satisfied us on all counts.
Ordering from the English menu, first came "wine with chicken". This is a poached chicken thigh, sliced through the bone and crammed into a small decorative ceramic cup. The cup is topped up with a broth heavily seasoned with chinese cooking wine. The chef obviously has perfect timing and this is one of the finest poached chicken dishes that you will find anywhere.
Next came "steamed mini pork buns". This is the famous dumpling and the stock inside the perfectly formed dumpling has just enough gelatin to add richness without being greasy or dense.
"Bai cai" is sauteed with generous garlic and salt seasoning. Again, it's perfectly cooked keeping the fresh green quality, while being warm and al dente.
The "soup with mini-wontons" was dressed with greens and brown seaweed. The broth tasted-homemade unlike many obnoxiously salty broths in soup bowls across the city.
Finally, the "green onion pancake" is crisp, brown, simple and tasty.
I can't wait to learn more about this food like, the real names of all these dishes and not just a rough english translation. Thankfully, the delightful owner helped us with our orders. -
Review from Lucinda C.
Vancouver, BC
12/14/2010
I am a big fan of holes in the walls: cheap and great eats!
This place near Riley park on Main st and is a hidden gem. It was family dinner night and my uncle recommended this place. My family & I haven't been there (well, we hardly go out and eat), and we thought why not. It's nice to go to a different place and try out different types of chinese food.
This place serves Northern Chinese food, so the food is pretty heavy and filled with meat! Some recommendations on dishes to order if you can't decide: the drunken chicken, shaolong bao, dumpling soup, the fried rice, deep fried pastry, and lion's head.
The drunken chicken is definitely on the top of my list! The chicken is tender, very flavorful plus you can't even taste the alcohol! It tasted like a home cooked meal
I can't wait to go there again! When you order, try and order everything at once. Since it's a family owned business, they only have one server! -
Review from Mary A. W.
Vancouver, BC
1/18/2011
the place is tiny, clean, and has a steady stream of customers.
My friend and I ordered the wine chicken, XLB, and sticky rice with chinese donut, preserved veggies and pork fluff.
DELICIOUS. the XLB have a lot of soup in them. The soup is lighter broth than places like Lins, and has a more gingery flavour.
The sticky rice (chee-fan) came in plastic wrap (whut??) but the donut was crunchy and flavourful.
Wine chicken was OMG kind of good. skin was soft and slightly gelatin-like (normally my health consciousness stops me from eating the skin but OMG i couldn't stop myself), and the sauce....my friend almost drank it.
We wanted something green -- the server seemed to sense this and let us know about pea shoot and bok choi dishes not on the regular menu. She got us a 1/2 order of pea shoots (douw miu) - this was epic and tasty.
The server left be gobsmacked by her friendly manner and thoughtful suggestions on food items. She switched from english to mandarin to cantonese with ease and proficiency throughout the meal. She even guessed that I understand cantonese and was really sweet in chatting me up slowly. We left the restaurant...trying to sort out why she was so nice to us.
LOVE THIS PLACE. LOVE IT. I'm thinking about going back for lunch tomorrow! -
Review from Jess M.
10/18/2011
This place is close to my apartment and the price is right. I've had the Shanghai Thick Noodles and they were pretty tasty. Will definitely be going back to try other stuff. Cash only so come prepared!
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Review from Colene C.
9/2/2010 1 Check-in Here
I had read a review of this restaurant from one of my trusty food blogger friends but hadn't made it here til recently. Wow, what was I waiting for? Yes, this place deserves every single one of my stars.
It's a bit crammed inside with about 8 tables and the peak hours are around lunchtime. If you get there around 12pm, you should be okay. 1pm? You're going to have a bit of a wait.
On the table for us: spicy wontons, spicy beef noodle soup, deep fried pastry with lo-bok, and the ever famous xiao long bao (soup dumplings). Everything on the table was really tasty with just the right amount of spice, but what really surprised me was the deep fried pastry. It wasn't greasy at all, but instead had folds of perfect flaky pastry with slivers of lo-bok. I'm actually salivating as I'm writing this!
It's perfect comfort food, especially with all the upcoming rainy days we're going to have. -
Review from Masaki L.
Richmond, BC
Highly recommended by a friend of mine, so my wife and I went there tonight. The friend told us to reserve our table is a MUST, and very luckily we did!
It's a very small place (only a few tables) with only one female server (someone said she's the wife of the owner) in sight! She's very friendly and efficient, even it's full house with orders taking, tea refilling and tables cleaning up...etc, she never miss anything! (very impressive) Food being served in a very reasonable time frame too. Below was our order:
- Wine chicken/Drunken chicken ():
It's a very popular dish. The chicken leg pieces are placed in a pretty funny container. Decently yummy with chinese wine in smell/taste.
- Beef rolls ():
A recommended dish. Beef slices and chinese cilantro with "seafood sauce" (Hoisin sauce) wrapped in a thin pita thingy. Very delicious too.
- Steamed mini pork buns (Xiu Long Bao ):
Another very popular Shanghaiese dish. This is a pretty good one already, compare to many other places. The bun is thin and chewy enough, and the meat is juicy. Yet it's a little bit too much of sesame oil.
- Crispy rice with salty egg (yolk) sauce ():
This is a highly recommended dish! And yes, very tasty indeed! It's a must try!
- Salted and fresh pork in hot pot ():
We wanted to order the Chicken Hot Pot with Wonton but we know it's such a big bowl that can't be finished by just two persons. So we ordered this pork in hot pot. And actually this is also one of our favorites. The soup base is a little less salty than some other places (which is good and just right) and has a stronger veggie taste. However the bamboo shoots are less than expected.
We ordered a little more than enough cuz we just wanted to test out more different dishes. Turned out the bill came to $44 something (including HST), really not bad. I'm sure we'll love to go again. -
Review from Hipster C.
Vancouver, BC
7/31/2010
"No. I will not share my order of juicy dumplings with you. It's not personal, really I just really love my Long's made to order Shanghainese dumplings" I usually enjoying sharing food amongst friends, but I lose all perspective on charity/social etiquette when these babies are concerned!
They really are delectable, these hand-made pork and soup filled dumplings, I can eat all 6 of them myself. I also love their Spicy Beef Noodle Soup - really has lots of great heat and complexity to the soup: the sweet tender slices of beef work superbly well with the sharpness of green onions and preserved mustard greens. full on explosion of intense goodness, almost as good as s .. . . .
some chocolate!
Their spicy beef roll with hoisin sauce and green onion is also delicious, a must try!
The head waitress and owner runs this small family restaurant that seats maybe 40 people max. So go early for lunch or dinner. They do take reservations, but they must be made at least a week in advance.
Likes: great juicy dumplings, reasonably priced, friendly service, limited seating
Dislikes: Closed Tuesdays, and for owner holidays -
Review from General L.
Vancouver, BC
9/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
In anticipation of a busy lunch hour, we arrived at Long's just before 11:30 and it was already 3/4 full. We were seated by the lone wait staff, and quickly served a hot cup of tea. Perfect for a cool wet Vancouver fall morning. I decided on the spicy beef noodle soup, the Wifey, ordered the preserved vegetables and pork over soup noodles, and of course we had to have the XLB, we ordered 2 as there are only 6 per steamer. The service was fast, the soup noodles arrived within 5 mins and the XLB a few mins after. Both soup noodles were pretty good, great noodles, just the right amount of meat and vegetables, but my beef noodles could have been a touch spicier. But overall very solid dishes. The XLB was awesome, the best I've had; nice thin skin that held together when picked up with the chopsticks, and a nice amount of soup when you took that first bite. I ate 9 of the 12 and all of them stayed intact without a single tear or drop of that delicious soup wasted.
We will be back whenever the craving for XLB strikes. -
Review from Steven M.
Vancouver, BC
8/8/2010
I went to Long's expecting it to be my next Golden Szechuan, Shao Lin Noodle House, or Alvin's Garden. All three of these restaurants I make a point of going to because the food is unlike that served at other Chinese restaurants, and is simply amazing.
I left underwhelmed. I have no intention of going back to Long's, and don't really understand what the hype is about.
The food here is Shanghainese, so there is spicy beef noodle soup, soup dumpings, etc. It's not half bad, but it's also not particularly great.
I'll be sticking with Shao Lin, Golden Szechuan, and Alvin's Garden, and recommend any of these places over Long's. -
Review from Jeff L.
Vancouver, BC
5/16/2010
5Star - Food
5Star - Best Kept Secret
A cute lil authentic taiwanese resturant tucked away on main street. The "siu long baos" are a MUST, they are freshly made, and guaranteed to wet your pants ..so be careful biting into them! You can't really go wrong with any of the noodle soup dishes, I usually get the braised beef brisket noodle soup. The soup is really rich, with chopped onions, pickled cabbaged and tender beef briskets. ...If you are like me and have trouble deciding but just wants something good, u can ask them for recommendations - will not go wrong! I hope this review was of help cuz i just drooled all over the keyboard. -
Review from L T.
Vancouver, BC
8/26/2011
This place is awesome! Its a shanghai restaurant that is what one would call a "Hole in the Wall" literally, its cramped only service people is the owner and maybe another girl, BUT the food is AMAZING!!
I've had plenty of Shao long bao's in my life including some of those famous places in Taiwan and Shanghai, and what I look for in a good shao long bao is a thin wrapping and moist juicy soupy pork in the middle. Anyways, this place definitely does not disaapoint.
Another great dish is the wine chicken.. yum,
Fried Nian Gao (fried rice cake) was also good.
Lastly, do not leave without ordering the Beef Roll!
Anyways, there is always a line up on weekends, they are closed on Tuesdays.. cash only I think. Definitely something worthy of a visit from Diners, Drive Ins and Dives.. -
Review from Richard W.
Vancouver, BC
2/2/2011
Order the dumplings! Don't forget to bite off the corner and let the broth drip out otherwise you will get a messy mouth. The beef noodles is great too it's topped with spinach.
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Review from Q B.
Vancouver, BC
8/10/2010
Really good food at a super great price.
Recommend the hot and sour soup, pea shoots, and the drunken chicken. -
Review from Rey L.
Vancouver, BC
9/19/2009 1 photo
My girlfriend and I were craving sine xiao long bao's one day but we didn't have a favourite place for one yet. So out came my iPhone and yelp and saw Monique C's review.
We came on a Saturday evening and it was full. We had to wait a good 10 minutes before sitting down. We ordered the shanghai thick noodle soup and the shredded pork and cabbage noodle soup. We also asked for two orders of xiao long bao.
The noodle soups were unfortunately not to our liking. They were watered down and lacked much flavour. It was almost like they took a regular dry noodle dish and added boiling water on it. At this point I was beginning to feel a little disappointed but then the xiao long bao's came out.
When I first sunk my teeth into the bao's, I was taken to a whole world with flavour. I've had these before, but the ones from Longs were incredibly tasty and amazing!!! The bill came to about $21 for the two of us so price-wise it was pretty good.
We're definitely coming back ordering 4 maybe even 5 orders of the xiao long bao's! -
Review from Chris C.
Vancouver, BC
5/31/2010
Only sampled the shredded pork & cabbage soup, and the green onion pancake. Both were good. Noodles were plentiful and flavourful. Pancakes were more subtly flavoured than others I've had, but were crisp and tasty. Service was quick, friendly and efficient, though restaurant was less than half full. I will go back to work through the menu. Great value.
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Review from Monique C.
Vancouver, BC
10/19/2008
part of me is hesitant to write a review for long's noodle house because it's definitely one of vancouver's better kept secrets. the room seats between 30-40, so get there early or be sure to call ahead!
if you're a fan of xiao long baos / (exploding!) soup dumplings, long's are arguably the best in the city.
the green onion cakes, pickled meat sandwiches and drunken chicken are all fabulous. when i'm sick, i like coming here for their version of chicken noodle soup, the shanghainese braised chicken noodle soup - not too starchy, not too soupy. a must try is their fish with pine nuts - but in all honesty, YOU CANNOT GO WRONG WITH ANYTHING ON THEIR MENU.
the hostess/busser/waitress/owner cindy (prefers it to be pronounced sandy) is amazing as she runs the entire room herself in addition to taking take-out orders on her bluetooth headset simultaneously. truly a sight to be seen. -
Review from Tony Y.
11/27/2010
This review is strictly on the food I had. Service was very efficient but as a Yelper, I must be honest and let the truth out based on my own experience. The food here really is very plain, sort of like a home cook meal, lacking the flavors you would expect eating out. For starters, the noodles had no "wok chi", came out luke warm and got cold very quickly. Siu Long Bao, just ok, the pork inside lacked texture and flavoring. Cleanliness, acceptable for a small place w/ limited seating. Service, w/ only two people, it was fine. Price, not too much to offer on value. Portion size, ingredient quality were both subpar. I am beginning to wonder about that "local award" thing is all a rigged contest. This is the second award winner I have been very disappointed with. Those who claim this restaurants' Shanghai authenticity, sorry, not according to this Yelper who lived in Shanghai for 1 year (I ate out a lot while there due to a lack of kitchen within my 500 ft pad). If you are an out of towner, I would skip this place.
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Review from David H.
2/16/2011
The Shanghai food here is great. I always try to stop by when I am in Vancouver. Make sure you call one day before to order the custom soups.
