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Qing Hua
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- 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:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
33 reviews for Qing Hua
Review Highlights
"This is a wonderful place for some great dumplings."
(in 20 reviews)
"...dumplings filled with pork and cabbage was my favorite of..."
(in 4 reviews)
"...dumplings steamed, or the pork and green onion fried."
(in 3 reviews)
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33 reviews in English
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Review from Katherine W.
Montréal, QC
1/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
I want to move in. These dumplings are delicious. The tea is good, the salad is yummy, the soup is lovely. But then you get the dumplings, and everything improves exponentially.
If you need a little help figuring out how to not slobber on yourself, there are some instructions over the kitchen window with some info that might help you out. -
Review from Terrie C.
1/20/2012
Address listed is wrong! The sign outside says "chinese ravioli" - so we thought, ok something new. Turns out they were dumplings. VERY INTERESTInG!!!
Very busy here... with people ordering the different types of dumplings. It's really good.. comes with a sauce, which was delicioius!
There were soup-filled dumplings, as well.
They were so good, we ordered more to go, to eat on the road. Boy, did that hit the spot when we were out on the road, driving.. and got hungry. -
Review from Justin L.
Montréal, QC
12/28/2011
Yum-o! Juicy broth filled Asian dumplings in Montreal... just like Toronto!
My friend and I ordered the Shrimp dumpings and the Oyster dumplings. 15 come in an order, very good fillings and fun to share. Really flavorful broth in the dumplings, not too salty. The skin of the dumpling is a little thicker than the ones I've had in Toronto, but still good. Don't take a huge bite or you'll spray broth all over yourself and make a mess.
Not the most chic restaurant in town, an odd design with tiles from a fish market in the front and then some wood covered walls in the main dining room. Try to stay get into the "wood area", the "tiled area" is very busy with take out orders and blast of wind if it's winter. But this place is even full on a weekday. Only about 10 tables so come early.
You can even buy frozen ones of your favorite dumplings to take home to steam at home. -
Review from Shirley D.
Montréal, QC
2/4/2012
I admit the dumplings when I first tried them were quite delicious, but service? They deserve a D. I went here a few times, and every single time I go i get below average service. The first time I went with friends, we were seated outside. They seriously forgot we were out there and took forever to come out and take our order. How can you forget a customer is seated outside? Anyways, one of the later times i went, i decided to order takeout for one order of dumplings. Took 40 MINUTES! And the resto wasn't even busy for god's sake. That's really no excuse to take 40 minutes to make 15 dumplings...The other times i went the waitresses were not so happy looking and sometimes got the order wrong, giving me someone else's dumplings. Honestly, this place doesn't do it for me. But maybe the new Chinatown Qing Hua will have better service. I'm hopeful
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Review from Sabrina L.
Laval, QC
1/30/2012
They just opened a new one on St-Laurent, in the Chinatown which is so much bigger and much much better service! the dumplings are as good, same low price with the choice of having your little bags of joy steamed, boiled or pan-fried! my personal favorites are the traditionnal pork and cabbage, beef and coriander and shrimp and urchin! and don't forget to mix in all of the sauce (chili, vinegar and soy) to make a yummy yummy concoction! Be careful, only cash!!!!
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Review from J.F. H.
12/21/2011 2 Check-ins Here
This is one of my favorite standby's, when ever I want a quick tasty dinner after work this is usually where I end-up.
The dumplings here are second to none and the variety is awesome, This is a great place to with friends, if everyone gets a different type of dumplings and share it makes for a great meal.
I have to admit that the wait staff isn't always the most happy go lucky people but they always get to taking my order quickly. I think the restaurant is family run and the daughters are the waitresses while mom and dad are in the kitchen and I think this adds to the quirky feel of the place.
Speaking of quirky the look and feel of this place is kind of weird it looks like the space had been rented to a wanna be brew pub that failed and as soon as it closed this family moved in and started making dumplings. It's an odd looking place.
All this being said the dumplings here are some of the best in the city and that makes up for the odd decor and interesting service. Keep in mind that your getting a meal for under $20 (for the most part) so you get what you pay for, in this case your money is going to the food. -
Review from Rawan K.
Montréal, QC
1/19/2012
The dumplings here are delicious! Finally, a restaurant on this street that is continuously pushing great food and always busy.
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Review from Aria F.
1/4/2012
Great dumplings. I liked the steamed better than the fried. Although the service is ok, I would highly recommend this place
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Review from Jonathan B.
Westmount, QC
1/2/2012
Amazing dumplings!
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Review from Coty S.
5/28/2011 5 photos
I took an extra long walk down St. Catherine to find this small street level shop. It almost seems out of place mixed in a quiet area with almost all Middle Eastern restaurants and bakeries. There is only one waitress barely caring for all of the customers and she does not have time for your needs.
A complimentary pot of tea is served. I also appreciate the namesake specific dinner wear that is served with the logo. There are different condiments on the table for you to mix together as your own sauce recipe. I recommend 1/3 ratio of each. The dumplings here are served in large quantities per order, which range from $9-12 CAD. Some previous reviews noted that they compare with soup dumplings, or Xiao Long Bao. From the appearance of the crescent shaped pillows, this did not appear true. However, once you bite into the skin, your mouth will fill with hot, delicious soupy goodness. After eating XLB a multitude of times in NYC, this familiar experience was long overdue. The skin is thicker and has more chew to it, but that is actually what I prefer.
I ordered the shrimp and pork dumplings, which were perfectly seasoned with a sweet and salty balance topped off with a ginger fragrance. My only complaint is that the shrimp inside were not deveined. One order is definitely enough per person, and more than that would be overkill. I do regret not ordering a vegetable based appetizer to break up all of the meat intake. Maybe the cold cucumber salad would be a good pairing in the future.Listed in: Downtown Montreal
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Review from Tara F.
Montréal, QC
8/13/2011 1 photo
It's not a lie, these dumplings really are the best in town.
Qing Hua is located a little bit off the beaten path on Lincoln Street, but the place is packed all time. They have about two dozen varieties of dumplings, and all can be ordered fried or steamed. Personally I'm a fan of fried, they're not deep fried, just pan-seared a bit on the outside. They're served with a spicy, oily soy sauce that rocks my world.
They have some pretty amazing starters as well - the coleslaw incorporates noodles and egg, and the spicy julienned potatoes are addictive.
The only downside about Qing Hua is that it takes forever to get served - though that's the price you pay for fresh fresh fresh dumplings. There is literally someone in the kitchen hand-making each dumpling to order. -
Review from Kim B.
Montréal, QC
4/27/2011
I just picked up a couple bags of the frozen pork and green onion dumplings to replenish my dwindling supply. At about $8.95 for 30 frozen dumplings, the value is awesome--though I can imagine that at least some people don't appreciate paying twice the price when they dine-in.
The dumplings are as juicy as the signs on the window declare and the filling is fresh, perfectly seasoned and all-around delicious. The dumpling wrappers are also tasty and do a great job of keeping the soup and filling in without being too thick or chewy. Definitely a great place to go whether you're looking to have a quick lunch or taking something home for later. -
Review from Matthew T.
7/25/2011
Tucked on a side street just off Rue Guy was this little delight. From the yelp reviews I knew I had to try it on my recent trip to Montreal. I went there with dumplings on my mind and nothing else. Almost as soon as we sat down a pot of tea appeared. A nice thing, espeically since the other "dumpling" place we went to (see my review of Mai Xiang Yuan) didn't even have it as an option!
We got the shrimp, cabbage and egg dumplings steamed and the pork and cabbage ones pan fried. Both were good. But again a bit of a different style than I typically have gotten or made. They are like wanna be soup dumplings. But not really enough to be soup, more like a big squirt of broth. Good, and tricky not to get on you, but not the same as soup dumplings I've had in other places. I'm starting to think of this as the "montreal" style of dumplings. The pork ones were pretty good, although they could have used another 1 minute to really give them a good texture. The steamed ones were fine, but I really didn't get any egg in mine and the dough had a bit more "bite" to in than I typically expect. Although the thickness was good.
One cool thing is they will sell you frozen dumplings to take home. A great idea! Rather buy these than the machine produced ones in a bag with mystery meat.
Prices are good, but didn't try anything else other than the dumplings. The chili oil was very good and I highly recommended using it. Not blazing hot, just a slight tingle to the outside of your lips but a great flavor. My solution to the squirting dumpling syndrome? Just pop the whole thing in your mouth and bit letting the juice flood your mouth instead of squirting out onto your shirt.Listed in: Montreal '11
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Review from Rob B.
3/13/2011
Not to brag but I am one of the lucky people to really have Xiaolong Bao in Shanghi at Yu Gardens. This place does a nice job, and the choices of fillings is really fun and not an option at the famous dumpling shop. The biggest difference though is the wrapper. Here they are too dry and often have a hole in them. Never the case in Shanghi. I also miss the sauce, black vinegar with ginger and sesame oil.
All criticism aside, I have never had any closer outside of China. It's American prices but it's in America. Shanghai's run $1 for 15. -
Review from Mathieu T.
Montréal, QC
4/25/2011
This place was good, but i think it is over rated on yelp. The dumplings were good, but too salty for my taste.
Yes, there's a lot of choices and maybe we were not lucky, but my gf and I were not that impressed. -
Review from La C.
Toronto, ON
2/2/2011
After reading all the great reviews of this place, I was expecting to be blown away. But being of Chinese descent and having eaten excellent Chinese food in Toronto, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Hong Kong and Taiwan, I was completely underwhelmed by Qing Hua.
Also, I found the price a bit high for what we ordered: 1 order of pork and cabbage dumplings (tasted decent) + 1 beef and onion dumplings (slightly funky taste to the meat) + 2 bottles of Tsingtao beer = $35 after tax. WTF? I've had way better dumplings in other cities for half the price.
I really, really wanna believe that Montreal has good restaurants...but sadly, I've been quite disappointed so far - especially when it comes to Chinese, Japanese and Indian food. Sigh :(
Addendum, Oct 4, 2011: Mother's Dumplings in Toronto serves way better dumplings at way lower prices! -
Review from Wilson K.
10/6/2010
Skip the appetizers, this place is about the dumplings. It's located in an out of the way spot, so you'll have to seek it out, but it's worth it. After our bland soups we were worried, but the dumplings, oh the dumplings. This is not your average dim sum. Try the lamb and cilantro dumplings steamed, or the pork and green onion fried.
The décor is simple; the waiters are friendly. The space is also small and popular, so you'll find yourself elbow to elbow with students and families, but that won't stop you from having a good time: everyone is just hanging out. -
Review from Simon L.
Montréal, QC
3/15/2011
I love these dumplings!
These tasty dumplings are fresh as you order them and it shows!
Honestly, I can't really identify the dumping after I order them, but that's fine. The flavour is so rich and juicy that my mouth misses the subtleties.
I love going here and trying new flavour combinations. Seaweed and beef (I think)? Yes please! Just pick two flavours, ask for 15 steams dumplings, and enjoy!
The price is right and the ambiance is ok. It's a bit tough to find find though, it's unlikely you'll stumble upon this place. -
Review from Jihye S.
Montréal, QC
2/3/2011
Tasty food, juicy dumplings. Service is less than average.
Take out frozen dumplings also cook well. (just don't thaw before cooking.) -
Review from Alexandra D.
Updated - 6/17/2010 2 photos
This place is still amazing, but I think I may have overhyped the hot and sour soup. I think it was especially good the first time I've had it, but ever since then it's just been pretty good but nothing spectacular. The search for a perfect bowl of hot and sour soup continues...
Oh and definitely get the coleslaw. Really yummy.Listed in: What I love in Montreal
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/14/2010
I had dinner here tonight on the suggestion of Jeff S. (thanks, Jeff!) and the dumplings did not… Read more »
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Review from Patrick B.
6/14/2010
If you like dumplings you'll love Qing Hua. I think there were close to 30 (or more) dumpling varieties on the menu - featuring vegetarian, pork, seafood, chicken, lamb, beef and various combinations as well as various additions such as cabbage, coriander, curry, etc. And, you can get them steamed, boiled or fried (for $1.50 more). 15 dumplings to an order for steamed or fried - you get a few more if you have them boiled.
I had the steamed pork with coriander dumplings and they were very good - extremely tender and flavorful. And, very filling! Total cost was just over $10 and included hot tea.
With so much variety, my only wish is that they'd offer combinations - even if they'd charge a bit more for them. I would have loved to try a few more flavors and have a few fried dumplings. Maybe they do offer this if you ask - but it'd be nice to mention on the menu as well. -
Review from Kiera S.
Montréal, QC
7/26/2011
I'm no dumpling expert, but these little beauties are some of the best I've ever had. Personal favourites are any of the ones with corriander. Make sure to get a mix of fried and steamed. One of my favourite places to eat downtown. Great place to go with a friend or two. Check it out.
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Review from Daniel S.
Vancouver, BC
5/10/2011
Qing Hua is definitely one of the best Chinese restaurants in Montreal and in terms of dumplings I doubt you will find a better place to go. Though a small restaurant I've never really had a problem getting a seat, even around lunch time, and it's always a relatively pleasant experience.
The only thing to really be sour about is the service which I thought was lackluster. We ordered our dumplings and were promised soup since that is an integral part of the meal but we never got it...That's a damn shame. Thankfully this did not happen more than once. Even then though the service is relatively slow and to get a seat is sometimes more of a pain than it should be.
The dumplings though are exquisite and are both juicy and flavorful. I usually order the pork and cabbage ones; half fried and half steamed. It's always excellent and the price is perfect. I've also tried the pork and coriander ones and these were excellent as well and somehow strangely refreshing.
Overall, this is a place definitely worth checking out even if you are not a fan of Chinese cuisine. Dumplings are easy to get into and enjoy and there is no reason you won't like eating a lunch at Qing Hua. Given how low the prices are it's definitely worth giving a shot. -
Review from Evan L.
6/17/2011
Some relatives and I were staying in the area for the night and this place was in our price range. Despite the tacky lights outside, we completely passed by this place due to it being on the lower level. Also apparently, I pronounced the name of this restaurant wrong and everyone thought I was saying the name of a very prestigious university in China.
As we inched towards the restaurant, I knew all of us felt the same vibe -- it was the feeling of uncertainty mixed with a little panic. I could tell because everyone was walking slower and slower. Do we really want to eat here? It appeared completely empty. Doubts were expressed but Yelp wouldn't let me down! So we walked inside. I was relieved to find a second, more occupied room that we originally could not see through the window, but that feeling immediately dissolved upon doing my classic race-check. Seeing only white people in a Chinese restaurant is always a little unsettling if you've come expecting good Chinese food
We ordered 90 dumplings total for the six of us. Half were fried; the rest were steamed or boiled. I even liked the chicken/mushroom dumpling I had and I normally hate mushrooms (blegh!)
These dumplings don't require any sauces to make them taste good. They're really juicy and if you bite into them just right, juice will squirt out the other side and into your cousin's eye. If you don't like fitting an entire dumpling in your mouth, you can also take a super small bite and suck out the juices before you eat the rest. I've made a lot of dumplings in my time but I have no idea how they manage to make every single dumpling sealed with juices.
The dumplings were really light in terms of salt (just the way I like them) so if you do want to add some sauce, I recommend dipping your dumplings in a mixture of 3/4 soy sauce and 1/4 red chili sauce (half of it being the chili oil and the other half the chili). I'm not a big fan of vinegar but I was told to put at least a few drops in it because that's what you're supposed to do for dumplings.
Our food came relatively quickly but they did seem understaffed in terms of service. The waitress was so busy that I couldn't flirt with her--I was very disappointed about that. There was another guy at the cash register who helped out with our order and when we asked for refills for our tea (I winked at him twice).
15 dumplings will cost around $10. They charge an extra $1.50 for fried dumplings, which surprised us a little at the end. Fried dumplings filled with pork and cabbage was my favorite of the bunch, followed by steamed shrimp dumplings. Definitely don't be fooled by its appearance and try this place out! -
Review from Elle P.
4/19/2010
The restaurant calls itself Qing Hua: Juicy Dumplings, and they don't lie. Just about the juiciest dumplings you'll ever eat in your life are here in this unsuspecting quiet little street of Montreal.
They serve the crescent style dumplings, rather than the more familiar pot stickers. I ordered the steamed pork, leek, and shrimp dumplings. The filling is sooooo juicy and tender. I think these are possibly the best dumplings that I've had in a while. The skin is really thin and tender. I think to have these dumplings fried would be a travesty because you wouldn't get the subtle tenderness of the filling or the skin as much.
I'm waffling a bit on giving this place 4 or 5 stars. Dumplings are definitely worth of 5 * consideration. The hot and sour soup that everyone raved about was okay. Didn't think it was anything special. The restaurant is a little confused about what it is. One half is cheap tacky Chinese and the other half is actually pretty nice EXCEPT it has this weird strip of linoleum tiles that continued from the cheap tacky side. I don't know. Maybe that's how the two halves of the restaurant are connected?
Regardless, if you're in Montreal, you should have the dumplings here. An order of 15 dumplings are about $10 (price varies by filling type). ***Cash only*** -
Review from Jeffrey T.
Montréal, QC
4/13/2010
Completely delicious. I came here based on other people's Yelp reviews and they did not lie. Hot and sour soup is a MUST. I almost ordered a second bowl. I had shrimp and vegetarian dumplings which were amazing as well.
I can't wait to go back. Cheap too. But bring cash. -
Review from Luc P.
Pointe-aux-Trembles, QC
1/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
Delicious tasty well seasoned dumplings. Very fresh. Well made. Explosion of flavor when the dumpling's inside soup gets in your mouth. Quaint little underground place. You have to be patient, but it is understandable, as the dumplings are prepared as you order.
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Review from Kwoky L.
8/10/2009
Tucked away on a quiet street of St Marc, there's Qing Hua, a dumpling shop where you would least expect. Its wooden sign with huge Chinese characters adorned the tiny entrance that leads to a space of not more than 5 tables. What the hell do they actually sell?
Well, once you walked in, when you look through the glass window, there's usually several Chinese ladies, carefully making the dumplings from scratch with their hands. I thought it was fascinating. Not because they make dumplings from scratch. Gosh, I made them myself too. But it's just I don't expect to see this in the middle of no where in Montreal.
The waiter finally came up to us and gave us their menu. They have a wide selections of dumplings with an option to have them steamed or with soup. Fried? Don't even think about it. With dumplings this fresh, you would be a fool to deep fry them. There are also some very exotic items that you can order if you know Chinese.
I ordered the pork with cilantro dumpling and it was ready after 15 minutes wait. It was mild and tasty and you can taste the nice texture of the homemade dumpling skin. With a little soy sauce, it's, should I say, heavenly.
Expect nothing but dumplings here. Go get your fried rice somewhere else. But if you are seriously into authentic homemade dumplings, this is the place to go. -
Review from Ken L.
Elle is right, juiciest dumplings I have ever devoured in my life! This basement restaurant is located where you will most likely never find it unless you are specifically searching for it.
For the most part, they serve dumplings as their specialty. I would say they have about 6 or 7 tables that are nice and clean. The dumplings are made right there on-site and each order you get about 15 dumplings that you can have either fried like potstickers or steamed!
I ordered the pork tongue appetizer and also an order of pork, shrimp and leek dumplings. The pork tongue app is a cold mix of sliced cucumbers, cooked pork tongue slices that temporarily holds you while they cook your dumplings (takes about 10 mins). The complimentary soup and salad: miso soup (not very impressive and bland) and the slightly sweet cole slaw (not bad!). With the main dish out, we dug right in. The dumpling skin is much thicker than a regular dumpling that helps it seal in the filling and juices inside but not too thick to taste too doughy either. As a test, I used my chopsticks to place and poke a hole on the side of one to see. Sure enough, about a tablespoon of HOT juicy broth is packed in each one and if you aren't careful, you can burn your tongue or splatter on yourself. I personally make a small dish of soy sauce with the hot chili oil as a dip to help flavor the dumpling as well as cool it off while I carefully biting into each one. Be sure to bring cash and if you forget, they conveniently have a lighted ATM machine at the door entrance. Enjoyable experience. Bon appetit! -
Review from Claudia G.
Ottawa, ON
7/20/2010
This is one of those hole in the wall spots that everyone LOVES to find. Great food, cheap, delicious, and oh-so-comforting. This is one of my must-visit places any time I'm in Montreal.
I did prefer the old location where you could watch the chefs cooking, but I do understand why they needed the extra space! -
Review from Christian H.
Vancouver, BC
7/8/2009
So, this place may be a little hole in the wall that a typical person would pass by on a normal day. Don't do it though. This is a wonderful place for some great dumplings. They have a whole list of several meat and vegetable dumplings at a great price. The atmosphere is cafeteria style. I would recommend that anyone who likes dumplings and happens to be in Montreal should stop by for a huge plate of dumplings.
Listed in: Montreal Musts
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Review from John H.
Montréal, QC
10/8/2009
They have moved to 1676 Lincoln and will be open on the 15th of October.
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Review from Jeff S.
Montréal, QC
today was my first time at Qing Hua - the first of many more to come. upon entering i noticed a number of quirky decorations and a somewhat curious split between a cafeteria style seating area and a more intimate section, but the place is small enough that i felt lucky just to get a table. my companion very cleverly called ahead to order so almost as soon as we arrived, we were greeted with their new soup (as of the start of this year). while it was only so-so (hot & sour soup consistency without hot or sour flavours; it looked rather like plum sauce with tofu but was rather tasteless), i knew there was more to come. the carrot-cabbage-vermicelli salad had a deliciously sweet dressing and was devoured in no time. it was followed by another delicious salad, and although i couldn't identify it, it was wonderful. then came the dumplings. we ordered pork & shrimp, beef & celery and curry chicken. all three were steamed and absolutely perfect. with a splash of bouillon in each, every bite was fresh, textured and simply bursting with flavour.
the entire meal came to just about $40 before tip. this included two soups, a decent sized salad, a second smaller salad, and about 30 dumplings in all. i couldn't ask for a better value or more flavour. the staff were courteous and accommodating making this my new favourite place to eat!
(sorry for raving, but it really was that good. i'm sure other reviews will be more critical.)
