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Restaurant Mai Xiang Yuan
Category: Restaurants Chinese Chinese [Edit]
1084 Boul Saint-LaurentMontréal, QC H2Z 1J5
(514) 875-1888
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 9 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
18 reviews for Restaurant Mai Xiang Yuan
Review Highlights
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"My GF and I favorite: Beef Curry Dumplings." In 3 reviews -
"The pan-fried cilantro beef potstickers were also amazing." In 4 reviews -
"...this place while trying to find a lunch place in Chinatown." In 3 reviews
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17 reviews in English
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Review from Mark G.
Updated - 5/19/2012
Okay, not only is this place and its dumplings amazing, but the main server continues to amaze me too. I walked in this evening and, on sight alone, she remembered me and my order. I have tried 2 kinds of dumplings before, Shrimp-mushroom-pork and Shrimp-coriander-pork. She said "shrimp-mushroom-pork, boiled, to go?" I was stunned. It was as if it were written on my forehead. I checked. It isn't.
This girl runs like a madwoman during the incredibly busy lunch rushes, AND remembers people and what they order?
AMAZING! Can I give a 6th star - just to her?1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/21/2012
Normally, giving a 5-star rating gets me excited. With Mai Xiang Yuan, there are so many 5-star… Read more »
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Review from Vanessa M.
Montréal, QC
3/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
I had been craving dumplings for quite a long time when I finally decided to give this restaurant a shot. What a great idea that was!
I visited this tiny traditional chinese restaurant along with a friend, and we ordered two dishes of dumplings to share. We tried the boiled Beef and coriander dumplings, and the fried zucchini and pork ones.
Each plate contained 15 dumplings, and we were more than satisfied with the two dishes.
Both were de-li-cious, to my humble opinion (Although i am not necessarily a connoisseur in chinese food, so do not quote me on this!).
My favourite out of the two dishes was definitely the fried pork dumplings - They were crisp, the filling was delicious and, basically, a pleasure in the mouth.
The servers automatically serve tea to accompany the dumplings - Great bonus for students on a budget!
Can I add that everything cost me less than 10 bucks? AMEN! -
Review from Chris B.
Montréal, QC
It's rare to find a gem like Restaurant Mai Xiang Yuan. Halfway around the world and thousands of miles from China, this indistinct dumpling shop situated just inside Chinatown along Saint-Laurent makes some of the best dumplings you will ever find. Even among the dozens of dumpling shops I frequented over the years in China, few can compare. They know their dumplings here, and with a dozen small tables and a growing reputation queuing for a table is becoming commonplace.
Hot tea and menus arrive as the skilled waitress juggles bussing tables, serving food and manning the cash register. Order placed, I wait and watch as the kitchen staff stuff fresh dumplings, racing to fill my order.
The pork dumplings with cilantro and shrimp are out of this world. Each one is packed with juicy ground pork that's been mixed with cilantro and molded around a large shrimp. The pork dumplings with cabbage are classic and the beef dumplings with shiitake mushrooms are another favorite.
Fifteen steaming dumplings are placed in front of me. Before I dig in, I fill a small bowl with vinegar and pepper oil. The skins are a little sticky where dry and a little slippery where wet. Grabbing them with chopsticks can challenge even an expert, but I've learned that when all else fails, stab them. After a quick dip in the vinegar, I'm conflicted, two bites are required but I'd rather not wear my dinner. I'm hungry and not proud so I devour the entire delicious package. I repeat the procedure fourteen more times before I sit back in a glutinous haze and sip a fresh cup of tea.
I'll be back for more. In fact I think I'll get an order of raw dumplings to go and cook them at home. -
Review from Michelle Y.
5/23/2012
I've eaten a lot of dumplings in a lot of countries, but this place may have the most interesting dumpling flavor I've tried to date.
Decor: Unfortunately, this place did not have as many waving neko cats as I would have liked, having only one waving cat at the register in the back.
Food: I was getting more and more ravenous during the excruciating wait, but I could tell at once that the dumplings were indeed freshly made and wrapped by the women in the window at the back because my fried dumpling order had long tubular dumplings while the boiled dumplings were more of the half moon shape.
The fried dumplings, pork/shrimp/mushroom filling, were good although not superlative, mostly because of the ground pork which seemed of relatively poor quality and the overly large, crunchy but pretty tasteless pieces of shrimp. The fried outside, which seemed to have been coated with a little cornstarch and then fried, was crusty and good but nothing to write home about. However, the boiled pork/preserved vegetable/fresh oyster dumpling (which was the most expensive dumpling on the menu at around $10) was out of this world! The oyster flavor was fresh, flavorful, and not overpowering, and the salted vegetable gave it even more of an umami boost. The spicy sauce and the vinegar were also delightful.
Overall: Five stars for the oyster dumplings, but one star off for the overall so-so service and other issues, including the fact that they were out of the hand-pulled noodles. -
Review from Joel D.
5/22/2012
We had dinner during our first night visiting Montreal. All the food was fantastic. The portions were ample but not over the top, and the dumplings were perfectly cooked and seasoned. I would have liked a little more variety on the menu, but I can understand the need to keep things concise in a small establishment.
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Review from J.F. H.
This is my second favorite dumpling place, it's not that the dumplings aren't as good as Qing Hua but I live closer to it so it gets extra points for proximity.
Mai Xiang Yuan has great dumpling, not to mention the variety. I guaranty that they'll have something for every one from plain Jane pork to my favorite Oyster and pickled cabbage. In my opinion the best way to enjoy this kind of restaurant is with a group of friends so you can each get a different type of dumplings and share them, but if you're on your own you can always get them to give you two kind of dumpling per basket.
There isn't much to say about the service other then it's like most places in Chinatown quick and efficient but without much conversation. I memory serves me correctly they close early as well, so if you have a craving for dumpling past 9 pm you might be out of luck.
This is a small place with only a dozen or so tables and what feels like hundreds of waving cats. If you plan on heading over with a group it might be a good idea to call ahead and make a reservation. If you're in or around Chinatown you might want to stop in and enjoy some of the best dumplings in the city while being watched by waving cats.Listed in: Best of Asia
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Review from Joshua K.
Montréal, QC
9/27/2011
Overall: Excellent dumplings! I had the lamb and onion fried dumplings. A litle bit oily but that's what you get for ordering the fried ones. Next time I'll try the dumpling soup (there will definitely be a next time).
Price: Price was $8-10 before tax/tip for a plate of 15 dumplings, which was enough food for lunch. They also have a few small salads for $1 each; might as well add some variety to your lunch for a buck!
Ambiance: A bit rushed and somewhat cramped, as is often the case for Chinatown lunch. Not terrible though by any means. And the service was pretty fast and polite. The place is clean and nice on the inside. Not the place for a business meeting, perfect for a lunch with colleagues or friends. -
Review from Jennifer M.
Montréal, QC
10/21/2011
Best Dumplings I ever had. Plus free tea! who doesn't love free tea :)
Restaurant is extremely small.... approximately 12 tables. The kitchen is partially open and lets you view the people making the dumplings.
Menu is ONLY dumplings and cold appetizers. Don't go if you don't enjoy this kind of food!
I had the steamed Pork and Cabbage dumplings and the Beef and Curry dumplings.
The beef and curry were good but not great.... i took them because the previous reviews said they were amazing. They are served pan-fried and taste a lot like indian food.... kinda odd for a chinese restaurant.
The pork and cabbage dumplings were amazing :)
I loved them and could have eaten more.
The plates are 15 dumplings each. So the more people the better if you want to try different flavours.
Overall great place! Try it once and you'll be hooked.
Great place to have dinner as well as lunch. -
Review from Kimberly S.
Ottawa, ON
2/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
Great dumplings! Cheap too!
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Review from Matthew T.
7/20/2011 1 photo
Came here based on the yelp reviews. Seems like Mai Xiang Yuan and Qing Hua are the two places in town people like to go for dumplings so had to try both (will post Qing Hua review later).
We tried the pan fried pork and cabbage dumplings and the beef curry dumplings. I have to say I was surprised by the curry ones and really enjoyed them. The pork ones were fine, good but I've had better. A nice treat was the wasabi salad. It had just enough vinegar and wasabi to give a tingle but not kill you. The dumplings were fairly juicy, which is sort of interesting, you have to be careful how you bit them or you end up shooting juice/grease all over. And with the curry ones you are asking for major trouble. I'm more used one ones that are either true soup dumplings with a lot of broth inside of them or fairly dry ones or just enough juice to be good but not to squirt. So this variation was an interesting experience (other dumplings I had in Montreal were similar). I enjoyed them but you got to watch out! The dough was a good thickness and had a nice "tooth" to it.
The odd things were they had no hot tea! What is the world coming to when a Chinese restaurant that has so many kinds of dumplings doesn't serve hot tea! One server was a bit frazzled with the limited number of people in the restaurant but we weren't in a hurry so that wasn't a big deal. Good, reasonable priced dumplings with a surprise with the curry ones gets 4 stars even if they don't have tea.Listed in: Montreal '11
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Review from Didier N.
9/12/2011
A great dumpling joint in Chinatown! No more need to go "all the way" to Qing Hua for my dumpling fix. Of course, it doesn't compare to some of the restos in Toronto but it will do while waiting for my next road trip. The dumplings served are not xiao long bao (soup dumplings) and are served in a variety of different fillings. All you need is a little vinegar and chili paste as dipping.
We had the shrimp, egg and leek steamed dumplings and the curried beef pan fried dumplings. Both were very flavorful and so juicy that you should really eat it all in one bite unless you want to risk squirting the juice all over you. I will need to go back to try out the rest of the menu.
My only complain is that I wish they would give complementary salad as well as serve the dumplings in portion of 10, rather than 15. This way, one could try a wider variety. -
Review from Mathieu T.
Montréal, QC
5/9/2011
This place is much better then Qing Hua and less salty. Lots of selection!! You can also order fresh (non frozen) dumplings to take home and cook yourself.
My GF and I favorite: Beef Curry Dumplings. So good and juicy!! Watch your shirt! This place is also very popular, but you should not have problems getting a table. -
Review from Gary W.
7/31/2011
Excellent dumplings! Stumbled across this place in the China Town district of Montreal. Highly recommend if you are looking for outstanding dumplings. Nothing else to this place...no ambience, no alcohol, no other food worth tasting....but wow, their dumplings (of all kinds) were spectacular.
Service was very good.
Best were the shrimp, egg and leek steamed dumplings...but also strongly suggest the lamb and the beef. Outstanding! -
Review from D M.
Montréal, QC
1/12/2011
Awesome dumplings. All that you need to know.
- D -
Review from Diiiriiik H.
North Vancouver, BC
3/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
very authentic !
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Review from Bailey Z.
8/8/2010 1 photo
We were lucky enough to stumble upon this place while trying to find a lunch place in Chinatown. Good thing my mom had a craving for dumplings. This restaurant serves dumplings and also hand-pulled noodles, but today they were all out of the noodles, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. We ordered three plates of steamed dumplings, but when my mom saw another table eating pan-fried potstickers, we added a fourth order. At first, I thought the dumplings weren't worth $9 since we got very similar dumplings in NYC for 20 cents each. But, each plate had 12-15 dumplings and they had a lot more choices in what they were stuffed with. My favorite was the beef curry steamed dumpling. The pan-fried cilantro beef potstickers were also amazing. We also tried the shrimp and beef steamed dumplings and the regular pork dumplings. I am a big fan of chili oil and they seem to have a house-made one ready at your table. Add some red vinegar to that and it is the perfect dipping sauce for your dumplings.
The cool thing about this place is that the dumplings are made fresh and ready to order. They don't start stuffing or wrapping them until they are ordered. You can see through the kitchen window how they stuff and fold them too! The service is great and the guy who took our orders could speak five different languages, which is pretty accommodating to all the different tourists they get. Back in San Diego, I loved this tiny little restaurant called the Dumpling Inn. This place is definitely better and should be aptly crowned the Dumpling Hotel Resort and Spa. -
Review from gilles d.
Montréal, QC
5/18/2011
The best dumplings I ever had.
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