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Western Lake Chinese Seafood Restaurant
Categories: Restaurants Chinese Dim Sum Restaurants Seafood Dim Sum, Seafood [Edit]
4989 Victoria DrVancouver, BC V5P 3T7
Neighbourhood: Kensington-Cedar Cottage
(604) 321-6862
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- 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, Brunch
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
41 reviews for Western Lake Chinese Seafood Restaurant
Review Highlights
"Beef with gai lan was excellent."
(in 3 reviews)
"...had never really had fried turnip cake before with XO sauce..."
(in 3 reviews)
"...the line-ups are huge, so make a reservation ahead of time."
(in 5 reviews)
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41 reviews in English
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Review from Addie L.
2/2/2012
All I can say is wow! The dim sum is super sized so don't order too much. The shrimp dumplings were great... the siu mai was best that my wife ever had. The total bill came out to $45 and we ordered a lot plus had leftovers.
Several tips: because this place is good, expect a crowd. Come at least by 11AM for lunch or you will be waiting a long time. There is no parking, but ample street parking is available. -
Review from Herman E.
2/9/2012 1 photo
Lots of good reviews about this place and I have to say that I think it is overrated based on an overall average. It was hit and miss. I ordered a LOT to get a good sampling of everything.
Steamed prawn dumpling was large but was made with a paste that had prawn shrapnel in it. I don't mind this given it's size. Taste was only ok. I am finicky when it comes to prawn dumplings. It better be prawn and NO paste.
Steamed (HUGE) pork dumpling had prawn shrapnel in it again, which was a surprise for me, but again on the bland side. Miss.
Steamed sticky rice with chicken in lotus leaf: Texture was good but was bland in taste. Miss.
Leather jacket fish was very well prepared - this one was a hit. I had a tough time finding this on the menu because the Chinese characters used was different than what I was expecting. Had to ask for it.
Clams in black bean sauce was not bad, but Congee Noodle House does it better.
Runny custard bun was done well and not overwhelmed with a salty yolk - hit.
Deep fried tofu with garlic-pepper salt. Not good. Tofu quality not good and taste was off. This was a total miss.
Deep fried sesame ball with sesame paste - well done! Hit.
Steamed rice wrap beef was ok. Too much cilantro for my taste, but that was my fault for ordering because menu in Chinese had a character that I should picked up on that it was hinting towards cilantro.
Fish wrapped in tofu sheets. This was prepared using a paste of some sort. Not sure what to make of it. Doubt I would order it again.
Rice bowl with salty fish and chicken. Chicken was flavourless, and rice tasted like the salted fish, as expected. I wouldn't order this again. Miss.
Black pepper beef tasted pretty good with the black pepper, but the pepper overshadowed the MSG. I AM SUCKING BACK WATER AS I AM WRITING THIS. Very thirsty right now. :(
Deep fried spring roll with prawn. Wow! The first one I had without Miracle Whip!!! This was not bad at all. Hit.
This is what my table looked like:
http://www.yelp.ca/biz...
A good cross section of Dim Sum. The restaurant itself was on the smaller side, and is likely one of the better renovated restaurants around.
Price is inexpensive for what you get, quality is OK, but there are some misses in the menu items. Overall IMHO, it is a decent restaurant, but nothing to rave about for dim sum, other than the value for the money. -
Review from Joshua N.
12/12/2011
Excellent dim sum, good quality with a nice selection. They don't do the carts, unfortunately - you have to order from a menu - but they do occasionally bring out a specialty item and go from table to table to offer it. The actual dumplings in many of the dishes are super-sized, but not difficult to eat. Everything was delicious. The shrimp siu mai was probably the highlight of the meal.
The food is not bargain-basement cheap, although it is nearly so. The three of us ate until we were pleasantly full for $45 incl tax and tip. The tea is not free, although it might as well be (60¢ per person for unlimited tea), but don't be surprised when it shows up on the bill.
Service is actually pretty friendly, and the restaurant itself looks very nice (cloth tablecloths instead of plastic bags, for instance). The bathrooms are impressively nice. They take reservations all day, and I recommend it, since the lineups can get pretty long. Or you can get there early - apparently they start serving at 9am. Oh yeah... dim sum for breakfast... -
Review from Uli L.
Vancouver, BC
11/26/2011
I must admit we were very presently surprised when we dined at WL. My wife and I were looking for a decent Chinese restaurant in our neighborhood for a while but had only been disappointed.
Here at WL it started with great attentive service and great food. For sure to be repeated. Keep it up. -
Review from Jennifer W.
Amazing dim sum, comparable to ones served in Hong Kong. The wait is terribly long and the restaurant itself isn't very large.
Do you know how to tell the good dim sum places from the bad? When they don't push those carts around the restaurant, you know it's going to be awesome. There's something about piping hot dishes and ones that don't stick to the plate from sogginess that you can just savor here.
All of the dishes we ordered we amazing! mmm... now I'm hungry! dim sum anyone?? =D
fried turnip cake 5/5 http://www.yelp.ca/biz...
har gow 3.5/5 http://www.yelp.ca/biz...
shiu mai 4/5 http://www.yelp.ca/biz...
beef balls 5/5 (largest I've ever had!) http://www.yelp.ca/biz...
eggplant 4/5 http://www.yelp.ca/biz...
jelly fish 5/5 http://www.yelp.ca/biz...
mixed veggie pot stickers 4/5 http://www.yelp.ca/biz...
fried/salted squid 3/5 http://www.yelp.ca/biz...
cheung fun 3/5 http://www.yelp.ca/biz...
For the nitty gritty details:
- ample street parking
- credit cards accepted
- takes reservations, but it's thrown completely out the door (minus 1 star)Listed in: Vancouver, BC - must try!
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Review from Bobbin W.
9/17/2011
I grew up eating dim sum, and I have to say it's just not something I crave. However, I had the best Gin Doi ever at Western Lake Chinese Seafood Restaurant; the bean paste was rich and smooth like peanut butter, and the sesame aftertaste remained in my mouth for minutes.
My boyfriend and I endured a long bus ride and a long walk down Victoria Drive, wondering if the eatery even was open. But when we entered, a roar greeted us, assuring us that Western Lake is the dim sum hot-spot, at least in Kensington-Cedar Cottage.
The concept here is different from what I'm used to: staff milling around the tables with carts. At Western Lake, you tick your choices on a card like at sushi restaurants. Despite this, one woman forced a plate of disgusting fried halibut with ginger hunks upon us. I guess we looked gullible, being the only Americans in the room.
I ordered two variations of Har Gow, shocked to find the dumplings almost three times the size of the Har Gow I've eaten in Georgia. The sheer balls were fresh and delicious but left me nauseatingly stuffed, so full I had no room for my absolute favorite - turnip cakes.
On another note, the jasmine tea was light and amazing.
So, my meal was "meh" because I'm not crazy about dim sum, but I give props to Western Lake for serving dim sum as delicious as it gets. -
Review from Summy L.
10/22/2011 3 photos
Eh... So what if their dim sum are big? Too bad they don't have a big flavor or a big restaurant to go with it all.
The wait can be very long and parking is street only. The reviews are way overrated for this place. Good luck waiting outside when it gets colder.
The shrimp dumplings were pretty bland albeit big. The shrimp rolls are on the normal size and weren't very flavorful.
I'd rather drive a bit further to the other side of Richmond for better dim sum. -
Review from Edward L.
To be honest, Victoria Drive is the last place I thought I'd see a good Chinese restaurant. Sure there are many mediocre ones, but this one really does take the cake.
To get the full experience, I would suggest at least 5 people, so that you can order some extra dishes.
Parking here completely sucks. The streets are all full, and there are maybe 4 spots in the back. We had to walk over a block.
Hot and Sour soup - not the best, but decent. It was sour, but not tangy.
Tofu and fish hot pot - a bit too bony, but nice balance of flavours
Chicken hot pot - very good. Too much sauce though.
Steamed cod slices - best dish out of everything we ordered. Perfect balance of spices.
Honeymoon rice - a bit too light on the cream / tomato, and the portion was a bit small. However, the taste was decent.
The place was completely full, and there's a reason.Listed in: 2011 Ed's Picks
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Review from Amy T.
7/2/2011
Western Lake is still going strong.
I used to frequent this restaurant at least twice a month until I moved. Usually the trend with Chinese restaurants is that the food starts to go downhill after a few years. They already have loyal patrons, steady stream of business... so why put so much effort in?
Well, I see that they still put the same amount of effort into their food and service. The dumplings were huge and freshly steamed. The congee has a lot of meat and they dont`skimp on the sauces. The restaurant is still clean and the service hasn`t changed.
The only thing I`d like to change is the size of the restaurant. They are always packed to the brim and it can feel quite cramped in there. -
Review from Kim L.
Vancouver, BC
7/28/2011
I was entertaining guests one weekend, so I looked up recommended dim sum restaurants in Vancouver and chose Western Lake because I knew that this group of guests would appreciate crazy sized portions and get the most bang for their buck! They're also accustomed to loud dimsum places in cramped spaces, so I didn't hesitate to make a reservation, however, we still had to wait about 10 minutes. Be prepared to wait if you have a big party or if you arrive after noon.
The oyster congee was flavorful and the dimsum did not disappoint in taste and size (this prompted a debate on whether size really matters). It was quite fun peering into the dimsum carts with the lady opening every topper to show us what was inside. Our eyes popped open when we saw the fist sized meatball...hahahaha! I have trouble eating giant portions, so I passed, but the guys with big appetites didn't mind. -
Review from Henry B.
Vancouver, BC
This is one of the better Cantonese restaurants in East Vancouver. I've been here many times for dinner but not dim sum yet.
The food is excellent, very tasty and big portions. You don't expect their kind of quality and taste in East Van but this is certainly one of the gems in that area. The last time I was there we ordered champagne pork chops, scallops with snow peas, lobster, and gai lan. The food was presented very well and it tasted as good as it looked. I always order the lobster or crab and I strongly suggest this as one of your plates.
The service has always been good, waiters are very quick with the food. Most of the staff can speak English and they seemed to be quite friendly compared to your regular Chinese joints.
Despite the crowded space and long wait times, it's totally worth going there for great food at a reasonable price. I hope other restaurants can learn from them, if you provide great quality food at good prices, customers will appreciate it. Although, the prices are recently going up probably because food prices are going up in the world. -
Review from Matt L.
Vancouver, BC
8/5/2011
we ate here last night for the 5th time in as many months. Since discovering this gem, it has quickly become our goto restaraunt for excellent chinese food. As others have indicated, the ingredients are fresh and the food is well cooked. We also enjoy the gailan dishes (last night was shrimp, previously it's been beef too). Wor wanton is excellent with giant pieces of scallops, shrimp, chicken and last nights version have fresh pea pods too. The only bad part about the war wanton is that the portion is so large, you get quite full on the first dish of the meal.
This place is always busy and reservations are highly recommended. -
Review from Darcy D.
4/26/2011
We were here for dinner on a Saturday. We had a reservation for 8 at 5:30 pm and we were seated right on time. Before we arrived, we called them to ask if we could change our reservation to 5:45 pm and they said that whatever time we came, we would have to leave by 7:00 pm. Few restaurants are that militant about turning over tables, so we decided to hustle and arrive on time. Considering the lines they need to run a tight ship.
Everything we tried was fresh, well prepared and tasted great. The specialty duck was a treat with its citrus flavoured sauce served on taro. The large prawns were succulent and well treated; we had them with black bean sauce and with a sweet and sour sauce. Beef with gai lan was excellent. The surprise highlight for me was the wor wonton, with homemade wonton skins with a satisfying, al dente chew and the pork and shrimp filling. The broth was great and it was full of large scallops, chicken, shrimp, mushroom, and broccoli, all perfectly cooked.
Very good selection, very reasonable prices, nicely cooked and very tasty. I'm lucky to have it within walking distance; all tightly packed in to a tidy modern dining room. I can't believe that I waited so long to go here. -
Review from Philip K.
4/15/2011 10 photos
I don't know how all the Yelpers who have visited this place haven't posted pictures of the food. Maybe it's a little shyness due to the super tight quarters at Western Lake but we had no shame busting out our G11 and snapping some photographic proof that the dim sum here is indeed GIGANTIC. Check out the photo of the Har Gow (Steamed Prawn Dumpling as the menu calls it) which we placed on a traditional soup spoon. I would say it's about double the size of the standard Har Gow.
Aside from the fact that the dim sum is larger than one might normally find elsewhere, there are a few other reasons this place gets 5 stars.
1. The food tastes great. Clearly these guys know what they are doing as we just kept ordering more and more dishes. One thing I'd never seen before was in the spare ribs. They used some squash which gave it a bit a sweetness.
2. They take reservations. WTF? Yeah, they take reservations and I highly recommend you make some otherwise you will be waiting a while. We called Friday evening and asked for a table on a Saturday at 11am. We showed up about 15 minutes early since we didn't want to be late plus, you don't really expect any dim sum place to honor their reservations. A few tables left and few groups were seated but right at 11am, they gave us our table.
3. The staff provides great customer service. Double WTF?! I was stunned. Most dim sum places treat you like cattle. Get you in and get you out. If they are having a bad day, well, you'll have a bad experience but they don't care cause you're coming back anyways. We walked in and someone actually greeted us and said "thank you". We asked for water and soy sauce and they brought it over. The service was prompt and no one was pushy. Truly amazing.
The only negatives would be that they don't have soy sauce and chili at your table and that they don't have push carts. But given how fast they respond to your request and that the food actually comes out fresh, they really aren't negatives but observations. I wish I lived in Vancouver or Western Lake would open up shop down here in Seattle.
One final thing, bring at least three people. Because the portions are larger than normal, ordering the same amount of items you typically would elsewhere will find you unable to comfortably finish your food. So coming here with a group of three or four would be advisable. -
Review from BR G.
Burnaby, BC
8/22/2011
I came here for the first time with my family for a birthday celebration. My only disappointment was not coming here sooner! This place totally blows away bigger, fancier restaurants like Kirin, Sun Sui Wah, and my usual standby--the Pelican. We managed to score last minute reservations for a Sunday night, and I swear I had one of the best meals I've had in a long time.
Usually I'm not a big fan of large portioned meals, but I swear I couldn't get enough. The Peking Duck was perfect (a must have if I must say so myself) and they did not do the peculiar thing that many restaurants do--short you on the wrappers and lettuce leaves. I don't get it! It's the cheapest part, and yet there's never enough. Fear not this place gives you the right tools =) BIG THUMBS UP.
We also had crab claws (never thought it could rock more than they already do, but they did!), crab in cream sauce, some stir fried lamb dish, garlic pea tips, spicy prawns (HUGE and so delish!), and some coconut chicken dish. EVERYTHING tasted fantastic. And the bill for 6 of us came up to $180 including taxes I believe. I can't wait to do this again! -
Review from tee a.
1/4/2011 ROTD 1/24/2011
Awesome food, huge menu at amazing prices!!
Why I rate it 5 stars:
Pro:
-menu in both Chinese and English (spelled correctly), servers understand and speak English too!!
-cleaner than your typical restaurant
-huge portion sizes that actually taste good, always hot
-they accept CREDIT CARDS!
Cons: (sums up every authentic Chinese restaurant)
-dirty washrooms
-packed like sardines
-limited parking
Like I said.. Authentic! :) -
Review from Doris L.
Vancouver, BC
3/8/2011
Dim Sum here is awesome.
It is a great value and quality kind of diu sum and it is really authentic tasting. I like it so much that I think it made up for that time were were seated right by the front table and the overflow of people (sounds gross) that were waiting were standing right by our table. It doesn't get more dim sum feel than that.
The service is slow at times especially if you are requesting anything extra like chopsticks or spoons.
They are good about getting your water for your tea though.
But like everyone mentioned the line-ups are huge, so make a reservation ahead of time. -
Review from Theresa W.
Vancouver, BC
2/13/2011
Had high expectations when I came here for dim sum the other day, and the place did not disappoint! In a nutshell, gigantic dim sum, great tea, and good service.
1. Make a reservation. The restaurant is quite small, and even at 2:15pm, they had people waiting for tables.
2. The Goods:
Get the siu mai. No seriously, get the siu mai. The shrimp dumplings are just as gigantic, but the sui mai are so flavourful (pork, shrimp and mushrooms). Other winners: the deep fried shrimp roll and the stir fried turnip cake.
3. The Okays:
The rice rolls are decent. They've got a great amount of stuffing, but the skin is pretty thick as well. The hand-shredded chicken was mediocre, Koon Bo serves the best hand-shredded chicken I've had so far.
4. The tea is delicious here. At first I was skeptical since the leaves were very shredded, but it was one of the better teas I've had at a restaurant in Vancouver (the top being at Top Gun Hot Pot).
Overall, I love this place. It took me forever to get to by transit though, and it's pretty out of the way for me (I basically went all the way there just to try this restaurant, and then made my way back home). This will be my new go-to place when we have out of town visitors, just to show them that we're not just a sushi city!Listed in: Transit-Friendly Dim Sum!
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Review from David L.
Updated - 5/5/2011 4 photos
Gee, they must have listened to Johnson C. They raised their prices. In addition, the portion sizes are mucher smaller for the dinner menu. I ordered a beef tenderloin with fried milk dish and the beef portion size was almost equivalent to a single Michelina's meal from the frozen section.
On the plus side, all of the dishes are cooked on a properly hot, seasoned wok. You won't find soggy undercooked stir fried Chinese food at this place. The stir fried prawns are among the best I've had at a Chinese restaurant.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/16/2009
This is the best Chinese restaurant in Vancouver for ultimate quality and value. Prices are very… Read more »
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Review from Alan Y.
4/30/2011 2 photos
The xiajiao (ha gao) and xiaomai (siu mai) were freaking huuuuuuge. I've never seen dim sum this big before. It was pretty obscene.
We went on a Friday morning and the joint was packed. The service, like at most Chinese restaurants was curt but expedient. Items are ordered off a menu and brought directly from the kitchen (I burned my mouth off a few times).
I have a quarter in my photos to illustrate the scale of the food. I guess size does matter. -
Review from Jaye L.
Vancouver, BC
3/18/2011
I keep coming back! Don't be put off by the long lines, their dim sum makes the wait worth it (though I usually call ahead for reservations). Their affordable portions are huge (as compared to Hon's and -ugh, Kirin). The quality is also top-notch. I always order the shrimp dumplings, siu mai, flat rice noodles, pan-fried shrimp & chives... I think the dimsum is served until 230-3pm.
However, when I brought my younger brothers here, they said that everything tastes the same (like shrimp I suppose).
Oh, I went once for an early dinner and the prices got a LOT higher (at least there werent any lines -lol). Ordered peking duck, steamed fish (from their aquarium), yang -all good but nothing exceptional.. I just remember the bill costing me almost a hundred bucks. -
Review from Stephene C.
Vancouver, BC
Updated - 8/18/2011 3 Check-ins Here
I've downgraded the amount of stars because the second time we came here they misplaced our order sheet, so we sat for quite some time waiting for our food. But still, the dim sum is huge and tasty which made for a very happy me and washed away all the anger for having to wait a little longer for the food.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/27/2011
Delicious! Went here for Dim Sum today and it was tasty and satisfying. The Dim Sum pieces were… Read more »
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Review from Johnson C.
Vancouver, BC
8/5/2010
I rarely give out 5 stars - especially for Chinese restaurants. I'm far too jaded for it - but yet, here I am giving Western Lake top marks and I'm adding that I wished they increased their prices.
Yes - INCREASE THEIR PRICES.
I hate waiting in lines. When in a queue, my urge to kill rises. When in a line-up for dim-sum - when I'm hungry, getting crowded and elbowed by Chinese grannies that think they are in a roller derby and watching seated diners leisurely sipping on tea - my thoughts turn darker. "Perhaps some buckshot mouthwash would be better than dim sum today", I think. There's no wonder why an entire episode of Seinfeld was dedicated to waiting at a Chinese restaurant.
There's usually a huge line-up for dim sum on Victoria & 34th on any given morning. The reason? Top notch dim sum - the quality and presentation of the dishes at Western Lake is sublime. I've been here several times and have yet to encounter a dish that disappointed. This consistency is extremely rare.
The decor is tasteful despite being extremely cramped - the restaurant is small and they try to cram as many people in as possible. Dim sum service is done via order sheets because dim sum carts here would be like trying to move a rickshaw through a Tokyo subway car during rush hour. As the joint is busy, service can suck at times as the servers are trying do their job whilst weaving between occupied chairs, tables bursting with food and agitated queuers hawking over tables.
That fact that it's in East Vancouver - where the entire Victoria strip is full of competition - means Western Lake has to provide good value as well. Prices are very reasonable and the portions are just as big, if not bigger, that most other places. In Vancouver, seafood is relatively cheap and plentiful - so even the worst places would have dishes crammed with seafood. However, the har gows at Western Lake still seem like a magician's hat - just replace handkerchiefs with shrimps and scallop.
So it's not difficult to see why it's so popular - food is top tier and a great value - as long as you can tolerate the line-up, crowd and slow service. Yes, I'm surprised to say it too - but I would gladly pay higher prices here if it meant shorter or no lineups. Sure it lose the bargain factor that I value so much, but ya - I think the dim sum here is that good. Or that I think my maintaining my mental health is worth a few extra bucks.Listed in: East Van Eateries, "You're the best! Around!", Yum Cha
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Review from Nina H.
10/24/2010
Absolutely legit dim sum. Biggest siu mai and shrimp dumplings I've ever seen/eaten in my life. Like I said, legit.
The thousand year old egg and shredded pork congee was really amazing as well. I'd have to say that congee works a lot better than pho when it comes to curing hangovers. Not me, but my friend enjoyed it so much she had many servings :)
But sometimes when I make the 2.5 hour drive up to Vancouver for the day to eat... I often commit two of the seven deadly sins. Sigh. Well, the first one is obviously gluttony and the other, well, greed. Hahahahaha.
I definitely ordered way too much for the four of us. Chicken feet overload!!! But everything about Western Lake was amazing. I had never really had fried turnip cake before with XO sauce and that was one of my favorite dishes! The service was pretty en pointe too. The server made sure to clear our plates and refill our waters every so often. Definitely unusual at a busy Chinese restaurant.
Also, I made reservations for 1 p.m. and we got there at 1:20 p.m. because of border delays but we were seated quite soon after that. We waited for maybe 10-15 minutes? Not bad at all considering I am giving this amazing joint five stars!!!
I'm surprised there aren't more reviews for this place but NOT surprised that this place has a full five stars :) Well deserved. Hope to be back soon!Listed in: Vancouver BC Eats
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Review from Joyce P.
Vancouver, BC
1/11/2011
Tons of people rave about Western Lake's dimsum. The huge portions at pretty darn reasonable prices.
I've been here a few times, the dim sim is good. It's not spectacular mind you, but when you've got a hankering, this place will do the job.
Last week I came for a gf's birthday and we ordered a banquet. Those who know me know I LOVEEE banquet dinner. It is one of my reasons for existing...yum yum yum. Ten courses of chinese food, what more can a girl ask for?
As with their dim sum, the food was tasty and fresh for the most part. I had a problem with the steamed tilapia being too fishy and the lobster that we got was teeny weeny =(
But all in all, service was really really great. They gave me free birthday buns and we ordered the baked tapioca pudding for the end and it was truly amazing and one of the best that I have ever had. Yummy in my tummy! -
Review from Michael C.
Vancouver, BC
3/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've been finding myself saying "It's not how I remember it to be," quite a bit since I've return back to Vancouver.
Food:
Used to be cheaper, but can't blame them with raising food prices and such.
Don't get the siu loung bao, it's the worst I've ever had. Very little juice and the dough was so thick that it was dry and they cheap out on the meat.
Shu mai, was pretty good, but they used to use more pork. Now it seems like pork is only there to bind the shrimp together. Most place are using a lot more shrimp than pork now (my mom explains, "Cause pork is more expensive than shrimp now!!!!") BTW, these are huge!!!
Supreme dumpling soup was ok, however the broth was a little salty and taste more like msg powder mix.
The rest of the food was pretty good; I was just merely mentioning the ones to possibly avoid or get. Most of the items are pretty big, prices are fair, and they have 2 menus English or Chinese. Don't worry, they are the same price lol.
Service:
Good. What you expect from a typical Chinese restaurant and just like any typical place like this, don't get a bad seat there you need to flag them down.
The Rest:
Super busy, but don't worry my little dim sum, the doors open at 9 and there is barely any wait around that time lol. Just be prepared to wait outside for a table sometimes.
Some days it's hard to find parking in that area. I had to walk 1.5 blocks in the rain.
I would have given this place 4 stars, but the siu loung bao ruined it for me. If it's not good, don't serve it! -
Review from Judy H.
Vancouver, BC
8/14/2011
Flavor's there, but the enormous size and portion kind of ruined it for us. I wished for more inventiveness and presentation over quantity. Service was super friendly, though.
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Review from Kristina C.
Vancouver, BC
1/21/2011
When it's time for a family dinner, we rarely go wrong when we come to Western Lake. The food here is very tasty, the portions are generous, and the prices are reasonable.
The service here is better than most Chinese restaurants, and although the restaurant is usually busy, the servers are attentive and speedy.
Surprisingly, I don't think I've ever come here for dim sum! I think it's the throngs of people waiting outside the restaurant that scares me off. But I would definitely be willing to try it one day when I'm feeling patient enough. -
Review from Annie W.
Vancouver, BC
9/24/2010
My favorite dim sum restaurant! The price is right. They serve fresh dim sum (not that frozen crap) and the portions are of good size. Usually, my friends and I cannot eat more than $35 altogether. Service is above average, but the food makes up for it :)
It is a bit cramped and it is quite noisy (so a crying infant wont annoy anyone) and the wait is usually always around 10 minutes or more, so get there early! (I am referring to 9 or 9:30 am). Parking, although free, is hard to find once the crowds arrive, so again go early! -
Review from Mark H.
11/1/2010 1 Check-in Here
A rare attribute of Chinese restaurants is being greeted properly instead of "HOW MANY?!" being the first and only words spoken as you walk in. The FOH lady was smiling, polite, and very welcoming (bonus points).
We ordered chicken and taro in coconut milk hot pot, eggplant and tofu something, and peppered squid with a green veggy (no idea what it was). All dishes were solid, with the eggplant/tofu being my favourite.
Out of all the Chinese restaurants in the GVRD I have tried, Western Lake is definitely the most authentic. My Shanghainese gf blessed this with a 5*, so it is that legit.
I wish we had brought more people so we could have sampled more dishes as the 3 we got were more than enough. They even dished out free green bean dessert soup.
Based on the other reviews, I will definitely come back for their dimsum as well as try the rest of their many many selections.
This is Chinese done right. None of that dreaded lets throw everything in a crappy over corn-starched tasteless sauce kind of cooking.Listed in: Chinese Chowdown
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Review from Simon K.
Without venturing into Richmond, there are some real good Chinese restaurants, and this is by far one of them that is on the list. The place is located right on Victoria Street and 34th. It is a small restaurant that does not waste elbow room. This place gets packed on a daily basis, from the lunch time crowd (dim sum) to the night time dinner crowd.
When someone is saying to meet up here, your probably going to be waiting an extra 20 minutes to get seated. Best thing to do, even right before you go, is call, and make a reservation. If your lucky, and this happens rarely, you will be seated right at the time you specified for your reservation.
The food here is top-notch Chinese cuisine. The dim sum is made right when you order it, as there is an order sheet where you check off what you want, and the translations on this sheet are pretty much accurate. The food quality is top notch, and very tasty, worth the trouble to find parking, wait a little and eat.
Their dinner is also splendid, as you will find that the prices are resonable. My family loves coming here, for their selection and preperation of the food. There is this melon pot that they have, and that is always reserved with your reservation. Also their baked tapioca dessert is also reserved, so you know this is good too.
It is good to know that the Victoria Street area has a great restaurant like this, with all the Chinese that live around here. Also knowing that you do not have to leave the area, or go to Golden Swan for good Chinese food. -
Review from Gina I.
I came back a second time within 5 days and it was super busy! We had the beef gai lan, wor wonton soup and cashew chicken. All was good and we had leftover (lots!) for lunch. I love this place.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/26/2011
I had some people in from out of town that wanted an authentic chinese meal.. And since we live down… Read more »
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Review from Daniel L.
3/31/2011
I did a dine an dash here the other day for a dim sum lunch, ordered 3 small menu items after weeks of craving dim sum (and the return of my taste buds) and reading these great reviews... Two of three items get 10/10 marks for quality, flavour, & price. I found the staff very friend to me even if i didnt speak their native language. The place was totally packed I was the only Caucasian there, lots of families and all age groups, I noticed many a clients taking orders or left overs home (good sign). My bill food came fast and my bill was $13 I will be back for a full on dim sum experience with plenty of hunger room.
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Review from Bertie Y.
6/27/2011 1 photo
This place has far better dim sum than what I've had back home in SF...even in Chinatown. I LOVE the fact that the portions are HUGE. I couldn't believe my eyes that the har gow and the shiu mai were so big. It's almost the size of my fist! Everything we ordered from the chicken feet to the spare ribs were all big in portion and very tasty. This place does get crowded for dim sum so either get there early or make a reservation (that's what I noticed with other people who just walked in). I don't think I can find better dim sum than here...unless I go back to China. LOL. I guess I'll have to settle with what I have back in SF =/
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Review from Lucinda C.
Vancouver, BC
12/28/2010
You get your money's worth! the portions are huge and at a reasonable price. When I say huge, I mean twice the size of regular dim sum. We go there just because of the portions. I've eaten dinner there and as well dim sum. I find that if I spend the same amount of money at 2 different Chinese restaurants for dim sum, I'll be taking leftovers at Western Lake for sure.
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Review from Steve K.
Richmond, BC
8/10/2009
HK dim sum at its best, and no room for carts! My wife's girlfriend reminds me of the Hargow (shrimp wrap) on steroids! There is a good dim sum menu to satisfy all. We like the congee there too - very tasty! From rice wrap, chicken feet, oodles of noodles, and spicy fried tofu..... mmmm ... I'm getting hungry just writing the review.
We stop her all the time for dim sum as well as others; so you know its fresh and good. Busy from 10am till 2pm so be prepared to wait for a table. -
Review from Dixie D.
Vancouver, BC
9/4/2011
Big problem with this restaurant is that they serve Shark's Fin Soup. Too bad as we didn't even sit down.
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Review from Karen N.
Vancouver, BC
2/1/2011
made a reservation for 7 at 12:30pm, they actually seated us (without having to wait for the whole party) by about 12:40!
As Everyone else has raved..
MASSIVE dumpling sizes
Very Reasonable Prices (we stuffed ourselves and had leftovers and it was $60 for 7 people)
Tasty, Hot and good variety of dim sum!
Would definitely go back and be less greedy when I order! -
Review from Jeff M.
Vancouver, BC
6/20/2010
One of the best chinese restaurants in the east side imo. Excellent dim sum and yes no carts. Usually have long waits to get in so reservations are a good idea.
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Review from Xixi L.
Vancouver, BC
10/20/2009
Arguably some of the best dimsum I've ever had in this city. Make damn sure you call ahead of time to "make a reservation". By that I mean call ahead of time and get your name on the list so instead of waiting 2 hours for a table, you'll only have to wait 1. The place is jam packed with as many people as they can squeeze in. I'm certain they're not adhering to fire code max capacity regulations. There's no room for carts so everything is ordered off a menu. The servings are gigantic, the presentation of each dish is beautiful, and the prices are amazing for what you get. Just be prepared for mediocre service and insanely busy, people all over the place frenzy-ness. Reminds me of a real traditional dimsum place in Hong Kong sans carts, just short of me walking into the kitchen myself and grabbing whatever I wanted like the locals do.
