Rating / 3 out of 5 stars

Xu’s Wonton House in Crystal Mall’s food court are the new owners of the stall previously occupied by Wang’s Shanghai Cuisine. With new owners come expectations, or doubt. Can they do well and keep up with the previous owners’ success or will they flop like a fish? The menu has remained relatively the same, but what about the taste?

(Above: Xiao Long Bao in a bamboo steamer.)

We ordered our usual: Shanghai mini wontons in soup, regular wontons in soup and Xiao Long Bao. I eat with my eyes first, and my eyes were telling me these were not the same dishes.

Tre’s Shanghai mini wonton wrappings were nice and light, but the meat was scarce. Some didn’t have any at all. The broth however was comfortably piping hot.

My empty wontons were swimming with large strands of seaweed and dried shrimp. The broth was a bit bitter and more concentrated than Wang’s. The large pieces of seaweed were clumped together in chunks. I wanted to enjoy my soup, but I couldn’t.

(Above: Shanghai style mini wontons in broth.)

The Xiao Long Bao was juicy, but missed — just missed the mark. The wrapping was thicker, making the soup dumplings heavier. It was good, but if you’ve tried Wang’s before, then you’d be bitten with a slight disappointment.

Our bill came to just under $13 which is about what you’d expect for Chinese food court meals. I’m not sure if we came on a off day or Xu is still ironing out their kinks, but the food doesn’t quite match Wang’s. The new owners, however, are much more friendlier than the previous. For now, we’ll just have to get our dumpling fix elsewhere.

Perfect for: Runner up for best food court xiao long bao.

The Details

Crystal Mall Food Court
4500 Kingsway, Burnaby
604.909.6688

Rating / 3 out of 5 stars

Red Star Seafood is a Chinese Seafood restaurant located on Granville Street’s Marpole area. It’s a pleasant looking establishment with a formal atmosphere and comparatively upscale decor, but how do their dim sum dishes stack up?

(Above: Deep Fried Yam Balls sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.)

Red Star’s decor is nice, outfitted with crisp, white linens and meticulously placed cutlery and dishes. Servers are uniformed in vests over white collar shirts.

There were four of us this quiet morning. We selected a number of dishes: deep fried pork sweet dumplings, steamed pork shui mai dumplings, steamed crystal prawn dumplings, rice rolls with three kinds of mushrooms, steamed mushrooms with fish tofu puffs, and fried bean curds purse with bean leaves and prawns. And for dessert — deep fried yam balls.

(Above: Steamed mushroom rice rolls.)

While the dishes presented nicely, the flavours felt tame, with many dishes verging on boring. The exceptions were the fried bean curd purse: crispy, paper thin wrapping bean leaves and generous portions of prawns. And the yam balls, covered with sesame seeds, and delicately fried to a honey coloured crisp with just the right amount of sweetness.

(Above: Fried Bean Curd Purses stuffed with prawns and bean leaves.)

Our bill including taxes and tips for four people came to just under $60 — not the cheapest, and not the most memorable meal either. The service was efficient, but robotic. I was hoping for more from Red Star. However, if you’re in the area, you might want to give it a try and experience it for yourself.

Perfect for: well behaved dim sum.

The Details

8298 Granville Street
604.261.8389

Rating / 2 out of 5 stars

Honolulu has a pretty interesting Chinatown, bustling with activity, old buildings, fruit stands and numerous trading companies selling all sorts of knick knacks. Little Village Noodle House fits comfortably into the neighbourhood, but delivers a meal that doesn’t quite resonate with the same soul.

(Above: The appropriately named Dried Green Beans in Chili Garlic Sauce.)

Inside, Little Village is quaint, clean, with faux-Asian decor mixed with an island vibe. Numerous out-of-towners sit gawking at the menus while friendly yet disinterested staff attempt to make recommendations for undecided patrons.

(Above: Patrons at the Little Village Noodle House)

Case and I began with the green beans which arrived looking nice, but was overcooked and under seasoned — the chilis barely registering on the thermometer, and the texture mushy. Next, the crispy fried noodles drowned in gelatinous sauce and carelessly heaped boneless chicken and veggies. It appeared Chinese, but tasted like a meal you could buy in the frozen section of the grocery aisle.

(Above: Boneless Chicken over somewhat crispy noodles and veggies.)

Our meal with rice came to over $27 with tax and tip, a price not worth paying for what amounts to food-court equivalent Chinese food lacking soul and flavour.

Perfect for: Tourists.

The Details

1113 Smith Street, Honolulu
808.545.3008
littlevillagehawaii.com

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Rating / 4 out of 5 stars

Honolulu’s Side Street Inn is a Sports Bar. It’s a greasy spoon, a watering hole, and it’s a local landmark. This unassuming restaurant, which is literally located on the side street of Hopaka, serves up a primarily Asian menu: Korean Kal Bi finds itself at home next to Teriyaki chicken, Chinese fried rice and fried pork chops.

(Above: Side Style fried rice. Char Siu, Portuguese Sausage, Bacon, Peas, Carrots and Green Onion.)

We first heard about Side Street Inn from Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservation, when he met up with Colin (the owner) and a number of local chefs to dine on a feast of Asian comfort food. Side Street Inn is a bag of contradictions. The restaurant has nary a grand entrance, yet valets are jumping in and out of luxury cars and hoopty rides alike. Inside, it really does feel like a seedy sports bar: cluttered, aging, and oddly comforting.

(Above: Side Street Inn’s own Rogue Ale brew served unceremoniously in a Coors Light branded glass.)

Case and I started with a beer. Side Street has its own brew, courtesy of Oregon’s own Rogue Ale. The lightly malty nectar was unceremoniously served up in a Coors Light glass. We started the feast with Side Street Inn’s own Side Style fried rice: a mountain of  rice fried up with Char Siu, Portuguese sausage, bacon, peas, carrot and green onions. This was as good a fried rice as you’ll get at any Chinese greasy spoon you’ll find back home in Vancouver.

(Above: Shrimp scampi. Black Tiger Shrimp sauteed with mushrooms, zucchini, and capers in garlic butter)

Next up, Side Street’s take on shrimp scampi. Instead of shrimp, though the cooks saw fit to replace them with perfect sauteed tiger prawns, tossed with chunks of zucchini, mushrooms, capers and drowned in garlic butter sauce. Sure, the execution felt a bit unrefined — the chunkiness can be awkward to tackle at times — but the flavours are all so tasty and satisfying.

(Above: Side Street Inn. Sports Bar. Dive. Greasy Spoon. Legend.)

Our meal clocked in at just under $40 including taxes and tips, which we felt puts Side Street Inn on the pricier end. However, they more than make up for it by the ridiculous portions and soulfully executed dishes. The decidedly unpretentious atmosphere; the humble yet skillfully cooked dishes make Side Street Inn a perfect stop for a comforting meal away from home.

Perfect for: a good, hearty meal big enough to serve a large Asian family.

The Details

1225 Hopaka Street, Honolulu
808.591.0253
sidestreetinn.com

Rating / 4 out of 5 stars

Chinese dessert places in Vancouver — with the exception of bubble tea houses, which seem to be popping up all over like pimples — are pretty rare. Richmond’s Bubble Fruity is one of those rare shops that serve just desserts and snacks — all made in house served with a smile and a side of character.

Bubble Fruity is a family run business that used to operate as a stand at the Richmond night market. Their success led to the birth of Bubble Fruity’s dessert shop on Saba Street, behind the Richmond Public Market. The place looks disorganized and deserted — making us wonder if it was worthing stepping in at all. The space is small and cramped with a handful of tables and chairs.

(Above: Papaya Almond Soup.)

Two simple menus are laid out on the table: one dessert and the other snacks, all within the price range of $2.50 to $4.50.

Tre ordered the papaya almond soup which arrived hot. Mini chunks of real payapa were swimming in a sweet, milky soup flavoured with ground almonds. The soup was slightly gritty from the almond grinds, but was delicious overall. I can imagine this soup tasting even better served cold.

My cold tofu pudding was refreshing. The ginger syrup was not overly sweet and was a welcome compliment to the otherwise subtle flavour of the tofu pudding.

(Above: Tofu Pudding with Ginger Syrup)

Our bill including taxes came to $11, which was a sweet deal. The operation is very mom and pop. Furniture, dishes and utensils are all mismatched and feel borrowed from someone’s home kitchen, but the owners are very friendly with a healthy sense of humour. The simple, home made desserts served with a smile make Bubble Fruity worth visiting.

Perfect for: Something light, something sweet and something different.

The Details

180 8188 Saba Road, Richmond
778.297.6820