Jump to content
  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Chinese in Vancouver 2002 - 2006


mamster

Recommended Posts

Oh, no! Is that the Hunan place that was on Main Street at Marine Drive? I didn't get there last trip, and was looking forward to trying it the end of this month. Any other Hunan restaurants in Vancouver?

I love Golden Szechuan (Richmond), and was savoring the chance to have something even more spicy...

So the 1st Hunan place is gone, replaced by Yang Wok Chinese Restaurant. So long, old oily slightly soiled but delicious friend, we hardly knew ye.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh, no! Is that the Hunan place that was on Main Street at Marine Drive? I didn't get there last trip, and was looking forward to trying it the end of this month. Any other Hunan restaurants in Vancouver?

I love Golden Szechuan (Richmond), and was savoring the chance to have something even more spicy...

I usually end up at crystal hunan across from crystal mall in burnaby. I haven't had much other hunan cuisine to compare it to really, but I've always really enjoyed the food here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh, no! Is that the Hunan place that was on Main Street at Marine Drive? I didn't get there last trip, and was looking forward to trying it the end of this month. Any other Hunan restaurants in Vancouver?

I love Golden Szechuan (Richmond), and was savoring the chance to have something even more spicy...

I usually end up at crystal hunan across from crystal mall in burnaby. I haven't had much other hunan cuisine to compare it to really, but I've always really enjoyed the food here.

That was mentioned upthread - I've been wanting to try it. Is it on Kingsway near Metrotown?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh, no! Is that the Hunan place that was on Main Street at Marine Drive? I didn't get there last trip, and was looking forward to trying it the end of this month. Any other Hunan restaurants in Vancouver?

I love Golden Szechuan (Richmond), and was savoring the chance to have something even more spicy...

I usually end up at crystal hunan across from crystal mall in burnaby. I haven't had much other hunan cuisine to compare it to really, but I've always really enjoyed the food here.

That was mentioned upthread - I've been wanting to try it. Is it on Kingsway near Metrotown?

Yep. on kingsway, across from abdul shawarma/bbq. They tend to get pretty busy last I went.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So, ARE we talking about the Hunan place on Main and Marine?

I didn't understand the answer. If it's gone, that's a real shame...

But there's a Hunan place in BURNABY???? How did I not know of

this? Hunan is my fave, but since there are so few around, Szechuan

does the trick. Must check out this place in Burnaby of which you speak...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes. 1st Hunan, previously of Main & Marine, is no more.

Chocomoo, are you talking about Red Star (place at Granville @ 64th)? It's not new, changed hands about a year ago or so - used to be the Granville Seafood something or other - but they have niced it up a bit. I had dim sum there on Saturday, and despite a lengthy wait, it was very good.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

^ Nonono, Red Star's around 67th & Granville, but this place is within the same block as Starbucks. The food is entirely different - this new place specializes in Northern Chinese & Shanghainese types of food. Much more rustic than Red Star's dim sum :smile:

We don't even bother going to Red Star on the weekends :wacko:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

But there's a Hunan place in BURNABY???? How did I not know of

this? Hunan is my fave, but since there are so few around, Szechuan

does the trick. Must check out this place in Burnaby of which you speak...

Yes, it's near Crystal Mall, as mentioned upthread. My mom has eaten there and says it's quite authentic.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh, no! Is that the Hunan place that was on Main Street at Marine Drive? I didn't get there last trip, and was looking forward to trying it the end of this month. Any other Hunan restaurants in Vancouver?

I love Golden Szechuan (Richmond), and was savoring the chance to have something even more spicy...

I usually end up at crystal hunan across from crystal mall in burnaby. I haven't had much other hunan cuisine to compare it to really, but I've always really enjoyed the food here.

That was mentioned upthread - I've been wanting to try it. Is it on Kingsway near Metrotown?

Yep. on kingsway, across from abdul shawarma/bbq. They tend to get pretty busy last I went.

inanimate, any insight on dishes at Crystal Hunan? What do you usually get, what is good etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

inanimate, any insight on dishes at Crystal Hunan?  What do you usually get, what is good etc.

Let's see... it's been a while. I almost always get started with the beef tripe appetizer. Not hugely flavorful, but sliced thinly and horrifically spicy in a back of your tongue, slow burning sort of way. It won't punch you right in the mouth, but you'll feel it in a moment.

There's a pork belly dish that's fantastic, served with a preserved green. Not your typical chinese mustard, but a darker woodier plant. A little rich, but if you love belly, it's great.

There's a lamb stiry fry (for lack of a better term) that's also amazing. Bell peppers and green onions if I recall correctly. I think I recall a strong cumin flavor which I love with lamb.

My mom quite likes the fish head dish. It's good, but I'm not one to eat boatloads of them.

A great stewed eggplant dish lives on the menu. the details about it I can't seem to remember.

Overall, I don't think I've had much there that I didn't like. I should really head there within the next week as I'm due to have a birthday dinner with the parents.

good luck there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

inanimate, any insight on dishes at Crystal Hunan?  What do you usually get, what is good etc.

Not hugely flavorful, but sliced thinly and horrifically spicy in a back of your tongue, slow burning sort of way. It won't punch you right in the mouth, but you'll feel it in a moment.

There's a pork belly dish that's fantastic, served with a preserved green. Not your typical chinese mustard, but a darker woodier plant. A little rich, but if you love belly, it's great.

There's a lamb stiry fry (for lack of a better term) that's also amazing. Bell peppers and green onions if I recall correctly. I think I recall a strong cumin flavor which I love with lamb.

My mom quite likes the fish head dish. It's good, but I'm not one to eat boatloads of them...

Mmm... these recommendations have my mouth a-watering. Will try to get there at the end of the month. Thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

we were in the area today, so we tried crystal hunan. got the chicken organs with white chili (hot hot), the dried bamboo shoots with ground pork (medium hot) and marinated pork heart (cold appy).

the chicken dish kicked my face in! it was so hot and painful, but in a good, refreshing way. wifey seemed fine with the spice level, but i was sweating buckets. the chicken organs were mostly gizzard...too bad i didn't detect any chicken hearts or liver.

the bamboo shoot dish was very delicious...i love bamboo shoots and the smell doesn't bother me a bit. spicy ground pork dishes always kick ass.

it was my first time having pork heart, and it was sort of how i imagined it...very firm thinly sliced muscle. similar to taiwanese cold meat apps.

the serving sizes are huge. i think you really have to go in groups of four or more to experience more dishes -- typical for chinese cuisine. we couldn't even finish half of what we ordered :biggrin:

our first hunan experience was pretty good, i'd say... as we were leaving, the stuff on other people's tables look really really good. saw some mini hot pots and what i think was that stir fried pork belly dish. must go back soon!

album of the moment: Kelley Polar - I Need You To Hold On While The Sky Is Falling - 2008
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the review! "Kicked my face in" is quite the descriptor.

REALLY makes me wanna go...

Just to clarify, though, is it inside the mall or outside? I'm in the area

fairly frequently around the library and Save-On and really can't recall

seeing this place.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the review! "Kicked my face in" is quite the descriptor.

REALLY makes me wanna go...

Just to clarify, though, is it inside the mall or outside? I'm in the area

fairly frequently around the library and Save-On and really can't recall

seeing this place.

It's across the street from crystal mall, on kingsway.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=4538+kingswa...om=1&iwloc=addr

Link to comment
Share on other sites

it's down the block from staples as well.

we finally finished the crystal hunan leftovers/doggy bag tonight. man it took a while.

more observations: the chicken organs dish has 2 types of chili -- a white pickled chili (actually not that hot) and chopped up small red chilies (super fire hot). it's almost like they consider chilies another vegetable -- the dish was 1/3 chopped up chilies.

album of the moment: Kelley Polar - I Need You To Hold On While The Sky Is Falling - 2008
Link to comment
Share on other sites

After reading an earlier comment, I decided to stop for dim sum in at the Red Star yesterday morning as I made my way to a noon flight out of YVR. The results were C+. OK har gow, good dried scallop and prawn steamed dumplings and so-so steamed pork buns. The har gow and scallop umplings were on steroids, which perhaps explains why there are lines on the weekends, but next time I'll just head on down road to Richmond.

By way of contrast, the dim sum offerings at Shaing Garden a few days earlier were excellent (with the exception of a steamed pork and chive dumpling that was a very poor imitation of the xiaolong bao served at Shanghai River, etc.) -- especially the har gow, which might be the best I've had in the Vancouver area.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Daddy-A: You can find the rice dish Lee is taking about at most Szechuan restaurants...though I'm not sure whether it's a Szechuan dish or not. It's pronounced "woah ba". (BTW--I hate this dish.  :raz: )

Actually the dish I am describing is "bo jai fan" - or little clay pot rice. A clay pot of steamed rice and preserved meats that is almost a one pot meal in its simplicity - and deceptively hard to do right. In HK - you see restaurants with jet burners lined up on tables outside cooking up little pots of rice as the weather cools. I have not seen this dish done properly in Vancouver - and not sure how you could make it at home. Not a simple rice cooker dish I think given the super high heat that I've seen used in restaurant preparations.

"Wo Bah" is crisped up sheets of rice (usually deep fried) with a sauce poured over the top - the classic sizzling rice dishes you seen on alot of old school chinese places - it's traditionally a northern dish. Completely different from 'bo jai fan'.

Last night my Mom and Uncle showed up in town, and we ended up on an impromptu trip to Northern Dynasty - which is about a block west of Jade on Alexandra Road. I'd link it but Google doesn't seem to know where it is. My Richmond connection also says it's next to Nan Chu, if this helps. (Edit: a search here has shown PaoPao has posted about this place a couple times: Northern Dynasty, 1180 - 8391 Alexandra Rd., Richmond, BC (604) 303-1192.)

I've never been before, but it is a pleasant little room. Stick to beer as there is no wine service (saw someone unplugging a bottle of Yellowtail though, the manager said they let you do that sort of thing - but you might want to phone ahead to check first). For the table we ordered XLB (v good, v soupy), fish poached in chili oil (great heat, not overpowering but good Szechuan buildup type of heat; fish I believe was tilapia), krispy puffed rice with shrimp broth (I've never had this before, so I am not totally sure but I think it is the wo bah that Canucklehead was talking about above; very good, the rice is neat as it soaks up the broth and becomes soft yet crispy, and the broth is nice and thick with shrimp, bamboo shoots and mushrooms), tea smoked duck (good skin, duck super tender but tea flavour a little too subtle - still as good or possibly / potentially better than SR), bean curd and fava beans (I was curious; it was okay, N really liked it but I would probably not order it again) and stir fried rice cake noodles with salt pork and cabbage (really really good, I love the noodles despite being so filling - great glutenous chew). All that plus 4 beers was $115, NIC tip. Steal! And we have enough left overs for another meal for 2 of us tonight. Based on one visit, I'd put it over Shanghai River, as the room is much cozier and the food just as good if not better, and cheaper.

Some other notes - Alaska King Crab was on for I think $11/lb or so, but they were huge ~9lbs. Peking Duck, super fantastic steal of a deal at $28 for a whole duck - the 2 courses we saw were skins in wraps (looked awesome - large cuts of skin instead of the usual smaller pieces - and housemade pancakes it looked like (as they were imperfect and a bit larger than usual)), and then the meat stir fried with some bean sprouts and peppers. Am not sure if you can sub in lettuce wraps instead, but probably. Also they had the 8 treasure stuffed duck for $48 or so.

Edited by BCinBC (log)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love the xiao long bao (umm, I am right that this is the correct name for those tasty steamed pork dumplings filled with broth?) from Shanghai River. I don't get a chance to eat there frequently, but crave it so. Is there anywhere in Vancouver that does pickup/delivery of this dish? Or is it one of those dishes that is only to be enjoyed fresh from the kitchen, not after a twenty-minute car ride?

I've had something of the sort from Connie's Kitchen, but the dough is so thick it can't even compare.

Laura Fauman

Vancouver Magazine

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Apologies if Northern Dynasty in the Aberdeen Centre in Richmond already mentioned, but they offer very good xiao long bao. Ba Guo Bu Yi used to have fabulous such dumplings but the owner returned to Beijing, despite the great success of her restaurant.

There is a hole in the wall Shanghaiese restaurant on Main towards about 37th Avenue on west side of Main. Not sure they are still there as I was there about a year ago, but it is uncompromisingly Shanghaiese, run by a young women not long immigrated from Shanghai. Perhaps someone can mention the name and status of this hidden gem.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Apologies if Northern Dynasty in the Aberdeen Centre in Richmond already mentioned, but they offer very good xiao long bao.  Ba Guo Bu Yi used to have fabulous such dumplings but the owner returned to Beijing, despite the great success of her restaurant.

There is a hole in the wall Shanghaiese restaurant on Main towards about 37th Avenue on west side of Main.  Not sure they are still there as I was there about a year ago, but it is uncompromisingly Shanghaiese, run by a young women not long immigrated from Shanghai.  Perhaps someone can mention the name and status of this hidden gem.

It's not Long's Noodle House, it it?

www.josephmallozzi.wordpress.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had one of the best Xiao Long Bao last night in a new Shanghai restaurant along Park Road in Richmond. It is super juicy and good. The meat has a slight hint of ginger. If you burst the dumpling, the juice will overflow the Chinese spoon. It's soooo good. The name of the place is Chen's Shanghai Restaurant and it on the same spot as the vegetarian restaurant on Park Road that just recently closed. It's along the same strip mall as the Chinese supermarket. The place is nice being fairly newly renovated. I always go to Shanghai Wind, going there at least once a week, but I think I'm gonna start coming here instead. The menu prices are just about the same as SW, without the long wait for tables.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I could use

Some xiao long bao -

Right about,

Now

The Shanghai Wind

shows me,

How

(excerpt from "Life in a Richmond Moment")

Memo - the longer the noodle, the bigger the house

Ríate y el mundo ríe contigo. Ronques y duermes solito.

Laugh, and the world laughs with you. Snore, and you sleep alone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For a white girl in Kitsilano, I'll take pretty much anyone's recommendation for Shanghainese xiao long bao that is available for pickup, or even better, delivery on the West side. Other than the unsure Long's nomination - anywhere else?

Thanks!

Laura Fauman

Vancouver Magazine

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We've been sampling the xiao long bao all over Richmond/Vancouver. What a surprise to find the BEST of all, per an earlier tip, at The Place Restaurant (great name, isn't it?) at 8028 Granville. It's open 11-11.

Not the delicate wrapper of Shanghai River, and still not as good as Joe's Shanghai in New York (or some places I've tried in Taipei and Shanghai), but overall the best in the northwest. The medium-thickness (less than Shanghai Wind's) wrapper holds a LOT of delicious broth. We even went back the next day to make sure it wasn't a fluke - and we were again happy.

Our happy memories of those xiao long bao (and a couple of other dishes I'll try to report on later) helped get us through the horrible 7+ hour drive home to Seattle yesterday...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...