Top Shanghai Cuisine Restaurant - Richmond

[dimsumfan]

Heard a good report about "Top Shanghai Cuisine Restaurant" on Ackroyd Road in Richmond - especially that the xiao long bao (soup dumplings) are delicious.

Anyone have any tales to tell regarding this restaurant? Recommendations? Information on when it's open?

Thanks!

[~cayenne~]

Heard a good report about "Top Shanghai Cuisine Restaurant" on Ackroyd Road in Richmond - especially that the xiao long bao (soup dumplings) are delicious.

Anyone have any tales to tell regarding this restaurant? Recommendations? Information on when it's open?

Thanks!

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It's not exactly a new restaurant, but a new location, with all new furnishings, etc. (formerly was in a rather rundown small strip mall across from Richmond Centre Mall, Thai Son is there too; presumably a station for the Canada Line will be constructed in that area.)

[dimsumfan]

Cayenne, did you eat there, and what do you think of the food? Anyone else with tales to tell about the quality of the food there?

[~cayenne~]

Cayenne, did you eat there, and what do you think of the food? Anyone else with tales to tell about the quality of the food there?

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Nope, didn't eat there. It looked super busy though. There are pictures of various different menu choices as their signage! Looks like a popular place. Perhaps Canucklehead will check it out.

[Keith Talent]

Where on Ackroyd is it?

[Ling]

If you're standing in front of Richmond Center facing Shanghai Wind, it is in the strip mall to the left of SW.

[Keith Talent]

I kinda got the impression that's where is was, bu it has since moved to Ackroyd, or am I being dense?

[dimsumfan]

Wow... seems like a lot of people know about this place, but have yet to eat there!

A well-traveled friend told me they have the best xiao long bao he's ever had. That warrants a visit.

After all my Vancouver research, I'll be heading up to stay in Richmond for three nights next week, which means four days of "fieldwork" to back up the research! I'll be sure to report back my findings, as we'll likely do a few dim sum places, the Richmond Night Market, Yaohan Plaza, etc. Maybe I should check the eGullet protocols to see if it's possible to organize a gathering in case anyone wants to join in?

[Pam R]

Maybe I should check the eGullet protocols to see if it's possible to organize a gathering in case anyone wants to join in?

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Click here for the ISO policy.

Click here for the VBCWC ISO thread.

Pam

[canucklehead]

I think I have seen the signs for it in the same mall as Save On Foods and White Spot. Been meaning to check it out - the signage has made be curious. Should have stopped their last week instead of White Spot (which always seem like a bit of a mistake in hind sight).

[Keith Talent]

If I walked past a White Spot and saw my culinary hero chowing on a Triple O burger I think I'd cry. And I might become jaded and bitter too.

[BCinBC]

Should have stopped their last week instead of White Spot (which always seem like a bit of a mistake in hind sight).

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Well clearly you didn't have the turkey dinner with all the fixings and a vanilla shake for lunch. Yummy! (Only on the way down.)

If I walked past a White Spot and saw my culinary hero chowing on a Triple O burger I think I'd cry. And I might become jaded and bitter too.

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Phew, good thing he likes the Mediterranean Chicken Salad instead.

[Ling]

I kinda got the impression that's where is was, bu it has since moved to Ackroyd, or am I being dense?

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Nope, I think I'm the dense one here...sorry about that.

[Ling]

Went to Top Shanghai Cuisine today and it's definitely worth visiting. My favourite dish was the Hainanese chicken--it was really well seasoned and just delicious. A close second was the xiao long bao--thicker skin than SR, but the broth is really rich and the meatball is moist and not tough (as it would be if the meat had been overhandled.) The other dim sum items we tried were good (green onion pancake, and pan-fried pork buns) but I'll probably try something else next time. The pan-fried pork buns had a good amount of soup in them (almost as much as the xiao long bao, surprisingly, and my bf really liked them, but I felt there was a bit too much dough for the amount of meat inside.

[dimsumfan]

Ling, glad you got to Top Shanghai and enjoyed it. We made it there as part of our big weekend in Richmond last weekend. Still trying to figure out how I felt about the xiao long bao. Definitely good, but they still fell short of others I've tried outside of Vancouver/Richmond. And what's up with clear vinegar (and no ginger) instead of black?

We loved the hot and sour soup with wontons (though I would have liked a little more black vinegar taste there, too - maybe this restaurant doesn't like black vinegar?!?), but this restaurant was perhaps the most disappointing/challenging place of all those we tried. Maybe it was an off-night, but the seating and service were bad. I'll try to write more when I finally finish my food report on the weekend, which I'll post back in the other topic area where I asked advice for my Chinese food frenzy.

I'd like to give the place another try, though, as it sure seems to be a popular place! Dozens hovered near our table waiting for seating...

[Ling]

^Looking forward to reading your thoughts. Our vinegar (though white) had slivered ginger.

[~cayenne~]

Went to Top Shanghai Cuisine today and it's definitely worth visiting. My favourite dish was the Hainanese chicken--it was really well seasoned and just delicious. A close second was the xiao long bao--thicker skin than SR, but the broth is really rich and the meatball is moist and not tough (as it would be if the meat had been overhandled.) The other dim sum items we tried were good (green onion pancake, and pan-fried pork buns) but I'll probably try something else next time. The pan-fried pork buns had a good amount of soup in them (almost as much as the xiao long bao, surprisingly, and my bf really liked them, but I felt there was a bit too much dough for the amount of meat inside.

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Did you go for lunch/dim sum (looking at the time of your post) as opposed to dinner? Was it just the two of you (as opposed to the usual large groups for the dinner tables), was that a good choice for a time to try it?

Dozens hovered near our table waiting for seating...

Did you find this happened to you too? Didn't really feel comfortable when it happened to us elsewhere before, but figured it was an irregular occurence

[Ling]

Yes, I went for lunch...we got there just after 1pm and we were seated at 1:40pm It was just the two of us. The 2-4 person tables were being turned the quickest--I didn't see any of the 6+ tables being turned while we were waiting.

Yes, lots of people were hovering near all the tables in the front of the restaurant, since they don't have a waiting area. We got seated in a rather secluded corner, which was nice, but even if we weren't, I wouldn't be too uncomfortable eating near a crowd.

Edited July 30, 2006 by Ling (log)