Dim Sum @ Bing Sheng

My parents were talking about this new place on Renfrew that serves up good Dim Sum. Problem was that they didn't know the English name to it. However, the main problem was that we didn't have the phone number and couldn't make a reservation (place is crazy busy). Finally, dad found the newspaper ad and was able to make a reservation. BUT, upon his arrival, they FORGOT to write it down! That's not a great way to impress a new customer! They did give us the first available table; however, it was right at the entrance and we were cold throughout lunch.

One thing that irked me (and has nothing to do with the restaurant) is how people line up at the door and block the entrance. Even after a few loud "excuse me's", they didn't budge. I had to resort to pushing my way through, mumbling some choice expletives as I passed. People! If you have to take lining up so serious and cutthroat, you REALLY need a life! Anyways, the restaurant itself is very cramped, you will be up close and personal with the table beside you. It is crazy busy, so if you arrive at around 11:00am, be prepared to wait more than an hour. So why is it so busy here? Well, I have to say the Dim Sum is pretty solid for the price. The dishes average around $3.75 and the portions are good. Unlike one online reviewer who questioned the quality of the ingredients for dinner, I would like to say that this is not the case for Dim Sum.

We ordered the following items: Shrimp Spring Rolls, Haw Gow (steamed shrimp dumpling), Sui Mai (steamed pork and shrimp dumpling), Shrimp Cheun Fun (shrimp wrapped in rice noodle), Fried Wonton Skins with Sweet & Sour Sauce, Rice with Spareribs, Vermicelli with BBQ Duck and Preserved Vegetables and Daan Tat (Egg Tart). The spring rolls were impressively presented and full of whole shrimp. They were crunchy without being oily. The Haw Gow were good; but the shrimp inside were chopped up too much. The Sui Mai were full of shrimp and tasted really good. The Cheun Fun was packed with shrimp; however the rice noodle had more elasticity than other ones we've had. I thought it was good, but it's personal preference, some like it softer and some like it chewier. The wonton skins were good because the sweet & sour sauce came in a very large bowl packed with shrimp, scallops, chicken, pork stomach, peppers, onions and pineapple. It was a good compliment to the crispy skins.

The spareribs on the rice were very meaty and tasty. However, the rice was a bit mushy. The vermicelli was not exactly my favourite since it didn't seem to have enough "wok hay" (high heat for the wok). There are 2 ways in preparing this dish. There is a dry version and a wet version. The wet version has the noodles sitting in a bit of broth and the dry version is more flavourful and oilier. The version here at Bing Sheng seems to be neither. It was flavourless and it had no broth. Yet, the one positive of this dish were the large pieces of duck, which were just meat, no fat or skin. The egg tarts were fabulous. The crust was light and flaky, while the filling was not too sweet.

All items came very expeditiously; however, the service as a whole was very disorganized. Most of our requests were dealt with in an indifferent manner and the hot sauce we asked for took 3 tries. I wouldn't say the service was terrible; but it does need some work. I think Bing Sheng is a good choice for Dim Sum. It's inexpensive and on the whole, it's pretty good for the price. However, you might either want to come early or pray that they actually write down your reservation.

The Good:
- Food is good
- Inexpensive
- Good selection of Dim Sum

The Bad:
- Crazy busy, loooooong waits
- Tables are close together

Bing Sheng
1800 Renfrew Street
Vancouver, B.C.
604-215-1800

Business Hours:
9:30am - 11:00pm (7 days a week)