Gosh. We really must've missed Dim Sum in Vancouver. Case in point, for the second straight day since returning from Florida, we went out for "Yum Cha". This time, it was a revisit at Bing Sheng (haven't been here for Dim Sum in 5 years). And just like the last time, they really must invest in a better quality awning as it looked disheveled and worn. Haven't they gone through like 3 of them already???
Anyways, we weren't here for that. Not sure a sexy awning would make food taste better... or does it? I guess I'll have to see... We started with the Fried Taro Dumplings which were crispy on the outside and not overly greasy. With just the right thickness, the layer of mashed taro was fluffy and moist. The filling was also very good with a decent amount of pickled vegetable. On the topic of vegetables, we got the obligatory dish being the Stir-Fried Pea Tips with Garlic. This was well-prepared with tender pea tips that still retained a mild crunch. With good wok heat and garlic, there was appealing flavour without a pool of water at the bottom.
Next up was Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll where the noodle was soft and relatively thin, yet still retained an elasticity. The fairly large shrimp were well-seasoned and exhibited a meaty snap. This was one of the better rice noodle rolls I've had of late. Onto more carbs, we had the Fried Turnip Cake with XO Sauce. Not sure why they put down pan-fried on the menu as they were clearly deep fried (much like all other places). Dunno, maybe it sounds healthier? Whatever the case, these fried cubes of daikon pudding were medium-firm with slightly crisp exterior. There was a bit of spice from the wok toss and the dried shrimp added aromatics.
Onto the most important items of the meal, we had the Haw Gow (Shrimp Dumplings) and Sui Mai (Shrimp & Pork Dumplings). For the ones we had, the haw gow were fantastic. The large pieces of shrimp had a buttery snap with a proper amount of moisture. We could really taste the sesame oil and white pepper as the filling was not over-salted. The dumpling skin was nicely steamed where it was thin with a slight chew. As for the sui mai, they were so big, it was a challenge to get to them out of the bamboo steamer. The whole pieces of shrimp had a nice snap while the pork had a slight bounce texture. There was a good balance of flavours with a nice accent from the shiitake.
As much as I loved the previous 2 dishes, my preference is the offal part of Dim Sum, especially the Honeycomb Tripe. In addition to the ample amount of minced garlic, there was some flavour from the peppers on top. Despite the presence of some spice, it wasn't enough to mask the slight gaminess of the tripe. In terms of texture, the tripe was soft with a bit of chew. So far, everyone was pretty good but that was not case with the Phoenix Talons (Chicken Feet). These were pale and over done. The skin was broken in many places and far too soft. Underneath, some of the cartilage had melted away. Flavours were okay though with garlic and sweetness.
With a similar flavour profile as the previous 2 dishes, the Pork Spareribs were seasoned with a good amount of garlic, a touch of black bean and diced peppers. In addition to being well-seasoned, the meat itself was well-textured with a nice bounce texture while being tender. Continuing on, we had the Fish Maw & Chicken. This was a fairly large portion where the chicken was moist and tender. The entire dish was properly seasoned with a big hit of ginger and garlic. We liked the large slices of shiitake and the colour of the wolfberries on top. The one fail of this dish was the fish maw as it was way overdone where it was practically melted away.
The kiddies had to wait awhile for their favourites which were the Shrimp Spring Rolls and Lo Mei Gai (Sticky Rice). Although they were small, the spring rolls numbered 4 which was enough for everyone. The shrimp, like in all the previous dishes, had a nice snap with once again, plenty of garlic. These were crunchy will minimal grease. As for the lo mei gai, the sticky rice was firm with some chew. The meat filling was on the saltier side with a good zip from the pickled vegetable. The use of banana leaves ensured that the rice did not stick.
Our last 2 dishes consisted of Fried Golden Tofu and Gwai Fei Bao (BBQ Pork Buns with sweet topping). Although the tofu was crispy and light, it was devoid of any flavour whatsoever. As for the buns, they were really good. The exterior was sweet and crispy while underneath, the pastry was soft and buttery. Inside, the BBQ Pork lean and sweet. As you can probably guess, we were pretty happy with the Dim Sum at Bing Sheng. Other than 2 dishes, everyone was on point and well-portioned. Definitely a good option for mid-ranged Dim Sum in Vancouver.
The Good:
- Above-average eats
- Good portions
- Decent service
The Bad:
- Washrooms in need of renovation
- Crowded
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