Dim Sum @ Kirin (Downtown)

Okay, I've finally done it. Every single location of Kirin, I have visited them all. No, it wasn't a lifelong dream of mine. Trust me, there are other good Chinese restaurants. I think the biggest reason it has taken me so long to visit this location is due to habit. Habit? Yah, for the longest time, we've been comfortable going to Victoria Seafood Restaurant for our Downtown Dim Sum. Don't get me wrong, Victoria is indeed good; but it was about time that we changed it up a bit. Now, it begs the question: why is it even necessary to visit all of the Kirins if it is essentially a chain restaurant? Here is the thing, as much as we consider chain restaurants to be consistent across the board, in reality that is never the case. This is even more true for Kirin. Probably the weakest of all the locations would have to be Coquitlam. The strongest? It's debatable; but I find that the Richmond location to be the best in my opinion (yah, it had to be Richmond...).

Now in terms of comfort, they are all very different as well. Naturally, the newer, specifically built locations such as Starlight, Coquitlam and Richmond are generally spacious and great for weddings. But, City Square has got to be the most claustrophobic being horrible for weddings. There are certain tables where all you see is wall. If you got stuck at that table, you would need to wonder where your friendship stands with the bride and groom! The newly renovated Downtown location is no better with cramped seating and pillars here and there. Also, it'd better be a small wedding because the restaurant ain't so big either. Although I must give them high marks for decor, the place looks amazing.

Another reason I was prompted to visit the Downtown Kirin had to be the recent visit by San Fransico's top food blogger Foodnut. He seemed to have a good experience... so... here we go! Much like Victoria Restaurant, there is validated underground parking. In fact, the reason that Kirin was closed for awhile (including the Olympics, epic fail!) was due to the relocation of the parking lot entrance from the front to the back. Now about that back entrance... Can they possibly make it MORE narrow??? I thought I was going to hit something for sure. My thoughts? Not a good idea when you have big luxury SUVs trying to navigate it.

Enough of my rambling, on to the food. We started with the Sui Mai (pork & shrimp dumpling). Immediately, I noticed the the colour was more pale than usual. This was a good thing since that meant more shrimp than pork. Ultimately, that resulted in a much lighter dumpling with great texture (that crunch you get from cold water shrimp). Furthermore, the large amount of shrimp resulted in a sweet and lighter tasting product. Of course we had to get the Haw Gow (shrimp dumplings). However, I would say they were quite disappointing. First, they were very small. I saw more bamboo steamer than dumpling. Second, we found the shrimp to be overseasoned. We could taste salt and little else. At the very least, the shrimp had a nice crunchy texture.

With the kiddies present, it was a no-brainer that we'd get the Shrimp & Taro Spring Rolls. In fact, there are 3 options for spring rolls including vegetarian, meat & veggie and the one we ordered. As much as I'm not convinced that taro and shrimp go together, I kinda liked it. Something about the aroma of cooked taro that appeals to me. It slightly upstaged the shrimp, which was crunchy - that means good. Something out of Melody's playbook, we got the Beef Meatballs (she loves meatballs, among other things such as beef tongue and shrimp heads). Despite what I thought was too much onion and cilantro, the meatball itself had a nice meaty texture without being tough.

For comparison's sake, we got the Shark's Fin Soup Dumpling. I long consider Victoria Restaurant's version to be one of the best, albeit very pricey. The one here at Kirin was alright. The consume was a bit on the bland side while the dumpling itself had little in the way of significant filling. Rather, it was mostly cilantro, green onion and undissolved gelatin. We got the Chee Fan (sticky rice roll), which is a dish usually found at Shanghainese Dim Sum. Consisting of a salty Chinese donut, pickled mustard greens and dried pork floss wrapped in sticky rice, this can be good if prepared correctly. Sadly, this one was not. The donut was fried beyond the point of no return. Despite the rest of the rice roll being good; the extremely crunchy (hard to chew) donut killed the whole thing.

On a more positive note, the Pan-Fired Rice Noodles with soy sauce was a winner. Not being overly oily or salty, the soft noodles exhibited the pan-fried exterior we all look for. The kids seemed to like it too, which in turn made me like it even more! With a fluffy exterior and a substantial amount of filling, the good ol' BBQ Pork Buns were good. I found that the filling had a good balance between savoury and sweet. It's too bad that these are such filler items. I ended up only eating half of one. I love them; but I certainly don't want to be full off of them! Typically, the Eggplant stuffed with fish mousse would be fried, plated and then topped with a black bean sauce just before serving or at tableside. However, in this case, it was fried, placed on a plate, sauced and them steamed. We felt that this was an epic fail since the steaming completely negated what makes this dish good. Generally, the freshly fried eggplant would be soft; but still have a nice crispy texture on the outside. However, this one became a mushy mess and the sauce was diluted due to the steaming.

At this point, we were quite full; but we got 2 more items anyways. It was Viv! I didn't order anymore, honest! So the dish she chose was the Spicy Beef Tendons. The tendons were very soft while still maintaining their shape. The sauce was indeed spicy while not to the point where it would scare anyone. This would've went well with either a bowl of rice or a bowl of soup noodles. By itself, it was heavy and a bit too much flavour. For our last dish, we got the Egg Tarts, which were mainly for the kiddies. At first, we thought that they might've been overcooked due to the considerable browning on the sides. However, the pasty was perfectly flaky and light. The colourful egg filling was lightly sweet and smooth.

It was a fairly decent Dim Sum for a surprisingly reasonable price. Kirin is by far the least expensive of the "big 3" Downtown Dim Sum restaurants. Imperial is the most expensive, while Victoria is not far behind. I feel that Victoria has the best Dim Sum of the 3; however, there is better (and for less) at restaurants out of the Downtown core. Despite the many issues with the food here at Kirin, it is a good option in Downtown considering the relatively reasonable prices compared to its nearby competition.

The Good:
- Reasonably-priced given its location, venue and food
- Nicely decorated dining space
- Free parking

The Bad:
- Dim Sum is mediocre
- Very tight seating arrangements

Boonies

*This location is now closed*

"Boonies? What? Are you saying we are going out to the boonies?" Yah, that's the response I got when I suggested we head out to Langley for some Southern eats. No one seemed to know what I was talking about. Even Hot Mama, who lives only minutes away wasn't aware of it. Mind you, she can get lost going from her car to the front door... I explained that Boonies used to be located in the Cloverdale curling rink. Predictably, it drew some more looks of confusion. At this point, I'm sure they thought I was committed or should be committed. Alright, it isn't the most logical location for a place that specializes in ribs, collard greens and black-eyed peas. When the lease ran out, Boonies was a restaurant without a home. Finally, we see the return of Bonnies in the Quality Inn Hotel right next to the Home Depot near 200th. No, that is not a misprint. It's inside the Quality Inn. Of course the response was: "So let's get this straight. You want us to head out to Langely, to the Quality Inn for some down home Southern cuisine?" I gotta hand it to them, everyone was game.

Now if you have a GPS, it is unlikely that you will get an exact location on the place (at least it didn't show up on mine). The Quality Inn is located within the same complex as the Home Depot. So if you can find your way to the Home Depot parking lot, you'll find Boonies. They're still working on the actual signage. For now, a simple sandwich board will point you in the right direction. Being that the place is quite new, everything is spic and span. I guess this is quite the upgrade from the curling rink! I "encouraged" everyone to get something different and I was quite pleased that Ma got the Pulled Pork Sandwich. I got to try some and it was decent. I thought the pork was a tad on the stringy side; however, I did like the sweet honey bourbon BBQ sauce, it went well with the meat. She enjoyed her sandwich; but she liked her fries even more. They were very crispy and aggressively seasoned. I was somewhat dismayed that Pomegranate and L-Pete both had the Half Rack of Ribs. At the very least, they got different sides. Now, if you were expecting fall-off-the-bone tender ribs, go to Montana's. The true Southern method of cooking ribs does not involve a pot of boiling water. Thus, the ribs will be a tad drier and chewier. Pomegranate prefers the Montana's type and hey, I don't blame him. I know it's sacrilegious and probably would make Boonie cry... Yet, I'm not afraid to admit that I like that kind too. L-Pete loved the ribs, so you can chalk this up to a personal preference thing. However, it was a consensus that there was an ample amount of meaty ribs. Although dressed with the same honey bourbon BBQ sauce, I found it to be more on the tomatoey sweet side. It wasn't as smoky as I'd hope. I guess the sheer amount, compared to the pulled pork sandwich, made for a different taste. As for the sides, Pomegranate had the Southern Mac 'n Cheese and Red Beans & Rice. L-Pete had the Collard Greens and Coleslaw. We both thought that if the mac 'n cheese had a bit more salt, the side would sing. Every other side was solid with nothing amiss.

Hot Mama ended up with the Boonie Burger which was a monster of a sandwich. It consisted of 2 patties, cheese, lettuce, tomato and BBQ Louisiana hot links. She remarked that she really liked the sausage. I tried my hardest to refrain from an obscene comment... Alas, knowing me, I said it anyways. Back to the sausage... It really gave the burger a kick of flavour and spice. However, the patties themselves were on the drier side. I ended up with the BBQ Chicken because no one else ordered it. Presented in 2 large pieces with a side of Black-eyed Peas & Rice and cornbread, this was a lot more filling that it looked. I thought the chicken was quite tender considering the cooking method. Once again, the same honey bourbon sauce smothered the meat. For some reason or another, I find the sauce lacking a bit of depth. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad. For me, it's just missing something. I'm sure someone will disagree with me since the sauce is generally a personal preference kind of thing.

Ma was the only one of us with enough room to order dessert. Her choice was the Peach Cobbler with ice cream. We really enjoyed the flaky pasty, very nice. However, since peaches are not in season, canned were used. It didn't really detract from the dessert; but it's worth noting. I think the one thing that can sum up the meal at Boonies is "different". It is in a category by itself since there is not much like it around the GVRD. Sure, there is Montana's and Memphis Blues; but that's like comparing apples, oranges and peaches. None of them are exactly alike. There is Ozark's nearby and that is not really all that similar either. My conclusion? It can only be left up to each individual persons' personal preferences.

The Good:
- Definitely something different
- Fairly decent portions

The Bad:
- Depending on your preferences, the ribs are either too chewy or just right
- Again, depending on your preference, the BBQ sauce could be just right or too mild

Dim Sum @ Victoria Seafood Restaurant

One of my first few posts ever was on Victoria Seafood Restaurant. That was back in 2008 and I had not yet separated posts on Dim Sum from dinner service. Why the separate posts you may ask? Well, I believe that Dim Sum is a completely separate entity from dinner. Not only are practically all the dishes different between the two meals; most of the time, the chefs are different as well. So it's like practically going to 2 mutually exclusive meals at the same restaurant. Therefore, with urging from some people, I will end up with 3 different posts of Victoria. Three? Yes, they also have an AYCE hot pot meal during the winter months, which I blogged about here. Today, I'll focus on Dim Sum.

In a city where the metropolitan population consists of almost half Asian, there is not a whole lot in the way of Dim Sum within the Downtown core. Other than Victoria, the only other restaurants offering a full-service Cantonese Dim Sum lunch are Kirin and Imperial. Naturally, attached to the exclusive location, there comes a cost. Imperial is on average the most expensive of the bunch with Kirin being the least expensive. Victoria falls right in the middle. Although there is a lot of room for debate as to which one is the best, it ultimately rests on the shoulders of each individual. Now if we base it on value alone, we can rule out Imperial because it doesn't offer anything particularly better than the other two. Furthermore, it is the most expensive and there is no validated parking. By virtue of being my parents' favourite Dim Sum joint, I am very familiar with Victoria. Despite this fact, I won't be biased here. There are indeed many more better choices for Dim Sum in the GVRD. The one thing going for them, along with Kirin and Imperial, is their Downtown location.

For today's meal, we got pretty much the most popular dishes starting with the Pan-Fried Buns. I consider this to be one of their signature items since no other place does it right. Most other places, including Shanghainese restaurants, have buns that are very doughy and thick. The ones here more filling than bun. Furthermore, it is fried up nice and crispy on the bottom. Of course we had to get the Shrimp Dumplings. Honestly, for the price, these dumplings are not worth the money. There is nothing inherently wrong with them, the shrimp is crunchy while the seasoning is delicate. But, there are better for less elsewhere. I must give kudos for the Sui Mai though. For such a simple dumpling, there are many times that they don't turn out right. There is a fine line between the pork being too soft or too chewy. Although not aesthetically pleasing to look at (a little tobiko on top would help), they have a good balance between pork and shrimp.

A favourite of mine is the Offal Hot Pot. Yup, all the goodies are in there such as tripe, tendon, lung, brisket and daikon. Other than the tendon being slightly on the softer side, all the other components are cooked correctly and not
overseasoned. Perfect for dipping into hot chili oil or better yet, their house-made XO Sauce (which is a combination of dried scallops, shrimp, garlic, chili and oil). Another signature item has to be the Shark's Fin Soup Dumpling. It is essentially a large dumpling filled with shrimp, pork, cilantro and gelatin in a chicken consume with a few pieces of shark's fin. Sure there are many places that serve a variation of this; but I feel that the one on the whole is executed quite well. From the ample filling to the delicious broth, it tastes expensive. And honestly, it is expensive at $6.25 a bowl.

One of the more expensive items on the menu are the Rice Noodle Rolls. I've had them all and they are indeed good. Packed with plenty of ingredients in a soft rice flour noodle, these are made with care. The Seafood Yee Mein is generally not a standard item at Dim Sum; however, I just wanted to mention that the one here is pretty good. With a bevy of scallops, fish, shrimp and squid, this is both a filling and high quality dish. This pretty much sums up Victoria Restaurant in a nutshell (at least for Dim Sum that is). Food has all the right quality elements and execution is pretty good for Dim Sum. The dining space is comfortable, if not a bit odd. After recent renovations, it has got this Vegas-type thing going on. Not sure if I totally dig it to tell you the truth. Service can be spotty. Generally, it is courteous and efficient. At other times, it can be sparse and indifferent. It really depends on who you get as your server. Overall, if you must have Dim Sum in downtown and are willing to pay for it, Victoria is probably the best of the bunch (among Kirin and Imperial).

The Good:
- Food is made with care
- Ingredients are high quality and fresh
- Fairly comfortable digs

The Bad:
- Expensive
- Service can be excellent; yet also can be indifferent

Yummy Sushi

Here we go. The 3rd kiddie party in the past 2 days. The first was at Stanley Park and then the second ended up in Coquitlam. If you thought that was enough driving around, it gets even better! Try Abbotsford. That's right, we were doing the grand tour of the GVRD this weekend. Other than the time I went with Kim and Anita out to Ah-Beetz, I'm normally not out in Abby. However, we make the trek roughly 2-3 times a year since we have some friends out here. It had never occurred to me to eat out in Abby despite the repeated visits. Originally, with the suggestion of Cassandra Anderton who writes Good Life Vancouver, I had my sights set on Restaurant 62. Alas, it was not meant to be since we had the kiddies with us and apparently they no longer have mac n' cheese on the menu. On to plan B, which was Japanese food. I know, Abby is not synonymous with Asian cuisine.

Anyways, we took our chances and ended up at Yummy Sushi. It wasn't our first choice, but Sagano down the street was not open on a Sunday. Naturally, due to its location, we were the only Asians other than the staff and one other table. So, the "let's judge the place by counting all the Asians" does not apply here. After we had ordered, something strange happened. We got a complimentary appetizer, much like all the other tables in the restaurant. It turned out to be the Volcano Roll which is basically a California Roll that is deep-fried with sweet n' sour hot sauce and teriyaki sauce. We'd really wish they would've told us this since we had also ordered a similar roll. Thus, a double-whammy of fried sushi! Well, the roll wasn't too bad with a nice crispy coating. Due to the sushi rice being cooked by the frying, it was hard to tell if it was actually good or not. From what I can gather, it was a tad on the gummy side. We much preferred the spicy sauce over the bland teriyaki.

Now when we got our order of the Appetizer Sashimi, something looked a bit odd. To me, the slices of fish appeared to be "stiff". Furthermore, the tuna exhibited a slight discoloration at the edges. I mean, everything tasted okay, albeit on the chewier side. When I went to go to the washroom, the mystery was solved. Believe it or not... Each slice of sashimi had been pre-cut and were just sitting in the refrigerated display. That is a serious no-no! Just for that, I will declare their sushi-making blasphemous. I can't even begin to explain why that should never be done. Let's just say that texture, flavour, appearance, freshness and moisture are all compromised. Yes, I wondered about the authenticity of the place after discovering that; but to really drive it home, we got the Bulgogi. Isn't that a Korean dish? Yes it is and that explains a lot about the place. And you know what? The bulgogi was actually quite good. Lots of tender, well-seasoned meat served with rice.

Back to Japanese food, or what they pass off as Japanese food, for a minute here. We got the Oyako Don and if you've ever had this rice dish before, you might be confused at the picture. Why are there various vegetables on top of what are the normal ingredients such as egg, chicken, onion and sauce? If you care about authenticity, you might be inclined to cry foul; but to be honest, it was also decent. The rice was not too soft and completely sauced with the obligatory mirin, sugar, and soy mixture. The myriad of ingredients actually worked providing texture and flavour. It just wasn't an oyako don, that's all.

Well, the next dish was practically a repeat of the complimentary appetizer. We really regretted ordering the Double Dynamite Volcano Roll. Too much of the same! So if you go, don't order this, since you'll get it anyways. As always, we get the Tempura Udon for the kiddies. As for the tempura, it was decent. Crispy, not too oily and not overcooked, it was enjoyable to eat. Only complaint would be the excess batter on the ebi. The kids love it, I don't. As for the udon, I am very pleased when the tempura is served on the side since it just becomes a soggy mess otherwise. As you can see, it is served on the side. Then why on Earth did they add an obscene amount of tempura bits into the soup??? What ultimately transpires is that each spoonful of broth yields soggy bits that are akin to wet snot. The addition of veggies with the overly soft udon made this a complete miss. Honestly, the food was edible and some of it was quite alright. However, the atrocities committed against Japanese cuisine here are quite troubling because it ultimately affected the outcome of the food. Normally I use the phrase, "it's okay for (insert city)". But not in this case really since the sashimi thing just turned me right off.

The Good:
- Friendly staff
- Free appetizer
- Decent portions

The Bad:
- Authenticity shouldn't matter if the food is not negatively impacted; but in this case, it was
- Prices are a bit high

Ding Hao

After back-to-back kid's birthday parties, we were ready to pack it in. Honestly, one party is tiring enough! The first was out at Stanley Park and the second was at Build-a-Bear in Coquitlam Centre. I know this sounds pathetic; but we were getting quite tired watching 10+ bears being stuffed and dressed. 1.5 hours of that is enough to make any parent loony. The icing on the cake was the big dent on the side of my door courtesy of the T&T parking lot. I guess we don't need to be in Richmond to have some moron swing their door out with total disregard for other cars... Now that I was in no mood for anything really especially cooking, I just wanted some food. For some reason or another, Shanghai Restaurant (the restaurant we had in mind), did not seem to exist. Consequently, we ended up in front of Ding Hao resturant. Not knowing what to expect, I was about to just drive on by; but Viv convinced me to stay. Apparently this TBN/BBT joint has been around for quite a while and has been written up in the Vancouver Sun. It was certainly quite modern and clean inside.

As per my usual MO at TBN restaurants, I went for a plate of Assorted Marinated Items consisting of beef shank, beef tripe and pig's ear. I was quite happy that they served the sauce on the side. Normally, this oyster-based sauce can be quite salty which ultimately overwhelms everything on the plate. I was generally quite pleased with all the meats. The pig's ear had a nice chewiness to it while the shank was tender, if not a bit dry. We also went for a plate of home-made Boiled Dumplings which were also decent. I liked the slight chewiness of the dumpling wrapper. I could've done with less green onion in the filling though.

Predictably, I ordered the Spicy Tendon and Beef Flank Noodle. It seems like I always get this at a Taiwanese restaurant. There are 2 sizes available and guess which one I chose? The beef broth did not have as much depth as I would've liked and it wasn't really all that spicy either. However, it was still decent. With the generous amount of pickled mustard greens, there was a nice tang and crunchiness. I would've preferred the noodles to be more al dente; yet they were far from being mushy. I liked the soft tendon; but I found the flank a bit dry. For $10.00, I didn't consider the bowl of noodles to necessarily be a good value. After all, one could get a much bigger and better bowl of noodles at LSD (Lao Shan Dong). For the kiddies, we got a small bowl of Crispy Chicken Noodles. The noodles were a bit soft while the soup was quite good. It wasn't too salty while still being quite flavourful (hope it wasn't MSG). The accompanying crispy peppery chicken was quite average. Compared to the ones at Beefy Beef, these ones were heavier and more chewy. I also found them more peppery which is not necessarily a bad thing if you like pepper.

As mentioned, Ding Hao has been around for quite awhile. I guess being hidden behind Sushi Town doesn't help. Much like many other Taiwanese beef noodle joints, there is a wide selection of bubble tea. We weren't in the mood for any and didn't get to sample some... maybe next time. In terms of ambiance, the place is modern and clean. Service is friendly; but it is quite basic where you order food, get food, take away plates and get bill. Then again, some places don't even get that right. Overall, it is a decent place for TBN considering that there are not a lot of options nearby (especially since Pearl Castle in Poco is now closed).

The Good:
- Most items are decent
- Clean and inviting dining space
- Friendly service, if not basic

The Bad:
- There is better TBN, but not anywhere close by
- A bit pricey

The Roc

*At new location on 41st at Main*

Another Sunday morning hockey and another opportunity for eats. Yes, I've turned this sporting get together into another culinary event. Much like Friday night hockey and Monday softball, I turn my teammates into dining companions. So with JuJu, RBC and Kaiser Söze, we headed for Dim Sum. Not wanting to spend "Kirin" type money, we ended up heading to The Roc on Kingsway. When I used to live in Vancouver, this place was our "go to" Dim Sum joint when we would meet up with friends. In fact, we were regulars at their old location on Kingsway near 33rd. I hadn't been to The Roc for roughly 7 years and believe it or not, the owner lady recognized me right away! Either I look funny or I didn't change that much. I hope for the latter...

With the traditional push carts patrolling the small restaurant, it wasn't hard to get everything we wanted quickly. We started off with the obligatory Haw Gow (steamed shrimp dumplings). We were impressed with the size of these suckers. As you can see, they fill up the whole bamboo steamer. The shrimp filling was quite good, packed with crunchy shrimp devoid of veins. Only modestly seasoned, we could taste the shrimp. However, the dumpling skin was a bit gummy. The usual partner to the haw gow are the Sui Mai (pork & shrimp dumplings). For as long as I can remember, the shouts of "haw gow, sui mai" from the Dim Sum cart ladies, complete the atmosphere. Too bad so few places have push carts anymore. As for the sui mai, they looked good and tasted equally good. With a chewy texture exhibiting a nice "bite", these were also lightly seasoned. I could taste the pork while not so much that it was overwhelming.

For a reasonable $2.25, it will get you most items on the push carts. However, a few items command a slightly higher price at $2.80. This includes the Rice Noodle Rolls. We got one each of the shrimp and beef rice noodle rolls. Slightly on the thicker side, the rice noodles were still quite soft; yet still holding their shape. There was a good amount of properly cooked and prepared filling. I must remark that they really cook their shrimp properly here. Everything that had shrimp in it was done the right way. And that goes for the Scallop & Shrimp Dumpling as well. With a thin, albeit real piece of scallop on top, the shrimp was juicy, crunchy and not overseasoned. Still wasn't a big fan of the wrapper; but it wasn't a really big deal.

Then I ordered 2 dishes just to test out if RBC (our only non-Asian at the table) would be adventurous or not. Apparently he was not. I even tried putting the 2 dishes right in front of him to hopefully provide some motivation to try. He didn't bite and kept asking for BBQ Pork Buns. So what were the 2 dishes that didn't tickle his fancy? The first was the Phoenix Talons (or chicken feet). I guess to the uninitiated or those who never grew up with the stuff, the chicken feet do look a bit intimidating. For me, I like 'em and these ones were good. Soft and gelatinous underneath the fried skin, it had good flavour from the oyster-based sauce. The second dish was the Beef Tripe or in this case honeycomb tripe. I think RBC intentionally tried not to look at it. He just kept asking for BBQ Pork Buns. We assured him that they would come by. In the meantime, I kept pestering him to eat some tripe. He stood his ground and did not. Oh well, his loss! The tripe was the perfect texture where it is soft while still being slightly chewy. Flavourwise, there was none of that gamy tripe flavour which is a good indication that it had been run through cold water long enough. The sauce had a good balance between salty, sweet and a bit of spicy.

Alas, the BBQ Pork Bun did come around and we got an order to pacify RBC. He had no shame perpetuating the stereotypical non-Asian who is afraid of anything that doesn't look familiar. Next time, I'm going to stuff some tripe into his BBQ pork bun! And these buns were pretty fluffy with a nice amount of filling. In fact, we also got some Custard Buns and those were good as well, if not a bit too sweet. I could go on about the other 5 dishes we had (yes, we were hungry); but I'd be just repeating what I've been yakking about all along - The Roc offers up some decent (dare I say, "good") Dim Sum on the cheap. Sure, we were packed like sardines there and the service is sparse (they are nice though). Yes, there will probably be a wait as well; however, it's worth it in my opinion. As long as your expectations are realistic.

The Good:
- Cheap
- Dim Sum is surprisingly good
- Portion size is good for the price

The Bad:
- It's a tight fit and forget about ambiance
- Staff are nice; but service is very sparse
- Parking in the area sucks