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As hard as I have tried, I haven't visited all of the restaurants that serve Dim Sum in Richmond. Naturally, it is extra difficult when some of them change hands over and over again. That would've been the case with my recent visit to Sea Fortune. That location never seems to hold a restaurant for very long. Well with Sea Fortune out-of-the-way, it appears I'm getting closer in trying every Dim Sum joint out in Richmond. There is another that is tucked away on the second floor in a plaza on the corner of Blundell an Garden City Way. Yes, we made our way to Royal Seafood Restaurant to further my mission (is it impossible?).
So, not only was there a 20% off discount if you dine before 11:00am, but the Sparerib & Chicken Feet Rice was only $6.95. At times, the rice can be mushy and lacking in nuttiness, but this one was quite good. Chewy and aromatic, the rice was on point while soaking up the garlicky juices of the spareribs. About those ribs, they were meaty with a tender chew. Lots of flavour including some spice. Normally, we do not order a plate of noodles for Dim Sum, but with Cee Cee in attendance, we had to get the Singapore Fried Noodles (her fav). This was prepared pretty well with chewy noodles that were not clumpy nor too dry. There was enough curry and seasoning for impact and while it wasn't apparent in the picture, there was a good amount of buttery shrimp and BBQ pork.
Of course we got the usual suspects in the Ha Gau (Shrimp Dumplings) and Siu Mai (Pork and Shrimp Dumplings). Medium-sized with medium-thick dumpling skin, the ha gau were pretty good. Let's start with the positives first. I found the skin to have a good elasticity and it wasn't overly sticky. The filling was moist being a mix of whole pieces of crunchy shrimp and bouncy mousse. However, the one caveat was that the flavour was a touch fishy. As for the siu mai, they were rather pale and consisted mostly of pork. Texturally, the pork was mousse-like being bouncy yet lacking in natural meatiness. I would've liked to see some shiitake mushrooms for some variance in taste because the dumplings were pretty one-note.
Rather then going with shrimp, we decided on the Beef Rice Noodle Roll. By visuals alone, I appreciated the uniform and careful construction of the rolls. I also liked how they put enough beef in the middle. Therefore, the rolls were hearty and balanced in terms of ratio between noodle and filling. I found the noodle to have a good elasticity while the beef was tender with a firm bounce. It wasn't particularly flavourful, but the sweet soy did the job. On a similar theme, we were served the Beef Meatballs next. They were on the firmer side, but were still tender and had the classic rebound. Again, they weren't aggressively seasoned. There was a balanced amount of green onion.
For myself, I got the requisite Beef Tripe and Tendon. When it hit the table, it didn't look like much and in fact, after digging around, there wasn't much at all. In terms of execution, it was acceptable. I found the tripe to be slightly gamy and a bit too soft. The tendon was outright too soft in my opinion. Tastewise, I thought the dish was too sweet and lacked the usual garlickiness. This was a miss for me. Looking a little over-fried, the Shrimp Spring Rolls were indeed a tad overcooked. However, the outside was still crunchy and not overly greasy. The shrimp filling was a touch rubbery, but not entirely without snap. It was well-seasoned and tasted better than the shrimp in the ha gau.
Rather than going for the usual steamed version, we went for the Baked BBQ Pork Buns this time around. This was a good call as these were on point. Light and airy with a crispy exterior, the buns were very easy to eat. The sweet glaze on the outside was sticky and went well with the savoury BBQ pork filling. I liked how the meat was mostly lean pieces. Our last dish was the XO Daikon Pudding Cake. Pieces ranged from crispy to soggy, yet the overall texture was silky and soft. I found the flavours to be rather mild and not spicy enough. There was the usual brininess from the dried shrimp though. I liked how the dish wasn't soaked with grease. Compared to other Dim Sum spots in Richmond, Royal lags a bit behind since the competition and expectations are high. It wasn't as if the Dim Sum wasn't any good, there is just too many other places to dine at nearby.
The Good:
- Decent service
- Nice dining space
- Dim sum was actually okay
The Bad:
- Okay Dim Sum actually doesn't cut it in Richmond
Coffee shops are a dime a dozen in Vancouver where each has its specific clientele. That is probably why we keep seeing more and more of them with very few closing up shop. We see the spectrum of choices from the very high end (like Small Victory) to the typical chain stores offering up predictable products. However, to stand out in the market, the coffee better be freakin' fantastic or the store needs to offer up more than just the regular. Take Parallel 49 for instance where they introduced Lucky's Donuts or Chez Christophe where the coffee is there to really go with the finely crafted pastries and desserts. The newly opened Their There (by the same folks as AnnaLena) does offer coffee, but also a limited selection of pastries and sandwiches.
We stopped by on our way back from UBC and were able to score the last 4 seats in the house (not that there was much to begin with). Okay, before the authenticity police draw their weapons, I realized that their version of a Cubano wasn't authentic (I've been to Miami 3x and I've had the real deal). However, it was good for what it was featuring crunchy aggressively buttered bread. Inside, the roast pork was tender and lightly flavourful. There was ample cheese and grainy mustard while the briny pickles were what made the sandwich. We weren't super fond of the Montreal Smoked Meat Breakfast Sandwich though as it was rather soggy and too veggie forward. There was only a modest amount of smoked meat combined with a fried runny egg, alfalfa sprouts and cabbage. It wasn't as if the sammie was bad, it just wasn't as good as the other 3.
Talking about good, the Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich was our favourite. It featured an ol' AnnaLenna favourite in the crispy fried chicken which was light and airy. This made the sammie not particularly heavy to eat (which was a good thing). The crunch was in every bite while the jalapeno aioli added moisture and a light tangy kick. We also liked how the brioche bun was soft, yet still chewy and firm enough to hold everything in without disintegrating. Coming in a close second was the Croque Monsieur (with the addition of a fried egg). Pure genius of them employing a croissant bun where it was crunchy and buttery. Inside, there was a thick slice of smoked ham that was moist and impactful. Add in a runny fried egg and ample cheese and this was a messy, if not super tasty breakfast sandwich.
To go, I grabbed a Churro Cronut, Banana Cream Croissant and Custard Donut for good measure. Crunchy and spiked with the unmistakable cinnamon sugar, the churro cronut was surprisingly filled with custard. This made it more than a crunchy sweet round thing. Rather, there was body and a nice contrast. Also filled to the brim with semi-sweet custard, the donut was yeasty and chewy with a certain density. The banana cream croissant was pretty tasty. It featured a crunch that led to the defined layers shattering all over the place. The cream was light and not too sweet. I wasn't fond of the banana chips, but I could see why putting fresh banana slices would not be practical due to browning. Overall, we thought there was some definite highlights with our visit to Their There. Prices are on the higher side though, but it is Kits.
The Good:
- When there was a hit, it was really good (ie. Chicken Sandwich and Croque Monsieur)
- Pastries were good (the ones we tried)
- Chic minimalist hipster decor (if you like that)
The Bad:
- Pricey
- Would've preferred a different bread choice for the Cubano
This post has been a long time coming. Literally. I first visited Jun Yuan when it first opened over a year ago. We came away pretty impressed for a hole-in-the-wall spot that once was merely a run-of-the-mill Chinese restaurant. Pricing was reasonable and the food quality was surprisingly high. So why did I not post on it? No, it wasn't that my pictures weren't good nor was it being lazy. Rather, I left the meal with a bad taste in my mouth which had nothing to do with the food. During the meal, I was having a text argument with Miss Y (yes really) and was too distraught to write about the meal. Ironically, this return visit was after our softball game which meant Miss Y was in attendance. We had a good laugh about it since I explained to her why I didn't blog about the place (forgive and forget right?).
So enough of my personal life and onto the food. We ended up getting half Drunken Chicken & Herbs and half Tofu Soup broth since no one was in the mood for spice. If there was one thing that they could improve upon is their broth because both times I found them decent but unremarkable. With that being said, the drunken chicken was chock full of tender strips of wine-soaked breast meat. The tofu soup was pretty mild and didn't offer up any lasting memories. What sets Jun Yuan apart from many other hot pot joints is the Wagyu Beef (right plate in the picture) on their AYCE menu. It is up for debate if it is actually the real thing, but we enjoyed it very much. The thin and fatty slices of beef were buttery soft and flavourful. Even the "regular" Premium Beef was good albeit not as buttery. It was still tender and did not come out dry after cooking.
Continuing with more meats, we had the Lamb and Pork. Well-marbled, the cooked lamb was also tender and buttery. It was actually not sliced super-thin, but even so, it was not chewy at all. Due to the lean nature of the pork, it was a touch drier and chewier even with only a quick cook in the boiling hot pot. Before the actual hot pot arrived and subsequent meats and veggies, we were served a plate of Fried Chicken Wings. We had barely sat down and they asked us how many wings we wanted. A bit confused, we went for one each. I think the reason for this was that they wanted to get this out of the way first so they could shut down the fryer (it was getting late). The wings turned out to be really good being fried golden brown with fully rendered skin. They had been brined so the meat was succulent and well-seasoned. If we didn't have other food coming, we would've ordered more of these.
The next sets of dishes came fast and furious with the fresh Meatballs being the highlight. Sure, some of the ingredients may have been previously frozen, but the made-to-order shrimp, squid, beef, pork and fish meatballs were on point. They were all bouncy to a degree with the beef being meatier with a chew. I especially enjoyed the shrimp meatballs since they had a sweet snap. With a limit of 2 per person, we maxed out on the Fresh Oysters. Most of them were humongous and were a meal in itself. They were briny, buttery and indeed tasted fresh. Also on deck was cuttlefish, squid and chicken. One might think that since the homemade Pork Dumplings and Wontons were frozen, they weren't fresh. For practicality purposes, frozen dumplings cook way better in a hot pot since they do not fall apart or stick together. These were excellent with sweet bouncy shrimp (even the pork dumpling was mostly shrimp). Corn, Rice Cake, Tofu, Mountain Yam, Bean Curd Stick, Seaweed and Fish Tofu rounded out this selection.
Also from the previously-frozen category, we had an order of the White Shrimp. Hey, we didn't mind as for the price we paid, we weren't expecting spot prawns. Besides, frozen spot prawns suck. These were fine as they cooked up to reveal a meaty snap. Okay, beyond the Udon, Fish Noodles (yes, made with fish mousse), Instant Ramen, Enoki Mushrooms, Spinach and Pea Shoots (yes, they were generous with this one), I had to get some offal. That I did with Pork Kidney, Pork Liver and Pig Stomach. Hey, these were good... for me... No one else really ate them! Well, Miss Y did and that was it. We ended up doing another round of beef and then some dessert. For the price we paid ($26.99 + share of the soup base), we thought the food quality and selection was good. Sure, it is much more than it cost a year ago, but it was priced too low. Sure, Jun Yuan is a non-descript and not very sexy, but the hot pot is solid and reasonably-priced.
The Good:
- Reasonably-priced for what you get
- Their wagyu beef is really good
- Nice people
The Bad:
- Not a purpose-built restaurant for hot pot, smells linger and it gets humid
- Seating can be cramped if you have more than 6 people
Mercifully, the Big River Brewing, in the Zone Bowling complex, shut their doors for good awhile back. That place was pretty "meh" even for a default restaurant that served up bar snacks and pub food. If you can't even succeed when people have lack of choice, you know you are doing it all wrong! In its place, Big Chicken Town set up shop. For those who are unaware, the spot is a Korean restaurant, specifically serving up KFC (Korean Fried Chicken). We ended up dining there after watching a movie at Silvercity.
Upon being seated, we were a bit confounded by the small tables as we could barely reach it from the booth seating. No matter, we made it work. From the extensive selection of KFC, we decided on 1/2 order of Honey Garlic and Black Yummy each. Even though it was a half order, the portion size was pretty generous. We found the chicken to be fairly tender and moist, but the batter was too thick and dense. It was crunchy in spots, but we found it mostly cumbersome to eat due to the excessive batter. The honey garlic was pretty tasty being sweet, syrupy and of course garlicky. However, there was a bit too much of it where some pieces were drowning, hence not being crunchy anymore and too sweet. We much preferred the black yummy which was essentially sweet garlic and ginger soy. This was a lighter sauce where the chicken remained more crunchy. Moreover, the light saltiness and bright ginger hit made it less heavy.
We also added some sides including the Gib Jip (or stir-fried chicken giblets). For $10.95, we felt this was a complete ripoff since there was much more green onion and white onion than actual giblets. If we reconstituted the chopped up giblets, there must've been no more than 8 - 10 in the stir-fry. With that being said, the giblets were on point being tender with a firm chew. There was plenty of pepperiness and brightness from the green onion. It was a bit on the greasier side though. On that note, the Corn Cheese was very buttery and hence greasy. But that wasn't a bad thing as the caramelized niblets were super sweet and aromatic. The ample amount of melted stringy cheese added to the sinful, but tasty concoction. This was $8.95 and despite it being only corn and some cheese, it was still a better value than the giblets.
Lastly, we had the Yammers, which were essentially yam fries with a spicy dip. Not sure if these were house-made or frozen, but that didn't matter as they were fantastic. They were fried perfectly where the outside was crispy and easy on the grease. Inside, the tender yam was airy and super light. Therefore, these ate much easier than the usual dense and soggy yam fries we find at many other places. Overall, we thought Big Chicken Town to be fairly mediocre compared to the other KFC options in the GVRD, but a way better option than Big River Brewing...
The Good:
- Fairly friendly service
- Large portions (except for the giblets!)
- Convenient location
The Bad:
- Mediocre
- WTH with the giblets...
Davie Street from Yaletown all the way down to the West End boasts a wide selection of eateries. You will find anything from higher-end establishments, like La Pentola, down to little dives, such as La Belle Patate (it is a dive to me, but a good one!). There is also a limited range of ethnic cuisine available with some being represented better than others. So that brings me to Indian food. There are 3 along the Davie, but one of the newer joints can lay claim to being the only one of its kind. Davie Dosa (on the same block as La Belle Patate) boasts that they are the sole representative of Southern Indian cuisine. In fact, there is a general lack of Southern Indian food in the GVRD.
Joyce and I hit up the place since we were doing the judging for the Chicken Wing Challenge anyways. Interestingly, they were only one of 3 participants for the challenge and all were Southern Asian... Anyways, we were presented one each of their Cilantro Wings. For those with gluten allergies or sensitivities, you can rejoice! These were coated with rice flour instead of wheat flour. I didn't really notice the difference as they were slathered in a tomato paste sauce that was tangy and slightly sweet with a noted spiciness. I loved how the cilantro was there, but not at the forefront. The meat itself was succulent and tender. Of course we couldn't just have wings right? So we also had their Lamb Curry Dosa served with the usual coconut and shallot chutney, tomato chutney and sambar. I've had my fair share of dosas and I can definitively say that the one here was on point. It was thin, crispy and light with a pleasant chewiness. Inside, there was a generous portion of tender lamb and potatoes that was aromatic and lightly spiced.
We also got the Palak Paneer with rice and home-style dosa. This was creamy and rich but not heavy. It was nicely seasoned where I could make out a few spices including the usual cumin and garlic. The spinach was properly prepared (as in blanched first) so that there was no bitterness nor iron finish. I found the paneer to be soft and tender where it retained its texture. Although we only tried 3 items at Davie Dosa, it was enough to warrant a return visit in the future. Compared to the dosas I've had at other spots in the GVRD, the one here was quite good. Nice to see something different on Davie and a good one at that.
*Food was complimentary*
The Good:
- Dosas on point
- Reasonable pricing considering it is in Downtown
- Well-portioned
The Bad:
- Menu fairly limited (but focused)
- A bit warm inside
After several attempts to eat at Cocoru Beer & Chicken, I decided that a wait for tables was not going to stop me. Well, Emily wasn't super enthused about waiting, but others behind us were warned that it would be in excess of an hour and a half for a seat. Even though we had just feasted on some of the best food at the Richmond Night Market, the eating continued (doing our best Mijune impersonation). Why go for dessert when there is KFC? We were luckily enough to snag a large table even though we were only a party of 2.
Our plan of attack was to go for half-and-half bone-in and boneless. So we started with the Boneless Dakgangjeong and Yangnyeom. After the plate hit the table, we noticed that it wasn't a great picture as both were the same shade of red. Made sense when we ordered it, but no, not great for photos. We found the batter to be somewhat thick and firmly crunchy. It wasn't greasy, but there was a bit too much sauce for our liking. The Dakgangjeong was the classic Korean sweet chili sauce and it was indeed sweet with some spice. Again, good, but too much of it. The Yangnyeom was similar but creamier and topped with peanuts rather than sesame seeds. I enjoyed this one more as it was dialed down a bit from the sweet chili. Maybe we should've ordered some rice. For no other reason that more variety, we got an order of Korean Rice Cakes. These were crispy on the outside and appealingly soft & chewy on the inside.
For our half-and-half bone-in, we got Original and Soy Garlic. Okay, let's get this out-of-the-way first, bone-in rocked. The whole pieces were moist, juicy and well-seasoned. Best part of all was the skin as it was rendered and lightly crispy. Even the breast meat was still moist. The soy garlic had the usual sweet and salty elements as well as the aromatics of the garlic (and garlic chips). As for the original, it was even more crunchy due to the lack of any sauce. With that being said, there was still enough seasoning for it to stand on its own. This was so good, I was thinking in my head when I could come back and eat it again. Curse that lineup though!
The Good:
- Dat bone-in chicken!
- They were very friendly and even gave us a bigger table despite larger parties behind us
- Open late
The Bad:
- Endless lineup
- The boneless was too saucy (can ask for less though)
Bummer. I was out-of-town for the media food day at the PNE this year! That meant I would miss out trying some of the new, strange and plain weird eats available during The Fair from August 18th - September 3rd. No matter, I was going to check it out for myself anyways on the same day as the Lost in the 80's concert. However, I was still able to sample some of the more popular creations for this year along with a few classics. I tried not to overlap things from the past few years though as I wanted to stick with the latest offerings.
Before I got to the sweet stuff, I got some savoury items (although this one was sweet too) first including something that on the surface, looked rather boring. At the PNE-run Waffles with Benefits, I went for the Traditional Chicken & Waffles featuring a Southern fried chicken breast, whipped butter, syrup and gravy. I'm not sure if the chicken was really a down-south version, but it was good nonetheless. Fairly large and crunchy, the piece of chicken was moist and tender inside. The side of gravy was a nice consistency and had a pleasant hit of sage. As much as it appeared to be too much syrup, it was the right amount drizzled over the fluffy waffle. Next up, I went for a Chicken Poutine at the Fry Guys. This was pretty much a standard poutine with cheese curd and gravy plus chicken. I thought the fries were fried enough so that they could stand up to all of the moisture. Although a bit salty, the gravy was thick enough and definitely hot enough to melt the cheese curds. I thought the chicken was tender and meaty, but a little plain.
Okay, let's get right down to it. One of the more polarizing items to grace the PNE food lineup is the Cricket Caramel Apple. Yup, it is a caramel apple coated with many many crickets. I'm not afraid to admit that this was a bit daunting to try. I've eaten grasshoppers before and all I can say about them is that they were crunchy and nutty. And yes, the crickets weren't any different here. However, the copious amount of caramel did hide the actual flavour of the cricket. So it was mostly texture. Not particularly scary if you weren't looking at the critters. Over to something a bit more familiar, we made our way to the classic Those Little Donuts. I'm sure most people have had this before, but did you know that this is their 50th year in operation? From as long as I can remember, they were just as soft and fluffy as with every year. Consistently delicious and a fair favourite.
Back to the new, we were treated to 2 flavours of Deep Fried Coffee including Coffee Crisp and After Eight. Based on the past years of trying deep fried <insert liquid item>, these fritters or donuts were always a little lacking in texture. However, these were on point being fluffy and light with only a bit of crispiness on the outside. They weren't very sweet either and there was definitely a coffee flavour. The sweetness was taken care of by the designated topping such as the Coffee Crisp and After Eight. So these were pretty sweet, but the Kit Kat Fries (from Steve-O's) were even more sweet. However, it was the inherent sweetness from the candy bar itself and not from the chocolate glaze drizzled on top. In fact, the fluffy batter was not sweet at all. So if you like Kit Kats, this is something that tastes like the candy bar, but just deep-fried.
Now for something that was pretty dramatic to look at. So much so, everyone around us wanted a picture. It was like the ice cream paparazzi! Yes, the Smoking Charcoal Soft Serve was not only in a shade of black, the activated dry ice added a smoke show. Gimmicky? Absolutely, but what the hey, this is the PNE! As for the soft-serve itself, we found it to be very creamy and not overly sweet. There was very little charcoal flavour, but that was a good thing as we didn't feel a strong taste would be appealing. Moving away from all the sweets, we took the walk up Miller Drive over to the Crazy Italian. This year, they are offering up the 1lb Soprano-Sized Meatball made with pork and beef topped with their homemade tomato sauce. This gigantic thing was moist and tender throughout. It was mildly-spiced and plenty meaty. The tomato sauce was mild as well with a light tang. This was a meal in itself!
One of the more understated items at The Fair is the Pizza Corn Dog from Corn Dog King. It didn't look much different than their classic corn dog, but it was very much unique. Hidden within the Italian-herbed batter was melted mozzarella and of course, a hot dog wiener. It came with a side of marinara sauce that really helped create the flavours of pizza. We thought this was a well-executed concoction. At first, we thought it was undercooked, but the melty cheese fooled us into thinking it was batter. Our final food purchase of the night (before the concert) was the Vegetarian's Nightmare from Gator BBQ. For $32.00, it included buttery potatoes, baked beans, beef brisket, pulled pork and pork ribs. Always a good value since it consists of mostly meat and can feed more than 2 people. We found the brisket to be a bit dry, but the pulled pork was on point. The ribs were smoky and fatty while retaining an appealing chewiness. This filled up any remaining room we had in our stomachs as we made our way over to the concert.
*Some items were complimentary*
The Good:
- As usual, some weird things such as the cricket caramel apple
- BBQ from Gator, Prairie and Misty Mountain are great values
- You won't have problems making your sweet tooth happy
The Bad:
- Not really a bad, don't be afraid to check out the PNE food stands, they are pretty good
- Do not buy the first thing you see, be sure to compare, not all are created equal
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As hard as I have tried, I haven't visited all of the restaurants that serve Dim Sum in Richmond. Naturally, it is extra difficult when some of them change hands over and over again. That would've been the case with my recent visit to Sea Fortune. That location never seems to hold a restaurant for very long. Well with Sea Fortune out-of-the-way, it appears I'm getting closer in trying every Dim Sum joint out in Richmond. There is another that is tucked away on the second floor in a plaza on the corner of Blundell an Garden City Way. Yes, we made our way to Royal Seafood Restaurant to further my mission (is it impossible?).
So, not only was there a 20% off discount if you dine before 11:00am, but the Sparerib & Chicken Feet Rice was only $6.95. At times, the rice can be mushy and lacking in nuttiness, but this one was quite good. Chewy and aromatic, the rice was on point while soaking up the garlicky juices of the spareribs. About those ribs, they were meaty with a tender chew. Lots of flavour including some spice. Normally, we do not order a plate of noodles for Dim Sum, but with Cee Cee in attendance, we had to get the Singapore Fried Noodles (her fav). This was prepared pretty well with chewy noodles that were not clumpy nor too dry. There was enough curry and seasoning for impact and while it wasn't apparent in the picture, there was a good amount of buttery shrimp and BBQ pork.
Of course we got the usual suspects in the Ha Gau (Shrimp Dumplings) and Siu Mai (Pork and Shrimp Dumplings). Medium-sized with medium-thick dumpling skin, the ha gau were pretty good. Let's start with the positives first. I found the skin to have a good elasticity and it wasn't overly sticky. The filling was moist being a mix of whole pieces of crunchy shrimp and bouncy mousse. However, the one caveat was that the flavour was a touch fishy. As for the siu mai, they were rather pale and consisted mostly of pork. Texturally, the pork was mousse-like being bouncy yet lacking in natural meatiness. I would've liked to see some shiitake mushrooms for some variance in taste because the dumplings were pretty one-note.
Rather then going with shrimp, we decided on the Beef Rice Noodle Roll. By visuals alone, I appreciated the uniform and careful construction of the rolls. I also liked how they put enough beef in the middle. Therefore, the rolls were hearty and balanced in terms of ratio between noodle and filling. I found the noodle to have a good elasticity while the beef was tender with a firm bounce. It wasn't particularly flavourful, but the sweet soy did the job. On a similar theme, we were served the Beef Meatballs next. They were on the firmer side, but were still tender and had the classic rebound. Again, they weren't aggressively seasoned. There was a balanced amount of green onion.
For myself, I got the requisite Beef Tripe and Tendon. When it hit the table, it didn't look like much and in fact, after digging around, there wasn't much at all. In terms of execution, it was acceptable. I found the tripe to be slightly gamy and a bit too soft. The tendon was outright too soft in my opinion. Tastewise, I thought the dish was too sweet and lacked the usual garlickiness. This was a miss for me. Looking a little over-fried, the Shrimp Spring Rolls were indeed a tad overcooked. However, the outside was still crunchy and not overly greasy. The shrimp filling was a touch rubbery, but not entirely without snap. It was well-seasoned and tasted better than the shrimp in the ha gau.
Rather than going for the usual steamed version, we went for the Baked BBQ Pork Buns this time around. This was a good call as these were on point. Light and airy with a crispy exterior, the buns were very easy to eat. The sweet glaze on the outside was sticky and went well with the savoury BBQ pork filling. I liked how the meat was mostly lean pieces. Our last dish was the XO Daikon Pudding Cake. Pieces ranged from crispy to soggy, yet the overall texture was silky and soft. I found the flavours to be rather mild and not spicy enough. There was the usual brininess from the dried shrimp though. I liked how the dish wasn't soaked with grease. Compared to other Dim Sum spots in Richmond, Royal lags a bit behind since the competition and expectations are high. It wasn't as if the Dim Sum wasn't any good, there is just too many other places to dine at nearby.
