skip to main |
skip to sidebar
White Rock (or South Surrey) and Dim Sum usually go together like bike lanes and Downtown Vancouver. Wait bad example. But whatever, for the longest time, that didn't even exist. However, with the recent housing explosion and subsequent entry of restaurants and services, this is not the case anymore. CeCe recently ventured into the area and had some pretty authentic Chinese food at Ming Yan just off of King George Highway in the same strip mall that houses Choices Market. Seeing that, I decided that I needed to check out their Dim Sum service myself with the help of the family and Inner Fat Girl.
Although the store frontage didn't look particularly attractive, the inside was another story. Modern, clean and inviting, Ming Yan could totally fit as a restaurant in Richmond. Appearances are one thing, but how about the food? We got a nice array starting with the XO Daikon Pudding Cake. This was good and bad on one plate as the outside was crispy and golden brown, but the inside was overly dense. It did exhibit good wok heat where the XO was aromatic and provided some spice. To make the meal a little more balanced, we got the Gai Lan (Chinese broccoli) simply blanched and flavoured with soy sauce. We actually were served baby gai lan which made for easier handling. They were cooked just right maintaining a crunch.
With a mini-dumpling in the middle, the Ha Gau (Shrimp Dumplings) were mostly good. The filling was the highlight sporting pieces of whole shrimp. Texturally, there was the usual bounce and snap with an appealing butteriness and sweetness. However, the dumpling skin was too chewy and a touch thick. However, as a whole, the ha gau were generally solid. If we had to compare, the Siu Mai (Pork & Shrimp Dumplings) were more better. Served in a basket of 5, the dumplings were textbook in appearance with nice colour and fish roe on top. The filling was a nice balance of tender bouncy pork, shiitake mushroom and shrimp. I thought the seasoning could've been more aggressive as I could taste the natural flavour of the pork more than anything else.
One dish that wasn't really my favourite was the Phoenix Talons (Chicken Feet). I would've preferred that they didn't cut them up into little pieces. Sure it was easier to handle and eat, but the texture was too soft as a result. Furthermore, there was far too much sauce as I couldn't differentiate it from the chicken feet. Yes, it was that goopy that everything just blended together. Lastly, it was far too sweet. On the other hand, the Beef Meatballs were on point. They exhibited the classic buttery bounce texture while maintaining chunks of meatiness. There was a bit too much green mixed in, but it wasn't overwhelming. Lightly seasoned, the meatballs were perfect for the accompanying Worcestershire sauce.
Rather than the usual goopy watered-down oyster sauce, the Bean Curd Skin Rolls were sitting in a consomme instead. I thought this helped keep the dish from being too heavy and overly salty. With less moisture at the top, the bean curd skin was chewier and drier. This gave the roll a more al dente texture. Inside, there was good mix of tender bouncy pork and veggies. On the fattier side, the Steamed Pork Spareribs were still generally good. Texturally, they were a bit soft, but still had an appealing bounce and chew. Flavours were on point with a good mix of garlic, saltiness and slight sweetness. It could've used a bit more spice (chili flakes and/or white pepper).
Continuing on with our dishes, we had the Stuffed Eggplant with shrimp mousse. I found the exterior of the eggplant to be particularly crispy which was fine by me. Inside, the eggplant was its usual soft self, but not mushy though. Interestingly, the shrimp mouse was more meaty and dry compared to most other places. Not a bad thing though as there was more textural contrast between that and the eggplant. For once, the black bean sauce was flavourful and impactful. Just because the kiddies wanted it, we ordered the Xiao Long Bao (Soup Dumplings). Predictably, these were only "okay" since Ming Yan is not a Shanghainese restaurant. The dumpling skin was thick, yet tender while the meat centre was juicy and somewhat bouncy. However, there was no soup to be found.
We ended up with 2 types of Rice Noodle Rolls including shrimp and salty donut. Although thicker in some spots, the noodle itself had a good elasticity giving way to a soft tender texture. The shrimp weren't the biggest, but they were sufficiently impactful with a meaty snap. They were nicely seasoned where the rice noodle roll could stand on its own without the accompanying soy. About that soy, normally I don't remark on it, but this was good since there was a noticeable amount of dark soy mixed in. It wasn't as watered-down as some other places. Interestingly enough, the rice noodle encasing the salty donut was remarkably thinner. The donut was pretty crunchy, but light and airy.
Compared to the thin and over-wound Spring Rolls I had at Golden Swan, the ones here were more typical. With only a thin layer of wrapper, there was a light crunch that gave way to buttery and bouncy pieces of shrimp. Again, there was plenty of seasoning going on, but I still dipped it into the Worcestershire sauce. Lastly, we had the Salted Egg Yolk Buns which were leaking before we even touched them. We found the bun itself a bit dense, but the filling was quite nice being runny, purposefully sweet and aromatic. Overall, the Dim Sum at Ming Yan was more than respectable. Considering its location, they don't do a bad job. Combined that with a nice decor and great service, it is worth a try if you live nearby or are in the neighbourhood.
The Good:
- Decent Dim Sum
- Nice decor
- Great service
The Bad:
- Pricey
- Overall good, but a few misses
Sometimes, a certain location can be jinxed. All we see is one restaurant after another open and close. Take the "Chinese Restaurant" spot on Schoolhouse and Lougheed Highway for instance. First it was New China Kitchen Buffet, then Asia Chinese Buffet, then some Vietnamese/Chinese hybrid under the same name, then Grand River and now in its current iteration, Mei Le Bakery & Restaurant. The new spot looks every bit the same as Grand River except with the addition of a Chinese bakery and BBQ on one side (that has taken up 1/3 of the restaurant space).
Although the Chinese name implies that it is a Hong Kong-style cafe, nowhere on the menu does it include the usual dishes associated such an establishment. Whatever, we decided to order from their "build-your-own-meal". It included a complimentary plate of their BBQ Duck and although we got the wing (we always get the wing!), it was not bad. The skin was nicely rendered, yet a bit dry and tough (to be fair, it was the wing). The non-wing parts exhibited tender and moist meat, but the skin was still a little hard. However, there isn't anywhere in the neighbourhood that sells in-house Chinese BBQ, so they have that market cornered. Next, the Stir-Fried Gai Lan with Beef was generally well-prepared. There was enough wok heat to keep the veggie crunchy with little moisture on the plate. Most slices of beef were tender and bouncy while being well-seasoned. However, there was the odd piece that was very chewy (so uneven tenderization).
For the kiddies, we got them their favourite in the Scrambled Eggs with Shrimp and it was one of the better dishes of the meal. There is a fine line between undercooking eggs and overcooking them. For this dish, most times we see a bit underdone, but that is fine. This one was perfect being only a little runny, but still generally cooked all-the-way through. The eggs were silky and well-seasoned. Best of all, they didn't skimp on the shrimp (or should we say more like prawns). They were cooked just enough being cold-water crunchy while still maintaining a sweet brininess. We also got the ol' standby with the Sweet & Sour Pork. The smallish chunks of pork were tender and moist sporting a very light batter. We found the sauce to be a little mild in need of some more tanginess. The dish was pretty standard in my opinion. Not a bad thing really, but it didn't wow me either.
The next dish was something my mom really wanted in the Deep Fried Fish with Cream of Corn. We chose to have the sauce served separately so that the fish would remain crispy. Personally, I would've had the sauce on top because in this case, the fish was a bit on the drier side. It wasn't super dry, but the sauce soaking in would've made it softer. So in this case, I'm not blaming them because the dish was not served as it was intended. Viv chose our last dish being the Singapore Fried Noodles. This is one of her favs and this was respectable. It could've used a bit more wok hei, but otherwise it was fine. The noodles were chewy while the ingredients were okay (but a bit sparse). There was enough curry for impact without being too spicy.
Before we left, we ended up picking up some of their bakery items including BBQ Pork Bun, Pineapple BBQ Pork Bun, Cocktail Bun, Curry Beef Bun, Apple Tarts and Sponge Cake. I found the buns to be fairly soft and airy, but lacking in elasticity. Filling was adequate. The sponge cake was terrible being overcooked at the top and underdone in the middle. I would say these looked a whole lot better than they ate. They need to work on the bakery side of things. However, the food at the restaurant was more than acceptable and reasonably-priced. Just don't expect your traditional HK-Style Cafe menu here.
The Good:
- Once stop shop, restaurant, bakery and BBQ
- Good service
- Fair pricing
The Bad:
- Bakery items need work
- BBQ is decent, but can be better
TBH, I was not impressed with my first ever visit to Jinya at their original Robson Street location. Now this was quite some time ago, so things do change and of course, my opinion can change too. To give you some background, my initial thoughts were that the ramen was okay, but really small in portion size. Furthermore, with their pricing, it just wasn't worth it in my opinion. Lastly, their richer broth was not my cup of tea and for some reason, it was pretty salty that day. Now with the addition of more ramen joints since then, I've warmed up to the heartier broths and have accepted that ramen can not be considered a cheap eat anymore. With that in mind, I visited the newish Burnaby location at Metrotown.
To start, I ordered 2 of their most popular appies including the Crispy Chicken (Chicken Karaage) and also the Deep Fried Brussels Sprouts. Actually, I had these 2 before as this was my second visit (I forgot my camera the first time...). These were so good, I had to order them again! The 5-piece small order of crispy chicken was actually a decent size and quite filling. Large and plump, the dark meat was fried up perfectly where the juices were still flowing and the seasoning was just enough. The side of vinegar soy dip provided an appetizing zing. Outside, the chicken was crispy and not greasy. Coated with crispy and light tempura batter, the brussels sprouts were firm, yet cooked all-the-way-through. Lightly seasoned, these were nice bites and really, even people who hate brussels sprouts would probably like them.
I was pretty hungry, so I selected one of the heartier offerings in the Cha Cha Cha Ramen featuring a rich and fatty pork fish broth with thick noodles, fatty chashu, egg, sprouts, raw onion, green onion, chili powder and of course garlic (also raw garlic on the side). I found the broth to be silky and rich, but not thick. It was garlicky and featured fatty floaties throughout. There was a depth-of-flavour that was meaty but curiously not fishy. The noodles were chewy and stayed that way until the end. Egg was perfect being runny while the chashu was buttery soft. The portion size was pretty large and I struggled to finish it. My son decided on the same one he had last time in the Jinya Tonkotsu Black. Now this was a much more modest portion with thin noodles and a semi-rich pork broth with wood ear mushroom, green onion, dried seaweed, egg, garlic chips, garlic oil, fried onion and a dollop of spicy sauce. Due to the black garlic oil, the umaminess was maxed out. Noodles were chewy, but got softer as he ate it. A good bowl of ramen, but small for the price.
On another visit, we decided to skip the usual gyoza (as we've had it before and it was okay) and go for the Parmesan Meatballs and also the Spicy Prawn Tempura. If you were thinking we were in the wrong restaurant to order the meatballs, you might have a point, but hey they have it on the menu! They turned out to be pretty good where we really didn't think it was served from the same kitchen as ramen. These were moist and meaty while mildly seasoned. The real flavour came from the tangy tomato sauce as well as the ample amount of freshly grated parm on top. Incidentally, these seemed to be the same as the ones found in the meatball ramen (minus the tomato sauce of course!). As for the shrimp, they were a bit small, but barely coated with tempura batter. Hence, they were not heavy and plenty crispy. The shrimp itself had a firm meaty snap while spiced with an impactful mayo.
Unlike last time, my son went big with the Goku Midnight Cowboy featuring a really big slice of braised beef brisket atop thick noodles, sprouts, wood ear mushroom, seasoned egg and pork broth (he omitted the green onions this time around). This was a substantial portion that was almost as big as the Cha Cha Cha. It was plenty pricey at $24.00, but I'm sure the brisket had something to do with it. Fatty and almost melt-in-your-mouth tender, the brisket was legit. The pork broth tasted familiar with a rich silkiness with once again, plenty of fatty floaties. We thought the salt content was just right where it didn't overwhelm the rest of the ingredients. For myself, I ordered something I've had before in the Spicy Umami Miso Ramen with pork broth, ground pork soboro, bean sprouts, bok choy, chili oil and thick noodles (no green onion this time around as well). Again, the broth was slightly thick, balanced salty and sweet while moderately spicy. The noodles were chewy and the same could be said about the pork, but that was fine. As you can probably guess, my thoughts on Jinya have changed, yet at the same time I do think it is still overpriced. Yes, some of the ingredients are deluxe and yes the atmosphere is pretty hip, yet I can eat almost anywhere for the prices they charge
The Good:
- Food was good for all 3 times we went
- Decent service, but sometimes a little slow
- Nice dining space
The Bad:
- Pricey
- Broth is pretty fatty (only if you like that kind)
Oh lookie here, I've actually gotten a chance to do a re-visit at Floata after all these years. It wasn't as if I was anxiously planning this because this has to be one of the lowest on the priority list. Why is that you ask? Well, let's just say my previous experiences have been atrocious. From the rude service to the mediocre food, I often wonder how such an expansive restaurant can still be business. However, Viv and I were in the area and it was darn early. Try 8:30am early. Yep, we went for super early Dim Sum at Floata (20% off yay!) where we got 1.5 hours of free parking. At least that was a good start.
It was either due to the fact the place was empty (except for the usual Chinese seniors) or there must've been an attitude adjustment because the service was downright friendly. But how about the food? Well, the first 2 dishes were actually more than respectable. The Sparerib Rice was not lacking in tender and bouncy pieces of meaty pork. There was only one piece that was cartilage. It was mildly seasoned with lots of garlic. Underneath, the rice was a bit wet though, but hardly a problem. Unlike the crappy XO Daikon Radish Cake we had at Ming Yan, this one was actually fluffy and soft. However, it wasn't crispy enough on the outside. I really enjoyed the big dollop of XO sauce on top which made the whole thing more flavourful and aromatic. The crunchy and not-overcooked bean sprouts were a plus too.
For our usual Rice Noodle Roll, we got shrimp since it has been ingrained into us that we must order the seafood over beef and BBQ pork. Yes, the Chinese way, get the item that is worth more at the same price! It turned out to be pretty good with soft layers of rice noodle that retained an mild elasticity. Nestled within the sheets of noodle, we found medium-sized shrimp that were buttery with a snap. They were well-seasoned as well where we only needed a bit of sweetened soy. One of the best items of the meal was the Steamed Honeycomb Tripe. It ate as good as it looked with large pieces of tripe that were properly rinsed so that the gamy flavour was kept to a minimum. Furthermore the texture was on point being buttery and appealingly chewy. Lots of seasoning going on as well as a pronounced garlickiness.
Based on looks alone, I was a bit concerned with the Beef Meatballs. There was far too much cilantro and often that amount just overpowers the entire dish. That it did, but it wasn't as bad as it could've been. Texturally, it was textbook with a moist bounce while still being meaty at the same time. It wasn't over processed nor over tenderized. This would've been nearly perfect if they eased up on the greens. Another so-so item was the Steamed Chicken Buns. There wasn't anything inherently wrong with the bun itself as it was fluffy and light. However, the chicken filling was a bit chewy and completely blasted with ginger. Don't get me wrong, we both love the taste of ginger, but there was no balance here.
Onto the make-it-or-break it dishes, the Ha Gau and Siu Mai were pretty solid. As much as the dumpling skin on the ha gau was too wet, it did tighten up after a few minutes. There was a nice chew to the relatively thin skin. Inside, the whole medium-sized shrimp filling was just right. There was a buttery moistness to it while the meaty snap was also apparent. Seasoning was mild though and I would've liked to see more white pepper and sesame oil. As for the siu mai, they were large and balanced. There was just the right mix of tender bouncy pork with shrimp and shiitake. Textures were on point while the seasoning could've been more aggressive.
Our last dish was the Bean Curd Skin Roll which was "okay". I though the bean curd skin was a bit too soft where the classic chewiness was missing. Inside, the pork filling was good though being loose, yet still exhibiting the classic bounciness. There wasn't the usual goopy watered-down and starch-thickened oyster sauce, so the dish was a bit underseasoned, but nothing a side of Worcestershire sauce couldn't solve. So there you have it, a fairly surprising Dim Sum service at Floata. Not only were we not yelled at, the food was more-than-acceptable. Maybe this was a one-off? Dunno, but that is why one should go back to some places once in awhile to see if things have changed.
The Good:
- Decent service, shocking
- Decent food, shocking
- Washrooms work now, shocking
The Bad:
- Needs some repairs and renos still, place is looking worn down
Being Chinese, it has always been pretty normal that we shared food, whether it be at Dim Sum or a Chinese multi-course meal. Of course that was not the case when we ate at most North American restaurants when I was growing up. We'd get our own plate of food where sharing wasn't exactly practical or encouraged (however, my mom would help herself to everyone's food anyways). Who knew it, but my mom was ahead of her time since sharing plates seem to be the trend these days. Yet, much like Dim Sum, Spanish Tapas has always been about sharing as well as having a few bevvies to go with good company. Unfortunately, we aren't blessed with many great tapas spots in the Lower Mainland. So, with the opening of ¿CóMO? Taperia, I just had to check it out.
We started the meal with the Patatas Bravas and Garlic Shrimp. Featuring the Spanish flag on top, the fried potatoes were quite good being perfectly fried. They were as golden brown as potatoes can get where the exterior was crispy with firm crunchy bits. They weren't oily at all where the inside retained a soft potatoey texture. These were dusted with smoked paprika and drizzled with mildly spicy aioli. We could've eaten a few plates of these, but there was much more on the menu to try! Next, the garlic shrimp looked fairly simple, but was executed properly. They were fairly large in size and exhibited the classic shrimp aroma. I found them meaty and garlicky with a touch of smoked paprika. This was good, but probably one of the more average dishes we had.
Talking about smoked paprika, there was a whack load of it atop the Galician Octopus. As such, the entire dish was intensely smoky and earthy. The generous amount of sliced octopus was on point tender with an appealing chewiness. These were served with tender slices of fingerling potatoes which were soft enough, but also sturdy so they didn't fall apart either. We found this dish rather salty though. Although the Huevos Roja seemed to be a simple dish, it was probably one of my favourites. It was a bed of creamy mashed potatoes topped with a fried runny egg sauteed diced chorizo. Beyond the tasty visuals, it was outright delicious due to the smoky and meaty chorizo oil. That and the silky egg yolk mixed with the mashed potatoes, it created a tasty bite that went well with our bevvies.
Although the Croquetas de Jamon were fairly good, we also found them rather salty. In fact, most of the dishes were on the saltier side. Of course, if you ordered the appropriate beverages, this would completely balance things out. We did order bevvies, but we all agreed that the salt content could be more conservative. Texturally, the croquetas were crispy with a creamy centre. Another seemingly simple, but good dish was the Meatballs with pine nuts and sauteed apples. They were meaty and moist while seasoned mildly, unlike the rest of the dishes. There was a natural meat flavour accented by an equal amount of umaminess. The nuttiness of the pine nuts added aroma and the apples provided a nice tough of sweet and tang.
Now the next dish was a Spanish omelette or Tortilla. It was filled with slices of potato and onion. This was fluffy and thick with a fairly runny centre. The slices of potato were tender and soft while still retaining their robust texture. Compared to the salt-heavy dishes we had so far, this was delicate and possibly under-seasoned. However, that didn't bother us much because it was all about the fluffiness of the egg. I've used the word simple to describe a few of the dishes already, but the Mojama and Marconas was pretty straightforward. Consisting of thin air-dried tuna with a marcona almond to compliment, it was as basic as it could get. It was a pleasant little bite though with the crunch of the almond combined with the mild and delicate tuna.
Two of the relatively larger items was the Hamburguesa Con Foie and Bikini sandwich. As the name implies, the basket contained a small burger with a side of foie mousse and a side of chips. I thought this was pretty decent with a moist patty that was a touch salty. Pretty good but not something I'd order again. As for the Bikini, it was essentially a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. I would forgive this one for being salty because the ingredients were meant to be as such. The bread was beautifully crispy while the serrano ham was its usual flavourful self. I couldn't figure out if it was indeed manchego cheese they used or not because it wasn't particularly pungent.
Lastly, we had the Mushrooms & Sherry which were pretty textbook. We realized that this wouldn't be mind-blowing but it was a "vegetable" for the meal. They were buttery while not overdone while the sherry was very understated. In general, we enjoyed the tapas at ¿CóMO? Taperia. Mind you, there aren't many places to compare with it. Furthermore, the style is not the same as Bodega on Main or Espana. This would be more in line with The Sardine Can in terms of environment and menu focus. The question is would I come back? Sure, it was a pleasant enough experience to warrant another visit.
The Good:
- Fairly spacious for a small tapas joint
- Attentive service
- Decent eats
The Bad:
- A bit salty
Posts
White Rock (or South Surrey) and Dim Sum usually go together like bike lanes and Downtown Vancouver. Wait bad example. But whatever, for the longest time, that didn't even exist. However, with the recent housing explosion and subsequent entry of restaurants and services, this is not the case anymore. CeCe recently ventured into the area and had some pretty authentic Chinese food at Ming Yan just off of King George Highway in the same strip mall that houses Choices Market. Seeing that, I decided that I needed to check out their Dim Sum service myself with the help of the family and Inner Fat Girl.
Although the store frontage didn't look particularly attractive, the inside was another story. Modern, clean and inviting, Ming Yan could totally fit as a restaurant in Richmond. Appearances are one thing, but how about the food? We got a nice array starting with the XO Daikon Pudding Cake. This was good and bad on one plate as the outside was crispy and golden brown, but the inside was overly dense. It did exhibit good wok heat where the XO was aromatic and provided some spice. To make the meal a little more balanced, we got the Gai Lan (Chinese broccoli) simply blanched and flavoured with soy sauce. We actually were served baby gai lan which made for easier handling. They were cooked just right maintaining a crunch.
With a mini-dumpling in the middle, the Ha Gau (Shrimp Dumplings) were mostly good. The filling was the highlight sporting pieces of whole shrimp. Texturally, there was the usual bounce and snap with an appealing butteriness and sweetness. However, the dumpling skin was too chewy and a touch thick. However, as a whole, the ha gau were generally solid. If we had to compare, the Siu Mai (Pork & Shrimp Dumplings) were more better. Served in a basket of 5, the dumplings were textbook in appearance with nice colour and fish roe on top. The filling was a nice balance of tender bouncy pork, shiitake mushroom and shrimp. I thought the seasoning could've been more aggressive as I could taste the natural flavour of the pork more than anything else.
One dish that wasn't really my favourite was the Phoenix Talons (Chicken Feet). I would've preferred that they didn't cut them up into little pieces. Sure it was easier to handle and eat, but the texture was too soft as a result. Furthermore, there was far too much sauce as I couldn't differentiate it from the chicken feet. Yes, it was that goopy that everything just blended together. Lastly, it was far too sweet. On the other hand, the Beef Meatballs were on point. They exhibited the classic buttery bounce texture while maintaining chunks of meatiness. There was a bit too much green mixed in, but it wasn't overwhelming. Lightly seasoned, the meatballs were perfect for the accompanying Worcestershire sauce.
Rather than the usual goopy watered-down oyster sauce, the Bean Curd Skin Rolls were sitting in a consomme instead. I thought this helped keep the dish from being too heavy and overly salty. With less moisture at the top, the bean curd skin was chewier and drier. This gave the roll a more al dente texture. Inside, there was good mix of tender bouncy pork and veggies. On the fattier side, the Steamed Pork Spareribs were still generally good. Texturally, they were a bit soft, but still had an appealing bounce and chew. Flavours were on point with a good mix of garlic, saltiness and slight sweetness. It could've used a bit more spice (chili flakes and/or white pepper).
Continuing on with our dishes, we had the Stuffed Eggplant with shrimp mousse. I found the exterior of the eggplant to be particularly crispy which was fine by me. Inside, the eggplant was its usual soft self, but not mushy though. Interestingly, the shrimp mouse was more meaty and dry compared to most other places. Not a bad thing though as there was more textural contrast between that and the eggplant. For once, the black bean sauce was flavourful and impactful. Just because the kiddies wanted it, we ordered the Xiao Long Bao (Soup Dumplings). Predictably, these were only "okay" since Ming Yan is not a Shanghainese restaurant. The dumpling skin was thick, yet tender while the meat centre was juicy and somewhat bouncy. However, there was no soup to be found.
We ended up with 2 types of Rice Noodle Rolls including shrimp and salty donut. Although thicker in some spots, the noodle itself had a good elasticity giving way to a soft tender texture. The shrimp weren't the biggest, but they were sufficiently impactful with a meaty snap. They were nicely seasoned where the rice noodle roll could stand on its own without the accompanying soy. About that soy, normally I don't remark on it, but this was good since there was a noticeable amount of dark soy mixed in. It wasn't as watered-down as some other places. Interestingly enough, the rice noodle encasing the salty donut was remarkably thinner. The donut was pretty crunchy, but light and airy.
Compared to the thin and over-wound Spring Rolls I had at Golden Swan, the ones here were more typical. With only a thin layer of wrapper, there was a light crunch that gave way to buttery and bouncy pieces of shrimp. Again, there was plenty of seasoning going on, but I still dipped it into the Worcestershire sauce. Lastly, we had the Salted Egg Yolk Buns which were leaking before we even touched them. We found the bun itself a bit dense, but the filling was quite nice being runny, purposefully sweet and aromatic. Overall, the Dim Sum at Ming Yan was more than respectable. Considering its location, they don't do a bad job. Combined that with a nice decor and great service, it is worth a try if you live nearby or are in the neighbourhood.
