Dinesty on Robson

The new location of Dinesty has been opened for a few months now, and I was delighted to give it a try with some friends last month. I have been to the Richmond location several times, and hoped that the food would be just as good. We started off with the Xiao Long Baos (obviously), since it's a tradition at most Shanghainese places, sometimes for dinner but always for lunch! As with the Richmond locations, these are deliciously soupy, and the skin is just chewy enough to hold all the delicious pork and soup inside.  Another steamer basket arrived filled with Shrimp and Pork Siu Mai. The pork layer is on the bottom with the shrimp on top. I found the pork a bit dry but the shrimp was nice and juicy. I tend to deconstruct my food when I am eating, so it might have been just fine if I ate it as it was served. This dish is new to me, it's Deep Fried Chicken With Asparagus And Ham. The coating on this was nice and light, and the chicken was really juicy. I didn't find the mayonnaise sauce necessary as the chicken had enough seasoning. I did, however, use some hot sauce to give this dish a bit more punch. It's a fairly large portion, but the beauty is that it can be packed as leftovers quite easily.  Our final savoury dish was the Pork Potstickers. I loved the presentation, love how they fry all the potstickers together and serve it as one gigantic dish. And lots of extra crispiness, which I always appreciate. The potstickers are larger than normal, about 3-4 inches long, The filling to wrapper ratio is good, although I could used a bit of more of ginger in the filling. For dessert, we got the Black Sesame Buns. These were really good, with lots of black sesame on the inside. The bun is soft and the whole package is a warm handful. It's probably too filling after a full lunch, but it's still a good treat. Eat half and share with a friend.

Take Note:

• Go before noon to avoid long lines
• Avoid the lunch "Specials" menu, it's reminiscent of mall food court dishes
• Service is quick and it's a good option for a quick lunch 

 

Peaceful Cafe on East 5th

I first visited Peaceful Cafe about two years ago at their original location on Broadway, before their debut on Diners, Drive-ins an Dives. That time, someone stole my food but this time, I had strength in numbers on my side. There were five of us so we were vigilant making sure we got our food, and no one was going to take it away from us!  

Our experience at the original location featured some of the same dishes as well as some new ones. The first common one is their Peaceful Beef Rolls. It's a multi-layered pancake rolled with some sliced beef shank, as well as some green onions and hoi sin sauce. Again, these were delicious, a good balance of pancake and filling, and I really liked the sear they got on the pancake. It had a good crisp, but the inside was tender. And there was a lot of filling, giving the rolls a great toothsome feel.

Again, another item that we ordered before, the Xiao Long Bao (XLB) - Steamed Buns. The buns explode with a lovely soup when you bite into them, so beware. The pork filling is a bit savory while the soup gives it a nice umami touch. Key to a good XLB is the skin and these didn't disappoint, the skin was unctuous with just the slightest hint of chewiness, but not so much as to be doughy.  Another dish that strayed from our original visit is the Xi'an Cold Steamed Noodles. Okay, if you don't like "cold" noodles, stay away. But if you're a fan, then be sure to give this refreshing dish a try. The cucumber and bean sprouts add a much needed  crunch. The noodles are well sauced but could be a bit spicier (personal preference). I'd vouch for this as a great summer dish.   This is another of our first new items, the Sian-Xi Spicy & Tangy Soup Noodles. These handmade noodles were definitely toothsome and cooked to perfection, al dente but still very slippery. There were some diced pork and tofu, along with a smattering of frozen veggies...those veggies ruined the dish for me. Mind you, the noodles and the broth were good, but frozen veggies were a true disappointment.   Thankfully, the next dish we got was the Chinese Rice Cakes (funny cuz I thought we were having Chinese food so far) and that totally redeemed them in my eyes. No frozen veggies here! Slivers of pork and fresh Asian greens complement the traditional rice cakes to that and you have one of my all-time comfort foods. These are way better than any "rice cakes" you'd find in a Western grocery store. These are like extra wide noodles, served in an ergonomic shape. Give it a try, even people without chopsticks skill can make this work!  And our last repeat dish from the Broadway location, this is the Mandarin Mu-Shu Shredded Pork. There are a ton of veggies here, as well as egg, but at $10+, I didn't think this was wrth it. The dish was lacking flavour, needing some hot sauce to salvage it. The ingredients were good, with lots of veggies rounding out the shredded pork. 
If you like playing with your food, then pay the extra few bucks and add the Steamed Crepe. Six really is enough for the serving of Mu Shu, just be sure to load up each wrap with all the pork.

Take note:

• Service needs work.
• Their XLBs are a "must eat".
• Prepare for lineups. 

Modern City - Shanghainese in Kerridale

While I was in Toronto, I ate pretty good food, but most of them were European cuisines, such as Cafe Boulud (see more of my Toronto posts) with only Momofuku the notable exception. It was only normal that my first two meals out were both Asian, first Copa Cafe, and now Modern City.
Sigh, spell check anyone? 

 

We ordered a total of four dishes intending to have some leftovers. Because many Shanghainese dishes are high in carbs, we decided to order something soupy for a light but comforting dish. This is the Deep Fried Tofu with Vermicelli Soup. There are large cubes of tofu, deep fried with a crispy crust but the tofu inside is super soft. The vermicelli is a nice touch and serves to make this dish just hearty enough, but never heavy. 

 

Another "must-eat" on my list for Shanghainese this Salted Sticky Rice. It's like a sushi roll, but instead of filled, it's filled with a Chinese Donut, topped with some shredded preserved veggies and pork floss.  It shouldn't be exploding like this, but in a way, this is helpful since it showcases the inside. Despite the presentation, this was good. Chances are, the rice was just too hot to hold together and broke apart as it was rolled. I would give this another shot on my next visit.

 

The heaviest dish we ordered was the Shanghai Style Rice Cake with Soy Sauce. This dish (~$7) was just a tad small for my expectations. However, what we did receive was delicious. The rice cake had a fantastic chewiness and bounce, and didn't not stick together, something that often happens when they are not made to order. The rice cakes are stir-fried with some shredded pork and spinach. The flavours were good, not overly salty and benefited from the touch of heat from the extra hot sauce I requested. My only complaint was that this dish was just a touch too oily...look closely at the bottom of the plate  (7 o'clock area) and you'll sort of see what I mean. 
And no Shanghainese lunch is complete without Xiao Long Bao, so we decided to try these. Alas, these were a disappointment. The best I've had so far is Dinesty. Of the six we had, four broke the minute you picked them up. Either the skin was too thin on the bottom or they didn't do enough to prevent them sticking to the paper. But the one I had that didn't burst was filled with a very flavourful broth. However, the top of each bun was overly thick, and took away from the overall enjoyment of the dish. If you need to order XLBs every time you visit a Shanghainese food, then you might not think this place is worth a shot. 

Take Note:

• Lots of lunch specials for under $10.
• Credit costs extra unless your bill is $35+.
• Probably the only Shanghainese cuisine in the area, so they do get busy.

Shanghai Morning

Late last month, we decided to throw caution to the wind and headed into Richmond for Shanghainese. I dread going into Richmond because of the potential car crashes and long lineups for everything, but it was early on a Saturday and we crossed our fingers and hoped for the best. We decided to head to Shanghai Morning, just off of Alexandra Road (aka Eat Street, no, not the TV show). Let's start with the most disappointing dish and work our way to the best. This was their Beef Roll, and as evident in the picture, despite the roll being quite large, the amount of beef is rather lacking. The hoisin sauce had a stronger presence than the beef. Also, I like the outside layer to be a bit more fried, with a least more than a touch of flakiness to them. These were a bit too soft for any textural contrast and the lack of filling made them a bit boring.  Our next favourite dish was the Xiao Long Baos (XLBs). The soupiness was amazing, but unfortunately, the skin on these were a bit tough and took away from the awesome soupiness. Not the worst I've had, but I'd still have to say that the ones from Dinesty. Oh, and their beef rolls are a touch better too.

 

Normally, I order the Pork Chop Noodle (see post from Peaceful Cafe) as my carb dish, but we decided on the Hot and Sour Soup Noodle here instead. This was a real winner, the soup was nice and sour with a nice splash of chilli oil for heat. It was filled with all the fixings, shrimp, bamboo shoots, wood ear and tofu. The noodles soaked up the broth nicely and  gave the dish a rich velvety texture. I could have used more heat, but I think it's enough for most people. 

 

And up next, the Leeks Cake, filled to the brim with leeks and pan fried to a nice golden colour. If you love leeks, this is the dish for you. The filling was fresh and plentiful. The skin has a bit of a chew to it, and albeit it being a bit oily, it wasn't overly so.   But my hands down favourite dish for lunch is their Sticky Rice Roll. These come piping hot from the kitchen and are chock full of Pork Floss, Preserved Vegetables and a Chinese Donut (salty). The softness of the floss, the slight crunch from the veggies and the bold crunch from the donut enveloped within a coating of warm sticky rice all make for a perfect bite. If you are getting a bit full, go for the middle where there is a better filling-to-rice ratio, more bang for your buck.

Here is a better view of all the filling inside the roll. Trust me, this was my favourite from the lunch! So, what was the best part of this lunch? All in, we were out less than $30! Two people, five dishes and plenty of leftovers!

Take Note:

• Servers don't speak much English but they do have an English menu.
• Come early to avoid the lineup, they are pretty small and fill up quickly.
• They have a wide variety of dessert, including my favourite, Rice Balls with Crushed Peanuts!

Asian Legend

Being from Vancouver, and home to some of the best XLBs around, I knew coming to Asian Legend while in Toronto was going to be a bit of a let down. However, I was more than a little pleasantly surprised.

Though it's not touted as a Shanghainese Restaurant, per se, they did have Xiao Long Baos on the menu. I decided to give these a try. These were actually pretty good, not great. The skin is a touch thick, but there is definitely a lot of juice inside. I found the top twisted part really thick but there was plenty of meat and juice to make this a good XLB effort. For my favourite in Vancouver (well, Richmond), head to Dinesty. 

This is their Pancake Stuffed with Sliced Beef. It's not much to look at, but it does have a nice pan-fried sear on it. No, it's not one per order, I think there were two. And I just grabbed one so that I could take a good picture without making everyone else at the table wait.
Once you open up the biscuit, you'll see that it is loaded with shreds of meat but the thickness of the "pancake" detracted greatly from the enjoyment of this dish. In the ind, I just ended up eating the filling and leaving the hollow pancake shell alone. 

Another good way to judge a Chinese Restaurant is in their noodle soups. What we have here is the Chunky Beef with Noodles. The noodles were cooked to a good al dente, the soup was very flavourful, but I'm sure there's some MSG in there. What impressed me most was the tenderness of the beef chunks, you can tell they really took their time marinating and braising these "cheaper" cuts of meat, such as the brisket you see here.

That was more than enough food for two people, but for some reason, I had it in my head that I really wanted Mu Shu Pork. Knowing that we could pack this too go, I went for it. And I'm really glad I did. Although the pancakes (hiding in the back) weren't served on a steamer as I had expected, they were freshly steamed and did a swell job of holding all the Mu Shu in. I'm really glad I tried this as the Pork was really well done, with a lot of ingredients such as scrambled eggs, thinly sliced wood ear mushrooms and golden needles, a very traditional ingredient. The also used some matchstick bamboo shoots as well as a less traditional ingredient, the enoki mushroom. Served with some hoisin sauce to bind everything together, this was a good addition to the meal.

Take Note: 

• It's not traditional Chinese fare, more Westernized 
• Good noodles soups 
• Some dimsum items a little rough around the edges, not very refined

Dinner at Shanghai Wonderful

Although I've been to Shanghai Wonderful many times for lunch, this was my first visit for dinner. Their lunchtime service features lots of Shanghainese dim sum dishes but dinner is a whole different ball game.

I know what you are thinking, are those rice krispies squares?? In short, they are probably the original rice crispy squares, made without marshmallows. It's chunks of crispy rice served with a thick soup on the side. You're supposed to pour the soup over the rice and listen to the Snap, Crackle, Pop, Asian style. The rice softens and soaks up all the soupy goodness. It's really fun and you can do it to the whole bowl, or grab a few chunks and do it in your own bowl.
No visit to a Shanghainese restaurant is complete without Xiao Loong Baos (XLBs), soup filled pork dumplings. All you do is dip it in a little vinegar and bite off a little bit so you can suck up all the soupy goodness first. Or if you are patient, you can wait until they cool off a bit and pop the whole thing in your mouth.
We needed one additional carb dish and settled in the Shanghai Style Fried Rice Cakes. These are oval shaped "noodles" and mixed with cabbage or other greens as well as some shredded pork. Great flavour and I really do like the texture of these cakes, chewy and almost impossible to overcook.
In addition to the mandatory XLBs (for both lunch and dinner) my other must-have is the Peking Duck. It's a whole BBQ duck served two ways. They skin the duck and serve it as a taco filler. The key to BBQ duck is to slice the skin off without taking too much of the meat. Several of my slices were overly meaty, but the crispiness of the skin did help to mitigate that.
Okay, they are not really taco skins, more like quesadilla skins...steamed and piping hot, you spread this open on your plate, and then add some condiments to this.
What sort of condiments? Mostly cucumber and green onions, and a splash of hoisin sauce. People say this is like Chinese BBQ sauce, but it's richer and slightly sweeter than BBQ sauce.
 Remember how I said this was served two ways, right? So the second one is the the rest of the duck meat, shredded up with a blend of fried vermicelli, celery, carrots and green onions. I really liked how the duck meat was cubes, so you can really taste the meat. Most places shred the duck so finely that you can't even tell what protein you're eating. Definitely no filler here.  
Instead of using the same flour wraps, the duck meat are placed in leaves of lettuce. The crunch of the lettuce pairs well with the meatiness of the dish. Be sure to add some of the hoisin sauce as well. 
Last but not least, we ordered another dish off the Dim Sum menu, the Fried Dumplings. These were a little disappointing, both in the lack of flavour and the bland appearance. I could have skipped this and wouldn't have missed a thing.
Our dinner at a glance. I'd recommend the Peking Duck and the Shanghainese Rice Cakes for sure. 

Shanghai Wonderful - lives up to its name.

I have been to Shanghai Wonderful at least a dozen times but every time I go, I'm so famished that I never remember to take pictures for a post. Well, this time, I finally did! 

As always, we got their Salty Sticky Rice, which is a sushi type roll with preserved mustard greens for crunch, a deep fried Chinese doughnut runs through the entire length of the roll, with loads of dried pork floss sprinkled in between. It's a bit salty, a bit doughy yet peaks of flavour come from the preserved greens. They might look harmless, but limit yourself to just one. Have more than that and you'll be too full to try anything else! Pack extras to go, they are great at room temperature for a snack later. 

I was also in the mood of a bowl of noodles and we got the Szechuan Beef Noodle, and yes, it's a bit spicy. See the chilies there? The beef was super tender and juicy, the noodles were just a touch past al dente, but still pretty good. I like the abundance of veggies and the piping hot broth. This splits up into 3 generous bowls and if you want it a little hotter, as for the hot sauce paste on the side.

No Shanghainese dim sum is complete without Xiao Long Baos. The ones here are good, nice and uber juicy. The skin isn't too thick and the meat is cooked perfectly. Eat these first! They're never the same when you reheat them. Take a bite off the top, drizzle some vinegar through the opening, and gobble the whole thing up. It will hurt you a bit because it's hot and soupy, but that's the best feeling too! 

We also got their Big Soup Bun (Tang Bao)...a steamed dumpling that is the granddaddy of all Xiao Long Bao. It's about the size of a gigantic barbecue bun, but it's steamed and not barbecued. It's filled with meat, some noodles & mushrooms, but mostly some soup..and because it's so big, they actually give you a straw to extract the soup!

I still don't know if we ate it "right", but we sipped some of the soup first, then delicately used the spoon to open up the bun. Despite having "drank" some of the soup, the dumpling still overflowed when we poked into it. If you have a fail safe approach to tackling this baby, please share by leaving a comment below.