Friday, August 16, 2013

Sun Sui Wah 新瑞華海鮮酒家 : Richmond location


Sweet and sour prawns with lychee, fresh mango crepes, and fresh orange juice are the reasons why Sun Sui Wah is a regular dim sum restaurant of mine I come to Sun Sui Wah for dim sum. I always consider Sun Sui Wah comparable to Kirin too regarding the atmosphere, prices, service and food. However, I do believe Sun Sui Wah does have a better quality control than Kirin.

When I have dim sum at Sun Sui Wah, I make it a goal to come around 11:00am to noon because I have been traumatized from the mango crepes being sold out! On our visit today, we arrived around noon and the parking lot was full on a weekday. Reservations are recommended for those who hate waiting, but fortunately we did not have to wait!

SMALL $3.50 || MEDIUM $4.25 || LARGE $4.95 || SPECIAL $5.50 || DELXUE $6.80



COCA COLA ($2.50) AND FRESH ORANGE JUICE ($5.50).
Sometimes I wonder if we have to pay for tea because we never have any… lol. I am guessing we do though because dim sum restaurants charging for tea is pretty much a "sit down" charge, probably because a lot of seniors like to stay here for hours. One of the perks about Sun Sui Wah is that the restaurant offers freshly squeezed juice!

CONGEE WITH DRY CABBAGE AND PORK BONE ($?)
We noticed that Sun Sui Wah removed majority of their congees on the menu and we decided to try a new dish. The congee has a nice, rich, homestyle taste and is fairly flavourful. The consistency is not watery nor too thick and does not taste bland. As for the pork, the meat is fairly tender too.

DEEP FRIED EGGPLANT WITH CHILLI AND GARLIC ($8.00).
The long and thick pieces of eggplant are lightly deep fried before pan frying and do not taste too mushy. There is a chilli, garlic and light soy seasoning as well.

SAUTEED CLAMS WITH BLACK BEAN SAUCE ($8.00).
The clams taste fresh and the black bean sauce is fairly good. I am not really a fan of black bean sauce because I find it overwhelming, but the one here is nicely prepared. The sauce tastes rich and thick, but not overly. In addition, there is a good quality control because every single clam is open.

SAUTEED DAIKON CAKE IN XO SAUCE ($6.80).
The cuts of daikon cake are lightly battered to ensure a crispy coating, but I personally dislike the batter. Regardless, the daikon works because of the crisp exterior and exhibits a soft but not mushy interior.

SWEET AND SOUR PRAWNS ($8.80).
My absolute favourite dish and one of the reasons why I come here is for the sweet and sour prawns! The tiger prawns are lightly battered and have a crisp exterior. Moreover, the prawns have a nice snap and taste very juicy. As for the sauce, there is a nice tanginess and does not taste too sweet.

STEAMED SPARERIBS IN BLACK BEAN SAUCE ($4.25).
The spareribs are well executed and chopped into small pieces to ensure that more flavour can be absorbed. The meat also tastes tender and rich, while the black bean sauce does not overwhelm.

MINI EGG TARTS ($3.50).
The custard has a touch of sweetness and a smooth as well as soft consistency. On top of that, the crust is very flaky and buttery. There could have been more color on the crust, but it is fine.

STEAMED SCALLOP AND SHRIMP DUMPLING ($4.95)
The dumplings are very moist and the shrimp paste tastes tender. There are also cuts of bouncy prawns and the topped slices of scallop are moist, while the bits of tobiko provide a bit of a soft crunch.

CHICKEN FEET WITH BLACK BEAN SAUCE ($4.95).
The chicken feet are the biggest disappointment from dim sum because there is not much flavour. Furthermore, the skin tastes tender but the chicken feet is a bit over steamed.

MINI STICKY RICE PURSE ($4.95). 
The sticky rice rolls exhibit a rich and strong aroma but the rice only tastes average. The rice tastes tender, is not mushy, and there is a good amount of tasty sauce along with pork.

FRESH MANGO PANCAKE ($4.25).
Yes, I ordered a couple for only the two of us! But it is really all for me LOL. The fresh mango crepes are also another reason why I like going to Sun Sui Wah for dim sum. The pancake includes fresh ripe juicy mangos and is filled with fresh whipped cream. The crepe literally melts in the mouth too! This is a lot better than their mango pudding, which is very average.

DEEP FRIED SESAME BALLS WITH BLACK SESAME PASTE ($4.25).
The order of sesame balls includes four pieces, but I lost the photo of it. The shell is very average, soft with a light chewiness. However, the black sesame paste is horrible. The paste is dried up and does not even taste rich.

STEAMED BLACK CHICKEN WITH HERB FLOWERS ($5.50).
Trying to make sure we go for a healthy dish, we ordered the steamed black chicken feet with herb flowers. The chicken tastes tender, but the herbal flavour is not strong enough. There should have been more wolf berries too.

Photoframe from another visit is below.
The quality of food at Sun Sui Wah is above average and that is one of the reasons why people visit, as well as for the service. However, Sun Sui Wah used to be considered a regular restaurant of mine but is no longer. When there are four managers on the front, six to eight waitstaff, only a 70% full occupancy, and two people that ordered the amount of food we did…. WHY do I have to go to the counter to pay my bill? When paying with cash? The owner's wife did not even say one word to me when I walked up to pay too, not even a thank you? Who the !#$% walks up to pay their own bill at Sun Sui Wah? //End of vent.

I will probably revisit Sun Sui Wah after tying twenty other dim sum restaurants, if I think their mango pancake, sweet n' sour lychee prawns and fresh orange juice is worth it. If the same situation happens however where it is impossible to find a waitstaff, then I will definitely speak up. I mean, if a table orders the amount of food for six to eight people, we should get the same service as if there were six to eight people at the table. I do not even need service too, just someone to take the bill.

POSITIVES
- Fresh juice
- Majority of the food is above average

NEGATIVES
- Were we invisible?
- Miserable looking cashier
- Some items are below average

Food: 3/5
Service: 1/5

Sun Sui Wah 新瑞華海鮮酒家 on Urbanspoon

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